#fragolinaa

[themetaphorgirl]

my darling Maeve requested another Haymitch and Maysilee whumpy sibling drabble, but this one is they-both-survive flavored! I'm still finding my footing with SOTR fics, but hopefully this one is enjoyable!

----------

“Haymitch!” Maysilee screamed. She tried to take another step but white hot pain shot through her ankle. It had to be shattered. She cursed in frustration, if it wasn’t for her fucking ankle she would be right there with him, not staggering in slow motion past Silka’s tangled up corpse.

At least she knew exactly where he went. A blood trail marked his path through the trampled grass- way, way too much blood. She needed to get to him and fast, but she couldn’t go fast, her ankle wouldn’t let her. 

When she found him he was clinging to his flint striker, but it took a second to figure out what he was doing. “Haymitch Abernathy, stop what you’re doing-” a voice boomed from on high, and then a shockwave rumbled through the ground. She couldn’t keep her footing and fell onto her hands and knees, gasping from the pain, but that was nothing compared to the sight of Haymitch crumpling into the grass, his hand falling away red from the gaping wound in his belly but the flint striker still clutched to his chest.

“Hay-” she called, and then he started to seize, his limbs tight and shaking. “Haymitch!”

She crawled towards him, ripping up the bright green grass in her desperate clutches, dragging her injured leg behind her. The world spun around her in dizzy circles; she could smell the crisp plasticky smell of an electrical fire but she wasn’t quite sure where it was coming from. She was only sure of Haymitch’s body seizing, broken little noises escaping from his slack mouth. 

“Come on,” she said as she pressed her hand against the deep wound in his stomach. Blood oozed over her fingers and the dizziness pounding in her head increased tenfold; she didn’t dare look at the sight. She forced herself to focus on his face, his dark lashes against his pale cheek and his gray slack lips. “Come back. Come back!”

It seemed like an eternity before he began to quiet down, his body going limp and still. “Come on, wake up,” she muttered. If he wasn’t hurt so badly she would shake him. “Wake up, dammit. You’re not allowed to die on me.”

She was so distracted that she didn’t notice the chopper until it was on top of them, and suddenly she was being forcibly pulled away from him. “Let me go,” she spat through her teeth. “Let me go!”

Maysilee clutched at his limp unconscious body, snarling like a feral thing, but they wrenched him out of her grasp and forced her away. They pushed her down to lie in the grass and she pulled at their clutches, trying to escape. 

Already there were people in pristine uniforms working over Haymitch, blocking her view of him, but her hand was still hot and wet with his blood. “Let me go!” she shouted, but no one was paying any attention to her, they were talking amongst themselves in brisk clipped tones and taking inventory of her injuries. 

“Haymitch!” she screamed, anger and adrenaline swelling through her ribcage, pulling away from them, and she nearly made it back to him when they caught her and yanked her away from his limp body. Something sharp pierced her upper arm, and her vision blurred for a second before it went completely black. 

The next time she opened her eyes she was lying in a neatly made bed, tucked in nicely under clean starched sheets. Monitors beeped gently and an IV was taped to the back of her hand. 

She took a slow shaky breath, willing her brain to catch up and take stock of what was happening, and it all flooded back to her. Haymitch. She needed to find Haymitch.

Slowly she shuffled around until she could slide out of the bed. Her bad ankle was in a crisp plaster cast but she still winced when her heel made contact with the ground. After a moment she tested her weight gingerly; she couldn’t do much but she could hobble slowly. Her legs felt weak and wobbly, like a newborn calf’s. How long had she been lying in that bed? 

Haymitch. She needed to find Haymitch.

She let herself carefully out of the room and found herself in a sleek hospital corridor. The hall seemed to stretch on forever, flanked in identical doors. Desperation made a lump swell in her throat. How was she supposed to find him?

She hobbled down the hall trying different doors, peeking in on empty beds and vacant rooms. Aching pain began to shoot through her legs, her wasted muscles screaming at her to stop. But she couldn’t stop. 

Finally, finally, she opened a door and there he was. 

Relief flooded her chest like cool water. He was pale as a wraith, lying on his back with his arms at his side, palms turned up. There were more monitors and tubes and wires hooked up to him than she’d had, but then again they probably had had to stuff his intestines back inside his body and stitch him back up.

Maysilee crept closer, her knees all but collapsing under her as she leaned her hands on his bed. “I found you,” she rasped. She pulled herself up, grabbing at her thigh to help hoist her injured leg. Haymitch didn’t wake, didn’t even blink. An oxygen cannula was strapped over his face and his lips were parted, his breathing sluggish. 

She eased herself down carefully, trying not to jostle him too much. “You’re not allowed to leave me, Haymitch Abernathy,” she said. “You hear me?”

He didn’t answer. She curled herself around him, draping her arm over his chest, avoiding the swath of bandages around his stomach. “You can’t break promises, especially not promises you made to your sister.”

She shifted around until his head was tilted towards her shoulder, and for the first time since she came to she let herself think. They made it. They were going to go home. They both survived.

“You’re my brother now, that’s not changing,” she told him. “I’m going to look after you. Keep you from doing anything stupid. That’s what sisters are for.” 

