#djoaholic

⋆✴︎˚you’re in bed, reading a book while enjoying the sun on your skin that is pouring through your windows when you hear two knocks on your window. you sit up in bed, heart already racing, because you know that sound. jj only knocks like that when something is wrong. you rush to the window and pull it open.

“jj?”

he’s standing there on the roof, swaying slightly, face bruised and bloody. one eye swollen, lip split, nose still bleeding. he tries to smile.

“hey, baby,” he whispers, voice hoarse. “can i— can i come in?”

“oh my god, jj,” you breathe, grabbing his arms and pulling him inside. “yes, of course. come here, come here.”

the moment he’s in your room, he stumbles, and you catch him by the shoulders.

“i’m fine,” he mutters.

“no you’re not.”

you guide him to the bathroom, flicking on the light. he flinches at the brightness.

“was it your dad again?” you say looking into his eyes as he looks away. you hum in response leaving a soft kiss to his head.

you pat the counter and tell him to sit as you grab a washcloth, warm water and peroxide.

“you don’t have to—” he starts.

“yes i do,” you say, voice firm. “let me take care of you.”

you step between his swaying legs, gently tilting his chin up a little.

“this is gonna sting baby,” you whisper.

he swallows and nods, putting his hands on your hips.the moment the warm cloth touches his cheek, he winces, sucking in a sharp breath and squeezes your hips.

“sorry…” he murmurs.

“shhh it’s okay.”

you continue to clean his cuts as you whisper sweet things to him.

“you’re doing so good.”

“i love you.”

“you’re safe with me.”

“i’ve got you.”

jj’s breathing gets uneven.

“hey,” you say softly, brushing his hair back. “look at me.”

his eyes are full of tears.

“i’m sorry,” he whispers.

“for what?”

“for showing up like this. for being a mess. for— for being needy.”

“jay jay.” you say softly, cupping his face gently. “you can always need me. i’ll always be here for you.”

his shoulders shake first. then his breath stutters. he folds forward, burying his face in your chest, arms wrapping around your waist.

“i’m sorry,” he chokes. “i’m so fucking sorry.”

“shh,” you whisper, holding him tight. “you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“he— he just—” jj’s voice breaks. “i didn’t even say anything this time. he just—”

you press a kiss to the top of his head.

“you’re safe,” you whisper. “you’re safe with me.”

he sobs harder, fingers gripping your shirt.

“don’t let go,” he begs.

“i won’t,” you promise. “never.”

you guide him off the counter and onto the bathroom floor, sitting with your back against the wall, pulling him into your lap. he curls into you, shaking, crying into your chest while you stroke his hair and kiss his forehead, his temple, his bruised cheek.

“you didn’t deserve this,” you whisper. “none of it. not ever.”

jj sniffles, voice small. “it hurts.”

“i know, baby,” you murmur, kissing his swollen eye. “i know.”

“can i stay?” he whispers. “just for tonight?”

“rather you stay forever.” you say with a little smile.

he lets out a broken laugh, then hides his face again. you hold him until his breathing slows, until the shaking stops, until he melts against you completely.

“you’re too good to me,” he whispers.

“you deserve good,” you say simply.

he leans his forehead against yours.

“i love you,” he says, voice raw. “i don’t— i don’t know how to say it right, but i do. i love you baby, so much it scares me.”

you lean in and kiss him gently.

“i love you too.”

he exhales shakily.

“let’s go lay in bed yeah?”

he nods.

you help him up, guide him back to your room, and tuck him under your blankets. he pulls you in beside him immediately, arms around your waist, face pressed into your neck.

and you stay awake long after he falls asleep, running your fingers through his hair, watching his chest rise and fall, promising yourself you’ll protect him the way he’s always protected everyone else.

age gap , influencer reader x joe keery

— just reader following tiktok trends and doing little pranks on her boyfriend !!

warnings- just fluff i believe

Sighing louder and louder until my boyfriend notices

it was a summer night, too hot to cuddle so you and joe were lying in bed, backs facing eachother. you weren’t completely sure if he was awake or not but you wanted to try something anyway. you lay on your side, phone camera facing you but also got a glimpse of him over your shoulder.

the first sigh is quiet. no movement from him, nothing.

A few seconds later you sigh again, a little louder. you watch the screen as his head lifts slightly, seeing his brown-blonde hair wiggle slightly. he waits a moment to see if you say anything but when you don’t, his head falls back onto the pillow.

you try not to laugh before you sigh again, louder.

he remains on his side but speaks up this time. "babe… you okay?"

