would you write a rhodestead with jealous connor :)) bonus points if they're in a secret relationship and end up telling people ❤❤
Hey anon! Thank you so much for requesting this, honestly. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written any Rhodestead and I forgot how much I missed my idiot boys. I hope you like what I ended up with!
READ ON AO3
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Connor paused, watching the way Will’s patient placed a hand on his arm, eyelashes fluttering, smile brightening. Will laughed softly, covering her hand with his own for a moment, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and she laughed too, far too airy for Connor’s liking. His eyes narrowed, jealousy pooling in the pit of his stomach, unable to tear his eyes from the almost unbearably soft smile on Will’s face.
“Connor?” Maggie asked, following his line of sight til her eyes settled on Will.
“Mmm?” Connor responded, forcing himself to tear his gaze away from Will and back to the present, to Maggie, who was looking at him like she was trying to decipher a puzzle.
“Incoming patient for you.” She tapped her screen. “You okay?”
“Yep.” He nodded, flashing her a grin as he forced Will’s flirting to the back of his mind. “On it.”
—
Connor froze when he entered the cafeteria, eyes settling on Will and Natalie and the way Natalie’s hand was resting atop Will’s on the table. They were both smiling, and though he couldn’t see Natalie’s face, he was sure the softness in her eyes were mirrored in Will’s, full of tenderness and something that looked a hell of a lot like love.
His skin itched with the urge to walk over there and tear Will’s hands away, to press a kiss to Will’s lips right there in front of everyone, in front of Natalie. But he didn’t. He couldn’t. They’d both agreed they would wait, that they weren’t ready to announce to the world that they were together yet. That Will needed time.
In that moment, Connor struggled to think of a good reason why they should keep it a secret, jealousy churning in his stomach, coursing through his veins.
Just as he was about to surge forward and do something reckless, Will’s eyes settled on Connor, wide, like a deer caught in the headlights, and Connor turned and left instead, walking as fast as he could without breaking into a run.
—
Connor’s shift felt like it had dragged forever without a moment's rest, and when he finally got to step outside and take a breath, his relief was cut short by the sight of Will hugging a blonde woman he’d never even seen before. That jealousy was back again, sour on the back of his tongue, but he couldn’t look away.
It was exhaustion that flooded him then, not anger, not frustration. His limbs felt heavy and he cursed his jealous streak, one that seemed to come out with Will more than any other person he’d ever loved.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realise Will was headed towards him until he was right in front of him, ducking to meet Connor’s eyes.
“You alright?” He asked quietly, hand settling on Connor’s shoulder.
He huffed in response, looking away, equal parts ashamed of himself and annoyed at Will.
“You know it’s only you? Right? It’s always been you. There’s no one else.”
“Do I know that?” Connor bit back, meeting Will’s gaze again just to see his reaction.
“You should.”
“Yeah? Even when you’re holding hands with Natalie in public?”
Will laughed. He actually laughed, and Connor recoiled, turning to walk away, but Will stopped him, catching him by the wrist.
“Actually, you caught me just after I’d come out to her. I didn’t tell her about you, though. Wasn’t sure you’d want that considering our agreement, but...she was reassuring me, not…” Will laughed again, shaking his head.
“Don’t—“
“I’m not laughing at you,” Will cut him off, tugging him closer.
Connor rolled his eyes, but he allowed himself to be pulled in until Will’s arms settled around him, warm and reassuring.
“Let’s just tell people,” Will whispered against his ear, giving him a squeeze.
“I thought you weren’t ready for that.”
“I am now.”
Connor pulled back to study Will’s face before shaking his head. “Don’t feel you have to be ready for me. I’m just being an idiot.” A smile tugged at his lips, reluctant and a little embarrassed.
“I’m not doing it for you,” Will said softly, cupping the back of Connor’s head. “I’m ready for the world to know that I’m yours and you’re mine. If you are, that is.”
Connor nodded, surging up to capture Will’s lips in a bruising kiss, hands firmly cupping his cheeks.
Will laughed into his mouth, so obviously happy it made Connor laugh too, relieved and so in love it hurt in the best way possible.
“Come on,” Will said softly, taking Connor’s hand in his. “Let’s go home.”
