I've Lived A Thousand Lives

Tan, fanfic writer and reader. This blog is consistently 18+/MDNI.

[reverieandwords]

Schedule:

Protect and Serve, Mondays (Starts, August 17)

What Doesn’t Kill You, Tuesdays

If Looks Could Kill, Wednesdays

It’s Not Over, Thursdays

Lasting Lover, Friday

Feels Right, Saturdays

Reblogs under "signal boost reblog" tag

End of month, “wip update” tag

Beginning of month, all masterlists are reblogged, “month reblog” tag

Taglist

9-1-1

This Kiss Collection [Ao3] (Next coming out August 16)

Evan "Buck" Buckley x Erin (Foc). Oneshot series. Buck is trying to stay good, no sleeping around. So when he goes to a club and meets a girl he likes but he denies the possibility, it leads them to awkwardly finding each other. Word Count: 910+

Animal Kingdom

Here We Go Again Collection [Ao3] (next coming out August 15)

Andrew "Pope" Cody x Lizzie (F!oc). Oneshot collections set before Here We Go Again. Set spanning childhood to before 2013. Word Count: 4.1k+

Here We Go Again [Ao3] (Complete)

Andrew "Pope" Cody x Lizzie (F!oc). It's been a month since the breakup, too bad that the Cody family never seems to let people go. Lizzie just wants to move on but it never works out that way. Exes to lovers This is a part 1 of 2 series. Word Count: 50.1k

It's Not Over [Ao3] (Ongoing: 8/60)

Andrew "Pope" Cody x Lizzie (Foc). It's been four years since Andrew went to jail. Lizzie's had to navigate the world of being a single mother, waiting for him to get out. When she finds out that Julia has died, she returns to Oceanside to honour her friends death. Taking place across the show timeline. Exes to lovers, kidfic Word count: 11.1k+

It's Not Over Collection [Ao3] (First coming out August 23)

Andrew "Pope" Cody x Lizzie (Foc). Oneshot collection set during and after It's Not Over. Will contain spoilers for series Word Count: ?

Chicago PD

Enthralled [Ao3] (coming out August 20)

Charlie Reid x Mackenzie.Voight's daughter, Mackenzie, just found out her boyfriend cheated on her. Going to the bar to get drunk and have fun when she meets an older man who looks like the perfect way to feel better. Oneshot 18+, MDNI Word Count: ?

Safe & Secure collection [Ao3] (Complete)

Charlie Reid x Andrea (Foc). Andrea wanted a new life, a new beginning. Finding herself as a new secretary for Deputy Chief Charlie Reid, she catches his eye for better or worse. boss/employee, workplace romance This is a part 1 of 2 series. Word Count: 18.6k

To Have and To Hold Collection [Ao3] (Ongoing: 14/15)

Charlie Reid x Andrea (Foc). Charlie wants to convince Andrea into marriage and he will do that in any way possible. Established relationship, boss/emloyee, workplace romance This is a part 2 of 2 series. Sequel to Safe and Secure but can be read as stand alone series. Word Count: 24.1k+

ER

I Want You To Know [Ao3] (Complete)

John Carter x Laura (F!oc). Laura absolutely did not have a crush on her good friend John. So what if she loved to hear his laugh or see his smile? So what if he called her almost daily and was willing to tutor her? She's a med student glad to have found someone willing to help her who had hands on experience. Friends to Lovers. Coworkers to lovers Word Count: 22.5k

I Want You To Know Collection [Ao3] (Next coming out August 18)

John Carter x Laura (Foc). Exploring their life together before and after the series. Oneshot collection. Word Count: 2k+

Fire Country

Kiss Me Again Collection [Ao3] (Next coming out August 11)

Brett Richards X Amanda (Foc). Oneshot collection. Spoilers for upcoming series "Kiss Me Again". Following the relationship of Brett and Amanda as they navigate life as firefighters. Coworkers to lovers, one night stand to lovers. Word Count: 1.1k+

Leverage

Longing [Ao3] (Coming out August 21)

Eliot Spencer x Lori (Foc). Eliot promised a comrade he'd look after his wife as he lay dying. They find comfort in each other. Oneshot 18+, MDNI Word Count: ?

Vacation [Ao3] (Coming out August 22)

Harry Wilson x Kathleen (Foc). Spoilers for upcoming series, "Enchanted". She's on a vacation away from the Leverage team. Too bad they had other ideas. Oneshot Word Count: ?

The Pitt

Crush Collection [Ao3] (Next coming out August 29)

John Shen x Kayla (Foc). Kayla has worked at Dunkin' to help fund her schooling. Everything is fine when she finds out that the crush on her regular customer becomes a crush on her attending. Word Count: 2.5k+

Feels Right [Ao3] (Ongoing: 12/36)

Michael Robinavitch X Sydney (Foc). They've worked with each other for years. So after Pittfest she figures why not try the hospital bicycle? Starting a fwb that develops accidentally into more. Too bad he's got a 7 week limit and they're both bad at being casual. Friends to lovers. Coworker to lovers. Friends with Benefits to Lovers. Word Count: 19.7k+

If the Bones are Good [Ao3] (Complete)

Jack Abbot x Amber (F!oc). Amber just wants to finish her practicum at PTMC, be done and have a career she put off for years. Her dysfunctional family is not helping her trying to achieve her goal. But, everything feels a bit lighter when she meets Jack Abbot. Coworkers to lovers Word Count: 45.5k

Lasting Lover [Ao3] (Ongoing: 12/35)

Brendon Park x Samantha (Foc). After a long term relationship that ended up in a painful breakup, she left Pittsburgh for years. But she misses home so she returns as an ED attending at PTMC. Exes to lovers, coworkers to lovers Word Count: 15.2k+

Onto Something [Ao3] (Complete)

Michael Robinavitch x Alexis (F!oc). Alexis is a paramedic who had a bad day on the job. Meeting Dr Robinavitch while as a patient did help a little, at least Word Count: 38k

Spot in the Dark [Ao3] (Next coming out August 24)

Jack Abbot x Olivia (F!oc). A series of one shots. A collection of oneshots through the years of Olivia's Residency to attending as she and Jack fall in love. Coworkers to lovers, Mentor/mentee Word Count: 30.4k+

Stay with me Collection [Ao3] (Complete)

Michael Robinavitch x Leah (Foc). A collection of oneshots. Established relationship. Coworkers and lovers. Mentor/Mentee. Leah is a resident at PTMC. Word Count: 5.5k

We Found Love Collection [Ao3] (Next coming out August 12)

Rabbot x Lindsey (Foc). one shot collection. Spoilers for upcoming series, "We Found Love". Lindsey becomes a Trauma Surgeon at PTMC, starting a polyamorous relationship with the Emergency Department Attendings. coworkers to lovers, Polyamory, Angst, Fluff, Married Rabbot Word Count: 3.1k+

What Doesn't Kill You [Ao3] (Ongoing: 9/40)

Jack Abbot x Allison (Foc). Allison had gone to the ED for a simple blood test; she hadn't expected to meet Dr. Jack Abbot in the process, who seemed to make everything feel better. Finding as they recognized something in each other that couldn't be explained, both of them trying to navigate what being alive means. sickfic, coworkers to lovers Word Count: 22.7k+

Ready Or Not

If Looks Could Kill [Ao3] (Ongoing: 13/15)

Titus Danforth x Morrigan (Foc). When a lower house pleases Mr. Le Bail, he arranges a marriage for the daughter of the family into the Danforths. With a stipulation that neither family can be harmed before the wedding, it begins a game between the betrothed. Word Count: 16.6k+

If Looks Could Kill Collection [Ao3] (First coming out August 14)

Titus Danforth x Morrigan (Foc). Set during and after If Looks Could Kill series. Continuing to explore their relationship after series events. Word Count: ?

Southland

Protect and Serve [Ao3] (Starting August 17, 0/10)

Sammy Bryant x Amy (F!oc). Amy becomes a character witness against her sister's husband. She meets Detective Bryant through the case, they slowly fall in love as tension and danger rises. Word Count: ?

Protect and Serve Collection [Ao3] (Next coming out August 13)

Sammy Bryant x Amy (F!oc). Amy is a masters student whose fallen in love with a detective with his own difficulties. Word Count: 5.7k+

Misc

August 2026 Oneshot Celebration

[reverieandwords]

Prom

Andrew "Pope" Cody x Foc (Lizzie) [Ao3], Masterlist, Collection Masterlist August 2026 Oneshot Celebration

Set After: Thunderstorms, The Beach Set before: Here We Go Again Series, It's Not Over Series

Warnings/Tags: Cody Family, Canon typical violence, Abuse, Child Abuse, Freudian issues, Codependency, Angst, Fluff

Summary: Lizzie is going to prom, Andrew offers to drive her. He's been trying to avoid his feelings but it's becoming impossible. Word Count: 1.6k

Andrew hadn't meant to ignore Lizzie; he honestly hadn't. It just happened. Every time he was near her, he felt like his heart hurt and his head was fuzzy. Like nothing else in the room existed. He wasn't sure when the feelings had started; maybe they had always been there, and he didn't notice. But he noticed now.

She was always so close but just out of reach. He kept telling himself she needed to get through high school; she didn't need to be distracted. She needed to have good grades; she needed to graduate. Even if it meant he kept his distance from her, even if it meant it killed him inside. It was important.

She had met Cath in the house this afternoon, saying she was there to prepare for prom. Andrew understood the concept of prom; he just didn't get the point. But it seemed to excite Lizzie, and it seemed to get Cath excited for her.

Andrew had been told he wasn't allowed near his own damn room until she was done. So he had decided to shove his head under the roof of her junky car instead. He might as well fix it for her while she took over his space. He heard the door open and Smurf's heels and voice carrying through the garage. He looked up and nearly dropped the damn wrench.

Fuck him.

She stood there in the prettiest green dress he had ever seen her in. Her copper hair stood out against it. His throat fucking tightened, and he couldn't help but stare.

Smurf looked so pleased, like Lizzie was her own daughter. "You look gorgeous, baby."

"Thank you," Lizzie replied shyly.

"Andrew," Smurf said. She turned towards him, and now both women were looking at him as he was fucking staring at her. Fuck. He couldn't look away. "Doesn't she look pretty, baby?"