"yeah.." you answer.

"are you sure?" he asks again.

"mhm.."

joe lets out a small sigh of his own. and then you do it again, even louder. he turns around onto his side to face you and press up against your back, luckily not seeing your phone. the camera catches the top of his head as he leans forward to place a kiss to the side of your neck.

"why d'you keep doing that honey? something wrong?" he mumbles against your skin, placing another kiss.

"doing what? nothings wrong.." you answer simply, trying your best to keep the smile off your face.

"mm.. okay.." he hums into your neck. "go to sleep.. s'late.."

it’s silent for a moment before you let out a dramatic sounding sigh. "baby.." his head lifts up as he stares at you, only seeing the side of your face. his eyebrows furrow slightly when he sees your smile. he follows your gaze and sees himself on the camera. hair messy, tired eyes.

"jesus christ.." joe mutters, eyes shutting as he digs his face back into your neck. "actually had me thinking something was wrong.."

"joe. really? five sighs? five until you notice?" you say, fake serious.

"hey. i noticed the first time." he lifts his head to look at you. "turn the damn phone off.." he adds which makes you chuckle, "my bad.."

Seeing if my boyfriend melts into the kiss

the phone is placed against the tv screen as you start to record, the music being the only sound in the room except for the sound of joes phone. you quickly walk over to him, grab and toss his phone onto the couch, and take his hand in yours as you pull him up to stand.

"wh..what’re you doing?" he asks, looking at the phone recording them both and then looking back down at you.

you don’t respond, instead grabbing both of his arms and putting them up to either side. he keeps his arms limp and they fall, "babe?"

"keep em up."

his eyebrows furrow in confusion as his arms raise to put himself in a T pose. joe looks down at you, seeing that cheeky smile on your face.

after a second, your hands slide up his chest and to either side of his neck. you go onto your tiptoes as you pull him down slightly to meet you halfway, lips connecting.

you expect his arms to fall right away, but they don’t, so start to kiss him a little deeper. he hums softly against your mouth, eyes shut, tongue slipping past your lips, but his arms stay up and out. the video however, does catch his arms lowering slightly a couple times as if he wanted to wrap his arms around you but forced them back up to follow your instruction.

after a few more seconds, you pull back with a chuckle, "why didn’t you hug me?"

"what? you told me to keep my arms up.." there’s a small smile on his face as his hands fall to your hips.

your hands were still on his neck and jaw as you spoke again. "but you’re supposed to melt into the kiss.."

"oh… do it again. i’ll do it right." he leans down to kiss the corner of your mouth.

you laugh softly, "nope. it doesn’t count. you just wanna kiss me."

"well duh. do it again."

"no, joey. you failed the test."

Are you ready to apologise?

joe was sitting in the living room, shirt off, and only wearing pair of shorts and long silly-looking socks. you could hear from the laundry room as he sang along and played a tune on his guitar.

you recognised it. you’d heard it a lot the past few days, maybe a new song he’d been writing.

you were on tiktok, saw a video and decided you had to try it on joe, so you walk into the living room. luckily, he had been too concentrated on his fingers moving over the guitar that he didn’t see you prop the phone up before you walk over to him.

"joey."

"yeah honey?" he looks up from his guitar, his fingers slowing slightly as he waited for you to speak.

"are you ready to apologise to me yet?" your arms cross over your middle, looking down at him on the couch.

he froze. confused on whatever the hell you were talking about. "wh.. what? what for, babe?" his voice was soft, dark eyes wide with concern and confusion.

you sigh, "wow.. so you don’t even know?" it actually hurt you, saying these things and seeing the soft look on his face. but you knew he wouldn’t be mad at you so you kept it up.

"n—no.. i.. i don’t know what you’re talking about babe.." the guitar is put on the couch beside him as he pushes himself onto his feet, hands resting on your shoulders. "but.. but whatever it is.. i’m sorry.. are you okay?"

you smile slightly at his words. "you are?"

his eyebrows furrow slightly as your expression change so quickly, "y..yeah?"

"joey. you passed." you grin as you lean up and give him a quick peck on the lips.

joe doesn’t move, just looks down at you with confusion. "what? what do you mean i passed?"

you chuckle, "don’t worry about it.. you passed."

you let’s put a small huff of laughter too, "is this another one of your tiktoks? god, you’re so annoying…" he groans softly.

"wow. okay, now you’ve failed."

Can you leave while i change?

you put the phone down on your desk and announce that you were doing a try on haul for a vacation coming up. joe was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning back on his hands as he watched you.

you were already wearing the first outfit, a purple sundress with white scattered flower patterns over it.

