Cee’s Writing

Code

☀️ - fluff only, 🌤 - some angst but happy ending ☁️ - ambiguous ending, ⛈ downer ending 🔥 - smut

GAME OF THRONES

Status: Discontinued

Potential to reopen: No.

Arthur Dayne

The Princess and the Knight AU where Rhaegar is King and Ser Arthur Dayne loves his sister -Targaryen!Reader- ☀️

Euron Greyjoy

Dangerous Plans - Reader is promised to Euron Greyjoy by her sister. She decides to make the best of her situation. Lannister!Reader - ☁️

Gendry Waters

Run Away - Gendry and Reader make plans - Stark!Reader 🌤/☁️

Jaime Lannister

Real Love - An arranged marriage turns out to be your perfect match- Baratheon!Reader 🌤

Jon Snow

A Love worth waiting For- Jon has always loved you…but you are betrothed to Robb- Baratheon!Reader 🌤

Betrayal - Jon is preoccupied with Dany- Stark!Reader ⛈

Permanent Guest - Jon would like it if you stayed - Mormont!Reader ☀️

Sandor Clegane

Bodyguard AU- Celebrity!Reader has a new boyfriend that isn’t as bad as he seems 🌤/☁️

KINGSMAN

Status: Closed.

Potential to reopen: No. Fic was a one off.

Eggsy Unwin

You’re My Best Friend- It takes Charlie to make Eggsy realise he’s in love with you - ☀️

MARVEL

Status: Closed.

Potential to reopen: Unlikely unless for specific characters.

Bruce Banner

Lab Partners - You’re working with Dr. Banner but he’s surprised to learn it’s him rather than the Hulk you’re impressed with - ☀️

Bucky Barnes -

It’s Been a Long, Long Time - Bucky has loved Steve’s sister since the 1940s - Rogers!Reader ☀️

Move on - You and Bucky had a good thing going…until the snap and the blip - ⛈ - GN

Hope Not Too Long - Bucky returns after the blip 🌤

Matt Murdock-

Loving you is Easy - Soulmate AU - Matt has you, You don’t think you have a mark - 🌤

Inside your Mind - Established Relationship, Matt worries about telling you his secret. Semi-sequel to the above but also its own thing - 🌤

MCU!Peter Parker

The Right Choice - Tony’s daughter has every faith that her late father chose the benefactor of EDITH correctly - Stark!Reader 🌤

The Boy Next Door - You’ve lived across the hall from Peter for some time- The two of you have a crush on each other - 🌤

One Condition - You have your suspicions after bad guys get into your school - 🌤 -GN

Natasha Romanoff

Come Back To Me - Nat’s girlfriend deals with the fallout of Nat’s mission to Voromir - 🌤

Always Meet Your Heroes - Nat helps you out when the city is under attack - ☁️ - GN

Peter Quill-

Movie Love - Peter meets another scavenger- she’s also from Earth - ☀️

Blast From the Past - You thought your childhood friend had disappeared but he’s in your kitchen ☀️- GN

Scott Lang

New Recruit - Your friend Sam asks you to bring in the new recruit- What happens when he happens to be your cute neighbour ☀️

Steven Grant

Stay For Now, I Love You Forever - Steven meets s girl and falls in love. Marc falls too -🌤️

TASM!Peter Parker

All I Want - Peter and you have been friends for sometime. He realises he loves you but is it too late? - 🌤

I Was Meant to Know You - When your universes Peter ropes you into help the villains, why do feel drawn to one of the other Peters? - 🌤

I Was Meant to Love You - Having followed Peter 3 back to his universe, he finds you. Sequel to the above - ☀️

Thor Odinson

A Work of Art - Thor shows his appreciation for a reader passionate about art - ☀️

Quentin Beck

Beauty In Chaos - Master manipulator Mysterio awakes to find the Shield operative he’d romanced by his bed - ☁️/ ⛈

MAZE RUNNER

Status: Open for Gally only.

Gally

Carved with Love - Gally’s love language is building you things- ☀️

Reunion - Reunited ☀️

NSFW Alphabet 🔥

SFW Alphabet ☀️

RPF

Status: Closed.

Potential to re-open: If these open these will be actor specific.

Jake Gyllenhaal

I Find My Way Back to You - Jake and you break up over a co-star. He regrets it - 🌤

I See Nothing But You - Jake is dating Tom’s sister and is interviewed about her- Holland!Reader ☀️

Tom Holland

Premier date - Tom’s perfect date has been there the whole time ☀️ - GN

STRANGER THINGS

Status: Discontinued. Fics were one off

Potential to reopen: Not before S5.

Eddie Munson

I Want You To Want Me - Inspired by 10 Things I Hate About You wherein Robin likes Chrissy, Jason likes Chrissy and Chrissy can’t date until you do- Cunningham!Reader 🌤️/☀️

Peter Ballard/001/Vecna/Henry Creel

Skin of the Night - Peter is obsessed with YOU- ☁️

Steve Harrington

I Fell in Love with You in Stages - multi-part (20 lol) fic following Dustin’s sister and Steve through the events of s1-s3 from kind of enemies to friends to lovers - Henderson!Reader 🌤/☀️

THE BEAR

Status: Open for Chef Luca.

Carmen Berzatto

Can I Be The One - Multi option fic where you can choose Carmy or Luca 🌤️/🔥

Jealous Carmy Carmy lets his jealousy take over and you kinda like it 🔥

NSFW Alphabet 🔥

SFW Alphabet ☀️

Sleeping on him - ☀️ You want to sleep, he has work

Bookshop Meetcute - ☀️ Carmy likes the bookshop owner

Work stress - Carmy senses his wife’s stress and comforts her - 🌤️

Chef Luca

Can I Be The One - Multi option fic where you can choose Carmy or Luca 🌤️/🔥

Luca Proposing - Luca proposes ☀️

Kitchen sex it’s been a while so you and Luca fix that after closing 🔥

NSFW Alphabet 🔥

SFW Alphabet ☀️

Period Care - Luca looks after you on your period ☀️

Size kink/ Love Egg - Luca teases you in public then fucks you 🔥

Comfort song from Luca Luca sings your comfort song to you ☀️

Luca and pregnant wife at Ever funeral - you and Luca go to the funeral ☀️

Baby baking- Luca makes desserts for his pregnant wife ☀️

First time when dating Luca - You and Luca sleep together for the first time 🔥

Luca Headcanons ☀️ / Luca Headcanons II ☀️ / Luca Headcanons III ☀️ / Luca Headcanons IV girldad!edition / BONUS ☀️

Luca and clingy reader ☀️

Carmy’s sister fics: Carmy’s sister and Luca ☀️ / Carmy’s sister and Luca Pt2 ☀️ 🔥/ Pt3 ☀️ / Pt4 ☀️/Pt5 ☀️/ dating Luca as Carmy’s sister ☀️

Waitress reader fics: Luca taking readers virginity 🔥 Luca looks after drunk reader ☀️ Aftercare ☀️ 🔥

Luca with facial hair ☀️ 

Luca cooks for you and then fucks you ☀️/ 🔥

You run into an ex when dining out with your husband Luca ☀️

THE HAUNTING

Status: Discontinued

Potential to reopen: No.