She liked to think that the corner of his mouth twitched just a little, like he was thinking of some kind of wry reply in his sleep. Exhaustion was beginning to pull her down, but now she knew that Haymitch was alive, he was going to live, they were both going to live. The relief made her head swim and she closed her eyes. Briefly her lips grazed his temple, and then she let unconsciousness pull her down, down, down, lulled to sleep by the steady beat of her brother’s heart. 

[aswallowssong]

Sicktember 2024 #4: "Great. I got a cold for my birthday."

So @fragolinaa and I have been working on a Critical Role AU for... well over a year. The whole thing is called "Twinkling Lights," (all 3 campaign's characters) but each campaign gets their own little name, because that's not confusing at all. Campaign 2 has always been my baby, and the thought was "What if the Mighty Nein were all absolutely chaotic, burned out high school teachers?" So I give you "Twenty Somethings."

Fjord was done with the day before he’d even opened his eyes. There was a steady pounding in his skull, and his throat hurt. Not to mention the fact that his sinuses felt like someone had shoved handfuls of paper towels up his nose. 

Great. I got a cold for my birthday.

Not that he cared much for his birthday anyway. He didn’t actually know what his birthday was, since his parents had left him at the doorstep of the orphanage when he was a baby. They’d picked a date five months before, since that’s how old the doctor said he probably was, and Cuersaar 6th it was.

And Cuersaar 6th it was, and he was sick, and he needed to get up for work before his second alarm went off and he was super behind for the morning.

Thankfully, Caduceus wasn’t into grand gestures of affection in general, but instead small, intimate gestures. So, when he sat down to shove some toast in his mouth, which scraped his already irritated and painful throat going down, and sniffled pitifully, all that met him was a warm cup of tea, and an affectionate hand on his forehead.

“Good morning, Fjord,” Caduceus said, giving him a knowing smile. “Happy birthday. Are you sick?”

“S’ a cold,” Fjord rasped. “Probably got it off Luc.”

Veth’s son loved Fjord, much to her dismay and his delight, but he’d parked himself in Fjord’s lap for all of movie night while his nose ran and he coughed quietly into the elbow of his sweatshirt. Veth and Yeza had said they’d just stay home with him, but no one in their friend group cared about a little cold.

Now, Fjord almost wished he had.

Caduceus hummed knowingly. “Ah, he was real snotty on Friday. Probably. Sorry, friend. I’ll put some tea I think will help in a travel mug for you to take with us.”

Fjord didn’t go a day without feeling like he was so desperately lucky to have a friend like Caduceus. “Thanks, Cad.”

“Mhm. I think there’s some soup left from a few nights ago. I can put that in a thermos for you, if you’d like? For lunch?”

It would have been easy to brush Cad off and tell him that it was fine. He probably wasn’t going to be hungry, anyway. He didn’t even want the toast he was currently choking down, but he knew that he needed something to get him through his classes. 

“I–”

“Let me? Since it’s a day about you?”

That stopped him from declining, and Fjord nodded slowly after a second. Cad knew the mixed emotions that came with his birthday; he had for years. 

“Okay,” he rasped, wincing and taking another sip of tea. “Okay. Thanks.”

“Sure,” Cad said, smiling widely at Fjord, and making him feel a little warmer inside. “I think there’s some cold medicine under the sink. Why don’t you go get some before we leave while I pack this up?”

Fjord nodded, obeying like a child. Regardless of the fact that he was a thirty-one, no, thirty-two year old man, he wished the same thing he’d wished every time he felt poorly since he could remember. He wanted to be comforted, and taken care of, not because it was someone’s job, but because they wanted to. Because they loved him.

And Cad did. He really did. Fjord knew that. But like a friend, or even a brother, and that was different.

He rustled through their bin of medicine that Cad kept stocked with natural and chemical remedies, and found a few blister packs of bright orange cold and flu medicine. He swallowed one pack, and stored the others in his pocket, wishing that he was staying home in a sweatshirt and joggers instead of the khakis and polo he had on for his job. The fact that Cad got to wear whatever he wanted only frustrated him until he remembered that Cad wasn’t going to be teaching Biology, but Culinary and Agriculture. He’d spend half the day outside in the crisp, early Cuersaar wind.

The thought of it made him shiver, or maybe that was the fact that he was decently sure he was sporting a mild fever, but he didn’t let himself dwell too long. He needed to drive to school.

“Cad?” He called, wincing and sniffling quietly as he pulled a jacket over his polo and pulled his keys off the hook.

Gods, he felt awful.

“Coming!” Caduceus rounded the corner with his school bag, already in a coat, and with both their lunch boxes in his hand. He smiled widely, giving Fjord an encouraging nod, and holding out his other hand, which held the travel mug of tea. “Oh, and don’t forget this.”

Fjord managed a small smile, taking the cup from Cad with a nod. “Thanks.”

“Oh sure. It’s a chilly morning, and by the sound of your voice, I’d say your throat needs it.”

It did, and when it was gone before his first period prep was over, he wished it wasn’t. He knew it wasn’t strep – he’d had that enough times in his life to know the feeling – but it was enough that he wished he had a days supply of the warm tea to keep him from rasping so badly while he taught his first two blocks of AP Bio. Several students looked at him with worry, ones that he knew were prone to anxious thinking, and he tried to give them a reassuring look as he explained the circulatory system.

