Down in the Pitt

Megan, 24, writes for so many fandoms Queen/ Ben Hardy masterlist // Main Masterlist // The Pitt Masterlist // 5SOS masterlist // Old masterlist // Evan Buckley Masterlist // Eddie Diaz Masterlist // SWAT Masterlist Requests open

[megalony]

I love your House MD Chase imagines!!! Do you think you’ll write another soon? No pressure, just curious. Thank you for sharing! 💕

Awww thank you ☺️

I already have another chase request that’s plotted out and I’m hoping to start it next week so there will be another one for you soon

😍😍😍

[megalony]

Competition Of Love

This is a new Luke Hemmings imagine I had an idea for and I'm really happy with how this one turned out.

Please let me know what you think!

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22 @mrsyixingunicorn10 @talicat713 @niamhmbt @strawberry-canyon @bieberhoodforever @911fangirlie @hollandxxmix @jasmineee05 @creat1venat1onn @devilslittlehelper @darlingcharling-blog @bear8585 @nickie-amore @elliott-calls @person-005 @mbioooo0000 @amara-mars @shypy92 @nikfigueiredo @sabsthedoll @rach2602 @itshamleth @ladespedidas @devilslittlehelper @buckslifeline @wanniiieeee @jaydaaasworld @theelementofsurprisee @andrewgarfieldislife @lover-rep-fanfic @spideysimpossiblegirl @danah-20 @ilocuras24 @peeekabo0 @brown-eyes-cello-and-books @alexisann143 @darknessofhell666-blog-blog

@jihoonsbbygirl @libbyqypu @livesosdisc @swag313gurl @chandlxa

5SOS Masterlist

Summary: (Y/n) and Luke try to keep their relationship quiet, they don't want to cause conflict within their band, which is hard when bad things happen at a press event. And things are more complicated than they first thought; because Calum loves her too.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're staring again."

Tremors coursed through Calum's nerves like he'd received an electrical current through his system that had brought him back down to Earth from the clouds of his thoughts.

He blinked as if finally waking up and looked to his left.

"What?" There was a hazy look to his eyes as if he had just found himself waking from a trance, but Michael didn't seem to notice the look. He wasn't looking at Calum, simply staring down at the paper in his hands which probably had a few odd lyrics scrawled across it.

"You're staring." Michael repeated himself, again, and pointed a hand in (Y/n)'s direction, across the room.

This time when he looked over at Calum, the bassist wouldn't meet his eye. Instead, Calum glanced down at his hands that were now fiddling and entwining together like they had become the most interesting thing in the room to him.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Calum saw no point in trying to feign ignorance or say that Michael was mistaken, because clearly he wasn't doing as good a job at hiding this as he first thought.

It wasn't like he planned it. He didn't plan to fall for her; she was their bandmate for God's sake and feelings just complicated everything. Every aspect of their lives, both personal and work, their relationship dynamic would change if feelings got involved. But it had blossomed unexpectedly, suddenly, after years and years of a friendship that had bonded them for life.

And Calum couldn't help the way his eyes wandered off in (Y/n)'s direction whenever they were close by. His mind drifted and suddenly he had been staring at her for a while and prayed that she- and no one else- had taken much notice. Clearly Michael had.

"What are you gonna do, tell her or remain lovesick?" There was a swell of understanding in his voice, and it was clear he wasn't trying to be rude.

If this was serious- and Michael suspected it was because they weren't young teens anymore getting crushes on any person who got close to them- then Calum either had to bite the bullet and talk to (Y/n) about it, or pray that he could overcome these feelings and move on. And that was never going to be an easy task to perform.

Again, Calum couldn't find the will to lift his gaze from his hands, not when the feeling in his heart was weighing him down like a stone sinking to the bottom of his stomach.

"Don't you remember the advice John drilled into us in the beginning?" He found himself spinning one of the rings around his finger while he recited what they had been told all those years ago. "Don't fall for her; if it gets complicated you'll just ruin the best thing you've got."

Their first manager when they had started their first album, had given them a lot of good advice and direction. But amongst the words of wisdom and the pushing for them to be themselves, to be creative and do what they wanted to do, there was one rule that stuck with them all.

Don't fall for (Y/n).

She was the only girl in the band. They would be spending so much time together, most of their time would be with one another and that would complicate things. It made other relationships hard because all four of them would be close to (Y/n) and that was a recipe for jealousy.

If any of them got too close to (Y/n) and started a relationship, there was potential for disaster. It could end in flames and bring ruin down on the band, on the rest of their friendships. This band had been their ticket to the top, and they had lasted this long because they had that friendship that felt like family, they loved and trusted one another and gave each other the freedom and safety net and familiarity they all needed.

In the beginning this had been a rule that had been important to them all because they had potential for success and they didn't want to ruin a band that had just started to grow and develop. It was different now, nothing could tear the band apart and they had made it to where they wanted to be, a relationship wouldn't necessarily wreck any of this.

But it would definitely change things, and Calum didn't know if he could take such a big step, especially if he didn't know if (Y/n) felt the same.

"Well you've already ignored that advice. There's only three outcomes here; you tell her and know at least you tried. You tell her, she likes you back and you make a go of it. Or it ends in flames and the band carries on like Fleetwood Mac."

That earned a laugh from Calum and he finally lifted his head to look over at Michael. That wasn't the response he thought he would get. He thought Michael would warn him away, tell him to heed that advice they had lived by for a decade and not rock the boat the band were floating in.

"Might as well tell her than suffer in silence."

In Michael's opinion it would be a different kind of relationship anyway. It wouldn't be anything new, they had known each other for a very long time. They understood the work, the job and the travelling better than anyone else would. Spending extended periods of time together wasn't an issue and wouldn't become one, they were both intergrated into one another's lives.

And even if (Y/n) didn't feel the same and Calum told her how he felt, then at least she would know. She could be more mindful and aware around him, and help if he had to get over and push down his feelings for her.

"Maybe…"

Both their heads angled up when a flash caught their attention, and suddenly (Y/n) was stood a few feet from the sofa the pair were reclined on. Her phone held in one hand and a quirked grin on her face as she had clearly taken a photo of them.

By the look on her face, she hadn't heard what they were talking about either, which set Calum's mind at rest.

"Dare I ask what this secret huddle is all about?" (Y/n) grinned to herself as she glanced down at her phone. The picture had been a rather good one of the pair of them, their heads bent towards one another, a bashful smile on Calum's face and a knowing look on Michael's like he was setting up some kind of prank.

They looked like two teenagers talking in hushed voices, huddling together to try and plot some joke or heist.

"It's best if you don't." Michael held that air of mystery about him as he pushed up from the sofa and passed (Y/n) with that look in his eyes that told her he was both taunting with her and not being fully serious either.

When she took a step closer to the sofa, (Y/n) held her phone out towards Calum. "I do take a good photo, if I say so myself. When I have the right muses of course."

"Oh, I'm your muse now am I?"

"Obviously."

That smile on her face was just enough to get a dose of adrenaline coursing through Calum's veins. She didn't know what she did to him.

He was going to tell her.

Not here, not right now, but he would find a good moment to bring up the way he felt for her, the way she made him feel and the kind of reactions she got out of him. Calum would find a moment when they were together and he could talk to her alone without anyone else listening in.

Here in the studio wasn't the right space when the others were hovering around and they were supposed to be finishing up on this latest album. The studio was for work, they had to concentrate and keep busy, and if the conversation didn't go in Calum's favour then he wanted to talk somwhere where he could disappear and have time to himself. Or somewhere he could be closer to (Y/n) than before, where he could be in her orbit if his feelings were returned.

Maybe he could talk to her next week when they went to the press event. Their record label was hosting a party and the band weren't ever so keen on parties, but it would be good to show their faces for an hour before disappearing. Calum could find a moment there to sit and talk to (Y/n), he was sure of it.

He was willing to bite the apple and take the risk.

(Y/n) tucked her phone back into her pocket as she bypassed the sofa, ruffling Calum's unruly hair as she walked by and aimed out of the recording room. She was in need of a drink from the kitchen, and knew the others could probably use some sugar to boost their energy levels too.

She was two feet from the kitchen when a gasp caught at the back of her throat and an arm was suddenly locked around her waist.

That familiar hand curled around her hip and caught on the waistband of her jeans to find purchase and hold onto her with just enough effort to turn (Y/n) in a different direction.

All the air tapered out of her lungs when her back was turned towards the wall and suddenly she was staring up at Luke. Feeling his chest looming against hers so closely that she could feel the rise and fall of his chest and almost make out the sound of his heart beating wildly in his chest.

Both hands were curled around her hips, stroking at the small slither of exposed skin between her top and the hem of her jeans and that touch was enough to have shivers coursing up and down (Y/n)'s frame.

She reached out to loop her arms around the back of his neck, allowing her fingers to tangle in his bleached blond hair that was crimped and forming into wavy curls at the ends.

Luke wasted no time in stealing her lips in a kiss, taking the opportunity since the hall was deserted and everyone else was occupied in the recording room. He would guess they had a few minutes to be alone out here before someone noticed both their absences at the same time.

"Thought I'd never get you alone."

"Oh, did you miss me?" The teasing tone to her voice earned a hum in response before his lips were on hers again, battling for a silent victory that came with stealing the air she needed to breathe until she was gasping against his mouth.

They hadn't told the band yet about this new development. Neither of them wanted to rock the boundaries and foundations they had beenwalking on since the day the band was formed. Keeping this to themselves was hard, keeping their hands to themselves was even harder. But they were waiting for the right time to tell the band, and then the fans who would find out eventually even if they tried to keep this relationship to themselves.

When the album was finished and they were in full swing for the tour they were planning, then the couple had agreed to tell everyone.

It wouldn't be as nerve-wracking as it would have been in the beginning of the band formation. If they got together then, things would have been a whole lot different, the band might not have developed in the way that it did.

They had all grown and changed and transformed as people as well as the band evolving in its own way. And they knew that what they felt for each other wasn't like any relationship they had in the past. This was different, deeper, they were woven into each other's DNA.

***

"I hate coming to these." There was an air of irritation woven into Michael's voice as their group headed through the main doors that opened out into the venue.

"Is that why you were the first one out the car?"

"First in, first out, right?" (Y/n) whispered with a squeeze to Michael's shoulder as they all huddled together and passed over the threshold.

A sense of trepadition flooded (Y/n)'s nerves once the five of them were officially inside. She could feel her heart picking up speed like it was announcing its own presence, and (Y/n) wanted to press her hand over her chest to try and quieten it down and stop the panic that was starting to rise within her.

When they were going to a press event it was a different kind of buzz, a relaxing sense of adrenaline and anticipation. This wasn't the same. This wasn't an event where they knew everyone, where they could be with fans who they were always comfortable around and appreciative of.

This was a event with hundreds of people, most of which they didn't know. People being false, giving false modesty and being snide in closed off corners. This was a room full of people promoting themselves.

The band were only here to be polite because they had been invited, and they knew there would be music and free drinks.

An hour of mingling and tiring conversations, then they would sneak out and go somewhere a bit more carefree and fun.

(Y/n) was glad that she was stood more to the back of their group, with Calum and Michael leading the pack and Ashton stood to one side just a step in front of her, almost like a bodyguard. Because it meant she could hang back a little, hide behind them, and more importantly she could loop her left hand through Luke's elbow and stay close to his side.

Events like these weren't (Y/n)'s cup of tea, and if she were separated from the band she wouldn't do very well on her own.

"Don't stray too far," she murmured, glancing up at Luke with pleading eyes that caused his blood to ignite with sparks and flames.

"I was gonna say the same thing to you."

It didn't take long for them all to be spit apart by the sea of people that took them like the current took grains of sand from the beach. They weren't too far apart, but ten minutes away from the band felt like an hour when (Y/n) didn't feel comfortable on her own in these types of events and situations.

Her eyes glanced around, anxiety flooding her dilated pupils as she tried to find one of the guys, or any familiar face to latch onto someone and be around until the band reformed somewhere in this huge hall.

Where was Luke? (Y/n) tried to scan the room, looking for that familiar crop of bleached hair that shone out under the flurescent lights in rooms like this. He would sparkle just like the kind of stars they sang about in their new album. He was tall enough to spot in crowds like these, and in the kind of outfit he was wearing tonight, coupled with purple eyeshadow that sparkled whenever he blinked and the black and white nail polish he wore, (Y/n) should have been able to spot him in seconds.

A flash caught her eye and she thought it might have been the light catching on Luke's hair as he moved through the crowd, but as fast as that light was there, it was gone again.

She was about to brave her way through the crowds and go in search of any of the band to hover nearby and feel secure again, when a calloused hand wrapped around her forearm.

The touch wasn't like any she was used to. It didn't hold the same tenderness mixed with feather light fingers brushing along her skin like when Luke reached out for her. It wasn't Michael's tentative touch like he was never sure if he was interrupting or annoying her by reaching out for her. And it wasn't playful like when Ashton jump-scared her and held onto her shoulders, or when Calum would pull her into a hug or guide her under his wing.

It wasn't anything like that. This touch was firm, tight, rough fingertips and almost a sense of ownership when the hand began to yank on her arm to get her attention to the point (Y/n)'s shoulder began to ache in its socket.

She frowned, unable to stop a sigh from parting her lips as she turned to her right and stared at who was gripping her like they were an officer trying to detain her. (Y/n) didn't know him, but there was a clear look of recognition within his eyes.

"I was hoping I'd see you."

He didn't slurr like he was drunk, and he wore such a bright grin that (Y/n) almost felt unnerved by it. She wanted to step back, wanted to shake her head and ask why, but the way he looked at her was soo off-putting.

He looked like he had just found the perfect opportunity to do something bad, to break the rules with no consequence.

"Really?" Wariness flooded (Y/n)'s voice as she looked him up and down, still unsure exactly who he was and how he thought he knew her, much less why he seemed so happy to see her.

He had dark brunette hair that looked as if it had been straightened and slicked back to his head with enough gel to keep it in place during a hurricane. It made him stand out at least, because no one else had their hair gelled back that much. And no one else here wore a loose, ruffled button up shirt with at least half the buttons undone down the middle. The shirt wasn't even tucked in, making him look untidy rather than fashionable.

He nodded eagerly, still gripping her arm like he was afraid (Y/n) was about to run away from him, and she would admit that the thought had crossed her mind.

"Yeah, summer, right? The band," he elaborated and leant in close enough that (Y/n) found herself leaning back just to add that bit more space in between them.

"5sos." She corrected, doing her best to put on a polite smile as she took a cautious step back.

Somehow, being close to this guy didn't feel safe, distance felt like her friend right now. Even if he was a fan of the band and clearly knew who she was and why she was here. But this guy didn't fit with their usual crowd, their usual fans who (Y/n) would have felt much more comfortable around right now than this man who was leaning far too close to her with a sleezy grin and a strange look in his eyes.

"That's the one," he wore a grin as if they were old friends having a catch up. "So, She Looks So Perfect, that was about you right?"

That was a line (Y/n) hadn't heard before.

Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for anyone familiar, it didn't even have to be any of the band, just someone she knew well enough to chat to so she could get out of this situation.

Faking a laugh was harder than it seemed and she refused to give this guy any eye contact that might egg him on and keep herself trapped here talking to him.

"Oh, no sorry to disappoint."

"Modest, I like that. Why don't you come get a drink with me? We can find a quiet corner-"

"There you are, come on we've been waiting for you."

Calum's heart soared like a rocket taking off into space when he caught the utterly relieved smile that lit up (Y/n)'s face when he approached her. He could see the panic fading from her eyes that focused solely on him as he saddled up beside her and curved his arm around her waist until his hand was pressed carefully against the middle of her back.

He turned to the left as soon as his arm was safely around (Y/n) and the man in front of her promptly let go of her arm, though it was clear he didn't want to let her go. And Calum steered (Y/n) along with him, weaving back through the crowd with haste until they were a safe distance away and they could slow down until they were barely placing one foot in front of the other.

He had been looking for (Y/n), wanting to check she was alright since they had all gotten split up, when he realised that look on her face when he found her. He knew that whoever she was talking to, she wasn't happy to be there and he wouldn't leave her drowning when he could easily throw her a life jacket and help her out.

"I love your timing."

"You looked like you could use an escape."

He was glad to be useful, and more so that she actually wanted his help and didn't think he was being too protective or that he had comandeered her back then. The band could read one another so clearly when they were at events like this. They could tell when Ashton was getting distracted or tired, when Michael felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave, when Luke was tired of putting on that outgoing, boysterous persona that hid the mellow, timid version of him backstage.

They wouldn't leave anyone to struggle when they could give them a helping hand and stop the world- or the people in it- from becoming too overwhelming and annoying.

Calum would always help her, he would do anything for (Y/n), she didn't even have to ask.

God, (Y/n) wanted to leave this event now. They hadn't been here long, barely long enough to have two drinks from the bar and already it felt like a lifetime had passed them by.

(Y/n)'s elbows planted on the bar and she leant forward until the edge was pushing into the bottom of her chest and causing her ribs to ache. She had told herself as she approached the free bar that this would be her last drink. After this, she would comandeer the band and see if any- or all- of them wanted to split from this place and go somewhere else. She didn't care if she ended up going home, she just didn't want to be here anymore.

Faking smiles was hard to do and pretending to listen was getting tedious when the only people she had talked to were more self-absorbed than some of the people on tv.

And (Y/n) didn't like being around so many people she didn't know; the only way she could handle those kind of situations was when the band were performing. Because at least then, they were up on stage and the music took over, it put a spell over the room and gave them a break, an escape. And when they were performing to the fans it never felt like they were alone or surrounded by strangers; fans were family.

When she felt an elbow nudging into her waist, (Y/n) lifted her head that had been bowed forward like she had been praying to the bar for another drink, or a form of escape.

Unease dwelled in the pit of her stomach as she looked to her left and found him there. Again. The guy that had grabbed her and tried to drag her into a conversation earlier. The guy that had tried to hang around the band and rope (Y/n) into another chat. He had been pushy enough that when she needed to go to the toilet, Luke had walked her there and back just so this guy couldn't bother her or try anything on the way.

"I've been looking for you."

There was that same glint in his eyes as earlier, like he knew something about her that she didn't. Like he had been waiting for this moment, waiting to talk to her, to be able to see her alone, as if they had known each other for years and there was more to this than just over-friendly admiration on his part.

(Y/n) didn't like it. She didn't like how he leant so close to her that she could smell the lace of vodka on his breath, though she wasn't sure what drink he currently had in his hand and she knew he was nowhere near to being drunk yet.

She didn't like the way his eyes raked her up and down, the way his grin looked predatory and reminded her of a shark. She didn't want to be this close to him.

Her body slowly and cautiously slid to the right, adding an air of space in between them and she reached out for her half-finished drink that had been close enough to his that their glasses had almost clinked together.

"Have you?" It was clear by the forced tone of voice that (Y/n) wasn't too pleased or flattered by his statement.

She turned her head away, hoping that he would get the message that she didn't want to be in his company, and downed the last of her drink before pushing her glass away from her so the bar tender could take it. The joys of a free bar meant they could ask for whatever they wanted, but had to queue and push their way for a spot at the bar to contend with everyone else who also wanted a free drink.

"Hm," he saddled up even closer until his arm bumped into hers and (Y/n) almost lost her balance. "You look like you don't wanna be here, maybe we could go somewhere else and have some real fun."

"Maybe I don't want company."

It wasn't strictly true; she did want company, just not from him.

Again she found herself looking around, trying to scout out for any shining masses of multicoloured hair to find one of the guys that she could use as a beacon, a lighthouse to guide her to somewhere safe. To be around her family who were the only people she wanted to be having any kind of fun with.

"You want my company, trust me."

That was bold, and not even the kind of pick up line that would ever work on (Y/n), she couldn't think of anyone who would actually buy that. Not with the way he was looking at her, a predator prowling around her trying to use cheap persuasion to get the company he wanted.

Well it wasn't going to work on (Y/n).

Her head turned away from him sharp enough to make her neck click and her folded arms pushed further up the bar, getting closer to the stranger on her right than the creep on her left who didn't seem to understand that his company was the last thing that (Y/n) wanted right now.

For a minute, maybe longer, (Y/n) let her eyes fall closed and arched forwards like she was about to collapse onto the bar and fall asleep.

There was a strom brewing behind her eyes, her temples were throbbing and her blood was tingling in her veins like it had become charged with electricity.

She hoped that turning her back on him would get the message through, and for that brief minute with her eyes closed and the noises all drowning out into background static, (Y/n) thought it had worked.

Then his hand was on her shoulder, and the slightest pull to make her lean towards him was enough to set her off balance and though she tried to blink fast and look around, her eyes felt like they were working at a slower pace than what her mind wanted, what she was used to.

"Let's get outta here," he purred, leaning as close as possible until (Y/n) grimaced and internal alarms were sounding in her head and rising throughout her body, prickling her skin and making the hairs on her arms stand up on end.

"I- I should really be w- be with the band."

Pushing away from the band made her head spin and a bout of dizziness gripped her in a vice so strong (Y/n) barely had the strength to shake the creep's hand off her shoulder.

Panic blundered through her chest as her aching eyes scanned around, but she couldn't decipher the faces of the people around her. She could see them, but her brain wasn't working to pick people out or register that she needed to look for the band, for the guys, her family who would help her and break her out of this situation.

A frown moulded into Calum's features and caused the corners of his mouth to pinch when he turned away from the producer he'd been having an idle and somewhat boring chat with.

He had been keeping an eye out for (Y/n) since they came here, wanting her in the corner of his peripheral vision at all times so he knew she was alright. And partly so he could find the right moment to steal her away for a chat.

Whatever had been keeping her in his sights had worked right now, because Calum didn't like what he saw. That same guy from earlier who had been too grabby, too pushy with (Y/n), stood with her at the bar while (Y/n) stumbled. That little trip was enough to catch Calum's breath in the back of his throat and all he could do to excuse himself from the conversation was wave his hand because no words would form.

His eyes were focused on (Y/n) and he didn't look anywhere else as he aimed for her, wanting to know what was wrong.

He didn't make it to her in time.

The frown on his face morphed into something else when (Y/n) tried to step away from the bar, one arm stretched out at her side and visibly shaking, and someone else swooped in before Calum could get there.

It felt like her legs were made out of forming clay, twisting and bending with no strength within them to hold in place and keep her standing upright. Her knees shook as she tried to move away from the creep who was stepping towards her and reaching out for her, clearly wanting to stop her.

But when her legs gave way, (Y/n) didn't have time to prepare herself to hit the floor with a bang and the embarrassment she would cause and feel.

The landing never came. Two tense and wildly comforting arms encirled around her waist with their palms pressing down into her stomach to brace her against a firm chest.

Luke.

He wrapped himself around her like a coat- or a coat of armour- his chest curving around her back with his arms holding her up and preventing her from hitting the floor.

