At Some Point We Are Going To Need To Discuss How Hot S8 Bobby Has Been

Objection! Part 5

Rafael Barba x fem!Carisi!reader

2.1k word count

Summary All you wanted was to be a lawyer like your big brother Sonny. So what happens when you get a job working under the famous ADA Rafael Barba

slow-burn, colleague to friends to lovers

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

For months the days where just as busy as that first day. Some days were filled with paperwork, some days were spent entirely at the courthouse. More and more I was working independently of Rafael only crossing paths briefly to hand off files or to discuss a case. Rafael had even organised me my own office. As much as I enjoyed the newfound freedom within the DA’s office, I was also missing being so close to Rafael. We still had a little meetings, casual lunches and nights out with the SVU team, but it became less of us and more the whole team.

Finally, a case came up that allowed me to work closely with Rafael again. What started as a runaway with no connection to SVU and turned into a possible stranger abduction had become a massive manhunt for a yet unknown person who was enjoying taunting Rafael in the form of letters with clues which to places with more clues that lead to dead ends. 2 months and hundreds of mans hours had been put into finding this person and we were still no closer. No name, no witnesses, no evidence and 7 missing teenagers. We had rearranged the entire SVU pull pen pushing all tables to the sides and filling the middle of the room with drawing boards. I was currently sat staring at the clues we had been sent. The first ever letter we received from this guy told us that we would find the missing teen just by following his clues. Yet all the clues had led to dead ends. Something wasn’t adding up, something didn’t make sense.

“Y/n we have to go update the mayor” Rafael said coming to a stop next to me.

“Yeah, yeah coming”

“You’ve been staring at these notes for ages” Rafael sliding his hands into his pockets.

“Somethings bothering me about them. I feel like we’ve missed something” I say eyes not leaving the boards in front of me.

“You’ve been working for almost 40 hours, lets update the mayor then you can go home and get some sleep.” Rafael held out a hand to help me up.

I took Rafael’s hand and stood, though my eyes lingered on the boards a second longer. The sketches, cryptic letters, and scribbled coordinates seemed to mock me, each taunt from our unknown suspect ringing louder in my mind. But he was right—I needed a clear head if I was going to see whatever was lurking in the details.

As we made our way to the mayor's office, I replayed the clues in my mind, hoping a fresh perspective or a conversation might help connect the dots. This case had turned into something personal for everyone involved, especially for Rafael, whose frustration was mounting with each letter that slipped through our fingers and led to nothing.

In the elevator, he broke the silence. “You know, we’re close. I can feel it.”

I glanced at him, seeing the exhaustion mirrored in his expression. But there was something else too—a simmering determination that made me feel as if we were on the brink of a breakthrough.

“You think he’s messing with us on purpose?” I asked, voicing a theory that had been nagging me.

“Absolutely. He’s got a plan,” Rafael said, his jaw tight. “And he wants us chasing our tails.”

The elevator doors opened to reveal the marble hall leading to the mayor’s office, but before we could step out, Rafael's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and his face darkened.

“It’s another message.”

A chill ran down my spine as he opened the new text. Another cryptic line: "When you reach the end of the labyrinth, the prize will be in plain sight. If you just open your eyes." It was as if the perpetrator could sense our frustration, even knew that we were about to speak with the mayor.

“Another clue,” I whispered, looking over Rafael’s shoulder. But something was different this time. The tone—it wasn’t taunting. It was almost... instructional.

Rafael took a deep breath, as if steadying himself. “Looks like we’re not going home anytime soon.”

“No,” I said, a spark of determination reigniting. “But I think we’re finally starting to understand his game.”

As we turned back toward the precinct, abandoning the meeting with the mayor, my exhaustion melted into resolve. I’d follow every hint, trace every step. This time, I was determined to beat him at his own game.

…

The precinct was quiet, nearly deserted, with only the faint hum of overhead lights filling the silence. Midnight was approaching, and most of the team had taken off for a quick break. Olivia and Rafael had left to grab food for everyone, Amanda was somewhere in the break room nursing yet another coffee, and Sonny was curled up in the bunk room, catching some much-needed rest. Finn had gone out hours ago to chase down a lead.

I sat in front of the board, staring at the latest clue we’d pinned up: "When you reach the end of the labyrinth, the prize will be in plain sight. If you just open your eyes."

A familiar presence broke the silence beside me as Nick ambled over, arms crossed, eyes scanning the chaotic tangle of clues, locations, and scrawled notes we’d collected over the past two months. He’d been watching me closely for a while, occasionally throwing out theories, but mostly letting me sift through my own thoughts.

“Still chewing on that one?” he asked, tilting his head toward the new clue.

I nodded, barely looking at him. “Yeah. This one’s different. It’s… almost like he’s taunting us less, like he’s trying to lead us to something.”

Nick furrowed his brow, clearly considering it. “Or maybe he’s getting cocky, slipping up a little.”

I tapped my pen against my notebook, scanning the list of locations we’d already searched, the cryptic clues leading us from one dead-end to another. I was exhausted, but something kept gnawing at me, like an itch I couldn’t quite scratch. We’d been to all these places, followed every lead, yet somehow, I felt like I’d been staring right at the answer without seeing it.

My mind flashed back to the first letter—the one he’d sent that started this whole twisted game. "You'll find them if you look beyond the obvious."

A realization hit me, cold and electric. “Nick,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “What if we’ve been overthinking this? Maybe the answer isn’t at the end of some long, winding path—it’s been right in front of us all along.”

Nick leaned in, interest sparking in his eyes. “You think he’s hidden something we’ve overlooked?”

“Yes. Or maybe he’s been hiding in plain sight, knowing we’d miss it because we were too focused on finding something complex.” I scanned the board again, every location we’d been to flickering through my mind. Parks, subway stations, alleys, all public spaces with no clear connection other than being… central.

My eyes widened. “Nick, what if he’s been using these places to form a pattern, like a… map?”

Nick straightened, a gleam of understanding lighting his face. “So you think he’s been leading us in circles—maybe around somewhere specific?”

“Exactly.” I felt my pulse quicken. “I think he’s been taunting us by leading us right around his hiding spot, and he’s getting a thrill out of knowing we haven’t found it. But I need to check, and I can’t explain why just yet.”

I turned to Nick, urgency thickening in my voice. “Come with me. We have to go now, but don’t tell anyone. Not until we’re sure.”

He looked at me, searching my face, his jaw tightening as he weighed my request. Then, without another word, he grabbed his jacket off the back of a nearby chair. “Alright, I’m with you.”

We slipped out of the precinct, moving quickly and quietly down the stairwell and out the back exit. The chill of the night air hit me as we stepped onto the empty street, adrenaline sparking through my veins.

“You have any idea where we’re headed?” he asked as we walked.

I gave him a small smile, my confidence growing. “I do. I just hope I’m right.”

And as we headed toward our destination, a strange sense of clarity washed over me. The missing piece was within reach; I could feel it. This time, we weren’t going to let him slip through our fingers.

The streets were empty as Nick and I navigated our way through the quiet alleys, following my hunch toward one of the oldest and most forgotten parts of New York’s sewer system. With each step, the city above felt more distant, the buildings looming like silent witnesses to our descent. We slipped through an unmarked, rusted gate, making our way down a narrow, crumbling stairwell that reeked of mold and decay. Somewhere ahead of us was an answer—a clue, maybe even one of the missing teens—but right now, every instinct was screaming that this was a mistake.

“Are you sure about this?” Nick murmured as we approached a door at the end of the passage, barely visible in the dim light of my flashlight.

“Positive,” I whispered back, my voice tight with anticipation and dread. The door was dented and corroded, with a single piece of paper pinned to it. I lifted my flashlight, illuminating a simple, handwritten message: Welcome, Rafael Barba.

A shiver ran down my spine as I stared at the name, the ink bold and deliberate. “He was expecting Rafael,” I whispered, pulling the note down with a trembling hand.

Nick glanced around, his hand instinctively reaching for his gun. “Looks like he planned something special.”

I crumpled the note, stuffing it in my pocket. “We’re here now. Let’s see what he had in mind.”

I pushed the door open, and we stepped inside, the smell of damp concrete and rust thickening in the air. Before I could react, the door slammed shut behind us with a heavy clang, echoing through the tunnel as it locked into place. Nick spun around, yanking on the handle, but it didn’t budge.

“It’s locked,” he muttered, frustration flashing in his eyes.

I felt my stomach twist as an unsettling silence settled over us, thick and foreboding. And then, a crackle overhead—a faint hum of static that made my heart pound. Somewhere in the darkness, an intercom system buzzed to life, and a voice filled the room, low and edged with disappointment.

“Well, well,” the voice drawled, with an eerie calmness that sent chills down my spine. “I was expecting Rafael Barba. But instead, he sends his… assistant.” A pause, as if he were savoring the surprise. “Not what I had hoped for. But I suppose you’ll do.”

I clenched my fists, anger simmering beneath my fear. “If you wanted Barba, maybe you should’ve faced him directly, instead of hiding behind your little clues.”

The voice chuckled, a cold, amused sound. “You misunderstand, my dear. This was never about facing Barba—it was about creating something he couldn’t ignore. A labyrinth, an elaborate little puzzle designed just for him. I wanted to watch him sweat, watch him chase his own tail. Just like I had to do when I begged him to take my sisters case” He paused, his tone turning playful. “But now, it seems I’ll get to see you and your friend test your wits instead.”

Nick tightened his grip on his flashlight, his jaw clenched. “We’re not playing your game.”

“Oh, but you already are,” the voice purred. “In fact, you’re at the very heart of it.”

I scanned the room, my pulse racing. The walls were lined with passages, each one barely visible in the dim light, twisting and disappearing into darkness. The intercom crackled again, the voice practically dripping with satisfaction.

“I’ve left you a series of clues,” he continued, “if you can find them, that is. Each path you choose will lead you deeper into the labyrinth. Or… to a dead end.” He laughed softly, the sound echoing around us. “And who knows? Maybe you’ll even get out alive.”

Nick shot me a look, his expression deadly serious. “What’s the plan, then?”

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “We play along. For now. But we stay sharp and look for a way to turn this back on him. He thinks he’s got us trapped, but that’s his first mistake.”

The intercom crackled again. “Tick-tock, Y/N. Time is running out. I’ll be watching—don’t disappoint me.”

The line went silent, leaving us in darkness, with only the soft, persistent drip of water echoing through the tunnels. I gritted my teeth, the weight of the situation sinking in. He wanted a game? We’d give him one he wouldn’t forget.

Tag List!

@geeksareunique @pinkladydevotee

Supernatural, Hunting, Living and Love Part 11

Dean Winchester x fem!reader

1.6k word count

fluff, idiots in love, friends to lovers

warnings none

Original / Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

For 6 weeks we avoided each other. Only leaving our rooms to get something to eat or drink. Groceries where dropped off on a weekly basis, Dean was always waiting by the hatch when the drop off happened. I would sit by the top of the stair case to listen in to the brief conversation that took place, it was always the same. “Are you going to let us out yet?”

“Have you worked it out yet?”

“Fat chance of that happening”

“Then no”

For the next 2 weeks I tried to talk to Dean. Clearly waiting them out wasn’t going to work and honestly at this point I would rather be honest about how I felt and risk rejection then keep playing this game. At least this way I could tell Theresa I had tried. Surely they couldn’t keep me here if Dean was the one not playing by their rules.

My first attempted at talking to Dean was when our weekly delivery came. I waited for him to make his way down stairs then I followed behind him. Once the groceries had been delivered the hatch closed I tried to talk.

“Dean I don’t think waiting them out is working” I mentally slapped myself for pointing out the obvious.

“Clearly but we don’t have a better plan” Dean didn’t even look at me as he picked up all 8 bags of groceries in one go heading to the kitchen.

“We could talk it out like adults” I sighed.

“Hate to tell you sister but I have 10 years on you and a whole lot more life experience then you, you’re barely an adult” Dean still refused to look at me dumping all 8 bags on the counter top.

“9 years and I’ve been an adult at longer then you think”

“9 years” Dean rolled his eyes and walked off.

“Where are you going?” I called after him.

“To my room”

My second attempt, third and fourth attempts where all met with eye rolls as Dean walked away from me. It was becoming clear that the only way Dean was going to have a conversation with me is if he was trapped with no escape. Dean had made it a habit of going for a shower at the same time every night. He wouldn’t risk leaving the shower if he knew I was in the room. Or at least I hoped so. I had smuggled a butter knife back to my room one night after I had made myself dinner. I had then waited patiently for Dean to have his dinner and went to test the butter knife on the lock of the bathroom door. As I had hoped the butter knife was the perfect thickness to help me turn the lock on the door. I hid it in my room and waited for him to head to the shower. That night however Dean didn’t go for his shower as normal. He ate and went back to his room. I gave him an extra half an hour just in case he was busy with something for had forgotten. But when I heard the light switch in his room, I had guessed he had gone to bed. I wandered out into the hallway just to make sure he had gone to bed. The light that was normally visible under Deans door was off. Making plans to try again the next night I ducked back into my room long enough to grab my towel before heading to the bathroom myself. I dropped my towel on the bench before running a bath. I was exhausted from days of trying to talk to Dean. Not physically exhausted but emotionally exhausted. All I wanted was a nice long hot soak in the tub. Once the tub was full, I stripped down and submerged myself in the water. I took a face washer and submerged it in the hot water before laying it over my face. I took a deep breath, laid back and let myself relax.

“You’re looking pretty comfortable there” Deans sudden presence startled me.

“DEAN WHAT THE HELL!” I screamed grabbing the shower curtain dragging it in front of the bathtub to cover me.

“I’m sorry where you not trying to do this exact same thing to me?” Dean chuckled closing the toilet seat cover to take a seat on it.

“Well yes but only to get you to talk to me” I squealed.

“So talk”

“I…uh…I…”

“Oh so now you can’t talk” Dean chuckled again “Look it’s clear this avoiding each other plan isn’t working”

“And what do you suggest we do now?” I raised an eyebrow while looking at the shower curtain now hanging between us.

“I honestly don’t know” Dean let out an awkward chuckle “For once in my life I don’t actually have a plan”

“We could always try being honest”

The room fell silent. I watched the droplets of water slowly falling from the tap waiting, internally pleading for Dean to break the silence.

Dean shifted uncomfortably, his silhouette rubbing the back of his neck. His silhouette looking away, then back to me. I could almost see the gears turning in his head, the urge to argue or deflect swimming just beneath the surface. But instead, he surprised me.

"Being honest?" he echoed, as if testing out the words. "You really think that could work? I mean... after everything?"

I kept my gaze steady, resisting the urge to look away. "We’ve tried everything else, haven’t we? What do we have to lose?"

Dean let out a breath, his shoulders slumping as though the weight of everything we’d been carrying was pressing down harder than ever. The silence returned, but this time it felt heavier. I glanced at the tap again, watching the droplets hang in the air before they fell, one by one.

Finally, he stood up, pacing the small, dimly lit room. "You don’t just be honest” he muttered. "That’s not how it works."

"It might not," I admitted. "But pretending we’ve got it all under control isn’t working either. We’re running out of moves, Dean. This could be the only one left."

He stopped pacing, staring at me. The room was filled with a mixture of frustration and fear. “What if…What if we tell the truth and it just... makes everything worse?”

I swallowed hard. I hadn’t let myself fully think about that possibility. But now that it was out there, spoken aloud, it hung in the air between us like a dark cloud.

“Then we deal with it,” I said, my voice steady despite the doubt creeping into my chest. “At least we won’t be running anymore.” I whispered the last part.