By the end of his third period the cough had started, and the sniffling was getting annoying enough that Fjord had just grabbed a box of tissues from his cabinet and parked it on his desk. He’d already figured he was going to have to restructure his afternoon classes plans to be independent work, as opposed to teacher-led, but he knew his AP students were already worrying about Thunsheer’s test, and he owed it to them to give them everything they needed.

Even if it was at his own destruction.

When the bell for his lunch period rang, he audibly sighed, and when he turned to make sure his kids hadn’t left anything behind, he nearly jumped.

“Shoot! Oh, Orym. You startled me.”

The senior was looking at him with drawn eyebrows. “Sorry. Coach, are you okay?”

Orym had a heart of gold. Fjord noticed too, now, that Dorian was hanging in the doorway. It was unusual to see one without the other, and Fjord sighed, running a hand through his hair that desperately needed a trim.

“I’m fine,” Fjord said, like a liar. He didn’t want to worry Orym more than he already was, especially with the heaviness he already bore. “Just a cold. Annoying, but bearable.”

Orym nodded, and so did Dorian from his sentinel’s post. “Okay. You should see if Nurse Jester has anything that can help. She showed up in Herr Widogast’s room earlier with cough drops.” He smirked a little. “Someone might have narked.”

Ah, Caleb. Caleb’s immune system was made of tissue paper, and as Luc’s uncle, he tended to pick up anything on the kindergartener immediately. 

“Herr too, huh? Good to know. Thanks, Orym.”

“Are we still having practice?”

Crap. Fjord did not want to have practice out in the crisp wind. He forgot they even had soccer that day. Why would he schedule a practice the day after a game? They didn’t have another one until the next week.

“Right, um. Let me get back to you, okay? Come see me after lunch. This is your lunch period, right?”

Orym nodded. “Okay. And then I’ll let the team know in the groupchat?”

“Perfect. I’ll write you a note to show up to fifth period a little late so we can figure it out. Now, go eat.”

Orym smiled, looking back at Dorian and nodding so the other boy would open the door, and they scrambled out to go find Imogen, no doubt. The three of them were a motley crew, but a favorite among his friend group of teachers. He could help but chuckle watching them go, and then sigh when the door closed and his headache reminded him that he was, indeed, sick.

The only good thing was that none of their friends knew when his birthday was. They didn’t know that it was, supposedly and legally, that day, and wouldn’t fret at him about being ill on a day that was supposed to be happy.

It wasn’t particularly happy, anyway.

The first one in his room was Beau, rage in her eyes, and he knew that the peaceful lunch he’d hoped for to let himself feel like crap was not happening.

“Do you know how ridiculous Kaylie can be?!”

Fjord sighed, sitting down at his desk and pulling out his hidden box of crackers, his water, and another blister pack of cold medicine.

Caleb had filtered in after that, looking pale and sucking on what Fjord assumed was a cough drop. He took a look at Fjord, and under Beau’s rant quietly said in a voice that matched his own rasp, “You as well then?”

Fjord gave a tired smile and nodded. “Yup.”

“Isn’t anyone listening to me?!”

“Kaylie is being a menace today because she spent the weekend with her mother, and then yesterday back with her father, so she is having the emotional whiplash,” Caleb said easily, and raspily, but Beau didn’t seem to notice.

“She still doesn’t have to be a monster–”

“Calm down, Beau. She’s seventeen and her home life is a wreck. Well, her mom’s home is a wreck. Let it roll.”

Beau looked at Fjord silently after he was finished, and then sighed, flopping down at her desk and basically throwing her lunchbox down.

The rest of their group filtered in, Cad bringing Fjord his lunchbox when he did, and Fjord savored the way the warm soup coated his stinging throat, and let conversation wash into the background as he settled a little bit into misery. He’d perk himself up when he needed to teach his next class, especially if he’d be dealing with a pissed off Kaylie, but for the time they sat in comfortable companionship, he simply let himself wallow a little.

Jester was eyeing him with worry, he knew that, and it embarrassed him, especially since he’d realized that he was very much in love with her, and she very much still had a shitty boyfriend. He tried not to make eye contact, but when the lunch bell rang and everyone started cleaning up their things to get ready for their next class, she was standing at his desk, holding a bottle of ibuprofen and a bag of cough drops.

“Here. I already gave Caleb what he needs for the rest of the day. You can come to me too, you know? I’m basically here for the students and the teachers. Having a cold while you’re teaching sucks so bad. Let me make it easier.” She leaned in and whispered to him, so no one else would hear what she said next. “Especially on your birthday.”

He felt like he was going to melt under the sincerity of her gaze, and he couldn’t do anything but give a little nod, his heart doing some sort of anxious tap dance when he took the bottle from her and their fingers brushed. 

“Thanks, Jessie. I know, I just… didn’t want to bother anyone.”

“Cad told me that you don’t want anyone to know about today. And I won’t tell anyone, but, maybe on Folsen I’ll bring a cake to Molly and Yasha’s for family dinner. Just because. Not for any reason.”

Her eyes were sparkling, and she was looking at him with no pity whatsoever. She wanted to do it, he could tell, and she wanted to help him, and all those things made it really hard to focus on what he was going to say next.

“I– Alright. Can it be strawberry?”

