Bright Lights

Maverick Lincoln - 29 - Firefighter Emilia Lincoln - 27 - Surgeon

[springhillmumu]

gallagher-riddle‌:

“I did indeed have to witness it…but like I said, it was entertainment. Before that happened, I had been in a conversation with one of my regulars about his coin collection. As much as I love my customers, that was…something I wanted to get away from.” Hunter chuckled. Bartending was a hit or miss at times. At the end of some nights, the girl went home happy with how the night went (and of course, the tips - the tips were great.) However, that wasn’t always the case. Other nights, the blonde went home miserable, questioning her decision to pick up a second job. “That’s how I feel. If I’m not enjoying what I’m doing, then I don’t want to do it. Who wants to live a life where they’re miserable with their job? Work every day, hating every aspect of their life? I never want that to be me. Sure, like I said, I could have found money elsewhere - like for example, my mom’s a nurse and now Liam is one too. But I wasn’t passionate about that. I needed to find something I was and when I did, I went for it without looking back. And I’m damn glad I did. To each his own, ya know?” She resisted the urge to take another sip of her drink. If she didn’t pace herself, after a few margaritas drunk Hunter would appear and she didn’t want to deal with that side of her tonight (or so she thought.) “Siblings, am I right? Don’t know how we ended up being the cool ones, but here we are.” The woman giggled. “So, Mave, it’s your turn. What’s been going on with you? Besides surprising your sister with the best gift ever, of course.”

“Oh wow, no way, a coin collection!? Do you think he had all fifty states quarters?!” Maverick teased. “Tommy’s a good kid. It’s nice not being considered the rookie anymore, that’s for sure. I don’t really remember doing stupid shit like that, though.” ...he’d definitely done stupid shit like that to try and impress the guys. And everyone knew it, too. Maverick had a wild side. He was the first to run into a burning building, the first to take a reckless job and jump head first at it, and always the first to have a good time. He’d once dressed in his gear and brought it to the corner, stripping off piece by piece while holding out his boots to collect money from passing cars. He’d gotten a decent amount of cash, and donated it all to the firefighter association. “Trust me, I get it. Mom’s a doctor, dad’s a doctor, sister’s a doctor...I’m a firefighter. One of these things just doesn’t belong.” He chuckled. “But we all knew I wasn’t going the route of doctor. I just wasn’t cut out for that life.Too much sitting still and learning. I’m the type that’s gotta be doing something, you know? Can’t just...sit and stare at a book.” He took a swig of his beer before taking a deep breath. “Well, my best friend just came back from the dead and now he’s marrying my sister, so that’s pretty cool. I got to rescue a puppy from a burning building yesterday and be a hero, so that, too, was pretty cool. And now I’m on a date with a pretty girl, so...can’t say I’m doing half bad.”

[springhillmumu]

gallagher-riddle‌:

A few days had passed since Sam had surprised his fiancee with his homecoming. He was still adjusting to being…home and living a normal life. Sleeping in a bed. Being able to shower. Holding the love of his life close while the two drifted off to sleep. Everything that had been normal to him now seemed so foreign. The man had known that it wasn’t something that was going to happen overnight and he wasn’t sure when it would truly be normal, but for now, he was trying to enjoy making up the time he lost with Emmy.

Taking a sip of his coffee, Sam looked down and smiled. “I think the date is the first thing that most people establish, yeah? Honestly…it really doesn’t matter to me. The sooner, the better. That’s all I care about. You know how I feel.” He chuckled, clutching his mug close, allowing the warmth from the drink to warm up his hands. “I know originally we had planned for a winter wedding, but I don’t think I can wait that long. Like you said, not tomorrow…but soon. Guess we’ll have to see how fast we can get things figured out, hmm?”

“I don’t know how other people plan their weddings. I’ve never even been to a wedding before. For all I know, people get their dresses first, or pick the colors, or...well, I suppose the first thing we did was pick the maid of honor and best man, because while everything else changed, I’d imagine Hunter and Maverick still fill those positions.” Emmy stretched her legs out and took a deep breath. “But I’m glad we can agree. The sooner the better. ...but like...how soon? Are we talking two weeks from now? A month? You’ve gotta give me some sort of input.”

She’d always dreamed of getting married as the snow hit the ground, a layer of white among colors of burgundy and gold, but Sam was right. She didn’t want to wait until the winter. Summer hadn’t even started yet, she didn’t want to hold off for another two seasons. “What if we just...take the calendar, close our eyes, and point to a date, and then...there. That’s it. That’s the day we get married?” Seemed like a sensible idea to her. “Realistically, there’s too much to plan to have it this month. So...I think next month would be good. A June wedding. Soft summer colors, maybe we could even have it outside?”

