you shouldnât be this worked up. really, you shouldnât.
itâs just an office basketball game. fluorescent lights buzzing, the warehouse too hot, michael yelling nonsense from the sidelines. it wasnât exactly glamorous.
but then thereâs jim.
his face flushed, tie stuffed into his pocket, hair damp at the edges. thereâs sweat on his neck and that cheeky grin he keeps throwing your way after every shot, like itâs your private joke, even in the middle of all this.
youâre leaning against a stack of boxes, cardigan slipping down your arm, pretending to sip from your water bottle just to have something to do with your hands. your heart skips every time he looks up, because he always finds you first, even with roy yelling and michael trash talking besides him.
ânice shot,â you call when he sinks one, trying to keep your voice casual. âthanks,â he says, breathless, voice a little rough from all the running around. âthat one was for you.â
it shouldnât make this many butterflies flutter around your stomach but it does.
and when the game finally ends, you donât even remember leaving. just flashes, him catching your hand when no oneâs looking, his thumb brushing over your knuckles as he walks you to your car.
and then, youâre at his apartment.
the door barely clicks shut before you push yourself up on your toes to kiss him, messy, hungry. at first he laughs into it, a little startled, big hands landing careful on your waist like he doesnât quite know where to touch.
âwhoaâhey,â he mumbles, lips grazing against yours as he tries to catch his breath, voice warm and teasing. âdidnât know you were, uh⊠this into basketball.â
you pull back just enough to flash him a shy smile. âno⊠into you,â you flush. for a second he just looks at you, his teasing grin fading into something nicer. âyeah, okay.â
and then he kisses you again, even slower this time like he wants to remember it. he leans in closer until thereâs no space left for you to think.
âbeen thinking about this all day, huh?â he teases, rougher at the edges. you nod, barely, your cheeks warm. âmaybe,â you mumble back, words caught between shy and wanting. âdonât make fun.â
he laughs against your lips. ânot making fun,â he says quickly. âcouldnât stop looking at you either,â he continues, eyes glinting with that familiar mischief, âso, lucky for you, i want you too.â
and as the world falls away, the only thing real is the heat between you, growing sharper, deeper, impossible to resist.
something short and sweet for my jim lovers <3 please consider reblogging or commenting if you enjoyed! thank you!
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Summary: There's nothing wrong with you, you know it. No, you're not crazy. Then why does it seem like it? You're just paranoid, too distrustful of him who only has generosity in his heart and your best interest in mind. Even when his icy eyes linger where they shouldn't.
You swear there's nothing wrong with you. You're not going crazy, no, you're perfectly sane. You just keep having nightmares where something lurks in the void, wanting you as it's sacrifice. You tell Jim, you're not safe. Something's not right. He needs to listen at the warning, he said it himself beforehand "Sometimes though...I think dreams are doors" "You oughta be careful...what you invite in". So why doesn't he just agree and do the same as before, does he enjoy this? Your panic-stricken expression as you try and convince him that you're not safe. There's something out to get you, you even feel it on your skin at night as if you're not only being watched but devoured. You reassure him, you're not crazy. In hindsight you seem as anything but.
"But dreams can just be dreams. Not real. You're safe here. It's safe here.
He replies back, the southern drawl in his voice stretching, brow arched in frustration at your constant rebuttal. He sighs before bringing you breakfast, body leaning down behind you - caging you in. The scent of pinewood and musk engulfing you whole. Just as quickly the scent of iron hits your nose as you spot the blackberry preserve on your plate. It's completely normal, nothing wrong with it. But why does it taste metallic in your mouth then? The red seeping through the black hues of the jam. It's almost crimson and thick, as if...no. No that would be sick.
It's odd how he never takes any, heaping more onto your plate - feeling your pulse right after. There's something so wrong and you can feel it in the way he stares at you. Icy eyes stripping you down to nothing but the shell of yourself - predator and prey, like a game of cat and mouse. Biting his lips when he gets anxious, scared that he's going to get caught staring. He always does. At least, that's what you think - that you'll catch him in time.
The sticky sweet stays on your plate making you rethink but you eat it anyways. The fork in your hand gently scooping up the portions one by one and into your mouth, on your tongue. He stares at it, not so subtly. Never subtly. His face heats up and his knee bounces up and down, up and down, again and again. His hand, now off your pulse, moving upwards to hold your hand and intertwine his fingers with yours. He shifts closer too, his eyes settled on you as if daring you to move, convinced you wouldn't anymore. And move you do. His mood visibly sours after that, brows furrowing as he looks at you like a kicked puppy. Fucking manipulator, making you feel so bad for being mean. Making feel so horrible for just wanting your space, to not be looked at like a piece of meat. He gets up after a while, taking away your dishes to the sink, eyes still on the fork that was just in your mouth as he grins softly. Repulsive.
"Here...hope you like it."
He brings you a warm beverage afterwords, pushing it towards you gently as if ushering you to drink. His own mug sitting in front of him untouched. You don't wanna drink what he's put in front of you, the steaming beverage making you nauseous. You swear theres something in the drink, there can't not be. It's either here or in the food. Last time you complained he'd angrily gulped the contents down, proving you wrong and shutting you up. Seeing your discomfort he takes a sip of his own drink, his eyes shifting down as if to ease you. It works. You slowly pick the mug up before sipping the drink; the heat burning your tongue as you yelp.
"Too hot?"
He asks with a gentle smile before you nod as he looks away into the distance. And he suddenly seems so beautiful, a blush betraying you as you continue to look at him. Fuck. Blonde hair pooling around him in silky strands and tired eyes that droop downwards in a beautiful shade of blue. Pale skin too, that stands out against his rosy cheeks and his lips chapped yet so inviting. They must be warm too. Why do you feel this way for someone so vile. Yeah, you're delusional, he wouldn't mix something in your drink. Why would he? The pounding in your head must be a coincidence. And then you're second guessing yourself again and again. Is he really that bad? When he's been nothing but sweet to you? When he's done nothing wrong and for all you know, everything is just your overactive imagination. But the fear within you only grows, the distrust visible in your eyes.
The worst part is that you can't even accuse him of anything. He's been all gracious and welcoming after all, albeit in his own awkward manner. Letting you stay in his home, eating his food, sleeping in his extra room, warming up next to his fireplace. His. You're indebted to him and yet you still don't trust him. He who's protecting you from what's out there; the snow of course.
The weather so terrifying that could drive you off-course and injure you so badly that you'll bleed to death in the numbing cold. The freezing temperature, something your fragile body isn't accustomed to. Still it's hard to trust him, especially when his gaze lingers in places you know he shouldn't be staring at. When his hands brush yours just a little too long and when his breath hits the back of your nape as you shudder at the looming stranger behind you. But then again, you're judging him based off how he comes off - how shallow of you. It's not his fault that he isn't used to social cues and that he's a little shy. No, you're just being unappreciative. Maybe he doesn't know what he's doing. But he does, heâs a grown fucking man.
And if you dislike it so much then you should just leave. Why haven't you? You tried, really you did. Run away and discard yourself off this place and go as far as you could.
The first day he came in, knocking on his own door and dressed in black. The snow gear that obscured your vision alongside the way his eyes kept you in place. You didn't know him and nor did you want to. Not wanting to be indebt to him, and you should have done so in the beginning, you were about to leave. Stupid of you to come back inside on the first day, listening to his ragged words that persuaded you to come back into the warmth of his home when you got inside your car. "It's dangerous...you won't survive a minute" You stepped back inside, shivering. Easy. You shouldn't have. You should've drove off in your car, no matter the weather, when you had the chance. Now you can't even do that. The snow's piled up so high that you can't even see your car and you're damn sure the battery life had deteriorated by a mile. You're stuck with him, right where he wants you.
It's silly how he doesn't even have to actively entrap you, no, the climate does it for him. Not that he's completely clean, he'd do exactly that if he had to. Thankfully for him, the weather itself It cages you with him, trapping you like he does those rabbits in spring. Though he really doesn't want to scare you, unfortunately he doesn't know how to act. Not when you sit there so pretty and quiet, saccharine and sweet, skittish and scampering. He can't help but fumble his words then come off as deadpan to shut off any thoughts you may have about him as a creep. No, he doesn't care at all, let's keep you thinking that.
And then there you are, only seeing him as a threat when his mask slips, not even in the manner you should. The worst you think he'll do is poison you like some crazy lunatic or kill you, no he'd never. Not when he's so entranced with you. Not when the worse he can do is so much more revolting. Disgusting.
The necklace a reminder that you're in his domain. It's a beautiful delicate thing. Carved thinly with wood that would splinter at the slightest pressure. A small rabbit tied to a leather chain. But then again, it's more similar to a leash than a necklace. It's a collar really. Makes you feel domesticated. It feels wrong. Yet the shy smile he had as he tied it to your neck, the blush on his cheeks. He was just so lovable and the gift around your neck so thoughtful. You should just stop being so pessimistic.
.
.
.
You're going crazy aren't you? First the beast in your dreams, calling out to you and demanding you present yourself on an altar, and now icy eyes? No, he's a good person, Jim is the host who kindly took you in. He could've kicked you out - for all he knew, you were the threat as you showed up in his home with who knows what in mind. Or he could've been pure evil, letting you freeze to death. Yet he didn't. He gave you a warm bed and food too and everything else, merely asking for a little company in return.
Then why does it make you so uneasy? The fear that he's the one peeking through that door at night, heavy breathing as he watches you toss and turn in bed. No, you're going crazy. Insane. You must've left the door ajar, and those eyes must be a trick of the light. Then what about the hot breath on your collar? It's those dreams. The beast appearing again and again, making you believe that there's someone in your bed. Someone on top of you, pinning you down like a butterfly as they take you in with their eyes.
If only you knew that the beast wasn't an illusion but the reality of Jim.
He's a monster, a motherfucking monster.
Note: I just had to write more about this GORGEOUS AMAZING BEAUTIFUL MAN RAHHHH. Ugh he's been on my mind 24/7 and I'm literally working on like 3 more fics about him. He deserves so much love and I love the complexity he has ughghghghgh. Again THANK YOU to the WONDERFUL author/creator @hereisremina of this game for giving us THIS MASTERPIECE to leech off (I'M SORRY I'M WRITING SO MUCH ABOUT HIM I JUST HAVE TOOOOOOOOO).
Note 2: So like I said before, I definitely am moving on from my usual content into more darker(?) content. And even if it's not "darker" it's certainly has heavy implications and is much different to what I usually write.
Note 3: Inspo from the song "Monster" by Dev.