"that looks.. wow.. you look beautiful."

a light blush peers on your face at the words you hear oh so often.. "thanks baby.. can you leave while i change?"

joe lets out a small huff of laughter, but the smile quickly fading from his lips when he looks up at you and sees that you weren’t kidding. "umm… what?"

you furrow your eyebrows in pretend confusion, "what? can you leave please? i’ll only be two minutes."

"oh, so i have to leave but the phone is still recording you?" his hand motions towards the phone still recording you both.

you chuckle at his sass. "no, silly.. i’m turning it off. now.. go, please." you shoo your hands at him.

he scoffs as he stands up, "you’re actually asking me to leave? why?"

"umm.. maybe because i’m gonna take my clothes off?"

he sits back on the bed, looking up at you. "yeah, and..? i think you forget that i’ve seen you naked a million times.."

"joeyy.." you whine, "you have to leave so i can change."

he lets out a small defeated sigh as he stands up again, "wow.. okay.. yeah, m'going.."

you wait till he gets to the door before letting out a laugh, half amusement and half pity. "nonono baby i’m kidding.."

he turns back around and stares down at you for a moment. "nope. you clearly don’t want me to see you.." he says with fake annoyance before continuing. "sooo.. guess you can get yourself off tonigh—"

"joe!! it’s still recording!" you laugh.

"then cut it out.." he still keeps up the annoyed bravado.

"nah.."

the viewers of that tiktok went absolutely nuts in the comments. most of them being jealous and obsessive. you didn’t care though.

and by the way, he got you off.

i couldn’t think of any other trends to do so if there’s more you wanna see then lmk !!😉

I love that fic so badd

hii, ty for the request! i saw someone else ask for the current boyfriend trend so im including that too. also some requests for another tiktok one in general so i hope this is okayy!

Tiktok Trends part two

! age gap , influencer reader x joe !

fluffy ofc

wiping my boyfriends kisses

you had just gotten ready for date night, a beautiful dress, tight most of the way, loose at the bottom. you had the phone set up as you spoke to it, basically doing a fit check.

once you start recording, joe comes from behind, leans around you and places a kiss to your cheek. you hadn’t done your makeup yet so he knew it was okay and you wouldn’t get mad. that was until he sees your finger brush over the area he kissed you. his eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly but he doesn’t say anything. you show off your outfit then get joe to do his.

afterwards, he leans down to kiss you again. you kiss him back but when you turn to the camera, it’s brushed off again. he sees it in the camera,

"why're you doing that?"

you turn around to him, eyebrows furrowed in fake confusion. "doing what?"

"nothing.. nevermind.." he sighs. he lets you continue to talk about about your jewellery or the plans for tonight, he wasn’t really listening. instead, planning something. he moves to stand a little more in front of you as he cups your face and kisses your forehead. you hold back a smile and try to subtly wipe it away. "that. you keep wiping it."

"no i don’t joe.. can i just film this please?"

he stands there debating for a moment before he leans down to kiss your lips. it’s a little rougher this time, causing you to stumble back slightly but he catches you, lips never parting.

his hands slide from your neck, down both of your arms, landing on your wrists as he pulls back. he grins down at you as he feels your wrists try to tug from his grip. "can’t wipe it now, can ya?"

you chuckle, "let go!"

"nope. stop wiping my kisses. it’s not like i’m licking your face." he lets out a laugh too as he leans down to you again.

"don’t you dare lick me..” you laugh as your face turns away from him, wrists trying to pull out of his grip.

"then stop wiping my kisses. s' not funny." he places a peck to your lips. "okay?" another peck. "do it again, and i’m cancelling this date." and another.

"fine.. fine, i hear you."

randomly hugging my boyfriend to see what he’ll do

you were in the bedroom, joe on the couch. you walk into the living room, phone quickly propped up without his attention on you. you walk over and stand in front of him for a moment, he looks up at you with a soft smile. his eyebrows furrow slightly when he sees the expression on your face. not sad, but not exactly happy.

you move to sit beside him, grabbing his wrist, moving it behind your back and pulling it around you as you curl your head into his chest.

"hey… what’s wrong baby? y'okay?" he coos softly, fingers curling around your shoulder as he ducks his head down slightly to get closer to your face.

you don’t reply, just cuddle into him. he takes that as a hint that you might not want to talk about it so instead he shifts slightly to make sure you’re more comfortable. his fingers continue to move along your arm. after a short moment, his other hand reaches down to your cheek so you look at him.