[springhillmumu]

gallagher-riddle‌:

Hunter raised a brow, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She had to admit, the thought of Maverick getting up on the bar and doing a dance was amusing. It would be quite the sight to see. “You wouldn’t be the first person I’ve seen do that, sadly enough - guess that’s what I get for working at a bar, huh?” The blonde eagerly took a sip of her margarita, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh of content. “Yep, that’s the good stuff.” She set her drink down, turning her attention to the man sitting across from her. “You have no idea. I’ve been itching to go back to the parks. I love the bar, don’t get me wrong, but being. a park ranger…that’s my true passion. There’s just something about nature that I love so much - I’m sure you already know this. I lost count on how many times we’ve had a conversation similar to this, with me rambling on about it. So take that, Mr. Sanders! He always told me in high school it was a stupid idea to declare it as my major. Sure, I’m not making the big bucks, but I’m happy. That’s all that matters to me.” She took another sip of her drink, grateful to have this alone time with Maverick. It was always a good time around him. “Plus, I think I’ve been spending too much time with Liam. I love the dude, but he’s driving me crazy.”

“I’m pretty sure I know someone who danced across the bar a few nights ago. Tommy Sears. He’s a firefighter that works the opposite shift as me, same house though. Rookie. Thought it would be a wise idea to get wasted on his day off, and then he just started dancing across the bar, stripping off his shirt and holding out his hands for money. All he got was his ass handed to him by the bouncer.” Maverick couldn’t help but chuckle. Leave it to the rookies for entertainment. “I’m sorry if you had to witness that.” He ordered himself a beer, figuring one shot was enough for now, and leaned back in his seat, smiling at the way Hunter’s face lit up as she talked about how excited she was to get back to her summer job. “I get it. You love nature like I love danger. I can’t just have a normal job. I’ve got to have something that brings excitement. I can’t tell you how many people told me how stupid it was to enlist right out of high school. Admirable, but stupid.” He paused. “...okay, maybe it was stupid. But I had fun. I got to travel. See things that nobody really gets to see. Some of it was bad, but not all of it. And I made some pretty awesome friends, too. And now at the firehouse, there’s just something about running into a burning building that gets your heart pumping.” He shrugged before chuckling at Hunter’s statement about Liam. “You’re not kidding. Emmy’s been driving me up a wall lately. At least now that Sam’s back she can bug him now.” He joked, knowing perfectly well it was the other way around. Maverick loved driving Emmy crazy. It was just the brotherly thing to do. 

[springhillmumu]

It’d been a few days since Sam came home. A few days since Emmy’s dream came true. She still couldn’t believe that he was really there, and had to pinch herself each time she woke up to realize she wasn’t dreaming. She’d honestly thought she would never have the chance to wake up with him beside her again. There was still so much to talk about, but she didn’t want to push Sam. She knew the things that happened to him were beyond thinkable, and she couldn’t imagine having to live through that. It broke her heart to know that someone was capable of hurting anyone like that, let alone someone as kind as Sam.

But sadness was for another day, another time. For now, they had a wedding to plan. A future to discuss. Emmy was beyond thrilled that her wildest dream was coming true, and that soon, she would be able to walk down the aisle and say her vows, only to become married to the love of her life. All of the planning she’d done before Sam had gone missing went out the window. That was another time, and things had changed. There was so much to discuss and decide.

Emmy sat on her bedroom floor with a binder out in front of her - something she’d put together and kept from before. It listed every aspect that needed to be planned, and while she’d scrapped everything that had been planned before, she was ready to start new. Her hair was up in a messy bun and she wore a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt of Sam’s that she’d stolen from him. She’d give it back. ...eventually. For now, she claimed it as her own, and she loved the way it wrapped around her and smelled like him. It was like a never ending hug.

Looking up at her fiance, she tilted her head. “So...we should probably start with a date first. I feel like that’s the important part. We can have everything all planned out, but without a date, nothing’s going to happen.” She wiggled a pencil between her fingers. “Personally, I don’t want to wait. I don’t know about you, but I’ve done my waiting. Twelve years of it. In Azkaban. I’m not talking about tomorrow soon, but...I don’t know. What do you think?”

[springhillmumu]

gallagher-riddle‌:

Growing up, Hunter didn’t have crushes. When her friends were gushing on about boys and who was the cutest in the school, she would always be silent. To her, there were more important things than to worry about whether or not someone found her cute. Not much changed as she got older, except she did notice when someone was flirting with her and occasionally she flirted back. Most of her relationships with men had failed, due to her losing interest and disappearing from their lives. She was always putting herself first and if someone got in the way of that, she dropped them fast.