Note 4: If you enjoyed this, please interact with this post, my blog, and reblog! Any kind gestures are greatly appreciated! Thank you!
"My name is y/n and it's my first day here at Dunder Mifflin. Usually I work at corporate, but there's been enough complaints sent in about harassment. So now I am working here for the foreseeable future. Lucky me I guess."
You are waiting in Michaels office for a while until he finally comes in carrying a very full cup of coffee. "Welcome to Dunder Mifflin Scranton Miss. l/n," he says in a butchered english accent "now I shall present you with this cup of coffee made with Scrantons finest instant coffee"
"I'm really more of a tea person, but thanks for offering." Michael looks like he's about to say something but instead decides to carefully walk over to his desk to put down the coffee. Then out of nowhere someone comes up behind Michael and blows an airhorn right beside his ear, promptly causing Michael to drop the cup off coffee all over the floor, most of it getting on your shoes.
You're still in shock when the person who made Michael pulls up a chair beside you and gets uncomfortably close. "Well hello beautiful, the names Todd Packer and you bet that I'm packing."
"Now I know why I'm here. This is the person that the complaints are about. "
"So now you've met Packer, the Pac-Man," says Michael "he is one of the best salesmen here, and now I'm gonna introduce you to the rest of the gang."
Michael then ushers you out of his office and gets everyones attention by loudly shouting fire.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Miss. y/n l/n who has traveled all the way from corporate."
"I thought that all of the positions were filled after the merger happened?" says a short blonde lady who doesn't look very impressed. Michael once again goes to speak but he can't seem to figure out why you're here.
"I was sent here by corporate because enough complaints have come in about certain employees here, so we just want to see how everything is going in person. And I'll mostly be working with Holly, so you'll hardly know that I'm here."
After a bit more awkward introductions to the rest of the people in the office, you go back into the annex to set up your work space. Once settled down, all you could think about was the cute guy with the messy head of hair that smiled at you when you introduced yourself.
"So, I met the new girl and she seems nice," says Jim, a faint smile on his face, his ears turning red "but she's only here for a little bit so I probably won't even get to know her very well."
"That new girl y/n is hot. I think I'm gonna make a move on her." says Andy.
"So it's been a couple days, and I'm settling in pretty well. Packer ended up getting fired the day after I arrived which me and Holly joined together to achieve. Took some convincing from me after basically everyone in the office came to me with concerns. So now my job is done here, but corporate still wants me to stay here indefinitly as a safety measure."
"Hey y/n," says Jim "I-uh heard through that grapevine that you're staying? Would've thought that after you were done getting rid of Packer that you'd be happily going back to corporate instead of staying in this place."
"Oh, yeah. Guess my work here isn't done," you try to say in a joking tone "but in all seriousness, this place is growing on me. I wouldn't mind staying longer to see what happens."
"No, she couldn't have been flirting with me...right? Maybe she really does like Scranton."
"Was that too obvious? I don't mean to make him uncomfortable, especially after all I've heard from Kelly about his thing with Pam. I don't want to push him if he isn't ready or whatever. Maybe I'll just put it out there but like casually?"
"Well if you're liking Scranton so much then I should show you around sometime. Give you the full tour from someone who really knows their way around."
"That sounds fun, actually I was going to ask-" You get cut off by Andy who suddenly appears from behind you.
"Well if you're looking for a tour guide then you should look no further. Andy Bernard, Cornell alumni and acapella singer, at your service. And if you really want then we could always extend the tour into the night. See where that leads us? Maybe tonight, after work?"
You don't know how to respond to that and glance over at Jim who gives the camera a quick surprised look. "Actually I'm really busy, like a lot, so I think that I'll have to take a rain check on that offer."
"Of course, well let me know when you're free." He goes to grab your hand but you quickly snatch it away, so he awkwardly begins to leave the break room. You turn to talk to Jim when you see him getting up to also leave. "Hey, Jim where are you going?"
"I have some calls that I have to make, so I'm going to go do that but have fun on your tour with Andy, whenever that happens." He turns to leave after giving you a forced smile, but you quickly rush towards him and grab his shoulder, making him turn around.
"I don't want to go on a tour, let alone a date, with Andy. I just didn't know how to turn him down because he made the situation really awkward. What I was going to ask you before he interrupted me was if you'd want to go to dinner sometime. Maybe tonight?"
Jim hesitates to answer which causes you to panic. "But of course we totally don't have to do that. Keep it professional and what-not I guess." You say, followed by a weak laugh. "Dinner sounds good actually. I would really like to go to dinner with you y/n. I'll see you after work then." You nod in response, not trusting the excited word vomit that would come out of your mouth if you chose to speak.
"I think that I might like y/n."
Here it finally is, a Jim Halpert fanfic. Now this is all that I had the energy to write right now, but let me know if you want a part 2 of this!
Synopsis - a new woman has opened a psychic shop in the building, and Michael is determined to have her come into the office to showcase her talents. however, when jim mentions her looks, a twinge of jealousy starts to stir in Y/N. now, with the new woman in the picture, Y/N can't help but worry that jim might fall for her.
"Good morning, loyal citizens of Dundermill!" Michael cheered out, loudly entering the office with a slam of the front door and displaying himself right by Pam's desk. His hands were extended outwards to showcase his image, dressed in a tighter-fitting blue suit (maybe a woman's once again) adorned by his classic hair do of it slicked back but one side heavier than the other. He awaited in silence as you and your fellow coworkers were still getting comfortable in their respected areas.
Dwight popped dutifully out of the backroom, a hot cup of coffee in hand that slightly spilled onto the skin of his hand, resulting in a quick curse. Nonetheless, he still rushed towards Michael.
"Good morning, Michael!" He responded, giving him a large grin while trying to avoid the slight spill trail following him to the boss.
"Yes, hello, Dwight," He quietly regarded the man, his cheery demeanor dissipating in the slightest before he addressed the room once again. "Anyone notice anything new?"
"You got new insoles for your shoes so that you'd be taller?" Phyllis looked over at him, swiveling in her chair while squinting her eyes at the black pair.
"What? No!" Michael shook his head quickly, rolling his eyes slightly. "Look again; it might be tinner than you are expecting."
"Oo!" Kelly jumped from behind Stanley, raising her hand high up in the air.
"Ah yes, Kelly! The fashionista yourself would notice," He winked over at her while putting a little spin on his voice with the word 'fashionista'.
"You finally popped that large zit on your left cheek," she nodded with determination as whispers seemed to erupt around the office at that notice.
"What? You guys are so bad at this! And my zit is not big, not like the one on your nose" He laughed, looking around the room for acknowledgement of his words. "Roasted!"
"Oh Michael," Pam groaned from beside him, shaking her head in embarrassment.
"What? It was funny, she said-"
"Not cool," Oscar piped up, a look of disappointment on his features.
"Whatever," Michael lightly stomped, pinning the attention back onto him. "Okay, last hint, it's lower."
"Michael?" You spoke up, sitting at your desk with your steaming cup of coffee and loading the computer screen across from you.
"Ah yes, y/n! You got it; go ahead."
"Don't tell me you're referring to," your eyes widen, trying to show an indication to a lower area past his waistline far from being appropriate.
"I don't think you should be talking about enlargement medication in the workplace," Jim was quick to chip in, not before sending you a little glare and then delivering the sentence with complete seriousness and tone that seemed to represent concern.
Groans erupted around the room of disgust, shaking their heads or covering their eyes, besides an overly curious Meredith, who took a few steps forward.
"Michael, that is beyond being appropriate for work and truly very sinful." Angela emphasized.
"You all ruined this completely appropriate work guessing game! Now I'll just have to tell you which ruins all the fun." He grumbled, reaching up to hold out a small pin on his shirt. "I got a new pin to support the new business in the building. It's of the sign Aries because that is what I am!"
"That's great, Michael." You put up a fake, small smile, nodding to the man before spinning back to start typing at your screen.
"See! Thank you for someone understanding the excitement. Alright, now all back to work, except I will need to see my best man in my office." Michael shot finger guns in front of him, landing between the two men.
"Coming!" Dwight voiced, rushing to stand closer to Michael's new position near his office door.
"I was referring to Jim," his voice trailed off. "But you can come too."
"Would you want me to come too, Michael?" Kevin questioned, standing tall at his desk.
"Oh no, no, we are good," He waved his hands back and forth in means of denial.
"If I'm not out in five, I'll need backup," Jim muttered to you, a small giggle leaving at his comment. "I'm serious, L/N."
"No, of course, of course, I'll be there!" You jokingly saluted him.
"You're one of the good ones, he sent one of his classic looks to the cameras, moving to walk into Michael's office.Â
"What did I mean by that?" Jim sits in the uncomfortable chair, opened blinds behind him as he speaks to the camera for the confessional. "Well, it's just a joke, a saying."
There are mumbles that errupt behind the camera and a slight zoom in to where you are seated at your desk, working diligently, hair falling a bit messily around your face.
"Y/n is just different from everyone else. I mean, that is pretty obvious; you guys have even seen these guys," He let out a small chuckle, scratching at the back of his neck. "She's kinder but not so kind that she can't make a quick quip back when needed. I mean, she's super dedicated and looks cute evenâthat doesn't matter. She's just different."
"So, I've gathered you both here today to discuss a very serious matter." Michael sat at his desk, hands clasped together, as he stared down at the two men in front of him. "The economy is turning into all these big companies, and it's not okay! We need to help the small business; it is our duty as a company for the people!"
"You do realize we are now a fairly large company ourselves?" Jim reminded his boss.
"See, that proves why we have to help the little man out. Lucille, the wonderful woman who created this specialty pin just for me -"
"It looks like a generic zodiac sign pin." Dwight put his hands on the desk, pushing his chest forward so that his face could get a more upclose look at the pin on Michael's suit.
"No, Dwight, it's a specialty. Men, Lucille needs our help, and luckily enough, for us, she can help us too. It's too tense in this office with all the ups and downs the bigwigs are putting us through. We need a little fun. She does special fortune-telling sessions and I think we bring her in."
"Michael, if I may?" Dwight raised his hand.
"Yes?"
"If this is done on company time, it is vastly irresponsible and also fortune tellers are fake."
"Do you believe in ghosts?" Jim asked, highly interested in the conversation now.
"Obviously, my Aunt Sherlie's basement was haunted with her Uncle Lenord, my great uncle. He was a dangerous man so sparks always flew from the wiring down there."
"No more aunts and uncles," Michael waved his hand, snapping Dwight out of his thoughts before he kept rambling on. "Jim, what do you think?"