(Y/n) knew the feel of him around her, the scent of him and that cologne that always made her take a deep breath when he got dressed to go out. She knew those rings clad on his fingers and the colour of those nails and the way his thumbs would trace over her skin to soothe and calm her down. She knew that soft breath that fanned against her ear and the comfort that radiated off of him and made her feel safe.

"Woah, you okay?" Those words were murmured softly against the shell of her ear and (Y/n) almost caved a second time when Luke's chin perched on her shoulder so he could look her over properly and try to see what the problem was and why she was so unsteady all of a sudden.

Though he had come to an abrupt stop when Luke reached out for (Y/n), Calum pushed through the crowd again when Michael and Ashton were within sight and the pair were aiming for (Y/n).

All of them could tell something wasn't right. She didn't look drunk, and they each knew that she hadn't had nearly enough to make her tipsy, let alone drunk enough to have her stumbling and falling over like this. She looked like she was sick rather than infused with alcohol, and that made each of them frown as they approached her.

Both (Y/n)'s hands shakily curled around Luke's wrists, clinging to him like she thought he was about to let go of her. She didn't want his touch to stray from her for one second; she needed his arms around her, his hands firm and steady on her skin his frame curving around her and holding her up from crumpling to the floor in a heap.

Fear consumed her pupils when she lolled her head back to try and look up at Luke. "Drink, my drink…"

Her gaze tried to focus and shift towards her empty glass that was still resting on the bar where she left it, but when her gaze went back to Luke, there was a strange look in his eyes.

Darkness swirled within those piercing blue eyes and though his lips parted, the rest of Luke's features were hardening like quick-drying cement. Cheekbones prominent, mouth pinched, lips blushing the deepest shade of red while his shoulders raised up as if in defence.

(Y/n)'s words and the fierce look on Luke's face told the rest of the band all they needed to know.

"Did you seriously spike her drink?!" Michael reached out before he could stop himself and bashed his hand into the creep's shoulder, who was still hovering like he thought he could get to (Y/n).

This was the guy that had bothered her earlier, the one Calum said had been pushy with her. The one Luke had eyed suspiciously and specifically walked (Y/n) to the toilets to make sure this guy didn't try anything. It seemed he just couldn't help himself where (Y/n) was concerned.

It looked like it was a hard task for him to look away from (Y/n), and he rubbed his sweating palms up and down his jeans as he stepped away from the band crowding around (Y/n).

"Come on, she's wasted-"

"From two drinks?" Ashton interjected before he was turning around and pushing his way through the crowd to find security. That guy needed to be detained and they needed a paramedic or an ambulance to be called and help (Y/n) if she really had been drugged by that creep.

Luke tried to straighten himself up a little, but leaning back made it harder to hold onto (Y/n) when she was still weak at the knees and pulling down like she was about to go down on the floor.

His left arm remained around her middle but he had to lower his right arm and bind it over her hips, taking a deep breath before he lifted her up in his arms until (Y/n)'s feet were barely touching the floor and he was holding her weight up for her. His fingers dug into her hip, both arms pinning into her middle with (Y/n) still clinging onto one of his arms.

"I still got you."

When Ashton came jogging back to the group, weaving his way through the crowd that had started to form, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes when he looked across at Luke. There was something about way he was holding onto (Y/n), his embrace just a bit too tight, too comforting, like he was hugging her to his chest rather than just holding her up. And the longing in his eyes wasn't the way that he should have when holding a bandmate.

But he pushed that thought aside and looked around the band. "Security's coming, and someone's calling an ambulance."

"Hey- come on."

Calum didn't want to move away, but when Michael patted his shoulder and pointed at the creep who was trying to weave his way through the crowd and escape the incoming security, he knew they had to follow him. Even if they couldn't stop or detain him, they could point him out to security and make sure he didn't get away.

He wasn't getting away with what he'd done to (Y/n).

Her legs weren't going to hold her up any longer, she could feel it. (Y/n) could feel the quivering in her knees getting worse and the numbness spreading throughout her limbs as if ice hahd been injected into her veins.

She couldn't hold back the whimper that passed her lips and her back pushed into Luke, trying to get the message through to him that she didn't feel well. She couldn't be held up like this for much longer, she needed to sit or lie down. Now.

"Okay, let's go sit in the hall and wait for that ambulance, away from the crowds, hm?"

Luke didn't like the fact that people were crowding round to watch, without even thinking to offer any help or ask if there was something they could do. They were just watching like this was a stage play being acted out specially for them.

With his arms still bound around (Y/n), Luke straightened up a bit more and began to walk forwards, leaning from left to right as he carefully moved (Y/n) along with him. It was like a strange dance when (Y/n)'s feet wouldn't coordinate with her properly and her legs flagged and ended up dragging along in between Luke's legs. He was carrying her at this point, with Ashton hovering beside them but not really being able to do much to help.

When Ashton pushed open the door out fo the venue, Luke tightened his hands on (Y/n)'s waist and hip and lifted her feet from the ground. He hadn't wanted to carry her out of the room when people were hovering and pushing nearby and someone would likely be recording the incident. Carting (Y/n) off in his arms wouldn't make it any better.

But there was no one out here in the corridor, and he didn't want to drag (Y/n) along like this any longer.

He made it down the hall until they were just far enough away from the doors that no one could hear or try and peer and observe them.

"Down we go." He murmured softly and eased himself down onto his knees with his back to the wall. Luke was grateful when Ashton held onto (Y/n)'s elbows and helped lower her down to the floor, and she slumped against his chest with a soft thud.

Her head flopped back onto his shoulder, the tension leaving her frame now that she could relax and try to feel calm without an audience. Her arms flopped down near her lap and rested over the top of Luke's arms because although he had loosened his hands from gripping her, his arms remained bound around her.

"Try some of this." Ashton coaxed and held out a glass of water to (Y/n) that he grabbed from the bar before they left the room. A bit of fluids in her system might make her feel a bit better and help just a little.

"Do you feel sick?" Luke murmured quietly with his cheek resting against the side of (Y/n)'s temple, with her head flopped back on his shoulder.

"Hm… dizzy."

Without thinking (Y/n) closed her eyes and found herself relaxing even further into Luke's embrace. She was starting to feel sluggish until one of Luke's hand was suddenly resting on her face and his fingers tapped her cheek.

"Nope, you can't go to sleep. Need to stay awake for the medics, are you listening?"

She hummed again, nodding despite the way she tucked her face into the crook of his neck. Her eyes were almost open, but she tapped and traced her fingers over the back of his hand to let him know that she wasn't asleep yet, despite how badly she wanted to succumb to sleep and wake up to find this had all been a bad dream.

At least they were somewhere private now, somewhere that no one could watch or get involved or start any rumours about what had happened tonight. And she was in Luke's arms, which was even better. Nothing else would happen or go wrong if she was laid within his embrace.

"So, how long's this been a thing?" Ashton uttered and pointed between the two of them.

When Luke looked up, he found the drummer staring down at him with a smirk plastered across his lips and an arched brow while one boot pressed into the wall behind him to prop himself up. Ashton's shoulders were glued back against the wall and his head was tilted down towards them. He looked rather like a bodyguard with the way he was stood beside them, clearly keeping check and ready to stop anyone from getting too close if they weren't a medic or security.

"A few months," Luke responded with a shrug and a bashful look that almost delved into a smile, if it weren't for the panic within him about (Y/n) overriding everything else.

"Months? And you didn't tell us or let slip? Oh that's sly, dude."

Oh.

A conflicting look of sadness and uncertainty flooded Michael's eyes and he quickly glanced to his left, but it was clear that Calum had picked up on that conversation too just like he had.

(Y/n) was dating Luke.

He had a thing for her; he might even love her. And with the way she was tucked into his embrace, it clearly showed that (Y/n) felt the same for their lead singer. What did that mean for Calum? Luke wasn't the only one who loved (Y/n); the bassist loved her too.

Reaching out, Michael tried to rest his hand on Calum's shoulder as a silent show of support and sorrow. This wouldn't be the first time any of them had been caught in a love triangle, a bad situation that they didn't know how to get out of or someone they couldn't get over. But having this be revolving around (Y/n) made it a whole lot worse, for all the band.

Both Calum's hands were balled into fists at his sides as he tried his hardest to push every feeling bubbling up within him until they were smothered down in the pit of his stomach. The fire was still burning low, but it was deep enough that he could still work out how to breathe without so much of an ache in his empty chest.

"Cal, I-"

His head angled down and his gaze fell to the floor as he shrugged Michael's touch from his shoulder and aimed towards the rest of their band.

He didn't want sympathy. He didn't want Michael feeling sorry for him or thinking that he had to comfort or console him. Calum didn't need that. He didn't know what he needed right now. All he knew was that (Y/n) wasn't well, and even if Luke was the one comforting her right now, Calum still needed to be there with her, for support if nothing else.

The storm brewing within his eyes simmered down when he sat down on the floor with a thud, his boots clashing against the freshly cleaned tiles. He crossed his legs beneath him and sat directly in front of (Y/n), her slightly bent legs pressing into his own and Luke's feet near his knees.

She looked drowsy, worse than before and with the way she was leaning against Luke, it gave away the fact that she wanted to fall asleep, she wanted to give in and fall unconscious to try and make herself feel better and get that sense of relief.

"We can't leave you for two minutes, can we?" He mused, earning a glimmer of a smile from (Y/n) and her eyes actually opened to see that he was now in front of her.

There was a glass of water in her hand, but her grip was loose and her hand was shaking so badly that droplets of water were splashing over the rim and trickling down the back of her hand.

Calum ignored the electricity sparking through his fingers when he reached out and gently took the glass from her and set it down on the floor beside them. She clearly wasn't in any state to have a drink and she could barely keep hold of it, there was no sense nor point in her focusing so much not to spill it.

His heart stopped aching so badly now that he was sat with them, now that (Y/n) was in his sights and he could see for himself that she was relatively okay and he could oversee her.

But that fire budding in his stomach kept relighting itself each time he glanced at Luke. One of his closest friends, someone he had known since school. Someone he had never been in competition with before or jealous of, over anything.

And here Luke was, sat with the girl of Calum's dreams- and clearly his own- wrapped up in his arms. He was hugging her like she was the most precious thing in the world and he didn't want to lose her. Luke's lips were pressing little open-mouthed kisses against (Y/n)'s temple. He was letting her slouch and relax against him and he was swaying them softly from side to side, just enough movement to keep (Y/n) awake and somewhat alert.

And jealousy gripped Calum like a vice. He wanted to be the one to cradle (Y/n) in his arms. Why couldn't he be in Luke's place right now? Why did Luke have to fall for her too? Why did he have to make the first move? When had he made the first move, how long had this been a thing? How long had Calum been playing a losing game without knowing the stakes?

He had never competed with a friend for someone's love and attention before, and he knew it was the same for Luke. Calum and never loved someone who was already taken.

He didn't want to feel like this, he didn't ask for this. Calum didn't want to scowl and glower at Luke, he didn't want to look at Luke and feel rising hatred and jealousy against him, but he didn't know how to stop it.

He couldn't even feel happy for Luke, he knew Luke's past relationships hadn't been great and he deserved to be happy. But why did his happiness have to involve (Y/n)?

This wasn't the way things were supposed to go. Calum had fallen for someone who had already given their heart away, someone who could never take his heart in good faith and love it like their own.

But (Y/n) already had ownership of Calum's heart, even if she didn't know it, and he didn't know how to get it back without breaking it forever.

[megalony]

anon who asked about upcoming fics here! As an Ashton girlie I am VERY excited for those fics to drop

Ahhhhhh that makes me so happy!!!!

I will be posting an Ashton fic sometime next week as I have Luke and abbot fics that I want to post first.

And lots more Ashton ideas in the works for you too

😍🥹😍

[megalony]

Besides the two fics you mentioned in your last post, do you have any more House fics coming up? (I’ve requested a few in the past including Blessing in Disguise and I’m excited to read the other ones when the time comes ❤️)

At the moment I have a new James Wilson imagine almost done and it’s great to write for him again after a small break.

Then I have a new chase request plotted out which I need to finish.

I’ve been rewatching house again so hopefully I can get some more inspiration or have some new requests through.

And thank you for that request and for being patient. Though sometimes I’m fast to write them it’s the order I post in which makes the wait longer. I can’t wait to know what you think when the next ones are posted

😍😍🥹

[megalony]

I love your fics! I’d love to know what you’re currently working on.

Awww thank you 🤩

And thank you for asking it’s been a while since someone wanted to know what’s coming next.

So far I have a long complete fic list. There’s at least two Ashton fics finished, one involving reader suffering seizures.

And I’m so excited about my latest Luke imagine with a jealousy twist.

There’s also a new jack abbot request complete and waiting to post.

As for what I’m currently writing, I have a few Ashton requests in the works. One about him doing his live videos with reader and then I need to work on a request about reader having a stalker.

I also have a chase request all drafted and just need to get it finished. And I have a Wilson imagine half finished about reader being hurt and house patching her up.

And since I’ve been watching Swat again I had an idea for Victor Tan that I might get round to at some point if I can.

Sorry that’s a lot of info dumping on you there. I hope there’s something here you can look forward to

[megalony]

I’ll always love any House MD fics you write. Thank you so much for Blessing in Disguise ♥️

Ooh your so welcome 🤗

I have another chase request in the inbox which is plotted and ready to be developed over the weekend.

And I have a James Wilson idea plotted out too so hopefully more House fics to come soon

🥹🥹🥹

[megalony]

Hey, i love your fics- I have an idea for a House MD Chase x reader fic if you’re open to it. One night while Chase and reader are at home hanging out, something happens and reader gets injured (semi serious- something that’s enough to go to the hospital) Chase takes care of it until they get to the hospital. (For some reason I love the idea of an off-duty Chase going into doctor mode). Once they’re at the hospital, it somehow turns into a case for House to solve- the injury somehow leads to something more serious. (Ideally my favorite House team is Cameron, Chase, and Foreman, so I’d love if they’re the team in the fic, but it doesn’t have to be). ♥️♥️♥️

Hello, oh thank you that's so sweet.

And thank you for sending this in I loved it and I agree Chase taking charge and being in doctor mode at home sounds fab!

I had to scroll through a few episodes to find a condition that fit this but I finally found one and I think it went well. You'll have to let me know what you think.

(And I agree the first few seasons were the best with that particular team, that's the setting I usually base my fics in)

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Blessing In Disguise

[megalony]

Blessing In Disguise

This is a new Robert Chase imagine based on a great anon request, thank you for this. I hope you will all like it.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22 @mrsyixingunicorn10 @talicat713 @niamhmbt @strawberry-canyon @bieberhoodforever @911fangirlie @hollandxxmix @jasmineee05 @creat1venat1onn @devilslittlehelper @darlingcharling-blog @bear8585 @nickie-amore @elliott-calls @person-005 @mbioooo0000 @amara-mars @shypy92 @nikfigueiredo @sabsthedoll @rach2602 @itshamleth @ladespedidas @devilslittlehelper @buckslifeline @wanniiieeee @jaydaaasworld @theelementofsurprisee @andrewgarfieldislife @lover-rep-fanfic @spideysimpossiblegirl @danah-20 @ilocuras24 @peeekabo0 @brown-eyes-cello-and-books @alexisann143 @darknessofhell666-blog-blog

Main Masterlist

Summary: After an accident at home, Chase takes (Y/n) to the hospital for routine stitches. But (Y/n) ends up being the team's latest patient when a variety of symptoms arise and she needs treatment. Fast.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was getting worse. (Y/n) didn't know what to do with herself when this headache had been plaguing her all day. It had been a constant companion these last few days, but today it was on a whole other level.

The lighting in the kitchen had been so irritating that (Y/n) had turned it off every time she had come in here yesterday; she was glad the afternoon sun was bright enough that she didn't need the light on right now. She wouldn't have been able to open her eyes if the light was on, it was that blinding when combined with this headache.

She tried not to linger too long on the fact that she could see how badly her hands were shaking when she tried to pick up the dishes and put them back in the cupboard.

Keeping busy had seemed to be a good thing because when she tried to lay down all (Y/n) could do was give in to the pains circulating through her temples.

(Y/n) tried to take deep breaths, then shallow breaths to see which made her feel slightly better, and she bowed her head forward because it felt easier than keeping her head up and facing the natural light that didn't seem to do her much good either.

Again her hands shook when she reached for a few plates from the rack and moved to put them back in the cupboard.

She stumbled.

Whether it was due to her headache making her unbalanced or a lack of awareness, (Y/n) wasn't sure, and it didn't seem to matter in the end.

The shaking in her hands became amplified when she stumbled forwards with nothing within reach to grasp onto or lean against to break her fall. Her knees hit the floor with a harsh bang and the impact sent shockwaves coursing through her nerves and made her bones quiver and shake within her limbs.

Her eyes had closed the moment she stumbled forward, bracing for an impact she knew was about to come. But (Y/n) didn't account for the plates in her shaking hands that she let go of when she went thundering down.

The plates bounced once against the thick tiled floor, then broke upon second impact, and (Y/n) landed right in the shattered remains.

The pain that shot through her right arm- which broke her fall and took the brunt of her weight- was almost countered out by her blinding migraine that seemed to take precident over everything else.

For a few seconds all (Y/n) could do was stay on her knees with her right arm pinned against the floor, tremoring so badly that her ribcage started to tremble and shudder too. But when (Y/n) forced her eyes to open and took a great effort in pushing herself up so her weight was balanced on her knees and thighs, her eyes came back into blurred focus just long enough to realise there was now a problem.

Blood.

A great smear of blood like spread jam was streaked across the glistening tiles that were coated with a top layer of resin holding white and silver glitter that made her blood shimmer and sparkle. The streak of blood looked like it was taunting (Y/n), especially when fresh droplets splashed into the mess and made it worse.

A whimper broke past her lips as she tried to raise her right arm enough to see where the wound was what the damage was.

There was a deep gash to the underside of her forearm two inches below her elbow, and the vertical cut was dropping blood like a leaky tap. One of the broken fragments of the plate had scraped down her arm like a knife.

"Rob… oow, Rob."

The pain was overriding her headache now and pulsing in time with her heartbeat that was radiating off her like the thumping beat of a song.

(Y/n) sank back on her heels, shuddering as she cradled her arm out in front of her in a vain attempt to stop it from soaking and sticking to her shirt. Something about holding a bleeding arm close to her chest didn't feel right, so (Y/n) ended up leaving her arm stretched out in front of her like it was infected.

She didn't realise she had started to cry more out of shock than the pain at first, until the tears jumped from her chin and tried to join the blood on the floor.

"I heard a smash, what did y-" the words died down on Chase's tongue the moment he approached the kitchen doorway leading off from the hall.

His blue eyes scanned the scene until the sight of the blood smeared across the floor and the way (Y/n) was holding her arm out in front of her, told him the story without any need for words.

His teeth sank down into his lower lip as his shoulders rose up as if his frame were changing and manifesting. A pointed look crossed Chase's face and he was across the room in an instant, crouching in front of (Y/n) with his weight shifting from his toes to his heels, causing him to waver back and forth slightly.

"Oh babe. Okay, let's let this bleeding under control."

After a quick scan of the kitchen, Chase pushed up and grabbed a tea towel from the counter and yanked a large spoon from the top drawer.

(Y/n)'s watering eyes followed him, rather uncertain about what he was going to use the spoon for. She watched as he folded the tea towel hastily and crouched before her again, binding the towel just below her elbow so it wasn't touching the wound at all.

Then she realised what he was doing. He tied the ends together, placed the spoon in the middle, and made another knot. He was improvising a turniquet to stop the bleeding that was gushing from the wound.

"This is really gonna hurt, but only for a minute, okay?"

She wasn't sure whether he wanted a response or not, so she tried to nod and was quick to close her eyes.

Chase held his breath deep in his lungs as he started to use the spoon as a key, twisting it round and round like he was turning off a water tap. The tighter the towel became around (Y/n)'s arm, the more she began to struggle and writhe until she was in a new wave of tears and a splitting shriek left her lips.

"It has to be tight or the bleeding won't stop," he spoke through gritted teeth as he turned the spoon one more time, earning a sob from (Y/n) before he finally tucked the spoon into the towel so it was locked in place and wouldn't come undone.

A shuddering breath escaped (Y/n)'s lips as she lolled her head against the cupboard behind her, letting her eyes fall closed to try and ward off the splitting agony in her arm.

It felt like sharks teeth were punctured into her forearm, trying to bit into the bone and tear it apart. The trembling was worse, but at least Chase had made the bleeding stop. (Y/n) couldn't feel her hand or her fingertips and she couldn't hold her arm up any longer, letting it rest in Chase's expert hands so he could now assess the wound without the blood getting in the way.

He found another towel from a drawer and used this one as a bandage, wrapping it firmly around the wound to stem any last bleeding and keep it clean.

Once he carefully lowered (Y/n)'s arm down to rest on her thigh, he reached out to hold her chin and gently tilt her head up so their eyes were now level.

"Are you feeling dizzy, sick?"

"Dizzy, b- before I tripped."

"You need stitches, let's get you up and in the car. We can't leave your arm like this for long and keep the blood supply cut off."

The longer the blood was cut off from her arm, the more risks there were of complications. A turniquet wasn't a long-term solution and Chase didn't have the equipment to stitch up (Y/n)'s arm here at home. She needed to be taken down to the emergency room.

He was just glad he had been here when it happened. If (Y/n) were home alone and had to call for an ambulance it would take double the time to get her help and she could have suffered a lot of blood loss by the time help arrived.

(Y/n) let Chase bind his arms around her and help her up to her feet, leaning heavily against him as they made their way out to the car.

By the time they reached the hospital, her headache had subsided and was replaced with a horrible, tingling numbness all throughout her right arm. The turniquet still felt like teeth that were well and truly sunk down into her flesh.

She had cradled her damaged arm to her chest like an injured bird cradling its wing.

At least she had stopped crying; the tears had been both a reaction to the shock as well as from the pain. (Y/n) didn't want to be ushered into the ER with Chase, sobbing her eyes out. She wanted to appear somewhat calm and collected.

"Okay?" Chase murmured into her hair when they got out the car and (Y/n) promptly leant into his side with her head tucked into the crook of his neck and shoulder.

"Your turniquet really hurts," she couldn't help the way she whimpered through the words, still cradling her arm to her chest.

At least Chase knew whereabouts they were going and what to say. (Y/n) didn't really feel like talking to anyone else at the moment. She knew he would do all the talking; this was his work, his speciality and he would be staying with (Y/n) to oversee and make sure she was treated properly.

"The price of not bleeding out, I'm afraid." He uttered back as they headed through the ER doors and he guided them in the direction of the reception desk.

As they approached the desk, Chase rummaged around in his back pocket and retrieved his work badge that he had hastily grabbed along with his wallet and phone when they left the house.