"c'mon.. what’s happened? talk to me honey.." his dark hazel eyes stared into yours, eyebrows furrowed with slight concern. "hard day?"

you look up at him, a tiny smile on your face. his eyes narrow slightly, a small smile creeping on his lips too, "you…okay..?" you let’s out a small huff of laughter.

"yeah… just wanted to hug you.. missed you."

"baby.. we live together."

the bird theory

you were both sitting on the couch again, just kinda having some quiet phone time. you start to record but the camera is only facing you

"i saw this bird today.."

"mm?" joe hums absentmindedly, scrolling.

you wait a second. "it was kind of pretty."

that makes him pause. he glances over, then locks his phone and tosses it aside. "sorry.. what were you saying? what kind of bird?" he shifts closer slightly, expression softer now.

you shrug, "i dunno.. it was cute though. had a little white stripe on its wing. kinda brownish grey."

"that sounds cute.." he gives you a little smile.

"it was cute."

"did you get close? like.. a photo or something?" he asks, tilting his head slightly.

"kept shuffling away from me.." that earns a huff of laughter from joe.

"did it still make your day better, honey?" he has a little smile on his face.

"yeah.. a little. made my walk a little better."

"that’s good.. i like that bird." he nudges you with his knee. "good bird." his hand ruffles the hair on the top of your head before going to the back and his arm wraps around your neck, pulling you into him. you were still looking down at your phone and that’s when joe sees the camera. "for christ sake baby.. i can’t catch a break from this.."

you chuckle, looking up at him. "thanks for caring."

he ducks his head down to kiss your forehead, "always do."

'current boyfriend' prank

"heyy," you sing, already grinning at the camera, phone propped up against a jar on the kitchen counter, "today me and my current boyfriend, joe, are gonna be trying snacks from different countries that we were sent—"

"oh my god, we are not starting with that,” he cuts in, half-laughing, half-offended as he turns toward you.

you decide to keep going like you didn’t hear him. "we have stuff from japan, germany, I think this one’s from—"

"you cannot just say current like that to—what, how many people are going to see this?"

you finally glance at him, eyebrows lifting. "Why are you so stressed, joey?"

"because now I look unstable," he says, gesturing vaguely between himself and the camera. "like I’m on borrowed time."

"you are on borrowed time,” you shoot back, reaching for a brightly colored packet. "now focus."

he stares at her for a second, then exhales through a laugh, shaking his head. "okay. wow."

"thank you, now! first snack—"

"no, no," he interrupts, straightening up. "If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right."

"wh..what?"

"hi everyone,” he says, polite and serious in a way that immediately feels like a bit. "I’m joe."

you laugh. "oh my god—"

"i am currently competing for the position of boyfriend," he continues, nodding once. "this is, apparently, a temporary role."

"stop!" you laugh, reaching for his arm, but he leans just out of reach.

"i’ve had minimal preparation," he continues, picking up one of the snack packets and turning it over like he’s studying it. "but I believe I can prove myself through dedication, resilience—"

"it’s not a reality show,” you cut in, still laughing.

he glances at her briefly, then back at the camera. "It is now."

he continued to talk as if it was a genuine competition, saying things like,

"first challenge,"

"high stakes"

"one wrong reaction and I’m out."

"hopefully, i can keep my spot permanently."

"alright," you say, turning back to the camera, "last snack—before he gets eliminated for being dramatic."

"aww you look so cute stay there."

part one

summary- you tell gator the news. and he sees baby for first time🥹

warnings- text messages between reader and gator, no y/n, mentions about abortion, asshole gator, kinda soft gator at the end, proofread but i’m also dyslexic so like be cautious idk

you’ve not seen gator in a few weeks, you were a little annoyed at him but you got over it, got back to work, and all was fine. it’s not like you were friends with him anyway, would have no run-ins, hopefully no contact.

it was then around a month after that last night with him that you noticed something. late period— which never happened to you, ever. and altogether just feeling a little off.

you sat on the edge of the tub, staring at the test in your hands like it might change its mind if you wait long enough. the silence felt too loud, your pulse thudding in your ears. you count the lines again, even though you already know what they mean. your stomach drops, disbelief and fear flooding over you. this wasn’t supposed to happen. not like this. not with him. maybe it’s a false positive? you thought.

you were proved wrong by another test.

two days later, you’re already in bed, waiting for sleep to take you under. until your phone buzzes. then again. then again.