Andrew froze as both of them watched him and waited for him to give an answer. How was he supposed to tell her she was the prettiest thing he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing? That he couldn't get her out of his fucking head.

Smurf gave a fucking knowing smirk that he knew she would bring it up to embarrass him later. But he hadn't expected her to fucking turn it entirely against him so early.

"Baz will drive you," Smurf said,

"I'm driving her," Andrew announced, his voice cut through the air without a thought. Fuck, his hands were covered in grease. He tried to clean them so he wouldn't be anywhere near her that would get her dirty. He looked up as he tried to clean himself off. Lizzie was smiling at him as if she saw right through him. Like she understood every part of him.

They both headed toward his truck; he moved and opened the door for her, making sure he didn't touch her at all in case grease got on her. He closed the door and moved to his side. He ignored the smug smirk on Smurf's face as he climbed in.

He focused on the road, or at least tried to. Lizzie kept looking at him like she was studying his face. He wanted to tell her to skip prom. He'd take her anywhere she wanted to go, just them together. That he'd kiss her if she'd let him, and he'd show her every ounce of feeling that was buried inside him. Tell her he'd wanted to kiss her for so fucking long. That every time she touched him, all he could think about was that they were meant to be together forever.

But he was supposed to let her graduate and let her go to do whatever she wanted. He wasn't supposed to tie her down to whatever the fuck life he and his brothers had.

"Andrew," she asked tentatively, still watching him. "Did I do something wrong?"

Existing.

That was all he could think of as a crime. For being the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Being the only one who ever cared to understand him other than Julia. The only one who thought about him when no one else ever would.

"No," he replied curtly instead. He glanced over at her quickly before turning away. Fuck, she looked concerned. But he didn't know how to explain those feelings, so he held them inside. They let the truck fall back into silence as he drove. When they reached the parking lot of the hall, everyone around was dressed up just like Lizzie, but she wasn't watching them. She sat still, looking at him as Andrew faced her. "Don't accept any drinks."

"Ok," she whispered.

"Stay alert."

"I know."

"I'll be back at midnight to pick you up," he reminded her, his jaw clenched as her eyes darted to people passing the truck, ready to party the night away.

"Ok, thank you, Andrew," she said. But she moved toward him slowly; he held deathly still as her lips brushed his cheek gently. It was friendly, he reminded himself, a habit all her life, and it didn't mean what he wanted it to mean. He had to keep repeating it. Even if she smelt like vanilla that made his mouth water.

She gave him one last reassuring smile before she climbed out of the truck. He watched her head inside the hall.

He knew he should just go home and come back. It was better that he did. But what if she wanted to leave early? He was sure she didn't have her burner on her. What if she needed him? Or worse, some boy was luring her to another location.

So he sat there. Watching the crowd of people come and go. Hours passed with no sign of her. But he watched, just in case she exited.

Around 11:30, he finally saw her again. Her copper hair was disheveled and sweaty. She had thrown it up into a messy bun at the top of her head.

A girl exited behind her. "Common, Liz, are you gonna come to Chris's with us?"

"No," he saw her shake her head. "I think I'm gonna go home, just waiting for my ride. Thanks though!" With that, she sat down on the curb, content to wait for him as she waved goodbye to the girl.

Andrew turned on the truck, flashing the headlights at her. She looked up and smiled so fucking bright Andrew forgot how to breathe.

She stood up and made her way to him. She opened the door and climbed inside. She pushed her sweaty hair away from her face. "Hi!" she said as she moved to kiss him, that friendly gesture that made him want to consume her. "You got here early?"

He didn't know what to say, so he stared back at her instead. She didn't seem to care; her smile made her glow. Her cheeks were warm from being inside the hall all night.

"I appreciate the drive! I'm planning on sleeping at Smurf's tonight; it's hard to climb through a window in these!" She said playfully as she lifted her leg to allow him to see her heel. Andrew couldn't help but glance at the thigh that was exposed as her dress shifted before he turned away to face the road.

He didn't answer. He didn't know what to say without probably scaring her off. But the silence seemed to make her more nervous. She fell into her own silence as she bit her lip before she turned to watch the scenery out the window.

When he pulled into the driveway, he moved to get out of the car, but her hand grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

Her hands went to his face; she moved slowly again like she was scared she'd spook him. He sat still again, expecting the kiss to go to his cheek again. But she wasn't going for his cheek; she was looking at his lips, and he had never held so still in his entire fucking life. He was afraid to god damn breath in case it made her change her mind. She moved closer, finally kissing his lips gently before she pulled away just a bit. Her mouth hovered over his, her brown eyes looking into his soul.

"Sorry," she whispered with a small smile on her lips. "I-"

But he moved back in, kissing her with everything he wanted to say and couldn't. He needed to be with her. He needed his hands in her hair. But she moaned and the realization set in.

Guilt.

She was supposed to graduate and move on from here. From him. She didn't want him and she shouldn't. He was something familiar and comfortable. She didn't want him the way he wanted her.

He pulled away from her grasp as he looked at her, lost for words. She looked back with hurt on her face, more hurt than he had ever seen before. Andrew got out of the truck, and Lizzie didn't even wait for him to come around; she quickly got out herself and shut the door before she followed him into the house.

"I'm going to sleep in Baz's room." She looked at him as if she was waiting for him to say something. "I guess," she finished lamely. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her no. She gave a nod as she whispered goodnight and thank you before she went down the hallway.

When Andrew got into his own room, he lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The tears finally fucking escaped him. Fuck he was stupid. She'd never look at him the same again. She'd avoid him, and that was it. One fucking perfect kiss in his truck before she was gone from him forever.

He lay there staring at the ceiling the entire night. He was unable to will his body to sleep. Early in the morning, he vaguely heard the door close. He got up to check on her, finding Lizzie gone.

She had left without saying goodbye.

[reverieandwords]

Guilt (pt 9)

Jack Abbot x Foc (Allison) [Ao3]. Masterlist, Series Masterlist, First Chapter, Prev

Series Warnings: Cancer (APL), Cancer Survivor, Cancer Scare, No Medical Relapse, Suicidal Thoughts, Angst, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, HEA, Sickfic

Summary: Jack plans on going to Ally's after shift, he gets a surprise when she shows up to the ED in the middle of the night. Word Count: 1.6k

Allison started to wake up as she felt a thump on the bed. She felt hot as she was wrapped around Jack in what could only be described as a bear hug. His bicep was acting as a pillow as he cradled the back of her head with his hand entangled in her hair, holding her to his chest. His other hand was wrapped around her waist, pulled so close against him she could feel every inch of him. Her leg thrown over his hip.

But she was too hot; his body heat emanated like a furnace. She moved slowly to kiss his jaw, enjoying the feeling of his stubble against her skin. She watched as his eyes opened, dazed and unfocused as she continued to kiss his cheek, then his nose.

"Hi," she whispered before kissing his lips gently.

"Hey," he replied as he played with the hair between his fingers, staring back at her like he was mesmerized.

Kisses continued to be shared, sweet and slow, like there was no rush and no outside world. Until another thump hit the bed, and finally a whole body was added to it. Berky's paws dug at the covers before he moved closer, trying to wiggle unsuccessfully between them.

"Berky, seriously." Allison groaned in annoyance as she turned to see Berky try again to slither between them and couldn't. His eyes were wide and innocent looking as he finally gave up, looking like a worm as he lay there, his tail thumping excitedly.

"Berky, you're wrecking the mood," Jack mumbled, his voice raspy as he continued to kiss any skin he could find. His groan as she moved.

Allison moved to run her hand over the dog's head, scratching him behind the ears. "I know you're hungry." She sighed. Getting ready to detach from Jack, but the man's arms secured her in place.

"I'll go," he said, placing a few more kisses on her jaw and a nip to her earlobe, making her shiver.

"No, you barely slept. I'll go." She moved to pull away, but Jack's arms apparently weren't just for show. He clamped down, keeping her still.

"I said I'm going, go back to sleep." He whispered into her ear before he pulled away, moving to grab the prosthesis he had set up close by the night before.

"Jack-"

He was already slipping the sock on his leg before he began placing the prosthesis on. He shook his head. "How badly stocked is your kitchen?" he asked. Once his leg was on, he moved back to pat Berky's back, causing the dog to roll on his side so Jack could get the good spots on his underbelly.

"Basic," she muttered.

Jack made a sound of understanding before he moved, placing one more kiss on her lips before he moved away. "I'll make breakfast; go back to sleep for a little bit longer." With that, he stood, giving a whistle, causing Berky to jump onto his feet and off the bed to follow Jack out of the room.

Allison let herself lie there for a bit, drifting in and out of sleep as she was comfortably wrapped in her bed. She listened as she could hear Jack moving around in the kitchen, the sound of Berky's food being poured into his bowl. She could hear him talking away to the dog about who knew what. Finally, Allison decided it was best to get up and crawl out of bed.

She moved through the apartment to find Jack already pulling things out of the fridge, talking quietly to Berky, who was eating messily.

"Who invented mornings?" Allison asked with a yawn as she shuffled in.

"I think that would be the sun," Jack replied as he pointed to the counter where he had set her iron pills and a bottle of water beside it.

"Thank you," she whispered as she took one of the pills and returned it to the kitchen counter for her to find tomorrow, as Jack began whisking eggs.

She waited and watched him at work as he mixed cheese and diced ham. He seemed unbothered by her eyes watching him intently, like this was normal. But her stomach tightened with nerves. He hadn't said anything when he had come in about what had happened. He still hadn't mentioned it.

"Are we gonna talk about last night?" she asked, finally.

"I was waiting for you to decide," he replied, casually as he continued to cook.

"I feel like I owe him," she said with a sigh. She looked down, guilty, but she couldn't help the small smile as she watched Berky come up beside her, sitting down at her feet as he watched Jack respectfully. "Cause I lied about my diagnosis."

"You didn't lie," Jack corrected. Allison looked back up at him, seeing his frown. "You didn't tell him; that's different and more complicated," he said with a shake of his head, and her body froze as she felt the tone shift. He was disappointed in her. He looked at her then with a serious expression. "Do you still want to be with him?"

Allison scoffed. "Hell no."

"Do you want to keep in contact with him?" He asked as he turned to look at her, waiting for an answer.

"No, I don't want to be anywhere near him," Allison looked down again as she bent to rub Berky's head so she didn't have to look Jack in his eyes. "I want to be with you."