He flashed the badge and leant one elbow on the desk. "Doctor Chase, my wife's had an accident, cut an artery in her left forearm. I've cut off the bleeding but I need someone to fix the artery and administer stitches."

He was intimidating the staff, (Y/n) knew he was, whether he meant to or not.

Each time he leant over the bed to watch what they were doing, each time he exhaled sharply or began to tap his fingers against the bedframe, he was making both the doctor and two nurses anxious.

But it was only because Chase wanted to be the one doing this himself. He was in the line of dealing with cases no one else could solve, working on a team to treat patients who otherwise couldn't be helped. Chase was used to running tests and biopsies and and scans mostly, but he was also there to treat patients. He did his time in the clinic, he stitched up small abrasions from time to time.

This was his wife too, this was the one person Chase wanted to look after because he knew he would remain calm if he was the one doing the procedure. He would have been in control, he would have been looking after his wife instead of sitting here observing.

But he wasn't technically on shift, and they wouldn't allow him to clock on and treat his wife, he wasn't supposed to treat family, it was a formal rule to keep everyone safe and covered by insurance.

Chase was finally able to calm down now though, now that there was only one nurse in the small cubicle they were in that was separated from the others by a thin blue curtain pulled all the way around.

The doctor had helped repair the nipped artery along with implementing some stitches which the nurse had finished off. (Y/n) had been given an anaesthetic injection, some painkillers for her headache and now the nurse was finishing up with a roll of bandage around her arm to keep the stitches clean and untouched.

There was nothing left for Chase to observe, all they had to do was wait here for an hour, if that, and then (Y/n) could be discharged and they could go home.

They were both relieved that it hadn't taken long to get sorted. As soon as Chase flashed his badge and told them the scenario, they had ushered (Y/n) in here and begrudgingly let Chase stay and observe, on the condition that he didn't intervene.

For a minute or two, Chase found himself drifting off in his own world, sat in the chair beside the bed with his right knee bumping into the bedframe every now and then.

Then his attention was snatched rather abruptly.

His eyes burst open and his lips parted when (Y/n) suddenly took his hand, stirring him from his thoughts. He was just about to break out into a smile and pull her hand to his lips to mutter that it was all over now, but the look on (Y/n)'s face brought him to a stop.

Her grip on his hand was so tight that his fingers spasmed in her grasp as she pulled his hand towards her like she needed the comfort and touch as close as she could get it. But then she groaned, and her eyes screwed shut and her head was turning in Chase's direction like she wanted his attention and his alone.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

He brushed his thumb across the back of her hand, uncertain what the problem was. It wasn't as if she was being put through any further pain, not when the worst was over and her arm was nicely bandaged now.

"My chest, it feels tight." The breathlessness of her voice caught Chase's full attention.

Her words were enough for Chase to frown and have his brows furrowing towards his eyes as he pushed up from his chair. He leant over the bed, thighs pressing into the frame so he could reach for the stethoscope hanging behind the bed.

"Let me take a look," he murmured, though it wasn't really a request when he was already leaning over her with the bell of the stethoscope now pressed against (Y/n)'s sternum.

He listened for a few seconds before gently sliding his right hand beneath her back and coaxing "Sit forward for me."

He listened to her lungs, but when he hung the stethoscope back around his neck and let (Y/n) recline against the pillow again, she held her breath when he was suddenly leaning over her. He was close enough that all (Y/n) had to do was incline her head forwards an inch or two and their lips would be touching.

It wasn't their lips that touched. A soft breath left (Y/n)'s lips when she felt Chase's index finger hook over her lower lip which he gently pulled down so he could peer at her lips and inside her mouth.

The inside of her lips were tinged blue. Cyanosis; she wasn't getting enough oxygen.

When he straightened up he looked to his left at the nurse stood on the opposite side of the bed. She was watching Chase closely, a frown woven into her features as she wondered what on Earth he was doing and why. The last of the bandage roll was still clasped in her hand, having just finished her work but pausing to see what Chase was up to.

"Page Doctor House, I need him for a consult."

Clearly the nurse knew that name and that this had to be something important because she left the room to do as requested without a second thought or an inquest into why.

His words were enough to light a fire within (Y/n)'s already straining chest and she reached back out for him, locking her fingers around his wrist which made their eyes lock automatically.

"Why House?"

Fear was evidently woven into (Y/n)'s voice and she shuddered when Chase bent forward, one hand gripping the back of the bed frame to support himself leaning over hwe. While his other hand reached out to cup her cheek, his thumb so soft and delicate as it brushed across her skin like a feather in the breeze. But it was the look in his eyes, that panic he was trying to hide which always made his eyes change and gloss like melting ice.

"Because there's fluid in your lungs baby, and I don't know why."

***

Chase's fingers began a violent beat against the table he was perched on, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the board ahead of him. The board House was standing in front of, marker in hand and a list of symptoms on the board.

It felt like he was trapped in a nightmare.

Chase never imagined he would be staring at the board where they described their patients, and having that patient be his wife.

They were the department that diagnosed patients with mysterious illnesses, and now his wife was one of them. (Y/n) wasn't well, and Chase didn't know why. He didn't like that, and he really didn't like the fact that House didn't seem to have much of a clue either.

Those symptoms on the board flashed in front of Chase's eyes like they were taunting him, messing with him, telling him he wasn't going to find an answer that would combine all the symptoms and give them a valuable prognosis on (Y/n).

Irregular heart rhythm.

Pulmonary odema.

Severe headaches.

What would combine those things, what would cause them and more importantly, how could it be treated?

"What medications does she take? A severe reaction to high dosed antidepressants or an overdose could account for her symptoms."

A frown worked its way onto Chase's lips and he glanced to the right where Cameron was sat at the other side of the table. Did they think he was lying to them? He told them (Y/n) didn't take any medications like that and he resented the fact that they thought she was the kind of person who would accidentally- or willingly- take an overdose and then come down to the hospital and not admit it.

"Any drug use? Toxins and alcohol combined-"

"I told you she's not on heavy medication and my wife isn't on drugs. Think of something else." It felt like an elastic band had snapped back within his chest and rebounded against his heart. He was in no mood for them to treat (Y/n) like one of the untrustworthy, lowlife patients they looked after.

She wasn't a patient who lied.

"So everybody lies but her?" The way House arched a brow and looked over at him suggested that he was only trying to wind Chase up. That was how he worked, that was what he did, but it wasn't helpful.

"Every patient lies, but I'm the one talking and I'm not the patient, so you listen to me."

This was Chase they were talking to, he was part of their team and he wouldn't lie to them or withhold anything. They needed to believe him and listen to what he was saying and work from that. They couldn't just go ahead and believe he wasn't telling them everything and work on these assumptions like they usually did. This was no ordinary patient.

"What about other symptoms that she might have displayed before now? Mood swings, uncontrollable rage perhaps?" The goading look on House's face made it seem like he was gaging for a fight, whilst still probing for information.

As much as Chase knew it would help to gather as much information as possible, asking these type of questions might not be the best way to go about it. and any serious symptoms, he would have noticed before now.

He held his hands up as if to show that he had very little to offer for a reply. "No, she's had a few panic attacks but that's anxiety, not a symptom."

"I'll put 'nervous wreck' down under possible symptoms."

Chase was about to open his mouth and give a sarcastic retort or something close to biting his team's head off, when each of their pagers went off in unison.

It was clear they all got the same message, because all eyes went to Chase.

His skin paled to a faded, washed out shade of grey and his stomach twisted in knots. It was (Y/n)'s room number. There was an emergency happening in her room. Something was wrong with her; Chase needed to get back to her. Now.

He flung himself off the table, shoes scraping against the carpet as he lurched himself out of the room and hurried down the hall. All he could see was a blurr of white, the glistening corridors moulding together and becoming clear shimmering streaks of white leaving him to work off muscle memory to take him back to (Y/n)'s room.

Something was wrong. What was happening now?

They had gotten the fluids cleared from her lungs and put her on oxygen, but that didn't solve the main cause, they were just treating the symptoms for the time being.

His heart jumped into his throat when he aimed for (Y/n)'s room and found the door open and the emergency light flashing overhead. Someone had pulled the emergency cord to alert of an issue before they paged the team.

Chase was the first one of the team through the door, and he wasn't sure what to do when he saw the sight before him.

(Y/n), passed out in the bed like she had been sedated for a test. The nurse had swiped the pillow from beneath her head and for a split second Chase thought (Y/n) needed a defibrilator. But that wasn't the issue. One look at the monitor told Chase what was happening.

The heart rate monitor was lowering, her pulse was starting to drop, but her brainwaves were going haywire and fluctuating horribly.

"Get me a dose of atripine." There was a rough edge to Chase's voice as he hurried forward and stood on the opposite side of the bed to the nurse.

His voice gave away just how panicked he felt, just how uneasy this situation was making him feel. Because Chase had never been in this position before, he'd never had someone he loved and cared about in the hospital like this with no diagnosis and no way to help them.

As soon as the atripine needle was in his hand, Chase bent forward and injected it into the IV taped into the crease of (Y/n)'s elbow.

"That only buys you a few hours to stabilise." Foreman glanced down at (Y/n)'s chart as he stood near the far end of the bed, not wanting to get too close and intervene just yet when Chase was in this kind of protective mood.

The atripine wasn't a cure, it would certainly stabilise (Y/n)'s heart and brain waves, but it wasn't going to stop this from happening again, especially when they didn't know what had brought it on in the first place. (Y/n) would have a few hours of relief, if she wa lucky, from that injection, but then her symptoms or another host of symptoms could arise again and they couldn't stop them all.

If this occurred again, (Y/n) might not be so lucky.

All of which Chase knew and understood, and he looked over his left shoulder, giving Foreman a sharp look and a curling upper lip. That wasn't helpful.

"It buys us enough time to work on a diagnosis." Cameron interjected with a small edge of hope to her voice, but it didn't do much good when Chase now refused to look at any of them.

His gaze was intently focused on (Y/n) now that her heartbeat was starting to pick up instead of mellow and taper off. She wasn't in danger of a cardiac arrest, and they would have to wait and see whether her brain waves stopped fluctuating and simmered down too.

One hand rested on (Y/n)'s arm as he bent over her, eyes feeling like they were glued to her frame with no way of looking in any other direction. And his other hand reached out to gently card his fingers through her hair, smoothing it away from her temple and her eyes that were moving behind her eyelids.

"Take some bloods from the femeral artery while she's asleep for the tests we need to run."

House knew it would be less invasive this way, to take the blood from the big artery they needed to analyse, while (Y/n) was unconscious. Because even with local anaesthetic, it would still be uncomfortable if she were awake to witness it. At least doing it now while she was alseep, it was one less trauma to put her through.

They needed to find out the cause of her symptoms.

***

Tears streamed down (Y/n)'s face until it felt like she had submerged her head underwater. Her skin was hot to the touch until she was sure her tears were going to simmer and evaporate on her skin, and when another nurse stepped closer to her, a cry burst past her lips.

She didn't want them crowding her, grabbing at her, trying to pin her down to the bed to analyse her like she was something to be disected.

(Y/n) didn't want any of them to help her; she only wanted Chase.

"(Y/n) please…" It didn't matter how sympathetic Cameron sounded, she wasn't going to get through to (Y/n) or make her see reason.

Another whimper left (Y/n)'s lips and she tried to waft one hand out at her side, wanting to push them all away and get them to leave her alone. But there wasn't a lot of fight left within (Y/n) when her other arm was forcefully pinned down against her abdomen that felt like she had suffered multiple stab wounds.

It was like jagged pieces of glass were swarming through her insides, tearing her apart from the inside out.

The pain made her knees coil up near her abdomen and she pushed back into the bed, sick of writhing and twisting but unable to sit still when she felt like this.

"Rob, where's Rob?" Her voice rose to match a scream and her pitch heightened as she doubled forwards until her abdomen felt like it was folding like a piece of paper and all she wanted to do was pass out and make the pain go away.

The only person she wanted to help her was her husband. The team might be working together on her case, but Chase was the one who had been looking after her. He did the blood tests, he performed the exams and calmed her enough to have the fluid drained from her lungs when she was first admitted two days ago.

Whatever was wrong with (Y/n) now, she wanted Chase to be the one to look after her and find out what new symptoms she was experiencing, and why. Not Cameron, not the nurses, not even House. Just him.

His name fell from her lips in another whimper, another plea that almost turned into a scream as she curled up into a ball, letting her body shift and lean against the bed rail that stopped her from falling. She hit the plastic with a thud and let it take her weight, one les thing to worry about as the pain became so overwhelming that (Y/n) could barely find the will to open her eyes.

She wasn't sure who it was that tried to reach out for her and take her arm, but they earned a sob in response and (Y/n)'s arm flinging at them to make them let go.

Oh God, what were they doing now?

Chase felt both hands clenching into fists at his sides as he powered towards the room he had barely left these last few days, other than to get a drink and argue with the team in House's office.

Again, (Y/n)'s room seemed to be flooded with people trying to get in, though they only seemed to be causing a bigger scene than necessary. The only person not bustling about in there was House, to no surprise.

He wasn't sure what the comotion was about, but Chase was damn sure he was going to get to the bottom of it and make it stop.

"What the Hell are you all doing?" His right arm reached out and nudged into Foreman's torso, pushing him aside so he could get into the room. "What happened?"

Why were they crowding his wife like that? What was happening this time, and why did none of them seem to be able to do anything about it? (Y/n) was in tears, clearly in agony over there and they were huffing and grabbing at her like she was a child experiencing a tantrum.

It was Cameron who turned towards chase, a faint flush on her cheeks and her eyes unable to focus anywhere in particular.

"She was fine on observations this morning, now she's experiencing abdominal pains."

With a waft of her arm in (Y/n)'s direction, Cameron took a few careful steps back from the bed so that Chase could step forward and take her place. She could see that he was the only one (Y/n) was going to allow to help her, and that was just how things were going to have to be for now.

Although it didn't make sense to Chase why (Y/n) was suddenly experiencing a new and rather unconnected symptom, he could at least see what was causing the comotion. (Y/n) didn't want them examining her, and when she mewled his name once again, his heart softened and he stepped forward.

He didn't like the way that (Y/n) was sat, practically curled up into a ball with both arms now wrapped around her waist like belts digging into her skin and her knees pulled up as high to her stomach as she could get them. Even her chin was tilted down towards her chest like she wanted to become small and compact in a vain attempt to stop the agony she was feeling.

With a deep breath Chase leant over the bed and carefully reached out for (Y/n), resting his hands on her upper arms as he tried to tilt his head until he caught her eye.

"Baby, baby let me see-"

"Hurts! Oh it- it hurts, Rob…" the way his name mewled past her lips made him wince, he could hear the agony woven around her words.

She sniffed and tried to take in a deep breath as her head finally lifted just enough so that she could look at Chase through blurred, watering eyes. He looked concerned, it was written across his features and the way that he couldn't force that calm smile he usually wore for his more nervous and reserved patients.

All he could manage was a look of understanding in his melting blue eyes that were dilating like the lens of a camera, and a soft hum that told (Y/n) he could see her pain, and he understood.

"I know, I know but I'm gonna sort it, just let me do a quick exam, okay?"

(Y/n) didn't want to, she really didn't, but she let the tension wash out of her when his hands gave her upper arms a light squeeze and he slowly reclined her back against the pillows. She was no longer sitting forwards and curled in on herself, and she whined when he straightened her legs out. It felt like straightening out caused her body to come apart at the seams. (Y/n) could feel the invisible stitches tearing and the material of her body fraying at the edges.

The way she shook and quivered made Chase's heart strings yank and fray and he sank his teeth down into his lip to try and gain back some sense of self-control.

He hated how he could hear (Y/n)'s teeth grating and grinding when he tried to press his fingertips and the heel of his palms down against her abdomen in various places to feel for anything that felt wrong or stood out to him. And he caught how her right hand latched onto the rail beside the bed, both for support and to release some of the tension within her as her knuckles looked like they were about to burst through her skin.

"Okay," he reassured softly, somehow able to speak around his lip that was still snagged in the clutches of his teeth as he finished his exam.

He stayed hovering over (Y/n), but looked back over his shoulder at Foreman and Cameron. "Tender but no distension or hernia or anything prominent."

He couldn't feel any hernias pushing through the muscle wall, no distention in the intestines, no kind of prolapse that he could assertain. And there wasn't any feeling of any internal bleeding in her stomach either. Whatever this was, it was something that was only going to be seen on a scan or by an operation to take a closer look. Neither of which Chase liked the sound of.

"Baby, why don't we-"

Whatever Chase was about to suggest was drowned out by the scream that left (Y/n)'s lips when he pulled back the cover that had been draped and tangled over the top of her thighs and lower waist.

Blood.

Dark, berry-red blood the colour of fine wine was soaked into the hospital gown (Y/n) wore and drenched across the sheets she was sitting on.

How hadn't she felt that? How hadn't she noticed she was bleeding? Why was she bleeding this profusely?

"Rob," the pleading look within (Y/n)'s eyes was enough to cause Chase to suck in a deep breath, his own eyes welling with tears and his pupils blown wide like black holes drawing in everything around him.

The way his lips parted displayed a look of horror and for a few seconds, all Chase could do was stare at the sheets like he didn't recognise the fluids coating them. She was bleeding. She was in that much abdominal pain and something had clearly ruptured or leaked for this to happen. This was a new symptom, and it didn't fit in line with any of the others, or explain what was happening to his wife.

A sob wrangled its way past (Y/n)'s lips as she lolled her head forward against his shoulder, both hands reaching out to curl around his arm like she thought he was about to pull away and leave her.

The tears drenching her face began to soak into his crystal white jacket which felt like it was now glued to her skin, but it didn't matter. Hiding against his doctor's jacket meant she couldn't see the sympathy and panic in everyone's eyes that were stuck to her and making her want to crawl out of her skin.

The only thing that did anything to calm (Y/n) was the feeling of Chase's lips merging with the top of her head and his free hand that weaved round to cup the base of her neck.

"It's- it's okay, we'll sort it I promise. Shh you're gonna be okay."

But how could he believe that when they didn't know what was causing these drastic and so far unrelated symptoms?

***

"No we've ruled that one out already."

"Well what else connects all of these and not just two of them?"

"Factor in the other possible symptoms." The loud tapping of House's cane against the board made Chase's spine go rigid and he could taste blood on his tongue from how deeply his teeth were puncturing into the inside of his mouth.

"I told you, she's not a nervous wreck." He snapped back, wafting his hand back at the board to spite House. Chase didn't like that little scrawly note along the bottom of the board in the list of possible symptoms. (Y/n) might be anxious, but she wasn't that bad.

When he felt a pair of eyes burning into him, Chase looked towards the small kitchen area of the office near the window, and found Foreman looking at him intently over a cup of strong coffee.

"What?"

"Well she- she is nervous… I mean she won't let anyone near her but you, not even a nurse. All that blood loss yesterday and she still put up a fight when the nurse's tried to take her to the bathroom."

"She doesn't like hospitals…"

It was clear something crossed Chase's mind, because all the fight building up within him seemed to dissipate and fade out into nowhere. His eyes darted back to the board with a narrowed intensity and his lips pinched at one corner as he tried to think.

Although he knew (Y/n) didn't like being a patient in hospital, her reactions were severe whenever someone tried to help her and it wasn't Chase. And despite the agony she had been in with the necrotic bleed yesterday, she still had strength and power to try and push the nurses away and break out of their hold and fight her way back to Chase.

Foreman had somewhat of a point, but in a different aspect to what he meant.

"What if it's not anxiety, what if it was adrenaline? Excess adrenaline."

"Pheochromocytoma."

No sarcastic comment followed House's theoretic diagnosis which told Chase that their boss was putting all his bets on this one.

It seemed the others agreed, because Foreman stayed quiet and Cameron nodded her head. "A neuroendocrine tumor in the adrenal glands… that could explain most of her symptoms."

"I need surgery?"

A fearful look took over (Y/n)'s features, but when she looked at Chase as he sank down on the side of the bed next to her hip, she realised that he didn't look panicked. He looked calm, a lot calmer than he had been these past few days, (Y/n) observed, and he didn't look worried about this prognosis.

She leant in when his hand cupped her cheek and she felt his thumb ghosting across the corner of her mouth.

"It's not as bad as it sounds baby. The tumor is on the adrenal gland, which is located in your kidneys. They just need to make a small incision here," his hand left her face so he could run his fingertip across the right side of her stomach just below her belly button, "and they can cut it out. Then you should be just fine."

This was a whole lot better than some of the things they had been testing for and the kind of diagnosises that Chase had been frantically hoping to avoid.

The MRI (Y/n) had earlier confirmed that there was a very small tumor sitting in the adrenal gland in (Y/n)'s kidney. Once it was removed, her symptoms should subside and there would be no further health complications.

In a way, (Y/n) dropping those dishes in the kitchen and gaining a cut had been a blessing in disguise.

[megalony]

god, i love the rockstar & nurses series, as a mega pitt and luke hemmings fan its gen the best fic i’ve laid eyes on. love u and ur fics!

Oooh that’s so amazing to hear thank you so much!! I’m so thrilled you like it

It was so fun to get a cross over idea like that and I delved into it.

I’m hoping to get some more ideas going so I can either do more parts or other variants/ spin offs

🥹🥰🥹

[megalony]

Flexible Family

I know it has been a long time, but I suddenly wanted to write for SWAT again after starting to watch it again.

So this is a new imagine for Dominic Luca I had an idea for, I hope you will all like it.

Please let me know what you think.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22 @mrsyixingunicorn10 @talicat713 @niamhmbt @strawberry-canyon @bieberhoodforever @911fangirlie @hollandxxmix @jasmineee05 @creat1venat1onn @devilslittlehelper @darlingcharling-blog @bear8585 @nickie-amore @elliott-calls @person-005 @mbioooo0000 @amara-mars @shypy92 @nikfigueiredo @sabsthedoll @rach2602 @itshamleth @ladespedidas @devilslittlehelper @buckslifeline @wanniiieeee @jaydaaasworld @theelementofsurprisee @andrewgarfieldislife @lover-rep-fanfic @spideysimpossiblegirl @danah-20 @ilocuras24 @peeekabo0 @brown-eyes-cello-and-books @alexisann143 @darknessofhell666-blog-blog

SWAT Masterlist

Summary: Luca and (Y/n) tend to foster a lot of kids, especially troubled kids and they love and care for each of them as if they were their own. Their family is always changing, and very flexible.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Anyone up for lunch before we head home?"

A smile wove its way onto Luca's lips as he aimed for his locker. It was usually him who would be asking something like that, not necessarily Tan. And usually Luca would be the first one to agree, he liked to wind down after a shift, epecially a night shift like the one they'd just gone through. He was also one for being around others, being with company, Luca didn't like to go home if it would be empty.

Usually when their Swat team worked the day shift, Luca would be home in the evening and his house would be manic. He would be home in time for something to eat and be there for the bedtime routine for their kids, then it was his time to spend with (Y/n).