“Of course it can. And, I know you’re going to say no, but I’m going to get you a present. Don’t tell me no, I’ve made up my mind. You deserve something better than a cold for your birthday.”

She nodded, speaking in a normal voice again. “Also you should cancel practice, since you’re sick.”

“Oh,” Beau said, whipping around at the word ‘practice.’ “I can take the boys today. You should go home and sleep, you look like you need it.”

They were the only ones left in the room, everyone else having left, Cad with a small wave as he’d gone while Fjord had been talking to Jester.

“I–”

“Say yes,” Jester said simply, and shrugged. “Or else.”

“Or… else?”

“Or else.” She turned, her hair nearly smacking him in the face as she skipped out of the room, her pink scrubs a whirl as she spun out the door, and around Orym as he walked in.

Orym looked confused, but shook it off as he faced both Fjord and Beau.

“Hi, Coach Lionette. Coach Stone, did you figure out practice?”

“You guys are going to practice with me and the girls today. Let your team know.”

Orym looked between Beau and Fjord for a moment before groaning quietly. “They’re gonna kick our butts.”

Fjord chuckled, which turned into a cough, and he knew he’d made the right decision accepting Beau’s offer. She didn’t know it, but she’d also given him a present that was better than a cold. All he had to do was get through the rest of the day, and he could crawl in bed and hope he’d wake up feeling better, for a better day altogether.

[themetaphorgirl]

this was prompted by my darling Maeve!!! (seriously, I have absolutely no fucking clue what I would do without Maeve in my life. a literal angel.)

also yes I have a backlog of prompts that I should fill, but YES I am always taking more prompts if you have them!!

----------

“Penelope, do you really need a bag that big?”

She hugged her arms around her tote bag. “Yes!” she said. “I have nine peoples’ worth of snacks in here.” 

Dave locked his car doors. “Well, everyone had better finish all their snacks before they get back in my car after this, because there’s no eating allowed,” he announced. 

“Yeah, we know, Grandpa,” Emily said. He rolled his eyes. 

“I’ll just ride back in James’s car, he’ll let us eat,” Derek said. 

“Good luck prying the Wonder Twins and their baby out of there,” Emily said. “Trust me, I’ve tried. I keep telling them I can squish into the backseat middle, but they keep saying that there’s no room for me.”

JJ blew a bubble and snapped her gum. “I just hope they don't ask to check your bag when we get in there,” she said. “You’re not supposed to bring in outside food and drinks to a movie theater.”

Penelope’s mouth dropped open. “They won’t get me in trouble, will they?” she said. “I’m just a little girl with a few pieces of candy.”

“You have the entire Willy Wonka factory in there, Penny,” Dave said. 

She stood in the middle of the parking lot as they walked away. “Guys, I won’t get in trouble, right?” she called. “Guys?”

“Come on, Pen, you’re standing in the middle of the road.”

She hurried to catch up; the other half of the group was waiting on the sidewalk. “There you guys are,” James said. “Whoa, Penny. That’s…that's a big bag.”

“It’s not that noticeable, is it?” she said. 

“Spencer could use that as a sleeping bag,” Aaron said dryly. 

Spencer made a face. “I’m not that little,” he said. 

“We should probably go if we want to get popcorn before the movie,” Alex said. 

“Are we going to need any?” JJ said. “With all the stuff Penelope is sneaking in for us?”

“Oh, definitely,” Derek said. 

Penelope’s heart was beating so loudly she was sure the theater employees could hear it. Maybe she had a glowing neon sign above her head- ask me about the illegal candy in my bag! 

“Penny, stop looking so guilty,” Dave whispered. 

“But I am guilty,” she whispered back. 

“It was your idea to bring all this candy.”

“Stop talking about it!”

“Well, then stop looking so guilty!”

She hugged the bag to her chest and hid herself behind Derek. He shook his head, grinning, and handed her ticket to the bored employee along with his. 

Once they were safely into the theater she exhaled loudly. “I was not cut out for a life of crime,” she said. 

“I don’t think that counts as a crime,” JJ said. “Besides…haven’t you gotten in trouble like a million times for hacking computers?”

“That’s different,” Penelope said. “I’m going to go sit in the theater. Can somebody come with me?”

“Yeah, yeah, I will,” Emily said. “I’ll be your fall guy if they catch you. I’d do better in prison than you would.” Penelope’s eyes widened. “They’re not going to send you to prison, Pen, it’s a joke.”

Still, she didn’t feel completely secure until she was safely seated in the theater, her bag of contraband settled on her lap. She waited for the rest of the kids to make their way to their seats with their popcorn, half watching the preshow on the screen and half scanning for theater employees. 

“Dave, I think you have more butter than popcorn,” Aaron said. 

“What’s the point of getting movie theater popcorn if you don’t dump a ton of extra movie theater butter on it?” Dave protested. 

“It’s not really butter, most theaters use a coconut oil blend,” Spencer said. 

“Yeah, well, it’s still delicious.”

Alex sat down, and Spencer immediately plunked down in the seat beside her, nudging James out of his way. “Uh…could I sit next to Alex, please?” he said. 

“No, thank you, I’d like to sit here,” Spencer said. 

Penelope bit back a giggle at the look of tragic desperation on his face. “Do you want to sit on her other side, so you can be between the twins?” James suggested. 