"I don't think it's great."
"Don't you want to know about your future? Who will you soon date? Who you'll be getting it on with?"
A knock at his door stopped the sounds of distaste leaving from those across from him. Michael got up and opened the door to where you stood with a kind smile, quickly eyeing Jim before looking back at your boss.
"There seems to be someone needing to speak to you at the front door of the building. He called on the phone and I answered it since Pam is in the bathroom."
"Oh, okay," Michael turned back to the men. "Alright, think long and hard!" He moved out of his office to go and find the mystery caller.
"Did they say a name? It could be dangerous if not," Dwight commented, concern etched on his features.
"Maybe you should go with him for protection," you innocently replied, moving over to take the seat Dwight once occupied with his frame rushing after Michael. "So, loyal soldier here to save."
"Quick on your feet, L/N, impressive," Jim complimented. "Things are getting dangerous. Michael wants to invite the new lady with the fortune business to do a fortune telling for the whole office."
"The one he got the pin from?"
"Exactly."
"That could be interesting; do you believe in that stuff Halpert?"
"Oh, I read my daily horoscope always in the papers." You both laughed at his sarcasm. "No, he just wants her because she's hot."
"Oh?" You questioned, your voice faltering in the slightest, which caused you to try and cough it off. "She's hot?"
"Well, you know?"
"What?"
"Micheal thinks everyone but Meredith and Phyliss are hot. Anyone under thirty-five."
"Do you?"
"Do I what?" It felt to Jim as if he were sweating at this moment, hands being wiped repeatedly against his pants leg as he prayed to get out of this sinking hole.
"Find her hot?" You leaned in very close to his figure, your face much closer to his and there was a slight expansion of the top part of your shirt, allowing more skin of the upper area to be exposed. Though you or him didn't say anything more as the door was swung back open and you quickly sat back with a fired-up Michael and Dwight rolling in.
"There was no one there!" Dwight was quick to tell you.
"That's so weird!" You stood up, walking over to the front door. "I swear there was this really convincing voice over the phone," you trailed off, pretending to be lost in thought. "Wait, you don't think...?"
"Think what?" Michael wondered in response.
"Well, that new girl has her business now; what if the spirits followed her and it was a ghost?"
"That seems highly plausible," Dwight nodded at your assumption. "They are known to follow those that associate with them. Michael, it could be dangerous messing with her."
It felt as though there was an awkward air between you and Jim the rest of the day. He would try to make little jokes but they just weren't landing the right way or had the same amount of comedic timing as all of his other pieces. It was so oblviant that even Pam had caught on to the off nature that Jim was exuding. Luckily for Pam, she could read her best friend like a book, cutting it up to an awkward interaction that he must've had with you.
"It isn't that bad," she shrugged, collecting a few leaves of the lettuce in her bowl and catching some extra dressing and tomato onto her fork.
"Really?" Jim looked at her as if she were lying, chomping on his tuna salad sandwich after. "She was not herself and I felt..."
"You felt what?"
"Weird."
"Would you feel weird if it was, let's say, Angela? Like if she seemed out of character?" Pam pointed her fork at him, now filled with a new bite of salad.
"Well, no, not really. What are you trying to say?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Pam laughed at the camera, sending it an incredulous look. "Obviously, I'm trying to get Jim to recognize his agonizing crush on the girl. I'm his best friend; of course it's plain in sight for me."
"Well, Pam," the camera panned over to where Andy sat, one eyebrow raised, and his legs crossed. "Tuna and I go way back. We are practically brothers in a way. So, I, of course, as his brother from another mother, can tell he digs her. One time Angela made a comment about her outfit and Jim was like some scary monster!"
"It wasn't that bad." Pam looked at Andy, shaking her head with a weirded-out expression. She then angled over back to the camera, "He was pretty angry though; put her on the spot real quickly!"
"I am thrilled you all could make it today!" Michael cheered, standing in front of the conference room with his hand wide and the classic white board written on with 'Let's go psycho for the psychic!"
"You said this was mandatory," Stanley commented, flipping to another page of his crossword.
"Well, you still could have decided not to come," Michael tried to explain.
"You said you wouldn't pay us if we didn't," Ryan reminded him.
"Actually, due to the business policies, Michael isn't allowed to withhold pay for those not attending this," Toby quickly explained to the group.
"If I could withhold pay, yours would be first," Michael grumbled, shaking his head before putting back on his cheery expression. "Okay, fine, if you don't want to be here, then leave." He sighed.
Immediately at his words, Stanley, Creed, Meredith, Ryan, Kevin, Oscar, and Angela left the room. Kevin was visibly disapointed in the lack of refreshments for the occasion, Angela with the unholyness of such an event, and the others all their own reasoning. You stood up to exit, but the man besides youâJimâreached up to hold you by the wrist, sending a pleading glare to stay. Which you answered by taking back your seat.
"Well, fine, we don't need those haters!" Michael yelled the last word louder, hoping those outside of the conference room would hear. "Now, who came up with this?" He pointed to the whiteboard.
"I did," Phyllis shyly raised her hand, a small smile on her lips. "I was talking about it with Bob, my husband, and he thought it was pretty creative."
"Well, that doesn't mean anything," Michael rolled his eyes, crossing out the 'psycho' and rewriting on top of it 'happy'.
"Let's go happy for psychics?" Pam read the board.
"We want Lucille to know we are happy, not insult her." Michael explained, smiling proudly at his work.
"Isn't it true that all psychics are psycho?" Dwight had spoken up, though unfortunately his words were poorly timed, as at the same moment the woman in question opened the door into the conference room carrying a filled purple sack.
"Oh, really now?" she questioned, heaving over while trying to lift the gigantic bag, basically dragging it now into the room. Michael quickly stepped over, trying to take the bag from her and sling it over his own shoulder but instead was not met with such luck, leaving him to have to drag it as well.
"I have spoken to fellow friends apart from my laser tag group; they have been in a few runs with witches like you."
"Well, I do not classify myself as a witch."
"Yeah, she looks nothing like one! She's really hot," Andy mentioned from the row behind you. The girl in question brushed some hair away, smiling graciously at his comment.
"Thank you," she accepted the compliment and began to pull out different materials onto the table, a crystal ball, a deck of cards, and multitudes of other random items.
"Do we really know how credible she is?" You leaned over, cupping your hand to whisper in Jim's ear. "Why is there a random shoelace?"
Your breath felt hot on his skin, sending shivers up his spine along with a rising pink that brushed over his cheeks. He tried to cover up his subtle laugh, earning a rude stare from the bossman himself.
"Let's get started," she cheered, Michael jumping up to be the first person to get his fortune read and engage in all the different activities that she was offering.
"So? Is she the hot girl you were wanting?" You let one hand rest on the armbench of the chair, placing your other arm on top and leaning over to give him a little stare, narrowing in on his expression as if you could decipher if he sees such attractiveness in the blonde in front.
"Woah, I never said I was wanting one," he quickly declined, waving his hands all around in order to express his deep feelings about not wanting the connection to this being his goal. "This was all Michael, all him wanting a hot girl."
"Wouldn't you want one?"
"Maybe," he shrugged, trying to catch the slight twinkle in your eyeâthe way you stared so deeply and paid close attention to his words. Soon enough, the both of you were shushed, as apparently Michael 'was getting deeply distracted' enough, 'deeply affecting Lucille's concentration'.
His session definitely played out the longest, continually picking out different things or questioning a simple sentence she said just to keep her attention on him for as long as available. Though her gaze kept slipping through to where you and Jim tried to keep your giggles on the down low. You both wrote on spare pieces of paper from your notebook, playing tik-tak-toe, scheming different pranks to pull on Dwight, and commenting on Dwights incessant comments about the legitimacy of her practices, and noticing Phyllis's large interest and passion to get more involved. You and the man were always able to find little ways to connect in those boring, unkown moments that working at such a paper mill brought along.
"I would say I'm sensing some spiritual pull between Jim and Y/n over here," Pam finally spoke aloud, her expression filled with deep boredom as she tried to write down all that Lucille was saying to Michael due to his orders. "What would you say, Miss Lucille?"
"You know," the girl turned to watch once more as the two of you bonded, soon enough looking back at Michael, who was still wanting more. "Hon, there are more people wanting to go," she patted the top of Michael's hand. "We should let them enjoy; I will have to go soon too."
"Well, okay, but if we have extra time we can loop back to me," Michael nodded, staring down at where her hand once touched his own.
"Alright, time to switch!" She announced with much excitement, eyes scanning the crowd as if to choose.
"I would love to go." Phyllis raised her hand, setting down the knitting gear that once preoccupied her time to the empty chair beside her.
"No, not you," Lucille dragged her hand across the multiple empty chairs as if she were looking back, deciding on who in the crowd to choose. "You," she pointed at Jim, who was pointing at something on the paper. He looked up to Lucille in utter shock, which furthered even more as she got up from her own place to pull him from the chair and into the one by her own.
"Oh, I am okay," he shook his head, reluctantly following her to the chair, giving a couple look backs at where you sat with a concerned expression. "I know Dwight, this guy over here," he pointed over to where the man sat with a scowl. "He would love to get some information on your business."
"No, I want you. I am sensing a multitude of energy from youâvery hot, red energy," she dragged on, taking a look at him by dragging her eyes up and down his body. "The spirits are calling to me."
"Well, that is a little frightening," he uncomfortably laughed. She took his hands in hers, taking them and then soon comparing her size of hand to his.
"Wow, such strong, big hands. Clearly you are one destined for greatness."
"Uh," it was clear to almost anyoneâexcept the psychic trying her very hardest to flirt and Michael, who was widely jealousâthat Jim was not in the best place and very much searching for an avenue to get away.
"Oh Jim, we have to go make that call to the sales rep of Rocky's reps, that fitness center." You stood up, walking over to try and offer an opportunity so he could have an out.
"Just take it yourself," Lucille was quick to speak up, now looking you over. "Do your job?" she turned to Michael, putting on her best pouty face. "Michael, right?" The man in question nodded with much enthusiasm and pride. "It is important that I do Jim," she turned back to the man in question, "Is it?" to which he just stared at her as she switched back to Michael, "So then I can do you," she said flirtaously.
"Y/n, go take the call," Michael demanded, shooing you away, leaving Lucille with a victorious smile. You followed your boss's commands, leaving the conference room to see the rest of the office empty, and went to begin packing your things for the weekend to come.
"I should really be on thi-" Jim had tried to speak before Lucille pulled his hands to now touch the crystal ball, her hands encasing his on the cheap plastic.