Dean turned away from me, staring out the window again. His jaw tightened, the muscles in his back visibly tensing under his shirt.

"You’re really ready to do this?" he asked quietly.

I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I thought about everything we’d been through, all the lies, the half-truths, the fear that followed us wherever we went.

“Yes,” I said finally. “I’m ready.”

Dean nodded, his back still to me. “Alright,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Then we do it.”

He turned back to face me, his expression hardened with resolve. “But if this goes south…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t need to. We both knew what was at stake.

Dean stood there, his chest rising and falling with the weight of his breath. The tension between us thickened as the silence stretched on. I was about to say something—to break the spell that had settled between us—but before I could, Dean crossed the room in a single, swift movement.

Before I could respond he had moved the curtain out of the way. His hands gripped my arms, not harshly, but with a firmness that caught me off guard. “If this goes south…” he started again, but his words faltered. His gaze, intense and searching, locked onto mine, and in that split second, I could see the conflict, the hesitation, and the unspoken emotions simmering just beneath the surface.

Then, without another word, Dean pulled me into him, his lips crashing against mine. The world seemed to blur at the edges, all the tension and fear melting away in the heat of that moment. His kiss was desperate, almost like it was the last lifeline he had left. It was raw, full of all the things he couldn't say out loud—the fear, the uncertainty, and something deeper I hadn't expected.

For a second, I froze, my mind racing to catch up with what was happening. But then, instinct took over, and I found myself kissing him back, my hands tangling in his shirt, pulling him closer. The world outside didn’t matter anymore—the looming threats, the uncertainty of what lay ahead. All I could think about was the way his hands held me, like he needed this as much as I did.

When he finally pulled back, both of us were breathless, and I could see it in his eyes—he was as terrified as I was. Not just of what we were about to do, but of what this moment meant.

“I’m sorry,” Dean said, his voice hoarse. He let go of me, stepping back slightly, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t,” I cut him off, shaking my head. “Don’t apologize.”

He opened his mouth to say something else, but I could see the uncertainty in his expression, the conflict still brewing beneath the surface. This was new for both of us, and neither of us knew what to do with it.

For a long moment, he just stood there, the weight of what had just happened hanging in the air. But despite everything—the danger we were facing, the uncertainty of the future—I couldn’t help but feel that maybe, just maybe, we were finally being honest.

The Dating Odyssey pt.1 (Stranger Things Guys X Reader)

Eddie Munson/Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington/Jim Hopper/Jonathan Byers x fem!reader

8.8k word count (just a little carried away)

summary You moved to the little town of Hawkins, Indiana for a fresh start. What you didn't expect was to end up having 5 dates in one weekend.

fluff, idiot reader, reader who can't say no, choose your own adventure-ish

Steves Ending / Eddies Ending / Jims Ending / Billy's Ending / Jonathan's Ending

The guy in the video store, the metal head guitarist in the band, the photographer, the lifeguard and the chief of police. Hawkins just seemed to breed hot guys. It didn’t help that all five had asked you the pretty new girl in Hawkins on a date. And you in your bumbling awkwardness had agreed to the five dates. You now sat in your apartment having a meltdown trying to find a solution to your problem. You had never done anything like this before then again you hadn’t had this many guys hitting on you before. At least you had the sense to make all the dates on different days. But in such a small town the chances of the other guys finding out you had been on another date was super high. The best course of action at this point would just be the tell them all right? Be straight-up honest and hope for the best. You threw yourself onto your bed with a groan bringing your arm up to cover your eyes. All you had wanted to do was move to a small town where life was cheap, work as a teacher and travel during your spare time. Just you and your cat for the rest of your life. Mr. Fancy Paws was the only man you needed in your life. At least that is what you would have told yourself before moving to Hawkins. You sat up with a sigh and reached out for a notebook sitting on your nearby computer desk. You took the pen attached to the cover and opened it to a blank page. The video store guy's name was Steve and he wanted to have dinner and watch a movie at his place. The metalhead Eddie wanted you to go to his show Saturday night. Jim the chief of police wanted to take you out for a romantic dinner. The lifeguard Billy wanted you to join him for a private swim at the pool. And Jonathan the photographer wanted you to join him for a hike and photograph some animals and other nature shots. At the end of the day, it wasn’t like any of them had asked you to be their girlfriend so it shouldn’t be a problem if you had just one date with each of them. After that, you could decide if you liked any of them or wanted to go on an additional date with any of them. Steve's date was for Friday, Jim's was for Sunday night, Jonathan's Sunday day and Billy's today was Thursday. It was going to be a busy few days. You sighed and threw the notebook on the bed, before dragging yourself to your closet. You pulled out the only swimsuit you had. A plain black one-piece. You tossed it on your bed and went about getting ready. No makeup because duh, hair pulled back in a messy bun. You slipped on your old beat-up black Converse, grabbed your swimsuit from your bed and stuffed it into a bag adding in a towel with it. You grabbed your car keys and headed for the pool. You arrived 30 minutes after the pool closed just like Billy said to. He told you he would leave the light above the side door on and all you needed to do was knock on said door and he would let you in. You took a few deep breaths and approached the door. You knocked lightly and Billy opened the door. He stood before you shirtless with nothing but his red lifeguard shorts on.

“Hi Billy” you smiled

“Hi y/n” Billy looked you up and down while chewing on a piece of gum “Ready for a late-night swim?”

“Am I” You smirked

You followed Billy through the now-empty building to the pool. You took your swimsuit from your bag and ducked into the changing room briefly to change. When you came back out Billy was floating around in the pool. He seemed different to what you’d heard people say about him. You’d only been in town 3 weeks but you’d heard from all your female co-workers and plenty of others about how flirty he was, how he’d probably slept with all the girls in Hawkins. Yet the Billy you had met was different. He was sweet, a little flirty and seemed generally interested in you but maybe that was just how he pretended to be. Billy meanwhile was fighting his own internal battle. As he floated he thought, that when he first saw you walking out of the family video he saw you as another conquest the new hot-looking girl in town. Then the day you walked into the pool he saw his opportunity. As he stood by the pool, the warm sun shining down on his skin, he couldn't help but steal glances at you. The way you moved through the water, your effortless grace and confidence, was mesmerizing. It was at this moment he realised that you were more than just another conquest. He felt he may actually be falling for you.

Finally, he gathered the courage to approach you. "Hey," he said, his heart racing, it never raced before. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me sometime?"

Your eyes lit up, and a smile spread across your face. "I'd love to," you said, your voice soft and sweet. "How about we meet at the pool tomorrow evening and go for a swim together? And then we can see where the night takes us?"

His heart swelled with excitement and anticipation. "That sounds perfect," you said, feeling a surge of joy and hope. "I can't wait." And as he looked at you, he hoped that this was just the beginning of a beautiful romance, one that would be filled with laughter, adventure, and endless love.

You broke Billy from his thoughts when you swam up beside him. He brought himself upright in the pool and smiled at you. He quickly looked down to the water and scratched the back of his neck. For some reason, all of Billy's confidence was lost on you. He could normally flirt his way into any girl's pants but you were different. Good different. He didn’t feel the need to flirt with you. He didn’t want to just hit it and be done with you. He actually wanted to put effort into you. He wanted to keep you around but had no idea where to start.

“So Billy” You broke the silence. “Is it true what I have heard about you around town?”

“And what would that be?” Billy tried a flirt grin but it was probably more of a grimace

“That you just flirt and act nice to get in a girl's pants?” You smirked

“Oh so you heard all about that” Billy sighed “Look I won’t lie yeah all that’s true but you're different, I actually want to get to know you, Most of the girls here in Hawkins are shallow and easy for the 6 years I’ve been here I haven’t met one decent chick until you. You’re the kind of girl that I could picture the rest of my life with and I’ve probably just scared you away” Billy splashed a fist into the water

“You know you’re not like how they describe at all but your description of them is spot on. Like one of the girls I work with at Hawkins High Carol, she is the absolute worst. She’s the English teacher and she comes in dressed like she’s going to a fashion show, face full of makeup, with a mean girls I peaked in high school attitude”

“Oh my gosh, Carol Perkins works at Hawkins High? And here I thought she left to become an actress or something” Billy laughed “I mean not that I’m one to talk I’ve been working here since high school and if I’m not here I’m working in the local garage I don’t really have much else to do or any other life plans. I didn’t exactly pay attention in school you know”

“You know Carol? Oh god don’t tell me she's one of the girls you dated?” Not that I’m much better you thought.

“No way. She was literally one of the ones I turned down. Contrary to popular belief I haven’t slept with every girl in town” Billy smiled “You know this is probably the most honest conversation I have ever had with anyone”

“Well thank you for being honest with me” You smiled back.

You and Billy just floated for a little while enjoying each other's company in a comfortable silence. After a few minutes you glanced across to Billy, he seemed to be back deep in thought. You saw this as an opportunity. You sink beneath the surface of the water and sum up next to Billy who was still blissfully unaware. Once you were by his side you grabbed him quickly around the waist and dragged him under. Billy flailed and kicked clearly taken off guard. You quickly surfaced bursting into laughter while Billy wiped his hair from his face and caught his breath. His heart was racing but he wasn’t mad. He quickly scoped his hands through the water sending it flying into your face. You gasped and looked at him shocked before splashing back. Before long the pool was filled with the sounds of laughter and splashing water. Hours passed, and you felt like old friends, you were so comfortable with Billy. You really didn’t want the night to end but you knew if you didn’t you’d likely be too tired for your movie night with Steve the following night. The clock above the pool told you it was getting ready to tick over to 10:30. You looked into the water for a little while trying to work out how to end the date. With a sigh, you looked up just in time to see Billy dive from the diving board. You smiled and giggled.

“10 out of 10 perfect form” You clapped for Billy

“Thank you I only do that every day” Billy chuckled nervously

“As much as I love our date I need to get home” You sighed

“Really? It’s still early” Billy said

“I know but I’m meeting with a friend tomorrow for a movie marathon and the last thing I want is to fall asleep” You lied thinking on your feet

“Well your friend sucks but I should probably be getting the pool closed now anyway” Billy smiled as you continued to laugh and chat as you hopped out of the pool and walked towards the changing rooms. You showered and changed back into your clothes. You walked back to the side of the pool where Billy was pulling the cover over it. You waited patiently for him to be done. When he was done he walked you out to your car locking the door behind him.

“I really enjoyed tonight y/n Thank you” Billy smiled

“I should be thanking you, This is the most fun I have had in quite a while.” You smiled up at him

“Can we do this again?” Billy asked “I would really love to spend more time with you”

“Maybe we’ll see I’m busy over the next few days but I have your number so I will definitely give you a call okay” the smile never leaving your face

“Okay” Billy nodded opening my car door for you “Oh and y/n one last thing”

You turned to face Billy. He leaned in quickly capturing your lips in a soft sweet kiss. His calloused hands found their way to cup your face. You could feel his moustache tickling the top of your lips. You didn’t pull away rather you leaned into the kiss. The kiss seemed to go on for hours but was most likely no more than 5 minutes. Billy backed away dropping his head he gave you a goofy sideways smile and walked off towards his car. You stood and watched as he drove off. Your heart was beating a mile a minute. You still had 4 more dates to get through and yet you were hooked on Billy. This was going to be harder than you thought. You hopped in your car and drove home. Once safely back in your apartment, you let out a small squeal. You changed into your PJs and climbed into your bed. You curled up and replayed your date with Billy over and over. If all your dates went this well how would you ever be able to choose. It didn’t take long for you to fall asleep thankfully because you were super exhausted.

You woke up with your alarm at 6 a.m. You dragged yourself out of bed, showered and got ready for work. You got through the day by thinking about your date with Steve that night. You’d heard that he was an asshole during high school but then after a fistfight with Jonathan, he matured and had been a real gentleman ever since. Steve was the first guy to ask you out and you were so glad when he did. You had made it a weekly habit when you arrived to go to the video store to get a movie on a Friday night. Honestly, it was just so you could talk with Steve. Normally when you arrived the video store was a ghost town so you could have Steve all to yourself. You could ask movie questions, collect information on him and just enjoy this friendly acquaintance you made. You had plans to ask Steve out but you had chickened out when you’d walked into the video store last Friday. Steve thankfully had been thinking the same thing you were so he asked you out. If only you had known then what was to come. I mean you weren’t complaining they were all majorly attractive guys but going on a date with all of them on the one weekend was just pure madness. You wondered what Steve's house was like. Given that he was working at Family Video you assumed that he was living in a small unit after all what else could he afford with a job like that. And what movie would he pick for you to watch? Probably one of the latest blockbusters no doubt. The day quickly came to an end. You were in the staff room finishing off your paperwork for the weekend when Carol came up to your desk.

“So I heard you went on a date with Billy last night?” Carol smirked

“I may have why?” You asked

“Well does Steve know about your date? I mean your going on a date with him tonight right?” Carol's smirk got bigger

“How did you know that?” You asked worry taking over

“Well they are both old friends and I wouldn’t want either one to find out about this” Carol crossed her arms

“What do you want?” You asked getting grumpy

“Could you please mark all these essays for Monday?” Carol faked a sweet smile while dropping a pile of at least 100 essays in front of you

“S-sure” You looked wide-eyed at the large stack in front of you

“Thanks you such a good friend” Carol winked and walked away

You had literally worked overtime just to make sure your weekend would be empty and now you have gone and accepted this. There was no way you would be able to go through with your plans and do all these essays. You sighed grabbed the pile of paperwork and headed to your car. You tossed the paperwork on the passenger seat and started up the car. Once you were safely back at your apartment you took the pile of paperwork and dropped it on your kitchen bench. You sighed and moved into your bedroom to get ready for your date. You pulled out your most comfortable pair of jeans and a nice black blouse to wear and headed for the shower. Once you were freshly showered you grabbed your keys from the kitchen bench and took one more look at the pile of papers before heading out the door. You drove to Family Video where Steve said he would meet you at the end of his shift to pick out a movie and grab some snacks before heading back to his house. When you got to Family Video Steve still had 30 minutes on his shift. You sighed as you walked up and down the aisle trying to decide on a movie. Steve had already created a stockpile of snacks in his locker out back. He has apparently been working on the perfect movie night since he got to work that morning. Even his co-worker Robin had been impressed with his efforts to make your date perfect. She had never seen him so concentrated on any date before.  Robin signed out as you were walking in, it was Steve’s night to close and being that it was 8:30 the place was basically empty. The only other people there when you got there were a couple of high school seniors you had in your science class, Dustin, Lucas, Will and Mike. As soon as you walked in they started gloating to Steve about how amazing you were ‘the best science teacher ever’. Steve confidently gloated back about how he was having a date tonight with the best science teacher ever. Needless to say, the boys were awestruck. When they left you’d asked Steve how he knew them. Apparently, he was their unwitting babysitter and best friend. He’d known them since middle school and they were the closest thing he had to family.

At some point, you had gotten distracted from the movies coming to a stop in front of some random romantic comedies. You had started thinking about that pile of paperwork abandoned on your kitchen bench. You were never going to be able to complete it with all your dates and you knew if you tried to rearrange the dates you would most certainly get caught out. If you could somehow forgo sleep then maybe just maybe you could get the paperwork done. Each essay only appeared to be about 4 pages long so hopefully quick and easy.

“Beetlejuice? What’s that even doing in romantic comedies?” Steve’s sudden appearance made you jump “It’s a comedy. It’s pretty good too is that what you want to watch?”