However, when it came to Maverick…things were different. Due to Emmy and Hunter being childhood friends, she had been around her best friend’s brother just as long as she had been around Emmy. Growing up with all brothers, that’s what she had viewed him as - another brother. As she grew older, the relationship the two had started to become something…different. One day, she was telling herself that she’d never try anything with him and the next she was thinking about how attractive he was and how it would be nice to go out on a date or two with him (which was so not Hunter.) It was a complicated situation, due to him being her best friend’s brother. Who did that? 

As the two headed to get some food, Hunter couldn’t help but smile to herself. Anytime the two got alone together, she made sure to enjoy it - because it didn’t come often. Most of her time was spent working at the bar or with Emmy, and in the summer it was no different when she was working in the parks. She wasn’t sure if Maverick noticed, but Hunter flirted with him…a lot. But nothing was happening, so she just figured he didn’t view her in that way. Still, she couldn’t help but feel butterflies when the two were together. 

Arriving, Hunter immediately ordered herself some tacos and a margarita. She looked over at Maverick, giving him a cheers before taking a couple of sips of her drink. “There’s just something about these that I love. It’s surprising, ‘cause I typically don’t drink tequila. Not a huge fan and bad things happen when I drink it straight.” The blonde chuckled.

As Hunter ordered her tacos and margarita, Maverick ordered his burrito and a shot of tequila. He wasn’t too big on drinking, but once in a while he allowed himself to get a drink. He was afraid that if he drank too much, he might relive some of the horrors he’d seen overseas, and that was something he wanted to avoid as much as possible. It’d taken him a long time to be able to sleep at night without medications, and even still, he sometimes had to take a Xanax just to sleep through the night. It hadn’t been easy to come home and go back to normal life, but he had to after really seeing what could happen if he’d stayed overseas. And especially right now, he was glad he had, because it had led him here.

“I don’t typically drink at all, but I mean..when in Rome. ...or...a Mexican restaurant, really.” He chuckled, holding up his shot glass and clinking it against Hunter’s. “If I start tearing my clothes off and dancing on the bar, that’s when we’re in trouble.” He downed the shot in one go, making a face and shaking his head. “Still as...awful tasting as I remember.” He laughed, but already feeling more relaxed. He leaned against his seat, looking over at Hunter. “So, summer’s coming up. Excited to get back to the parks?”

[springhillmumu]

Was this a date? This was definitely a date. Sure, Maverick hadn’t really made it seem like a date when he...well, he didn’t even really ask. He more like...told Hunter he was taking her out. But she’d gone along with it, so that was a step in the right direction! So this was definitely a date, and he was going to treat it as such. ...even if he didn’t have the chance to get changed into something nicer than a t-shirt and jeans, and he was pretty sure his breath smelled like the pizza he’d heated up for lunch earlier. But still! He was going on a date! With Hunter Gallagher! This was something straight out of his fantasy world. A date with the girl he’d had a thing for since third grade when she’d beaten his time on the monkey bars at recess.

Of course, he could never let Emmy know he was considering this a date. ...she’d kill him. This was uncharted territory. Hunter had always been Emmy’s friend, although she and Maverick had always been friendly. They hadn’t been ‘go out to dinner, just the two of you’ friendly. Yet here they were, in Maverick’s car, on their way to get Mexican food. “So this new place opened up across town by my place. The guys were saying it’s really good, so I figured we could check it out? I hear they make a great margarita.” He could really use a shot of tequila right now, that was for sure. Liquid courage.

[springhillmumu]

gallagher-riddle‌:

“I wonder how they’ll react - assuming they don’t know yet. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see him again.” Hearing the suggestion of dinner, Hunter nodded her head. “Yes, please. I’m starving and the two definitely deserve some privacy. Are you gonna let me pick where we go? Because I’ve been craving some good o’l tacos and margaritas lately. I’ve been meaning to go out and get some, but now might be the perfect opportunity to do so.” She flashed Maverick a smile. 

“Hearing you never gave up hope…never gave up on me…I don’t even know how to repay you back. I promise I won’t leave you again, Em. You have me here. All of me.” He grabbed her hands and brought them up to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of her palm. Sam had no intention of leaving again. There was a lot the two had to talk about and he was a bit different now than what he was before, but they’d get to that obstacle when they’d get to it. Right now, he was just going to enjoy having his fiancee in his arms once more. Seeing her take the ring off the chain, he took it from her and slipped it back onto her finger, memories of the first time he had did so after proposing flooding back. It had been one of the happiest days of his life when she had agreed to be his wife. 