"I am sensing something about your romantic life."
"Alright, tuna," Andy cheered.
"It seems that today you will be offered to make a move on one special beauty. The confidence will overtake you once you touch hands with the one who you are to be more with," her eyes winked over at him, rubbing his skin. "You are a lucky man."
"Well, that is enough." He pulled his hands away from the woman, stuffing them into his pockets as he got out of the chair. "I do not want to take away all the time because Michael hasn't even gotten to see your trick with that.." he leaned over to look at the assortment of odd products on the table. "Bean can?"
"Yes! You are right, Jimbo." Michael stood up quickly, taking Jim's seat and giving her the tuna can. "Now this looks fancy."
With this opportunity, Jim made a quick exit, heading to the office in hopes of finding you sitting. Unfortunately, you were gone from the area, so in response, he speedily packed up his things and rushed to make it to the front of the building. Once making it out to the cold, he noticed you standing by the door, one earbud in, arms wrapped around your body as you tried to keep as much heat in as possible.
"She definitely is not a real psychic," Jim laughed, coming up besides you as he still tried to button up the remaining buttons of his jacket. "I mean, there was a bean can." He waited for your responseâa little laugh or quick quip backâbut instead he was met with silence. "What's going on?" He put his hand on your shoulder to where you finally turned around to face him, little tears falling down your cheeks. "Y/n!"
"I am fine," you shook your head, trying to wipe the tears away with your mittens. "I am sorry for being odd lately."
"What is going on?"
"I do not know how to explain without making it weird," you fidgitied with your mittens, trying to pull it on and off until you slipped your grip and the acessory hit the ground. Both you and Jim bent over to grab it, hands touching one another before he grabbed it for you.
"Let me help," he said, taking your hand in his cold one, opening up the mitten so that you could push your fingers in. "You always have such trouble once you have the other one on," he lightly chuckled, one you now returned.
"Thanks," was all you replied with, looking down at the ground that began to pile up with snow. "You can go ahead; I am just waiting for a cab."
"I did not think she was hot," Jim admitted, now catching your attention so that you noticed his concerned look resonating on you. "She is not my type. To be honest, I like someone who is funny, where we share a connection and jokes."
"Oh."
"Someone I work with, desk right next to me. Someone who is widely specific in the routine for how she dresses for the outdoors, who is meticulous about her sandwhich choices, has a waterbottle filled with random stickers, and actually listens to Phyllis drain on and on about her relationship with Bob. Somehow."
"It is not easy," you grinned.
"I like you, L/N. Not Lucille, the fake psychic, or a random bartender at Poor Richards. I don't want them; I want you."
And to his confession, you were quick to place your covered hands on both of his cheeks, leaning his face down in order to place your lips upon his, a small snowflake methodically landing upon both of your noses at the special moment. It was nothing long, but definitely said all that there needed to be, and with that, you two separated, cheesy grins taking over.
"I will admit, she is fake but she did say I would touch hands with someone beautiful and gain courage to express attraction. Maybe she knows what she is saying."
âOut of focus, eye to eye, 'Til the gravity's too muchâ
Part II
Word count: 2.7k
Warnings: nothing in this chapter, nsfw in part 2!
Tags: idiots in love, banter, messing around, pining
Prompt/Summary: You started working at Dunder Mifflin around 6 months ago, and since then you developed a massive crush on one of your colleagues - Jim Halpert. Things happen.
A/N: Will I ever stop titling my fics after songs? NEVER! I have had this in my WIPs for~ f o r e v e r ~ because chapter 2 is still not finished and I wanted to publish them together, but oh well! Maybe posting this will push me to finish that and get back into writing a bit. I have so many Jamie & Viktor WIPs as well, hopefully soon I'll finish those as well, I haven't written anything properly in a year I think so I am a bit rusty. Hope you like it! â€â€
Your mood matched the Scranton weather in the past few weeks â gloomy. It was raining in the morning when you pulled into the parking lot before you started the day. You shut the engine down and sighed as you looked at the building.
You have been working for Dunder Mifflin for around six months now, since you moved here. Adjusting to the new city, new job and new coworkers wasnât easy. Especially the new coworkers. As you were walking towards the entrance you accidentally stepped into a puddle which was deeper than it looked, and that caused your shoes to be soaking wet.
"Great, another fantastic day ahead,â you thought, before heading towards the building. When you stepped inside the office, you said hi to the new receptionist and you quickly walked towards the annex where your desk was located. A few people were already in, sitting at their desks â Dwight, of course always the first one to arrive, Meredith and Angela. And Jim.
âHey you, good morning!â Hearing his voice made you freeze in your tracks, and you turned around to face him. Even if everything else in Scranton was rainy and gloomy, he was sunshine. He leaned back in his chair while he fiddled with a pen, his smile so bright it could light up a whole town. You felt a strange feeling in your chest.
âHey, good morning.â You replied shortly and absent-mindedly, being lost in your thoughts.
âAre you alright? You seem preoccupied.â His tone switched to a bit more serious one, you could tell he really cared. He was sweet and you two had nice chats from time to time, but you couldnât really consider what you two had a friendship. He was a nice colleague.
âOh yeah, I just need to get these shoes dried up asapâ you replied, looking down at your soaked feet. âGood thing I keep my granny slippers under my desk.â Jim chuckled as a response.
âYou shouldnât keep your things next to the electricity plugs. Especially polyester slippers, they are a fire hazard.â You heard Dwight say to you without even looking away from his computer screen, clearly fed up with the little small talk you and Jim had going on. You smiled and nodded at Jim as a signal that youâll be on your way.
âGood luck,â he said, then turned back to his own work as well.
You plopped down into your chair and kicked off your soaked shoes. Luckily there was nobody in the annex yet, as the others usually arrived later than you. You put on your warm slippers and placed the shoes next to the heater. A heavy sigh escaped your lungs as you leaned on your elbows and buried your face into your palms. The strange feeling in your chest started to ease as you focused your mind back on work instead of your coworker.
As the time passed your other colleagues started to arrive and occupy their desks, as chatter filled the air, distracting you from your duties. You decided it was time to get another cup of coffee before you continued. It didnât take long for Ryan and Kelly to get on your nerves with their constant fighting, but at least you didnât have to pay for cable if you wanted to watch some crappy daytime drama.
You stepped into the small kitchen smiling about your own little joke when you noticed him. He also smiled when he looked at you.
âSomeoneâs in a good moodâ he said, gesturing towards you with his own coffee mug in his hand.
âIâm just good at entertaining myself it seems.â You stepped closer to him to get a mug out from the cupboard, which was right next to him. He didnât move when you opened it and stretched your arm to get your favourite mug from the shelf, the move making your shirt untucked and the skin at your hips exposed a little.
âI would say you are pretty entertaining in general. Iâm glad you are feeling better.â You poured yourself a cup of coffee while he was slowly drinking his own. He didnât seem like he was in a rush.
âYou can say that, yesâ you replied, your voice getting a little shaky at the end of the sentence when you felt the strange feeling in your chest again. A tingling sensation, starting in your chest then spreading through your veins when he stood so close next to you. âIâm a bit nervous about the quarter deadlines.â
âYou are?â he asked with surprise in his voice.
âOf course, I still havenât reached my targets in sales, and I need to by the end of the week. I also have lots of administration that I still need to do, and Iâm just not good at thisâŠâ Your words came out of your mouth very quickly, and you felt yourself starting to ramble so to avoid that you quickly took a sip out of your coffee. It tasted horrible.
âHeyâ he said in the sweetest voice youâve ever heard as he put his hand on your forearm. It felt like your brain glitched for a second when his skin touched yours, and even though it was an innocent gesture, you felt the tingling sensation turn into straight up fire in your veins. Your heart started to beat rapidly in your chest, and you werenât sure that he didnât notice that. âYouâll do amazing, I know. And if you need anything from me, donât be afraid to ask. Iâd be happy to help.â
âThank youâ you said, your voice just a little lower than you wanted it to be. You scratched your throat before you spoke again. âI better get back to work. Complaining here wonât sell that paper.â He chuckled in response, and you took your mug to your table and sat down. You rubbed your eyes and sighed before looking up at your screen. It took you a few minutes to calm your nerves, then you delved back to work.
Probably fifteen minutes after youâve sat down and the next distraction already arrived. Kelly.
âSooooâŠâ she started her sentence, sitting on the chair next to you, her eyebrows raised.
âSo what?â You asked with genuine curiosity, as you had no idea what she wanted. Have you not sent your customer evaluations yet?
âWhat is going on with you?â
âWith me? Um⊠nothing?â You cocked your brow at her while searching her face.
âStop acting like you donât know what Iâm talking about!â She was basically whisper-shouting at you. And you genuinely had no idea what she meant.
âIâm sorry Kelly, I really have a lot of work that I have to finish, so if you donât mind-â you started, but she interrupted you.
âAre you and Jim together?â The sudden question surprised you so much that you choked on your own spit. âDonât be so dramatic, I see through you.â
âWhy would you even think that? No, we are not together!â You looked around yourself before speaking, and lowering your voice to make sure no one else could hear what you were discussing. Kelly was not so discreet.
âDonât play dumb on me, I saw you two in the kitchen earlier having a little moment!â
âA moment? No, no we were just talking about workâ you replied and shook your head at her.
âWith his hands on your arm? Yeah rightâ she scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
âDonât be silly, thatâs just a thing he does. He does that all the time.â
âYeah, with you!â She snapped back and gave you a knowing look. You furrowed your eyebrows at her in confusion. âHe never touched my arm. Or Meredithâs. Or anyoneâs other than you.â
âYouâre making this up.â
âWhy would I?â She scoffed, but you gave her a knowing look and she rolled her eyes. âOkay of course I would, but not this time! Iâm just saying you canât fool me!â
âYeah, youâre onto me Kelly. Now please, I need to get a lot of work done if I donât want to get fired. How would I continue my top-secret office romance then?â You asked sarcastically and waved with your hands.
âOkay-okay, no need to be mean about it!â She stood up from the chair and waltzed back to her desk, where she could delve into her own office romance.
What she said didnât leave your mind though. Was that true? You wouldnât put it past her to stir up some gossip and drama just for entertainment. But would she really lie to you like that? What would she gain from it? And if she didnât lie, what did that mean? Somehow you couldnât decide if youâd prefer her lying or telling the truth.
Even if you were the only one Jim touched like that, that didnât mean anything. Itâs not like you wanted him to touch you like that. At least it was easier to convince yourself of that. This whole thing didnât make any sense. You came to the conclusion that Kelly was just trying to get a reaction out of you with her story and thereâs nothing more to it.