Hugh Crain

Waking Up with… Headcanons - Waking up with young Hugh Crain - ☀️- GN

Solace - you and young Hugh Crain are the only two that understand each other 🌤 - GN

Luke Crain

Late - Luke is late home but you don’t mind ☀️ - GN

Love in the Strangest Places - you do not expect the rehab Center to be where you fall in love - 🌤

Especially You - You get a call from your friends brother- turns out there’s a lot about Luke you don’t know 🌤

Unexpected - Your late night booty call runs out on you. Your pregnancy test is positive 🌤

Meeting You Again - you left for Rome during college- Luke thought he would never see you again 🌤

Not a People Person Until I Met You - You’re not the most friendly person, more into bars and your one close friend- Until Luke Crain comes into your life - 🌤

Exactly As You Are - Luke loves you. Just as you are ☀️

Stay - You help Luke out when he’s cold and alone. Your kindness sticks with him and he calls you after he’s poisoned 🌤

Wedding Day - You and Luke are getting married ☀️

Steve Crain

Took You Long Enough - Steve’s had a thing for you forever ☀️

Theo Crain

Workplace Romance Headcanons - Headcanons about meeting Theo and starting up a workplace romance - ☀️

In the Dark - Theo has nightmares. She’s glad you are there 🌤/☁️

Prom Date- Teenage romance with Theo - ☀️

TED LASSO

Status: Closed.

Potential to reopen: No. Fic was a one off.

Jamie Tartt

Conversation - Enemies to Lovers, you are the player liaison officer at Richmond and Jamie is a colossal prick. Until he isn’t - 🌤️/ ☀️

WARFARE

Status: Open for Erik

Erik

All Planned Out - Erik has a thing for the medic and plans out their life ☀️

Notes; maybe a sequel where he takes her with him on the plane to go with him because he wants to protect her (and he’s eager to pleaseeee. Smut?? Maybe??) 🥵

***

People were tied to soulmates through a timer on your wrist. A countdown until you met your soulmate. Everyone had one. It was just how people found each other. You’d both meet for the first time, your timers would hit zero when you made eye contact and the connection was meant to be instant.

Instant, inescapable and undeniable.

It was normal to take photos of your timer and send it when online dating to compare if you were soulmates or not. If you were, great, however it wasn’t uncommon for people with similar countdowns to enter into relationships then call it off a few months before they’d both be due to meet their soulmate. You’d never dabbled much in online dating beyond for an odd hook up. You didn’t see the point, not when you knew it wasn’t going to last.

All you wanted was someone to love who’d love you back.

Anything else you viewed as pretty pointless.

Some people met early in life. Your best friend had met her soulmate when they’d walked into an interview room for the same university. Neither of them had got the place in the end but they’d said it didn’t matter when they’d found each other instead.

Some people had marks that suggested they’d be in their eighties.

On the other hand, your mark suggested you’d meet your soulmate in 2027 which to a kid in the nineties seemed like an age away but you’d largely forgot about it. If anything you saw it as reason to just live for yourself.

You’d expected you’d one day meet your soulmate in a movie meet cute; eyes meeting across a book store or you’d both reach for the last pack of Doritos or something.

You did not expect it to be like this…

Chaos had broken out at Fogwell’s Gym following Mayor Fisk’s win in his boxing match. And your brother was late back to the safe house you were holed up in with his girlfriend Karen.

The faint twinge around your right wrist intensified; you’d never felt it like this, but you knew from friends that it meant one thing.

Your soulmate was imminent.

And the timing could not be worse.

00:00:00:00:00:03

Three minutes.

You made eye contact with Karen who gave you a nervous smile.

You both feared the worst and the only reassurance you had was that if your brother was dead or in the hands of the Taskforce, you’d know within seconds via news alerts.

Fisk wouldn’t sit on that secret.

A horrible thought lingered that the AVTF were going to break the door down any minute now and storm the safehouse. Wouldn’t that be something? If your soulmate was going to kill you and Karen and bury you in some hole in the woods upstate?

00:00:00:00:00:02

Two minutes.

What if it was one of Fisk’s men and they’d had you dead before even making eye contact. Surely your soulmate would be feeling the same hot, sensitive sensation under their skin as you were. Maybe they’d send someone else in to apprehend you and Karen and hand you over to his boss without a second thought, the only eye contact being as you were thrown into the back of a van.

Maybe it was the Mayors aide in the shiny suit who was always at his side.

Christ. Not that asshole. You never liked pretty polished boys.

You wondered if you’d rather be dead than have to mingle with the Fisks and others like them.

No it couldn’t be.

The mayors men would likely be with him at the hospital where his wife was being treated. And it couldn’t be the AVTF, they were not subtle. They went in guns drawn, kicking down doors and making noise.

Of course they did; they were free from consequences.

Free from consequences to do the wrong thing and apprehend vigilantes who were, in their various methods, from Frank Castle to Matt Murdock, actually trying to protect the people not just the Mayor and his interests.

00:00:00:00:00:01

One minute

If it wasn’t AVTF or one of the mayors men; that meant the person who was about one minute away, your soulmate, had to be someone either coming against their will and incapacitated by Matt…or you hoped, they had to be coming willingly…Someone who wanted to help… God knows you could use it.

The only thing was you’d met all of his previous allies so it had to be someone new.

An Avenger?

You ran through the New York based heroes in your head.

Captain America? Not possible; he wasn’t in the area. The last you heard he’d was cleaning up some mess in Washington DC.

Spider-Man? No. Not likely. He never unmasked. Not a single person knew him. You’d never heard so much as a rumbling as to who he was. It seemed to be his thing.

Hawkeye? Married with kids to his soulmate so no, not him.

Bucky Barnes? Maybe. He wouldn’t be so bad but did he even have a timer? You wondered, how did that work with a metal arm?

Fuck…you were off track.

“Are you okay?” Karen asked, a look of concern furrowing over her brow. “You look like you’re not with us.”

You nodded and subconsciously held your wrist as if it would stop the timer. “I’m fine… just a…stomach ache” you lied not wanting to make this already extremely stressful situation any worse.

Her eyes fell to your wrist and damn her, Karen, astute as always clocked on almost instantly. It was pointless pretending.

“Oh shit.” She said “Your timer? What’s it at?”

Conceding she’d worked it out, you sighed and held it up. “30 seconds”

“So that means…” Karen’s eyes went to the door and then the window as if she was running through the options that you’d just run through mere moments ago.

“Yeah, my soulmates got godawful timing and is probably about to walk through that door, so I’m really hoping it’s someone Matt brought to help us or…”

You were cut off mid sentence by a heavy breathless voice.

“A little help?”

Your eyes shot to the door where Matt was staggering over the threshold, bloody, bruised and with a tall, muscular man swung over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry.

You looked at Karen who was staring in shock. Like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Or rather who she was seeing.

Matt lowered him, still supporting the other man with an arm over his shoulders. As the man’s heavy lidded gaze met yours that you realised it.

You’d seen him. Not in person, of course not, but you’d seen him. On the news. And you’d heard all about him.

Your timer and his now hitting zeros in sync and the pull; magnetic and exactly like everyone described

00:00:00:00:00:00

There was no way you could deny it; Benjamin Poindexter was your soulmate.

****

He’d passed out around ten seconds after Matt had hauled him onto the make shift bed, only coherent enough to mumble out “Stay…”, and making a weakened grab for your wrist before passing out.

To you, his voice had sounded so needy and almost helpless, a far cry from the cold ruthless assassin you expected, that you couldn’t say no so you’d laced your fingers through with his and squeezed reassuringly without a second thought.

“I’m not going anywhere.” You said, not knowing if he could hear you “I promise.”

Karen had read his attempted grab completely differently and instantly went into defensive mode, frustrated at Matt for even bringing him here and insisted that despite the gaping bullet wound in his side, Benjamin Poindexter was extremely dangerous and needed to be handcuffed to the bed railing.

Given his state, you couldn’t imagine him in much of a position to make any attempt at attacking you but she looked way too angry for you to reason with so you let her handcuff your new soulmate by the wrist to the bed and, much to her chagrin, you relaced your hand with his, squeezing it as soon as she was done.

“What the hell are you doing…” She shook her head looking at you in complete disgust at the innocent gesture “He’s a murdering psychopath and you’re holding his hand.”