"So, why would you owe him?"

"I don't know."

Jack moved toward her, his hands going to her arms as he brought her to stand upright and forced her to face him. "He was using you as a free ride; it wasn't going to fix what happened between you."

Allison bit her lip. She wasn't sure what to say, but Jack waited as his hands ran up and down her arms, comforting. "I was a dick for hiding it."

Jack nodded in understanding as he moved closer. His hands dropped to her hips to hold her as he moved against her. "Maybe," he said as he searched her eyes before giving a smug little smirk. "But you didn't hide it from me."

Allison couldn't help the glare. "I didn't have a choice."

But it made Jack smile wide as he moved his head slowly towards her, as if he was giving her time to pull away if she wanted. But she never would want to pull away from him. His lips found hers in a quick and gentle kiss before he pulled back. A hand came up to push her messy bedhead hair out of her face. "So problem solved." That smugness hung there. "I don't intend for that to be an issue ever again."

"Jack," she scolded, but he found her mouth again, the kiss heated, making her moan into him. Her hand went to his chest, gripping his shirt like she needed something to keep her grounded and to hold onto. As kisses continued, her arms slid up to go around his neck. He broke away from her, but so close their noses touched. "I don't think it counts," she said. But he was guiding her around now, her back bumping into the counter before his hands were lifting her onto it despite her sound of protest. "Jack," she warned, but he was moving her legs to fit him as he moved to kiss her again.

"I think we've solved the problem," he teased as his hands went to her thighs, rubbing them up and down.

"I don't think that's true at all," she replied with a laugh as he kissed her again. So loving and wanting, Allison wanted to wrap herself around him and never let go. "But," she said as her hands went to his hair and her forehead to his. "I do like this."

"No more letting that fucker call you for stupid shit."

"Ok-"

"I like this too," he confirmed as he continued to rub her thighs. His kisses began to move down her neck. "Now sit pretty," he whispered against her skin, a little nip making her jump. "So I can finish making breakfast." He moved up to claim a final kiss before he moved himself away from her.

Allison watched as Jack left her, finally getting the eggs into the pan. There was something so domestic about it that made her stomach turn. She watched his hands before catching the reminder of the black wedding ring on his finger.

"Jack?" she asked.

"Mmm?" he replied as he tossed a piece of diced ham to Berky, who caught it effortlessly.

Allison didn't know how to proceed. She didn't want to wreck the mood, but guilt was setting in. He rarely talked about himself. Pushing felt wrong in a way, but there was something about the way he avoided it.

You know you can tell me anything, right?" she asked as she looked back up to see his face. The fear of him shutting her out arose.

Jack paused for a second as he flipped the egg. "That's always a fun way to start a conversation."

"I just mean-" she paused as she tried to pick the right words. "If you ever want to talk about your wife, or- or anything," she hesitated. "I'm here to listen, you know that, right?

She watched as he turned with concern on his face. But he nodded. "I'm not ready yet," he replied, giving her a small, sad smile. "But I will be."

"Ok," she said. She reached over to pull on his shirt, dragging him towards her so she could kiss him quickly. "I just wanted you to know that."

"Noted." he kissed her back before he returned, finishing and plating the first omelet. He moved, helping her off the counter before handing her the plate before he began to make his own.

[harrystylesyogurt]

[reverieandwords]

Prom

Andrew "Pope" Cody x Foc (Lizzie) [Ao3], Masterlist, Collection Masterlist August 2026 Oneshot Celebration

Set After: Thunderstorms, The Beach Set before: Here We Go Again Series, It's Not Over Series

Warnings/Tags: Cody Family, Canon typical violence, Abuse, Child Abuse, Freudian issues, Codependency, Angst, Fluff

Summary: Lizzie is going to prom, Andrew offers to drive her. He's been trying to avoid his feelings but it's becoming impossible. Word Count: 1.6k

Andrew hadn't meant to ignore Lizzie; he honestly hadn't. It just happened. Every time he was near her, he felt like his heart hurt and his head was fuzzy. Like nothing else in the room existed. He wasn't sure when the feelings had started; maybe they had always been there, and he didn't notice. But he noticed now.

She was always so close but just out of reach. He kept telling himself she needed to get through high school; she didn't need to be distracted. She needed to have good grades; she needed to graduate. Even if it meant he kept his distance from her, even if it meant it killed him inside. It was important.

She had met Cath in the house this afternoon, saying she was there to prepare for prom. Andrew understood the concept of prom; he just didn't get the point. But it seemed to excite Lizzie, and it seemed to get Cath excited for her.

Andrew had been told he wasn't allowed near his own damn room until she was done. So he had decided to shove his head under the roof of her junky car instead. He might as well fix it for her while she took over his space. He heard the door open and Smurf's heels and voice carrying through the garage. He looked up and nearly dropped the damn wrench.

Fuck him.

She stood there in the prettiest green dress he had ever seen her in. Her copper hair stood out against it. His throat fucking tightened, and he couldn't help but stare.

Smurf looked so pleased, like Lizzie was her own daughter. "You look gorgeous, baby."

"Thank you," Lizzie replied shyly.

"Andrew," Smurf said. She turned towards him, and now both women were looking at him as he was fucking staring at her. Fuck. He couldn't look away. "Doesn't she look pretty, baby?"

Andrew froze as both of them watched him and waited for him to give an answer. How was he supposed to tell her she was the prettiest thing he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing? That he couldn't get her out of his fucking head.

Smurf gave a fucking knowing smirk that he knew she would bring it up to embarrass him later. But he hadn't expected her to fucking turn it entirely against him so early.

"Baz will drive you," Smurf said,

"I'm driving her," Andrew announced, his voice cut through the air without a thought. Fuck, his hands were covered in grease. He tried to clean them so he wouldn't be anywhere near her that would get her dirty. He looked up as he tried to clean himself off. Lizzie was smiling at him as if she saw right through him. Like she understood every part of him.

They both headed toward his truck; he moved and opened the door for her, making sure he didn't touch her at all in case grease got on her. He closed the door and moved to his side. He ignored the smug smirk on Smurf's face as he climbed in.

He focused on the road, or at least tried to. Lizzie kept looking at him like she was studying his face. He wanted to tell her to skip prom. He'd take her anywhere she wanted to go, just them together. That he'd kiss her if she'd let him, and he'd show her every ounce of feeling that was buried inside him. Tell her he'd wanted to kiss her for so fucking long. That every time she touched him, all he could think about was that they were meant to be together forever.

But he was supposed to let her graduate and let her go to do whatever she wanted. He wasn't supposed to tie her down to whatever the fuck life he and his brothers had.

"Andrew," she asked tentatively, still watching him. "Did I do something wrong?"

Existing.

That was all he could think of as a crime. For being the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Being the only one who ever cared to understand him other than Julia. The only one who thought about him when no one else ever would.

"No," he replied curtly instead. He glanced over at her quickly before turning away. Fuck, she looked concerned. But he didn't know how to explain those feelings, so he held them inside. They let the truck fall back into silence as he drove. When they reached the parking lot of the hall, everyone around was dressed up just like Lizzie, but she wasn't watching them. She sat still, looking at him as Andrew faced her. "Don't accept any drinks."

"Ok," she whispered.

"Stay alert."

"I know."

"I'll be back at midnight to pick you up," he reminded her, his jaw clenched as her eyes darted to people passing the truck, ready to party the night away.

"Ok, thank you, Andrew," she said. But she moved toward him slowly; he held deathly still as her lips brushed his cheek gently. It was friendly, he reminded himself, a habit all her life, and it didn't mean what he wanted it to mean. He had to keep repeating it. Even if she smelt like vanilla that made his mouth water.

She gave him one last reassuring smile before she climbed out of the truck. He watched her head inside the hall.

He knew he should just go home and come back. It was better that he did. But what if she wanted to leave early? He was sure she didn't have her burner on her. What if she needed him? Or worse, some boy was luring her to another location.

So he sat there. Watching the crowd of people come and go. Hours passed with no sign of her. But he watched, just in case she exited.

Around 11:30, he finally saw her again. Her copper hair was disheveled and sweaty. She had thrown it up into a messy bun at the top of her head.

A girl exited behind her. "Common, Liz, are you gonna come to Chris's with us?"

"No," he saw her shake her head. "I think I'm gonna go home, just waiting for my ride. Thanks though!" With that, she sat down on the curb, content to wait for him as she waved goodbye to the girl.

Andrew turned on the truck, flashing the headlights at her. She looked up and smiled so fucking bright Andrew forgot how to breathe.

She stood up and made her way to him. She opened the door and climbed inside. She pushed her sweaty hair away from her face. "Hi!" she said as she moved to kiss him, that friendly gesture that made him want to consume her. "You got here early?"

He didn't know what to say, so he stared back at her instead. She didn't seem to care; her smile made her glow. Her cheeks were warm from being inside the hall all night.

"I appreciate the drive! I'm planning on sleeping at Smurf's tonight; it's hard to climb through a window in these!" She said playfully as she lifted her leg to allow him to see her heel. Andrew couldn't help but glance at the thigh that was exposed as her dress shifted before he turned away to face the road.

He didn't answer. He didn't know what to say without probably scaring her off. But the silence seemed to make her more nervous. She fell into her own silence as she bit her lip before she turned to watch the scenery out the window.

When he pulled into the driveway, he moved to get out of the car, but her hand grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

Her hands went to his face; she moved slowly again like she was scared she'd spook him. He sat still again, expecting the kiss to go to his cheek again. But she wasn't going for his cheek; she was looking at his lips, and he had never held so still in his entire fucking life. He was afraid to god damn breath in case it made her change her mind. She moved closer, finally kissing his lips gently before she pulled away just a bit. Her mouth hovered over his, her brown eyes looking into his soul.

"Sorry," she whispered with a small smile on her lips. "I-"

But he moved back in, kissing her with everything he wanted to say and couldn't. He needed to be with her. He needed his hands in her hair. But she moaned and the realization set in.

Guilt.

She was supposed to graduate and move on from here. From him. She didn't want him and she shouldn't. He was something familiar and comfortable. She didn't want him the way he wanted her.

He pulled away from her grasp as he looked at her, lost for words. She looked back with hurt on her face, more hurt than he had ever seen before. Andrew got out of the truck, and Lizzie didn't even wait for him to come around; she quickly got out herself and shut the door before she followed him into the house.