You delved back into work to try to keep your mind off this, you had enough stuff to worry about already. You spent the first half of the afternoon calling clients and trying to get new deals from the old leads you got from your predecessor â lots of them were completely useless. Suddenly you saw the others stand up and head towards the door.
âArenât you coming?â You heard Kellyâs voice. âMichael expects everyone in the meeting room.â
âSure, Iâll be there in a second!â You quickly turned back to your computer and typed in a few things about your last deal before you forgot, then headed after the others. When you looked inside the room you saw most people already in there, Jim included. He waved at you from the last row and gestured at the empty seat next to himself. Your heart fluttered and you made your way over to him.
âThanks, best seat in the houseâ you said, smiling.
âAbsolutely. maybe this way we can get away without getting into a super awkward Michael Scott skitâ he said while he crossed his arms and shot you a mischievous smile.
âMaybe weâll be safe from that today, who knows. Have faith, Halpert!â
âI think you might be too optimistic on this one! How about a bet?â
âWhat kind of bet?â You raised your eyebrows at him.
âI bet that we wonât get away without an awkward Michael situation.â
âI feel like this is a very risky bet on my part, but oh well. What does the winner get?â
âThe loser pays for the others lunch tomorrow.â He answered, smiling.
âDealâ you said and shook his hand. In that second Michael appeared in the meeting room and started talking about the quarter ending soon, and sales. The importance of the relationship with the clients.
Jim was leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest, swinging his legs slightly. Ever so slightly that his thigh would touch yours every time he did it. Your heart was beating so loud it was all you could hear. This is stupid. Jimâs chuckle snapped you out of your thoughts.
âSo, what do you say? How about a little improv? Who wants to sell me some paper?â Michael asked, and of course nobody answered. Everyone was either rolling their eyes or tried to look the other way so they donât get picked. You tried to make yourself as small as you could so he wouldnât pick you.
Thatâs when you felt the touch of a warm hand on your wrist, and it immediately flew to the air. You shot a horrified look at Jim, who was raising your hand for you.
âAh, perfect, perfect!â You heard the voice coming from the front of the room, and you mouthed an âIâll kill you!â at Jim. He just chuckled at you.
âYouâll do great!â He whispered and let go of your hand. You were so baffled you couldnât even answer or object to being selected. Of course, letâs mess with the new staff. Thatâs fine.
You walked and stood next to Michael who was giggling like a little kid, being very excited about his improv exercise. As every improv with him, this ended up having a secret agent scene involved, where he would save you from an unknown threat, and thatâs why he was disguised as a customer wanting to buy paper. You actually couldnât be mad at him, because his joy was contagious. However, you were kind of mad at Jim.
You plopped down onto your seat next to him, crossing your arms, not looking his way. He scooched closer to you, his thigh now completely pressed against yours. His touch and closeness made you dizzy. Then he leaned towards you, but you didnât turn towards him.
âI wonâ he whispered into your ear, and you felt a chill run down your spine as his breath warmed your skin. You felt heat rise in your body, and you started to feel lightheaded from him being so close to you. You immediately turned your head towards him. He was grinning like a child.
âNo, you cheated!â
âDid I? I donât know about that.â
âYes, you did. I thought more of you, Halpert. Just text me what you want to eat tomorrowâ you said and got up as the meeting ended, and you bolted towards the restroom, locking yourself in a stall.
You let out a shaky breath and you buried your face into your hands. This is nothing. Itâs nothing. Damn it, Kelly. Why did she have to say those things? You felt like a schoolgirl with your silly little crush on your coworker, but all these things didnât leave your mind. But even if it was true, even if Jim liked you, what then? Would you start dating? Would you just continue this office flirting forever? Would you just eventually fuck after an office party and completely forget it the next day?
That thought poisoned your mind with images that you didnât want to think about, especially not in your workplaceâs bathroom. But you couldnât help it, and you felt the heat rise in your body again.
âFucking hellâ you breathed, shaking your head as if you could just shake those thoughts out. You stood up and left the restroom, heading straight back to your desk, not looking anywhere. You didnât want to talk to anyone, you just wanted to finish working, go home, where you could work these frustrations out in peace. Yes, that seemed like a good plan. Somewhat good.
The time went by excruciatingly slowly. And it didnât help that you couldnât focus on your work because your head was full of thoughts about him. And you couldnât shake them off. You had to finish your report by tomorrow morning at the latest, so your plan of quickly finishing the job and going home failed spectacularly. People had already started to leave the office as their day ended.
You were somewhat happy that you could work without Kelly and Ryan bothering you all the time, but you definitely were not happy about the thought of you having to be there for who knows how long. You hated overtime, but you couldnât afford not to finish these reports. You rubbed your eyes and looked back at the screen of your monitor, at the names, addresses, numbers. It all felt so meaningless.
After about an hour of numbers, formulas and spreadsheets, you were done with the first half. You definitely needed to stretch your legs, so you decided to quickly print this before finishing the rest. You stood up from your chair, stretched your back a little and walked to your printer. You felt like the universe was taunting you when you saw the big âERRORâ message on the screen. You threw your head back and let out a dramatic groan before you made your way to the printer in the front of the office.
And then you felt like the universe was playing some kind of a joke on you when you saw Jim sitting at his desk.
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Summary: (Y/n) is on maternity leave, but she pops into Swat to visit the team. But when a situation breaks out and they go on lock down, (Y/n)'s water breaks.
Enjoy.
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A strange smirk danced across (Y/n)'s face when she took the visitor's badge she was handed and clipped it onto her waist. It wasn't often that (Y/n) had to wear this kind of badge when she came into Swat headquarters like this. It almost made her feel like an outsider.
She didn't feel like part of Swat when she was demoted to being a visitor, but then again, (Y/n) could understand that it was for security. They had to log people in and out, no matter who they were, when they came to visit. Just in case there was a security risk or they had a fire and had to evacuate so they knew everyone was out safely.
Her bag tapped against her side and she tightened her hand around the leather handle so her bag stopped trying to slide down her shoulder.
Her shoes clicked against the tiled floor and her eyes scanned around as she slowly headed towards the gym that she hadn't used in quite a few months.
A tender look crossed her face and she briefly tilted her head down when her eyes caught on a familiar figure approaching her.
"Who let you back in the building?" Hondo's deep voice was followed by a laugh that made (Y/n)'s smile change back into a smirk and when she lifted her head, she saw he was aiming right for her. His arms stretched out to reel her in for a hug.
It had been a while since (Y/n) had seen Hondo, granted they had messaged a bit over the last few weeks, but that was different to seeing him in person. Especially when she used to see him every other day for almost twelve or fifteen hours at a time when they worked together.
But it had all changed since (Y/n) got pregnant.
She was one of the few women in Swat and that meant the contracts had to be updated to allow maternity leave to be introduced. (Y/n) had been on amended duties, restricted to living in the base and not allowed to attend any of the raids or calls they went out on. She was their eyes and ears, living in the computer room. Until she had to take early maternity leave.
"Haven't you missed me?" (Y/n) countered, folding her arms over her chest when they finally parted.
She watched Hondo lean on his back foot and place his hands on his hips as he grinned and looked around the gym.
"You know we have, it's not the same here without you. Deak, look who dropped by."
Deacon looked like he had been aiming to walk in a different direction, but the moment his eyes locked on (Y/n), a grin spread across his face and he switched to jog over to them instead. (Y/n) loved the way he looped an arm around her shoulders and reeled her into his side like he hadn't seen her in months rather than a matter of weeks.
"Hey! What're you doing here, how are you?"
"I'm good, got a bit lonely so thought I'd come and brighten the place up for a while."
Everyone had been more understanding than (Y/n) first thought when she and Jim told them that they were expecting their first baby. (Y/n) thought it would change things too much. She was worried that when they got someone to take her spot out in the field while she helped in the computer room, that it would become permanent. (Y/n) worked hard to get her place on the team and she didn't want to lose that because she wanted to have a family.
But the team had been so encouraging and warm and understanding, if anything it seemed to bring them closer together.
And when (Y/n) had to go to hospital last month, the team had been understanding then too. Hondo got Jim's shifts covered so he could be with (Y/n) for a week. She had started to have contractions and they thought she was having the baby early, but the doctors had managed to stop them and get everything back under control.
That meant (Y/n) had to go on early leave so she wouldn't be too stressed or overwhelmed and go into early labour.
But Jim was still working, and (Y/n) didn't like being home alone without him like this. She wanted to be with people, with her family, and she thought it might be good to come here and see the team for a little while.
"Let's go get a drink, I think Street's in the kitchen."
(Y/n) nodded and let them steer her towards the kitchen. Somehow, it felt strange to be back here when she knew she still had months left on leave where she would hardly be visiting at all. Swat was a busy place, visiting was allowed and encouraged but it wasn't always possible with how busy their teams got. (Y/n) knew that better than anybody.
But she also knew that once their baby was born, Jim would want to bring them here to show them off to everyone at least once.
When they headed into the kitchen, (Y/n) slumped her bag down onto the counter so she dind't have to keep lugging it around with her.
Her eyes set on Jim immediately and it made a smile pull at her lips when she looked at him. He had his back to them, one hip cocked out at the side and his head at an angle while he poured himself and Chris a drink.
Heading over to them, (Y/n) kept her steps light and the moment she was close enough, she bound her arms around Jim's waist making him shudder. His body pressed into the counter like he was expecting someone to try and tackle him to the ground. But he soon recognised who was binding themselves to him. Not that many people would come up and hug him, especially at work.
If it was Chris hugging him it was usually because something was wrong or one of them needed comfort. And if it was Luca he slung an arm around Jim's neck and reeled him in for a sideways bear hug. So the only logical person who would be hugging him so fondly and tightly like this would be his wife.
He felt (Y/n)'s face pressing into his back between his shoulder blades and his lips curved into a smile when her hands pressed down into his chest and he could feel her bump moulding up against his lower back near his hips.
"Hey baby, what're you doing here?" He slid a cup across to Chris before he reached his hand down to give (Y/n)'s hand a squeeze.
He stayed pressed up into the counter, sipping on his drink for a moment before (Y/n) finally relented and took a few steps back so he could turn around in her arms. He left his cup on the counter and slung his arm around the back of her shoulders and the other around her waist.
The signature grin lit up Jim's face and he tilted his head down so he could steal a kiss from her lips. She wasn't on shift like he was, (Y/n) was clearly here on a passing visit which meant there were no rules against showing any PDA. None of the team cared if Jim wrapped himself around his wife or if he kissed her, they wouldn't say anything.