“I, uh, I actually haven’t seen it so maybe” You shrugged

“Okay if there is one thing I know it’s a distraction and you are very clearly distracted so what’s the hold up? If it’s me and you don’t want to go on a date then just say so and we can go our separate ways” Steve gave a small smile

“No it’s not you, it’s nothing, it’s work-related” You smiled

“Anything I can help you with?” Steve asked

“No it can wait, so Beetlejuice so good is it?” You asked taking the movie from the shelf

“Well yeah it’s like borderline horror movie, creepy, weird, funny” Steve ran a hand through his hair

“Then let us get it” You smiled

“Okay great just let me check it out, grab my stuff and close up and we’ll get out of here” Steve took the movie and headed to the front.

“Sounds great to me” You gave a small smile

You made your way to the front of the store and went out to wait in the parking lot. As you waited a familiar van pulled up in front of the store. You had a small panic attack as the van came to a complete stop and Eddie hopped out followed by Dustin.

“Okay now hurry up, The Master must return to his dungeon” Eddie crossed his arms and leaned against the van

Dustin shouted out an okay before racing into the store. He said a rushed hi to you as he ran past leaving you alone in the parking lot with Eddie. You would have just gone to hide in your car but Eddie had already spotted you and was waving you over. You closed the 100-meter gap between you and joined Eddie beside his van.

“Hi sweetheart what brings you here?”

“Oh um I stopped in to get a movie like every Friday and I made the mistake of telling Steve I haven’t seen Beetlejuice yet so now he is forcing me to go to his house and watch Beetlejuice with him” Not completely a lie

“Really? Harrington? Did you tell him we’re dating so he keeps his hands off you?” Eddie smirked

“We’re not dating Eddie we’re simply going on a date tomorrow night, one date then I’ll decide if your worth” You smirked back “Although I may need to take a rain check on that” you sighed

“Why? What’s going on?” Eddie became concerned

I’m an idiot. You thought “I have somewhere near 100 essays to grade by Monday morning all because I didn’t have the balls to stand up to Carol over some stupid secret she thinks I’m hiding”

“Well, there is an easy solution. A way to get the essays graded, get revenge and still have our date” Eddie had a mischievous grin

“Well please don’t hold back” You crossed your arms and looked at him

“Mark the essays and give all the kids A’s, By the time she realises it’ll be too late to do anything without dobbing herself in” Eddie had the most evil grin

“You Mr Munson are an evil genius I love it” You smiled

“Anything to make sure our date goes ahead”

At that moment Dustin came back out of the store with Steve in tow. Steve paused to lock the door while Dustin hopped back into Eddie's van. Eddie gave you a small wave and headed back to the driver's side of his van. Eddie and Dustin drove out of the car park as Steve approached you.

“So are you going to follow me to my place?” Steve asked

“Yep lead the way,” You said jumping into your car

You followed Steve to his house. As you drove you noticed you were heading to a part of town that you had never been to before. The houses you drove past were large and expensive looking surely beyond the salary of the video store employee. Steve pulled into the driveway of one of these houses. You parked behind him and walked up to the front door where Steve stood waiting for you.

“There is no way you can afford to live here,” You said

“Yeah well, it’s my parent's house, They never home anyway so what’s the point in moving out if the people who own the place are never here and they don’t make you pay rent” The way Steve spoke made it clear his parents he would something he would rather not talk about.

“Sounds like the greatest hook-up ever wish I lived rent free” You tried to make a joke

“So you know Munson?” Steve changed the subject leading you into the lounge room

“Well yes and no,” You said “I met him at a bar a couple days after I got here, his a random acquaintance”

“He's not a bad guy, he keeps Dustin out of trouble and out of my hair” Steve smirked

“Oh yes your bestie Dustin, I want to hear all about that”

Steve motioned to a bar seat at the container in the kitchen. You took a seat and watched as Steve started removing pots and pans and many random ingredients from the assortment of cupboards around the kitchen. Steve began cooking what looked like his take on Spaghetti Bolognese while telling you the long tail of how he and Dustin became unlikely best friends. It was a little unbelievable at times but Steve showed you his scars and his story made sense for the scars you’d seen on Eddie's neck and arms, and why you’d seen Dustin walking around with a slight limp. Steve made you promise not to tell the others that he had told you. Apparently, it was an unspoken agreement to just pretend like none of it had happened. Steve sat down beside you and placed a plate of pasta in front of you.

“Spaghetti a la Harrington” Steve smiled at you

“Why thank you it looks amazing” You smiled

“I wonder how Dustin would react to us right now” Steve smirked

“Ah if that boy is anything outside of school like he is in school then he would be yelling at the top of his lungs and saying something like Are you kidding me right now”

“Yeah that sounds like the Henderson I know” Steve chuckled

“You know your no the asshole pretty boy I thought you would be” You bumped your shoulder against Steves

“Well you're not the boring school teacher I thought you’d be” Steve bumped you back

“Nice Harrington” You giggled

You continued to eat and talk. Steve told you about Billy, Eddie, Jonathan and Jim as well as several people they all knew. It was the definition of a small town. Steve had given you many things to panic about with this new information. They all knew each other so what if one of them said something to the other and they all turned on you. Or worse still what if someone said something to Joyce and she came screaming at you the school for going on a date with both her son and her ex. At some point, you must have stopped listening to Steve to follow your trail of thoughts. That was until Steve started snapping his fingers in front of your face with a highly freaked-out look on his face.

“Oh thank god you are still with me” Steve let out a sigh “What were you thinking?”

“Sorry, sorry I just had an internal panic” You blurted out before you could stop yourself

“Panic? About what?” Steve asked clearly concerned

“Promise not to get mad?” You asked moving slightly away from Steve

“Why would I?” Steve said confused

You took a deep breath and began to explain to Steve the mess you were in. At some point, Steve had stood up and began pacing the kitchen. One hand was constantly running through his hair while the other was sitting on his hip. Things were quiet for a few minutes before Steve placed his hands on the kitchen island counter and dropped his head.

“I’m glad your being honest with me but I would have liked to know all this before we started this date”

“I’m sorry” You whispered

“I’m not saying I want to end this date because it took me way too fricking long to work up the courage to ask you out but I gotta ask why? What in the world possessed you to say yes to all the dates?”

“I honestly have no idea, I was just caught so off guard with so many guys asking me I kinda just said yes without thinking then when it all did set in I couldn’t figure out how to back out of them all”  You dropped your head

“So do you even want to be on this date with me?” Steve asked sounding slightly annoyed

“Yes, you’re the only one I wanted to go on a date with and I was glad when you asked me out because I was too chicken to ask you out”

“Well at least I have that going for me right now” Steve smirked over at you “How about we start fresh, pretend none of this was ever said?”

“Fine by me”

You and Steve finished eating and continued to chat about the others and about Steve. Once you were done Steve took your plates, placed them into the sink then guided you out to the lounge room. He fiddled with the TV for a short while putting on the movie before settling down next to you on the lounge. He pulled you into his side allowing his hand to snake around your waste. You allowed yourself to curl into his side. Steve spoke excitedly all through Beetlejuice pointing out little details. He almost lost it when you pointed out that Lydia looked a lot like a younger version of Joyce. He even said he would have to point that out to Joyce. When the movie concluded you were way too tired to drive home. You voiced this to Steve who happily suggested you stay the night. He dragged you to his room before racing off. When he returned he was carrying pillows and blankets. He made a bed on the floor before turning to his cupboard. He stripped down to his boxers before pulling on a pair of sweatpants. He threw another pair at you along with one of his shirts before making himself comfortable on the floor. You turned away from Steve and quickly got changed into the clothes he provided for you. Once you were dressed you turned off the light. You tiptoed quietly over to Steve. Once you were by his side you crouched down and gave him a kiss on the cheek before quickly jumping into his bed. Steve sat upright and looked straight over at you as you giggled from your spot on the bed.

“What was that for?” Steve said

“Think of it as a thank you for everything tonight” You smiled at him

“You’re welcome”

Steve laid back down facing the bed. You lay down in the bed facing Steve. The two of you fell into a peaceful silence, looking at each other until you drifted off. Steve, however, stayed away a little longer unable to believe the beautiful girl whom he looked forward to seeing on a Friday night was here asleep in his bed. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little heartbroken by you agreeing to a bunch of dates but for tonight he had you and he enjoyed every minute of it. Steve drifted off staring at your peaceful sleeping face. He woke up before you the next morning. He hopped up and stretched from his night on the floor. He looked at you still sleeping on his bed and smiled. He crept over to you, bent down and kissed you on the head allowing his lips to linger for a few seconds. He stood and walked from the room making his way to the kitchen. He decided that even if you couldn’t be his forever he would make the time you did have together amazing. He moved quietly around the kitchen preparing breakfast for the two of you. Steve wanting to get everything right and not knowing what your favourite breakfast food is pulled out a selection of cereals, cooked-up pancakes, bacon and eggs, toast and baked beans. He brewed up a pot of coffee and poured a couple of glasses of orange juice. Steve was just finishing up the bacon when you walked into the kitchen rubbing your eyes. Steve took you in, his shirt hanging loosely from your shoulder, his sweatpants making you look like a toddler who wanted to play dress up in their parent's clothes. To Steve you were adorable.

“Morning sleeping beauty, didn’t know what you would like to eat so I made basically everything” Steve motioned with one hand while the other rested on his hip

“Good Morning, you really didn’t need to do all this through”

“But I wanted to” Steve motioned for you to take a seat on the bench.

Steve placed a plate in front of you and you began filing it with the stuff in front of you.

“Not really a cereal person I take it?” Steve smirked

“Not really, I guess it comes from my Mum forcing me to eat cornflakes every day,” You say screwing up your face at the memory

“Fair enough, so what's your plan for the day?” Steve asked

“I have about 100 essays to mark before I head out to watch Eddie’s band” You could audibly hear Steves's heartbreaking

“And how exactly are you going to mark that many essays in a day?” Steve tried to ignore the Eddie part of your day

“Well actually Eddie helped me with that one, you see They aren’t my essays to mark” You explain your situation to Steve and Eddie's solution to the problem

“You know that sounds just like Munson also sounds like he might be getting some person payback with that one too” Steve smirked

“Oh?”

“Carol used to bully Eddie when we were all at school together, when we graduated and he didn’t I know she got worse with the bullying” Steve sighed

“Wait I assumed you were older than Eddie given that you graduated in ’85 and Eddie in ‘87,” You said shocked

“Eddie redone senior year 3 times,” Steve said like it was public knowledge

“Wow poor Eddie”

Steve just nodded in agreement. You ate the rest of your breakfast changing subjects to music and movies. Once breakfast was done and dishes washed and put away you returned to Steve's room to get dressed. Part of you wanted to just call the other dates off you were already so torn between Billy and Steve and throwing the others in seemed like a bad idea. But at the same time, you didn’t want to have to admit what you’d done. No, instead you decided to suck it up and go through with the dates. You collected your things and went to say goodbye to Steve before heading home. As you reached the bottom of the stairs Steve stood waiting for you.

“Let me at least walk you to your car” Steve smiled sadly

“Thank you for everything Steve I had an amazing time” You smiled as you approached your car

When you reached the side of your car you turned to give Steve one last smile before hopping into your car. Steve quickly slipped his arms around your waist. He pulled you into his chest. His lips captured yours in a passionate kiss. Your fists balled up in his shirt. Your heart racing once more. If they were all going to take your breath away then however would you be able to choose just one of them. Steve stepped back dropping his head to look at the driveway.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have” Steve looked like he was about to cry

“No it’s fine” You smiled

You brushed your fingers down the side of Steve's face before hopping into your car and heading home. Steve stood in the drive long after you were out of sight. All he could do now was hope you came back to him.

Back in your unit, you began sorting through the pile of essays. It should be simple just take your red pen write an A in the corner, circle it and move on to the next. You took a deep breath and began marking. One thing was for certain if this blew up in your face Eddie Munson would be no more. It took you no more than 30 minutes to pretend to mark all the essays and put them back into your bag for Monday. With your now gained free time, you decided to outfit plan not only for tonight but for tomorrow with Jonathan and Jim. If you planned today that would leave you more time tomorrow to shower and recover between dates.

At around 4 you decided it would be a good idea to get ready to go on your date with Eddie. You had picked out a pair of fishnet stockings, a short black skirt, an old Judas Priest shirt, knee-high black boots and a black leather jacket. Remnants of your youth that you had wanted to throw away many times but never could. You changed before slipping out onto the street. The bar Eddie was playing at The Hideaway wasn’t all that far from your unit. You enjoyed the short walk to The hideout before making your way cautiously inside. Once inside you found yourself being called from the stage. Eddie stood on stage waving to you. You walked over waving back.

“There's my princess” Eddie jumped off the stage showing off “Hi Eddie” You rolled your eyes smiling

“Uh introductions” The guy on drums shook his drumsticks in the air

“Oh right, y/n meet Garath, Jeff and Sam the other members of Corroded Coffin” Eddie pointed to each man on the stage

“That is such a metal band name” You grinned

“Only the most metal name for the most metal band” Eddie bragged

“Oh that’s yet to be seen” You smirked crossing your arms

“By the time we’re done, you're going to be begging for more sweetheart”

Eddie leaned so close to you that could feel his breath on your face. The scent of cigarettes, mint and that awful cheap axe body spray filled your nose. You became intoxicated with so much so that when Eddie leaned back making his way back on the stage you almost immediately had withdrawals from it. You stood proudly in front of the stage waiting for them to begin playing. After half an hour of warm-ups, the real performance began. Eddie was amazing up on the stage, the whole band was. It was like they were born to be on stage. It was no surprise that Eddie had failed senior year as much as he had. It was clear that he never had an academic future he was also supposed to be an entertainer, a creative free soul. You enjoyed every second Corroded Coffin played and were sad when it had to end. The band wrapped up and started to pull apart their things. You climbed up on the stage in an attempt to help them.

“Anything I can do?” You asked

“Here go open my van for us princess” Eddie handed you his keys pointing to a stage door.

You went the direction he pointed finding his van with ease. You opened the back doors sat on the back and waited. As you waited a group of girls your age or a bit younger appeared from around the front of the van.

“Oh look girls another wants to be trying to steal our boys” One girl looked you up and down

“I’m sorry who are you?” You asked trying to be polite.

“That is none of your business,” another said

“Look I’m sorry but Eddie invited me out to watch Corroded Coffin play If I’m stepping on toes I don’t mean to” You slipped out of Eddie's van moving back towards the stage door

“Hay Sweetheart what's taking you so long” Eddie jogged up beside you he took one look at the girls and tensed “Are these girls giving you trouble babe” Eddie slipped an arm around your waist pulling you to his side

“We’re just talking Eds” The first girl spoke up again

“Well I think it’s time you leave, My girl here is tired and I’d like to get our stuff packed up and get home” Eddie fake smiled at them “Thanks for coming out though”

 “Oh come on Eds don’t be like that” The girl took a step towards you

“I’m asking you to leave” Eddie pushed you behind him

The girl came right up to Eddie practically pushing up against him. She walked her fingers up his chest, grabbed the collar of his shirt and tried to pull him in for a kiss. Eddie pushed her back. She shot you daggers before storming off. Something told you this wasn’t the first time she’d tried something like that.

“Sorry about that” Eddie turned smiling at you

“What was her problem?” You asked

“No idea All I know is she's a few dice short of a set” Eddie made a goofy face

You couldn’t help but giggle at Eddie. Eddie smiled proud of himself for making you laugh. Eddie took your hand and dragged you back into the Hideout. He kept you close by his side as they loaded their equipment into his van. Eddie then locked up before dragging you back inside.