"I'm going to sleep in Baz's room." She looked at him as if she was waiting for him to say something. "I guess," she finished lamely. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her no. She gave a nod as she whispered goodnight and thank you before she went down the hallway.

When Andrew got into his own room, he lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The tears finally fucking escaped him. Fuck he was stupid. She'd never look at him the same again. She'd avoid him, and that was it. One fucking perfect kiss in his truck before she was gone from him forever.

He lay there staring at the ceiling the entire night. He was unable to will his body to sleep. Early in the morning, he vaguely heard the door close. He got up to check on her, finding Lizzie gone.

She had left without saying goodbye.

[anexperimentallife]

Also applies to "AI" "artists" and "musicians."

[reverieandwords]

Guilt (pt 9)

Jack Abbot x Foc (Allison) [Ao3]. Masterlist, Series Masterlist, First Chapter, Prev

Series Warnings: Cancer (APL), Cancer Survivor, Cancer Scare, No Medical Relapse, Suicidal Thoughts, Angst, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, HEA, Sickfic

Summary: Jack plans on going to Ally's after shift, he gets a surprise when she shows up to the ED in the middle of the night. Word Count: 1.6k

Allison started to wake up as she felt a thump on the bed. She felt hot as she was wrapped around Jack in what could only be described as a bear hug. His bicep was acting as a pillow as he cradled the back of her head with his hand entangled in her hair, holding her to his chest. His other hand was wrapped around her waist, pulled so close against him she could feel every inch of him. Her leg thrown over his hip.

But she was too hot; his body heat emanated like a furnace. She moved slowly to kiss his jaw, enjoying the feeling of his stubble against her skin. She watched as his eyes opened, dazed and unfocused as she continued to kiss his cheek, then his nose.

"Hi," she whispered before kissing his lips gently.

"Hey," he replied as he played with the hair between his fingers, staring back at her like he was mesmerized.

Kisses continued to be shared, sweet and slow, like there was no rush and no outside world. Until another thump hit the bed, and finally a whole body was added to it. Berky's paws dug at the covers before he moved closer, trying to wiggle unsuccessfully between them.

"Berky, seriously." Allison groaned in annoyance as she turned to see Berky try again to slither between them and couldn't. His eyes were wide and innocent looking as he finally gave up, looking like a worm as he lay there, his tail thumping excitedly.

"Berky, you're wrecking the mood," Jack mumbled, his voice raspy as he continued to kiss any skin he could find. His groan as she moved.

Allison moved to run her hand over the dog's head, scratching him behind the ears. "I know you're hungry." She sighed. Getting ready to detach from Jack, but the man's arms secured her in place.

"I'll go," he said, placing a few more kisses on her jaw and a nip to her earlobe, making her shiver.

"No, you barely slept. I'll go." She moved to pull away, but Jack's arms apparently weren't just for show. He clamped down, keeping her still.

"I said I'm going, go back to sleep." He whispered into her ear before he pulled away, moving to grab the prosthesis he had set up close by the night before.

"Jack-"

He was already slipping the sock on his leg before he began placing the prosthesis on. He shook his head. "How badly stocked is your kitchen?" he asked. Once his leg was on, he moved back to pat Berky's back, causing the dog to roll on his side so Jack could get the good spots on his underbelly.

"Basic," she muttered.

Jack made a sound of understanding before he moved, placing one more kiss on her lips before he moved away. "I'll make breakfast; go back to sleep for a little bit longer." With that, he stood, giving a whistle, causing Berky to jump onto his feet and off the bed to follow Jack out of the room.

Allison let herself lie there for a bit, drifting in and out of sleep as she was comfortably wrapped in her bed. She listened as she could hear Jack moving around in the kitchen, the sound of Berky's food being poured into his bowl. She could hear him talking away to the dog about who knew what. Finally, Allison decided it was best to get up and crawl out of bed.

She moved through the apartment to find Jack already pulling things out of the fridge, talking quietly to Berky, who was eating messily.

"Who invented mornings?" Allison asked with a yawn as she shuffled in.

"I think that would be the sun," Jack replied as he pointed to the counter where he had set her iron pills and a bottle of water beside it.

"Thank you," she whispered as she took one of the pills and returned it to the kitchen counter for her to find tomorrow, as Jack began whisking eggs.

She waited and watched him at work as he mixed cheese and diced ham. He seemed unbothered by her eyes watching him intently, like this was normal. But her stomach tightened with nerves. He hadn't said anything when he had come in about what had happened. He still hadn't mentioned it.

"Are we gonna talk about last night?" she asked, finally.

"I was waiting for you to decide," he replied, casually as he continued to cook.

"I feel like I owe him," she said with a sigh. She looked down, guilty, but she couldn't help the small smile as she watched Berky come up beside her, sitting down at her feet as he watched Jack respectfully. "Cause I lied about my diagnosis."

"You didn't lie," Jack corrected. Allison looked back up at him, seeing his frown. "You didn't tell him; that's different and more complicated," he said with a shake of his head, and her body froze as she felt the tone shift. He was disappointed in her. He looked at her then with a serious expression. "Do you still want to be with him?"

Allison scoffed. "Hell no."

"Do you want to keep in contact with him?" He asked as he turned to look at her, waiting for an answer.

"No, I don't want to be anywhere near him," Allison looked down again as she bent to rub Berky's head so she didn't have to look Jack in his eyes. "I want to be with you."

"So, why would you owe him?"

"I don't know."

Jack moved toward her, his hands going to her arms as he brought her to stand upright and forced her to face him. "He was using you as a free ride; it wasn't going to fix what happened between you."

Allison bit her lip. She wasn't sure what to say, but Jack waited as his hands ran up and down her arms, comforting. "I was a dick for hiding it."

Jack nodded in understanding as he moved closer. His hands dropped to her hips to hold her as he moved against her. "Maybe," he said as he searched her eyes before giving a smug little smirk. "But you didn't hide it from me."

Allison couldn't help the glare. "I didn't have a choice."

But it made Jack smile wide as he moved his head slowly towards her, as if he was giving her time to pull away if she wanted. But she never would want to pull away from him. His lips found hers in a quick and gentle kiss before he pulled back. A hand came up to push her messy bedhead hair out of her face. "So problem solved." That smugness hung there. "I don't intend for that to be an issue ever again."

"Jack," she scolded, but he found her mouth again, the kiss heated, making her moan into him. Her hand went to his chest, gripping his shirt like she needed something to keep her grounded and to hold onto. As kisses continued, her arms slid up to go around his neck. He broke away from her, but so close their noses touched. "I don't think it counts," she said. But he was guiding her around now, her back bumping into the counter before his hands were lifting her onto it despite her sound of protest. "Jack," she warned, but he was moving her legs to fit him as he moved to kiss her again.

"I think we've solved the problem," he teased as his hands went to her thighs, rubbing them up and down.

"I don't think that's true at all," she replied with a laugh as he kissed her again. So loving and wanting, Allison wanted to wrap herself around him and never let go. "But," she said as her hands went to his hair and her forehead to his. "I do like this."

"No more letting that fucker call you for stupid shit."

"Ok-"

"I like this too," he confirmed as he continued to rub her thighs. His kisses began to move down her neck. "Now sit pretty," he whispered against her skin, a little nip making her jump. "So I can finish making breakfast." He moved up to claim a final kiss before he moved himself away from her.

Allison watched as Jack left her, finally getting the eggs into the pan. There was something so domestic about it that made her stomach turn. She watched his hands before catching the reminder of the black wedding ring on his finger.

"Jack?" she asked.

"Mmm?" he replied as he tossed a piece of diced ham to Berky, who caught it effortlessly.

Allison didn't know how to proceed. She didn't want to wreck the mood, but guilt was setting in. He rarely talked about himself. Pushing felt wrong in a way, but there was something about the way he avoided it.

You know you can tell me anything, right?" she asked as she looked back up to see his face. The fear of him shutting her out arose.

Jack paused for a second as he flipped the egg. "That's always a fun way to start a conversation."

"I just mean-" she paused as she tried to pick the right words. "If you ever want to talk about your wife, or- or anything," she hesitated. "I'm here to listen, you know that, right?

She watched as he turned with concern on his face. But he nodded. "I'm not ready yet," he replied, giving her a small, sad smile. "But I will be."

"Ok," she said. She reached over to pull on his shirt, dragging him towards her so she could kiss him quickly. "I just wanted you to know that."

"Noted." he kissed her back before he returned, finishing and plating the first omelet. He moved, helping her off the counter before handing her the plate before he began to make his own.

[drugstoreperfumemp3]

Why couldn't you save her? I mean, this- this is what you do. I tried. I really tried. We all did. If this had been any other day, man... Any other day? What the f*ck does that mean, "any other day?" What, you would've saved her life? Yes. No. I don't know. I don't- I don't know. We're getting slammed up there. We've had dozens of shooting victims. You've seen it.

THE PITT • 1.13 | 7:00 PM

[thatfanficstuff]

It's a Start - Harry Wilson

Hary Wilson x Reader

synopsis: You run into an old friend

warnings/notes: not really. @tanely requested Harry Wilson with Friends to strangers to lovers for my One Big Bash.

wc: 2.4k

The event hall was all glass and chrome illuminated with blinding white light. You hated everything about it. People gathered around tall tables, making stilted conversation, all of them in attendance just so they could say later that they were there.

A banner hung overhead, Prism Developments splashed across it along with the logo of a skyscraper in front of a circle. The only thing missing from the image was the rubble of the properties that had been sacrificed to make room for it.

Waitstaff in crisp white shirts and pressed pants moved through the crowd, trays balanced on palms. Champagne, canapés, things that cost more than your clients paid in rent for a week. You wondered how much of it would be wasted, thrown away, while the man who paid for it all ran people out of their homes in the worst way possible.

And there he was. Donovan Becker, founder and CEO of Prism holding court near a scale model of his latest project. The model took up an entire table—miniature towers and green spaces. A little fountain that actually had running water, because of course it did. Becker stood beside it, gesturing in broad strokes as he explained his vision. His suit probably cost more than your car while your dress had been procured from the sale rack at a little boutique that gave you a discount because you’d helped their cousin receive back wages from a shitty employer.