Going home during the day if (Y/n) was at work or out and the kids were at school meant Luca was on his own, and he didn't like that.

Today was different though. Today he wouldn't be on his own; (Y/n) was at the hospital for an appointment and that meant with Luca finishing on time, it was down to him to go and get his youngest from nursery. The afternoon would be just Luca and his little girl, and it was the one thing keeping his adrenaline going and stopping him from crashing in energy levels.

"Not today…" his words tapered off but his smile remained as he opened his locker just as his phone began to buzz. Vibrating on silent causing the metal shelf in his locker to rattle like a broken pipe.

He reached in, adrenaline sparking through him at the thought of it being (Y/n) who was calling, to say she was okay and heading home from her appointment.

Luca's heart dropped to his stomach when he saw the caller ID. The school.

He wasn't usually their first point of call, with him working in Swat he couldn't always answer his phone or deal with any emergencies with the school and kids straight away. They would ring (Y/n) first, but if she was having her MRI at the hospital then she would have left her phone in a locker somewhere. Clearly they couldn't get hold of her, and Luca was their next point of call.

He took a few steps to the left, aiming for the end of the locker room to take the call.

"Is this Mr Luca?"

"Yeah, yeah is everything okay?" Resignation flooded his tone as his hand moved to cradle the back of his neck, rubbing and scratching at the skin as a way to calm himself down. Luca knew this couldn't be good, he could feel it in his gut.

"We've had an incident with one of your boys, could you come down to the school and have a chat with the teacher? At the moment we can't send him back to class."

"I'm on my way."

He realised after he hung up that he hadn't even asked which child they were referring to, but Luca didn't need to. There was only one child they kept ringing up about; the one that was misunderstood and always failed by the system.

"Everything alright Luca?" Reaching out, Deacon clamped a hand down on Luca's shoulder, almost making him jump if his reflexes weren't so quick to settle his nervous system back down.

His hand moved from his neck to run along his jaw as he nodded and stuffed his phone back in his pocket. "Yeah, uh the school called, I gotta go pick up one of the boys, something's happened."

"Are they okay?"

"They'd better be."

Determination flowed through Luca as he grabbed his bag from his locker, swung it onto his shoulder and aimed out the locker room.

He was surprised at the good time he made from leaving the unit, swinging by nursery to pick up Maia and get to the school where all three boys had been dropped off this morning by (Y/n).

When he opened the back door, his heart stopped hammering so harshly against his chest when he looked at his toddler. Maia looked tired, like she was about due a nap which wasn't surprising as it was almost lunchtime now.

"Hey cutie, come on up we go." He cooed, reaching in to scoop Maia up and settle her against his chest.

A soft grin spread across his lips when she laid her cheek on his shoulder and he felt her lips against his neck.

"Park?" Her voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper on the wind holding that telltale sign that she needed a nap but was fighting hard.

Whenever Luca had Maia to himself for the day he let her choose what they were doing. Sometimes he went on a run all around their block, pushing Maia in her pushchair as she loved being out and about. Other times they went to the park, or along the beach for an ice cream, or just for a drive.

"We can go to the park later baby, first we have to get your brother." Luca locked the car and aimed up the path, bouncing Maia in his right arm as he aimed for the school reception. He had a feeling he wouldn't just be here for a chat; he would be bringing his eldest home with them too.

Daddy-daughter afternoon just got rearranged.

The nonsense babbling leaving Maia's lips made Luca's heart calm down just a little and allowed a tender grin to form on his lips, despite the nerves flowing through him as he headed towards the reception.

He kept his daughter held against his chest with his right arm, pecking her temple every now and then as he aimed through the door and turned to the left. He could feel the tension building up again in his muscles, his frame becoming rigid as he looked down at the receptionist behind the desk.

Luca's height was usually imposing to others, especially with his muscular build that he had to keep up for Swat. But with the receptionist sitting behind the desk, she looked even smaller and fragile as Luca loomed over her like a bad omen.

Sometimes it was strange how fearful people could be of him when they didn't know him, when they didn't see how reserved and calm and tender he could be on the inside. (Y/n) was always calling him a teddy bear because once people got to know him, he wasn't all that imposing or fearful. But for moments like these, it tended to be a good thing. Intimidation was useful for work, and for certain life situations like this.

Though he knew he didn't look quite so frightful since he was stood here with his daughter curled up in his embrace, clinging to his neck.

He leant his left hip against the desk along with his palm and his fingers began tapping against the counter until she finally looked up at him.

"Hi Janine, I got a call about one of my kids… I presume it's Nicholas."

It wasn't hard to sound friendly and approachable, but there was a tired edge to Luca's voice that he just couldn't hide. He had been on a fourteen hour shift, he hadn't slept in almost two days. He was supposed to be taking Maia out for the afternoon and then taking a well earned nap before dinner time tonight. That plan had now been changed and Luca needed to know why.

He watched her look up at him with one arched brow until she seemed to realise and remember why he was here, why they had called for him.

It was almost strange to be on a first name basis with the receptionist rather than the teachers here, but that was how it went when (Y/n) and Luca were constantly being called down to the school when they misunderstood or didn't engage and work well with one of their boys.

"Oh, yes. He's just in the break room down there, the PE teacher had to stay and supervise as he started hitting the walls. Again." The emphasis on 'again' made Luca's chest tighten.

There was a certain knowing look in her eyes and the way her puffed lips formed into a pout when she bit the inside of her cheeks made her look unfriendly, to say the least.

If they worked harder to understand Nicholas, he wouldn't lash out like this.

Luca refrained, hard, from rolling his eyes and instead nodded his head, uttering a half interested "Thank you," as he turned away from the desk.

His free hand reached out to cup the back of Maia's head, tangling his fingers into her hair as he headed down the hall, his thick-soled work boots thundering against the carpet and announcing his presence.

At first he didn't mind. Luca didn't mind being called down to talk to the teachers, to explain and try to get them to understand. But this was getting ridiculous now and not only was it not fair on them, but it wasn't fair on Nicholas either. Constantly being made to feel like he was doing something wrong when really, the teachers didn't know how to calm him down or settle his behaviours.

(Y/n) and Luca had started to foster Nicholas just less than a year ago, and he had intergrated into their family life. Half of the children they fostered didn't stay with them long, but then they got kids like Nicholas and Erik, ones with behavioural issues who had nowhere else to go. And the longer they stayed, the more they felt part of the family and the more likely it was that they were never going to leave.

Nicholas was their family, their eldest child for all intents and purposes and that was how they treated him and referred to him. But he was also one of the more complex kids they fostered, the one with the most issues to be worked on and who needed the most reassurance and routine and stability.

He had been doing so much better since he started to stay with them, but Luca was starting to see that this school might not be the best fit for him when only a few select teachers seemed to understand and sympathise.

That receptionst especially seemed to view Nicholas as a problem child, thought he was acting out and lashing out for the sake of it, not because of deeper issues. That only made Luca want to help him further. Luca had grown up struggling in school until he met the right teacher and got the right help for his dyslexia; he wouldn't let his eldest fall through the cracks as well.

"Okay…" he uttered more to himself than to Maia as he turned left and headed into the open door of the break room that was for staff and teachers, not the students.

There was a chair propping the door open and Luca bent forward to set the toddler down there so she could rest and not be within earshot of the argument he could feel he was about to have.

"Wait there for me cutie." He pecked her temple before he turned and headed further into the room, his eyes instantly setting on his boy.

"Dad!"

As soon as Luca was within sight, the thirteen year old launched himself from his chair and bolted over to him. His arms bound around Luca's middle and his face buried in his chest until Luca could feel each deep breath he took and how they fanned through his shirt until it started to feel damp.

The way he clung to him told Luca that his boy was worried, that he was unsettled and unsure because when Nicholas felt like this he would attach to either parent and seek reassurance and guidance. He wouldn't leave their side if he didn't feel comfortable.

Sometimes it still made Luca's heart leap to hear Nicholas calling him dad, given that he was a foster kid, he wasn't truly Luca's son and hadn't been in his life up until last year when he was twelve. But it showed how comfortable and secure he felt with (Y/n) and Luca, to be calling them his parents. They were the only kind, loving parental figures he'd ever had in his life.

Though he was only thirteen, Nicholas was rather tall with his head already being level with Luca's shoulder. He seemed to think he was a lot smaller, like he thought he was still a child. Sometimes Luca wondered if that was because up until he was twelve, he didn't have much of a childhood at all and was now desperate to gain back the years he had lost.

"Hey bud. What's happened today?" He murmured softly, cupping the back of Nicholas's head and messing his unruly curls in all directions.

His other arm bound around his boy's thin torso and he hugged him back just as tightly to give him the reassurance he needed. But Luca's head lifted and a hardened look formed in his eyes when he stared across at the teacher he had only just noticed, who now began to speak.

"He's refused to join in the PE lesson, caused a fuss in the sports hall so we had to take him out of class."

"I was asking him." Luca's tone was mellow, showing that he wasn't trying to be rude. He wanted to hear it from his boy, not from the teacher who clearly didn't view this in the right context.

There was more to this than Nicholas simply 'making a fuss' and acting out, especially since he liked PE. Whenever Luca went to the gym in his spare time, he usually ended up taking the boys with him. Even if they couldn't do the same training as him, they still enjoyed being around him in that environment and trying their best to copy him.

He leant back enough so that he could look down at his boy. "You usually like sports bud, what's so different today?"

There was such a look of fire blazing within Nicholas's eyes that Luca almost wanted to take a step back. It was as if he looked so afraid yet so frustrated at the same time, like he didn't know which emotion to give in to.

"Him! He wouldn't let me change in the toilets, he told me to go in the changing room, then took my bag off me. I said I'd do it in my uniform but they wouldn't let me."

He looked as if he were about to burst into tears, and that look was enough to make Luca's heart spasm and clench uncontrollably.

"Seriously?" Stern lines wove into Luca's expression as he turned his gaze on the teacher he hadn't met before today. "You made a fuss about him getting changed in the toilets? What's the problem with that?"

"It's not allowed. We can't have students locking themselves in the toilets or keeping their bags in there during PE class in case they go missing. Everyone changes in the locker room, which is locked when they're out doing sports."

Luca could feel his own sense of rage building up within him as Nicholas pulled out of his embrace, frame shaking as he looked at the teacher with contempt flashing through his eyes. Did none of these teachers talk to one another here? This had never been an issue before and it shouldn't be one now. Luca had been brought all the way down here for this?

It was clear the teacher still thought he had a case to build because he cleared his throat and tried to continue.

"When I told him this, Nicholas began to shout and when I tried to escort him out the sports hall, he began hitting and kicking the walls."

His words pushed just the right button for Nicholas to stomp his foot against the ground with enough force to encourage an Earthquake. He hadn't started shouting until he was told he either went in the changing room or didn't get to do PE. He said he would do the class in his usual school uniform, he pleaded his case, he told them again and again but no one listened to him.

Then he was shown up in front of the whole class and escorted away from the sports hall, away from the locker room and he couldn't even get his bag because they took that off him too.

The only way to show them how unhappy and fearful they made him was to slam his feet into the walls harsh enough to leave dents in the plaster and to ram his fists into the doors. At least people listened to him when he did that.

"You wouldn't let me get changed. It's not fair! It's not fair you're an idiot-"

"Nickie." There was a warning tone to Luca's voice as he leant forward and curved his arms around the thirteen year old, grabbing onto his wrists before he had chance to try and lash out.

He carefully pulled his boy back towards him, keeping him encased tight to stop him from lashing out and show him that he was okay, he was safe and he didn't need to get upset. Luca was listening. Nicholas writhed from left to right, but he was only half trying to get out of Luca's embrace, it was helping already.

"It's okay, I know it's not fair, but you're not in trouble." Luca wasn't going to let anyone tell him off for this or make him out to be something he wasn't. He understood.

When he felt that Nicholas was mellowing out, that the fight within him was simmering down and he wasn't about to lash out, Luca cautiously let him go. One hand remained on his shoulder and he pointed behind him to the chair Maia was slouched in, almost falling asleep.

"Nickie, go and look after Maia for me, please."

He stomped his foot at the plea, but there wasn't any conviction in it and with raised shoulders, he walked past Luca to do as he had been asked. He flopped down on his knees in the doorway to the break room, his expression softening when Maia grinned and reached out to curl her hand around his shoulder in a loving acknowledgement.

Luca's eyes focused on the two of them for a few seconds, trying to assess that they were still out of earshot so he could have a few choice words without upsetting either of them or riling Nicholas up.

His hands moulded together, clenched into fists until his knuckles were white hot and his fingertips were turning numb. It caused his shoulders to hunch and raise up like he was prepping himself for a fight, and he stepped closer to the teacher who he hoped was as intimidated as his eyes suggested.

And clearly he had clocked the logo on the sleeves of Luca's shirt, showing exactly which department of the LAPD that he worked for.

"I'm sorry but your son won't follow the rules-"

"Alright listen, 'cos I'm only gonna explain this to you once. I shouldn't even have to tell you this if you bothered to get to know Nickie or even spoke to your principal."

There was a dangerous glint in Luca's eyes and a threatening look washed over his features as his head angled to one side and he stared down at the younger man who was clearly starting to worry.

This wasn't something Luca liked to keep explaining or going over and over again, but when no one here bothered to talk to each other about the kids they were supposed to nurture and protect, and they didn't bother to get to know them, then Luca had no choice. This sensitive matter had to be divulged, again, because no one listened the first four or five times it had been explained.

This time, despite the irritation rising within Luca, he managed to lower his voice to make sure the kids didn't hear him. But the vulnerability and raw aggression couldn't be mistaken.

"Nickie was abused when he was little. He won't go into that locker room and change in front of anyone because he has scars and marks on his skin that he doesn't want the other kids to see. You'd know that if you talked to the last teacher."

"If he wants to change in the toilets where he has privacy and feels safe, okay my boy has every right to do that. It's what he does every other week he has PE. You're taking those rights away from him and putting him through that trauma again by singling him out in front of everyone and trying to put him in that situation."

Luca didn't care if this teacher's ignorance meant he didn't know why Nicholas was so distressed about changing in front of others. That was besides the point when this information should have been relayed before now. It shouldn't be Luca having to explain this.

Not only that, but if he saw how upset Nicholas was getting, then he should have figured something was wrong. Not try and make a scene and force him to either change in front of the other kids or make a scene and tell him he had to leave if he wasn't compliant. They were putting him in a horrid situation, of course he would lash out in retaliation.

Luca rather liked the horror he could see washing over this man's face.

"I- I didn't know-"

A crude laugh left Luca's lips as he tilted his head back and rose his hand to run up and down his face like he was trying to convince himself if this was real or just a trick of the imagination.

"No, you didn't ask, you just treated my son like his fear was an inconvenience for you. He lashes out when he's frightened or upset, which is why he kicked the walls when you told him to leave the sports hall, okay? Don't put my son through that again."

The way Luca pointed his finger directly at the teacher's chest like he was about to push him clearly made his point known.

This had all been explained when Luca and (Y/n) enrolled Nicholas in this school. They told them that he had been abused before he was taken into foster care, that his life up to now had been a tangled mess of fear and anguish and torrential pain he had no choice but to endure.

He didn't feel safe changing in front of the other kids in case they saw his scarred skin, he didn't know if they would feel sorry for him or decide it was a weapon to use to bully him with, and neither option was appealing. He felt safe changing in the toilets, no one had ever questioned him on this before.

Luca turned on his heels, done with this mess and the whole situation itself. He wasn't talking anymore, and he wasn't listening to feeble excuses and apologies that held no worth whatsoever.

"Alright you two, let's roll out." He took a deep breath and put on his best smile as he walked towards his kids and reached out for them.

Nicholas looked relieved, though a little confused when he pushed up to his feet and watched as Luca scooped Maia up into his arms, then rested a hand on his shoulder with the intention of guiding him out. Didn't he have to stay for Maths, his last lesson of the day, before he went home?

"He- um he can return to class now-"

"Nah, you've upset him enough." Luca cast a look over his broad shoulder as he nudged Nicholas out the door. "And you dragged me here for no reason; he's coming home with me now."

He wasn't about to send his boy back to class where he would have to face everyone else who would think he had been in trouble. Nicholas had suffered enough aggravation for one day; he was going home.

***

"Alright, inside." A soft grin worked its way onto (Y/n)'s lips as she unlocked the door and took a step back, allowing the trio to bustle inside ahead of her. It was better than them all pushing and hustling to barge inside in their haste.

It felt good, relieving, to be back home and to think that some of the chaos in day to day life had mellowed out somewhat. (Y/n) knew her sense of chaos was far different to what Luca experienced when he was at work, but handling three boys- and a toddler when Maia was with her- was still a hard task.

At least she didn't have to juggle Maia right now; her only girl should probably be having a nap round about now. She hadn't been at nursery today and with Luca having today off, he had spent the day with her.

"Put them away please."

Reaching her hand out (Y/n) held onto Erik's shoulder so she could weave behind the ten year old and as she did, she pointed down to the collection of shoes that had now gathered in the hallway.

Shoes didn't belong there; (Y/n) couldn't count the number of times she'd tripped over shoes and coats and toys and games forgotten and left out.

Erik nodded, his stark black hair waving as he did so like grass in the wind, and he beamed a bright smile up at (Y/n) when she kissed his temple before passing him by. He was the newest addition to their house, having only been here for three months, but he had settled in almost as quickly as Nicholas had. both were foster kids, but they were going to be here for the forseeable future.

The sight she was faced with in the kitchen made (Y/n)'s heart skip a beat and she could feel pins and needles shooting down towards her fingertips. Her steps paused at the threshold to the kitchen, admiring the sight in front of her.

Luca, stood at the counter with his back to the doorway looking like he was in his own world. He was wearing a pair of black gym shorts with white stripes along the sides and no shirt, which showed off his broad, pointed shoulders and the lean muscles in his back and down his torso.

As usual there was his black baseball cap sat backwards on his head, the usual way he would wear it. (Y/n) knew Luca often wore that cap underneath his Swat helmet at times too. And over the top of his cap, he had a set of headphones on. The music must be loud, because (Y/n) could hear the music from across the kitchen.

She took a deep breath and pushed off the doorframe, keeping her steps light and her weight on her toes so she didn't make a sound as she approached Luca. He looked like he was in his element, cooking with no interruptions. As much as he loved messing around and baking with the kids, when it came to dinner time and Luca was the one cooking, he didn't appreciate help in the kitchen.

She kept her steps as light as a feather, making sure not to make a sound until she was less than a foot behind Luca. Her hands reached out and grabbed his hips, squeezing tight to shock him before she bound her arms around his torso and glued her chest up against his back. Feeling each muscle twitch and shift as he loosened his shoulders and paused whatever he was doing.

"Hey babe." Luca's voice came out rather loud so he could hear himself over the music blasting through his ears.

His eyes creased from the smile pulling at the corners of his mouth when he felt (Y/n) press an open mouthed kiss against his shoulder. He set down the knife in his hand and rested his palms against the edge of the counter, looking over his shoulder so he could just about see his wife.

"Didn't scare you, huh?" (Y/n) hummed, tilting her head back to press her chin against his shoulder to be able to look up at him.

His grin shifted into a smirk and he shook his head. "Nope. Told you babe, I can feel the vibrations in the floor."

Luca lifted one foot and thudded it against the floor to make his point, despite not wearing any shoes, his bare foot still made a loud impression against the floor.

He found it cute that (Y/n) was always trying to frighten him, it was like a game they played. When she thought he wasn't paying attention or that he hadn't noticed she was home, she would sneak up on him. Most of the time Luca would turn around at the last minute or reach out and grab her before she could frighten him. This time he waited to see what she would do.

"Damn; well next time then." With a shrug of her shoulders, (Y/n) pushed up a bit higher to look down over Luca's shoulder. "You made dinner already?"

"Yeah, Maia's down for a nap, so…" he gave a wave of his hand to make his point before he yanked off the headphones when he realised he was starting to shout.

Luca liked to keep busy, a habit that came from being so on the ball and never having a moment to sit down at work. When he was at home he was still wired up and full of energy, and since he'd settled Maia to sleep and found himself at a loose end, he decided he might as well start on dinner.

He leant across to put the knife in the sink, now done chopping the last of the veg up, and slowly turned around in (Y/n)'s tight embrace that loosened and shifted so her arms were now hooked around his neck instead of his waist.

His hips pressed back against the counter he had been leaning against and he reached down to wrap his arms around (Y/n)'s middle and pull her that little bit closer so she was fully propped up and leaning against his bare chest.

He could feel (Y/n)'s hand feathering up and down the back of his neck, causing shivers in her wake and when Luca angled his head back in reaction to the touch, (Y/n) flicked his hat which in turn ruffled his hair.

(Y/n) felt Luca's chest vibrate as he hummed when he leant to kiss her. She couldn't help but smile against his mouth and part her lips, feeling as if he were taking all the air from her lungs; and she would gladly let him.

Luca was the one to break the kiss, though a smile stilled toyed at his lips as he let his head loll back at the sound of impending footsteps.

"My troop's home, huh? You all good?"

He took the time to perch his chin on top of (Y/n)'s head, making her chuckle against his chest and lean further into him like Luca was a blanket enveloping around her to keep her safe and warm. She wasn't sure she could break out of this embrace even if she wanted to.

But she managed to turn her head to the right, meshing her cheek against Luca's warm skin so she could see the boys flooding the room. All still in their school uniforms, though shoes and jackets were now removed and hopefully hanging up in the hall.

They began to nod and agree, but it was Erik who looked Luca up and down and seemed to take in his attire- or lack there of.

"Are you going to the gym?" Hope sprung up in Erik's voice as he pointed at the shorts Luca was wearing, the ones he recognised as Luca's exercise shorts.

A chuckle left Luca's curved lips, nothing got past these boys. "Actually I was gonna go for a jog, why, you wanna join me?"

"I'll get changed!"

With that, Erik disappeared from the room, his footsteps echoing in his absence as he tried to pelt up the stairs to go and change out of his school gear and get into something he usually wore when he went to the gym with Luca. Erik wasn't the most sporty kid, he didn't love PE the same as Nicholas did, but he enjoyed spending time with Luca like this.

It wasn't an effort when it was with Luca. They would jog around the block, switch from fast to slow and to a walk, always changing the speed and they would race to lamp posts and houses and landmarks and chat in between panting breaths. It was fun, it let them all burn off energy and spend time alone with Luca.

"You comin' too Danny-boy?" Though he remained wrapped around (Y/n), Luca's attention shifted to Danny, the six year old who was (Y/n) and Luca's only boy together. The only boy in the house that wasn't a foster kid.

Danny had grown up around other kids, he knew there were always kids coming and going in their house. He didn't seem to realise that he was (Y/n) and Luca's eldest child, because in his eyes it wasn't just him and Maia. It was Nicholas, then Erik, then him and then Maia was the baby of the family. This was their family now, and it was flexible and always open for change.