“So did you enjoy the show” Eddie asked taking a seat at the bar

“Did I ever” You smiled “It was amazing Eddie”

“Told you most metal ever” Eddie wore a shit-eating grin

“Wipe that smile off your face Munson”

Eddie threw up his hands in defence. He ordered drinks and the two of you began talking. Despite appearances much like Steve had said Eddie was a great guy. He was sweet, charming, and funny but a bit rough around the edges. You came to learn that when Eddie wasn’t rocking out with his band he was working at a local mechanic which was quite surprising. He shared his dream to get out of Hawkins and travel the world with Corroded Coffin. Apparently, they had been discussing hitting the road for a few months. Touring the states and picking up gigs along the way to support their travels. What better way to get discovered Eddie had said. It sounded wonderful. Eddie asked you lots of questions about yourself like what had brought you to Hawkins. You were so mesmerised by Eddie that you completely forgot to keep an eye on the time. It wasn't until the bartender told you that it was the last call that you looked at the clock. 12:30. Shit.

“Eddie I have to go I should have been in bed by now,” You said

“Why got something important on in the morning?” Eddie questioned

“Well uh yes actually I’m supposed to be going on a photography trip with Jonathan Byers” You answered honestly

“As In a date,” Eddie suddenly seemed hurt

“No just as friends, Photography was something I had done before I came here and Jonathan said he knew a good spot for nature shots” You half-lied

“Oh okay sounds boring to me” Eddie's smile came back

“It's actually quite fun” You played hurt

“If you say so Princess” Eddie smirked downing the rest of his drink

Eddie offered you his hand pulling you to your feet. He opened the door and threw his arm out while bowing motioning for you to step out. Once outside he slid his arm around your waist and asked you to guide the way to your car. You told him you walked so he offered to walk you home. He held you by the waist all the way home. Once you reached your unit Eddie the gentleman, held your door open for you before kissing, bowing and taking his leave. You giggled and watched as he practically danced back down the street.  Eddie too had made your heart race. You made your way inside. Changed into your pyjamas and flopped onto your bed. You fell asleep thinking about Eddie and all the fun you could have on the road. No obligations to tie you down, chasing fame. It would be wonderful, a new town every night. Sleeping out of the van, exploring the places less travelled. You were ripped from your dream by your alarm going off at 6 a.m. You groaned as you ripped yourself from your nice warm bed. You walked into the kitchen and made yourself a coffee. You were going to need a lot of coffee to get through today. After pouring yourself a cup of coffee you began to brew the pot again to fill your thermos. You also filled up your drink bottle with cool water. You had an hour to be ready before Jonathan would be on your doorstep. He had organised to pick you up to save you from getting lost looking for the trailhead you’d be taking. You pulled out your camera gear and the outfit you had picked out for today. You jumped into the shower to remove as much of the alcohol and cigarette smoke smell from last night. Thankfully you weren’t hungover and you could thank Eddie and the never-ending conversation for that. You were dressed and packing your hiking bag when Jonathan knocked on your door. You finished stuffing your stuff into your bag and slung it over your shoulder before opening the door.

“Hay Jonathan” You smiled at him

“Hi” Jonathan smiled looking at the ground

So Steve was right when he said Jonathan was the shy, quiet guy you thought. You followed Jonathan to his car and climbed into the passenger seat. The trip to the trailhead was filled with awkward small talk. It was obvious that Jonathan was trying his best to make sure you were comfortable but it was also obvious that he didn’t have much experience with girls. It was kinda cute honestly. Jonathan finally got you to the trailhead. He offered to carry your bag. He pulled on your backpack before throwing his camera bag over his shoulder. He led the way into the trail. You were a complete beginner when it came to photography but Jonathan from what you had heard had been a photographer for a long time.

The air was crisp, carrying with it the earthy scent of moss and leaves. Rays of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, creating a mesmerizing dance of light and shadow on the forest floor.

As you walked side by side along a narrow path, your camera slung around your shoulder, and the tranquillity of the surroundings enveloped you. The gentle rustling of leaves and the distant calls of birds added to the serenity of the moment. Rays of sunlight gently kissed the vibrant foliage, creating a stunning interplay of colours that seemed almost surreal.

You paused by a tranquil stream, its crystal-clear waters meandering through the heart of the forest. It was the perfect spot to capture the delicate beauty of nature. Your date watched in awe as Jonathan set up his camera on a tripod, adjusting the settings with precision. With the press of a button, the shutter clicked, capturing the essence of the babbling brook, the sunlight glinting off the water like scattered diamonds.

"Wow, you're really talented," you exclaimed, admiration evident in your eyes.

Blushing, he smiled and gestured for you to join him. "Why don't you give it a try? Nature is the best subject to capture."

You took the camera hesitantly. You focused the lens on a delicate wildflower growing by the stream's edge. The soft petals seemed to beckon you closer, and you crouched down, framing the shot just right. A gentle breeze ruffled the flower's petals, and you snapped the photo, capturing a moment of perfect imperfection.

Laughing softly, you looked at each other. "I can see why you enjoy this so much," you said, your voice filled with wonder.

Encouraged by your enthusiasm, Jonathan continued your exploration, guiding you to hidden spots where the forest's beauty was magnified. The vibrant colours of a butterfly's wings, the intricate patterns of a spider's web glistening with dewdrops, and the grandeur of ancient trees stretching towards the sky – each moment was an opportunity to freeze time and capture nature's artistry.

As the morning turned into afternoon, you found yourselves perched on a moss-covered rock overlooking a tranquil meadow. A breathtaking backdrop for your final shots of the day.

"Thank you for this amazing experience," you whispered, your eyes fixed on the horizon. "I've never felt so connected to nature before."

Jonathan smiled, his heart swelling with contentment. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Nature has a way of bringing people closer together."

Soon you packed up your camera, cherishing the memories you had created together. The forest had been your canvas, and your shared moments were the masterpieces that adorned it. Your walk back to the car was spent chatting and getting to know each other a bit more. Jonathan was a really sweet guy but you could see how Steve found him to be an easy target in school. He was much like Eddie in that he was the odd guy out, the loner. Yet part of you wished that others had gotten to know him more. Jonathan told you about his and Steve's mutual ex Nancy. You’d seen Nancy around the school a few times picking up her brother Mike. How Jonathan ended up with Nancy you’ll never understand, She really didn’t deserve him or Steve. Once back in Jonathan's car, he drove you back to your apartment. He walked you to your door.

“Thank you for joining me today” Jonathan looked between you and the ground

“I loved every moment of it” You smiled at him

“Well I better be getting home” Jonathan smiled at you

He quickly leaned into you and kissed you on the cheek before waving awkwardly and walking away. You couldn’t help but stand at your door and giggle for a moment before making your way inside to shower and change. A small part of you was thankful your dates were coming to an end but you were also dreading the choice you would have to make when all was said and done. You pushed that thought to the back of your mind and began getting ready for dinner with Jim. He had told you that he was taking you out to a fancy restaurant so you needed to dress semi-formal. You chose your nice dress and a pair of nice heels. You sighed as you looked at yourself in the mirror. You opted to drive to the restaurant because heaven forbid you had to walk in those heels, especially after walking all day you might just die. Jim was waiting outside for you when you pulled up.

 Underneath the soft glow of candlelight, you found yourselves seated at a cozy corner table in a charming restaurant. The ambience was warm and inviting, the murmur of conversations and the gentle strains of a violin creating a soothing symphony in the background. The air was infused with the enticing aroma of delectable dishes being prepared with love and care.

As you looked across the table, the dim lighting played beautifully on Jim's features, casting a gentle halo around him. His eyes sparkled with a mixture of excitement and anticipation, and the soft smile on his lips made your heart flutter.

The waiter arrived, presenting you both with a menu of culinary delights that promised to tantalize your taste buds. You exchanged glances, sharing a playful moment of deliberation as you decided on your choices. The anticipation of the meal mirrored the excitement of your budding connection.

As you engaged in conversation, your words flowed effortlessly, each topic leading to another as you uncovered shared interests and experiences. Laughter punctuated the air as stories were exchanged, creating an intimate bubble where only the two of you existed, cocooned in the enchantment of the evening.

The first course arrived, a delicate symphony of flavours and textures artfully plated before you. You savoured each bite, your taste buds dancing in delight as you indulged in the culinary masterpiece. The conversation continued to flow, seamlessly weaving between lighthearted banter and more intimate exchanges, creating a bond between you.

As the main course was served, you noticed a brief pause in the conversation, a moment where your eyes locked and the world seemed to fade away.

Dessert arrived, a decadent conclusion to the evening's culinary journey. The sweet flavours danced on your palate, a perfect mirror to the sweetness of the moments you were sharing. The final bite was taken, and you both leaned back in your chairs, content and fulfilled.

As the evening drew to a close, the waiter discreetly presented the bill, and you both exchanged glances once more. With a gentle smile, your date reached across the table, their fingers brushing against yours in a tender gesture. "Thank you for such a wonderful evening," Jim said, his voice soft and sincere.

You smiled back, your heart warmed by his presence. "The pleasure was all mine," you replied, your voice carrying the weight of unspoken emotions.

As you left the restaurant, the night air felt crisper, more alive. The stars above twinkled as Jim walked you out to your car. You turned to smile at him when you reached your car.

“Well this is me” You smiled

“Thank you again, I haven’t had a night quite like this in some time” Jim smiled

“And again the pleasure was all mine” you smiled “It's good to know the sheriff isn’t such a bad guy”

“Well that depends on who you ask, Take Munson and Harrington for example, they probably think I’m the worst”

“They think you’re a hard ass I can tell you that much” you giggled

“Well it’s late and I don’t want to keep a pretty thing like yourself out in the dark” Jim moved slightly closer.

He kissed you softly on the cheek, told you to drive safely and walked back in the direction of the restaurant. You drove quietly home only completely panicking once you were safely inside your apartment. As soon as your heels were off and you flopped on your bed your head swarned with thoughts. The biggest being who do you choose?

Objection! Part 9

Rafael Barba x fem!Carisi!reader

5.3k word count

Summary All you wanted was to be a lawyer like your big brother Sonny. So what happens when you get a job working under the famous ADA Rafael Barba

slow-burn, colleague to friends to lovers

Authors Note: I am not happy with this chapter. I might come back to it after Christmas. I might edit it while I'm away who knows. I feel like it could be so much better.

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Sonny brought the car to a screeching halt in front of the DA’s office, the tires protesting loudly as we stopped. I barely waited for the engine to cut before throwing the door open and sprinting toward the building. Sonny and Olivia were right behind me, their footsteps pounding in unison with mine.

We burst through the doors, startling Carmen, who was seated at her desk with a cup of coffee in hand. Her usual calm demeanour faltered as she looked up at us, confused by our urgency.

“Carmen!” I barked, my voice sharper than I intended. Her eyes widened in alarm. “Has anyone been in my office today? Did anyone leave anything for me?”

“What—what’s going on?” she stammered, clearly thrown off by my tone.

“Just answer the question!” I snapped, running a hand through my hair as my nerves got the better of me.

She frowned, clearly trying to process my outburst. “There was a delivery earlier. A box—it’s on your desk.”

My stomach dropped. I turned toward my office door, already dreading what I might find. A cold sweat prickled my skin as my mind raced with possibilities, each one worse than the last. God, please don’t let it be a piece of her. Not like this.

But Sonny had already shoved past me, charging into my office with no hesitation. He grabbed the box from my desk, ripping the lid off in one swift motion.

For a moment, none of us breathed. Then Sonny pulled out… a plush chinchilla.

Olivia blinked, breaking the silence with a deadpan, “Is that a rat?”

“It’s not a rat!” Sonny shot back, glaring at her as he held the plush defensively. He studied it with an intensity that would have been comical if the situation weren’t so dire.

Meanwhile, I was struggling to keep up. “What the hell is this supposed to mean?” I muttered, stepping closer to the desk. My eyes landed on the folded piece of paper still inside the box. I snatched it up and unfolded it with shaking hands.

Olivia leaned in, reading over my shoulder. “For the next six clues, you’ll have to ask—but be quick, or she’ll pass.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy and ominous. I felt my stomach churn. “Ask who? And what does ‘she’ll pass’ mean? Is he threatening her life, or is this another one of his games?”

Sonny, still holding the chinchilla, finally spoke up. “It’s not a rat—it’s a chinchilla. And I’m pretty sure the only place in the city with chinchillas is the Bronx Zoo.”

“The Bronx Zoo?” Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sonny nodded firmly. “It was Y/N’s favourite place growing up. She’d go there every chance she got. And every visit started and ended with the chinchillas. It has to be the zoo.”

We didn’t waste any time. Back in the car, Sonny took the wheel again, his driving just as reckless as before. The urgency in the air was suffocating, every second ticking by like a countdown to disaster.

As the car sped through the city streets, Sonny spoke over the roar of the engine. “When we were kids, our parents would take her to the Bronx Zoo for her birthday. Every year. The first and last thing she’d do was visit the chinchillas. She loves them.”

I stared at the plush in my hands, trying to reconcile the sweet memory Sonny shared with the grim reality we were facing. My fingers tapped anxiously against my thigh as I tucked the Chincilla away with the book from earlier. “The note,” I said, turning back to Olivia. “What do you think it means? ‘Ask’? Ask who? Ask what?”

Olivia shrugged, her expression tight with worry. “It could mean anything. Marco’s been deliberately vague this entire time. He’s toying with us, and he knows it.”

I clenched my fists, frustration boiling beneath the surface. Every step of this chase felt like a slap in the face, a reminder of how helpless I was in protecting Y/N. But there wasn’t time for self-pity. We had to stay sharp.

Sonny glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Whatever it means, we’ll figure it out. We have to. Let’s just get to the zoo first.”

His voice was steady, but I could see the tension in his grip on the steering wheel. We all knew the stakes. And with every mile closer to the Bronx Zoo, my determination solidified.

I couldn’t let Marco win. Not this time.

…

Sonny pulled the car to a jerking halt outside the Bronx Zoo. I barely had time to exhale before Olivia was already out, her badge flashing as she approached the ticket booth.

“We’re NYPD,” she said briskly, showing the man behind the glass her identification. “Has anyone left anything for us? A package, a message?”

The man blinked, startled by her intensity, and shook his head. “No, ma’am. Nothing’s been left here.”

I stepped forward, pulling out my phone to show him a picture of Marco. “What about this man? Have you seen him recently?”

The guy leaned closer, squinting at the screen. “I don’t think so. But I can’t say for sure. We’ve had a lot of visitors today.”

It was frustratingly vague, but there wasn’t time to press him further. We headed straight through the gates, the familiar smell of popcorn and animal enclosures hitting me as we walked. Despite the urgency of the situation, I couldn’t help the faint pang of nostalgia that tugged at me. Y/N had spoken about this place before, about how much she loved it as a kid. And now, it felt like Marco was using that love against her—and us.

“Where to?” Olivia asked, glancing around the sprawling zoo grounds.

“The Mouse House,” Sonny answered, as if it were obvious. “Chinchillas. Let’s move.”

We navigated the winding pathways, dodging families and strollers, my eyes scanning every face we passed. My nerves were taut, every sound and movement setting my heart racing.

The Mouse House was dimly lit, the soft chatter of visitors echoing off the walls. The smell of hay and sawdust hung in the air as we wound our way through the narrow corridors. My pulse quickened with every step, my eyes darting to every corner, searching for anything out of place.