You didn’t belong here, you knew that. But Becker had invited you personally. He’d sent an email a week ago. The body had been all corporate politeness but you could read between the lines. You think you can win, you can’t. Come see how untouchable I am.

So you’d come, only because you weren’t one to be intimidated by anyone. Certainly not by a bottom dweller like Becker. You’d walked through those doors with your shoulders back and your chin up. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing you flinch.

You walked the perimeter of the room, taking in the other attendees and the set up. You had everything you needed to take Becker down. Everything but the opportunity. It needed to be public and humiliating. He’d weasel his way out of anything else. The room was flooded with staff. Three bartenders, a dozen servers, the woman by the door checking names off a list on her tablet. And ringing the room, security. They were subtle but very present. At least three of them.

You sucked in a breath, your fingers finding the usb in your pocket (your favorite part of the dress, truth be told). You’d been going head-to-head with Becker for months. Ever since you successfully kept Prism from evicting twelve families from a building that was in the way of his latest development project. He’d gotten what he wanted in the end but it had cost him. Each family got a sizeable payout to relocate.

Becker had tried to pay you, too. He’d shown you a check with a lot of zeros and told you all you had to do was nothing. Don’t argue any cases against him. Don’t encourage tenants to fight back. Don’t cause him anymore trouble. Just stand aside and watch him destroy those he thought lesser. Which for him, was pretty much everyone.

You greeted the few people you knew, took note of those you didn’t. The city council member whose re-election campaign had been almost entirely funded by Prism. A state senator that intended to run for governor in the next election. The foreman that had worked for Becker on his last five projects.

And then you saw him.

Harry Wilson.

He was across the room, standing near the inner circle of Becker’s associates. Dark suit, beard trimmed neat, the glass in his hand half full of amber liquid. The woman beside him laughed at something he said and Harry smiled. He fit into the space like he’d been born to it, like this was his natural habitat. And you supposed it was.

Once upon a time, you and Harry had been the best of friends. Meeting your first day of freshman year of college. For years, he was the person you turned to no matter what you needed and vice versa. Through undergrad and law school you were inseparable. It was after that your paths diverged. You’d gotten a job with Legal Aid while he landed at one of the most prestigious corporate law firms.

Your jaw tightened and something cold and heavy settled in your gut. The last time you’d seen Harry Wilson, he’d been sitting across from you at a bar in the Quarter, two drinks in. He’d leaned into your space with that intense look he got when he was certain he was right.

“You’re wasting your life,” he’d said. Not cruelly, not exactly. Worse, he was sincere. He truly believed the work you did, the fights you picked with men that had more money than morality was beneath you. “The rabble,” he’d called your clients then corrected himself. “The undeserving. Whatever you want to call them. You could be making real money.”

Your drink hit the table with more force than you’d intended. “Making money doing what? Helping arrogant assholes crush the people I work with? Helping them do whatever it takes to make another dime even if it costs someone else their livelihood?”

He hadn’t had an answer for that. Or maybe he had and you’d walked out before you could hear it. You’d never looked back. Deleted his number. Stopped keeping up with his career. You excised him from your life and only regretted it on every other Tuesday.

And now, here he was, drink in hand, looking every bit as he had the last time you’d seen him. He was perfectly comfortable in this world of tailored suits and corner offices. He’d chosen his side and it wasn’t yours.

He hadn’t seen you yet. Or perhaps he had and was choosing to ignore you. You didn’t give yourself time to think about it. One moment you were standing at the edge of the crowd and the next you were cutting across the carpet toward Harry Wilson.

“Why the hell are you here?” You didn’t bother lowering your voice. The couple nearest you glanced over then quickly away. “Are you working for Becker?” you hissed. “Because if you are, you are so much worse than I thought.”

You were expecting defensiveness or anger when he turned to you. Instead, a look of pure happiness crossed his face briefly before he returned to being carefully neutral. He set his glass on a nearby table. Then his hand was on your elbow, not gripping, just a light touch to steer you.

You let him lead you, not because you wanted to follow Harry Wilson anywhere, but because you recognized this conversation needed a better venue than the middle of Becker’s party. You walked with him to the back of the hall and into a recessed alcove near the emergency exit.

The alcove offered as much privacy as you could get without leaving the venue. He released his hold on you, but his hands hovered as if he longed to be touching you.

“I’m not working for Becker. I’m working against him.”

You stared at him, processing what he’d just said. Surely you hadn’t heard him correctly. “Explain.”

“I…” He took a deep breath. “The people I work with now specialize in leveling the playing field, so to speak. They find people like Becker and work to bring them down.” He held up a finger to you and turned his head. “No, she’s fine. Trust me. Look her up.”

When he turned back to you, you blinked at him. “Are you wearing an earpiece right now?”

His face flushed. “Yeah.”

You studied him for a moment. As much as you’d like to dismiss him, to assume he was lying, he’d never been able to lie to you. Not successfully, anyway. “And Becker? What’s your plan?” You crossed your arms over your chest. “What do you have on him?”

He raked a hand through his hair. “Well, we know his M.O., know exactly how he does what he does, we’re just having trouble finding the proof.”

You hummed, usb burning a hole in your pocket. “Should you be telling me all of this?”

Harry chuckled. “Probably not. Definitely not if the voice in my ear has anything to say about it. But I want you to know I’m sincere.” His expression softened as he ran his gaze over you. “I’ve followed your work. You’ve done so much good. I’m proud of you.”

“I can’t say the same. I was too afraid of what I’d see if I looked you up.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m not going to lie. You would have been disappointed for a long time. Then one day I realized the harm I was doing and I left it all behind. Doing what I do now…I’m paying my penance.” He paused. “I’ve missed you. So much. I’m sorry I was such an asshole.”

“Me too.” You gave him a crooked smile and he chuckled again. “What if I told you that I had everything you needed to bring Becker down? I just need help doing it.”

His gaze sharpened. “What’s everything?”

“Footage of private meetings. Internal emails. Proof of code violations and insurance fraud.”

“How?”

“A secretary he didn’t pay enough and fired when she declined his advances.” You’d never been more thankful than when the woman showed up in your office.

Harry smiled, looking absolutely delighted. “And you haven’t done anything with it because?”

You shrugged one shoulder. “Haven’t had it for very long. And it has to be public airing. He’ll weasel out of anything handed to the press.”

“Listen, his speech is in half an hour. Do you think you could get it to us by then?” Harry rocked on his feet like he did whenever he got excited.

“I think I can manage.” You reached into your pocket and pulled out the usb, holding it up. When he moved to grab it, you pulled back. “Don’t disappoint me, Harry. I can’t take it a second time.”

“Never again. I promise.”

You let him take it and immediately, one of the servers was there to claim it. You started to protest and Harry put his hand on your arm to stop you. “It’s okay. That’s Eliot. He’s on our side. I’ll find you after?”

You nodded and the two of you left the alcove, separating immediately. You continued your perusal of the room, the careful accounting of who was present. Reporters from the local news. And the mayor had arrived sometime during your meeting with Harry. God, you hoped you could trust him, that you weren’t about to lose the only advantage you had due to some misplaced sense of nostalgia.

Moments before Becker was due to take the stage, the lights flashed and voices filled the air. Everyone looked around in question. Your gaze found Harry’s. He lifted his glass and toasted you with a smirk.

A minute later, images filled the screens scattered around the room. Becker in a meeting with that city council member from earlier. The head of the city’s building inspectors sitting just down the table.

“What is this?” Becker demanded. “Turn this off.”

When the meeting continued to play, he pushed his way toward the tech standing to one side. The other man held up his hands. “It’s not me. It’s coming from outside the facility.”

“Turn those screens off. Now.” Becker jumped trying to unplug one of the screens while he motioned to the staff scattered around the room.

One voice rose above the low hum of whispering voices. “Leave them.” The mayor.

You turned to find the man standing next to Harry, who was leaning close to talk to him, his eyes on you. Becker had no choice but to watch his carefully orchestrated world fall apart around him as one clip followed another, to then be followed by page after page of damning evidence.

Your attention was pulled to the reporters who were loudly asking if they could get copies from someone. “I think that can be arranged,” you said.

“You.” The word, low and angry, had you turning just in time to see Becker striding across the floor in your direction. “You bitch. What have you done?”

Harry’s waiter friend stepped in Becker’s path, keeping him from closing the remaining distance. You startled as an arm settled around your shoulders. You glanced to the side to see a stunning brunette smiling at you. “Come along. We’ll wait for our Mr. Wilson outside, shall we?”

You looked from her to Harry who nodded so you allowed yourself to be led from the venue. You crossed the street to a food truck. She opened the door and gestured for you to enter. This was like no food truck you’d ever seen.

A young woman sat before a bank of monitors. “Hey,” she greeted. You said nothing, simply processing what you were seeing.

“I’m Sophie,” the brunette said as she shut the door behind her. “This is Breanna. We’re associates of Harry’s.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for your help with Becker.”

“We should be thanking you,” Sophie said as she leaned on the edge of the desk.

“I already sent copies of everything to the media by the way. So, you don’t need to worry about it,” Breanna said.

“Uh…thank you?”

The door opened and you spun to find Harry smiling up at you. He held out a hand and you slipped yours into his. You stepped down and he led you away from both the truck and the venue. “I’m glad I ran into you,” he said eventually. “I’ve wanted to apologize for a long time.”

You stopped walking and faced him. “Are you really back to being the Harry I used to know?”

The smile he gave you was a little sad around the edges. “I’m wiser than he ever was. And the better for it, I hope.”

You tilted your head. “Dinner,” you said.

“Dinner?”

You smiled. “Why yes, Harry, I’d love to go to dinner with you. Thank you for the invitation.”

There was a pause then he laughed, the sound low and rich. You’d missed it so much.

“Okay, let’s start with dinner,” he agreed.

“Start?”

His only answer was a wide smile.

Noah Wyle Masterlist

[indigoutside]

[reverieandwords]

Prom

Andrew "Pope" Cody x Foc (Lizzie) [Ao3], Masterlist, Collection Masterlist August 2026 Oneshot Celebration

Set After: Thunderstorms, The Beach Set before: Here We Go Again Series, It's Not Over Series

Warnings/Tags: Cody Family, Canon typical violence, Abuse, Child Abuse, Freudian issues, Codependency, Angst, Fluff

Summary: Lizzie is going to prom, Andrew offers to drive her. He's been trying to avoid his feelings but it's becoming impossible. Word Count: 1.6k

Andrew hadn't meant to ignore Lizzie; he honestly hadn't. It just happened. Every time he was near her, he felt like his heart hurt and his head was fuzzy. Like nothing else in the room existed. He wasn't sure when the feelings had started; maybe they had always been there, and he didn't notice. But he noticed now.