“We can’t just leave him…” and then scrambling madly for something, anything to calm her you added “also he did save Matt’s life. When he was pinned down by those AVTF guys…”

Karen crossed her arms “So that makes it okay? That undoes all the shit…that undoes Foggy, Father Lantom, all those people at the Bulletin…” she listed off.

“Of course it doesn’t but, Karen, if he didn’t take out those Task Force guys, they’d have killed Matt…they had a gun pointed at him, for fucks sake! And after they’d killed Matt, they’d came after me and you…” you attempted to placate her by reminding her that Bullseye had rescued Matt by taking out the Taskforce men assigned to apprehend Daredevil.

“Thats not the point! Stop defending him!” She ran a hand through her long blonde hair “This is unbelievable.” Karen eyed you “You really want that asshole for a soulmate? You can still walk away…now while he’s out of it…I’d love to tell him when he wakes up” she said suggesting she would do anything but.

“I can’t…” you said “I know, I know he’s done some fucked up shit but… we can’t just leave him. We have to help him.” You said.

The truth was you couldn’t give a reason. The soulmate connection; you’d always heard people say it was inexplicable. And you knew now they were right.

Karen knowing she was getting nowhere with you, turned her frustration to Matt.

“Why did you bring him here? He’s a murderer, Matt! You think he’d save you if the roles were reversed? He killed…”

“Don’t. I know. I know what he did.” Matt cut her off.

“And you still risked your life for him! Matt, why do you keep doing this and now what? You wanna patch him up and send him off into the sunset with your sister? You want us to double date? You want that thing for a brother? He’ll kill more people.”

You’d never seen her this angry.

“Karen…I can’t just let him die. You know Foggy wouldn’t want that either.”

“So…Fisk’s wife got him freedom for Foggy’s life so he kills her and thinks it’s justice? Full circle?” She snapped

“Balancing the scales’…” Matt said “his words”

“I don’t care what the psychopath calls it” Karen covered her face with her hands in frustration. “It’s fucking crazy. You keep letting people who don’t deserve it live.” She took a breath; steeling herself “I’ve done it once with Wesley… I can do it again, all you have to do is walk out the door, leave the gun, I’ll do it for you. The problem will be gone”

Your stomach churned at that and you held his hand tighter. You hated hearing her talk like that.

“I can’t let you do that Karen” Matt said, his voice steady.

She stared Matt down for several minutes before she threw on her disguise “Maybe you deserve him.” She snapped at you and left the hideout ignoring Matt calling out asking where she was going.

**

Slowly, you started unpacking the medical kit and began stitching up the sizeable bullet wound on your soulmates side.

You weren’t a doctor but you’d had more than your fair share of patching up Matt so had become a dab hand at mending bullet wounds, knife wounds and all other sorts.

You gently clipped the stitching thread before placing strips over it for extra protection then placing a thick gauze over it.

No bleeding through the gauze. Good. That meant you’d stopped the bleeding with the stitches.

You dropped the kit back on to the table next to you and turned your eyes back to him.

He was attractive. Way way more attractive out of that prison jumpsuit.

Dark blondeish hair, nice lips, a strong jawline, broad shoulders, tall; maybe around 6’1” so he’d tower over you and now that his shirt had been removed, you could see his chiseled abs and big biceps. You always liked biceps.

Benjamin Poindexter. The man who went to prison for eleven murder charges. He’s a mass murderer. He killed your brothers best friend. He killed half a dozen people at the Bulletin, he killed a priest for fucks sake.

The weird gnawing feeling that started in your gut was worming its way into your chest. The feeling had been creeping for a while, you hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it for fear of what it said about you… you’d conceded more than once that you understood why some vigilantes didn’t hesitate in killing bad people. They’d do the same to them. Kill or be killed.

He killed those AVTF guys too though and those guys have hurt dozens of people, probably killed people and would do the same to anyone got in the way and for what? The mayor? Fuck that.

Now faced with him, Benjamin Poindexter, your soulmate. You had the dawning realisation that in some way, agreed with him. Maybe not how he’d go about with little care for collateral kills or targeting innocent people but about killing bad people? It wasn’t far removed from some other vigilantes methods.

No one, not you, not Karen, not Matt would shed a tear over the AVTF or the Fisks. And you wouldn’t pretend otherwise.

In fact, the truth, that you were realising as you turned things over in your head was, the only reason you had even some vague thought towards Mrs Fisk, was that if she died as a result of the skirmish at his boxing match, he’d likely double down on all this Safer Streets shit and he’d be all out on Daredevil and Bullseye; the two involved.

Your brother and your soulmate. And you knew Fisk would let the Taskforce to have their fun before bringing them in; and locking them in a cell or worse. And then he’d probably have you and Karen tortured as leverage

A chair beside you moved pulling you from your thoughts and you turned to see your brother taking a seat beside you

“So he’s your soulmate. I heard your timer. And his…”

Damn Matt Murdock and his super hearing. You looked up at your brother.

“Yeah…I might have guessed you would have heard.” You said and looked at Matt. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault” he said with a small shake of his head “You can’t change it. Not the man I’d pick for my sister but I don’t get a choice”

“I know you hate him.” You chewed the thumb of your free hand, a nervous habit you’d developed this past few weeks “Trust me. I know… I know he’s done…fucking awful shit…but…”

“You’re right. Part of me does hate him. Part of me thinks it would have been better if he’d died that night at Josies. Him for Foggy. Would have been….” Matt started and trailed off. He couldn’t say fair like he wanted to. Despite Matt’s anger and frustration, his sense of justice, his determination to not kill, to save everyone, always prevailed. “would been easier…” he said instead.

Your brother exhaled as if gathering his thoughts.

“But he wasn’t lying. I could tell that much.” Matt said after a pause, remembering the steady heart beat when they’d fought at his apartment “…when he said he was redeeming himself, he called it… ‘balancing the scales’…I think in his head that’s how it works…Vanessa Fisk got him out. His freedom for Foggy and now he thinks if he kills Fisk, it absolves him of taking that deal…”

“Is it wrong I get where he’s coming from…” you conceded, “it’s definitely flawed logic but there’s something there…an eye for an eye…or something. It’s not completely crazy.”

Matt was silent for a moment as if thinking on something.

“You know when he asked to see me…he said ‘in another life you’d be defending me…’ because it’s what a good man does…”

“Maybe you would.” You said with a sigh “Say if he killed someone else…if Vanessa Fisk had sent him after anyone else…if she’d bargained him out, promising him freedom for one last assignment and yanked the rug out from under him to let him take the fall for it as some crazy shooter, killing for the fun of it…you might have.”

This was the most conflicted you’d seen your brother look in years.

“Look I’m not asking you to forgive him. I’m not asking you to trust him…but…”

A low exhale “I probably need to.” Matt said “For me, for you. Not for him. But I still can’t let him kill Wilson Fisk. It’ll make things worse. And I don’t trust him not to try.”

Again that wasn’t unreasonable

“Yeah. That’s fair” you said with a shrug. “I… I get it.” Then after a moment you said “I’m going to need his notes…I need to understand him.”

Matt considered your request and nodded.

“Let me check in with some people. I think Jessica has a contact who’ll have access, I’ll get them sent over…but I should probably go after Karen…” he tilted his head a little “He’s stable by the way, his breathings even and his heart rate is normal…”

You understood and quickly stood to give your brother a hug. “Thank you, Matty.”

**

Within fifteen minutes, Jessica’s contact had delivered. An email to your burner account with a whole file on your new soulmate.

Everything he’d spoken about during his court mandated therapy sessions at the mental institution.