“Yeah, you can sit over here, Bug,” Aaron said. 

“No, thank you,” Spencer said. 

Alex covered Spencer’s ears. “Don’t worry, babe, he’ll fall asleep twenty minutes into the movie and then I can give him to Aaron,” she whispered. 

Spencer squirmed around and frowned at her. “What did you say?”

“Nothing, darling.”

Penelope opened up her bag. “All right, I think we’re safe,” she said. “I think I have everything. I’ve got Milk Duds for Derek-“

JJ made a face. “I think we need to start calling you Grandpa instead of Dave.”

“Hey!” Derek protested. 

“Thank god,” Dave said. 

“Junior Mints for JJ-“

“Ew, that’s like eating chocolate covered toothpaste,” Derek said. 

“Milk Duds are basically chocolate covered cement, so who’s the real loser here?”

Penelope kept digging around in her bag. “Black licorice for Emily…”

Dave, JJ, and Derek stared at her. She shrugged. “It’ll turn my mouth black,” she said. 

“I’ve got a single can of ginger ale for Hotch, which…that’s just very sad,” Penelope said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Aaron said. 

“His tummy hurts and he’s being very brave about it,” Alex said. He huffed in annoyance. 

Penelope held up two packets of candy. “Skittles for Spencer and M&Ms for James,” she said. 

“Thanks, Pen,” James said as he ripped it open and poured it into his popcorn. 

Spencer’s eyes went wide. “You can do that?” he said.

“Yeah, Bug, you want to try it?” James asked. He held it out and Spencer took a small handful. 

Penelope pulled out her bag of Hi-Chews and set her tote on the empty seat next to her. “So since you guys have terrible taste in candy, I have backups,” she said. “I have starbursts, sour patch kids, Hershey kisses, Reese’s cups-“

Derek shook his empty Milk Duds box. “Can you toss me something?” he said. “I finished mine.”

“Already? The previews haven’t even started!”

[themetaphorgirl]

who wants some adorable Hotch and Haley??

This was prompted by @fragolinaa with ASL knowledge provided by @thesassprincess!!! two of my favorite people in the whole world!!!

also Aaron is both Brenna and Maeve’s favorite, so I’ve been writing a lot of Aaron things lately ahahahaha. He’s such a sweetheart. but also shoutout to the commenter from the early days of Patron Saint who told me that the way I wrote Hotch had no personality at all. I still stress about it to this day. but hopefully he’s a lot more interesting to read now!!

----------

Oh my god, Haley thought. He doesn’t know this is a date.

She sat in the back of the car, listening to James and Aaron talk about an upcoming test, as horror slowly sank into the pit of her stomach. Surely he’d figured it out by now that this was a double date. 

Aaron twisted around in the passenger seat. “Birdy, when we get back, would you mind helping me run through my calculus study guide?” he asked. “James thinks we’ll be back too late for me to get Spencer to help.”

“I mean…I suppose,” Alex said, looking up from her book. “You don’t want to wait for tomorrow?”

“No, we can do it tonight, a movie and dessert shouldn’t run that late,” he said. 

Alex poked him in the arm. “Turn around before you make yourself carsick,” she said. 

He blushed. “I’m not-“ he started to say. He shifted towards Haley. “She’s joking, I don’t-“ He turned back around quickly. “So what time is the movie?”

Haley hid a smile. “Not till six, so we have plenty of time,” James said. 

It would be okay if it wasn’t a date. She was happy to spend time with him, especially off campus. 

But the school year was ending in a month, and she wouldn’t see him all summer, and what if he met another girl before they came back in the fall?

James pulled into a parking spot and Haley got out, unsure of what to do with herself- which was a rare and unsettling feeling for her. 

“While you guys are getting tickets, I’m going to run to the bathroom,” Alex said as she slid her book in her purse. “Haley, do you want to come with me?”

“Uh…yeah,” she said. 

James helped her smooth her long red hair free of her purse strap. “We’ll meet you at concessions,” he said. “Aaron, you’re getting Haley’s ticket, right?”

Aaron blinked. “Oh, yeah, sure,” he said. “I can do that.” James shot him a weird look. 

Haley followed Alex inside the theater and into the bathroom. As soon as the door closed Alex whirled around. “Oh my god, he doesn’t know this is a date, does he?” she said. 

“I don’t think so,” Haley groaned. “Oh my god. I thought I made it super clear.”

“How exactly did you ask him?” Alex asked. 

Haley ran her fingers through her hair. “We were at the Honeybean!” she said. “We were in line, and James said you wanted to see the movie, and Aaron said he wanted to see it too, and then he asked me if I wanted to go, and I said yes, absolutely, could we go together? And he said yes.”

“Oh, no,” Alex said, leaning against the sink as Haley started to pace. 

“And then James was like ‘oh perfect, Alex and I will be together and you two will be together’, and then we picked out the day and the time, and then Aaron was like ‘meet us in the parking lot at five’ and I was like ‘perfect, it’s a date’.”

“But neither of you…actually…agreed that it was a date,” Alex said. 

“No,” Haley said, shoulders slumping in misery. “You guys thought it was a double date too, right?”

“Oh, absolutely, that’s why James gave him that weird look, he assumed Aaron was getting your ticket because it was a date,” Alex said. “I even talked to Aaron about it the other day and called it a date. It’s weird that he didn’t pick up on that.”