She was always so close but just out of reach. He kept telling himself she needed to get through high school; she didn't need to be distracted. She needed to have good grades; she needed to graduate. Even if it meant he kept his distance from her, even if it meant it killed him inside. It was important.

She had met Cath in the house this afternoon, saying she was there to prepare for prom. Andrew understood the concept of prom; he just didn't get the point. But it seemed to excite Lizzie, and it seemed to get Cath excited for her.

Andrew had been told he wasn't allowed near his own damn room until she was done. So he had decided to shove his head under the roof of her junky car instead. He might as well fix it for her while she took over his space. He heard the door open and Smurf's heels and voice carrying through the garage. He looked up and nearly dropped the damn wrench.

Fuck him.

She stood there in the prettiest green dress he had ever seen her in. Her copper hair stood out against it. His throat fucking tightened, and he couldn't help but stare.

Smurf looked so pleased, like Lizzie was her own daughter. "You look gorgeous, baby."

"Thank you," Lizzie replied shyly.

"Andrew," Smurf said. She turned towards him, and now both women were looking at him as he was fucking staring at her. Fuck. He couldn't look away. "Doesn't she look pretty, baby?"

Andrew froze as both of them watched him and waited for him to give an answer. How was he supposed to tell her she was the prettiest thing he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing? That he couldn't get her out of his fucking head.

Smurf gave a fucking knowing smirk that he knew she would bring it up to embarrass him later. But he hadn't expected her to fucking turn it entirely against him so early.

"Baz will drive you," Smurf said,

"I'm driving her," Andrew announced, his voice cut through the air without a thought. Fuck, his hands were covered in grease. He tried to clean them so he wouldn't be anywhere near her that would get her dirty. He looked up as he tried to clean himself off. Lizzie was smiling at him as if she saw right through him. Like she understood every part of him.

They both headed toward his truck; he moved and opened the door for her, making sure he didn't touch her at all in case grease got on her. He closed the door and moved to his side. He ignored the smug smirk on Smurf's face as he climbed in.

He focused on the road, or at least tried to. Lizzie kept looking at him like she was studying his face. He wanted to tell her to skip prom. He'd take her anywhere she wanted to go, just them together. That he'd kiss her if she'd let him, and he'd show her every ounce of feeling that was buried inside him. Tell her he'd wanted to kiss her for so fucking long. That every time she touched him, all he could think about was that they were meant to be together forever.

But he was supposed to let her graduate and let her go to do whatever she wanted. He wasn't supposed to tie her down to whatever the fuck life he and his brothers had.

"Andrew," she asked tentatively, still watching him. "Did I do something wrong?"

Existing.

That was all he could think of as a crime. For being the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Being the only one who ever cared to understand him other than Julia. The only one who thought about him when no one else ever would.

"No," he replied curtly instead. He glanced over at her quickly before turning away. Fuck, she looked concerned. But he didn't know how to explain those feelings, so he held them inside. They let the truck fall back into silence as he drove. When they reached the parking lot of the hall, everyone around was dressed up just like Lizzie, but she wasn't watching them. She sat still, looking at him as Andrew faced her. "Don't accept any drinks."

"Ok," she whispered.

"Stay alert."

"I know."

"I'll be back at midnight to pick you up," he reminded her, his jaw clenched as her eyes darted to people passing the truck, ready to party the night away.

"Ok, thank you, Andrew," she said. But she moved toward him slowly; he held deathly still as her lips brushed his cheek gently. It was friendly, he reminded himself, a habit all her life, and it didn't mean what he wanted it to mean. He had to keep repeating it. Even if she smelt like vanilla that made his mouth water.

She gave him one last reassuring smile before she climbed out of the truck. He watched her head inside the hall.

He knew he should just go home and come back. It was better that he did. But what if she wanted to leave early? He was sure she didn't have her burner on her. What if she needed him? Or worse, some boy was luring her to another location.

So he sat there. Watching the crowd of people come and go. Hours passed with no sign of her. But he watched, just in case she exited.

Around 11:30, he finally saw her again. Her copper hair was disheveled and sweaty. She had thrown it up into a messy bun at the top of her head.

A girl exited behind her. "Common, Liz, are you gonna come to Chris's with us?"

"No," he saw her shake her head. "I think I'm gonna go home, just waiting for my ride. Thanks though!" With that, she sat down on the curb, content to wait for him as she waved goodbye to the girl.

Andrew turned on the truck, flashing the headlights at her. She looked up and smiled so fucking bright Andrew forgot how to breathe.

She stood up and made her way to him. She opened the door and climbed inside. She pushed her sweaty hair away from her face. "Hi!" she said as she moved to kiss him, that friendly gesture that made him want to consume her. "You got here early?"

He didn't know what to say, so he stared back at her instead. She didn't seem to care; her smile made her glow. Her cheeks were warm from being inside the hall all night.

"I appreciate the drive! I'm planning on sleeping at Smurf's tonight; it's hard to climb through a window in these!" She said playfully as she lifted her leg to allow him to see her heel. Andrew couldn't help but glance at the thigh that was exposed as her dress shifted before he turned away to face the road.

He didn't answer. He didn't know what to say without probably scaring her off. But the silence seemed to make her more nervous. She fell into her own silence as she bit her lip before she turned to watch the scenery out the window.

When he pulled into the driveway, he moved to get out of the car, but her hand grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

Her hands went to his face; she moved slowly again like she was scared she'd spook him. He sat still again, expecting the kiss to go to his cheek again. But she wasn't going for his cheek; she was looking at his lips, and he had never held so still in his entire fucking life. He was afraid to god damn breath in case it made her change her mind. She moved closer, finally kissing his lips gently before she pulled away just a bit. Her mouth hovered over his, her brown eyes looking into his soul.

"Sorry," she whispered with a small smile on her lips. "I-"

But he moved back in, kissing her with everything he wanted to say and couldn't. He needed to be with her. He needed his hands in her hair. But she moaned and the realization set in.

Guilt.

She was supposed to graduate and move on from here. From him. She didn't want him and she shouldn't. He was something familiar and comfortable. She didn't want him the way he wanted her.

He pulled away from her grasp as he looked at her, lost for words. She looked back with hurt on her face, more hurt than he had ever seen before. Andrew got out of the truck, and Lizzie didn't even wait for him to come around; she quickly got out herself and shut the door before she followed him into the house.

"I'm going to sleep in Baz's room." She looked at him as if she was waiting for him to say something. "I guess," she finished lamely. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her no. She gave a nod as she whispered goodnight and thank you before she went down the hallway.

When Andrew got into his own room, he lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The tears finally fucking escaped him. Fuck he was stupid. She'd never look at him the same again. She'd avoid him, and that was it. One fucking perfect kiss in his truck before she was gone from him forever.

He lay there staring at the ceiling the entire night. He was unable to will his body to sleep. Early in the morning, he vaguely heard the door close. He got up to check on her, finding Lizzie gone.

She had left without saying goodbye.

[thepittmemes]

[reverieandwords]

Guilt (pt 9)

Jack Abbot x Foc (Allison) [Ao3]. Masterlist, Series Masterlist, First Chapter, Prev

Series Warnings: Cancer (APL), Cancer Survivor, Cancer Scare, No Medical Relapse, Suicidal Thoughts, Angst, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, HEA, Sickfic

Summary: Jack plans on going to Ally's after shift, he gets a surprise when she shows up to the ED in the middle of the night. Word Count: 1.6k

Allison started to wake up as she felt a thump on the bed. She felt hot as she was wrapped around Jack in what could only be described as a bear hug. His bicep was acting as a pillow as he cradled the back of her head with his hand entangled in her hair, holding her to his chest. His other hand was wrapped around her waist, pulled so close against him she could feel every inch of him. Her leg thrown over his hip.

But she was too hot; his body heat emanated like a furnace. She moved slowly to kiss his jaw, enjoying the feeling of his stubble against her skin. She watched as his eyes opened, dazed and unfocused as she continued to kiss his cheek, then his nose.

"Hi," she whispered before kissing his lips gently.

"Hey," he replied as he played with the hair between his fingers, staring back at her like he was mesmerized.

Kisses continued to be shared, sweet and slow, like there was no rush and no outside world. Until another thump hit the bed, and finally a whole body was added to it. Berky's paws dug at the covers before he moved closer, trying to wiggle unsuccessfully between them.

"Berky, seriously." Allison groaned in annoyance as she turned to see Berky try again to slither between them and couldn't. His eyes were wide and innocent looking as he finally gave up, looking like a worm as he lay there, his tail thumping excitedly.

"Berky, you're wrecking the mood," Jack mumbled, his voice raspy as he continued to kiss any skin he could find. His groan as she moved.

Allison moved to run her hand over the dog's head, scratching him behind the ears. "I know you're hungry." She sighed. Getting ready to detach from Jack, but the man's arms secured her in place.

"I'll go," he said, placing a few more kisses on her jaw and a nip to her earlobe, making her shiver.

"No, you barely slept. I'll go." She moved to pull away, but Jack's arms apparently weren't just for show. He clamped down, keeping her still.

"I said I'm going, go back to sleep." He whispered into her ear before he pulled away, moving to grab the prosthesis he had set up close by the night before.

"Jack-"

He was already slipping the sock on his leg before he began placing the prosthesis on. He shook his head. "How badly stocked is your kitchen?" he asked. Once his leg was on, he moved back to pat Berky's back, causing the dog to roll on his side so Jack could get the good spots on his underbelly.

"Basic," she muttered.

Jack made a sound of understanding before he moved, placing one more kiss on her lips before he moved away. "I'll make breakfast; go back to sleep for a little bit longer." With that, he stood, giving a whistle, causing Berky to jump onto his feet and off the bed to follow Jack out of the room.