Pairing: Adam Ruzek/Kevin Atwater
Word Count: 1,336
Tags: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Tag, Post 8x01
AO3
Kevin stopped in the entryway, pocketing his keys instead of setting them down. It didn’t feel safe to just set them down anymore.
He stood there, just breathing, pushing through the pain that came with each inhale and each exhale.
“Kev?” Adam called out before coming into view.
Lit from behind, face obscured by darkness, he could have been anyone, another cop ready to take him down, one of the ones from outside hanging around for more. He knew it wasn’t, he knew it was Adam standing before him, and as his eyes adjusted, he could see the furrow of Adam’s brow, the concern slowly taking over his features. Still, his heart hammered in his chest.
Y'all need to look at this RIGHT NOW. Damn it, C, do you have to rip my heart out like this? The shame, the resistance to comfort, the VULNERABILITY??? This was so well written and so, so mean. The kiss to keep Adam from saying anything else even though Kev has nothing but confusion and anger running through his brain just made my heart stop, man.
Please never stop writing, ever. You craft the most beautiful pain for me to just lay in and be consumed by.
That said, any more of this and I will be coming for your knees.
This is part of the soulmate verse again, though there’s not much actual reference to soulmates. Hailey doesn’t know Erin is her soulmate yet.
—
Hailey huffed as she dragged herself from bed, rubbing at her eyes. She hadn’t even bothered to check the time; she knew it was some stupid hour in the morning, but, more than that, a time she should be allowed to sleep off the past 48 hours in peace, no interruptions and certainly no incessant banging on her door.
“Who is it?” She called through the door, voice raspy with sleep and therefore far too soft to sound as mad as she felt.
“It’s me.”
They gave no name, but Hailey would know the rasp of Erin Lindsay’s voice anywhere. It haunted her in her dreams, gave her advice in her head, and, on more than one occasion, begged for forgiveness so uncharacteristic of the actual Erin that Hailey knew it wasn’t real before she’d even woken up.
Her stomach swooped, heart running at double time as she opened the door, and for a moment all she could do was stare, drink in the sight of the woman she loved, a woman she thought she was never going to see again.
“You gonna let me in?” Erin asked, voice teasing and light, and despite the many questions running through her mind, Hailey stepped aside.
“What are you doing here?” She asked, voice barely there as she wrapped her arms firmer around herself.
“Well, I could hardly go back to mine- to Jay’s. I heard Adam’s living there now?” Hailey nodded in confirmation, and Erin smiled. “Good for them.”
“You left without a word,” Hailey said, finding some strength as she stood a little straighter.
Erin closed the distance between them, hands falling to Hailey’s shoulders before rubbing up and down her arms. “I had to,” she said quietly as she forced Hailey’s arms to loosen so she could take hold of her hands. “You know I— is that my shirt?”
Hailey felt her face heat up instantly as she glanced down, not even needing to see the shirt to know it was. It was all Erin had left behind, the only proof they’d ever been anything more than just friends, and though it felt stupid, though it probably did more harm than good, Hailey had clung to that shirt, wore it to bed almost every night, even though the lingering smell of Erin’s perfume had long since gone.
“You could have called,” Hailey deflected, pulling away from Erin’s touch.
“It is my shirt,” Erin said with a teasing grin, reaching back for Hailey’s hand to pull her close again. When Hailey pulled out of her grip once more, Erin ducked her head with a sigh, smile vanishing. “I didn’t think you cared,” she admitted, voice quiet and uncharacteristically small. “If I’d known, I...I’m sorry, Hailey. You have to know that.”
“I don’t have to know anything,” Hailey muttered, but this time she let Erin pull her back in.
For a moment they just looked at each other, and finally, finally Erin’s walls were down, her soul bared in her eyes, and Hailey found she couldn’t hold a grudge. There was too much pain there, too much need and desperation and suffering and Hailey didn’t want to add to that, so instead of saying anything, instead of having the conversation they really needed to have, instead of holding onto the grudge she’d been carrying around with her own pain, Hailey pulled Erin in close, fingers threading into the back of her hair as their lips met.
Erin melted against her instantly, one hand gripping her hip, the other gripping the back of her neck, and it felt like no time had passed at all. They fit together as they always had, like two halves of a whole, and, not for the first time, Hailey wondered if this was exactly how it was meant to be, fate be damned.