“Do you think James will ask him about it?” Haley said. 

Alex sighed. “There’s no telling,” she said. She rested her hands on Haley’s shoulders. “Listen, Brooks. Underneath Aaron’s stern, serious, intelligent facade is a very sweet, very shy, very dumb teenage boy. Emotionally dumb. And underneath that, he is so in love with you he’s seasick in your presence.”

“Really?” Haley said. 

“Really,” Alex said. “Hopefully he’ll figure it out this is a date on his own. Or you’ll get the chance to talk. But in any case, I promise that he’s absolutely thrilled that you’re hanging out with us.” She brushed the pads of her thumbs under Haley’s eyes. “Don’t cry, your mascara’s running. Let’s clean that up.”

Haley dabbed at her eyes with a wet paper towel and touched up her makeup. “I look like I’m dressed for a date, right?” she said, surveying herself in the mirror. “I’ve been saving this dress for ages so I could wear it to something important.”

“You look beautiful,” Alex reassured her. “I’m sure he’ll figure it out. Eventually.”

They walked back out into the lobby; James and Aaron were waiting near the concessions. “What snacks do you guys want?” James asked. 

Alex linked her fingers through his and he kissed her temple. “Nothing too crazy if we’re getting dinner afterwards,” she said. 

Aaron frowned. “I thought we were just getting dessert,” he said. 

“Nope,” James said. 

Aaron looked down at Haley. “You’re not much of a popcorn person,” he said. “M&Ms, right?”

She smiled. “Yeah,” she said. “We can share them if you want.”

His ears immediately turned red. “Uh…yeah, that’s…we can do that,” he said. 

Haley hid a smile. He might not have figured out they were on a date, but Alex was right, he did have a crush on her. 

When they took their seats in the theater she ended up between the twins, Aaron on her left and Alex on her right. James plunked down next to Alex with their small popcorn and cherry Coke. “If this movie sucks, I’m suing,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this for ages.”

Alex tossed a piece of popcorn at him and he caught it in his mouth. “You’ve never even read the book,” she laughed. 

“Yes, I have,” he protested. “You let me borrow it last summer.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Haley pried open the M&Ms box. “The third book in the series is better,” she said, tipping some of the candy into her hand. “I don’t read a whole lot, but I like those.” She offered the box to Aaron. “Have you read it?”

He smiled at her shyly and took some. “No, I don’t usually have a lot of time to read,” he said. “Alex is making a list of books I need to catch up on.”

“You should send me a copy of the list, I need to read more,” she said. 

The four of them chatted idly, their conversation settling as the trailers started to roll. “You can have some of my drink if you want,” Aaron offered. “Diet Coke?”

She nodded and took a sip, more for the excuse to smile at him than anything else. Even in the dim lights she could see him blush. God, he’s cute, she thought. I wish this was an actual date.

By the time the movie started, Alex and James had drifted into each other, the armrest pulled up between them so she could lean on his chest and he could wrap his arm around her shoulder. Haley bit back a sigh.

She kept her hand on the armrest between herself and Aaron, giving him as many opportunities as possible to accidentally brush against her as he reached for his drink. Luckily it kept happening, his fingertips grazing her knuckles, until finally about twenty minutes into the movie she curled her palm upwards and caught his hand lightly.

He immediately slipped his fingers through hers. He was staring straight at the screen, but she could see him smiling. This is good, she thought. This is progress. 

They held hands in silence, her heart skipping beats. She worked up to tracing her thumb along his in a slow, steady pattern. His hand was so much bigger than hers.

Every so often she caught James and Alex leaning into each other to kiss- not often enough to be gross, but just enough that jealousy puddled in the pit of her stomach. God, why couldn’t he have just known it was a date, she thought. That could be us, but he’s so dumb.

Forty-five minutes into the movie Aaron glanced over at James and Alex, rolled his eyes at them kissing, and looked back at the screen. After a beat his hand suddenly twitched.

Haley frowned, but he slid his hand away from hers, leaned over her, and tapped Alex’s arm. “What?” she whispered.

Aaron started signing. Haley watched, trying to keep up. She knew the twins were both capable in ASL, after Alex had started teaching Aaron and Spencer what she was learning in class, but she knew very little. Their facial expressions were hard to see in the dark, but she tried to figure out what they were talking about. Aaron seemed frustrated to the point of despair, and Alex was barely holding back a laugh. 

James leaned around Haley. “They do this sometimes,” he whispered. “It’s a twin thing.”

“Do you know what they’re saying?”

“Not really. They’re so good at languages, and I barely passed the school language requirement, and only because Alex tutored me.”

Haley watched them. They kept repeating the same signs- they both had their hands curved like lowercase d shapes, their fingertips tapping, but Alex made the sign more upright, and Aaron tilted his hands forward. Alex kept shaking her head, and finally Aaron flopped back in his seat, slumping down and staring blankly forward in a daze.

Haley sat quietly, hands in her lap, watching him out of the corner of her eye. She couldn’t figure out what had just happened. 

Suddenly Aaron got up and half-jogged down the steps to the exit. Haley’s heart sank.