You started at the beginning; he’d been orphaned at a young age, his parents were pretty absent even before they died. After they’d died, he was taken in by a boys home and found a passion for baseball…and he was good at it

He’d got it in his head that his parents would come back and they’d be a family if he had the perfect game… and just then the coach had benched him. He’d been an angry kid thinking his chance to get his family back had been taken from him and he’d thrown the baseball in such a way that he’d accidentally on purpose killed his coach.

After that he’d been transferred to a psychiatric unit and it seemed… Dr.Mercer; was getting through to him, advising him to find guidance from someone he thinks is a good person or…find a routine to give him that. She’d died when Dex was only a teenager, meaning he’d lost probably at that point his closest friend and the only thing he had resembling a family.

The notes went into his career; military where he was deadly accurate with every weapon he trained with, work at a suicide hotline, then FBI training, and work as a field sniper.

The sessions on his time under the “employment” of Wilson Fisk were extremely hard to read

Clearly he’d been manipulated, isolated and twisted by Fisk who acted like he was offering support and guidance but really just treated him as a gun for hire, someone to do his bidding.

He’d turned on Fisk after realising it was him who’d had a friend of his killed. A girl from his time at the suicide hotline that he’d reached out to for support and in attempting to get revenge, he’d gained a broken spine in return.

He’d been unable to walk or move until he’d undergone experimental surgery on his spine and the report detailed everything; the risks and his recovery until it all ceased under his release.

Fucking hell.

Your eyes scanned the amount of medication he’d been put on when he’d been put back in the psych unit after the surgery. Who even approved that? Sedate him and let him wait it out? How the fuck was he even coherent when Vanessa Fisk had turned up offering him an assassination contract in exchange for release. A chance to get his mind back; to live a normal life.

No wonder he’d taken it.

He was ex-FBI swat. It wasn’t personal to him. Just another mission with his pay being getting his mind back.

You felt angry for him.

You knew from Matt that he’d been in Rikers after the assault on Josie’s bar; he’d been promised solitary confinement but allowed nothing in his cell. The guards knew he could, and would use anything as a weapon.

Still, that would send anyone crazy. Locked up for 23 hours a day with nothing but a bed and your own thoughts.

After issued an order to transfer him to gen-pop which would, as he was ex-FBI, put him at risk, he’d asked to see Matt and seemingly he’d escaped the same day.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

Seeing this all laid out, you felt an overwhelming sense of anger towards anyone who’d ever mistreated him and silently vowed in that moment, you’d stay with him, you’d be every support he ever needed and never got.

****

Benjamin Poindexter had dreamed of you every night for years.

In his dreams, you didn’t judge him or hold anything against him. In his dreams, you listened to him, helped him, supported him. In his dreams; you loved him and he loved you. His North Star.

And now as he came around, you were in front of him. Sitting by his bedside. His soulmate. Still holding his hand.

Finally there for him to love, and be loved by

For the longest time; Dex believed maybe his timer was faulty or broken.

‘Like your moral compass’ That little voice would tell him.

2027.

As a kid, as a teenager that seemed so far. It made him angry when he’d see other kids his age, who’d meet their soulmates when they were 18, 21, 25…Fuck Mark at the boys home was even destined to meet his at sixteen…meanwhile he had years to wait. It wasn’t fair in his mind. He had no-one.

He could remember Dr. Mercers words “Your internal compass isn’t broken, Dex, you just need a North Star to guide you. If you can’t find one; then rely on structure; a tidy physical space, a vocation or career with order”

Knowing he had years before he’d meet you, he’d sought guidance in the other way; organised home, military career, routine.

Until Fisk had turned his life on its head.

After being shot, hiding bunkered down in the church, he’d noticed his timer.

It was today. He was meant to meeting his soulmate today.

Dex had wondered if maybe this was some sick way of balancing the scales. So close and yet so far. Maybe that was the closest he’d ever get to being loved. Maybe it was all he deserved but fuck, it killed him, the ache of being so close and yet so far from meeting you.

But somehow Daredevil had come back for him, Murdock’s sense of righteousness winning out again and now you were here, like a perfect angel, holding hands that had killed dozens.

“It’s you.” He said his throat slightly dry from the sleep but he gave you a little smile “For a second I thought I was dreaming”

Now he looked in your eyes; you were looking at him with such…well, he didn’t know. No one had looked at him like that before. You looked like you cared, like you wanted to be there.

All Dex knew was he was a fool to ever tell Murdock to just leave him to die. He nearly missed you. How could he have done that. He couldn’t take himself away from you. He could never leave you. Not now. He’d spend the rest of his life devoted to you to make up for ever trying to let himself die

“Yeah.” You said with a little smile “It’s me. Are you okay”

“I’m…Dex, Benjamin Poindexter.. I…” Dex sat up slowly, wincing as he did.

“Careful!” You were quick to help him sit up properly, “Dex, your stitches!” Your hand had flew to the gauze like you were literally holding him together. And maybe you were; maybe you’d stitched him back together in more ways than one and in his mind, Dex briefly considered stretching to tug on his stitches just to have you fuss over him. You cared

He’d had burst stitches dozens of times, usually stitched up quickly by an army medic or a FBI medic or even on occasion by himself. And he’d burst a hundred of them just for you to fuss over him like you were doing now.

He’d never heard anything sweeter

“I know who you are,” you said with a light laugh and a smile after like his name wasn’t loaded.

You told him your name.

“Holy shit, Murdock’s sister. Bet he hates that.” Dex laughed but squeezed your hand as if he was seeking reassurance that even if he did. It wouldn’t matter. “You sitting here, holding my hand, my soulmate”

“He was…surprisingly understanding. “He knows there’s nothing he can do about it…” you said and squeezed his hand back. “Even if there was…you’re my soulmate for a reason.”

“Are you disappointed?” He gave you a lopsided smile but inside his heart was hammering, hoping you weren’t disappointed when he was hauled into the safehouse.

“No” you answered honestly “But you could have given me ten guesses who was going to come through that door and I’d have never guessed you.”

Why’d you stay?” Dex asked in a way that made your heart twist. How cruel had life been to him that he thought his soulmate would leave him.

“I wanted to…and you asked me to.” The matter of fact way you said it. “You’re my soulmate, Dex, I wouldn’t just leave you.”

You’re my soulmate.

God he loved the sound of that. He wanted you to lie on his chest, cuddled so tightly to him, it felt like you were trying to merge yourself with him and to trace his scars and kiss him and see every broken part of him and love him anyway and tell him every night he was your soulmate.

Dex gave you a soft look “You know I thought I’d never find you, thought maybe my timer was broken.” He nodded down at his own wrist still chained by handcuffs to the railing of the bed.

When he’d been sentenced to life in prison? It had sent him crazy. Who would it be now? Had he fucked his chances forever? Write a prisoner? That wasn’t allowed for a guy with eleven life sentences who stays in solitary with no items in his cell. They wouldn’t even let him have a pen for fear he’d launch it into a guards artery. Even if they did, he’d never meet this soulmate face to face.

But all this time his timer never changed. He was sentenced in October 2026 with his timer at under a year…but he had life.

You felt a pang of sympathy when he called himself broken. “I know, Dex.” You said softly “More than you think.”

He liked how you said his name. He’d heard hundreds of people call him Dex but from you? It might have been silly but it sounded different. More personal.

“I read your file from when you were in institutionalised. I hope that’s okay. It wasn’t to judge, I just wanted to understand you.” You said softly.Not in a therapy speak way but in a voice so gentle and understanding it made his chest ache with how much he wanted you to love him. Did you already love him? He’d always thought the people who’d found their soulmates were exaggerating but now that he had you, his soulmate, sitting with him, he felt like he’d never survive without you again.

You’d read his file? He swallowed and steeled himself for your reaction as his voice came out far quieter than he expected “And?”