"I got lonely." It wasn't fun being home alone when her partner and all their friends were here at work. (Y/n) felt like she was missing out on something. She didn't like being on her own.
She could feel Jim smiling against her skin when he peppered a few kisses along her cheek and down her neck. He knew she would be restless at home, he was surprised she hadn't turned up here before now.
When she turned around, (Y/n) leaned her head back on Jim's shoulder and her back into his chest just a little, not wanting to use him as a leaning post but it was very tempting. She felt his right arm loop around her waist, hand settling on her stomach while he reached over and grabbed his coffee. Both of them watching as Hondo and Deacon set about getting some drinks from the fridge.
"So, what have I missed?" (Y/n) kindly shook her head when Deacon offered one of the juice bottles out to her.
She wasn't thirsty. She didn't feel great today, one of the reasons she had stopped by. She was feeling restless and her headache had been blinding her all morning. Being around the team felt like something that would keep her occupied and take her mind off how uncomfortable she was beginning to feel.
"As if Street hasn't already been keeping you updated." Deacon tilted his head to one side with raised brows that dared them to say he was wrong.
They weren't stupid. They knew Jim would go home and tell (Y/n) all the strange, crazy and hard calls she was missing while she was off work. She wanted to be kept in the loop and like she was still part of the team while she was off.
"Alright, what have I missed today?" She countered while she switched her weight from one leg to the other to see if it would help with the pain in her lower back. It didn't do much.
"Today? Nothing."
A conversation began to flow through the kitchen while (Y/n) started to drum her fingertips on the counter beside her. She didn't feel great. She tried to focus on the feeling of Jim's fingers twitching against her stomach like he always did whenever he was near her.
Her features softened and she leaned further back into Jim when she felt him murmur "You good?" against the shell of her ear.
She managed a nod and hummed back as she pressed her lips against the tip of his jaw.
"Well, how about we-" Whatever Hondo was about to say got abruptly cut off when one of the warning tones started blaring out through the speakers. That wasn't one of their drills, and they didn't have any emergency drills or fire alarm testings scheduled for today.
All of them tilted their heads back as if a reason or explanation would flash across the air above their heads along with the sirens. That wasn't a fire drill. It wasn't an evacuation drill and it wasn't a training exercise.
It was the emergency alarm.
(Y/n) felt both Jim's hands move down to hold her hips as his chest stiffened and pressed up into her back while she gripped the counter tighter. All eyes fell on Hondo who quickly pointed to the kitchen.
"Let's find out what's going on."
All of them followed him from the kitchen, briskly walking down the hall until their eyes locked on Commander Hicks approaching the gym from the stairs. Luca was already near the boxing ring along with Rocker and his team. A light shone in Luca's eyes when he glanced over at (Y/n) who he hadn't known was here. He nodded his chin and smiled briefly at her before their attention went back to Hicks.
"Commander, what's happening?" Hondo's hands fell to his hips as they all gathered around, usure why some people wre rushing upstairs or down the back corridor towards the car park.
"A suspect in our custody was just about to be transported from base. We don't know how, but someone found out he was here, started shooting before the car got out of base."
That didn't sound good. (Y/n) had come in on a day that had gone from boring to chaotic in less than ten minutes.
"Rocker, I want your team outside, get that prisoner back inside and those shooters under control. Everyone else stay inside, this place is on lock down. They knew he was here somehow."
They all knew what that meant. Either someone had seen the suspect arrested and knew where he was being taken, or someone on the inside had alerted others that he was here. Either solution wasn't great but they had to get this situation under control. It wasn't safe for anyone to be going out in this mess unless they really had to.
They couldn't try and evacuate the prisoner from here and transport him if the shooters were still observing from outside. And that meant no one else could leave either in case they became targets.
Rocker darted off to assemble his team and come up with a plan while the rest of them shared confused and rather worried looks. Were they just meant to stay inside and observe? Make sure everyone here was okay and keep the situation under control? Could they not do anything else to help?
Except (Y/n), of course. She wasn't technically meant to be here, she was a visitor and as such she couldn't do anything to help the team. Not that she could do much anyway except for go and try to help in the computer room.
"I take it I'm staying too?" (Y/n) tried to smile and her head tilted at an angle when she caught the commander's eye.
He seemed to do a double take, as if he had either not noticed her presence or forgot she was here ni a visiting capacity rather than a work ethic.
"Oh⊠yeah, sorry (Y/n). For the time being you're stuck here with us."
She nodded while she felt Jim's hands on her hips and his lips and nose meshing against the back of her head. It wouldn't be safe for (Y/n) to try and make a quick exit back home, not with a shooter somewhere outside. Until everyone else could leave safely, (Y/n)'s best bet was to stay here with her team.
It would make her day interesting rather than going home and sitting on her own feeling bored.
Although (Y/n) did feel like she wanted to sit down, the ache in her lower back was steadily getting more and more uncomfortable. And her stomach felt unusually heavy.
"Let's go get a plan in motion and check any available security cameras."
(Y/n) felt Jim squeeze her hips in a silent request for her to follow along with them. There was no point (Y/n) sitting around and waiting when she could still try and help them. They were all going to be working from within the base right now, (Y/n) could easily tag along even if it was just to observe and stop herself from getting bored.
The pair of them followed along with the rest of the team towards the computer room and (Y/n) prayed the air con would be on in there. She was starting to burn up in here.
When they all blundered through into the computer room, (Y/n) moved over to one side so she would be out the way. She didn't want to be in the middle of the room, not when she wasn't going to have a lot of input and she wasn't technically working either. Nor did she want too many eyes on her when she didn't feel well.
It might be worth her while to go and sit in the kitchen for a while and grab a drink after all.
"Alright?" Jim whispered into the top of her head before he moved to stand beside her.
His arms folded over his chest and he cocked one knee forward while he watched Luca move over to grab an IPad which he connected to the big screen at the back of the room. He was loading up a map so they could work out what to do and where they could put Rocker's team so they would be hidden away in blindspots to give them some advantages.
Hunching forward, (Y/n) laid her arms on the table in front of her and sank her teeth down into her lip. Leaning forward like this made her feel a bit better, but she still felt like she should leave the room.
Her eyes danced around the room, seeing the commander and Hondo trying to come up with a game plan while Deacon helped Luca find some more maps.
She could barely focus or register what anyone was saying, she just felt like blending into the walls and disappearing. It wasn't like anyone was asking for her help anyway, (Y/n) and about five other Swat members were just crammed into the room, silent but observing.
When Jim waltzed over to the screen and started pointing out advantage points and security cameras on the streets, (Y/n) took that as her moment to try and disappear unknowingly.
She pushed up off the counter and carefully tried weaving past the desk, towards the other side of the room. She could go down the back corridor and get to the kitchen. If anyone noticed her going, they would know where she was aiming for.
Her left hand dragged up and down the back of her neck as she stuck close to the wall in case she needed some help with balance and to try and blend in.
She kept glancing her eyes around the room as if she was checking if anyone noticed her trying to make a slow disappearance. She locked eyes with Deacon who looked her up and down and rose a brow, asking a silent question to check she was alright and where she was going.
But he quickly thrust the tablet in his hand down on the desk in favour of reaching out for (Y/n) when she stumbled.
"Woah, you okay?" His voice was quiet, trying in vain not to catch any attention, but when he noticed where (Y/n) was looking, he followed her line of sight.
He had one hand on her back and the other on her arm while (Y/n) held onto his forearm with both hands to steady herself. Her eyes were cast down on the floor and Deacon felt the shudder that passed through her, and when he looked down, he realised what the problem was.
Her waters had broken.
"Uh Street, we have a situation." He gently squeezed (Y/n)'s arm while he looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with Jim. Although Deacon's statement had caught the attention of everyone who stopped what they were talking about to try and see what was going on.
"What? Oh, oh shit." Jim's wide brown eyes deepened and his lips parted but no more words filtered past his lips when he weaved round the table and looked over at his wife.
His hands found her waist and her hand, taking over from Deacon who took a step back once he knew (Y/n) was alright and not about to topple over.
Her head leaned back on Jim's shoulder as a petrified, apologetic expression flooded her face. She hadn't meant for this to happen. If (Y/n) knew the discomfort she had been feeling was because she was going to go into labour she wouldn't of come down to the base to see them. Not if she knew it would end with her waters breaking here, right when they were in the middle of a situation.
But then again, if she had stayed at home, she wouldn't of had Jim here with her from the start. And who knows what time he would of gotten to her after this whole situation was sorted out.
"Deak, what's up?"
"My water broke⊠I- I'm sorry," (Y/n) darted her eyes down before she looked up at Hondo as if she were about to burst into tears.
A round of "Oh Hell," and "Damn, that changes the plans," chorused through the air while (Y/n) squeezed Jim's hand and leaned back into him a little. She felt his hand slither round from her back to cup the side of her stomach while he leaned his chest down into her back.
His eyes darted around the room, gaging the expressions of the team whilst also waiting for someone to tell him what they were planning to do. If this place was on lockdown, Jim couldn't exactly walk out those doors and get his wife in the car to take her to the hospital.
"How long are we on lockdown?"
"Until the situation outside is contained." The look in Hicks's eyes was wavering, despite his calm, if cold, expression. He understood. He knew this was a serious situation for (Y/n) and Jim and he knew they would want to get out of here and get home and to the hospital as soon as possible.
"What do we do then?" Luca leaned on the desk and looked up at Hicks before glancing over at the couple opposite him. This wasn't an ideal situation, they would have to work something out.
"I need to take her to home-"
"Street, you'll both have to stay here. We can't risk you going out there without that shooter contained. Staying inside is the best bet right now, I'm sorry."
"Then I hope one of you is a midwife." Jim's snappy response caught everyone off guard and no one had a response for that, not even Hicks.
They didn't know how long it was going to take for them to contain the shooter and get their suspect evacuated from here and transported into custody. They didn't know what was going to happen within the base right now and how long lockdown was going to take. Hopefully it wouldn't take long, but Hicks wasn't going to take any risks.
He wasn't allowing anyone to leave the base until they knew for certain that everything was under control. (Y/n) was here as a visitor and that meant her safety was their concern. He wouldn't let her get hurt while she was here under their protection as a visitor and member of the public, not to mention they were all like one big family here.
"Can I sit down?" (Y/n) looked up behind her at Jim who was about to usher her with him to grab a chair when Hicks waved his hand out at them.
"Come on, you can both wait in my office until we can get you safely out of here."