“I don’t think they know yet...I think we’re the only ones, besides Sam’s family, of course. Emmy will probably want to surprise them when they get home from their trip in a couple of days. Till then...well...it’s probably a good thing nobody will be in the house.” Maverick chuckled. “They’ve got some lost time to make up for.” He grabbed his keys from the kitchen table and shrugged. “I could go for a burrito and some tequila. Mexican sounds good to me. C’mon, I’ll drive.”

Emmy shook her head and took a deep breath. “You don’t need to pay me back. Just having you here...that’s enough for me. I’m so glad you’re not leaving again, though...” She sighed. “It’ll be nice not worrying so much...having you go off across the world, not knowing if you’ll come back...that’s the worst feeling in the world. Never having to feel that again, that’s the only thing I need from you.” There was so much to discuss...some good, some not so good, but Emmy was just glad to be here with Sam. She watched as he took the ring and placed it back on her finger, and she finally felt whole again. The hole that had been left when Sam went missing felt filled again, and she sighed contently, leaning over and placing her lips on his, finally kissing him for the first time in three years.

[springhillmumu]

gallagher-riddle‌:

Hunter couldn’t help but chuckle hearing how Maverick found out about the two dating. She remembered Emmy being hesitant in telling her brother, in fear that he would have a bad reaction to it. Thankfully, he hadn’t. “They’re cute - you gotta admit that. Every time I saw the two together, I couldn’t help but smile and watch them from afar. The way they interacted…you could tell how much the two loved each other.” She wasn’t the best when it came to wedding planning, but the blonde was so happy that Sam and Emmy were getting a chance to have it again. She’d do anything to help her friend. “Those words are like music to my ears right now.” Hunter grinnned. 

“I’m glad I could be your motivation to get through. You were mine as well. Every day. I kept your picture in my pocket and whenever I felt like giving up…I’d look at it and know that I couldn’t. I had to do it for you - for my family, for Maverick, for Hunter. But especially for you.” He smiled, unable to help himself. “As much as I’d like to say that sucks for you…well, that must have sucked for you, but I’m sure glad it happened, ‘cause I don’t know what I would have done if I would have returned and you would have been with someone else.” Hearing her next words, Sam couldn’t help but chuckle. “Em, of course I still want to marry you. That has never changed.”

“Yeah, yeah. They’re cute. The dream couple. My parents had pictures of them all over the place before Sam went missing. Once he was gone, they took them all down because they were afraid it would hurt Emmy too much to see them. Hopefully they kept them somewhere though, so they can put them back out.” Maverick chuckled. He was glad that he’d get to help plan some of the things for the wedding, because he was sure the wedding would be on now. And if he knew his sister and best friend, it wouldn’t be long till they were saying ‘I do’. He was going to take his job as best man very seriously. ...starting with a killer bachelor party. “Why don’t we give the two lovebirds some space. C’mon. I’ll take you out to dinner. My treat.” He offered. “Since your movie night is now doomed, I’m sure.”

Emmy took a deep breath, not even wanting to think about the torture that Sam had endured. She couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for him, and just the thought of it made her tear up again. She shook her head, giving his hand a squeeze. “I’m glad I could be that for you...I’m glad you got through. ...I’m glad I listened to my gut. I knew you were out there somewhere. I knew you weren’t gone. Everyone kept telling me you were, that there was no hope, but I just knew...” She took a deep breath. “I honestly think even if that hadn’t been sent to me that things would have gotten anywhere. Like I said...I just knew you were out there somewhere and my heart just wouldn’t have been in it. I don’t think I really could have ever moved on.” Hearing the confirmation that Sam did in fact want to still get married, her smile widened and she reached behind her, taking the necklace off and sliding the ring into the palm of her hand. “Well in that case, here. You do it.” She handed the ring to Sam and held her hand out for him to slide the ring onto.

[springhillmumu]

gallagher-riddle‌:

“I remember the night after their first date…she had called me on the phone to talk about it and the only way to describe her was a giddy school girl. I think they both knew from the start that it would bloom into what it is today. Definitely a soul mate kind of thing going on with those two. Like…I know I’ve found the one when I feel what Emmy described to me. They really are meant for each other.” Hunter said with a small smile. “I totally agree. To feel a love that great and to share a special bond with someone like that…it’s gotta be amazing.”

Sam sat down on the couch, letting out a sigh as Emmy snuggled up besides him. This was one of the best feelings in the world - being snuggled up on the couch with his one true love, ignoring everything else that was going on in the world at the moment. “I’m so proud of you…I always knew you could do it, but to hear that you stuck with it and are now doing something you love…it makes me incredibly happy.” He smiled, placing a kiss on top of her head. “I know what you mean…I dreamt of this day for so long and I wasn’t even sure if it would come. I was a bit nervous contacting Maverick. I didn’t know if you had decided to move on.” Sam admitted.