Danny grinned in that way that made him look a double of Luca with creased eyes and a flash of teeth, and he hurried to go and get changed too, calling out for Erik to wait for him.

"Nickie?"

Though his smile was bright, Nicholas shook his head. "I'll stay with mum."

Luca had a feeling that would be the answer he got, though he nodded and smiled all the same.

He knew Nicholas would want to stay, because even though Maia was home, she was settled and it meant he could get (Y/n)'s full attention for a little while. He could have time with her to either help her round the house or chat or sit and watch tv; Nicholas didn't care, as long as he got that one on one time.

Sometimes it was hard, with the way Nicholas had grown up, always abandoned and ignored in his life, it had made him latch onto people rather than pushing them away like some other kids did in his position. He had attachment disorders, if people came into his life Nicholas couldn't stand the thought of them leaving.

From the moment he walked through that door and found this to be a safe, loving home with two parents who wanted him, he never wanted to leave their side. Even though he was old enough to walk to and from school on his own, he wanted to be picked up just like the rest of the boys. They had to tell him who would be coming to get him from school, what time they would be there, reassure him they weren't leaving him.

Other than school- which was still a hard enough time for Nicholas where he didn't always cope- he didn't want to be apart from (Y/n) and Luca. It was something they were still working on, to make him feel safe enough that he didn't always have to be around them or have them within his sights. To know he could go out and they would still be here when he got back, that he could do things on his own and he would still have their love and support, even if he didn't see it.

"Okay, just a trio today." With a nod of his head, Luca looked down at (Y/n). "We'll be about an hour."

"Back in time for tea," (Y/n) confirmed, gliding her thumb up and down the back of his neck as she pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.

Three of them would be going out, and three would be staying home.

[megalony]

IM ANON WHO ASKED FOR THE LUMBAR THANK U ITD PERRRRFECG

Oooh yay you’re so welcome!! I’m thrilled it was what you were hoping for

[megalony]

i love love LOVE your 5sos fics, especially the ones where the reader is the fifth member. i especially loves 'sensory overload' and was wondering if you could write another similar fic? idk if that is too vague but i love having the reader be apart of the band and seeing them all be so kind and supportive of her

Awwww this makes me so happy 😁 as in the beginning there weren’t many comments or feedback on the 5sos stuff I did.

And I’ll admit I have a soft spot for having reader as the fifth member of the band I just love it.

I happen to have a Luke imagine in the works with reader being part of the band and them looking after her in a angsty moment.

I would love to do a variant of Sensory Overload I’ll mull over some ideas and see what I can do

[megalony]

hiii i have had an idea - i had a lumbar puncture and then a leak from that and i was wondering if u could do one with bsf ashton (who u have a crush on) like trying to take care of you and tell you you need to go get checked out but you have a bigggg fight with him about it and then end up going and hes all concerned about you????

Hello!

Ooh thank you for this idea I hope you were okay after your procedure.

I'm not usually one for writing friends to lovers I'm always too impatient and want to jump right to the relationship. But it did make a good change.

I hope you like how it turned out and how I left things at the ending, please let me know if you liked it.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Look after You

[megalony]

Look After You

This is a new Ashton Irwin imagine based on an anon request, I hope this is what you were looking for.

Please let me know what you think!

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22 @mrsyixingunicorn10 @talicat713 @niamhmbt @strawberry-canyon @bieberhoodforever @911fangirlie @hollandxxmix @jasmineee05 @creat1venat1onn @devilslittlehelper @darlingcharling-blog @bear8585 @nickie-amore @elliott-calls @person-005 @mbioooo0000 @amara-mars @shypy92 @nikfigueiredo @sabsthedoll @rach2602 @itshamleth @ladespedidas @devilslittlehelper @buckslifeline @wanniiieeee @jaydaaasworld @theelementofsurprisee @andrewgarfieldislife @lover-rep-fanfic @spideysimpossiblegirl @danah-20 @ilocuras24 @peeekabo0 @brown-eyes-cello-and-books @alexisann143 @darknessofhell666-blog-blog

@jihoonsbbygirl @libbyqypu @livesosdisc @swag313gurl @chandlxa

5SOS Masterlist

Summary: After having a lumbar puncture at the hospital, (Y/n) goes home and Ashton- her crush and best friend- comes over to look after her. And a surprising argument unfolds about hospital visits and feelings.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Just take my hand; you'll be okay."

(Y/n) wasn't sure whether it was the words that were such a comfort, or just the sound of Ashton's voice that worked like her very own personal anaesthetic. But his words held the ability to stop her heart from racing and going into a painful overdrive.

She found herself nodding before she really understood what he'd said, and as soon as Ashton's hand was held out in front of her, (Y/n) latched onto it as if she were drowning at sea and he was her saving grace. Her only chance at survival.

(Y/n) closed her eyes out of habit and the thought of the inevitable that was surely about to happen at any given moment.

Her right hand threaded through Ashton's and she held his hand close to her chest, curling herself around it like she was somehow trying to keep the limb safe as if it were something sacred she was protecting.

It felt strange to be laid like this on a hospital bed, but this was how she had been told to lay. Resting on her left side with her knees tucked up into her abdomen as much as she could withstand and manage. Both arms- and now Ashton's hand- were coiled towards her chest and her head was pressing down with her chin resting near her collaer bone.

In any other situation it might have felt strange or imposing to be laid here in just her bra with her shirt draped over the back of the chair Ashton was sitting on. But it didn't really matter to her right now.

This was the first lumbar puncture (Y/n) had ever gone through or needed in her life, and it was safe to say that this wasn't an experience she wanted to repeat.

She knew that the anaesthetic she had been injected with a few moments prior was going to take away the pain, but not the discomfort.

It was a relief that she had Ashton here with her right now, that he had agreed and been able to come along to keep her calm and provide company for this procedure. He didn't hesitate, as soon as she asked if he would come with her he had agreed on the spot and wrote the date down in his calender.

Hospitals weren't the kind of places that (Y/n) was happy or willing to come to, she was only here now because it was necessary and once she'd told Ashton he had kept reminding her and calming her down every time she panicked about it.

It was hard to try and keep herself still and not hold her muscles tight with tension and anticipation. But her shoulders tensed and shivered the moment she felt a scratch at her lower back sort of in line with her hips. The feeling was highly uncomfortable and (Y/n) felt bile rising in the back of her throat as she held her breath to try and ward off the feeling.

Ashton's teeth sank down into his lower lip as he watched the way (Y/n) tensed up and imbedded her cheek down against the bed until it looked like she was going to hurt herself.

With his right hand laced through hers, he sat forward on the edge of his seat and reached his free hand out to her. His fingers skimmed lightly across her shoulder and began drawing patterns and pushing on her upper arm a little in an attempt to both calm her down and coax her to stay still.

She couldn't be moving or wriggling despite the pain and discomfort this was causing; not when there was a needle now tucked in between the vertebre of her spine.

"We're in, try and hold still for a few moments while we get the sample, then it will be done."

(Y/n) managed a small hum to show she was listening, though her attention was mainly focused on the feel of Ashton's fingers running up and down her arm and shoulder.

When she fought against her instincts and forced her eyes to open, she found them instantly locking on him and studying him like he was a work of art for her admiring eyes only. He was staring down at her with his lips quirked up in a lopsided grin, flashing a few of his pearly white teeth.

He wasn't like what other friends would be in this situation. He wasn't sat there telling her she was fine, not to worry or be a baby. He wasn't slouched in the chair, staring and scrolling on his phone waiting for the time to pass so they could leave.

No, not Ashton. He was holding her hand, looking at her and assessing her to make sure she was truly okay and not panicking or becoming overwhelmed or dwelling in pain. He wasn't ignoring her or giving her half his attention; he hadn't been on or checked his phone since they came into the hospital for this little procedure. Every ounce of his attention had been on and for (Y/n).

She couldn't help but admire and like the way he was sat, how he was perched on the very edge of the seat with his knees parted wide to the sides and so little space between him and the bed she was on so they could be up close and touching. And she liked how his shoulders were hunched up as he leant forward to be as close as he could to her.

He was proving to be a good distraction.

Though (Y/n) had to keep telling and reminding herself not to read too much into it or think of Ashton like that.

He might be a good distraction, but she was thinking of him like that for all the wrong reasons. He was her best friend, and (Y/n) couldn't risk losing him, not for anything in the world.

The way she felt for him, the crush she'd had on him for what felt like forever, it had to be put to the back of her mind, locked away and forgotten. Because Ashton didn't think of her in that way, and (Y/n) couldn't live without him in her life. If she wanted Ashton in her life, then having him by her side as her best friend was the only way to do that, and that was how things were.

If they had to be friends for him to be this close to her, for him to still be in her life and be the one she relied on, then that was okay.

"So, how you feeling?"

Ashton's voice echoed through the hall like the words were bouncing off the walls to try and find their way to (Y/n).

She tilted her head back against the arm rest of the sofa, burrowing her cheek into the cushion she had been welded against for a good two hours now, but it made no difference. She couldn't see Ashton yet, not that she really expected to when she could hear him still in the hall, kicking the front door shut with the heel of his boot.

It was a good job that he had his own key to her place- he came and stayed over often enough to warrent a key to make things easier- as (Y/n) wasn't sure she would of had the energy to get herself up off the sofa, even to let Ashton in if she had to.

Ashton made his way into the living room, concern lighting up his eyes when he rounded the sofa and looked down at (Y/n). She didn't look too well or recovered, and that chipped away at something inside of him and made his composure slowly begin to crack and crumble.

"Sore, and tired."

He leant over her with a half-grin full of sympathy and held a plastic cup down to her, which she took with grateful eyes and a murmur of thanks. It was a good thing he had stopped off for drinks on the way here then.

The condensation on the cup sent tingles throughout (Y/n)'s nerves and made her feel the slightest bit better already. A cold coffee was just what she needed to liven herself up.

Her right elbow dug down into the sofa and she tried to push herself up, despite the ache that pulsed through her lower back and how she could almost feel every ounce of her energy draining out of her without really doing much at all.

The struggle must have been written all over her face because Ashton's free hand slipped beneath her ankles, scooping them both up in his palm so he could gently raise her legs off the sofa, causing (Y/n) to pause. She watched him with blown pupils as he raised her legs just high enough so that he could slide onto the sofa beside her, and lower her legs down over his lap.

Her bare feet dangled over his thigh and tapped and wriggled against his thigh to get comfy while Ashton slouched back into the sofa and parted his knees wide to the sides like he normally did when he tried to relax.

(Y/n) could feel a smile spreading across her lips at the close contact, though she tried her best to dampen it down and control herself and her reaction.

He had barely arrived and sat down and already she was smiling like a fool at his presence.

"So, what are we watching?"

"Whatever you want," (Y/n) nudged the remote towards him and let her head burrow back down into the cushion to try and get comfy again.

A stir of butterflies had swarmed to life within her when Ashton had messaged this morning and said he was coming over to see how she was doing and keep her company. All he had to do was send a message so his nickname lit up her phone and (Y/n) was unable to control the way her heart reacted to him.

After the lumbar puncture, Ashton had stayed with her for the hour she had to be observed in the hospital, then he brought her home and kept her company in the evening in case she didn't feel well or needed anything that he could do or get for her.

Over the last two days he had been messaging and checking in, and now he was here with her again. (Y/n) knew exactly how lucky she was to have him here with her, to be at the receiving end of his concern and care. Having Ashton by her side like this was all she ever wanted, especially when he was caring for her like this and he didn't have to.

The only downside was that it didn't help the crush that she'd had on him for what felt like forever. Seeing him be this concerned over her, being this desperate to help and look after her, it only made her love him more.

It made her want to turn around so that it was her head laid over his lap, not her legs. She wanted to bind her arms around his torso and bury herself in his embrace. (Y/n) wanted to curl around him and never let go.

She lost herself in thought, drifting away in the possibilities and the wonders of everything that surrounded Ashton.

She tried not to let her eyes linger on him, to focus instead on the tv and see what movie he was going to put on in the background for them to watch. Because neither of them would have the proper attention span to watch a new movie, to engage in something they hadn't seen before and take it all in.

Her eyes zoned in on the tv but her mind wandered away without her as she tried to drink her coffee to liven herself up a bit. All she felt like doing was lying here until the sun faded in the sky and she started to feel a bit better.

Again (Y/n) found her mind fading into thoughts and dwelling on what ifs when Ashton's arm draped over her thighs and his hand landed on her hip. Fingers spread out across her frame on top of her leggings, thumb stroking languid motions up and down her hip as if the touch was there to soothe him as much as her.

She basked in the touch, revelled in it and found herself becoming lost.

But as Ashton traced his hand along her hip and tried to focus on the movie, he found himself looking to his right and glancing down at (Y/n). As he observed her and the distant look in her eyes, he just happened to look behind her, and his brows knitted together.

Resting his handa bit firmer against her hip, Ashton applied a bit of pressure and carefully nudged (Y/n)'s frame so she was leaning forward. The motion caused her eyes to blink back into focus and narrow up at him to see what he was doing.

Though she was confused, (Y/n) tried to lean forwards since that was what Ashton was clearly trying to get her to do. Her head remained turned in his direction to see what he was doing, and she quickly realised that he was looking at her back; at the part of her spine where the puncture had taken place.

"Oh shit, it's uh, it's leaking." There didn't seem to be any other word to describe it.

The area where (Y/n) had had the lumbar puncture was now stuck to her shirt. Ashton didn't know whether it was supposed to or okay to be leaking or not or whether this was something to be worrying about. He chose to worry, it came automatically to him.

As gently as he could, he scrunched his fingers in the hem of her shirt and peeled it up, relieved that (Y/n) didn't wince or cry out when he peeled the shirt apart from her skin. There was a small square plaster over the puncture site, which had been what was stuck to (Y/n)'s shirt, so at least her shirt wasn't directly stuck to the small wound. That was a relief.

But the wound was leaking fluids enough to soak through the small plaster and begin to stick to her top; that wasn't good.

"Ooh," (Y/n) groaned as her eyes fell closed like she was trying hard to hold herself together and not freak out or overreact.

Her palms pressed into the sofa to slowly push herself up so she was sitting properly instead of being laid down on the sofa. There was no point trying to leer and look over her shoulder to try and see the wound, (Y/n) knew she could only observe it by standing awkwardly in front of the mirror in her bedroom. Or reaching behind her to take a photo on her phone, though that was harder as the picture never looked right or very clear.

"Is that bad? Has it done this a lot?" Ashton knew he sounded sceptical, but he didn't like the thought of this happening a lot over the past two days when he knew (Y/n) had been home alone trying to rest and feel better.

"No… it's been okay, the nurse said this could happen though. I'll change it-"

"I'll get a new plaster, are they still in the kitchen?" He was already up on his feet before (Y/n) could finish speaking, and that alone made her feel at ease.

She watched him disappear towards the kitchen, and her hand drifted behind her to hover over the plaster against her lower back.

It didn't seem right to worry Ashton by telling him this had been happening a lot since she came home.

The nurse said a bit of clear fluids leaking from the puncture was okay, but this had been a bit more excessive, especially today. If it weren't for that then (Y/n) wouldn't have bothered rooting around in the small first aid kit beneath the kitchen sink to find a packet of old plasters. But she couldn't leave the wound exposed when this kept happening, she needed to cover it and hope for the best. Hope that it would stop and this wasn't an indication of anything going wrong or happening.

When he came back and sat down beside her, (Y/n) turned so her back was facing him and set her mostly empty cup down on the coffee table in the process.

She could feel how tentatively Ashton was when his fingers skimmed her back and slowly peeled the old plaster from her skin.

Again, he wasn't sure whether this was normal or not, to see that the wound was slightly swollen in between the vertebre like a small bump in the road. But he supposed a needle had gone right into her spine, so a bit of swelling was likely to be normal. It wasn't excessive swelling, there were no blossoming bruises like a paintbrush had been streaked across her back and the wound wasn't coated with blood. Those were all good things.

When the new plaster was in place and her top was pulled back down, (Y/n) felt Ashton's lips suddenly merging with the back of her shoulder, and it made shivers break out beneath her skin.

God, he didn't know what he did to her.

"There you go."

"Thank you." She could barely trust her voice not to waver and give away how breathless he made her by being this close, by being this caring and affectionate when he didn't know the reaction he was provoking by doing so.

She decided to stay sitting up, it was easier to keep herself awake this way than lying down and feeling drained and powerless and tired all rolled into one.

Her head settled on Ashton's shoulder before she could stop herself, but he didn't seem to mind. He slouched back into the cushions again and (Y/n) did the same, slowly propping her feet up on the table to try and ease the tension in her lower back.

The silence that surrounded them was comforting, not suffocating like it would have been with anyone else. They seemed to mould into one another, blend together and soak in the warmth of each other as they started to watch the movie Ashton had put on in the background; one of their favourites that they had watched hundreds of times before. A comfort film.

If it weren't for the way that her heart was trying to beat out of her ribcage- no doubt wanting to reach out for Ashton and imbed itself into his chest instead- (Y/n) knew she could easily have fallen asleep like this.

Her focus on keeping her hands still on her lap and fighting the urge to wrap them around Ashton's bicep kept her awake though. It took a chunk of her concentration to stop from leaning too far into him, from wrapping herself around his thick arm and clinging to him like she never wanted to let go. If she did that then she would frighten him away, and (Y/n) couldn't do that.

It gave her mind something to focus on apart from the film that she knew off by heart. Keeping herself contained and in control around Ashton took up her thought process and stopped her from counting the beat of his pulse that she could hear with how close she was leaning in near his chest. Wanting to know if his pulse was hammering and racing almost as much as hers was from being this close yet this content at the same time.

Her frame jostled after a good while when Ashton sighed and slowly inched forwards until his elbows were braced on his parted thighs and he pointed towards her cup on the table.

"You finished?" His voice was quiet and soft as he picked up the cup along with his empty one when (Y/n) nodded.

He must have caught the glimpse of dis-satisfaction in her eyes when he stood up, because his smile shifted into a grin and he uttered "I'll be back," in his best Terminator impression.

She could hear him humming as he padded out of the living room and aimed for the kitchen again.

Ashton was so used to (Y/n)'s apartment that it was much like his own; it was a second home to him at the best of times. And he felt comfortable enough here to walk around and wander into the kitchen, he could make snacks and grab drinks and ponder about like he lived here, that was how comfortable and calm he felt in (Y/n)'s presence and home.

He wasn't quite sure what caught his attention when he opened the bin and intended to chuck the empty cups in there, but something struck him and he pulled his arm back instead of lowering it, and peered closer.

His eyes narrowed in concentration and he leant over, suddenly feeling his blood heat up in his veins like he was simmering over hot coals. His jaw clenched until he found his teeth rubbing and grinding together and he abruptly stopped humming.

Plasters.

Plasters and cotton swabs, a lot of them, littered the bin and made Ashton do a double take as if he were staring into the waste bin in the hospital instead of the kitchen bin in (Y/n)'s home.

There were splotches and patches of blood on the cotton swabs too, as well as dried blood soaked through into the plasters.

The cups slid out of his grasp and landed with a soft thump on top of the pile of cotton and sticky plastic plasters that made Ashton's fingers curl into his palms and had his nails cutting through into his skin.

He barely registered anything but the sound of his blood racing through his ears like he had gone deaf and mute to all other sounds except for that river of iron flowing through him. He seemed to blink and suddenly he was back in the living room, leaning against the back of the sofa as he stared down at (Y/n) and words flowed past his lips before he could retract them.

"You lied to me."

It was (Y/n)'s turn to frown and her stomach churned as if an invisible hand had reached inside and squeezed tight. The feeling made her breath catch in the back of her throat and her movements felt impossibly slow as she turned and looked up over her left shoulder to see Ashton.

He looked like a kicked puppy, a wounded child. Staring down at her with runny caramel eyes and pursed lips that made the sharpness of his jawline stand out against everything else.

There was never usually any cause for Ashton to look at her like that, let alone suggest she had lied to him. Why had she lied? What had she lied about? It was hard enough to keep her true feelings about him from him, without having to dampen down and hide anything else.

"Wh- I haven't-"

"It's been bleeding, I've seen all the plasters in the bin. Come on, you need to get checked out."

The way Ashton pointed his hand in the direction of her back and then suddenly lifted his hand and flicked his wrist as if to motion for (Y/n) to get up, made her heart leap painfully and caused her shoulders to pull inwards.

Oh. Was that really classed as a lie, or just omitting certain facts from him?

She couldn't find it within herself to keep eye contact with him, and so her eyes settled on the next best thing; his lips. The shape of them, the dip in the centre of his top lip, the points and how they curved at each corner of his mouth, how his lower lip looked perfect enough to be captured with a pen and paper so the look lasted for eternity.

"No, Ash I'm okay, the nurse said it might leak. I'm not going back there." As she spoke, her arms folded across her chest and she found herself leaning forwards like she was curling in on herself to try and make her feel a little bit better.

But the sight of Ashton planting his hands on his broad hips and sighing at her response made (Y/n) bow her head down until her blurring eyes could only focus on her knees and the edging of the carpet beneath her.

She didn't wasnt to go back to the hospital. It wasn't worth it. She wasn't in excessive pain, only the amount of discomfort that was to be expected after a deep spine procedure like a lumbar puncture. (Y/n) didn't want to waste everyone's time by waiting around to be seen in the ER to then be sent home after being told this was probably normal and there wasn't anything the nurse could do about it.

Enough fuss had been caused already when she hadn't been well and needed the puncture in the first place. And she had sheepishly asked Ashton to join her so she wouldn't be on her own for the procedure, and now he was here again making sure she was okay and taking care of her. (Y/n) wouldn't cause any more disruption.

Another sigh parted Ashton's lips as he narrowed his gaze on her. "Why not?"

He knew he sounded impatient, but he wasn't going to back down from this and he wasn't taking a bleak brush off like that for an answer. If (Y/n) had a valid reason for not wanting to go then he might consider it. Otherwise, he was going to make sure that she got seen by a doctor or a nurse and that she was okay.

"I don't want to be stuck there again, just to be sent back home because I'm fine."

That caused Ashton to roll his eyes, though (Y/n) still wasn't looking up at him enough to notice. Her eyes were focused on her hands knotted together on her lap, and for some reason that made Ashton's stomach tighten. And he found himself moving round until his knees were pressing into the edge of the arm rest so he could peer down at her and he was more within her sights.

"You're not fine, you're in pain and something's wrong with that wound." Again he pointed towards her back as if to make and prove his point, but (Y/n) only shook her head and huffed.

"No Ash."

"I'm taking you-"

"No."

His brows arched when (Y/n) abruptly turned to her right so she was facing away from him as if she thought that would be enough to stop him from pursuing this argument with her. Well it wasn't. And he knew by the way her shoulders pulled inwards and how she was fighting off a flinch that turning away from him like that had caused her as much physical pain as it triggered an emotional pain within him.