Gator T

| hey

| hello

| need yiu right now

you ignore it.

| come ovwr

| or ill come to you

| no gator

| stop texting me

| miss feelin ya

| are you drunk?

| a little

| how much is a little?

| a lot

| but i domt care. why you been ifnoring me the past month?

| because

| why?

| because i want space

| what

| soo this hookup thing is done?

| yes. it has to be

| but why

| just forget about it gator.

a couple minutes pass as you sit there guilty.

| gator can you meet me tomorrow? when you’re sober?

| remind me

| can barely see shit rn

the next morning, you get a phone call from Gator. "y’said to meet ya?" his voice sounded a little grumpy, or maybe that was his normal.

"yeah.. are you at the station today?" you earn a small hum from him. "until when?"

"uh.. 'till late.. gotta do somethin' with my dad soon.. come before we go?" he suggests. you agree and prepare yourself before heading to the station. within the next 30 to 40 minutes, you’re at the station and entering his office. "sooo.. why’re ya here?"

"don’t sound so mad, gator.. you were the one calling me last night so we could hook up." gator rolls his eyes at that, clearly not happy with that comment. "why’re you here?"

you take a deep breath, "u—uhmm.." is all that comes out at first, biting your lip slightly before swallowing hard.

gator's eyes narrowed, his patience wearing thin. "spit it out," he groaned, but there was an edge to it now— a little bit of fear for whatever was so important that you had to come to the station to tell him about. "what the hell is goin' on?"

"i’m pregnant."

gator froze. the words hit him like a physical blow, his entire body going rigid. his mouth was shaped in a small 'o' before any sound actually came out. "…oh… uh… who’s the lucky guy..?"

your face contorts in confusion. "are you joking? who do you think?"

he blinked, his brain struggling to catch up to what you were implying. it took a moment for the realization to dawn on him— or maybe he just couldn’t accept it. but when it surely clicked in his head, it was like a sucker punch to the gut.

he let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair as he tried to process the information. "…holy… no, there ain’t no way.. you took a test? d—did you piss on the thing right?"

you actually wanted to just slap him square in the face. he’s so stupid. careless. "it’s a pregnancy test, gator.."

gator grumbled, feeling both stupid and frustrated—not just with himself, but with you, too. "yeah, I know that," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "but those things can be wrong, ya know." god, he was praying for it.

"three of em?"

his face fell. three tests? there was no way they all could have been wrong. "three? really?" he asked, his voice sounding uncharacteristically small. he slumped back in his chair, rubbing at his forehead. a thousand thoughts were racing through his mind at once, each more chaotic than the last. "it can’t be mine.. who else have you—"

"no one.. for the past what, year, its only been you."

gator's jaw clenched, his face twisted in disbelief—then anger, then something else entirely. "fuckin' hell," he breathed out harshly. "you really tryna say this is my kid? 'cause I ain't raisin’ no goddamn baby."

ouch. that kinda stung.

"are you serious?" you just stare at him. he could’ve at least let you down gently.. but just refusal from the start. it hurt. he didn't even bother to mask the coldness in his tone. he'd never been a soft man, and he wasn't about to start now.

"oh, i’m dead serious. i ain't no daddy material, sweetheart. ya oughta know that by now." he pushed away from the desk and stood up, his jaw tight with tension. he stood infront of his desk and leaned back onto slightly, arms crossed over his chest.

"just like.. i dunno? get rid of it?"

"what? no! it’s my baby, gator. what if this is my only chance?"

gator scoffed, waving a dismissive hand, his eyes cold. "only chance?"he barked out a laugh, bitterness lacing every word. "you're young enough to snag a new guy by next week. hell, ya could go right now down to the bar down the road and pick the first guy that smiles at you." he was still standing there, but there was a distance between you now—physically and emotionally.

"and that.. thing.. it ain’t even a baby yet.."

you looked at him, half hurt, half glare. "i don’t care.." your voice was small, fragile.

his expression softened, just a bit, as he saw the hurt in your eyes. he sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "hell, woman, don't look at me like that.. I just don't wanna be a father."

"ya know I'm not cut out for that sorta thing, right? I mean, christ—I can barely take care of my damn self. I can't be responsible for a child. and what would my dad say? god, he’d fucking kill me if he found out.. i’m so fucked..—"

"stop talking about your dad like i give a fuck right now…” you snap. you’d just told him you’re carrying his baby but he’s standing there worrying about what his daddys gonna think.