Allison let herself lie there for a bit, drifting in and out of sleep as she was comfortably wrapped in her bed. She listened as she could hear Jack moving around in the kitchen, the sound of Berky's food being poured into his bowl. She could hear him talking away to the dog about who knew what. Finally, Allison decided it was best to get up and crawl out of bed.

She moved through the apartment to find Jack already pulling things out of the fridge, talking quietly to Berky, who was eating messily.

"Who invented mornings?" Allison asked with a yawn as she shuffled in.

"I think that would be the sun," Jack replied as he pointed to the counter where he had set her iron pills and a bottle of water beside it.

"Thank you," she whispered as she took one of the pills and returned it to the kitchen counter for her to find tomorrow, as Jack began whisking eggs.

She waited and watched him at work as he mixed cheese and diced ham. He seemed unbothered by her eyes watching him intently, like this was normal. But her stomach tightened with nerves. He hadn't said anything when he had come in about what had happened. He still hadn't mentioned it.

"Are we gonna talk about last night?" she asked, finally.

"I was waiting for you to decide," he replied, casually as he continued to cook.

"I feel like I owe him," she said with a sigh. She looked down, guilty, but she couldn't help the small smile as she watched Berky come up beside her, sitting down at her feet as he watched Jack respectfully. "Cause I lied about my diagnosis."

"You didn't lie," Jack corrected. Allison looked back up at him, seeing his frown. "You didn't tell him; that's different and more complicated," he said with a shake of his head, and her body froze as she felt the tone shift. He was disappointed in her. He looked at her then with a serious expression. "Do you still want to be with him?"

Allison scoffed. "Hell no."

"Do you want to keep in contact with him?" He asked as he turned to look at her, waiting for an answer.

"No, I don't want to be anywhere near him," Allison looked down again as she bent to rub Berky's head so she didn't have to look Jack in his eyes. "I want to be with you."

"So, why would you owe him?"

"I don't know."

Jack moved toward her, his hands going to her arms as he brought her to stand upright and forced her to face him. "He was using you as a free ride; it wasn't going to fix what happened between you."

Allison bit her lip. She wasn't sure what to say, but Jack waited as his hands ran up and down her arms, comforting. "I was a dick for hiding it."

Jack nodded in understanding as he moved closer. His hands dropped to her hips to hold her as he moved against her. "Maybe," he said as he searched her eyes before giving a smug little smirk. "But you didn't hide it from me."

Allison couldn't help the glare. "I didn't have a choice."

But it made Jack smile wide as he moved his head slowly towards her, as if he was giving her time to pull away if she wanted. But she never would want to pull away from him. His lips found hers in a quick and gentle kiss before he pulled back. A hand came up to push her messy bedhead hair out of her face. "So problem solved." That smugness hung there. "I don't intend for that to be an issue ever again."

"Jack," she scolded, but he found her mouth again, the kiss heated, making her moan into him. Her hand went to his chest, gripping his shirt like she needed something to keep her grounded and to hold onto. As kisses continued, her arms slid up to go around his neck. He broke away from her, but so close their noses touched. "I don't think it counts," she said. But he was guiding her around now, her back bumping into the counter before his hands were lifting her onto it despite her sound of protest. "Jack," she warned, but he was moving her legs to fit him as he moved to kiss her again.

"I think we've solved the problem," he teased as his hands went to her thighs, rubbing them up and down.

"I don't think that's true at all," she replied with a laugh as he kissed her again. So loving and wanting, Allison wanted to wrap herself around him and never let go. "But," she said as her hands went to his hair and her forehead to his. "I do like this."

"No more letting that fucker call you for stupid shit."

"Ok-"

"I like this too," he confirmed as he continued to rub her thighs. His kisses began to move down her neck. "Now sit pretty," he whispered against her skin, a little nip making her jump. "So I can finish making breakfast." He moved up to claim a final kiss before he moved himself away from her.

Allison watched as Jack left her, finally getting the eggs into the pan. There was something so domestic about it that made her stomach turn. She watched his hands before catching the reminder of the black wedding ring on his finger.

"Jack?" she asked.

"Mmm?" he replied as he tossed a piece of diced ham to Berky, who caught it effortlessly.

Allison didn't know how to proceed. She didn't want to wreck the mood, but guilt was setting in. He rarely talked about himself. Pushing felt wrong in a way, but there was something about the way he avoided it.

You know you can tell me anything, right?" she asked as she looked back up to see his face. The fear of him shutting her out arose.

Jack paused for a second as he flipped the egg. "That's always a fun way to start a conversation."

"I just mean-" she paused as she tried to pick the right words. "If you ever want to talk about your wife, or- or anything," she hesitated. "I'm here to listen, you know that, right?

She watched as he turned with concern on his face. But he nodded. "I'm not ready yet," he replied, giving her a small, sad smile. "But I will be."

"Ok," she said. She reached over to pull on his shirt, dragging him towards her so she could kiss him quickly. "I just wanted you to know that."

"Noted." he kissed her back before he returned, finishing and plating the first omelet. He moved, helping her off the counter before handing her the plate before he began to make his own.

[carcyism]

little guy...

[acecroft]

SHAWN HATOSY as Andrew 'Pope' Cody in Animal Kingdom 1.09 🥧

[reverieandwords]

Prom

Andrew "Pope" Cody x Foc (Lizzie) [Ao3], Masterlist, Collection Masterlist August 2026 Oneshot Celebration

Set After: Thunderstorms, The Beach Set before: Here We Go Again Series, It's Not Over Series

Warnings/Tags: Cody Family, Canon typical violence, Abuse, Child Abuse, Freudian issues, Codependency, Angst, Fluff

Summary: Lizzie is going to prom, Andrew offers to drive her. He's been trying to avoid his feelings but it's becoming impossible. Word Count: 1.6k

Andrew hadn't meant to ignore Lizzie; he honestly hadn't. It just happened. Every time he was near her, he felt like his heart hurt and his head was fuzzy. Like nothing else in the room existed. He wasn't sure when the feelings had started; maybe they had always been there, and he didn't notice. But he noticed now.

She was always so close but just out of reach. He kept telling himself she needed to get through high school; she didn't need to be distracted. She needed to have good grades; she needed to graduate. Even if it meant he kept his distance from her, even if it meant it killed him inside. It was important.

She had met Cath in the house this afternoon, saying she was there to prepare for prom. Andrew understood the concept of prom; he just didn't get the point. But it seemed to excite Lizzie, and it seemed to get Cath excited for her.

Andrew had been told he wasn't allowed near his own damn room until she was done. So he had decided to shove his head under the roof of her junky car instead. He might as well fix it for her while she took over his space. He heard the door open and Smurf's heels and voice carrying through the garage. He looked up and nearly dropped the damn wrench.

Fuck him.

She stood there in the prettiest green dress he had ever seen her in. Her copper hair stood out against it. His throat fucking tightened, and he couldn't help but stare.

Smurf looked so pleased, like Lizzie was her own daughter. "You look gorgeous, baby."

"Thank you," Lizzie replied shyly.

"Andrew," Smurf said. She turned towards him, and now both women were looking at him as he was fucking staring at her. Fuck. He couldn't look away. "Doesn't she look pretty, baby?"

Andrew froze as both of them watched him and waited for him to give an answer. How was he supposed to tell her she was the prettiest thing he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing? That he couldn't get her out of his fucking head.

Smurf gave a fucking knowing smirk that he knew she would bring it up to embarrass him later. But he hadn't expected her to fucking turn it entirely against him so early.

"Baz will drive you," Smurf said,

"I'm driving her," Andrew announced, his voice cut through the air without a thought. Fuck, his hands were covered in grease. He tried to clean them so he wouldn't be anywhere near her that would get her dirty. He looked up as he tried to clean himself off. Lizzie was smiling at him as if she saw right through him. Like she understood every part of him.

They both headed toward his truck; he moved and opened the door for her, making sure he didn't touch her at all in case grease got on her. He closed the door and moved to his side. He ignored the smug smirk on Smurf's face as he climbed in.

He focused on the road, or at least tried to. Lizzie kept looking at him like she was studying his face. He wanted to tell her to skip prom. He'd take her anywhere she wanted to go, just them together. That he'd kiss her if she'd let him, and he'd show her every ounce of feeling that was buried inside him. Tell her he'd wanted to kiss her for so fucking long. That every time she touched him, all he could think about was that they were meant to be together forever.

But he was supposed to let her graduate and let her go to do whatever she wanted. He wasn't supposed to tie her down to whatever the fuck life he and his brothers had.

"Andrew," she asked tentatively, still watching him. "Did I do something wrong?"

Existing.

That was all he could think of as a crime. For being the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Being the only one who ever cared to understand him other than Julia. The only one who thought about him when no one else ever would.

"No," he replied curtly instead. He glanced over at her quickly before turning away. Fuck, she looked concerned. But he didn't know how to explain those feelings, so he held them inside. They let the truck fall back into silence as he drove. When they reached the parking lot of the hall, everyone around was dressed up just like Lizzie, but she wasn't watching them. She sat still, looking at him as Andrew faced her. "Don't accept any drinks."

"Ok," she whispered.

"Stay alert."

"I know."

"I'll be back at midnight to pick you up," he reminded her, his jaw clenched as her eyes darted to people passing the truck, ready to party the night away.

"Ok, thank you, Andrew," she said. But she moved toward him slowly; he held deathly still as her lips brushed his cheek gently. It was friendly, he reminded himself, a habit all her life, and it didn't mean what he wanted it to mean. He had to keep repeating it. Even if she smelt like vanilla that made his mouth water.

She gave him one last reassuring smile before she climbed out of the truck. He watched her head inside the hall.

He knew he should just go home and come back. It was better that he did. But what if she wanted to leave early? He was sure she didn't have her burner on her. What if she needed him? Or worse, some boy was luring her to another location.

So he sat there. Watching the crowd of people come and go. Hours passed with no sign of her. But he watched, just in case she exited.

Around 11:30, he finally saw her again. Her copper hair was disheveled and sweaty. She had thrown it up into a messy bun at the top of her head.

A girl exited behind her. "Common, Liz, are you gonna come to Chris's with us?"

"No," he saw her shake her head. "I think I'm gonna go home, just waiting for my ride. Thanks though!" With that, she sat down on the curb, content to wait for him as she waved goodbye to the girl.

Andrew turned on the truck, flashing the headlights at her. She looked up and smiled so fucking bright Andrew forgot how to breathe.