His toes curled in the ends of his boots as frustration rolled through him and he let it drift out and fade away. Getting pent up wasn't going to help, this needed to be a conversation, not an argument.

His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides to try and release some of the tension he was holding and he weaved around the arm rest, sighing as he sank down beside her on the sofa with a thud.

He sat close enough that their knees were touching and when he rested his elbows on his knees and leant to the right, he could see (Y/n) despite how she had tried to turn away from him.

"A little leak is fine, but there's been blood and I can already tell that plaster I put on is soaked through as well. That's not normal, what if it gets infected? Then you'll have to be taken back to the ER anyway and be admitted, and neither of us want that."

There wasn't any way that Ashton was taking no for an answer, not when it was her health and wellbeing at risk here and he wanted to make sure she was okay.

He wasn't blind, he knew that her wound shouldn't be leaking like this and it definitely shouldn't be bleeding. It was an open wound, a deep wound that went into the fluid-filled gaps between each vertebre in her spine. If that got infected then (Y/n) would be even worse off than she already was, she would be admitted onto a ward and need a long hospital stay. And Ashton knew she would hate every moment of that.

It was easier to go to the hospital now and get seen to and treated quickly than wait for this to get worse and have a whole panic and drama surrounding them.

When he stretched his hand out across her knee, (Y/n) finally turned back towards him and lifted those sorrowful eyes that stared at him through her long lashes. But she didn't say anything, so Ashton broke the silence and continued his persuasion.

"You're going to see a doctor; if not for you then for me so I don't have to worry."

Shudders crawled beneath (Y/n)'s skin as she looked down at his hand on her knee and reached her hand down to begin tracing the outline of the tattoo on the back of his wrist.

Her eyes wouldn't meet his as she spoke in a soft voice, "You don't have to worry about me."

"I always worry about you."

The instant response made (Y/n) look up even though she didn't really want to. He didn't need to worry about her. He didn't need to be this concerned about her because it only made her heart cry for him harder, and when her heart wouldn't stop, she was sure that it was going to ache and fail and give out on her one of these lonesome days.

"Why?" The slight crack in her voice made her cringe and instead of tracing the tattoo on Ashton's wrist, (Y/n) ended up curling her fingers around his wrist and clinging tight like she needed that comfort to brace herself for his response.

She wasn't sure what to think when he rolled his eyes and leaned in close enough that she could smell the lingering essence of coffee on his breath. And if she tilted her head up a little, she was sure the stubble surrounding his lips and jaw would brush against her skin. He was close enough that the smell of his cologne flooded her senses until she felt dizzy.

"Why do you think I went with you for that lumbar puncture? Why am I here now, why am I offering to take you back and stay with you?"

Though the questions weren't rhetorical, Ashton knew he wasn't going to get an answer, and something about that made him smile sweetly and drop his head forward until their temples were touching and his curls were mingling with her hair.

"Because," he continued, swiping his tongue across his lips as he spoke, "I can't have anything happening to you; it would kill me."

The touch of his lips on hers was what (Y/n) had been hoping, praying and imagining would happen, but it was still a shock when it happened. The warmth of his lips hid the fact that less than half an hour ago he'd downed an ice coffee with about five or six extra shots of expresso in.

Despite the gentleness of the touch, his lips were firm as if making sure that she knew this wasn't a trick of the imagination. That this touch was real, he was here and he wanted her just as much, maybe even more, than she had been yearning for him.

(Y/n) could feel him taking the air from her lungs when her lips parted and his lips worked against hers, his mouth firm and almost desperate as he kissed her like he was proving every point in the world. She would have let him starve the oxygen out of her system, let him kiss her until the world turned black and nothing else happened or mattered in the whole world except for this touch and movement and feeling that she never wanted to end.

And when it did, when their lips finally parted and the air surged back into her lungs and the spots and stars raced in front of her eyes, (Y/n) realised that Ashton's hand had moved to cup her cheek and she somehow hadn't noticed the touch in her pleasure.

"Now are you gonna let me look after you and get you checked out?"

What else could she do except nod and try not to let her smile stretch too far across her features.

[megalony]

Hi ! Do you have something coming with Brendon Park from the Pitt ?

Thank you

Hello 👋

Ooh I don’t think I’ve had any shark requests in my inbox for a while. I can take a look but if not I’ll have to wait around for some ideas.

😍😍😍

[megalony]

My Rookie- Part 2

I know it's been months and months since I posted this first Tim Bradford imagine, but I suddenly started watching The Rookie again and felt inspired to finish this part I had plotted out.

I hope you will all like it, please let me know what you think to it.

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Part 1

Main Masterlist

Summary: (Y/n) is a rookie, so her new relationship with Tim isn't strictly professional. They try to keep things secret, but they run into problems when (Y/n) isn't well on shift and feels she can't trust her training officer.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You tryin' to tell me you've never gone hard on a rookie before, Bradford?"

Something close to a laugh cackled at the back of Tim's throat and he shook his head in disbelief. "We're training officers, we don't set them up to fail. Your boot is going to the hospital, you think there won't be a report on this?"

Glee dwelled in Tim's stomach when he saw a flash of something cross Josh's eyes. Worry perhaps, maybe a glimmer of anger directed at Tim, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to forgive Josh for this and Tim certainly wasn't letting this one go.

He took a step back before he felt the urge to start throwing his fists. He couldn't start a fight here at the station when there were enough colleagues around to point the finger and risk his job. As if he wasn't risking everything already by falling head over heels for (Y/n).

"You're done. I'll put a report on the Captain's desk tomorrow myself."

The conversation was still whirling around in the back of Tim's mind like a video tape that was playing on repeat. Over and over again.

Chatting away in the back of his mind, letting him remember each word he'd said, each snide tone Josh had used to reply back to him. That look of fear within the other TOs eyes when he realised that Tim wasn't going to let this go.

And he wasn't.

It didn't matter that (Y/n) was secretly his partner behind closed doors. It didn't matter that she wasn't his rookie, his trainee. Nor did it matter that Tim knew people would be wondering why their very own hard-faced TO had gone in the ambulance with a rookie that he wasn't even training himself.

What matter was that (Y/n) was ill, and Josh had made her feel so incompetant and worried that she hadn't allowed herself a break or a rest or a chance to get seen to by a doctor. And now she had collapsed. Now she was hurt, and she needed to be looked after.

And Josh needed to be reprimanded. Tim already had lines mulling over in the back of his head about what he would say, what he would write down in a direct report to Grey to explain this situation and how wrong the other TO had been. He knew Grey would do something, he would make sure Josh got done for this, whether he got docked his pay or sent on a training programme or put on a brief suspension.

Something needed to be done, and Tim wouldn't rest until it was.

"Tim…"

Electric volts ran through Tim's heart and his head snapped down to look at (Y/n), whereas moments ago he had been staring off into the void with his gaze unfocused on the far wall of the ambulance.

She had barely been conscious when they got her on the gurney and loaded her into the ambulance, but she was saying his name.

A quiet muttering, so broken and hushed that for a moment Tim thought he had simply imagined it, until she spoke again. She knew he was here. (Y/n) knew that Tim had come along with her, that he had joined her and wasn't going to leave her side even though he wasn't her TO and he hadn't technically cleared this with Grey beforehand.

When she uttered his name again, Tim leant forward on the edge of the rather cramped seat within the back of the ambulance and reached out for her hand. He interlaced their fingers, dismayed to find that the limb was cold despite the rest of her skin beind flushed and burning with a fever.

"I'm here, Rookie. I'm here."

Leaning forwards, Tim pressed his lips to the back of (Y/n)'s fingers and gave a tight squeeze to her hand so she knew he was there, and he wasn't about to disappear on her.

A brief moment of affection was okay, there was only one paramedic sitting in the back here with them, and he wasn't to know that a rookie and a training officer was technically breaking some unofficial rules.

Tim's expression was pained and his features scrunched up when both (Y/n)'s arms coiled inwards towards her chest and the look on her drowsy face showed she was in turmoil. He was relieved she was a bit more conscious now than she had previously been in the locker room back at the station, but that meant she was more alert and more suceptible to feeling pain.

And she did look like she was in pain. Her whole body tremoring and shaking on the gurney, her knees trying to coil up towards her stomach despite how hard that was to do on the gurney. Her hand that was interlaced with Tim's was starting to squeeze, and she was pressing his hand deeply against the centre of her chest against her button up shirt that was soaked with perspiration.

He wasn't sure whether she was pressing on his hand to try and alert him of some kind of new pains she was having, or whether this was just (Y/n)'s way of feeling comfort and affection and knowing that Tim was close by.

By the time the ambulance pulled up at the hospital and the gurney headed through the bay doors, Tim could barely feel his fingers in his left hand. Not that he cared, (Y/n)'s vice grip on his hand seemed to be helping her stay calm, and that was all that mattered to him.

His right hand curled around the edge of the gurney and he followed swiftly alongside, lips pressed into a thin line and his jaw clenched tight as they headed into one of the vacant rooms in the ER.

(Y/n)'s eyes began to open, though they didn't manage to come into focus or really take in any of her surroundings, when she was transferred from the gurney onto the bed.

And the moment Tim's hand left her grip, (Y/n) choked through a moan that sounded like she was trying to scream.

"No- no-"

"I'm still here. (Y/n), I'm right here and I won't leave you."

Reaching over, Tim gently rested his hand on (Y/n)'s ankle and gave a light squeeze. He couldn't get as close as he had been before, not with two nurses and a doctor now in the room who needed to do their checks and look after (Y/n). Tim couldn't get in the way, but he certainly wasn't leaving the room. He was staying right here until he knew that (Y/n) was okay.

"Promise?" Her voice was croaky and barely came out properly, but Tim heard her just fine, and the faintest smile hinted at his lips.

"I promise."

Tim's arms crossed over his chest as he stood against the far wall, one hand reaching up to press into the bottom of his chin as he observed the situation carefully.

He couldn't help but wince when one of the nurse's had to physically pin (Y/n)'s arm to the bed to get an IV cannula taped into her hand. She wasn't cooperating with them. Tim knew she didn't like hospitals at the best of times, but with her being disorientated and unwell, it only made the situation worse.

She seemed to let them check her blood pressure and get her hooked up to a monitor. Though she turned her head and groaned when they tried to check her pupils and gage her reflexes and responses.

Tim chomped his teeth down so sharply on his lower lip that he winced and tasted blood on his tongue. He could see that despite the shaking wracking through (Y/n)'s body, she was trying to push them away. He didn't know whether she didn't understand that she was about to get help, or whether she simply didn't want to be here in the hospital. Either way, she was working herself up and making it harder on herself, as well as the staff.

One of the nurses turned to look over her shoulder in Tim's direction, an exasperated look on her face as she sighed and arched one brow.

"Are you her partner or just her colleague?"

The question stunned Tim and he wasn't sure how to respond for a few seconds, bloodied lips parting as he pulled in a deep breath and tried to shake the shock from his features.

"Uh- partner. I'm her partner."

"Then do you think you might be able to calm her down? We need to take a blood sample to run some tests, but she's getting herself worked up."

He nodded his head, both pleased and stunned at the same time. And he was glad that he'd managed to get changed from his uniform and into his casual clothes or else he would have been stood here in his starched shirt and trousers with his holster clipped around his waist. Something he wouldn't be able to take off in this setting in case someone tried to take it from him.

He was also glad that (Y/n) had managed to take her holster off in the locker room, even if she hadn't changed out of her uniform yet. It meant Tim didn't have to take possession over it as a gun, taser and pepper spray couldn't be kept here without supervision.

He pushed forward and stepped up to the side of the bed, feeling his heart trying to hammer its way out of his ribs when he looked down at (Y/n).

His thighs pressed into the bed frame as one hand carded through (Y/n)'s hair and the other reached down to curl around her arm. He darted his tongue out over his lips and leant over until his lips were hovering near (Y/n)'s ear.

"(Y/n), baby, the sooner we get you better, the sooner we can leave." Tim could see that his words had caught (Y/n)'s attention because those hazy eyes finally locked on him. "You put up with Hanks all day, I think you can bear a needle for a quick blood test, right?"

She let out a sound that was somewhere between a hum and a yes, which caused Tim to grin and press a quick kiss to her cheek along with a quiet, barely audible "That's my girl."

He remained beside the bed, his left hand threaded through (Y/n)'s so he could stretch her arm out and hold it at her side on the bed. Allowing the nurse to lean around him, attach an elastic strap just above the crease of (Y/n)'s elbow, and begin taking some blood samples.

"She might have a bad infection. Probably not meningitis, but we'd have to test for everything, just to rule them all out."

Tim nodded, releasing his grip on (Y/n)'s hand and arm now that the bloods had been taken and she wasn't squirming around so much on the bed now. Hopefully she could settle, maybe even fall asleep and then wake up feeling better and refreshed.

"Could you answer a few questions, so we can rule a few things out?"

"Sure," though he nodded, Tim dragged his hand across his jaw and turned back in (Y/n)'s direction. "I'm still here, I won't be far away."

With a peck to her temple, he followed the nurse who now had a chart in her hands. A few questions and answers would allow them to know what tests to run and what kind of infection or illness was currently plaguing (Y/n).

Tim wasn't sure how much help he could be, but as they stood just outside the room- so he was still within sight if (Y/n) wondered or fretted where he was- he realised he could answer almost every question she asked. He could roughly pinpoint when her symptoms started, that she had suffered headaches and had been sick today- by what Chen had said- and that work clearly hadn't made things any easier for her.

He also knew a lot of her medical history and filled in the blanks in her chart. That was how much (Y/n) meant to him; and to think that Josh Hanks had gone and put her at risk and made this situation a whole lot worse. Tim had to push that thought to the back of his mind before it sent his blood boiling and he got sidetracked.

He wasn't sure how long they had been stood there talking and going through both basic and in-depth questions, but both their heads snapped back towards the doors and their voices cut off when a round of raised voices got their attention.

"No- no you must sit back down-"

"You'll hurt yourself doing that."

"I'm… I'm- no-"

With furrowed brows and his arms dropped from in front of his chest, Tim bounded back through the doors and into the room just in time to have the air knocked out of him at the sight of (Y/n), now up off the bed.

She could barely remain on her feet, her body swaying back and forth and one hip slouched against the side of the bed to prop herself up.

That glazed look in her eyes was one Tim hadn't seen very often; she barely looked coherent or aware of her situation.

But she was aware enough to know that there was something taped to the back of her right hand, something that was irritating and restraining. (Y/n) barely looked down before she yanked on the cannula in her hand and the plastic was suddenly pulled free from her vein.

A deep bump arose in the middle of the vein that looked like a balloon had started to swell beneath the skin and a trail of blood slithered down the back of her hand and in between the grooves of her fingers. The sight made Tim's lips curl into a grimace.

"Hey- hey back into bed. Now." With a deep voice and the click of his fingers, Tim pointed to the bed as he advanced towards (Y/n).

(Y/n) looked like she was about to try and shake her head, but the action caused her head to loll backwards and she stumbled towards the bed, right where she didn't want to be.

"I h- I- work, I can't slack."

The words didn't seem to want to come out in the right order and her eyes had to close to stop the pulsing headache throbbing behind her eyes.

Her head bowed forward and suddenly met with a hard chest when Tim appeared in front of her, seemingly out of nowhere. She could feel the tense muscles beneath his shirt, the controlled breathing that showed he was trying to remain calm when really, he was close to exploding.

She felt his hand reach out to cup the back of her head, and the touch was so soothing that she almost caved in then and there. But when his other arm curved around her waist and he tried to push her back towards the bed, (Y/n) groaned and pushed forward.

It was like they were in a dance, always one step forwards and one step back, neither getting in the direction they wanted to be.

Her hands reached up to try and hold onto Tim's biceps with the intention of pushing him back, but she ended up clinging onto him instead to keep herself stable so she didn't waver back and forth so much.

"You're not going anywhere like this, work can wait until we get you better."

It didn't seem worth mentioning to (Y/n) that she wasn't even on shift anymore. She, like Tim, had been about to call it a day when she collapsed. Their shifts had come to an end when she had been in the locker room about to get changed. Either (Y/n) overlooked this fact and thought she should be back at the station for an extra shift, or she was becoming delirious and forgot that her shift had already finished.

When Tim glanced down, he tutted. Her right hand was dripping blood onto his arm where she had ripped out her IV. She had shredded part of that vein now which would bruise and hurt for a week or more. Not to mention that was a risk of her getting infections at work now until it was fully healed.

But he couldn't stop himself from leaning down and attaching his lips to her temple.

"You're still burning up, Rookie, you need to rest."

A groan tumbled past (Y/n)'s lips and another round of shaking burst through her until Tim was shaking along with her.

Her heart palpitated when she suddenly felt Tim's hand leave her arm and grip her chin, angling her head back until they were looking up at one another. She tried hard to keep her eyes focused on him, though she kept trying to look at his lips instead. Tim didn't seem to like that though, because his thumb pressed into her chin and he huffed until she locked eyes with him again.

"Baby, listen to me. You need to rest and get better. I'll stay with you if you let the nurses look after you, deal?"

It didn't sound like a deal (Y/n) really wanted to make, but she could tell that she didn't have much of a choice. And she couldn't stay here alone, she simply couldn't do that. If Tim would stay with her then she supposed she had to back down and let them look after her.

With her head still in his grasp she tried to nod and show her resistance had faded, but her head was still spinning so badly she was surprised her brain stem hadn't snapped.

A horrid wave of nausea rolled over her and suddenly her fingers were scratching down Tim's biceps, using him as a leaning post as she pulled her chin out of his hold and lurched to the right. Her chest bashed down against Tim's forearm as a heap of water spewed past her lips and onto the floor.

If Tim's arm hadn't of been around her middle holding her up, (Y/n) would have been flat out on the floor.

"Back to work my ass." Tim muttered under his breath with an air of sadness woven into his tone.

With a sigh, he slid his hands down (Y/n)'s waist and hips until his hands moulded into her thighs and he hoisted her into his embrace.

"Up we go, baby."

His expression softened when (Y/n)'s head dropped onto his shoulder and she went limp, loosening her grip on his arms as she let him lift her up and carry her back to the bed.

All the fight seemed to have drained out of her the moment Tim eased her back onto the bed and her head slumped back against the pillow with a groan. Again, Tim found himself holding her arm out and keeping it still so the nurse could assess the damaged vein and tape it up.

He kept hold of (Y/n)'s arm, allowing the nurse to find a suitable vein in the crease of her elbow instead since her hand was no longer useable with that shredded vein and (Y/n) needed the IV back in to get fluids into her system.

He wasn't sure if she blacked out or simply closed her eyes, but it didn't really matter because Tim knew it wouldn't be long before she fell asleep. That was probably for the best, she could rest better and effeciently without a fight if she were sleeping most of the nausea and pain off.

His eyes closed for a few seconds as he leant over and pecked her temple, smoothing his fingers through her hair to brush it from her eyes.

It had been the wrong move.

When Tim opened his eyes and glanced towards the door, his skin paled to a dull shade of grey and his mouth curved down at the corners until he was frowning a horrid, hollow look at who was standing on the other side of the doors.

Angela Lopez.

He straightened up and cleared his throat, one hand scratching and gripping the back of his neck out of anxious habit while he weaved around the two nurses and aimed for the door.

His throat felt unusually dry and his heart was beating ten to the dozen when he faced Angela. He didn't like the way she was looking at him with one perfected, arched eyebrow and her lips formed into a pout as she bit down on the corners of her mouth.

"Why're you here?"

Why did she have to turn up now? What was she even doing here? (Y/n) wasn't her rookie and it wasn't like they were good friends outside of the station. She had no stakes in being here and watching over one of the rookies, she wouldn't gain anything from this.

Both Angela's arms crossed over her chest and she slouched her shoulder against the wall as she looked up at Tim. This was somewhat of a surprise.

"Figured something had to be up for you to stay with her. You don't call any rookie by their name… the forehead kiss was a nice touch too."

Angela might not have bore witness to what happened in the locker room today, but she had heard about it from the gossip mill, and she had seen Tim clamber into the ambulance along with the rookie. She knew something had to be going on, whether it was a relationship or a friendship or maybe (Y/n) was a family friend. But there had to be something for Tim to tag along with a rookie he shouldn't have known all that well.

And she had heard someone say Tim called her by her name. He didn't do that with rookies, he didn't even do that with any of his colleagues he classed as friends. When they were at work, whether they were laughing and joking or arguing or just chatting, Tim would refer to them by their last name until they left the station and left shift.

Seeing him kiss (Y/n) just now put the cherry on the cake and proved that there was a relationship going on here, not just mutual friends.

"I don't need a lecture, Lopez."

"And you won't get one from me. She's not your rookie, it's not exactly breaking the rules, you just need to be careful… going for Hanks in front of everyone was a risk."

Tim could feel a fire burning within his veins as he wafted his hand behind him to point in (Y/n)'s direction. Could Angela not see what he was seeing? Had she not witnessed what (Y/n) had just said and the fight Tim had to get her to sit on that bed and be looked after?

"Look at the state she's in. He so much as promised to fail her evaluation for being ill, she was just about to walk out of here, feeling like death, because she wants to prove herself. He did this to her."

"So let me talk to Grey and make a report, then nothing comes back to you. Yeah?"

Tim gave a curt nod, his jaw clenched so tightly that his cheekbones were even hurting from the pressure.

It would come back on him- and (Y/n)- if he were the one to give the report on how unfair and unjust Hanks had been towards his rookie. And if anyone found out about their relationship then whatever Tim said would be misconstrude and have less backing and standing because they were a couple.

Nothing like that would backlash against Angela.

***

"You look much better."

(Y/n) managed a smile, ducking head down in the process to look at her hands that were fiddling together on her lap.

Her right hand was bandaged at the moment; she couldn't stand the sight of that shredded vein in a horrible squishy bump on the back of her hand. Constantly speckled with droplets of blood and blossoming in a bruise that was painful from any kind of touch or contact.

There was still an IV taped into the crease of her elbow and she had another day of observations and meds until she could be released to go home. Not that she would be going home anyway; (Y/n) had a feeling she would be going straight to Tim's place. The thought of staying home alone wasn't appealing, and she doubted Tim would allow that either.

The nurse said the antibiotics she was on in the IV would be given to her in tablet form, as she would need to stay on them for the rest of the week to make sure the infection she'd been suffering with was wiped out of her system. At least her fever had gone down overnight.

"Thanks," she murmured, glancing up through her lashes to look over at Lucy who was sat beside the bed.

The other rookie looked neat and smart, clearly going on shift after here instead of just finishing. Lucy's hair was in a neat bun at the back of her head, her limited make up freshly applied and her blouse was clean on. She would be going to the station and getting straight into her uniform after this brief visit.

"Thought you could use one of these."

A slow grin spread across (Y/n)'s lips when Lucy handed over an iced coffee, and not one of the shitty ones from the cafeteria down in the hospital reception area.