“I know what happened now,” Alex whispered. She shifted towards her. “This means dessert.” She signed the way Aaron had, the lowercase d shapes tilted forward. “And this means date.” She tilted her hands back up and made the same gesture. “Remember when I told you that I said it was a date? We were signing. And I think he got confused.”

“Oh my god,” Haley whispered. She slid down in her seat, trying not to laugh too loudly in the quiet movie theater. “So he thought-”

“That’s why he kept talking about dessert.”

The two of them burst out laughing, attempting to smother the sound and failing. “Okay, okay, wait, can you teach me something really quick?” Haley said, trying to stay quiet. “Before he gets back.”

She was ready by the time Aaron sat down next to her again. “Here,” he whispered, handing her another box of M&Ms. “I thought that…” He paused. “Never mind. It’s stupid.”

He was clearly frazzled, his dark hair falling over his forehead as he avoided making eye contact with her. Haley squeezed his forearm. “Wait,” she whispered, and she waited for him to look up.

She pointed to him, then to herself, and then touched the tips of her thumb and middle finger together and drew her hand from her chest like she was plucking an invisible string from her heart.

Aaron’s eyes lit up. He signed back, and she knew what he saying.

I like you too.

Impulsively she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, her hair falling against his shoulder. He smiled at her in a daze, and this time he reached for her hand on purpose, closing his strong fingers around hers and squeezing tight as he moved the armrest out of their way so they could be closer.

[themetaphorgirl]

did I write a random teeny tiny drabble at 2am? apparently I did.

————

She had every intention of going to bed early, but she didn’t realize it was past midnight until she heard the little knock on the door.

Penelope immediately dropped her phone on her face. “Shit,” she mumbled under her breath. “Oh, did my for you page refresh? I’ll never find that video again.”

She clambered out of bed and opened the door. “Hi,” Spencer whispered loudly. He was dressed in his dinosaur pajamas and his blanket was wrapped around his shoulders like a cape. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Penelope dragged him into the room and closed the door. “Are you kidding? You’re not supposed to be out of your room in the middle of the night, much less on a girl’s floor,” she hissed. “Why didn’t you go wake up Hotch?”

“He had the door closed and he was talking to Alex, they sounded serious,” Spencer said. His lower lip dropped in a pout. “Can I watch Doctor Who with you?”

“Tenth, please.”

She fumbled around in her nightstand drawer for her iPad; it was completely dark in the room except for her pink twinkly string lights festooned around her side. “Just don’t wake up JJ, okay?” she said as she climbed back into her bed.

“She’s fine, she can sleep through anything,” Spencer said.

She leaned back against her pillows as she turned on an episode, and to her shock Spencer laid down next to her so he could rest his head on her lap. “Can you tilt it a little more?” he asked.

She adjusted the screen, trying to not make any sudden movements. Spencer wiggled around, getting comfy with his blanket hugged in his arms. Penelope’s heart squeezed a little in her chest. Spencer was very particular about being touched, and usually only the twins were allowed to snuggle him. It was a huge boost of confidence to know he felt comfortable enough to cuddle.

She rested her hand on his head and without thinking idly played with his hair. “What episode do you want to watch?” she asked.

“I don’t know, you can pick,” he said. She shifted the iPad to balance the weight as she tapped the screen. “Can…can you keep playing with my hair? It’s nice.”

“Oh!” she said. “Oh, yes, I can do that.”

“And do you mind turning the captions on?” he asked, already sounding a little sleepy.

“Of course,” she said. She ran her fingers through his hair as the episode started, and Spencer sighed in contentment, focused on the iPad screen. She kept idly playing with his hair, the ends curling around her fingertips, and halfway through the second episode she heard him start to snore lightly.

It was past two when the door tapped open and Alex peeked inside. Her long hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she was wearing an oversized flannel that Penelope distinctly remembered James wearing the previous weekend. “Hi,” she whispered. “Please tell me you have Spencer.” Penelope nodded and pointed to the child asleep on her lap. “Oh, thank god.”

“He said he couldn’t sleep and he wanted to watch Doctor Who,” Penelope whispered back.

Alex sighed in relief and bent to pick him up; Spencer roused enough to wrap his arms around her neck and nuzzle into her shoulder. “Aaron went to check on him and freaked out when he wasn’t there,” she said as she adjusted him on her hip. “Can you text him and let him know he’s okay?”

“Yes, absolutely!” Penelope said. She handed his blanket to Alex and picked up her phone. “If it happens again I’ll text him as soon as he gets here.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Alex said as she patted his back. “Thanks for taking care of him.”

“I didn’t know he liked me that much,” Penelope said. “I mean, I know he likes me, but he wanted to cuddle. I thought he was a germaphobe and doesn’t like to be touched unless it’s you or Hotch.”

Alex sort of smiled. “It’s easier to say he’s a germaphobe, I guess,” she said.

Penelope frowned. “That’s cryptic, what does that mean?” she said.

Alex brushed a lock of hair off Spencer’s forehead, her expression thoughtful. “I’m sure he’ll talk about it with you at some point, eventually,” she said. “But yes, he likes you. He’s comfortable with you.” She switched off the pink twinkle lights. “Get some sleep, Pen. It’s late.”

Penelope obeyed, tugging on her layers of blankets until she was snuggled in her nest. Alex carried Spencer into the hall and closed the door behind her, and it didn’t take her long to doze off.