When we reached the chinchilla enclosure, I stopped short. There they were—tiny, fluffy creatures with twitching noses, hopping around in their habitat like nothing in the world could bother them. Y/N’s voice echoed in my mind, her excitement as she’d once described them to me after I asked her about her computer background, the only reason I had recognised the Chincilla plush for what it was.

But there was no sign of Marco. No sign of Y/N. Just the glass enclosure and the animals inside.

Sonny was already scouring the area, checking behind benches and trash cans, while Olivia questioned a zookeeper standing nearby. I stood frozen, my gut telling me we weren’t in the wrong place—but we were missing something.

“Barba,” Sonny called, his voice sharp. He was crouched near the edge of the enclosure, holding something in his hand. A folded piece of paper.

I moved quickly, snatching it from him and unfolding it. The message was written in Marco’s now-familiar scrawl:

“You’re halfway there. Keep following her heart, and you might just save it.”

My grip tightened on the paper as frustration bubbled up inside me. “Her heart?” I muttered aloud, staring at the words. “What the hell does that mean?”

Olivia glanced over my shoulder. “Could be literal, could be figurative. Either way, it’s cryptic as hell.”

Sonny stood, brushing off his pants. “Her heart... what else did Y/N love? Something she always talked about?”

The weight of the chase pressed down on me like an anchor, each step feeling heavier than the last. Marco was toying with us, stringing us along with vague clues, and Y/N’s life was slipping through our fingers. Every moment wasted felt like a step closer to losing her.

As we reached the far end of the Mouse House, I spotted a man standing behind an ice cream cart, his colorful setup a jarring contrast to the dimly lit surroundings. He greeted each passerby with an enthusiastic grin, cheerfully handing out cones piled high with creamy swirls.

I approached cautiously, hope flickering weakly in my chest. Maybe he had seen something. Maybe he held another piece of the puzzle.

"Free ice cream today!" the man announced as I neared, his voice full of warmth. He held out a cone toward me, the scent of vanilla and sugar wafting in the air. "Some generous guy came by this morning and paid for the whole cart—said to make sure everyone got one."

I forced a polite smile, though the tension in my chest made it impossible to enjoy the gesture. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.” My tone was clipped, businesslike. I pulled out my phone and held up the screen, showing him the photo of Marco. “Was it this man? Did he pay for the ice cream?”

The vendor leaned closer, squinting at the screen. After a moment, he nodded with a bright smile. “Yeah, that’s him! Paid in cash, too. Real nice guy, seemed like he just wanted to spread some joy.”

I clenched my jaw, my frustration barely contained. The ease with which Marco charmed people was infuriating, his calculated moves cloaked in harmless gestures. “Did he say anything else? Leave anything behind?”

The man shook his head, his cheerful demeanor unshaken. “Nope, just told me to give out the ice cream. That’s all.”

I nodded tightly, stepping back from the cart as a dull ache settled in my chest. “Thanks,” I muttered, my voice devoid of the gratitude I should have expressed.

“Have a good day!” the vendor called after me, his voice far too bright for the grim thoughts swirling in my mind.

I turned to Sonny and Olivia, who were already watching me. Their expressions mirrored my own—a blend of frustration and helplessness. The ice cream clue was another dead end, another cruel twist in Marco’s game.

Sonny ran a hand through his hair, pacing in agitated circles. “What now? Ice cream? Are we supposed to figure out some connection to ice cream now?”

I exhaled slowly, the weight of the situation pressing down harder. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “But Marco’s not doing this without a reason. There’s something here. We just have to see it.”

The thought gnawed at me as the three of us stood there, the clock ticking relentlessly in the background. We had to figure this out—and fast.

“What now?” Olivia asked, her tone edged with impatience.

“He paid for the ice cream and told the guy to give it out for free. That’s it.” I ran a hand down my face, trying to think. “Nothing else. No clue.”

Olivia looked at Sonny. “Anything? Does Y/N have some connection to ice cream? A favourite parlour or something?”

Sonny shook his head, his hands on his hips as he stared at the ground. “Not that I can think of. She likes ice cream, sure, but nothing stands out.”

The thought of involving Amaro stung, like a sharp jab to an already tender wound, but I swallowed my pride. It wasn’t about me—it was about Y/N. If he could help us, I’d endure it. My voice came out lower than I intended, weighed down by reluctance.

“Maybe we should ask Amaro,” I said, each word feeling like it dragged itself out of me. “He knew about the bookstore—maybe he knows something we don’t.”

Sonny’s eyes widened, but not in surprise—more like a light bulb had just gone off. He snapped his fingers, his expression shifting to determination. “Wait. What if Marco means we need to ask the people around her? The ones who know her best.”

Before I could respond, he was already pulling out his phone, his fingers moving fast as he dialed.

Amaro picked up after just a few rings, his voice calm but questioning. “What’s going on?”

“We’re at the zoo, following Marco’s trail, but we’re stuck,” Sonny explained, his words rapid and urgent. “Do you know if Y/N has a favorite ice cream spot?”

There was a pause on the other end, followed by muffled voices as Amaro apparently relayed the question to others nearby. I clenched my fists, waiting, frustration bubbling beneath my skin.

After a brief silence, Amanda’s voice came through, clear and confident. “The Museum of Ice Cream,” she said firmly. “Y/N takes Jesse there all the time for girls’ days. It’s their go-to spot. The sprinkle pool is Jesse’s favorite part.”

Sonny’s face lit up with relief. He snapped his fingers again, nodding. “That’s it. Amanda, you’re a genius. Thank you.”

Amanda’s voice carried a hint of urgency now. “If Marco’s sending you there, don’t waste time. Go.”

“We’re on it,” Sonny promised, already moving toward the car.

I followed, my chest tight with a mix of emotions. Gratitude that Amanda knew the answer, frustration that I hadn’t, and an undercurrent of desperation to get to Y/N before it was too late.

…

The ride to the Museum of Ice Cream was suffocating. The only sound in the car was the hum of the engine and the occasional impatient sigh from Sonny as he maneuverered through the city streets. I sat in the back, staring out the window but seeing nothing.

My thoughts churned like a storm, each one landing heavier than the last. Amanda and Nick had known Y/N’s favourite places, her habits, her joys. Nick had known about the bookstore, Amanda about the Museum of Ice Cream. Even Sonny, her brother, had insights into her world that I could never claim.

I was her colleague, her partner. We worked side by side every day, and yet, what did I know about her? Not enough, that much was clear. Somewhere along the way, I had convinced myself that knowing her professionally was enough. Now, I wasn’t so sure.

The sharp screech of brakes jolted me out of my thoughts. Sonny brought the car to a halt in front of the brightly coloured façade of the Museum of Ice Cream.

“Let’s go,” he said, already climbing out.

We moved as one, a silent agreement to head straight for the sprinkle pool. If Amanda knew it was Y/N’s favourite, Marco did too.

Inside, the museum was alive with colour and laughter, a stark contrast to the grim tension between us. We weaved through the exhibits until we reached the sprinkle pool, a massive pit filled with foam sprinkles where kids dove in gleefully while parents looked on.

As we stood there, scanning the room for any sign of a clue, a woman in a pink uniform approached us with a broad smile. The logo on her shirt marked her as a museum employee.

“Good afternoon!” she said brightly, handing each of us a card.

I glanced at it: One Free Family Meal at a Restaurant of Your Choice.

Olivia’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you handing these out?”

The woman kept her smile, but there was a hint of confusion in her expression. “A courier dropped them off this morning with a note. It said to give them to everyone who enters today as part of a promotional event. It’s unusual, but we followed the instructions.”

The moment she walked away, Olivia turned to Sonny. “What’s Y/N’s favourite restaurant?”

Sonny rubbed a hand over his face, clearly frustrated. “There was this place we went to as kids, every Sunday with our parents and grandparents. It became a tradition, and Y/N kept going even after the rest of us stopped. But I can’t remember the name.”

His fingers were already flying over his phone as he tried calling someone. After three attempts, he cursed under his breath and scrolled through his contacts again. This time, he paused and hesitated before dialling.

“She’ll know,” he muttered.

The line barely rang before it connected, and he began speaking rapidly in Italian.

“Mamma…sì, ho ricevuto il tuo messaggio…mamma…mamma...sì, saremo lì per Natale, non ce lo perderemo, lo sai…ascolta, qual era il ristorante dove andavamo con i nonni? Pensavo di prendere un buono per coccinella per Natale…Grazie mamma… Ti voglio bene, ciao” (Mum yes I've been getting your messages, Mum Mum, yes we'll be there for Chrismas we wouldn't miss it you know that, listen what was that restaurant we use to go to with Grandma and Grandpa? I was thinking I would get a gift certificate for ladybug for Christmas. Thanks Mum. Love you bye)

Olivia and I exchanged a glance, neither of us able to follow the conversation. But we didn’t need to. The tight set of Sonny’s jaw and the relief in his expression told us all we needed to know.

When he hung up, he turned to us, his voice firm. “La Nonna Restaurant. Let’s go.”

He didn’t wait for a response, already heading back toward the car. Olivia and I followed without question, a new wave of determination driving us forward.

…

Sonny drove with single-minded focus, weaving through traffic as the city flew by in a blur. La Nonna was etched deep in his childhood memories, and now it was the thread we followed, hoping it would finally lead us closer to Y/N.

The weight of my inadequacies pressed harder against my chest as the car sped toward La Nonna. I sat in the back seat, silent, letting the others talk around me. I was haunted by my lack of connection to this piece of Y/N’s life. La Nonna, a place that seemed etched into her family’s history, was foreign to me. While I worked alongside her every day, Marco had exposed just how shallow my understanding of her truly was.

The car came to an abrupt stop outside a cozy, brick-fronted restaurant. The windows glowed warmly against the fading daylight, and the air was rich with the scent of freshly baked bread and garlic. It should have been inviting, but urgency overrode any appreciation for its charm.

We pushed through the door, and the sound of light chatter and clinking plates greeted us. Behind the counter stood an older woman, her kind eyes lighting up in recognition as she saw Sonny.

“Sonny Carisi? My goodness, it’s been ages!” she exclaimed, her voice tinged with both surprise and affection.

Sonny managed a quick, polite smile, but his tone was sharp and efficient. “Mrs. Marinelli, I’m sorry, but we don’t have time to catch up. Did someone leave something here for us? A note, a package—anything?”

Her expression shifted to concern as she studied his face. “A young man did stop by this morning. Left an envelope and told me to hold onto it. Said someone would come for it later.” She reached under the counter, pulling out a plain white envelope and handing it to Sonny.

His fingers trembled as he tore it open. Inside was a single sheet of paper with Marco’s familiar cryptic handwriting. Sonny handed it to Olivia, who read aloud:

“Music spins memories and history unfolds. Find what was lost where vinyl molds.”

Olivia’s brow furrowed as she lowered the paper. “Music and vinyl? What does that even mean?”

I clenched my fists, frustration boiling just beneath the surface. “It’s vague on purpose. Marco’s playing games, and every second we waste gives him more power over us.” My voice was tighter than I intended, but the clock was ticking, and Y/N’s life hung in the balance.

Sonny began pacing the narrow space in front of the counter, muttering fragments of the clue under his breath. Olivia pulled out her phone, her fingers flying as she searched for connections. I stared at the note, willing it to make sense, but the answer danced just out of reach.

A buzz from Olivia’s phone broke the tense silence. She glanced at the screen and frowned before answering. “It’s Finn. I sent him a picture of the clue.”

She put the call on speaker, Finn’s steady voice cutting through the static. “You’re looking for Academy Records,” he said without hesitation.

Sonny stopped pacing, turning sharply toward the phone. “What? How do you know that?”

Finn’s tone was calm but certain. “Y/N loves that place. She’s dragged me there a few times. She’s got a thing for vinyl—old classics, rare finds. If Marco knows her as well as it seems, that’s where he’d send you next.”

Sonny exhaled sharply, already moving toward the door. “Thanks, Finn. We owe you one.”

The three of us piled back into the car, the engine roaring to life as Sonny floored the gas pedal. The urgency in the air was almost suffocating, but my thoughts spiraled inward.

Academy Records. Another corner of Y/N’s world I had never stepped into. Finn had shared moments with her there, moments I couldn’t even imagine. I didn’t belong in her life—not the way these other people did.

But there was no time to dwell on regrets. I could make up for my failures later. Y/N’s life depended on us moving faster, thinking smarter, and staying one step ahead of Marco’s game. I forced my focus back to the road ahead as the city blurred by, the cryptic note burned into my thoughts.

Marco’s game wasn’t over yet, but neither was ours.

…

We reached Academy Records in what felt like record time, the tires screeching as Sonny brought the car to an abrupt halt. None of us waited for a complete stop before flinging our doors open and rushing inside.

The store was small and chaotic, a maze of tightly packed shelves stuffed with vinyl records. The faint crackle of an old jazz tune played over the speakers, mixing with the smell of aged cardboard and faint traces of incense. Behind the counter stood a young man in his early twenties, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he barely glanced up at the jingling bell above the door.

“Can I help you?” he asked lazily, his tone oozing disinterest as he set down a cup of coffee.

Sonny stepped forward, the urgency in his voice cutting through the young man’s nonchalance. “We’re looking for something that might’ve been left here—a note, a package, anything unusual.”

The man blinked, finally giving us his full attention. His expression turned thoughtful, and then he shrugged. “Some weird guy came in this morning. Didn’t buy anything. Just left this.” He ducked behind the counter and came back up holding a folded piece of paper, slightly crumpled, as if it had been handled with as little care as possible.

Olivia took the note, her movements cautious, as though the thin piece of paper might hold a detonator. She unfolded it and scanned the words before reading them aloud: “Where the horses run and the waves crash loud, her laughter lingers under the clouds.”

The riddle hung heavy in the air, its poetic phrasing a stark contrast to the stark reality we faced.

Sonny groaned, dragging a hand through his hair. “Another damn riddle. We don’t have time for this!” His voice was sharp, frustration spilling over as the minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity.

I clenched my fists, staring at the note as if I could will it to reveal its secrets. Marco’s games were wearing us down, but Olivia’s sudden shift in expression caught my attention.

Her lips parted slightly, a flicker of recognition lighting her face. “I know where this is,” she said, her voice steady.

Sonny and I turned to her simultaneously, disbelief and hope mingling in our gazes.

“It’s Coney Island,” she continued with certainty. “The carousel. Y/N takes Noah there all the time. He talks about it all the time— the way Noah’s face lights up when he tells me how they ride together.”

Her words hit me like a gut punch. Another place Y/N had shared with someone else, another moment I’d never been a part of. The hollow ache in my chest grew, but I shoved it aside.

“Then we go now,” Sonny said, his tone clipped as he turned and headed for the door.

Olivia and I followed close behind, my mind racing as we climbed back into the car. The streets blurred past the windows, but all I could think about was the clock ticking down and the desperate hope that we weren’t already too late. Sonny drove like a man possessed, weaving through traffic with a focus that bordered on reckless.

In the backseat, I sat in silence, my thoughts a chaotic storm. I couldn’t help but feel like I was failing Y/N in more ways than one. She had shared so much of herself with the people around her—Sonny, Olivia, even Finn—and yet I had missed so much.

Olivia’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Rafael, don’t beat yourself up.”

I looked up, startled. She wasn’t even looking at me, her gaze fixed on the road ahead, but somehow she knew exactly what I was thinking.

Olivia continued. “What matters is that we get to her in time.”

I nodded, though her words did little to ease the tightness in my chest.