“And you deserve someone… understanding. You need someone who’ll be that.” you moved closer to him, sitting beside him on the bed rather than on a chair opposite. “I’m glad I’m your soulmate cause I wanna be that person for you”

You’d read his file.

You’d read his file. And you wanted him anyway.

A choked sound left his throat before he could stop it and embarrassed he attempted to cover it up. “Shit sorry that was…”

You smiled at him “You don’t need to apologise Dex. Apologising is for when you do something wrong.” You rubbed his knuckles with your thumb.

Your little upturned smile had his stomach flipping in on itself.

“Fuck.” He said “I wish I’d met you sooner. Before Fisk, before all of this. Back when I was FBI swat, I could have given you a good life, nice house, big garden, whatever you wanted…”

You laughed “Given who my brother is I don’t think I’d ever get a normal life. I think having another vigilante for a soulmate…it’s pretty apt.”

Dex let out a dry laugh at that “you’re right, but I was probably a bit prettier then. Less scars. Wore nice shirts.”

“Oh I dunno.” You said, your hands moving to cup his face slowly and tilting his face up. “You look pretty good to me…I’ve never been one for fancy suits.”

No one had ever felt his face like this.

He angled his face, covered in blood, grime and god knows what else, a little to reveal the scar on his cheek.

“And I think you’re handsome with the scars.” You said, stroking his scar, the pad of your thumb, against the jagged edges where the skin hadn’t healed properly. “Makes you look badass”

He laughed at that and couldn’t remember the last time he’d had someone to laugh with. Had he ever had someone to laugh with?

“That was from your brother…” Dex said, his eyes closing and leaning into your touch. “Same night he threw me off the building.“

“Right. Survived because of the Cogmium spine.” You said with a knowing nod

Dex’s eyes opened and face lit up as he grinned. “Yeah. You remembered.” You’d paid attention to him. You cared when you read his file.

“I remember all of it.” You said your voice soft and you moved closer putting your arms around his neck and playing with the hair at the nape of his neck where his spine scar started before running all the way down his back. “I meant it when I said it’s important to me, that I wanna be the one to get to understand you…”

You remembered it all.

He could only smile at you. The blood heavy over his handsome features had dried in. He loved having you this casually close to him. Here with your eyes on him, treating him so casually affectionate, Dex knew he’d do anything you asked.

“I need to clean your face. You’re still…covered in blood and..whatever.” Your eyes raked over his face.

“My own blood this time.” He gave you a wry smile “This is pretty rare for me.”

“I can imagine.” You said “Maybe…keep it rare? I don’t like the idea of you getting hurt.”

You didn’t like the idea of him hurt? God, fucking perfect for him, you. You cared.

“I’m going to uncuff you too.” You said to him, the words sounding like a promise. “I just need to get the keys.”

“You trust me?” His voice was almost softer, like he was testing the waters. Dex knew he would never hurt you, not for anything…but he wanted to hear you say it. He wanted to hear your sweet words of affection, wanted to crawl into you and for you to love him forever.

“Yes. I trust you, Dex, I know you wouldn’t hurt me. I never wanted to... Karen insisted.”

You couldn’t hear heartbeats like Matt, you only had Dex’s expression to go on and the way he was looking at you was so far from the ruthless psychopath people painted him as. Maybe he was dangerous but definitely not to you.

His face softened. The idea that someone could even think he’d hurt you was infuriating “of course I wouldn’t. I would never hurt you but I don’t think Karen would be happy with you letting me out”

What he meant was ‘tell me you trust me again, please please please’

“She’ll get over it.” You smiled at him. “You’re my soulmate, I’m not leaving you cuffed like you’re a prisoner. I trust you.”

There it was

God, those little words of affirmation from you hit better than anything.

“But I mean if you’d rather stay cuffed to the bed…” you gave him a look. “I won’t judge, I’m open minded.”

That caught him off guard “You’d…” he choked out “You mean like…”

“Yeah I mean like that…” You smirked “No denial on the handcuffs? Should I keep these for later and put them back on if you ask nicely?”

He was a little dumbstruck at that; how brazenly you were flirting with him.

“I….” He started then trailed off.

“Get used to it, Dex, I’m going to flirt with you a lot.” You teased.

He gave you a wide grin, laughing off how he felt the heat creeping up his neck

“Give me a break, I’ve been in prison. You been in Rikers? It’s dirty, smells like sweat and piss...and before that I was medicated out of my mind on some psych ward…” he gave you a wide grin laughing off the initial surprise at how flirty you were with him and you noticed.

You giggled “So this hideout must be the Plaza…I’ll be back in a second. You want a coffee?”

***

The three minutes it took for you to find the keys felt like a year.

“I missed you.” Dex looked up at you as you returned.

“Dex, I was gone for five minutes to get the keys, a coffee and medical kit.”

“Still missed you. You’re my soulmate, you can’t blame me.” He watched you take a seat on the bed and undo the cuffs to release him.

Dex flexed his wrists, rotating them around before he reached for your wrist and pulled you close to him, as close as he could and wrapped his arms tight around you, holding you against his broad chest, burying his face in his hair.

“You don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for.” He said quietly “with me… I’m a lot.”

In an instant you had your arms around him, holding him tight, your arms around his torso and coming to rest up on his large broad shoulders.

You looked up at him “I know exactly what I’m letting myself in for Dex. I don’t care what you’ve done in the past, you’re mine to love and care for now. I’ve got you.”

Your fingers traced little shapes on his shoulder blades in a comforting way Dex knew he could get used to.

“Fuck.” Dex let out a low exhale “I like it when you talk like that. I am never going to let you go...”

“Good. Don’t. I never liked nonchalant men, I want a man obsessed with me, I think it’s the most attractive thing ever…”

Dex lifted his face out of your hair and cupped your jaw gently “good because I’m already obsessed,” he said like it was a promise to you.

He put a kiss to your jaw.

“You’re romantic for a guy that killed six people with cutlery a few days ago.” You teased a little as you brought the medical tray into your lap.

Carefully you wet the cloth with a warm water and antiseptic and wrung it out.

“This might sting.” You said softly and hesitated before Dex nodded, giving you the go ahead. You dabbed once as a test and when realising he didn’t flinch you began swiping to clean the blood over his eyebrow.

“It was five people with cutlery.” Dex corrected and gave your thigh a soft squeeze.

“Oh?”

“Sixth was with a lobster.”

“You killed someone with a lobster? That’s…innovative ”

“Hmmm…” Dex hummed. He kinda liked that. You complimenting him on how he killed someone. He wondered if you’d have someone you’d ask him to kill…A neighbour? Annoying colleague? An ex?

He would. Gladly. Especially the ex. And he’d let you pick the thing he killed them with.

“Does it bother you? That I’ve killed people.” His tone was quiet, calm but there was a slight shake to it and his hand moved to squeezed around your waist, gently, seeking reassurance.

“Not when it’s bad people.” You answered honestly, feeling unable to lie to him when he looked at you with those hazel eyes. “Which I don’t know if that surprises me or not. I mean even before…” you gestured at him “you were a sniper so…you’d killed people before…”

“But what if I said I had fun killing those task force assholes? What if I said it wasn’t the first time or the last.”

Dex felt like he was laying it all out there. Seeing if you’d freak out or run away.

Please don’t run. tell me you want me, tell me I’m what you want for a soulmate.’

“They’re bad people.” You said “They’d kill you if they had the chance. They’d kill me. I don’t think you’re a bad person because you enjoy dishing out revenge to bad people.”

“No one’s killing you.” Dex held your wrist as you finished tidying the cut over his eyebrow, stroking your soft skin. “I’d kill anyone who tried. They’d have to go through me first.”