That was a solution, for the time being. But it wasn't a long term solution and (Y/n) prayed they could go home soon. They needed to get ready, to get their maternity bag and the car seat and everything they needed from home. And they had to go get booked into the maternity ward at the hospital when the contractions got close.
They couldn't stay here for long, (Y/n) was in labour and the baby wasn't going to wait forever.
***
(Y/n) closed her eyes and buried her face in the arm of the sofa, smothering a groan. Her back was starting to ache and twinge from how she was sat hunched over, but she didn't know what to do with herself anymore. The contractions were getting worse and they were still at headquarters.
It didn't feel right to be sitting here in Hicks's office, but it was the best place to be right now. It was shut off from the rest of Swat, private and gave them room to move about or sit down, depending on what (Y/n) felt like doing.
She took as many deep breaths as she could manage, but it felt like her lungs were on fire. They were burning like she was breathing in smoke and she could feel her lungs inflating and deflating which was something (Y/n) never normally took notice of. And it was horrid.
"We're down to less than five minutes apart now." Chris looked down at her phone before she looked over at Jim who was sat on the sofa next to his wife.
He had one hand on (Y/n)'s back and the other clutching his knee like he was Bruce Banner doing his best not to turn into the Hulk. He looked over at one of his closest friends who had been timing the contractions for them. Chris was sat on the desk chair she had wheeled over towards the sofa. Her knees spread apart, elbows on her thighs and her phone now being tossed from one hand to the other to distract herself.
They both knew what this meant. If they didn't leave soon, there wouldn't be time to get (Y/n) to the hospital.
"I'll go find Hicks-"
"Don't you go anywhere!" (Y/n) clutched her hand around Jim's wrist before he had chance to lean away from her, let alone try and get up from the sofa.
She wasn't having him disappear around the base, she wasn't having Jim leave her alone for a second, not for anything. Their baby was coming and he had to stay with her, (Y/n) wasn't doing any of this alone.
"I'll go-" Chris didn't have chance to offer before there was a knock at the door and Hondo, Deacon and Luca filed into the room.
All three of them looked around like they weren't sure what they were expecting to find, but Jim's stern expression wasn't on their list. He looked livid. They had been stuck here for hours and time was dwindling away along with their chances of getting (Y/n) safely to a hospital to have this baby.
"Can we go now?" The determination in Jim's voice was like nothing any of them had ever heard before and the way he raised one brow made them all feel like school children about to be told off.
"The man in custody still hasn't been transported yet and Rocker's team haven't found all of the suspects. We can escort you outta here as soon as they've been found."
"By then it's gonna be too late. This is fucking Swat, we have to do something!"
Jim tightened his hand around (Y/n)'s while he slammed his other hand down on his thigh. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. They were supposed to be at home when (Y/n)'s water broke. She was supposed to be safe. Jim was supposed to drive her to the hospital and be there with her when she had the baby, not be here at work under lockdown.
Since the moment he met (Y/n), Jim wanted things to be different. He wanted their relationship to be like how he always dreamed. The opposite of his parent's marriage. He wanted to have kids with her and give his kids a stable upbringing and a loving home. He wanted (Y/n) and their baby to have a safe birth, not something unconventional like this.
"Ooh," (Y/n) closed her eyes and smushed her face into the arm rest again while she tugged on Jim's hand. "T-this baby's coming. Someone's g⊠gonna have to help me!"
The desperation in (Y/n)'s voice was coupled with tears soaking into the sofa as she groaned in agony. If they wouldn't take her to hospital, then one of them was going to have to do something. She couldn't have this baby by herself and her body was telling her it was time.
A look seemed to pass between them all before Deacon rolled his eyes at the team and crouched down in front of (Y/n).
"Would you be okay with me helping you? I'm not exactly trained, but I've been through this four times already." Deacon rested his hand on (Y/n)'s knee as he waited patiently for her to talk to him.
He was by no means qualified as a midwife and he wasn't an expert on labour and giving birth, but he had four kids. Deacon had been there for every birth and he had seen them all play out. He cut the cords with each child as well so he had some expertise in this area. He would help until they could get some medics down here.
(Y/n) twisted her head so her cheek was meshed into the sofa and she nodded with a pleading look in her eyes. She didn't care who helped her, she would let any of the team coach her through this if they knew what to do. She just needed help.
She went back to clutching Jim's hand and she held it to her chest while she sat up properly and sank back into the sofa. Her head fell onto Jim's shoulder when he shuffled up so he was sat beside her with his left arm around the back of her shoulders. His lips attached to the side of her head while Deacon crouched in front of them to see if (Y/n) was dilated or not.
This was definitely going to change the dynamics when (Y/n) eventually came back to work. The team weren't supposed to be here or be involved in the birth of their baby.
"Okay, this baby is coming now. Luca, we're gonna need towels, hot water, blankets and a medic bag from inventory."
"I'm on it." Luca was out the door in a flash to go and grab what they needed, fist-bumping the air at the thought of having a kid be born at Swat. This was going to be a first.
"Alright⊠I think you can start pushing whenever you're ready."
She didn't want to. She didn't want to be doing this here. As much as (Y/n) loved the team who were now her family, having one of them delivering her baby felt a little too close for comfort. She was changing the boundaries. Giving Deacon a scarred image burned into his mind for life.
She briefly looked up when she noticed movement. It was Hondo, moving towards the desk at the other side of the room so it didn't look like he was being a spectator. He knew it wasn't nice for (Y/n) to be doing this here and he didn't want to observe or make her feel uncomfortable.
He reached out for the phone on the desk so he could send a call through to the Commander and let him know what was happening. And to tell him they would have to send out for an ambulance.
"I'm scared," (Y/n) could barely find her voice and when she did, her breathing hitched and her voice came out higher than usual but at half the volume. She was barely talking above a whisper.
"You don't have to be scared, I'm right here, we're all here." Jim pressed a kiss to her cheek and squeezed her into his chest. They were going to look after her, she was with some of the safest people in the country. It would be okay.
He looked behind Deacon who was looking around the room for anything he might have to use if they got desperate, and looked over towards Chris. As if they were sharing the same thought, Chris scooted the desk chair around until she was beside the sofa.
When she held her hand out in front of (Y/n), a panicked smile formed on (Y/n)'s lips and she took her friend's hand. Having Chris on one side, and Jim attached to her other side made (Y/n) feel protected and safe.
And she heard Chris whisper a quiet but encouraging "You got this." which made her feel a little better.
"Alright alright I think I got everything we need to have the first kid born in Swat."
Luca sounded like a cheerleader pumping them up for a big game rather than a team member trying to help a friend have a baby. But his excitement was somehow soothing and made a smile light up Jim's face, despite the panic he was feeling surging through his body right now.
Deacon was rather impressed that Luca remembered everything and managed to carry it all up here.
He set down a pile of towels beside the sofa, two blankets, one of which he handed out to Jim so it could be draped over (Y/n)'s lap for modesty. He dumped the medic bag from his shoulder and a bowl of warm water next to Deacon.
(Y/n) tried to push back into the sofa and brace her feet properly on the floor so she wasn't at risk of sliding down into Deacon's lap. The last thing she wanted was to end up hurting him or landing on the floor. And she watched through blurry eyes as he washed his hands thoroughly, found some gloves in the medic bag and got a towel on his lap.
They were really doing this here. In the Commander's office.
"Okay, I think you're crowning."
(Y/n) felt a little better when Jim leaned his chin on her shoulder and she coiled their entwined hands closer to merge their hands against her chest.
This wasn't the way either of them dreamt about having their first child together, but it was comforting to have the team around them. (Y/n) couldn't of done this alone at home or amongst strangers if the team hadn't of been here at the right time.
She tried to smile when she felt Jim attaching his lips to her neck and she leaned to the right to press her side more into his embrace to try and keep herself relaxed as much as possible.
"Okay (Y/n), I need you to do big pushes, let's have this kid." Deacon pushed up on his knees and moved his hands to (Y/n)'s thighs, seeing the familiar sight of a head being born.
"You're doing so well," Jim murmured against her neck as he darted his eyes around the office he hadn't spent more than a minute in at a time.
It was strange to be sat, almost relaxing, in the Commander's office. This was somewhere the whole squad usually felt uncomfortable, where they would come to if they had a problem or if they thought they were going to get reprimanded for something. This wasn't somewhere they would sit and chat and definitely not somewhere (Y/n) imagined she would be having her baby.
The next time she came to Commander Hicks's office in the future, this was going to be the memory that always came to mind.
"I can't believe I'm actually here for this." Chris gave (Y/n)'s hand a tight squeeze and the grin on her face made (Y/n)'s heart skip.
They had already told Chris that she was Godmother to their baby, there was no question about it. Not when she was Jim's best friend and she had always been there for the couple, it was only fitting that she would be their child's auntie and Godmother.
But Chris didn't think she would get the honour of witnessing her godchild's birth. She was expecting to be the first person to receive the phone call to say the baby was born, but this was even better.
(Y/n) pulled her knees up a little higher and leaned forward, feeling grateful when Jim leaned with her. He was like a backboard keeping her up straight and letting her lean her weight onto him so she didn't have to think or bother with holding herself upright.
"And the head's out, take a breath. Then little pushes, okay? You're doing great (Y/n)."
(Y/n) tried to nod and it was a relief to see that Deacon didn't look at all phased or panicked. He looked as calm as if he were leading them on a callout or giving them orders around base. This seemed to be a natural occurrence for Deacon.
Just a little more effort, and she would have a baby in her arms. All the pain would be worth it when she saw their baby and watched them be placed into Jim's arms. All his life since he was ten years old, all Jim ever wanted was a family. He'd grown up for the first decade of his life with bickering, fighting parents and a sense of fear and dread towards his father. After he went into foster care, he felt a gratitude towards his mum that he could never repay, she made him believe she had saved his life and gave him guilt.
All he wanted in the system was to be let out and live with a loving family, he wanted something to call his own.
Now, Jim had that. He was about to have a family of his own that would love him unconditionally and be his and his alone. He would have (Y/n) and a child to shower with love.
"(Y/n), you're doing great, but I need you to keep pushing as swiftly as you can for me, okay?"
(Y/n) opened her eyes and tried to blink back into focus after being lost in her thoughts, but she shuddered when she realised Deacon didn't look as calm as he had done a few moments ago. She tugged on Jim's hand, pulling his arm across her chest while her head tilted to one side and she scrutinised the look on Deacon's face.
His mouth was set into a thin, straight line and his jaw was locked tight like he was trying to keep some secrets at bay. His brows furrowed like his concentration had amplified ten times and he was moving the towel in his arms a bit higher to reach for the baby.