"you got me pregnant, gator.." your voice breaks slightly.

he flinches at the snap in your voice, a flicker of guilt passing over his face. "Jesus, i'm sorry, alright? i didn't—i mean, i thought you were on the fuckin' pill.."

"i told you i wasn’t, and that you had to pull out.. but you didn’t!"

gator's face flashes a mix of embarrassment, and then defensiveness.

"yeah, i said i tried.." he argued back half-heartedly. "i didn't think that would actually.. I mean, the chances of that actually making a freakin' kid are slim, right? I just… I didn't think.."

"yeah, you never fucking do." you huff, arms crossing over your chest

gator clenched his jaw at that, feeling the sting of truth in your words. "damnit, i don't know what ya want me to say here, woman," he snapped, the frustration boiling over. "ya think i asked for this? wanted a damn kid?"

"and you think i did?!" you spat, arms throwing in the air angrily. he was so stupid. you wonder what crossed your mind that made you think sleeping with him was okay in the first place.

for a second, he didn't have an answer. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water before finally, his voice came out quieter—almost defeated.

"…no," he admitted grudgingly, "obviously i ain’t thinkin’ ya did either."

there’s a beat of silence where you both just look at each other. neither knowing what to say, or how to feel.

"didn’t think you’d wanna be involved anyway considering youve never committed to anything in your life." you took a deep breath when you felt the anger creeping back into your tone. "just.. thought you should know.." the hurt in your tone was clear, your voice breaking softly.

he took a step towards you, his expression less angry, more conflicted. "look, I can't just… be a dad," he said, his voice thick with a mix of frustration and what might have been regret. "i'm not fit for it. i'd screw it all up—you know i would." he ran a hand through his hair, sighing raggedly. "i ain't the paternal type, sweetheart. and i sure as hell ain't a family man."

a pout shows on your lips "okay.. maybe it’s for the better if i do this on my own.." my voice cracks again.

gator's stomach twisted at the sound of your voice—small, broken. It pissed him off that he still cared enough to feel guilty about it. "don't do that," he muttered gruffly, avoiding your eyes. "don't get all quiet n' shit on me like I'm some goddamn villain here."

A beat passed before he exhaled sharply through his nose and finally looked back at you—his jaw tight with frustration. "...what d'ya want from me?"

"don’t want anything." your eyes are glued to the floor.

"bullshit," he says—but there was no real heat behind it now. Just exhaustion. "if ya didn't want nothin', ya wouldn't still be standin' here."

"guess i just wanted your support.." you say, quiet, still not looking at him. "but shoulda known … we’re not even friends.. don’t get along.."

a pause as he chewed on the inside of his cheek before finally muttering, "...ya want me t'show up to doctor appointments or some shit? is that it?"

your eyebrows furrow at his words, still sounding angry. "stop talking like that. like you’re mad at me.." your voice cracks softly.

gator clenched his jaw at the crack in your voice. it reminded him of the soft, gentle parts of himself he'd been neglecting for years. he'd grown used to being callous, cold—always ready with a biting remark.

he forced himself to take a breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was a bit less sharp. "I ain't mad," he muttered. "just... a bit overwhelmed with everything.."

"yeah, so am i."

gator's shoulders sagged a bit as he met your gaze. he could see the hint of tears in your eyes, and it twisted something in his chest. "course ya are," he grumbled, running a hand roughly through his hair. "can't even imagine what's goin' through your head right now."

he let out a sigh, leaning back against his desk. he raked his gaze over you, trying and failing not to linger too long on the subtle signs of the situation you were both in: the way your hand kept hovering over your still-flat stomach, the slight tenseness in your shoulders—a physical manifestation of all the uncertainty and worry.

"how far along are ya?" he asked quietly.

"month."

gator's eyes widened slightly—a month.

"jesus," he muttered under his breath, his gaze moving down to your stomach before snapping back up to your eyes. "do your folks know yet?"

you shake my head. "they probably won’t be too happy when they find out the dad… no offence.. well, kinda offence.."

you felt so conflicted. you knew gator was an asshole. he got you pregnant and has already hurt your feelings multiple times in the past 5 minutes. but you didn’t wanna do this alone. yet, you didn’t want him to help. but then again, maybe you did..?

gator's jaw tightened at your words. he didn't need you to spell it out—he knew your parents were probably gonna be less than thrilled that you were carrying the baby of a guy like him.

he scoffed at your little 'no offence' disclaimer, his arms crossing over his chest. "none taken," he muttered dryly. "i'm aware i ain't nobody's first choice for a baby daddy."

there was a beat of silence, the tense atmosphere still hanging heavy between the two of you.