…

The car skidded to a stop at Coney Island, and the carousel loomed ahead, its brilliant lights casting flickering reflections on the damp boardwalk. The setting sun painted the sky in shades of orange and purple, but I couldn’t spare a moment to take it in. All I could think about was Y/N—her life hanging by a thread, and the clock relentlessly ticking down.

The salty breeze hit me as we stepped onto the boardwalk, the faint sound of crashing waves blending with the distant laughter of families enjoying the evening. But the carousel's joyful melody felt like a cruel juxtaposition to the dread coiling in my chest.

We ran, the weathered planks of the boardwalk groaning under our hurried steps. The carousel lights grew brighter as we neared, their spinning patterns like a beacon pulling us forward. Sonny, Olivia, and I spread out immediately, questioning everyone within earshot—carousel workers, parents corralling their children, teenagers clustered with ice cream cones. But every inquiry met with a blank stare, a shake of the head, or a polite, “Sorry, haven’t seen anything.”

Frustration mounted like a storm inside me. My breaths came heavy, each one laced with the weight of Marco’s cruel taunts. Standing in front of the carousel, I repeated his chilling words aloud, barely realizing it: The longer you take, the more water fills her space.

Sonny spun on his heel, his face a mask of fury. “Are you serious, Barba?” he snapped, his voice cracking with anger. “We’re standing next to the damn ocean! How the hell are we supposed to figure this out from those stupid words?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came. My throat tightened as Sonny’s frustration boiled over. He marched toward me, jabbing a finger at my chest.

“This is all your fault!” he shouted, his voice raw. “You’re the reason she’s in this mess! Marco didn’t just pick her out of nowhere—why? Why did he go after my sister?”

Olivia shot me a desperate look, shaking her head as if to warn me against saying what I knew I had to. But the truth had been clawing at my chest for weeks, and it wouldn’t stay buried any longer.

I lowered my gaze, my voice barely audible. “Because I’m in love with her.”

Sonny froze. His hand hovered in mid-air as if the words had physically struck him. Then, in an instant, the shock gave way to a surge of anger. He grabbed my collar, yanking me close, his face inches from mine.

“You’re in love with her?” he spat, his voice shaking with rage. “And because of that, she’s lying out there somewhere, maybe drowning while we waste time chasing riddles? You didn’t even know anything about her, Barba. Her favorite things, the things that make her, her. You didn’t even know where she got your coffee. You think loving her makes up for all the ways you failed her?”

Each word hit harder than Sonny’s fists ever could, and I knew he was right. I had been so wrapped up in my feelings for Y/N, so afraid to cross a line, that I had let someone else exploit the space between us.

“You put her in danger because you couldn’t keep your feelings to yourself!” Sonny yelled, his voice cracking. “And now we don’t even know if she’s still alive!”

The punch came out of nowhere, his fist slamming into my jaw with a force that sent stars dancing across my vision. Pain exploded across my face, but I didn’t raise a hand to defend myself. I didn’t move at all. I deserved it.

“Enough!” Olivia shouted, stepping between us and pushing Sonny back. “This isn’t helping anyone!”

I touched the corner of my mouth, feeling the warm stickiness of blood on my fingertips. “It’s fine,” I rasped, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “I deserved that.”

Sonny’s chest heaved as he let go of my collar. He turned away, his anger still palpable, and pulled out his phone. “I’m calling backup. I want every available unit down here now. We’re combing every inch of this place until we find her.”

…

The flurry of officers and emergency responders that followed was both chaotic and a small comfort. Red and blue lights danced across the dark waves as search teams spread out along the beach, the docks, and every hidden corner of the area. Voices called out over the roar of the surf, flashlights sweeping over shadowed nooks and crannies.

But Marco’s words kept gnawing at me: The longer you take, the more water fills her space. My mind turned the phrase over again and again until a horrifying realization struck.

“The tide,” I whispered, my stomach twisting. Then louder, I shouted, “We have until high tide! Wherever she is, it’s going to flood!”

The words sent a ripple of urgency through the search teams. Everyone moved faster, their voices growing sharper and more determined.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a voice shouted from beneath the docks, “Over here!”

We all ran toward the sound, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst. Beneath the wooden structure, in a small crawlspace created from rocks barely visible in the growing shadows, lay Y/N. The water was already lapping at her face. A paramedic was already down with her checking for signs of life. When he yelled back that she still had a pulse I released a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

“Get her out of there!” Sonny yelled, his voice cracking with desperation.

Officers scrambled to free her, lifting her carefully onto a stretcher. My breath caught as I saw her face—so still, so unlike the vibrant woman I knew. But the faint rise and fall of her chest told me she was still fighting.

The paramedics arrived in a flurry of motion, stabilizing her as they carried her toward the waiting ambulance. Sonny climbed in immediately, his hands shaking as he gripped hers.

Then, to my utter shock, he turned to me. “Barba,” he said gruffly, his voice tight with emotion. “Get in.”

I hesitated for only a second before nodding, climbing into the ambulance and taking the seat across from him. The ride was silent, save for the beeping monitors and the hum of the engine. Sonny didn’t look at me, his focus entirely on Y/N, but his invitation spoke volumes.

All that mattered now was that we had found her. She was alive. And we would do whatever it took to keep her that way.

Tag List!

@geeksareunique @pinkladydevotee @pumpkindwight @chriskevinevans

Thank you @dianawinchester03 for the tag! Sorry it's taken me so long to get around to it I've been focused on finishing off a Uni assignment!

★ last song listened to. Hallelujah - Raul Esparza

★ currently watching. Law and Order SVU again also been watching a lot of The Boys on YouTube.

★ currently reading. The Fan Who Knew Too Much - Nev Fountain, The Book of Doors - Gareth Brown, The Book That Wouldn't Burn - Mark Lawrence, The Wild Colonial Boys - Frank Clune, Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris, and The Secret of the Study - Frank Richards. I love reading multiple books at once so that way if I get bored of one I can put it aside for a little and start something else.

★ current obsession. where I live we have Woolworths which is a grocery chain and currently they are giving out free Disney cards with every $30 that you spend. I'm obsessed with collecting them all! Currently have 43/108.

★ sweet, salty, savoury. Sweet and savoury.

★ relationship status. Engaged to my partner of 9 years.

★ favourite colour. Black, red and Purple.

★ last thing i googled. booking.com looking at hotels in Sydney where my 3 year old has to go for major heart surgery. 😭

no pressure tags. @supergaysupernatural @doctorbitchcrxft @ali-r3n @harrywavycurly @hugdealer @lokis-army-77 @manda-panda-monium-writes

♯┆nine people i'd like to know better .ᐟ ★ [ pt. 2 ] tagged by. @luvs4matt ty for the tag love

★ last song listened to. answer - tyler, the creator

★ currently watching. recently just watched dev patel's monkey man

★ currently reading. junji ito's tomie

★ current obsession. the outlast trials

★ sweet, salty, savoury. between sweet n salty

★ relationship status. delusional

★ favourite colour. still black, white & red

★ last thing i googled. c.ai lol

no pressure tags. @mattinside @mattscoquette @mattsslvtt @ovrour @mbbsgf @muwapsturniolo @soupuurr @sarosfilms (if you've done this already, you dont have to redo it)

9-1-1 story idea free for anyone to run with.

Athena receives a txt from Bobby saying she needs to come to the firehouse immediately. Athena speeds over in a panic. When she arrives the building is dead quiet As she looks around she hears music coming from the loft area. She goes to walk up the stairs only to be met with Bobby standing at the top of the stairs. Bobby starts singing to her:

"Is that a baton in your pocket or are you just happy to see me"

Skipping the middle of the song Bobby goes straight to:

"Arrest me, make it sexy"

Athena is still at the bottom of the stairs trying her hardest to keep a not impressed face while secretly she's loving every second of it.

Also can we have a Rookie/911 crossover already?

So I just spent the day making Canolli's for Christmas lunch tomorrow because I told my Mum I'd learnt how to make them. What I didn't tell her was why.

I only learnt to make Canolli because of Sonny Carisi and his obsession with them. My God are they heavenly. I could eat them all day.

Objection! Part 10

Rafael Barba x fem!Carisi!reader

4.7k word count

Summary All you wanted was to be a lawyer like your big brother Sonny. So what happens when you get a job working under the famous ADA Rafael Barba

slow-burn, colleague to friends to lovers

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the dim hospital room. I sat still, my fingers laced together, resting on my lap. The chair was stiff and uncomfortable, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t leaving. Not now. Not until she woke up.

Y/N looked so small in the hospital bed, her face pale against the stark white sheets. I had braced myself for bruises, for some visible proof of the nightmare she had been through, but there was nothing—just the eerie stillness that came from the drugs still lingering in her system. The doctors had assured us she would wake up soon, but every passing minute felt like an eternity.

Sonny had been the one asking the doctors all the right questions, demanding more when vague reassurances weren’t enough. I had stayed quiet, letting him take the lead. It wasn’t my place to interfere. I had no right to claim any authority over her—not in Sonny’s eyes, not even in my own. It was enough that he had let me stay.

Olivia had come and gone, updating us on Marco’s arrest. He was locked away in Attica with no bail. That should have given me some peace, but then she mentioned Jack McCoy bringing in Peter Stone to handle the case. Anger had flared in my chest at the thought of being sidelined, but Olivia had shut it down quickly. You’re too close to this, Rafael. You were his main target, he used her to get to you. And deep down, I knew she was right.

Now, the room was silent again. Visiting hours had passed, and Sonny had reluctantly gone home to shower and eat. He had promised to be back soon, but I barely registered his departure.

Alone with Y/N, I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the edge of her bed. My eyes traced every familiar feature—the curve of her lips, the way her eyelashes cast soft shadows on her cheeks, the steady rise and fall of her chest.

I swallowed hard, gripping the blanket as I exhaled shakily. “You scared the hell out of me,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

She didn’t stir.

A humourless chuckle escaped me as I ran a tired hand down my face. “I should have told you,” I said, my voice rough with exhaustion. “I should have told you a long time ago. But I was a coward. I told myself it was better this way—that you deserved something simple, someone who wouldn’t complicate your life. Dios soy un idiota” (God I’m an idiot)

I shook my head, my jaw tightening. “But I love you.” The words felt heavy, like they had been waiting too long to be spoken. “I have for a long time. And I will protect you, from this day forward, even if you never hear me say this.”

Hesitantly, I reached out, letting my fingers brush over the back of her hand. She was warm. Alive. And that was the only thing that mattered.

I stayed like that, my hand resting over hers, as the hours stretched on.

Sonny was so quiet when he came back that his voice startled me, making me jerk back from Y/N’s bedside like a guilty teenager caught sneaking out. My heart pounded as I turned toward him, but there was no anger on his face, no judgment. Just quiet understanding.

He sighed, settling back into the chair across from me. “Relax, Barba. I’m not gonna yell at you.”

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to unclench my fists. After a brief hesitation, I reached for Y/N’s hand again, letting my fingers curl around hers. Sonny watched but didn’t say anything at first, just resting his elbows on his knees as he studied me.

Then, after a long pause, he asked, “When did you realize it?”

I frowned. “Realize what?”

“That you love her.”

The question caught me off guard. I opened my mouth, then closed it again, trying to gather my thoughts. When had I realized it? Had it been all at once, some grand revelation? Or had it crept up on me over time, settling into my bones before I even understood it was there?

Sonny must have seen the conflict on my face because he kept going. “Why her? And why the hell didn’t you tell her?”

I let out a heavy breath, running a hand over my face. “Because I was afraid,” I admitted. “Because she deserves better than someone like me—someone who lives in a courtroom, who puts work before everything, who ruins every relationship he’s ever had.”

Sonny scoffed. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

I shot him a look, but he only leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “Look, I get it. You think you’re protecting her. But you’re wrong. You think Y/N doesn’t know who you are? That she hasn’t already decided you’re worth it?”

His words settled deep, but before I could respond, he smirked. “You know, we had a bet going. Well Finn, Amanda and Nick did I wanted no part of it.”

I blinked. “A bet?”

Sonny chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah. Back in the squad room, her second day working with you. Finn, Amanda, and Amaro—they all bet on how long it would take before you two figured it out.”

My stomach twisted. “Figured what out?”

“That you were in love with each other.”

The air felt too thick in my lungs. “You’re joking.”

Sonny grinned. “Wish I was. Amaro said a month. Amanda gave it three. Finn? He was the only one who said it’d take over a year. He figured you’d be stubborn about it.” He paused, tilting his head. “Looks like he was right.”

I let out a quiet laugh, though it was more disbelief than amusement. “And Y/N?” I asked cautiously. “What did she say about all this?”

Sonny’s smirk softened. “She never denied it, Barba. Never. If anything, she just got flustered whenever we brought it up.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “She loves you, man. I know it. Even if I don’t want to believe it.”

I swallowed hard, my grip tightening around Y/N’s hand.

I wanted to believe him. God, I needed to believe him. But right now, all that mattered was her waking up.

And when she did, I had no intention of letting another second slip by.

Sonny asked me again, his voice quieter this time. “When did you realize it?”

I exhaled slowly, staring down at Y/N’s hand in mine. The steady rhythm of the heart monitor filled the silence between us, a reminder that she was still here, still fighting her way back to us.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “It wasn’t some grand moment of clarity. It wasn’t like the movies where everything suddenly clicks into place. It just… built up over time.”

Sonny didn’t interrupt, just watched me, waiting.

“I think—” I hesitated, struggling to put the weight of my feelings into words. “I think I was already in love with her before I even realized it. It wasn’t one thing. It was a hundred little things. The way she argued with me but always listened. The way she laughed when she thought no one was paying attention. How she never backed down, even when she was scared.”

I let out a quiet, bitter chuckle. “By the time I understood what I was feeling, it was too late. I was already gone.”

Sonny nodded slowly, as if he’d expected that answer. “So what are you gonna do about it?”

I looked at Y/N’s face—still, peaceful, but too pale under the harsh hospital lighting.

“I’m going to tell her,” I said firmly. “As soon as she wakes up, I’m telling her everything.”

Sonny huffed a laugh. “About damn time. But I’m telling you now. You hurt her, you put her in harms away again I will make sure you pay.”

…

Sonny and I must have dozed off at some point, exhaustion finally catching up to us despite the uncomfortable hospital chairs. The steady beeping of the monitors and the low hum of the hospital had lulled us into a restless sleep.

Then, a soft whimper broke through the quiet.

My eyes snapped open, my body jolting upright as I turned toward the bed. Y/N shifted slightly, her face contorted in distress. Sonny was already moving, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as we both surged to our feet, leaning over her.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay,” I said quickly, my voice thick with sleep but urgent with reassurance.

“Y/N, it’s me,” Sonny added, his hand resting gently on her arm. “You’re safe. We got you.”

Her glassy eyes darted between us, blinking rapidly as if trying to piece together where she was, what had happened. Then, as realization hit, her entire face crumpled.

A choked sob escaped her lips, and before I could say anything else, she broke down completely.

Tears spilled over her cheeks as she clutched at the thin hospital blanket, her body shaking with the force of her emotions. Sonny immediately reached for her hand, murmuring reassurances, while I felt frozen in place, my chest tightening at the sight of her like this.

She was here. She was alive. But she was hurting.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to push past the lump in my throat. I reached out hesitantly, brushing a stray tear from her cheek. “You’re safe now,” I whispered. “I swear.”

She didn’t say anything, just squeezed both our hands so tightly it was as if she was grounding herself in our presence. And in that moment, nothing else mattered.