“At least you got the heads up. You want to know how I found out they were dating? They thought I was going to be out with a couple of friends, so Sam showed up at the house to pick her up and take her out. When he showed up at the house, I answered the door and the look of confusion on his face said it all. Emmy came out of her room, dressed all nice, and I just knew. And they expected me to freak out, but I just shook it off, told Sam if he ever hurt her, I’d beat the hell out of him, and went back to playing video games.” Maverick laughed at the memory. He’d always been a protective older brother. “Someday I’ll have what they have. ...someday.” He sighed. “Till then, I guess we’ve got some wedding planning to help with, hm?”

Emmy smiled widely hearing Sam tell her how proud he was. “It wasn’t easy...but after everything...I sort of just threw myself into studying. It was really all I did. Because I knew you’d want me to stick with it, so I worked extra hard and just kept on going. And I never thought of giving up. And now I’m officially Dr. Emilia Lincoln, MD.” She said proudly. Her face fell a little when Sam mentioned the thought of her moving on and she shook her head. “No...I tried. ...once. I signed up for an online dating site about a year ago, but my heart just wasn’t in it. And then some guy sent me a dick pic and I noped the hell out of that scene. And then I figured I didn’t really have time for dating anyways. ...we put a decade into our relationship. That’s a lot of time. Nobody is ever going to know me like you do. We’ve been through everything together, you know? ...that’s something special. So, I kept my engagement ring on a necklace around my neck, and refused to take it off. ...although, I suppose now I can move it back to my finger.” She paused. “I mean...as long as you still want to.....”

[cohenchrismukkah]

[springhillmumu]

gallagher-riddle‌:

“I thought you were fucking with me when you said he was back. I know you wouldn’t do something like that, but…it was just so hard to believe. I’m glad it is happening. Emmy deserves happiness and her happy ever after.” Hunter leaned against the counter top, letting out a small sigh. “The amount of love those two have for each other…” The blonde trailed off, a small smile appearing on her lips.

Sam wrapped his arms tight around his fiancee, placing a kiss on top of her head. He never wanted to let her go. If he did, he was afraid she’d be gone. “Yes, tell me everything. I don’t even care if we’re here all night. I want to know it all. I’m sure a lot has happened since I’ve been gone.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at her next words. “Cool trauma surgeon? Damn, I’m a lucky man.”

“I can be cruel, but I’m not that cruel. I think that’s one thing I could never joke about, because I know if word got back to Emmy and she had gotten even her slightest hope up, she would have been devastated, She only just started being herself again...I wouldn’t want anything to take that away.” Maverick sighed. His sister was one of the most important people in his life, and he hated seeing her so broken. So seeing her now, it was a good feeling. “It was weird...seeing them get together at first. I was a little jealous, I won’t lie. But then I saw how good they worked together, and I got over that pretty quickly. Now I’m just a little jealous of the love they have for each other. ...it’d be nice to have that, you know?”

Emmy led Sam over to the couch and snuggled up to him. Her head was on his shoulder and her hands in his as she sighed contently. She could only imagine what her parents would think when they arrived home...they’d probably think they were seeing ghosts. But Emmy was happy in that moment, the happiest she’d ever been. She gave Sam’s hand a squeeze and smiled. “Yes, a super cool trauma surgeon. I finally finished medical school, went through all the rotations, and decided trauma was for me. So I get to see all the cool stuff that comes in,” She looked up at him, letting go of his hand and touching his face again. “I just can’t believe you’re here...I’ve had so many dreams that start out like this, and then I touch you, and you’re gone...”

[bob-belcher]

[jadisonews]

[screaminoutfits]

outfit inspirations here! 

[disneyprincelrh-blog]

But like imagine you and best friend are just on his bed tickling each other and play fighting and then suddenly he flips you over onto your back and pins your arms above your head and he’s all smirking because he knows you wont be able to get away and your tshirt is after riding up and he gives you this wicked grin and starts blowing raspberries on your tummy and you’re giggling and squealing telling him to stop because it tickles but he just continues, but soon his raspberries turn into kisses that trail down your stomach towards the hem of your sweatpants and he looks up at you through his eyelashes as if looking for approval and you just nod your head and he starts tugging your sweats down and let’s just say you’re not eXACTLY JUST FRIENDS AFTER

[pglang]

friend with a bad idea:👀

me:👀

[afterglowinspo]

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