"look..." he muttered, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "ya one million percent keepin’ it?"

you nod slightly, looking back down at your hands. "can’t just kill it.."

"right..." he mumbled under his breath. he ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm his own racing thoughts. "ya ain't even slightly considering that option?"

you shake your head

gator exhaled through his nose, "well. shit." he scratched at the scruff on his jaw, eyes flicking to your stomach again before landing back on you. "...i.. i can help out with some financial stuff.. i—if that helps?"

your eyebrows furrowed at his words, surprise washing over your face. "I....you'd do that?"

"Yeah, I mean.. it's the least I can do. Can't have you and the kid starving or anything.." he fidgeted with the cuffs of his shirt, his usual confident facade slipping.

you eyed him cautiously, still trying to process his words. it was hard to believe this was coming from the same guy who had been so dismissive and hostile just minutes ago.

but something about the way he was avoiding eye contact, the way he was fidgeting with his shirt cuffs—it was almost endearing in a way. you'd never seen gator this nervous. and it honestly made you feel a little better.

"would you um.. w—would you come to the appointments with me..?" your voice was small, like you were close to crying.

gator's eyes widened slightly at the question. his first instinct was to say no. but when he looked into your eyes—wide, teary, and hopeful—he just couldn't. he sighed, his shoulders sagged ever so slightly as he nodded. "uhh... yeah. sure. I'll.. I'll come with you."

a wave of relief washed over you at his words. you had expected more of a fight, more push back, more denial.

you tried to hide the flicker of surprise on your face, but you couldn't help the small, grateful smile that formed on your lips. "thank you."

for a brief moment, the atmosphere shifted—the tension lifted, replaced by a strange, tender feeling. it was brief, and gator quickly shut it down, his guard creeping back up. he cleared his throat, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"So, uh... when's the appointment?"

you swallowed, the moment broken. "friday,"

he nods hesitantly, "what’s it for?”

"It's mostly just initial stuff, y’know.," you imform.

gator nodded again, a slight furrow in his brow.

there was another pause as the two of you stood there, the weight of the situation finally sinking in.

gator cleared his throat, his gaze flickering uncertainly between you and the floor. "so uh... guess I'll see ya friday then, yeah?"

you nodded, a small, slightly forced smile on your face. "yeah. see you friday," you affirmed, your heart beating a bit faster than normal. "could you.. could you pick me up, maybe..?"

gator's adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. he hesitated for a moment before nodding grudgingly. "Yeah, sure. I can pick ya up,"

"the appointment is at three,"

gator nodded, his knuckles white as his fingers curled tighter around the straps of his belt. "I'll pick ya up at two-thirty then," he muttered gruffly.

"okay," you agreed quietly.

gator hesitated, as if he wanted to say something else, but he seemed to think better of it. without another word, he turned on his heel and stalked off, leaving you standing there, feeling strangely conflicted and wondering what the hell had just happened.

he grumbled under his breath as he walked, running his hand down his face in frustration. "what the hell are you gettin' yourself into..?" he muttered to himself, his brain swirling with conflicted thoughts.

friday came around too quickly. gator showed up at 2:34 pm, looking as uncomfortable as ever in a stiff button-up shirt—clearly having put effort into not showing up like a total mess. he didn't say anything when you got in the car, just gave a curt nod toward your seat before pulling out of the parking lot with more force than necessary.

a few minutes of awkward silence passed before he finally muttered, "...y’okay?" he didn’t sound concerned or anything, probably just trying to stop the silence.

you glanced over at him, a bit surprised at the question. you shrugged slightly, still trying to wrap your head around the situation yourself. "yeah, I'm okay," you replied softly. "just nerves, I guess."

gator nodded wordlessly. he hated this—hated how uneasy you looked, hated that he was making things worse by not saying anything. he exhaled sharply through his nose before muttering, "...don't be nervous. It's just a damn doctor." his tone was gruff, "they ain’t gonna hurt ya or nothin'."

you glanced over at him again. "i know.. m’not stupid.."

gator bristled at your words, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. He didn't like your defensive tone. "never said ya were, so just relax," he muttered under his breath, his grip on the steering wheel tightening ever so slightly. "I'm just tryin' t' be nice, alright? you don't gotta get all defensive with me."

your lips flattened into a thin line, your irritation rising at his tone. "I'm not 'getting all defensive'. I just don't need you trying to be 'nice'," you retorted, using air quotes to emphasize your point. "especially because i know you don’t care about me or the baby." you folded your arms across your chest, glaring out the window.

gator's fingers twitched against the wheel, his jaw tightening at your words. he hated when you called him out like that— mostly because it was true. He didn't care, not really—not in the way a decent person would.