…

Y/N's P.O.V

When I finally felt steady enough to breathe without sobbing, I forced myself to look up. My eyes flickered between Sonny and Rafael, both of them hovering over me, their faces drawn with worry. My heart was still racing, my body trembling, but their hands in mine were real, solid. I wasn’t alone.

I swallowed hard, my throat raw. “What… what did Marco do to me?” My voice cracked, and I hated how small I sounded.

Sonny and Rafael exchanged a glance—one of those silent conversations that spoke volumes. It made my stomach twist.

“Y/N,” Rafael started gently, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “He drugged you. Knocked you out before you could fight back.”

I sucked in a shaky breath. That explained the fog in my head, the exhaustion weighing me down like an anchor.

“He hid you beneath the docks at Coney Island,” Sonny added, his voice tight, like he was still holding back his anger. “Left you there to drown when the tide came in.”

My stomach turned violently, nausea clawing its way up my throat. The idea of being trapped, helpless, slowly swallowed by the ocean—God.

“But he didn’t—” My voice broke, and I forced myself to meet their eyes. “He didn’t hurt me? In any other way?”

Rafael’s grip on my hand tightened. “No,” he said firmly.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, my body sagging against the pillows. My hands were still shaking, but at least now, I knew. I wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.

A beat of silence passed before I whispered, “I was so scared.”

Sonny let out a shaky breath and reached up, smoothing my hair back like he used to when we were kids. “I know,” he murmured. “But you don’t have to be anymore.”

I turned my gaze to Rafael. His jaw was clenched, his eyes dark with something I couldn’t quite name. Guilt? Regret? Maybe both.

“You saved me,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“We weren’t going to let anything happen to you,” Rafael said, his voice thick with emotion.

I squeezed their hands again, grounding myself in their presence. I was safe. I took a shaky breath, letting their words settle, but one more question burned at the back of my mind. My fingers tightened around Rafael’s hand as I turned my gaze between them. “Where is he?” My voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

They didn’t have to ask who I meant.

“Locked up,” Sonny said immediately, his voice firm and sure. “Attica. No bail. He’s not getting out, Y/N.”

I let that sink in. Marco was gone. He couldn’t hurt me anymore. The fear still sat heavy in my chest, but it wasn’t as suffocating as before.

Sonny must have noticed the exhaustion weighing on me because he gave me a small, reassuring smile and leaned down, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Get some rest, okay? We’ll be back in the morning.”

I frowned slightly, not wanting them to go just yet. But before I could say anything, Sonny smirked and added, “Not like we’ll have much of a choice. No doubt the whole squad will be here first thing.”

Despite everything, I let out a small, tired laugh. “And Ma?”

“Oh, don’t even get me started,” Sonny groaned. “I basically had to threaten to drive to Staten Island and take Ma’s car keys to keep her from driving up here tonight. And I’m sure by now she’s called our sisters and probably Dad, too.”

I sighed, a small smile tugging at my lips. “So, basically, I should expect an invasion first thing in the morning.”

Sonny grinned. “Oh yeah. Prepare yourself.”

Rafael squeezed my hand gently. “Get some sleep, querida. We’ll be back soon.”

I nodded, the weight of everything finally settling into my bones. As I let my eyes slip shut, I felt their presence beside me, steady and unwavering.

…

By the time breakfast arrived, I was feeling a little more like myself. The woman who brought in the tray of food gave me a warm smile, setting it down gently, and not long after, a nurse came in to check my vitals and draw some blood, to make sure the drugs where clearing my system she said. She assured me everything was looking good and that I just needed to rest.

Once she left, I sighed, settling back against the pillows. The food wasn’t great, but I forced myself to eat it, knowing I needed the energy. I had just pushed the tray aside when the scent hit me.

Cannoli.

Fresh, homemade cannoli.

I barely had time to brace myself before the door burst open, the sound of hurried footsteps and overlapping voices filling the room. Sonny strode in first, his expression tense but relieved, followed closely by Ma, our sisters, and Mia, who was practically bouncing with excitement. The second Ma laid eyes on me, she let out a dramatic gasp, her hands flying up as if she’d just seen a ghost.

"Oh, tesoro mio!"she cried, rushing forward like a woman on a mission.

I barely had time to react before she was on me, cupping my face between her warm hands, her sharp eyes scanning me up and down like she was expecting to find some horrible injury the doctors had somehow missed. She turned my head left, then right, then smoothed my hair down as if that would somehow fix everything.

Then, with a dramatic shake of her head, she declared, "This—this is why you shouldn’t be doing a man’s job!"

I groaned internally. Here we go.

"Ma—" I started, but she wasn’t finished.

"I told you, didn’t I? I told you!" She threw her hands in the air, as if pleading with the heavens. "You should be a nurse! Or a teacher! Something safe! Or better yet, find a nice, wealthy man to take care of you!"

Sonny groaned, rubbing his temples like this was a conversation they’d had one too many times before. "Ma, not now."

But she wasn’t listening to him. She never listened when she was on a roll.

"You look pale! You need to eat!" she announced, already rummaging through the oversized purse slung over her shoulder. Within seconds, she pulled out a foil-wrapped container, peeling back the layers with the precision of someone who had done this a thousand times before. The rich, sweet scent of fresh cannoli filled the air, and before I knew it, she was shoving one toward my face.

"Here. Eat, eat!" she insisted, her voice leaving no room for argument.

I huffed a laugh despite myself, shaking my head. "Ma, I—"

"No arguing!" she interrupted, eyes narrowing in warning. "You need to keep your strength up, poverina!"

Mia, who had climbed up onto the edge of my hospital bed with all the grace of an energetic seventeen-year-old, giggled at the scene unfolding before her. "You might as well just take it," she said with a knowing grin. "Nonna’s not gonna let up until you do."

I shot Sonny a desperate look, silently pleading for help, but he just smirked and shrugged like I was on my own. Traitor.

Defeated, I took the cannoli from Ma’s expectant hands and bit into it. The crispy shell cracked slightly under the pressure, giving way to the creamy ricotta filling, rich with hints of vanilla and citrus, and the perfect touch of chocolate. It was heaven.

I sighed, closing my eyes for a brief moment, savoring the familiar taste of home. When I looked back up, Ma was beaming like she had just personally saved my life.

"See? Much better!" she declared, crossing her arms in satisfaction.

I rolled my eyes, but deep down, I couldn’t help the warmth that spread through my chest. The chaos, the fussing, the smothering concern—it was all so familiar, so them. No matter what had happened, no matter how close I had come to losing everything, I knew this much was true.

I was safe. I was loved.

Shortly after, the door swung open again, and in came Olivia, Amanda, Finn, Amaro, and Rafael, all armed with balloons and flowers. The room was already crowded with my family, but somehow, they all managed to squeeze in.

"You guys didn’t have to come," I said, shaking my head. "As soon as the doctors confirm the drugs are out of my system, I’ll be on my way home anyway."

The room was already a whirlwind of noise and movement, but in the middle of it all, I caught a flicker of something on Rafael’s face—concern, hesitation, like there was something on his mind he wasn’t saying. But before I could dwell on it, a strangled noise cut through the chatter.

Amanda.

Her face scrunched up in clear discomfort, her nose wrinkling as she fought off what looked like a serious wave of nausea.

I glanced at her, then down at the half-eaten cannoli in my hand. My mind connected the dots in an instant, and my eyes widened as realization hit me like a freight train.

"Amanda," I said slowly, my lips already curling into a knowing grin. "Are you pregnant?"

She hesitated just for a second, her expression unreadable, before a smirk—one I knew all too well—spread across her face. Then, she nodded.

Chaos. Absolute, immediate chaos.

Olivia gasped, her eyes lighting up. Finn clapped Amanda on the back with a proud laugh, while Amaro’s face split into a grin, giving her one of those quiet, brotherly nods of approval.

Sonny, standing just beside me, froze.

For the briefest moment, barely a heartbeat, I saw something flicker across his face. A look of heartbreak—raw, aching, there and gone in an instant.

Then, just as quickly, it was buried. He pulled himself together, pasted on a grin, and jumped straight into interrogation mode. "Does the baby’s father know yet?" he asked, folding his arms like he was about to personally hunt the guy down if the answer was anything less than satisfactory.

Meanwhile, Ma had her hands over her heart, already launching into a passionate speech about the joys and struggles of motherhood, rattling off old family sayings and promising Amanda she would never sleep the same again.

I just sat there, watching the chaos unfold with a wide grin as Amanda rolled her eyes at all the attention.

"That explains the face you made when you smelled the cannoli," I teased, nudging her playfully.

She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Don’t even talk about it. Just the thought makes me want to hurl."

I laughed, the sound bubbling up from somewhere deep in my chest, warm and unburdened.

For the first time since everything had happened—since the fear, the uncertainty, the pain—I felt it.

A moment of pure, simple joy.

And after everything, that was exactly what I needed.

…

Rafael’s P.O.V

As the celebration continued, I pulled Sonny aside, lowering my voice so the others wouldn’t hear.

"Give me your keys," I said.

Sonny frowned. "Why?"

"I want to clean up Y/N’s room if you haven’t already," I admitted. "After everything, she should come home to something… normal."

Sonny let out a short laugh, shaking his head as he fished the keys from his pocket. "Just stay out of her underwear drawer, Barba," he teased, handing them over.

I rolled my eyes but took the keys without another word.

The drive to Sonny’s place was quiet, giving me too much time alone with my thoughts. When I finally arrived, I let myself in and made my way to Y/N’s room. The mess was worse than I remembered—clothes scattered, books out of place, the bed unmade from the last time she slept in it. We had torn through everything, desperate for any clue that could’ve led us to her.

I sighed, rolling up my sleeves, and got to work.

I made her bed, smoothing out the sheets with deliberate care. The fabric was slightly rumpled from where we’d torn through the room in our desperate search for answers, but I pulled the blankets tight, tucking them in. I fluffed her pillows, setting them neatly at the head of the bed, making sure everything looked just right—just hoping it was how she liked it.

It struck me then, standing there in the quiet, how little I actually knew about the details of her life. I knew her wit, her fire, the way she held her own in an argument, how she carried herself with an unshakable confidence even when the odds were stacked against her. But this—this space, the things she surrounded herself with—felt like a different kind of intimacy. One I had never really considered before.

My eyes landed on a small, worn plush toy resting on the floor near the nightstand. A chinchilla—of all things. Its fur was faded in places, one ear slightly bent in a way that suggested it had been held tightly, repeatedly, over the years. I crouched down, picking it up carefully. It was soft, delicate, clearly a childhood favorite. I wondered if it had been a gift, or if she had picked it out herself as a kid. Did she still reach for it when she had nightmares? When the weight of the job got too heavy?

I brushed off a bit of dust before placing it gently on her bed, tucking it against her pillow. It felt like putting a piece of her back where it belonged.

Turning my focused on the clothes strewn across the room—crumpled on the floor, draped over the chair by her desk, kicked halfway under the bed. I gathered them up, sorting them into piles: shirts, pants, underthings. I hesitated over a worn Backstreet Boys sweatshirt before folding it carefully. Had she been a fan? I didn’t even know what music she liked, who her faviroute artist was. That realization sat uncomfortably in my chest.

I bundled the laundry into a basket and carried it down to the building’s laundry room, starting a wash cycle before leaning against the machine. The rhythmic hum filled the silence, but it didn’t quiet my thoughts.

When I returned to her room, my gaze fell on her bookshelves—four of them, floor-to-ceiling, overflowing with books that had been thrown into disarray. Some were lying sideways, others stacked hastily, their usual order ruined. I had seen her collection at the office, had watched her run a finger along the spines as she searched for a title, but I had never really looked at them.

I ran my fingers over the covers as I picked them up, flipping them over to scan the summaries. Classic literature. True crime. Philosophy. A few well-worn romance novels that looked like they had been read and reread a dozen times. That caught me off guard. Did she believe in love stories? I had never thought to ask.

I placed each book back in its rightful place, aligning them carefully. I had assumed she organized them alphabetically because that was how she did it at work, but now I wasn’t so sure. Maybe it wasn’t about efficiency. Maybe it was about control. About having something in her life that stayed exactly the way she put it.

Her desk drew my attention, torn apart by Sonny. Papers scattered across the surface, notes scribbled in the margins of case files. A half-finished crossword puzzle. Pens rolling near the edge. A mug—long since emptied—sitting precariously close to toppling over. I reached for it, turning it in my hands. The logo was faded, the words barely visible. A souvenir from a vacation? A gift?I set it back down, wiping the desk clean.

I had spent years working beside her, but in this moment, surrounded by the details of her life, I realized how little I actually knew her. Not just the Y/N I argued next to in court, not the ADA who fought tooth and nail for justice, but the woman who curled up with old paperbacks, who kept a childhood stuffed animal on her bed, who left crossword puzzles unfinished.

By the time I retrieved her laundry and started folding, the room looked untouched, like the chaos of the last few days had never happened. But in my chest, something had shifted.

And that was when the front door opened.

I froze. Footsteps echoed across the living room, and before I could react, Y/N stepped into the room.

She stopped short, her eyes scanning the room before landing on me. Confusion flickered across her face before realization set in.

I swallowed, guilt washing over me.

"I—" I hesitated, then exhaled. "I’m sorry. We tore your room apart looking for clues during Marco’s sick scavenger hunt. I just… I wanted to fix it."

Y/N looked at me for a long moment before stepping fully into the room. She didn’t say anything right away, just glanced around, taking in every carefully placed item, every straightened surface.

Then, finally, she met my eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Y/N sighed, leaning against the doorframe as she watched me fold the last of her laundry. "Before I left the hospital, Stone stopped by," she said, her voice quieter than before. "He wanted to check in… and let me know he’d need a victim statement from me."

She said the word like it didn’t quite belong to her, like it tasted wrong in her mouth. I saw the way her fingers curled into her sleeves, the tension in her shoulders.

I set the folded shirt down and straightened, meeting her eyes. "I know," I said gently. "He spoke to me too. He wants my statement tomorrow."

Her brow furrowed slightly. "Why?"

"Because I’m a victim too," I admitted. "Not in the same way as you, but Marco dragged me into this just as much as he did you. He already got Liv’s statement, along with Finn, Amanda and Amaro. It’s just you, me, and Sonny left."

She let out a slow breath, nodding. "Right."

I hesitated before taking a step closer. "Y/N… you don’t have to do this alone. If you want, I can be there when you talk to Stone."

She studied me for a moment, and I wasn’t sure if she would accept or push me away. But then, her lips quirked just slightly, a ghost of a smile.

"Thanks, Rafael," she murmured. "I might take you up on that."

@geeksareunique @pinkladydevotee @pumpkindwight @chriskevinevans @svzwriting29

Objection! Part 3

Rafael Barba x fem!Carisi!reader

1k word count

Summary All you wanted was to be a lawyer like your big brother Sonny. So what happens when you get a job working under the famous ADA Rafael Barba

slow-burn, colleague to friends to lovers

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Coffees and food in hand, I made my way back to the district attorney's office. As I walked through the door, I heard a familiar voice call out behind me.

"Y/N, Rafa is really putting you to work, isn’t he?" Olivia smiled as she caught up and fell into step with me.

"Lieutenant Benson, hardly. This is just a thank you for everything, and something to tide us over while we look over a case together," I smiled back at her.

"Oh, please, call me Liv," she laughed. "I hope my team didn’t scare you off."

"No, they're wonderful! If anything, I’m mad that Sonny didn’t introduce us all earlier."

"If it makes you feel any better, we all thought he only had one sister until Fin overheard him talking with Rafa about getting you a job. Then he tells us he has four sisters!" Olivia laughed, holding open Rafael's office door for me.