“Don’t say that after youve just been shot. I’ve just got you.” You said and pouted as you moved on to wipe the caked in blood from his brow and cheek. “Don’t joke about anything going through you. I don’t want to think about losing you, you’re my soulmate, I’d be lost.”

That did it for him. You saying you’d be lost. Without him. Fuck.

“No one is going to take me from you, no one” Dex said “I’m going to protect you. I promise you. We’re forever now.”

It was different with you. Right from when you came up in the Box. From the first night, everything had changed.

The others had been eager to see if Gally would try fight the new Greenie, that being you at the bonfire.

Newt and Minho had objected and said there was no way. You were a girl and about a foot shorter than him, soft compared to Gally’s muscular build. Some of the others had teased and said why was it different. Everyone was equal in the Glade after all.

Gally had, for the first time in years, looked uncomfortable with the idea of fighting and had shrugged and said “I dunno. Seems a bit weird to hit a girl…”

“Come on man…” one of the others had said “It’s the rules”

Alby folded his arms “No, it’s not, okay new Rule. Rule Four, no one touches the girl. If more girls come up, no one touches them, you do, and it’s a week in the Pit.”

A few jeers went up but the majority appeared to be nodding in agreement.

“You heard.” Minho called out “No one’s fighting the girl. Now clear out. Gally, go get her, I’m sure she’ll be reassured knowing no one’s fighting her.”

Gally gave a quick nod as the crowd cleared and instantly made a beeline for the gardens where you’d been sitting against a tree since Alby had given you the tour.

***

You looked up, surprise crossing your features as he approached you. You’d heard the others. He was Gally, Keeper of the Builders, bit of a hothead…but as he sat beside you, all you could notice was the little freckles across the bridge of his nose as he knelt down beside you.

“They uh…said something about how you like fighting the new people” you attempted. “I don’t want to fight you. So just consider it a default win”

“I’m not going to make you…” he hesitated “It doesn’t seem right... Hitting a girl. So Alby’s said you don’t have to. They’ll probably all think it’s me and it’s me going easy on you but I don’t care”

You nodded and let out an exhale “You know that’s actually probably more…strong?” You said. You didn’t want him to think the others were making fun of him

Gally frowned, looking down trying to hide that he’d gone a bit pink “What is?”

“Being nice to girls.” You said pulling chunks of grass up as you dared to shoot him a glance.

“It’s what?” He looked confused.

You shrugged “It’s a sign a guy is strong…if he treats girls nicely and knowing we aren’t like boys. Like…” you struggled “like if he looks out for girls rather than fights with them.”

“You really think that makes a guy strong?” Gally straightened up completely confused.

You nodded “Yeah, it’s…nice, it’s…” you didn’t want to say sweet, knowing he’d think you were teasing so after a moment you settled on “protective…which is nice yknow… I’m the only girl so you not hauling me up for a scrap”

“Protective??” Gally looked as if he was pondering your words “I can do protective…” he straightened up a little. “I’m the strongest guy in here. If anyone messes with you, come to me.”

You smiled “Thank you Gally”

****

Since then Gally stuck to his word. He took the job of looking out for you extremely seriously. You didn’t know if it was your words, his need to be seen as the strongest guy and therefore the protector, or if he genuinely wanted to look out for you, as the only girl. Maybe a little of everything.

He’d be intent on ‘teaching’ you everything from how to sharpen a blade to insisting he stood nearer the walls of the Glade whenever you went for walks around the edge.

“It doesn’t matter that you’re not going to run into any damn grievers in the gardens, it would make me feel better if you learnt” he’d insist every time.

He was even worse every time a new Greenie came up. The second the new guy looked at you, he’d be quick to snap at them asking what they were staring at.

So much so that behind both of your backs the others had started to call you ‘Gally’s girl.’

**** time skip *****

Since you’d been reunited with Gally, he’d been pretty much at your side the whole time. Even when the others would ask him to prep for missions, he’d want you at his side.

When you’d been separated from him in the raid on WCKD to get Minho and the others back he’d been going crazy constantly turning over in his mind that he’d lost you before he ever had you and when you’d made it on the aircraft he’d pulled you close…for safety of course and not let you go.

And now you were in the Safe Haven; he found himself going more and more crazy. Why couldn’t he just tell you he liked you?

Gally focused all his energy on sharpening his favourite knife, lost in thought.

And then like you’d read his mind, you appeared beside him. Sitting down next to him like you didn’t send him crazy

“I love the handle”

you looked over the knife Gally had “you carved it?”

Gally paused, he hadn’t expected you to notice. He kept his gaze on the knife but his response was soft.

“Yeah I did” he said sounding at least a little proud.

“It’s so intricate” you said

He enjoyed how impressed you sounded. Most of the other guys just used whatever came in with supplies but Gally like to use his building skills to add a little flair to his kit. He found a nice distraction and now you were in the Safe Haven, it had gone from boredom to something he did to relax.

“Yeah,” he said “I wanted something that was entirely mine. I, uh took apart other stuff we got on the last supply run to make the hilt” he explained

“That’s pretty cool.” You said “you’ll have to show me how to make one.”

Gally looked over his shoulder and nodded “Yeah I… I can do that…” he said “I’ll make you one tomorrow” he gave you a little side smile that made your heart flip over.

A gentle breeze blew across the sand making you shiver suddenly as you remembered you’d forgot your coat.

“You’re cold.” Gally said not asked “Here”, he said and in a second he’d pulled off his jacket and draped it over your shoulders, the material swallowing you. “You’re cold”

“Thank you…Let me know if you get cold and need it back” you said with a smile 

He shook his head looking into the fire “Nah” he started “keep it. It looks better on you.”

The word just slipped out before you could stop them and immediately he winced wondering if he’d overstepped the mark.

You gave him a soft look. “thank you” you repeated it again and Gally wasn’t sure is the thank you was towards the compliment or him giving you his jacket and he decided before he could stop himself to scoot closer to you.

“This is perfect” you said shuffling closer still and toasting a mallow until it was golden and crisp on the outside.

He gave you a little lopsided smile as eyes scanned the area. This was what peace felt like but Gally could feel his heartbeat against his ribs. A relentless sensation that he had to fight past before he could actually enjoy the peace he’d been craving.

“This is all I’ve wanted.” He said quieter than he usually was. Sincere and honest.

“Yeah?” You asked giving him a sideways look “The safe haven?”

“Not just that….” He said committing to telling you how he felt “this too.” He said “being like this…safe and sitting with you.”

“Oh?” You asked a little surprised but turning to face him.

“Yeah.” Gally said with a pause, his eyes going from the bonfire to you and back before he couldn’t help himself “You know, I want you so much it hurts. You’re all I think about most of the time. I want you so damn much… in ways I can never have. I want you even when you’re not doing anything like now…” he trailed off “I just…” he stopped suddenly kicking himself and wondering if he’d, in Gally fashion, put his foot in his mouth.

“Who says you can’t have me?” You frowned confused.

Gally stilled for a moment. He looked away and then looked back “Rules.” He shrugged.

“What rules?” You asked suddenly confused and you reached for his hand. “Gally, what rules?”

“Alby’s. He said when you came up ‘no one touches the girl’…and at first I thought it was good yknow cause I didn’t want want of them bothering you…” he paused and his voice dropped to a mumble as he let you take his hand “but then it meant I couldn’t…”

“You wanted to…touch me?” You asked with a little giggle, enjoying as he he went a bit pink.

“No…I mean yes but not like that, well maybe like that but not just like that…I…” he trailed off and you grinned

“Shut up.” He said but there was no bite and he laughed when you giggled.

“You know…we aren’t in the Glade now” you said as you took a slow bite of your mallow on a stick “Those rules don’t mean anything here”

Gally’s head shot up and he stared. You were so cute. Mallow on your lips and all he wanted to do was kiss it off, pull you into his side and hold you against him.