"DidI tell you that you're amazing?" (Y/n) took the drink gratefully, glad to have something proper and sweet and not the lukewarm cup of bleach they seemed to serve around here.

"Probably," Lucy spoke with a shrug and leaned back in her chair, bringing her own half-empty drink to her lips. "So when are you back on duty?"

"The start of next week, when the antibiotics finish and I'm cleared."

It would be too much of a risk to go straight back to work, not to mention having to take meds on the job. Keeping her antibiotics in the shop to take in between calls or rushing back to the station, and if she missed a dose she was potentially making her recovery longer and posing health risks. The department didn't want another repeat of yesterday either, so (Y/n) couldn't very well go back until she was fully recovered.

"That's good; you know if you get lonely me and Jackson can keep you company."

"I'm gonna stay with a friend for a while; better than being alone."

"I'm sorry, by the way, about Hanks. Tim kind of went off at him yesterday… do you still have to ride with him?"

Lucy bit down on the inside of her cheek when (Y/n) waved a hand and shook her head. She didn't know the answers to that yet and she wasn't sure that she wanted to either. Tim told her not to worry, but (Y/n) couldn't help it.

If Grey didn't reassign her and made her finish out the next year with Hanks as her TO then she was utterly screwed. Tim had argued and embarrassed him in front of everyone, (Y/n) had collapsed on shift and everyone knew she had pushed herself too hard because he threatened her evaluation. Hanks would make the rest of her time as a rookie as miserable as he could to punish her for this.

It didn't bear thinking about.

The conversation quickly shifted to something else, something far adrift from work and (Y/n) was grateful, though she didn't much feel like talking anymore. She wanted to sleep and let herself disappear until all this cleared itself up on its own. Fat chance of that happening though.

She barely registered Lucy's words when she murmured "Just pop to your bathroom before I head off for shift."

It was easier heading to the small bathroom housing a walk in shower and toilet than to head to the main toilets somewhere in the hospital ward or waiting until she got to the station to go.

(Y/n) began fiddling with one of the rings on her finger, spinning it round and round until pins and needles circulated through her hand and she felt somewhat calm again.

But at the sound of the door creaking open, (Y/n) lifted her head and felt all the blood drain down to her toes as her shoulders slumped until her neck ached.

"What do you want?"

An icicle of dread prickled down (Y/n)'s spine and a harsh Winter crept into her voice as she stared at Hanks. The look in her eyes wished him to leave, to be banished from her sights and never to come back.

He shouldn't be here. He had no reason to be here when he wasn't even a caring TO. He wasn't her friend, he didn't care about (Y/n) or have a friendship with her like the others did with their rookies. He had never been anything but demanding and cruel towards (Y/n) and she knew he wasn't here to check up on her and see how she was recovering. He wasn't that kind of person, especially not to her.

"Can't I check to see how you're doing?"

"No. What do you want Hanks?" The harsh tone crept back into (Y/n)'s voice, though exhaustion was washed across her face. She was still recovering, she had slept through yesterday evening right up to this morning and she felt worse for it. She wasn't in the mood for Hanks to come around playing games and being sly. He either told her why he was here or he left.

Part of (Y/n) was glad that Lucy had chosen this moment to go into the adjoining bathroom, because now (Y/n) had a witness. Whatever Hanks said, Lucy would be able to hear and bear witness to, and not alerting him of this meant that he wasn't going to mince his words.

Hopefully Lucy took the hint and stayed silent in the toilet and waited until Hanks left to make herself known. Then they would have the upper hand.

He stalked into the room, already wearing his uniform which suggested he was either on the job, about to head on the job or he hadn't left the uniform at the station and wore it now to try intimidation tactics.

"I want to know what you've gone and said to Sergeant Grey, because now I've got to go for a meeting with him. Regarding you."

"Alright get out Hanks, I'm not in the mood-"

The words died down on (Y/n)'s tongue and her teeth chomped down on her lip when she attempted to get up off the bed, to show a bit of strength and try to persuade him to leave. But Hanks reached a rough hand out and shoved at her shoulder, forcing her to stumble and slump back onto the bed again with a clenched jaw and her eyes focused on his shoes so she didn't give him the satisfaction of a glare.

"Answer the question rookie."

The way he said it always made (Y/n)'s guts twist. Never like how Tim called her his rookie, that playful tone, that rugged voice and the overall warmth that wrapped around Tim's voice was ten times better than hearing Hanks snide that word at her like this.

She lifted her chin, staring defiantly up at him with an upturned lip and raised shoulders. "I've been here all night, in and out of consciousness. Go ask the nurses; I haven't been coherent enough to talk to anyone, definitely not Grey."

It was the truth. Hanks liked to think he was good at seeing through people's lies- he wasn't as good as he suspected he was- but he would be able to tell that right now, it was the gospel truth passing from (Y/n)'s lips.

She hadn't talked to anyone, she didn't have the chance and she hadn't been well enough to form a complete sentence all evening. She was barely recovering right now to talk to him.

"Hm, well then you can talk to him today then, can't you? Set this whole matter straight, and you can have a word with Bradford while you're at it. Because it must have been him who's spoken some shit about me; he was quick to throw accusations around yesterday when they carted you off here."

"If Grey wants to talk to you regarding me, then I'm sure he'll come find me afterwards for a chat, don't you think? I'll make sure to tell him." (Y/n) knew she was playing with fire. She could feel the flames licking and catching at her fingertips, slowly working their way along her body until beads of sweat gathered beneath her clothes and the hairs on her arms stood on end.

If they were alone in this room then maybe she wouldn't have been so bold. Perhaps (Y/n) would have gotten her phone out and tried to record the conversation. She wasn't stupid, she knew proof would be needed to show that he was trying to intimidate her, and her word against his was completely and utterly useless.

But she had Lucy held up in the bathroom, who clearly knew something was going on or she would have come out and made her presence known by now. She was (Y/n)'s support, her hidden ace up her sleeve.

"Oh yeah?" Hanks took a menacing step closer until he was right in front of the bed, leering over her with snarling lips and hands clenching into fists at his sides.

He had always looked unsettling to (Y/n), always intimidating and worrying and imposing and right now this was no different. It made (Y/n) quake down to her toes and want to cower back, but she steeled her nerves. She couldn't be intimidated by him; she couldn't.

"And just what will you tell him?"

"The truth."

(Y/n)'s left hand planted down on the bed, propping herself up with her weight leaning heavily on that arm when Hanks suddenly reached out and clamped his hand down on her jaw. His fingers dug into her cheek so tightly she was sure he was cutting through the skin, and his thumb was about to leave its print against her chin.

She tried to turn her head to the side, to pull out of his grasp but he simply held tighter like a viper's grip and yanked her head up until her neck ached and felt like it was going to snap. Combined with the headache she had been suffering since before she was brought in here, (Y/n) felt like she was going to pass out. And maybe that would be a blessing in disguise.

"You'll keep that mouth shut, or I'll shut it for you. You're a boot, you're on probation; I'm not. Make my life harder and I end this little career of yours before it begins."

The effort and the way he thrust her head to the side when he roughly released her jaw from his grasp made (Y/n) slump down against the bed, her head hanging down until her temple pressed into the sheets. Her eyes closed tight to try and ward off the dizzying feeling of her mind spinning in endless ircles inside her head that made her whole body shake.

The sound of the door slamming shut sent vibrations through the whole room and (Y/n) cringed, coiling in on herself instead of trying to sit herself up.

"What the Hell was that? (Y/n), hey are you okay?"

With a wave of her hand, (Y/n) tried to push Lucy away, to ward off her worries and let her know that it was okay. But deep down she knew that it wasn't. Everything was going to be much harder from here on out, even with Lucy here as a witness to it all.

And if she told Tim about this, then things were going to get messy.

[megalony]

My Rookie

I'm so excited, this is my first time writing for Tim Bradford/ The Rookie.

I hope you will all like it, please let me know what you think and if you have any Tim or Nolan ideas I'd love to give them a try.

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@mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22 @mrsyixingunicorn10 @op-81-lvr-reblogs @talicat713 @niamhmbt @strawberry-canyon @bieberhoodforever @911fangirlie @hollandxxmix @jasmineee05 @creat1venat1onn @devilslittlehelper @darlingcharling-blog @bear8585 @nickie-amore @elliott-calls @person-005 @mbioooo0000 @amara-mars @shypy92 @nikfigueiredo @sabsthedoll @rach2602 @itshamleth @ladespedidas @devilslittlehelper @buckslifeline @wanniiieeee @jaydaaasworld @theelementofsurprisee @andrewgarfieldislife

Main Masterlist

Summary: (Y/n) is a rookie, so her new relationship with Tim isn't strictly professional. They try to keep things secret, but they run into problems when (Y/n) isn't well on shift and feels she can't trust her training officer.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I've been looking for that."

(Y/n) felt her lips curving into a grin, obscured by the mug of coffee clasped tightly between her hands. She didn't have to turn around to know that he was smirking from where he was standing behind her; that usual teasing tone to his voice told her as much.

She took another sip of coffee while she tried to think what he was referring to and slowly turned away from the kitchen counter.

As she suspected, Tim was standing in the kitchen doorway in that usual tense manner as if he were always alert, always on the job. He had his arms folded over his chest, pressing into the thin grey shirt he was wearing that was rather high around the collar and snug around the biceps.

He had one hip cocked out to the side and a knee arched forward with his jeans hanging low on his hips.

It still felt strange to see Tim in 'casual clothes' rather than his work uniform, no matter how many times (Y/n) stayed over at his place. And to see him changed out of his uniform at the station when he was ready to go home was even stranger.

They both seemed to realise that she hadn't given him an answer to his earlier statement, and Tim shifted one hand out to point to the shirt (Y/n) was currently wearing.

It was his.

Tim had been wondering where that particular shirt had disappeared to. It wasn't anything special or memorable, just a simple black shirt that had Police written on the back in white block letters. Something that had made Tim smile when he saw it a month after joining the force so he decided he had to buy it, like it was a sign.

And now that shirt was draped over (Y/n)'s frame, hanging low down one shoulder and barely long enough to reach her thighs. Allowing Tim a bird's eye view of her underwear, since she wasn't wearing any jeans.

"Do you mind?" She already knew he didn't, but it felt appropriate to ask anyway. And the way his smirk morphed into a smile that caused his eyes to crease made (Y/n)'s stomach flutter.

"Suppose not, when you look like that."

(Y/n) glanced her eyes down when Tim walked towards her and she felt like she was floating on air when his arms circled her frame. It wasn't like this was the first time she had stayed over at his place, nor was it the first time she had stolen one of his shirts because it was comfortable and close to hand. But everything still had that air of anticipation and newness about it when it came to Tim.

This was a side that no one else got to see. This was the softer, calmer side that no one else knew existed. The side that (Y/n) had seen creeping through from the very beginning, or so she liked to think.

The feeling of his arms bound around her waist was grounding, and she felt like melting when she felt his chest merge down against her back like he was trying to mould them together. His lips attached to the side of her neck and (Y/n) hummed, tilting her head to one side while her hands reached down to clasp over his wrists once she set her cup down on the counter.

"Do you have to go soon?" (Y/n) remembered he was on shift today. A lot of their shifts had lined up recently, but there were still the odd few where one would work and the other would be at home. And they sometimes passed at the station when one was leaving and the other was just arriving.

"Yep." There was almost an air of annoyance to Tim's voice, but he tried to hold it back.

It wasn't as if they actually got to work together when their shifts lined up, but at least they could see each other in passing and at lunch or when they were going to file paperwork and get signed off on arrests.

(Y/n) was still a rookie.

She had been on the job for almost a year now, but she was still seen as a rookie, one of the newbies, someone that might not make it on the job because it was hard at the best of times.

And with (Y/n) being a rookie, someone that needed to be trained and shown the ropes, being in a relationship with Tim wasn't strictly allowed. Although he wasn't her own training officer, he was still higher up than her and (Y/n) knew what the others would say if they found out.

They would say that she was getting preferential treatment, that Tim would put in a good word for her or go easy on her. They would say that (Y/n) was only dating him to advance her career, and she would gain a reputation.

None of that was true, but gossip spread like wildfire and it stuck like glue. For the time being, they had to keep their affections secret and that was fine with them both.

"You're working tomorrow, right?" Tim's voice sounded awfully distant in (Y/n)'s ears and she almost didn't reply as if the words had drifted through one ear and gone straight out the other.

"Hm."

Her eyes fell closed and she couldn't help dropping her head back onto Tim's shoulder like he was her personal leaning post, the only thing stopping her from hitting the ground.

She didn't feel the way his arms tightened around her, elbows imbedding in her sides as his brows furrowed slightly.

"You okay rookie?"

Her bare feet steeled against the ground like she was trying to be a flower spreading roots into the soil. She tried to hold her weight up a bit better so she wasn't fully leaning back on Tim but the twisting in her stomach was starting again.

She hadn't felt too good during the night between a headache and something similar to stomach cramps. Perhaps downing two mugs of coffee on an empty stomach in the hopes of perking herself up hadn't been the best idea this morning.

Although his words caused a flood of adrenaline through her stomach and she peeked one eye open to glance up at him.

"I'm not your boot," She spoke with an air of humour in her words because she knew that wasn't what Tim meant. From the first time they hooked up, he had taken to calling her rookie as a term of endearment and slight teasing rather than just a name for one of the newbies he worked with.

"No, but you're my rookie." He retorted in a tone so soft it didn't fit the tough-guy Bradford image he liked to give off at work. "You good?"

They both knew that whenever he said that, (Y/n) would turn to putty in his hands. There was just something sweet about that particular term being used affectionately rather than a slang or a crude slurr at work. It was normal for the traininng officers to call their trainees 'boots' but Tim could never call any trainee 'rookie'. Not now that it was his pet name for (Y/n). He wouldn't be able to look at anyone in the same way if he did.

"Just a headache, I'm good." There was no point worrying Tim when she was alright. Besides, she wasn't on shift today, she could go home and try to relax and take it easy and build herself up for her shift tomorrow.

Tim rose a brow as he looked down at her. He didn't seem very convinced until (Y/n) flashed that smile that always made his stomach tighten and had his heart adding in a few extra beats.

He pressed closer against her and craned his neck down until their lips were touching. He could taste the remnants of coffee on her lips and his heart almost gave out when one of her hands reached out to cradle his jaw. Her touch was so soft, so tender that it was like he was floating amongst the clouds.

His lips vibrated against hers as he hummed into the kiss and swiped his tongue across her parted lips before they both pulled up for air, and Tim let his forehead nudge down against hers.

He just knew today was going to feel like a long day when he wouldn't get to walk past (Y/n) or catch her eye at any point. He had always loved the job since the moment he started out, but now with (Y/n) there, Tim had an extra reason to enjoy work and say that the job was his life.

A horrible round of trembling set in (Y/n)'s system as she tried to hurry. Her feet were almost skidding against the floor and she prayed no one would come around the corner and catch sight of her. This wouldn't be her finest moment if anyone saw her in this state.

She wasn't going to make it.

One hand moved to cover her mouth whilst the other clenched into a fist at her side. She knew she looked like she was doing some kind of strange power walk and it wasn't something (Y/n) wanted anyone to witness.

She could feel her mind clouding over like her head was being stuffed with cotton wool and her eyes were starting to blot with white dots like thousands of tiny stars twinkling in front of her.

The door was finally within view. (Y/n) stretched her free hand out and bashed her palm into the centre of the door, slamming it open with so much force that the door swung back and hit the wall. There was no time to care about that.

As soon as she was in, (Y/n) dithered for a split second debating whether to rush towards a toilet cubicle or to the sinks. The sinks were closer.

Her knees almost gave out once she grabbed onto the nearest sink and doubled forward. It was hard to lock her legs in place and imbed them into the underside of the sink basin to stop herself from going down to the floor.

The sound her nails made scratching into the side of the sink made her shudder but it was the feeling of bile at the back of her throat and that awful twisting of her gut that made her feel worse.

Static built up in (Y/n)'s ears that were starting to ring and her head felt so heavy as she slumped forward, bowing her head over the sink in time to throw up the little amount of water she had managed to keep down today.

Eating hadn't been an option yesterday, even though she had gone home and tried to rest, every time she tried to eat she just felt like her stomach was tearing itself apart from the inside out. She felt tired and run down yesterday, eating hadn't been on her mind and she hadn't been that hungry. And today, it just seemed safer to abstain from food and try to keep her fluids up instead until her system was settled and back to normal.

Clearly that wasn't happening today if water wouldn't stay down. (Y/n) would have to try and keep drinking though, she couldn't be doing a twelve hour patrol shift with no energy and no fluids.

This had to stop, (Y/n) couldn't be feeling like this when she was out on patrol. Pulling over for her to throw up or driving around with her head hanging out the window wasn't going to be an option.

Not with (Y/n)'s training officer. Hanks wasn't the kind of person who accepted someone being unwell on his shift.

Part of (Y/n) wished she had Tim as her TO. As bad as it would be to date her training officer, (Y/n) would have preferred Tim to Hanks. Tim was sometimes harsh and he was always on the ball and straight down the line, but he was fair. He made sure whoever was on patrol with him was understood and taught properly.

Hanks wasn't like that. He liked to tease, to taunt and to do that sometimes he would go against the rules or sit back and do nothing and let situations get bad so he could 'teach her a lesson'. When (Y/n) had felt unwell not long after she first joined him on patrol, he made it clear that if she tried to take a back step or had to leave early then she would be seen as weak and he would make sure to tell the Sargent that she was slacking off.

Another cough burned deep within (Y/n)'s chest and she could feel the water trickling past her lips and spitting into the sink that was the only thing stopping her from crashing to the floor.

This feeling had to pass, (Y/n) was due to go out on patrol and she couldn't do that when she felt like this. She needed to go and get ready before Hanks went in a mood if she was late.

Trembles and shock seeped into her bones when the door opened and (Y/n) could barely hold her head up when she tried to look and see who had walked in and caught her in the midst of feeling unwell.

"Oh, sorry." Lucy wasn't quite sure why she was apologising, it wasn't as if she had opened the toilet stall and found (Y/n) indisposed. But it still felt like an intrusion when there was no one else in the toilets and (Y/n) was clearly feeling unwell.

She didn't look good. Lucy bit her lip as she stepped forward and let the door close behind her while her gaze looked over her friend. (Y/n)'s skin was flushed with sweat and she looked like she was on the verge of collapsing. She was positively shaking as she clung to the sink, taking deep, ragged breaths like she was trying to calm herself down.

"You don't look well, maybe you should go home." There was nothing rude or sinister about Lucy's tone, in fact she looked and sounded very sympathetic.

She took a step closer until she was at (Y/n)'s side, watching as (Y/n) took a deep breath before she straightened up.

Her hands were shaking as they roamed up and down her shirt, making sure it was tucked in and there were no creases on her uniform before she looked up at Lucy like she was in a daze. Her smile was almost drunken as she turned on the tap and splashed some water on her face.

Going home wasn't an option, (Y/n) was here to work and this is where she would stay until the end of her shift.

Her hands flexed at her sides, shaking off the droplets of water that felt cold and refreshing against her burning skin. She was going to have to drive with the windows down like she was an engine that shouldn't overheat.

"Yeah, not possible. Hanks has it in for me, if I go home sick o- or if I admit I'm ill, he'll fail me in evaluation. I'm good."

(Y/n) offered Lucy a tired smile and squeezed her arm before she weaved around her. Her senses were already coming back to her and unbelievably, she felt better now. Maybe an empty stomach was what she needed until she could get rid of whatever was wrong with her system. She would try and eat something tonight, maybe a bit of bread or a small bowl of soup and then try again tomorrow.

Deep down, (Y/n) knew she didn't sound believable. She knew that one look at her showed she wasn't one hundred percent and that she looked dishevelled at best. But everyone here was a hard worker, no one took personal days or sick days for a minor inconvenience and (Y/n) didn't want to be like that.

She wanted to be someone that the squad could rely on, not someone they thought was always slacking off. And she didn't want Hanks to fail her evaluation, that would put her one foot out the door if he did. She was a rookie, and everyone would look down on her until she had been here for longer and had proved her worth.

Her right hand reached out to prop against the wall when she turned the corner and tried walking like a normal person. Without the wobbling or wavering or doubling forward like she was going to throw up again.

She had work to do.

Lucy felt bad. She gnawed and chewed on her lower lip as she left the toilets and made her way down to the parking garage where she knew Tim would be waiting at the shop for her.

Her hands fiddled with the belt looped around her hips and she tried to keep her eyes peeled, but she had a feeling (Y/n) had already gone out on patrol.

Maybe she should have said something. Maybe she should have tried to reassure (Y/n) that she wouldn't be in the wrong or doing a bad thing if she took a break or went home for the remainder of her shift. There was a reason they had sick days, they were there to take not just for statistics.

But it made her wonder as she walked, would Tim be the same as Hanks if she were ill?

Thoughts and questions rolled around in her head which kept her oddly quiet and pliant as she climbed in the car and buckled up without a word. And clearly Tim noticed her silence.

His eyes kept glancing towards her with furrowed brows and growing confusion.

Tim wasn't sure he'd ever had a boot as nervous yet somehow confident like Lucy. She was always contradicting and questioning him and she didn't seem to like any silence, at any point. But she hadn't said a word since she climbed in the car.

"Alright boot, what's wrong?" If this was going to be some kind of personal drama then Tim would cut her off. He didn't need to know if that was the case and he didn't want to delve into her personal life. It would truly distract them if they had a call and they couldn't afford to be distracted. That was how accidents happened.

But if it was something to do with a job, or a specific question she had in mind then Tim would try to answer or set her straight. At least Lucy was willing to learn, more than the other rookies he had trained.

Sometimes he wondered what it would have been like if he had been assigned (Y/n) instead of Lucy. He wondered if they would still have gotten into a relationship if they had been paired together and spent each twelve hour shift in one another's company.

Tim knew he could be evasive and abrupt at the best of times and he was no picnic to patrol with. But he and (Y/n) seemed to have clicked instantly and a relationship just sort of happened, despite Tim knowing much better and understanding that it wasn't within the rules to date a rookie. The only blessing was that they weren't assigned together, so not as many rules were being broken here.

"Boot?" He asked again when he received no answer, a sigh entwined in his tone as he waited slightly impatiently for her to answer.

"Say if… if I wasn't well, would you still expect me to work and have your back?"

A frown pulled at Tim's features and he quickly glanced to the right to check whether she was trying to catch him out, but her tone and that worried glance told him that she wasn't. She was genuinely asking for his opinion and what he would expect of her in that situation.

She didn't look ill. Did she feel sick? Was something on her mind that might distract her from the job? If that was the case Lucy should have told him before they got in the shop and started driving.

Straightening in his chair a little, Tim moved one hand to run along his freshly shaved jaw while his other hand flexed around the steering wheel.