Rafael looked up from his desk, raising an eyebrow when he saw us all smiles and laughter.

"Getting along well, I see," Rafael remarked, keeping his face neutral.

"Yeah, just talking about Sonny," I smiled, placing a coffee and a sandwich in front of him. "This is a thank you for saving me at the courthouse earlier."

"Oh, no thanks needed. We all get lost there our first day," Rafael smiled. "Now, Liv, what can I help you with?" He turned his attention to her.

"The guy we arrested yesterday wants to make a deal. He’ll give us all the other guys he knows who are holding girls in exchange for a reduced sentence and protective custody," Olivia quickly switched to business mode.

"Tell him I’ll be in to discuss a deal first thing in the morning," Rafael sighed.

"Great, I’ll leave you two to whatever it is ADAs do," Olivia smiled, walking out of the office.

Rafael waved a hand at her as she left, then picked up a pile of papers from his desk and brought them over to a coffee table on the other side of the room. He motioned for me to sit down on the lounge next to the coffee table before retrieving his coffee and sandwich. He handed me some paperwork from the pile and directed me to read while he ate. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him trying to eat in manageable bites while fighting the urge to just devour the entire sandwich. It was clear this was his first meal of the day—or at least since breakfast. I felt a pang of guilt for not getting something more substantial. Mental note: find a good takeout place nearby to keep this man fed. Sonny would probably know a few spots.

I turned my attention back to the paperwork, my heart sinking as I read the case summary and saw who the defense attorney was.

"You're in for one hell of a fight here, Barba," I looked over at him.

"You got all that from just reading the case outline?" Rafael asked, taking the final bite of his sandwich.

"That, and the fact that the defense attorney is Buchanan. It's glaringly obvious from the outline what tactics he'll try to use," I sighed.

"So, you know about Buchanan?" Rafael smirked.

"And you, Cabot, Novak, Langan, Calhoun, Ellis... If they’ve worked in New York, I’ve likely studied them," I admitted, a little embarrassed.

"Know thine enemy," Rafael chuckled. "So walk me through it."

I nodded and began breaking down the case for Rafael. If Buchanan wasn’t the defense attorney, I’d say it was open and shut. But with the victim being a prostitute, it was a given that Buchanan would try to use that as a justification. Clearly, Rafael had already anticipated this, as there was an in-depth criminal record for the defendant and even evidence to make the victim look more like a saint. It was a strong case, and I told Rafael so—the real hurdle was Buchanan. We spent hours going over every piece of evidence, discussing everything, every possible defense, every argument that could be made. By the time we finished, the city outside was lit up with its nightlife. The clock on the wall read 9:30. Rafael had a massive smile on his face.

"You're every bit as good as Carisi said you would be," he smiled.

"I have to be," I replied with a small smile.

I could tell he wanted to press on my answer but held back, choosing to nod instead.

"So, you're happy to keep working for me?" Rafael asked.

"It would be my pleasure," I smiled.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow at 8 at the 16th because, for every bit of good you are, you somehow managed to forget to pick up the files I asked for," Rafael smirked, my eyes widening in realization.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I completely forgot! Sonny is still working; I can run over to the 16th now and grab the files," I rushed to grab my phone, but before Rafael could speak, it rang. "Speak of the devil. Sonny, I was just about to call you."

"Great minds think alike. You still burning the midnight oil with Barba?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, I’m here with Barba. Why?" I asked, glancing at Rafael.

"Great! We’re all taking a break for dinner and wanted to see if you wanted to join us at Forlini’s?"

"That actually sounds amazing! We were just wrapping up here, so we’ll meet you there. Also, Sonny, could you bring along any cases you need us to look over? Please? I completely forgot to pick them up earlier," I added, feeling sheepish.

"Uh oh, first-day foul," Sonny laughed. "But yes, I can be an awesome big brother and bring them with me."

"Thank you, I owe you one," I hung up the phone and turned back to Barba. "The team is headed to Forlini’s for dinner and asked us to join."

"Sounds great to me," Rafael smiled.

We began packing up all the paperwork, slotting it back into the various files they had come from. Once everything was returned to its place, Rafael placed the files into a cabinet by his desk, grabbed his jacket, and slid it on while holding the office door open for me. I walked out as Rafael grabbed his briefcase and fell into step beside me, chatting about how, if he hadn’t been asked out for dinner with the team, he likely would have gone home and crashed without eating. I had to laugh and agree that I would have done the same.

I’d never been to Forlini’s, but Sonny had brought me food from there a few times, so I was looking forward to actually eating there for once. Rafael waved down a cab and told the driver where to go. When we pulled up in front of Forlini’s, Rafael had his wallet out and paid for the cab before I could protest. He climbed out first, holding the door open for me. My heart raced—he really was a gentleman.

Forlini’s was crowded, and Rafael placed his hand on the small of my back to guide me through the crowd. He said something about knowing where to find the others, but I couldn’t hear him over the noise. We came to a stop in front of a group of tables in the far back corner where Sonny, Fin, Amanda, Nick, and Olivia were already sitting, drinks in hand, laughing away.

"Should you be drinking if you’re still working?" Rafael chuckled, taking a seat and motioning for me to sit next to him.

"The only one here still working is Water Boy over there," Fin smirked, pointing at Sonny.

"Yeah, someone’s been neglecting their paperwork," Amanda laughed.

Sonny gave them a "stuff off" look before turning to me.

“Come è andato il primo giorno?” Sonny asked, leaning back in his chair. (How did the first day go?)

“È stato fantastico, perché?” I replied with a smile. (it was great, why?)

“Volevo solo assicurarmi che Barba ci andasse piano con te,” he said, a hint of concern in his voice. (I just wanted to make sure Barba went easy on you.)

“Ti preoccupi troppo,” I giggled, reaching for a menu in the middle of the table. (You worry too much)

It was at that point I noticed the entire table had fallen silent. Everyone was looking at Sonny and me with wide eyes, and Rafael looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. Clearly, Sonny hadn’t mentioned to anyone that he knew Italian.

“You speak Italian too?” Rafael was the first to break the silence.

“Uh, yes. Sonny never told any of you he could speak Italian?” I asked, looking around the table.

“No, he didn’t,” Olivia said, turning to Sonny. “What does Rafael mean by ‘you speak Italian too’?”

“Oh, I also speak Spanish,” I shrugged casually.

“Wow, Carisi, your sister’s amazing,” Nick smiled. “Veo que nos vamos a llevar bien, señorita.” (I can see we’re going to get along well, missy.)

“Hey, Amaro, eyes off my sister, alright?” Sonny pointed a finger at him, half-joking.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the two of them, and the rest of the table joined in. Rafael, however, seemed to be glaring at Nick. I decided it would be best to wait until it was just Rafael and me before asking what his problem with Nick was. I joined the conversation at the table, and the whole team treated me like I’d been working with them for years. I felt at ease with them faster than I had with anyone else. For the first time, I felt like I’d found where I belonged.

When dinner was over, Sonny handed the files I had left behind to Rafael and excused himself to return to the office. The others wandered off to their various homes, and Rafael offered to see me home, even though it meant traveling further than his own place. He hailed us another cab and held the door open while I climbed in. I gave the driver my address before turning to Rafael.

“Okay, spill it,” I said, watching him.

“What?” Rafael looked at me, caught off guard.

“You don’t like Nick. Why?” I asked directly.

“He’s a playboy. Ever since his wife divorced him, he’s been running through women like he needs them to breathe,” Rafael said, looking out the cab window. “I just don’t want to see him do the same to you. He’s already slept with Amanda and half the female officers in the 16th, so I wouldn’t put it past him to target you next.”

“I can take care of myself, but thank you for your concern,” I smiled, appreciating his protective nature.

The cab came to a stop in front of mine and Sonny’s apartment building. I wished Rafael goodnight before making my way inside, desperate for sleep before I had to be at the 16th at 8 a.m.

Supernatural, Hunting, Living and Love Part 18

Dean Winchester x fem!reader

1.5k word count

fluff, idiots in love, friends to lovers

warnings none

Authors Note: 2 chapters to go!

Original / Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

The drive back to the bunker was long, the silence stretching between us. Sam kept his eyes on the road, gripping the wheel a little too tight. Y/N sat next to me, curled up against the door, her breathing slow and steady. Every so often, I’d glance at her, just to make sure she was okay.

When we finally pulled into the bunker, the familiar sight of home comforting.

Bobby and Theresa were waiting for us.

The moment Y/N stepped inside, Theresa was there, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Come on,” she murmured, leading her away toward our room.

I nodded at Bobby. He didn’t say anything, just gave me a long, unreadable look before turning his attention to Sam.

I shook off the weird tension and headed to the kitchen. The place was quiet, the kind of quiet that sinks into your bones. I pulled open the fridge and grabbed a beer, popping the cap off with practiced ease.

Behind me, I heard Sam walk in. I didn’t turn around. “Where’d Bobby go?” I asked, taking a sip.

Silence.

I frowned, glancing over my shoulder. Sam was sitting on the couch, his head tilted back, eyes closed.

“Really?” I huffed. “You could’ve at least answered before passing out.”

No response.

I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the counter, letting the beer sit heavy in my hand. The quiet stretched on, and for some reason, it started to get to me. The bunker always had this hum of life, a steady undercurrent of sound. But right now? It felt… empty.

I exhaled sharply and downed the rest of my beer. “Alright, I’m calling it,” I muttered. “I’m beat. Gonna get some sleep.”

I pushed off the counter and made my way down the hall. As I passed by, Theresa stepped out of her room, her eyes flicking up briefly.

I gave her a nod. “Night.”

She didn’t react. Didn’t even glance at me. Just turned and walked away.

I frowned. “Okay, cool. Good talk.”

Shaking my head, I pushed open the door to my room, to find Y/N already curled up in bed.

I hesitated for a second before stepping inside, closing the door behind me. The silence pressed in again, heavier this time.

…

The days after the hunt passed in a strange sort of haze. Y/N kept herself busy, floating through the bunker like a ghost, avoiding eye contact, avoiding conversation. Avoiding me. I didn’t push, didn’t ask. Something inside me told me I didn’t want to hear the answer.

Then Castiel showed up.

I felt the shift in the air before I even saw him. That familiar rustle of wings, the kind that always managed to set me on edge. I stepped out of my room just in time to see Y/N standing in the hall, arms crossed tight over her chest, staring him down.

"Go away," she said, her voice clipped.

Cas frowned, tilting his head. "Y/N—"

"I don't want to talk to you right now." She turned on her heel and walked away, disappearing into the library without a second glance.

Cas lingered for a moment, his expression unreadable. He turned his gaze toward me, but I didn’t move, just leaned against the doorframe and took a slow sip of my beer. He hesitated, then let out a quiet sigh, nodded once, and vanished.

…

It was Bobby who finally suggested we take a break from hunting. We were a week out from Centerville and everyone had thrown themselves into the work instead of taking the time to check in with each other.

"Theresa’s pregnant, and none of you idjits are exactly in top shape after what happened in Centerville," he said, leveling us all with one of those no-nonsense looks of his. "Take some time off. Regroup. Get your heads straight."

Sam nodded, rubbing a hand over his face. Y/N sat across from him, eyes downcast, picking at the sleeve of her hoodie.

No one argued.

…

The weeks that followed were quiet. Too quiet.

Y/N spent a lot of time in the library, flipping through lore books she wasn’t really reading. She stayed in bed later than usual, went to bed earlier. At first, it was easy to chalk up to exhaustion, but then little things started adding up.

She barely touched her coffee anymore. Certain foods made her turn pale. It was like she was punishing herself. Denying herself her normal pleasures as some sort of punishment for what I wasn’t sure. All my attempts to help her seemed to fall flat. It was as if she was pretending I didn’t exist. I understand why she was mad but to stay mad this long? I wasn’t a pro at long term relationships but this didn’t seem right.

…

Y/N’s P.O.V

I had to know for sure.

Leaving the bunker felt strange, like I was slipping away unnoticed even though no one had been paying much attention to me lately. Not that I wanted to be noticed. I got in the car and drove into town, my fingers tight on the wheel, my heart hammering against my ribs. The pharmacy was nearly empty when I walked in, my footsteps muted against the linoleum floors. I knew exactly what I was looking for, but I still hesitated before grabbing them—two, no, three boxes of pregnancy tests. Just in case.

The cashier didn’t say much, and I barely heard what little they did. I paid in cash, shoved the bag deep into my pocket, and walked out into the cool afternoon air. I needed somewhere private, somewhere no one would find me.

The park. It was quiet, tucked just off the main road. The public restroom was clean enough, and right now, that was all that mattered.

Locking myself in a stall, I took a deep breath and pulled the tests from the bag. My hands were shaking so badly I almost dropped one, but I forced myself to focus. One by one, I took them, lined them up along the edge of the sink, and waited.

Two minutes felt like an eternity.

Then, all at once, the results appeared.

Positive.

All of them.

My breath hitched. My chest tightened, and I pressed a hand to my mouth as hot tears welled in my eyes. I stumbled back against the wall, gripping my stomach with the other hand as if that could somehow steady me.

Pregnant.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. Not now, not like this.

But it was.

And I had no idea what to do.

…

I didn’t tell anyone.

Instead, I hid it. I wore baggy clothes, trained less, avoided heavy lifting. I found a doctor, went to appointments alone, tucked every ultrasound photo away in a vent under the bed where no one would see. I made excuses when asked why I was hiding in the library so much and not training as much as I use to. I let Sam and Bobby believe I was still shaken from Centerville and needed to concentrate on the lore so I didn’t get caught out again. If they suspected anything, they didn’t say.

The bunker carried on as usual. Sam threw himself into research. Bobby checked in regularly. Theresa kept making lists of baby names and nursery ideas.

She had dozens of them, written in the neat, careful handwriting she always used when she was excited. She pored over books, websites, even old family records, scribbling down possibilities in a notebook she carried everywhere. Every few days, she’d cross out some and add more, her favorites changing constantly.

"What about something classic? Elizabeth, Katherine, maybe Charlotte?" she’d muse out loud. Then, the next day, she’d pivot. "Or maybe something unique! Juniper, Lark, Wren—something that stands out."

Sam indulged her, offering occasional input but mostly just smiling as she planned. She even started setting up a nursery in one of the spare rooms, painting the walls a soft green at first before deciding on a pale yellow instead. She rearranged the furniture over and over, never quite satisfied with where the crib should go. Every day, something was moved, adjusted, perfected.

And Dean—

I swallowed hard, pushing that thought away.

…

Theresa was the one who found out first.

It was late, and I’d just gotten out of the shower. Standing clad in tights and a bra I dug through my dresser for a clean shirt. The door swung open, and I barely had time to react before Theresa stepped inside, chattering about something—until she froze.

I turned, my heart hammering in my chest, my damp hair dripping down my back. Her gaze had zeroed in on the unmistakable curve of my belly.

"Oh my God," she whispered, eyes wide. "You're pregnant."

My breath caught. "Taz—"

"How long?" Her voice was softer now, laced with concern.

"Five months."

Her expression shifted, something between shock and heartbreak. "You’ve been hiding this for five months?"

I nodded, my throat tightening. "I… I didn’t know how to tell anyone."

For a long moment, she just stared at me. Then, finally, she let out a small, breathy laugh and stepped forward, pulling me into a hug.

"You idiot," she whispered. "You didn’t have to do this alone."

I squeezed my eyes shut, gripping her back just as tightly.

Maybe I didn’t have to do this alone anymore.