“I…I know…” he looked away into the fire and then because he couldn’t help himself, back at you. “You have mallow…” He pointed.

“Oh.” You giggled and wiped it with your thumb and Gally cursed himself for not kissing it off you. Wow, he was really bad at this.

“So the rules…” He tried again. “The rules are…”

“Only a Glade thing.” You said “Alby was only trying to look out for me, I’m sure…some of the guys were weird at first.”

That made him frown. “Who?” Gally would have thrown whoever was weird to you in the Pit headfirst if he’d known.

You shrugged “Doesn’t matter, they’re dead now. You guys… you, Thomas, Minho, Newt, Fry…you were all good to me…” you started referencing the survivors of you “But even still there was only ever going to be one guy I’d have broken the rule for…and maybe because it’s only one guy it wouldn’t really have been breaking any rule.”

Gally’s head shot up at that. “What?”

“It’s you, you idiot” you said then started laughing.

“Don’t laugh at me, im trying to tell you I like you” he said protesting weakly

“Gally, I’m saying I really like you too” you put your hand over your mouth to stop you giggling.

“Oh.” He said as his eyes met yours and everything clicked into place “Does that mean I can kiss you?” He asked again and you grinned

“Do you have to ask?” You said but the second the final word was out of your mouth, Gally had silenced your cute laugh with his lips.

You’d first met Luca when you both worked with Chef Terry at Ever. He was looking to specialise in pastry and having a sweet tooth you’d offered to taste test whatever he made

He was tall with several tattoos on his large toned arms, and a hairband in his thick blonde hair. You’d pretty much thought he was cute from the day you met.

Chef Terry placed his station next to yours and you soon became closer as you bonded over shared recipes and new techniques. You were both great chefs but still behind Carmy in speed so you’d practice together. Timing each other on pea shelling or practicing how many plates you could do within five minutes or even on one occasion debating what was the best way to smear the sauce on the plate.

As you got to know him you slowly started…hanging out more and more outside of work until you wound up spending nights in his apartment and travelling in to work together. Neither of you ever really defined it. Some of your colleagues would ask if you were together and you never denied it but your answer was always somewhere in the realm of ‘sort of?’. Neither of you saw other people in the time you were…whatever you were doing…but the lack of conversation was always there in the backgrounds.

You know why you didn’t. You didn’t want to push for fear of what he would say. If he turned around and told you he wasn’t looking for anything, you’d be thrown through a loop. On the other hand if he did say he liked you, you’d have to address your feelings towards him and work out if this was something serious.

You realised however that you probably should have defined it before he applied to go work at Ever and was accepted. What were the rules when you didn’t define it? Was it the end? Would you visit? Would he? It was all just so…complicated. You assumed you’d work it out before he left and went into work one day with the mindset that today was the day you defined it and work out exactly what you’d do going forward.

As you rounded the corner into the kitchen, you saw Luca, packing up his station and giving Jake, a sommelier, a handshake. A likely goodbye.

You felt your heart race faster as he approached you only for him to greet you with a quick “I’ll, erm…I’ll text you yeah?” He said and leant down and pressed a kiss to your cheek. Unable to form words, you just nodded.

That was it? That was your goodbye?

After that you exchanged the odd text. Happy Birthday. Merry Christmas. And then nothing

****

You left Ever not long after Luca. A well known sports club had offered you a spot as a personal chef to the team and you’d jumped at the opportunity. It was a real chance to branch out, to make connections and

“Carmen?” You blinked surprised to see your former colleague “What are you doing here? I mean not here here but I mean…in Chicago? I thought you were at…The French Laundry?”

The twitch was covered up very quickly as he nodded “I was. I’m back now. I’ve taken over my brothers sandwich shop, done it up…and uh…Syd, she works…works with me…she really wants a star…”

You could sense there was more than he was telling you but you figured you would let him tell you in his own time.

“A star on a brand new restaurant?” You rose your eyebrows. “That’s a hell of an aim”

Carmy laughed “Look I know…that’s why I came here…to see you…” he paused and took a breath “I’m in need of all the help I can get.” He said quickly. “Can you maybe come help out for a bit? If you like it, positions yours…if you don’t, I get it, don’t wanna get into my shit.”

You sighed and considered it for a moment before handing him your phone.

“Look, put your number in…I’ll call you, but yeah…I think I might be interested…”

****

You never thought you’d find yourself working alongside Carmen Berzatto again. Never mind working alongside him as he tried to refurbish his brothers sandwich shop into a high end restaurant.

It was…of course not without its blips and he was dealing with those blips in increasingly different ways.

One of them in particular had you reeling and you wished he just hadn’t told you…

“I’m going to send Marcus to Copenhagen…” Carmy said so matter of factly. “I think it could give him…fresh inspiration and Luca’s offered to help him. He’s still at noma…”

“Oh you still…you talk to him?” You asked surprised. Carmy did not seem the type for keeping in touch.

“Er…I mean not exactly, I knew he was at Noma so I got Sugar to email them and…you know Luca…happy to help…” Carmy tapped his sharpie off the table before turning on his heel and walking off shouting something about the walk in freezer in his usual manner of juggling twenty five different things at once.

‘You know Luca…’ rang in your head. Did you? Could you even say that anymore? God why were you like this? ‘Don’t think about it.’ You scolded yourself

“Hello? Earth to [Name]?”

A voice brought you back to the present and you looked up into the confused face of Sydney.

“Are you okay? Do you need to take five? Cause if you’re going to…I’d do it now rather than mid-rush.” She joked but you could tell she was a little concerned.

You shook your head. “No…No I’m fine…totally and completely fine I just…” you paused “you know what it’s nothing. I think it’s a great idea. Marcus. Copenhagen…” you forced past the weird feeling in your stomach “Luca…he’s…good…great even…”

Sydney gave you a funny look before taking one look at the clock “Okay I’m going to guess…we don’t have time for this right now but later? You’re telling me everything…”

*** a few weeks later ***

“He asked about you.” Marcus said, a grin tweaking at the edge of his lips as he took a spot next to you at the station.

That threw you.

“Luca?”

“No. The cat.” Marcus said “Yes Luca.”

“Ohh.” You said

“He’s nice.” Marcus teased “Very handsome”

“Yep.” Your throat was suddenly dry.

He grinned again at you “you going to say more than one word at a time.”

“Yeah.” You started to say and then stopped seeing the laugh threatening to escape from your colleague. “I mean… how…how is he?”

“He’s good. Single. Lives in a great houseboat…makes an incredible pannacotta…”

“That’s that’s good. I’m glad”

“I told him to keep in touch” Marcus said “Gave him the address and offered him a free meal if he’s ever in town.” He then paused “don’t tell Carmy” he laughed

You hummed “don’t tell Carmy…” you laughed but all you could think of was Luca. Here. In the Bear. Eating. Laughing. Being himself and you focused back on dicing the apricots telling yourself that was it and there wouldn’t be anymore to it.

****

Of course fate was not that fair and had a funny way of showing you that in fact there would be more to it.

Ever. The place where you’d met Carmy. Met Luca. Was closing and Chef Terry had invited everyone back. You don’t know why you’d convinced yourself he wouldn’t show. Maybe it was the distance from Copenhagen, maybe it was how he left but you’d convinced yourself there was absolutely no way he’d be there.

So when you’d walked into the restaurant and seen him, tight black shirt, perfectly styled blonde hair, you’d sworn you’d hallucinated. Thank God Carmy had invited Sydney as you probably would have fainted if you hadn’t had her to hold on to.

“Luca.” You said and paused unsure if you should hug him or go for a handshake and from the nervous look on his face clearly neither did he.