She stood up and made her way to him. She opened the door and climbed inside. She pushed her sweaty hair away from her face. "Hi!" she said as she moved to kiss him, that friendly gesture that made him want to consume her. "You got here early?"

He didn't know what to say, so he stared back at her instead. She didn't seem to care; her smile made her glow. Her cheeks were warm from being inside the hall all night.

"I appreciate the drive! I'm planning on sleeping at Smurf's tonight; it's hard to climb through a window in these!" She said playfully as she lifted her leg to allow him to see her heel. Andrew couldn't help but glance at the thigh that was exposed as her dress shifted before he turned away to face the road.

He didn't answer. He didn't know what to say without probably scaring her off. But the silence seemed to make her more nervous. She fell into her own silence as she bit her lip before she turned to watch the scenery out the window.

When he pulled into the driveway, he moved to get out of the car, but her hand grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

Her hands went to his face; she moved slowly again like she was scared she'd spook him. He sat still again, expecting the kiss to go to his cheek again. But she wasn't going for his cheek; she was looking at his lips, and he had never held so still in his entire fucking life. He was afraid to god damn breath in case it made her change her mind. She moved closer, finally kissing his lips gently before she pulled away just a bit. Her mouth hovered over his, her brown eyes looking into his soul.

"Sorry," she whispered with a small smile on her lips. "I-"

But he moved back in, kissing her with everything he wanted to say and couldn't. He needed to be with her. He needed his hands in her hair. But she moaned and the realization set in.

Guilt.

She was supposed to graduate and move on from here. From him. She didn't want him and she shouldn't. He was something familiar and comfortable. She didn't want him the way he wanted her.

He pulled away from her grasp as he looked at her, lost for words. She looked back with hurt on her face, more hurt than he had ever seen before. Andrew got out of the truck, and Lizzie didn't even wait for him to come around; she quickly got out herself and shut the door before she followed him into the house.

"I'm going to sleep in Baz's room." She looked at him as if she was waiting for him to say something. "I guess," she finished lamely. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her no. She gave a nod as she whispered goodnight and thank you before she went down the hallway.

When Andrew got into his own room, he lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The tears finally fucking escaped him. Fuck he was stupid. She'd never look at him the same again. She'd avoid him, and that was it. One fucking perfect kiss in his truck before she was gone from him forever.

He lay there staring at the ceiling the entire night. He was unable to will his body to sleep. Early in the morning, he vaguely heard the door close. He got up to check on her, finding Lizzie gone.

She had left without saying goodbye.

[reverieandwords]

Guilt (pt 9)

Jack Abbot x Foc (Allison) [Ao3]. Masterlist, Series Masterlist, First Chapter, Prev

Series Warnings: Cancer (APL), Cancer Survivor, Cancer Scare, No Medical Relapse, Suicidal Thoughts, Angst, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, HEA, Sickfic

Summary: Jack plans on going to Ally's after shift, he gets a surprise when she shows up to the ED in the middle of the night. Word Count: 1.6k

Allison started to wake up as she felt a thump on the bed. She felt hot as she was wrapped around Jack in what could only be described as a bear hug. His bicep was acting as a pillow as he cradled the back of her head with his hand entangled in her hair, holding her to his chest. His other hand was wrapped around her waist, pulled so close against him she could feel every inch of him. Her leg thrown over his hip.

But she was too hot; his body heat emanated like a furnace. She moved slowly to kiss his jaw, enjoying the feeling of his stubble against her skin. She watched as his eyes opened, dazed and unfocused as she continued to kiss his cheek, then his nose.

"Hi," she whispered before kissing his lips gently.

"Hey," he replied as he played with the hair between his fingers, staring back at her like he was mesmerized.

Kisses continued to be shared, sweet and slow, like there was no rush and no outside world. Until another thump hit the bed, and finally a whole body was added to it. Berky's paws dug at the covers before he moved closer, trying to wiggle unsuccessfully between them.

"Berky, seriously." Allison groaned in annoyance as she turned to see Berky try again to slither between them and couldn't. His eyes were wide and innocent looking as he finally gave up, looking like a worm as he lay there, his tail thumping excitedly.

"Berky, you're wrecking the mood," Jack mumbled, his voice raspy as he continued to kiss any skin he could find. His groan as she moved.

Allison moved to run her hand over the dog's head, scratching him behind the ears. "I know you're hungry." She sighed. Getting ready to detach from Jack, but the man's arms secured her in place.

"I'll go," he said, placing a few more kisses on her jaw and a nip to her earlobe, making her shiver.

"No, you barely slept. I'll go." She moved to pull away, but Jack's arms apparently weren't just for show. He clamped down, keeping her still.

"I said I'm going, go back to sleep." He whispered into her ear before he pulled away, moving to grab the prosthesis he had set up close by the night before.

"Jack-"

He was already slipping the sock on his leg before he began placing the prosthesis on. He shook his head. "How badly stocked is your kitchen?" he asked. Once his leg was on, he moved back to pat Berky's back, causing the dog to roll on his side so Jack could get the good spots on his underbelly.

"Basic," she muttered.

Jack made a sound of understanding before he moved, placing one more kiss on her lips before he moved away. "I'll make breakfast; go back to sleep for a little bit longer." With that, he stood, giving a whistle, causing Berky to jump onto his feet and off the bed to follow Jack out of the room.

Allison let herself lie there for a bit, drifting in and out of sleep as she was comfortably wrapped in her bed. She listened as she could hear Jack moving around in the kitchen, the sound of Berky's food being poured into his bowl. She could hear him talking away to the dog about who knew what. Finally, Allison decided it was best to get up and crawl out of bed.

She moved through the apartment to find Jack already pulling things out of the fridge, talking quietly to Berky, who was eating messily.

"Who invented mornings?" Allison asked with a yawn as she shuffled in.

"I think that would be the sun," Jack replied as he pointed to the counter where he had set her iron pills and a bottle of water beside it.

"Thank you," she whispered as she took one of the pills and returned it to the kitchen counter for her to find tomorrow, as Jack began whisking eggs.

She waited and watched him at work as he mixed cheese and diced ham. He seemed unbothered by her eyes watching him intently, like this was normal. But her stomach tightened with nerves. He hadn't said anything when he had come in about what had happened. He still hadn't mentioned it.

"Are we gonna talk about last night?" she asked, finally.

"I was waiting for you to decide," he replied, casually as he continued to cook.

"I feel like I owe him," she said with a sigh. She looked down, guilty, but she couldn't help the small smile as she watched Berky come up beside her, sitting down at her feet as he watched Jack respectfully. "Cause I lied about my diagnosis."

"You didn't lie," Jack corrected. Allison looked back up at him, seeing his frown. "You didn't tell him; that's different and more complicated," he said with a shake of his head, and her body froze as she felt the tone shift. He was disappointed in her. He looked at her then with a serious expression. "Do you still want to be with him?"

Allison scoffed. "Hell no."

"Do you want to keep in contact with him?" He asked as he turned to look at her, waiting for an answer.

"No, I don't want to be anywhere near him," Allison looked down again as she bent to rub Berky's head so she didn't have to look Jack in his eyes. "I want to be with you."

"So, why would you owe him?"

"I don't know."

Jack moved toward her, his hands going to her arms as he brought her to stand upright and forced her to face him. "He was using you as a free ride; it wasn't going to fix what happened between you."

Allison bit her lip. She wasn't sure what to say, but Jack waited as his hands ran up and down her arms, comforting. "I was a dick for hiding it."

Jack nodded in understanding as he moved closer. His hands dropped to her hips to hold her as he moved against her. "Maybe," he said as he searched her eyes before giving a smug little smirk. "But you didn't hide it from me."

Allison couldn't help the glare. "I didn't have a choice."

But it made Jack smile wide as he moved his head slowly towards her, as if he was giving her time to pull away if she wanted. But she never would want to pull away from him. His lips found hers in a quick and gentle kiss before he pulled back. A hand came up to push her messy bedhead hair out of her face. "So problem solved." That smugness hung there. "I don't intend for that to be an issue ever again."

"Jack," she scolded, but he found her mouth again, the kiss heated, making her moan into him. Her hand went to his chest, gripping his shirt like she needed something to keep her grounded and to hold onto. As kisses continued, her arms slid up to go around his neck. He broke away from her, but so close their noses touched. "I don't think it counts," she said. But he was guiding her around now, her back bumping into the counter before his hands were lifting her onto it despite her sound of protest. "Jack," she warned, but he was moving her legs to fit him as he moved to kiss her again.

"I think we've solved the problem," he teased as his hands went to her thighs, rubbing them up and down.

"I don't think that's true at all," she replied with a laugh as he kissed her again. So loving and wanting, Allison wanted to wrap herself around him and never let go. "But," she said as her hands went to his hair and her forehead to his. "I do like this."

"No more letting that fucker call you for stupid shit."

"Ok-"

"I like this too," he confirmed as he continued to rub her thighs. His kisses began to move down her neck. "Now sit pretty," he whispered against her skin, a little nip making her jump. "So I can finish making breakfast." He moved up to claim a final kiss before he moved himself away from her.

Allison watched as Jack left her, finally getting the eggs into the pan. There was something so domestic about it that made her stomach turn. She watched his hands before catching the reminder of the black wedding ring on his finger.

"Jack?" she asked.

"Mmm?" he replied as he tossed a piece of diced ham to Berky, who caught it effortlessly.

Allison didn't know how to proceed. She didn't want to wreck the mood, but guilt was setting in. He rarely talked about himself. Pushing felt wrong in a way, but there was something about the way he avoided it.

You know you can tell me anything, right?" she asked as she looked back up to see his face. The fear of him shutting her out arose.

Jack paused for a second as he flipped the egg. "That's always a fun way to start a conversation."

"I just mean-" she paused as she tried to pick the right words. "If you ever want to talk about your wife, or- or anything," she hesitated. "I'm here to listen, you know that, right?

She watched as he turned with concern on his face. But he nodded. "I'm not ready yet," he replied, giving her a small, sad smile. "But I will be."

"Ok," she said. She reached over to pull on his shirt, dragging him towards her so she could kiss him quickly. "I just wanted you to know that."

"Noted." he kissed her back before he returned, finishing and plating the first omelet. He moved, helping her off the counter before handing her the plate before he began to make his own.