"How ill are we talking?" It felt like they were playing a game, like this was an exercise he would do to try and test Lucy on her codes and violations and her rookie handbook.

"Throwing up and sweating kind of ill." She cringed as she spoke, like she couldn't believe she was doing this.

But if Lucy got into the same state as (Y/n), she thought it best to find out whether Tim would react the same way Hanks clearly would with (Y/n). She would hate to take a sick day and then have Tim be annoyed with her if he expected one hundred and ten percent commitment whether she might make him ill or be a liability or not.

Again, Tim took the time to glance over at Lucy but she looked fine. She wasn't sweating through her uniform or going a pasty colour. Her eyes were in focus and she was alert, she wasn't groaning in pain or wriggling in discomfort or looking like she was about to pass out.

"I'd expect you to go home, boot. You can't have my back if you're throwing up in my shop- which I won't allow by the way. If you're not at your best you need to rest until you are. Why, you not feeling good?" His tone softened around the edges as they locked eyes.

Tim was all for being the harsh TO, the one people feared being partnered up with, but he liked to think he was fair. He wouldn't ride around the shop with someone if they were ill and needed to rest and go home. He wouldn't make Lucy stay on patrol if she had to take a day.

He would rather her go home and look after herself or sort out any personal drama so she could be fully committed to the job each day. Distractions always proved to be dangerous.

"No, no not me… I saw (Y/n) earlier, she didn't look great. She said Hanks will fail her evaluation if she admits she's sick."

Lucy slouched down in her seat and started to entwine her hands together to keep her mind occupied. She felt like she was snitching on a friend to a teacher.

But with her eyes focused on her hands, she missed the fire that flashed across Tim's eyes. His hand that was on his jaw suddenly clenched tight and his nails pierced into his skin, pinching at his jawline that looked like it had been chiselled and carved out of stone.

That better not be the case.

Tim better not find out that Josh Hanks was going around telling all the rookies placed with him that if they were ill then it would put them at a disadvantage or worse, he would fail their evaluations.

That wasn't how things worked, that wasn't how anyone should be trained when they joined the force. None of them were immune to sickness or mental health days or having personal issues and if they needed to take a day or two then that's what they did.

God knows when Tim's marriage went south, he had to take a few days off. Maybe not as long as he should have to get his head back in gear- because work helped keep him focused and stitch together his fractured reality- but he still took some time because he knew he was of no use to anyone when he had been that volatile and angry.

"Then he's not a good TO. We're not machines, boot, we have sick days for a reason."

It took all of Tim's effort to bite down on his tongue and refrain from asking about (Y/n).

He wanted to ask if (Y/n) seemed okay or how ill she looked or what Lucy thought was wrong. Tim knew while he had been on shift yesterday (Y/n) said she tried to rest and she told him last night that she felt better. But clearly she still wasn't well and she hadn't said exactly what was wrong.

Tim knew if he started asking questions then Lucy would get suspicious. He never asked about any other rookies because in his own words, Lucy was the only boot he was responsible for. And if he let slip that he knew (Y/n) more than just to say hello to, then questions and rumours might start flying around the station and he didn't want that happening. Not yet.

He knew that Hanks wasn't the best officer out there to be training the new recruits, but if these were the kind of games he was playing, then Tim was going to have to keep an eye on him.

***

The sound of a car boot slamming echoed through the garage and pulsed around the bricks like a heartbeat. It echoed and vibrated in Tim's ears like the sound was following him as he hauled the equipment bag up onto his shoulder and locked the shop. Lucy had already gone ahead to start processing the person they'd arrested.

A sigh parted Tim's lips and he started to circle the keys around his finger, swirling them until the metal was clinking together like the toll of a church bell. It gave his mind something to focus on, that was, until Tim walked out the garage and into the corridor.

The very person that had been playing on his mind was now stood ahead of him like he had managed to conjure her up all on his own.

He stuffed the keys into his pocket, leaving his hand free as he took a quick look around to make sure no one else- particularly Hanks- was within sight or earshot.

(Y/n) had been staring down at the floor like she was in her own little world, right until a large hand suddenly curled around her arm.

Her lips parted with a strangled sound and her head shot up, eyes locking with Tim just as she was about to raise her other hand to grab or slap him, her mind hadn't quite decided. The tension started to fade from her limbs until she felt like she was turning to jelly but she quickly glanced around. Although deep down (Y/n) knew Tim wouldn't be holding onto her at all or standing this close if he knew someone was nearby.

There was a strange look in his eyes.

(Y/n)'s head angled to one side and her tired eyes narrowed as she stared up at him, wondering what was running through his mind. Those pale pink lips of his were pressed together in such a way that they were almost invisible and his jaw looked square from how tightly he was clenching his teeth.

But it was his eyes that made (Y/n) quiver. Those pale eyes were piercing into her like he was trying to look right through her into her soul. She watched his orbs gaze her up and down, and not in the way that she was used to when they were in private.

He wasn't smiling and his pupils weren't blown or glazed over as he stared at her. They were constricted and focused like Tim was looking for something in particular.

"Are you alright?"

His question took her by surprise and before she could think better of it, (Y/n) curled her hand around his bicep, her upper arm still in his rather tight grip. Her thumb began to brush and stroke across his short sleeve, ruffling the cuff and tickling his skin.

"I- I'm fine, why?" What had gone through Tim's mind to make him panic? He didn't usually interact with her like this when they were at work and he'd never been this bold to reach out for her before when he knew anyone could walk down the corridor and see them.

Had something happened to another patrol unit? Did he hear something over the radio and think she had been caught up in it? (Y/n) knew if it was the other way around she would have panicked if she thought Tim had been involved in a shooting or people being taken hostage. He could handle himself, but (Y/n) would still worry.

"Chen said you didn't look well earlier. But you told me you were feeling better." Tim tried to keep any hint of accusation out of his voice, but there was a tiny flicker in his voice as he looked down at her.

She told him she felt okay last night, but clearly Lucy had seen something different today and she had no reason to lie. She had no idea that (Y/n) and Tim were seeing each other.

The end of his nose twitched and his upper lip curled when (Y/n) wouldn't look at him or keep eye contact. So Tim was right in guessing that she wasn't as well as she tried to tell him she was.

"I- I felt dizzy, but I'm alright now." It felt like a lie and (Y/n) tried not to grimace at her own words and the lack of passion in her voice.

She had cranked up the aircon in the shop while she and Hanks had been out on patrol and sitting down for a while had settled her system. But she knew she was still sweating through her uniform and when Hanks sped up, her head spun in circles. But she was up and walking about now and as long as she didn't have to do any running or anything too over-exerting, then she would be okay until the end of her shift.

"And you'd tell me if something was wrong, right?" There was a hint of emotion in Tim's voice that he just couldn't hide and it made (Y/n)'s heart soar and had a genuine smile forming on her lips.

"Yeah," Her reply was instant and it made her debate about asking him what she should do, but she only had a few hours of her shift left. Surely she could make it to the end.

When she felt Tim's hand loosening on her arm, she gave his bicep a squeeze and focused her gaze on the name tag pinned to his shirt. "I'm back out on patrol now, need to clean the shop before we go."

Her heart fluttered when Tim's fingers curled surprisingly softly around her chin and he nudged her head back so their gazes interlocked again. He had one brow arched up and that scrutinising, calculating look was back to his features like he was debating whether or not he truly believed she would be okay.

But Tim had to trust (Y/n)'s judgement. If she thought she was okay then he had to go with that, he couldn't decide for her or go to the Sergent and say she wasn't well and needed to go home. That would just cause chaos and raise too many questions. And he certainly didn't want to stand here and order (Y/n) to go home, that wouldn't be caring of him, it would be controlling.

With a sigh, Tim nodded and let go of her chin though he didn't want their touch to part.

"Be careful."

He meant to weave around her. He was going to walk past her and be on his way, he really was. But it was an opportune moment with no one else around them and that uncertain, slightly dazed look on (Y/n)'s face was doing something to his heart that had been in a frenzy since Lucy said (Y/n) wasn't well.

Tim leant down and pressed a chaste kiss to her temple. Nothing lavish, the touch seemed to disappear before it was ever there. But (Y/n) could feel her skin igniting and her nerves sparking from where the touch had been and her lips formed into a smile even as she listened to Tim's retreating footsteps.

But he looked back. He looked over his shoulder as his brows furrowed. Walking away felt like he was making a big mistake; her temple was flushed, like he had pressed his lips to a flickering flame.

***

A sigh rumbled through Tim's chest as he rolled his head from side to side, clicking his neck into place with such a snap it sounded like it had broken. He thought he'd come out of the fight earlier in the afternoon unscathed, but clearly the person he had pursued in chase had fought Tim harder than he thought. His neck was aching and his shoulders were tender in a way that suggested he would have bruises in the morning.

All part and parcel of the job, he thought to himself. At least he could go home now, and Tim would be able to keep an eye on (Y/n) now. She had already agreed earlier that she would come round to his place after their shifts ended.

He wrangled a fresh shirt carefully over his head, trying not to strain his shoulders too much and he pulled the hem down over his jeans and his belt.

Once he'd patted down his pockets to check he had everything, he nudged his locket shut and pulled out his phone.

He barely scrolled past his lockscreen before a loud bang echoed around the locker room and had everyone jumping in panic. Tim resisted the urge to reach for his belt. He knew instinctively that the sound hadn't been a gunfire and it would only be other officers in here, no chance of any gunfire or anyone trying to cause a scene or take hostages. Guns weren't needed.

But it was Talia's voice that caught Tim's attention over all the rest and had his attention peaked.

"Shit- oh God."

The room was spinning. (Y/n) felt like she was standing on a hoverboard that was being shaken from left to right sending her every which way. Her sense of balance had been distorted, whatever way her head was leaning, her body was following.

She could feel the sweat soaking through her uniform and she was sure if anyone else looked close enough at her, they would see it too.

She should have told Tim the truth, she should have admitted that she didn't feel great when she saw him in the garage. He would have helped her, he would have squared it with the Sargent that she could leave early and go home to rest.

Pushing through this for the sake of pride and to keep the peace with Hanks hadn't been worth it. He knew she had been feeling crappy too because his driving had been almost erratic; he had caused (Y/n)'s brain to turn to mush from being rattled when he sped in the patrol car.

Each beat of her heart was felt throughout her body, her skin was vibrating and pulsing like a boombox and she was sure that if she looked down, she would see the skin on her arms lifting and moving like it was breathing with her pulse.

All she could hear was the ringing in her ears but it was so consistent that it seemed to turn silent.

Her left hand clenched around her locker door but she could barely feel the cold metal against her skin.

Everything was overwhelming. Her body was too heavy to hold up on her own anymore, and her locker door was too flimsy to prop her up. She couldn't even lean on her locker, her grip had already loosened and her hand was flagging by her side.

The sound of her knees bending and hitting against the door created shockwaves, but it was the sound her body made when it slapped against the cold tiled floor that seemed to stun the room into silence. The moment her head hit the cold ground, (Y/n) was out like a light and her eyes were rolling to the back of her head.

It was a relief to have her brain shut down.

Tim didn't like that echoing sound, not did he like Talia's reaction to whatever had happened. His hands were flexing at his sides as he sped up to the next row of lockers and leaned around to see what was happening.

His blood ran cold when he looked down. (Y/n). His (Y/n), his secret rookie, crumpled down on the floor like she had been shot in the line of duty. With Talia knelt down beside her and Lucy stood close by, her shoulders pressed back into her locker as she stared down at (Y/n) like she didn't recognise her.

Even though Talia was already one step ahead and clearly about to try and check (Y/n) over, Tim knelt down. He took charge, and he didn't care who was looking or what they might say about him hustling in.

(Y/n) wasn't well, and he wanted to know why.

He ignored Talia who was about to reach out for (Y/n), and he ignored the look she gave him with knitted brows and pinched lips as he seemingly took over. His knees hit the floor with a bang and he shuffled closer until he was able to arch over (Y/n), his dominant presence being enough to make Talia lean back out the way.

His hands reached out so he was cupping either side of (Y/n)'s neck and he carefully turned her head so her cheek was no longer meshed against the floor.

He stroked his thumbs along her cheeks to try and rouse her, but she was out cold; her unconscious state being the only thing about her that was cold. The rest of her was heating up. So much so that Tim shifted one hand to press the back of his hand against her temple to feel a sticky layer of sweat gluing them together.

"(Y/n), are you with me?"

No response. Not like Tim was actually expecting one, but it still tore away at him that (Y/n) couldn't even nudge her cheek into his touch or give out a little murmur that she was alert. And when he slid his thumb down and tried to pull her eyelid to check her pupils, he couldn't even see it; her eyes were rolled to the back of her head exposing only the whites.

His breath held deep in his lungs while he pushed his index and middle fingers against her throat, counting each throb of her artery which told him that her pulse was too high.

A huffed "Okay," passed Tim's lips along with the click of his tongue as he started to move (Y/n).

One hand cupped the back of her neck while the other moved to slide beneath her thigh and he carefully rolled her so she was lying on her left side with her back facing him. Once she was in place, Tim leaned over her to stretch her arms out towards Talia so they weren't squashed or crumpled beneath her.

He could feel his breaths starting to run away without him when he looked around and noticed that everyone was simply crowding round like this was some kind of game or a free show just for them.

"Don't just stand there, someone call for a fucking ambulance." Was he the only one qualified to do anything? Did they not think it was appropriate to call an ambulance since (Y/n) had clearly collapsed rather than just falling asleep or tripping over?

Part of Tim was relieved when he saw that it was Lucy calling for an ambulance. At least his boot knew what the Hell she was doing and how to be helpful in this situation.

And he was glad when he watched Talia wave her hand and utter for everyone to back off. They didn't need an audience, if no one else was going to do anything to help then they could make themselves scarce.

When he looked back down at (Y/n), he couldn't help but reach his hand out and loop his index finger into the collar of her shirt. He pulled it back just a little, brows knitting together as he noted how much she was sweating. She had to be feverish to be this flushed and soaked with sweat. If (Y/n) were a temperature gage she would have blown by now.

"She's burning up… there are ice packs in the kitchen." There was no room for debate in Tim's voice when he glanced his eyes up to look at Talia. He was telling her what to do rather than giving a suggestion or simply making conversation.

And she didn't hesitate. They all had to look out for each other here and she would happily try and make herself useful, even if she wasn't too sure why Tim had taken charge. Unless it was because he wanted to prove how accomplished and useful he could be and to get the glory of helping a fellow officer.

Within moments she was hurrying back into the locker room, weaving through the crowd that had shifted to stand near the wall so they could see but weren't too close that Tim would argue with them to get back.

Four ice packs were juggled between Talia's hands and she crouched down opposite Tim, spreading the packs out on the floor so they could each grab one.

Tim placed one against the back of (Y/n)'s neck, tugging her collar out the way so it was flush against her skin. And he took a deep breath before he leant back on his heels and tugged (Y/n)'s shirt out from where it was tucked into her waistband so he could press the second ice pack against her lower back.

He was glad Talia took the initiative to press one against (Y/n)'s chest just beneath her collar bone. Tim didn't want to be seen doing that in front of others, despite being platonic and professional it might have been seen as overstepping by some. Talia placed the last ice pack in between (Y/n)'s arms that were pressed together while they were stretched out in front of her.

Having them near her pulse points and on her chest would help to bring down her temperature until she could get to hospital and the doctors could get her fever properly under control.

"She's not injured?"

Tim wasn't sure whether Talia's question was rhetorical or whether she was asking him for his opinion. Either way, his brows furrowed and he glared at her in confusion.

"What?"

"Does she look ill to you or could this be from an accident on patrol? Gray won't be impressed if this is the result of an injury."

Tim's teeth punctured down into his lip to stop himself from responding too quickly. He couldn't very well admit that (Y/n) told him she wasn't feeling well yesterday either, it would raise too many questions and Talia knew Tim well enough to know when something was up. She would start to suspect.

But she was right in asking because if (Y/n) had gained an injury from work and didn't tell anyone or wasn't allowed to seek medical attention for some reason, then Grey would blow a fuse. He wouldn't be impressed if one of the new rookies was hurt and they were liable for it. They were all supposed to look after and train the new rookies, not let them get hurt.

"She looks ill to me." Turning to the right, Tim glanced up at Lucy. "Chen, you said she was sick today?"

"Wh- uh yeah, yeah she didn't look well this morning, I think she's sick."

Whether an ambulance was close by or this was deemed as a high priority call due to it being at the police station, Tim couldn't be sure. But an ambulance turned up within minutes and he was secretly relieved. The longer they stayed here, the more questions would be asked and the more people would start to crowd round to gawk at (Y/n) and find out what was wrong with her. That wasn't fair. And she needed medical attention.

When the paramedics came through, Tim shuffled to one side but he stayed relatively close. With one knee imbedded against the floor and his other foot planted on the floor with his knee pushed up and his arm resting against his thigh.

Something tugged at his heart when (Y/n) moved. It was hard to steel his expression and try to keep that neutral, blank expression on his face that he adopted whenever he was out on patrol. He tried hard and his teeth chomped down on the inside of his cheek to stop his lips from twitching in any direction when (Y/n)'s hands started to move.

Her movements were uncoordinated, floppy and still ever so shaky like she had developed Parkinson's overnight.

Whatever sound muffled past her lips, no one could make out or gage whether she was trying to say a specific word or just making her voice heard and known. It didn't really matter though.

(Y/n)'s hand scraped along the floor and her arm lifted similar to the way a minute hand would tick on a clock. Her arm shuffled along the floor until it was raised near her head and as soon as her fingers touched against Tim's jeans, she dug her nails into the fabric. She scratched and pulled weakly to gain his attention.

Tim took her hand before he could think better of it. To anyone else, it would look like she was simply trying to gain some help from a friendly face nearby. She wanted reassurance and Tim was more than happy to do that. No one else would know that (Y/n) was secretly reaching for Tim specifically and that she was after his comfort and affection.

"(Y/n), it's Bradford." His voice was quiet and there was a usual gritty edge to his tone because he knew Talia and other onlookers might hear him. He couldn't risk saying anything that would give their relationship away.

He gently curved his fingers around her clammy hand, peeling her touch away from his jeans so he could grip her hand instead. His thumb stroked along the back of her hand while his eyes focused on watching the medics get to work.

They set her up on an IV drip that she barely felt, they checked her rising blood pressure and tried to ask questions, none of which (Y/n) was in any state to answer- if she even heard them.

(Y/n)'s fingers stayed deadlocked around Tim's hand even as the medics got her onto a stretcher and began to wheel her out of the locker room. Tim had no choice but to walk alongside her, but he would have followed whether (Y/n) was gripping his hand or not.

"You're gonna be fine." Tim gave her hand a squeeze and kept his eyes on (Y/n) rather than all the officers pausing and gathering in the halls to witness what was going on. Anything to get the gossip that seemed to run this place.

A silent debate began in Tim's mind as they neared the main doors to the station where the ambulance was parked directly outside. He debated whether to go along in the ambulance or to hang back and make out that he would drive home so he could drive to the hospital and be with (Y/n).

He might get a few looks for going in the ambulance, but he would be able to brush it off as trying to be a good officer and friend when no one else seemed to be willing to go along with (Y/n). Tim knew what it was like to ride in an ambulance alone and be taken to hospital, it wasn't a pleasant experience and not one he would want any fellow officer to have to do alone.

The debate was put on pause in the back of his head when he just happened to glance to the right.

Josh Hanks.

(Y/n)'s training officer. The person that had spent the whole shift alongside her; the one person that should have noticed she wasn't well and known something wasn't right. It shouldn't have taken Lucy spotting (Y/n) in the toilets or Tim helping her collapsed in the locker room to find out that she wasn't well.

It was Josh who should have seen her deteriorating and told her to go home or get checked out by a first aider. He should have sensed that something was wrong. There was no way he couldn't have known.

"Hold that ambulance." Tim uttered to the paramedic and he carefully managed to peel his hand out of (Y/n)'s tight grip.

He turned, taking large strides with hands clenched into fists at his sides and his sights solely focused on Josh. The closer he got, the angrier he started to feel, especially when he looked at Josh and could see him trying his best not to smirk, but he was failing badly.

He was actually gloating and smiling as if this was a prank that had gone in his favour. What did he think he was doing?

Rage started to bubble over within Tim and before he could stop himself, he reached out and gave a harsh shove to Josh's shoulder, causing him to stumble back three paces.

"What the Hell did you do to my- to the rookie?"

Shit; he almost gave himself away. The petname always rolled off the tongue when he was referring to or around (Y/n) but the last person he wanted to find out about that was Josh Hanks.

Almost gave himself away.

"What are going you on about?" His response was half-arsed and he was quick to fold his arms back over his chest once he regained his sense of balance.

Tim's eyes furrowed and his lips morphed into a snarl as he tossed one arm back to point in (Y/n)- and the ambulance's direction. "(Y/n). She collapsed, because she's under the impression that you'll fail her evaluation if she's ill. Did you seriously tell her that? Didn't you fucking see that she was getting worse?"

"She was fine-"

"Does she look fine now to you?" Tim looked over his shoulder, his glare now set on the ambulance that (Y/n) was being put into. She certainly didn't look fine. He knew- he knew, he should have done something back at the parking garage when he saw her.

But he didn't want to be seen as controlling or pushy so he kept his mouth shut and backed down. Maybe if Tim insisted on (Y/n) taking a break then she would have said how worried she was about Hanks and Tim could have done something. He could have mentioned something to Gray or collared Hanks and told him to teach the newbies properly. Then maybe this wouldn't have happened.

"Oh come on, she's not the first rookie to feel queasy in the shop. I only told her that I don't take slackers. She can't be on the force if she can't handle the shifts."

Red.

That was all Tim could see when he looked at Josh. He hadn't told (Y/n) anything of the sort. He'd practically blackmailed her by telling her that if she took any sort of time off or left early, she would be a liability and not worthy of the job.

And something about the way he spoke about (Y/n) feeling ill in the car made Tim sure that Josh had been the one driving; and he hadn't gone easy on the corners.

"You tryin' to tell me you've never gone hard on a rookie before, Bradford?"

Something close to a laugh cackled at the back of Tim's throat and he shook his head in disbelief. "We're training officers, we don't set them up to fail. Your boot is going to the hospital, you think there won't be a report on this?"

Glee dwelled in Tim's stomach when he saw a flash of something cross Josh's eyes. Worry perhaps, maybe a glimmer of anger directed at Tim, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to forgive Josh for this and Tim certainly wasn't letting this one go.

He took a step back before he felt the urge to start throwing his fists. He couldn't start a fight here at the station when there were enough colleagues around to point the finger and risk his job. As if he wasn't risking everything already by falling head over heels for (Y/n).

"You're done. I'll put a report on the Captain's desk tomorrow myself."

[megalony]

Reblogging as I'm posting a follow up today! Finally! <3