You wound up somewhere inbetween, your hand against his toned abs, your face at chest height as he went for a hug as you went for the handshake.

You should have remembered he was a hugger.

Instantly you flushed and gave him a half smile awkwardly before taking your seat and pulling Syd in the seat next to you… only for Luca to point and politely state to the guy opposite you that he was in his seat.

Great you’d be opposite him.

You spent most of the meal discovering you had very little to say to these chefs around you. You were well and truly rendered speechless, not trusting yourself to talk and instead chewing very very slowly.

“So [Name], you developed that peach and pistachio puree didn’t you?” A chef to Luca’s left asked

“I…” you started before promptly coughing on your grape cheesecake because yes you had made it. With Luca. And it was something you’d added to the menu. Recently.

You cringed . God he must think you’re an idiot. Or obsessed. Or that you couldn’t let go or that you hadn’t moved past… god moved past what? Your relationship? Your skills? You don’t know what was worse.

“Are you okay?” The chef asked

“Oh oh…” you took a sip of water and promptly spilled a little on you. “Sorry…butterfingers…” you said and then took a deep breath.

Compose yourself.

“Yes, that was me. I’ve been working on it for sometime. It’s changed over time but…yes”

You kept your eyes on the other chef, well aware you were staring but you did not want to even want to risk glancing at him incase he was looking at you, waiting for you to comment on how you’d developed it here at Ever.

“Oh and Luca…” the chef started “you worked at Ever too…and you’re in pastry? Did you two ever cross paths”

God you wanted to kick this guy under the table. He was oblivious.

Luca nodded “Yes, we’ve met” he smiled, clearly trying to keep it as vague as possible.

“And did you try her puree in the early stages.?”

Shit. You had to forcibly stop yourself from slamming your head off the table. What if Luca told this other guy he was a crucial part in…

“I did. It was excellent even then.”

At that you almost choked again. Was Luca giving you all the credit? Why was he being so nice? Did he not feel this awkwardness? Shit you wish you had an excuse to go somewhere you reached for your bag about to make up an excuse to go to the ladies when you heard Luca ask Carmy what he was looking at and your attention was drawn to his former mentor breaking the tension and giving you a minute to slip out to the outside and into the city air. 

Carmy on the other hand looked equally as

“Is…Carmy alright?” You asked Syd looking at the spot where he’d taken off from.

She shook her head “Honestly? I don’t know what’s going on in his head.”

“You’re telling me…” you laughed at your comment “so how a

****

“Heads up would have been nice!” You whispered to Syd who looked like confused for a second before it clicked.

She held her hands up “Hey I was just as confused as you were!” She said “Carmy told me nothing!”

You sighed conceding that Carmy probably didn’t tell her. “Yeah… that I can believe”

“But…” Syd paused and waited for you to raise your gaze back to her from the dish you were plating “are you going to talk to him or are you just going to avoid him forever. And don’t give me any excuse...”

She had a point but still you were not about to concede that easily. “I am not avoiding him.”

Syd rose an eyebrow “Oh really? Is that why you offered to drive an hour out to get that chocolate when you knew it could be delivered?”

“I thought I was helping!” You protested as you carried on mixing the chilli mousse at an increasingly fast pace.

“Yeah helping work by avoiding the glaringly obvious personal life dilemma you have…You and Carmy have that in common.” She retorted and you elbowed her jokingly. “Avoiding things”

“Hey!” You playfully nudged her. “I am not that bad, how long has he been avoiding Claire again?”

“You’re avoiding the question…and stop taking it on tonight’s special” Sydney laughed and took the whisk from you so she could test a scoop of your chilli mousse, giving you a pointed look. “Driving an hour out to get something that could be delivered so you don’t have to have an uncomfortable conversation? That’s a Carmy move.”

You rolled your eyes “Try it.”

Syd kept the scoop and fixed you with a look . “You’re still avoiding the question!” She said before taking a spoonful

“Is it good?” You awaited for your friend’s reaction, only to be met with a smirk.

“I’ll tell you if it’s good after you speak to Luca.”

You rolled your eyes and nudged her again. “You’re insufferable.”

“Oh I know.” She grinned and took another scoop of the mousse before giving you a gentle shove towards the back offices where Luca was.

****

“Uh..hi.” You said quietly “you’re staging to help us out?”

Luca turned to you and smiled as you tried to keep your cool

“Yeah…Carmy asked if I can help out and…” Luca nodded “My baby sister lives in Chicago, I’m staying with her, yknow…reconnecting for a couple of months.” He gave you that half smile that made your stomach flip over.

“That’s great Luca!” You geniunely were happy for him

He’d always spoken about wanting to reconnect with his “baby” sister. She was only four years younger than him but he still called her “baby.”

There was a moments silence with neither of you speaking. Just as you opened your mouth, Luca beat you to it.

“I should have told you I’d be staying when I saw you at Ever…I just froze…you know? It had been three years and you still looked so beautiful…not that I thought you wouldn’t…I…” Luca twirled his pen around “I’m making a mess of this aren’t I?”

“A little” You laughed as the weight began to lift. Truth be told, you’d always found him kind of cute when he babbled.

“I was going to ask you if you maybe wanted to get a coffee or a tea or a…” he gestured “hot drink of your choice but you were just staring right ahead and I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me…”

You winced “yeah I’m going to be honest… I thought you wouldn’t wanna talk to me and I was kinda trying not to embarrass myself in front of all those fancy chefs…”

Luca laughed “Me too.”

“Luca, you’re head of pastry at Noma… you are one of those fancy chefs”

He laughed “that’s different. I know me, I know I’m…” he gestured and you laughed

“Thank you for not dropping me in it with the purée. I know you helped.”

Again he grinned “I just suggested swapping from almond to pistachio.”

“Luca that’s like half the recipe” you said and it felt like old times.

“Well we always made a good team” he shrugged and paused “didn’t we?”

You nodded “We did.”

“And can we do that again? But properly…” Luca asked tone loaded “if I promise not to be an idiot and promise to say what I mean?”

You felt your mouth tweak realising that you too probably should have asked what you wanted to all those years ago. You decided there was no time like now to ask “And what’s that?”

Luca playfully rolled his eyes “It’s me. Asking you out. Properly. Like I should have done in the first place”

You tapped your pen. “Are you suggesting staging as my boyfriend?”

Luca pretended to be mock offended and you burst out laughing.

“Okay then… this is me. Saying yes…”

Luca grinned picked you up and spun you causing you to squeal.

“You won’t regret it.” He put you down and pressed a kiss to your cheek.

Writes you long handwritten letters when he’s on deployments.

Saves you things to scrapbook from countries he’s in

Has matching phones with you. (Either the blue Motorola Razr and the pink/purple one…orrrr the LG Chocolates! I miss those phones!)

Loves it if you’re considerably shorter than him because he can dip kiss you

He’ll scoop you up and spin you when you run into his arms after he gets back

Babies you when you’re unwell- He wants to look after you and care for you, and he’ll go out of his way to take any burden off you

Big on acts of service; loves tying your laces or buckling your shoes especially.

Similarly he loves physical touch in a hand holding, forehead kissing, hand on your back, touching your leg, cuddling way.

He likes to sleep with the window slightly open no matter what the weather

Always always sits nearest the door

Gives you his dog tags to wear

Loves a weighted blanket and loves it even more if you sleep on him

Likes playing with your hair. Especially when he’s opening up to you.

A gentleman and a gentle man. He’s so so so sweet, he’s always soft with you and never ever yells at you

The rest of the guys tease him a bit when they see their calm, collected and firm Officer In Charge being so sweet and soft

Super organised and therefore any household chores are efficient and quick

Would help you with anything work related and support you in everything you do.