"yeah? well maybe i don’t care," he snapped back, "maybe I just don't wanna hear ya bitchin' all the fuckin' time."

a tense silence followed as the clinic came into view.

your eyes narrowed at his words as you scoffed and rolled your eyes. "god, you're such an ass," you muttered under your breath. "you've got no heart, you know that gator? like... absolutely none."

"fuckin' hell," he growled under his breath, "don't act all shocked now. ya knew what I was and kept swingin' back anyway."

"well, i also thought you might have had a little bit of decency deep down," you grumbled, "but apparently I was wrong."

gator clenched his jaw at that, "do ya want me t’a just drive ya back home? i’m only here for you. but if ya keep runnin’ yer mouth.. then i’ll take ya back."

you bristled at his threat, your anger flaring even more. you wanted to scream at him, to tell him that you didn't need him, that you could handle this yourself—but something stopped you. maybe it was the fact that deep down, a part of you did need him. not in a romantic sense, but in a practical sense. gator was the father of your child—much as you hated to admit it. you just huffed, looking away. "whatever," You snapped. "just.. let’s go." you both exit the truck.

gator was the deputy, son of sherrif roy tillman, so the stares and whispers inside of the building didn’t fix his mood. a few people did double takes as they obviously recognised him, and now he was walking in here with a girl?

the two of you checked in at the desk, and soon were sitting side by side in the waiting room. gator continued to look straight ahead, not even glancing over at you.

gator finally broke the silence with a sharp exhale through his nose, side-eyeing you for half a second before muttering, "what're they gonna check ya for anyway?" his fingers tapped an uneven rhythm against his knee, betraying some of the nerves he'd been trying to hide.

you shrugged. "Just the basics, I guess. Bloodwork, a physical, ultrasound..." you glanced over at him, noting the agitated tap of his fingers against his knee.

gator's fingers stilled for a second at your words. The ultrasound part—that was new to him, and the thought of seeing... something on that screen made his stomach twist in a way he couldn't quite describe. "ultrasound?" he repeated gruffly, as if testing the word. "like.. ya can see it already? ain't that too soon or some shit?"

you nodded, a little surprised by the slight hint of... was that nervousness in his voice? you'd never seen him like this. "Yeah. It's not super clear or anything right now, but you can still see something."

a nurse calls

gator stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "let's just get this over with," he muttered under his breath before following the nurse down the hall, hands stuffed deep in his pockets like armor.

she noticed who he was when you got to her room, "officer.. hi there.." she said then looked at you. "hi, how you feeling? can you lie on here for me?”

a few minutes later, the room was quiet save for the soft, rhythmic sounds of the ultrasound. the nurse moved the wand slowly over your stomach, her eyes flickering between your face and the monitor.

gator's eyes were fixed on the screen, staring intently at the black-and-white image. it was hard to make out at first—just a few fuzzy, indistinct shapes. but then...

"oop! there we are.. that little tiny thing right there, is your baby.." the nurse points her finger to the screen.

gator couldn't tear his eyes from the monitor, his brain struggling to process exactly what he was seeing. it was real. that was... his baby. a weird, strange feeling surged in his chest, a mix of awe, fear, and disbelief.

you glanced over at him. you'd never seen him like this before. it was weird seeing him so unsettled, and it made your heart twist in your chest in a way you weren't expecting.

the nurse continued to move the wand over your stomach, before eventually excusing herself so it was just the two of you.

gator cleared his throat awkwardly as you sat up on the edge of the table.

the awkward silence was palpable as neither one of you knew what to say. you break it softly, "w—wow.. that’s crazy, huh?"

gator grunted in agreement, his jaw working as he glanced over at you again. he cleared his throat again before mumbling gruffly. "yeah.. crazy.."

"you good?" it was the closest thing to concern he could manage.

you looked up at him, a flicker of surprise passing over your face at his question. "uh.. yeah, i think so. just.. a lot to take in."

he was still avoiding your gaze, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "guess so..." he muttered, still trying to keep up his usual aloof facade. "that thing's real small.. ain't it?"

a small, fond smile crept onto your face at his attempt at small talk. "yeah..." you murmured, unable to hide the hint of affection in your voice. "it's still pretty tiny..."

there’s no specific ideas i have for a next part but if there’s any requests throughout the pregnancy, would be fun to write more!! sorry for the wait