[themetaphorgirl]

Okay I have no idea if you even like Taylor Swift but PSOLC Aaron’s song is 100% ‘this is me trying’!! I’m thinking either Alex or Emily would be ‘the Man’ (okay I’m thinking Emily would be more or a ‘champagne problems’ queen) and I think Spencer started as ‘right where you left me’ but is turning into more of a ‘fearless’ kinda vibe (if you change the context to found family love instead of romantic) … that’s all I have so far but if you have thoughts I’d love to hear them 💙

okay so YES I'm a Taylor Swift fan (fun fact: I didn't like her music much when I lived in Nashville and she was still mostly country, but then 1989 came out and everything changed)

THESE ARE ALL VERY GOOD SONG CHOICES I LOVE IT AND I AM HERE FOR IT

also Lover works for James and Alex, and Betty works for Aaron and Haley.

Last Great American Dynasty also seems like a good choice for Emily too

also I've started making separate playlists for all the Patron Saint kids on Spotify if anyone wants to see them!! (I haven't been able to write in ages, but I never stop thinking about writing. I have so many things sketched out and planned.)

now I need to think about more Taylor Swift songs that work for the babies.

[themetaphorgirl]

@fragolinaa replied to your post “Where's my baby?" Oh my god I love alex so much”

Does Spence get migraines in Patron Saint? Because if so.... �� Maybe something about that?

I’m still not sure if I want to add in the migraines, since I’m loading a lot of angst on the poor kid already (maybe later on if I write a sequel???) but this was EXACTLY what I was looking for!!!

(also I feel like I need to mention that @f-m27 had a conversation at 1am about how Spencer Reid was definitely the kind of kid to insist that he’s absolutely fine all day and then projectile vomit at 2am, and then still try to go to school the next day. He has the vibe. 

anyways, here’s a schmoopy whumpy something!!!

---------

“Spencer, are you okay?” Alex asked.

Spencer walked stiffly into the common room, rubbing his eyes. “Nothing,” he mumbled.

“No, you don’t look so hot,” Hotch said. “What’s wrong?”

He kept his eyes down, away from the lights. “Headache,” he said in a small voice. “I threw up.”

“Oh, gross, do you have the flu?” Derek said.

Alex got up quickly. “Do you think it’s one of your migraines?” she asked. Spencer gave a tiny nod, as if even that small movement hurt him, and she picked him up easily. “Okay, sweetheart. It’s all right.”

“Do you need any help?” Hotch asked.

Alex pressed her hand to Spencer’s back as he buried his face in her shoulder. “No, I’ve got it,” she said.

She carried him down the hall to his room and closed the door before setting him down on the edge of his bed. “Get out of your school clothes and then you can go to sleep, all right?” she said. He nodded, and she could see the faint tear tracks on his cheeks. 

Spencer didn’t cry. He never cried. He was so always stubborn about it, fighting back tears even though his eyes were red-rimmed and his voice shook.

If Spencer was crying, it was bad. 

He kicked off his shoes, the laces still tied, and shrugged off the blazer, but he fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. After a moment his hands dropped to his lap, a forlorn little figure. Alex knelt down. “Let me help,” she said softly, and he didn’t fight as she helped him change out of his school clothes and into his pajamas. 

He was so quiet and so still, his lips pressed together tightly, and every so often a stray tear rolled down his pale cheek. Alex cupped his chin in her hand. “Does it still hurt the most behind your right eye?” she asked. 

“Mm-hm,” he said, barely audible. 

She stroked his hair away from his forehead. He had normal headaches on occasion, usually from lack of sleep or forgetting to drink water, but the migraines always settled behind his right eye. “You haven’t had one in a while,” she said quietly. “Lie down.”

She got up, patting his knee gently, and closed the blinds and the curtains over the window. They’d tried all sorts of things to help with his migraines, and it killed her that there was almost nothing that could take the pain away, other than time and sleep. The school infirmary wasn’t much help, not that they could convince him to go. 

She turned back around to find him still sitting on the edge of his bed, his hands pressed to his forehead. “Spence, lie down,” she chided. 

“Can’t,” he mumbled. “Can’t move.”

She sat down on his bed and pulled and tugged at him until he was tucked up against her, his head resting on her shoulder. “You’ll feel better soon, I promise,” she said, pulling the blankets around him.

He curled into her, his small hand latching onto the lapel of her blazer. “Don’t leave,” he begged. 

“I won’t leave, baby,” she promised. She kissed his warm forehead, and wondered how many people had walked out on him before that he felt he had to beg her to stay. “I won’t leave. I’m right here.”

[themetaphorgirl]

Hi! So I blew through the entirety of your Criminal Minds fics in like two days, and now I've been giving my friend a play by play while I wait for more haha. However, since the update, I've been back on my Patron Saints bullshit and have drawn, just, so much fan art. Also, I look eerily similar to how you describe Alex, dyed red hair, librarian dresses and all. (Also 5'0" queens unite!)

HI HELLO MY BEAUTIFUL DARLING

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA

I AM OBSESSED WITH YOUR ART!!!!

like honestly. you are a gift. and I adore you. I’m about to reblog everything and I need to tell you that I am VERY EMOTIONAL and you are SO TALENTED and you are the best!!!!!

(also yes 5′0″ queens unite!!!!!)