"W-what's wrong?"
A frown pulled on Jim's face in place of a smile and he tightened his left arm around (Y/n)'s waist while his other hand was confiscated and still held into her chest. He let her lean more into his chest while he looked down at Deacon and silently shook his head to imply that he didn't know what was wrong, but he needed to know. Now.
"The cord's around the neck." Deacon diverted his eyes up to look at Jim before he shifted his attention right back to the baby he was delivering.
He didn't want to panic (Y/n) in case she stopped pushing or it slowed down her momentum if she began to panic. But he knew she heard him when her legs tensed and she tried to lean forward like she wanted to see for herself if it was true.
He couldn't risk moving the cord now when there wasn't enough of the umbilical cord exposed and Deacon couldn't pull on the cord when the baby and placenta weren't delivered yet. He could cause a lot of damage trying to move the cord right now, he had to wait.
"DeakâŠ"
"It's okay, as long as you keep pushing we can easily sort this. Trust me, okay?" When (Y/n) nodded, Deacon looked up at Chris. "I'm gonna need an extra set of hands."
Chris squeezed (Y/n)'s hand tightly before she let go and slid off the desk chair so she was crouched down on her knees beside Deacon. She hated the way (Y/n) shook and her arm seemed to stretch out, following her friend because she needed that support. She needed to hold someone's hand.
But they were both surprised when Luca held a firm hand out in front of (Y/n) as he crouched beside the sofa in Chris's place. He didn't mind offering some comfort, and (Y/n) could squeeze or even break his hand if she needed to. They were all here to help her through this.
(Y/n) closed her eyes and leaned forward as much as she could until she felt Jim's arm tightening around her waist like he thought she was about to fall onto the floor. He kept tight hold around her and leaned his chest into her side, moulding around her like a safety blanket as she cried out and started to shake from how badly she was trying to push.
She could feel her feet fidgeting against the floor, anxious to try and push up or move or slide against the floor. She wanted to move, to do anything to relieve the tension and get this over with.
Her breaths came out in small pants and she screamed just as Deacon shifted his arms up and wrapped the towel around the newborn.
"There we go, you've done it."
When she felt Jim's chin settle on her shoulder so he could peer down, (Y/n) tried to look up at him, but he wasn't smiling. His brows were furrowed and he was watching Deacon closely like a hawk with dark eyes and a firmly set jaw.
Jim's stomach tensed and his nose crinkled when he watched Deacon place the small bundle into Chris's waiting arms so he could slide his finger in between the newborn's neck and the blushing pink cord. He gave a small tug and pulled the cord up, unravelling it from the baby's neck as carefully but swiftly as he cold.
They didn't know how long the cord had been like that or if it had been tight or loose. It could of happened during labour, it could have been like that before her water broke, they didn't know.
"Alright, there we go little one." Deacon pressed his fingers to the newborn's lips, checking the airways weren't blocked before he started to rub his fingers over their chest to stimulate the lungs into working. They needed the baby to breathe; everyone on the team seemed to be holding their breaths in nervous anticipation.
The moment a small cry flooded through the air, (Y/n) felt like she was going to faint and she started to gasp for breath. She felt Jim's wet lips smothering the side of her head and she leaned into the touch, giving a small tug on his hand as she grinned and closed her eyes.
"It's a boy." A smile finally flooded Deacon's lips as he found a few things in the medical kit to use as clamps so he could cut the cord.
He could see Chris was almost at the point of shaking as she stared down at the little boy in her arms who was now her Godson. It wasn't often that Deacon had seen Chris cry, much less happy tears like this but the sight as was lovely as it was surprisingly.
She didn't seem like she was very willing to let the newborn go, but she begrudgingly pushed up on her knees and leaned forward so she could place the little boy into (Y/n)'s trembling arms.
(Y/n) could feel a mixture of her and Jim's tears running down her face when he smothered his lips against her cheek. They had a little boy. They'd had their baby. He was here, and he had been delivered by their team.
Jim realised he was starting to get the shakes when his right hand let go of (Y/n)'s and he cupped his hand around the back of their boy's head. He looked oddly small, curled up into (Y/n)'s chest like that, but the way he started to smack and part his lips made a laugh tumble past Jim's lips.
"He's a handsome little guy," Luca ran his hand up and down (Y/n)'s shoulder for a few moments while he sneaked a glance at the bundle in her arms.
(Y/n) traced her thumb over the back of her boy's head before she looked up at Jim and moved her arms towards him. She could see the light sparkling in his eyes at the prospect of holding his boy, his first baby. And tears were freely falling down his face when he unravelled his arm from around her waist so he could take their boy into his own arms.
It was a comforting weight to feel in his arms and leaning against his chest and it somehow made Jim feel like his whole life until this point had been hollow. This is what he had been missing. (Y/n) and their boy had been what Jim had been searching for all this time, and now he'd found them.
"Look at this little guy," Hondo grinned and leaned over the sofa while he patted his hand down on Jim's back. "The first person to be born at Swat, and the first Swat member to ever have a baby here at headquarters."
"The only person, born at Swat." (Y/n) corrected while she let herself slump back into the sofa and succumb to the adrenaline that was making her tremble all over again. "I'm n-not doing this again with you all, sorry."
As much as (Y/n) loved the team and was thankful to them for what they had done, she didn't want to repeat this experience. Any other children she and Jim had would either be born at home or preferably at the hospital, not here at Swat. (Y/n) would be the one and only person to have her baby born here, and be the only Swat member to give birth here as she wasn't repeating this again and she knew Chris wasn't likely to give birth here either.
A round of laughs filled the air and the team leaned over to try and get a better look at the newborn. But when (Y/n) looked down at Deacon, something softened in her eyes.
He stripped the gloves from his hands and washed his hands and arms in the warm water bowl beside him. His expression was slightly dazed, but he didn't look as exasperated or shocked as the rest of them, and he was the one who had just delivered a baby today.
(Y/n) rolled her lips together and gently nudged her elbow into Jim's arm before she glanced her eyes from him down to Deacon. A silent exchange happened between them like they were sending secret messages to one another. But they were on the same wavelength, Jim knew exactly what (Y/n) was silently trying to ask and he nodded.
She gently nudged her trembling knee into Deacon's arm to gain his attention. "Thank you." She was never going to be able to thank him enough for what he had just done for them, but they knew a way to share their gratitude.
"You're very welcome," Deacon suddenly looked tired, like the energy had dwindled out of him with all the excitement flooding the room. As if it was finally settling in and dawning on him what he had just experienced.
"Didn't think you'd get to deliver your Godchild, did you?"
The question was so calm, so normal and said almost in passing that Deacon laughed and nodded, about to make a remark before the words actually settled in his mind. Once they registered, his brows furrowed and his head snapped up to look from (Y/n) to Jim like he didn't quite believe them.
Everyone knew Chris was Godmother, but the couple hadn't made up their minds on who would be Godfather. Deacon had just sealed that choice for them.
"Wh- me, really?"
Jim lifted his arms a bit higher so he could cuddle his baby boy closer to his chest and he kissed his temple delicately. And when he looked over at Deacon, his lips formed a proud smile.
summary: Jim had always harbored feelings for you, but never in a thousand years did he think he'd let something as small as an age gap hold him back. You were in your mid-twentiesâyoung, but not out of reach. And if it took landing a punch on a friendâs face to claim the heart he once believed was unattainable, well⊠that was a price he was more than willing to pay.
P.S. English isn't my first language, so I apologize for any syntax or grammatical errors. I do hope you enjoy it!
Jimâs stare was never subtle, never went unnoticed. And it certainly wasnât now, not when Hopperâs cold, unrelenting gaze locked onto you. Joyce sighedâa quiet, weary thing that was enough to break his fixation, forcing him to glance her way before making a show of slumping back into his car. Binoculars in hand, silhouette barely concealed in the dark.
âYou know,â she muttered, arms crossed, âif you keep this up, sheâs gonna figure out someone really was watching her last week.â
Hopper rolled his eyes. âAnd you told me it was a smart plan, didnât you? Let her think it was some random creepâonly for her to go running to patch up Billy Hargrove.â
The words tasted bitter even as he said them. He already knew heâd screwed up; didnât need Joyce rubbing salt in the wound. But watching you with him, hovering close, pressing ice to the bruise on his cheek with all the tenderness Hopper had convinced himself you were too guarded to showâit made his stomach churn. Boil, even. And yet, he kept his face unreadable. Steady. Because after his college crush, after Joyce, he never thought heâd feel this again. Never thought heâd be jealous of another man.
Billy was younger, cocky, reckless. But to you, he was more than that. A friend. Not just a colleague, eitherânot after that one time he covered your shift when your body felt like it was tearing itself apart, an unspoken favor you never let him forget. You owed him something, you always said. But you hadnât expected that something to end with a fist near Billyâs jaw. Neither had he.
"Maybe a thanks," Joyce said.
Hopper's grip on the binoculars slackened, fingers loosening as his brows pulled together. He exhaled sharply through his nose, half a scoff, half disbelief. Was she serious?
His jaw tightened as he stared straight ahead, pretending like he hadnât heard her. Pretending like you wouldnât hear him, eitherânot that his truck was parked far enough for that. Finally, he turned to her, expression unreadable. "Thanks?" His voice came low, edged with something unsteady. "You want me to thank you for what?â
âMy speed, obviously. Duh.â
Joyce shot him a lookâone of those exaggerated expressions that made it painfully clear she was recalling exactly what had happened. Not two minutes ago. No, he meant weeks agoâback when Hopper had overheard El talking about your date.
By some stroke of luck, heâd managed to get details out of her. No peeking, of course. As heâd figured Mike was probably in her room anyway. But then he found out you were there. With Max. Fussing over her hair, twisting strands into something new while she sat cross-legged on Elâs bed.
And just like that, the conversation had turned into something else entirely.
âWh-what are you doing?â
Your voice cut through the moment, snapping his attention back to you. His brows had furrowedâfirst in anger, then confusion, then something closer to relief. âDid you need something?â you asked again, a chuckle slipping past your lips at his sudden, unannounced entrance. It had caught you off guard, sure, but not as much as the memory El had mentioned earlier. Last night. Mike included. Hopper sure needed to loosen up a bit.
Hopper hesitated. âNo⊠nothing.â His voice was gruff, clipped. Then, after a beat, âWhat are you doing here?â Now it was him throwing the question back at you. And maybe it was the absurdity of it all, or maybe just him, but your lips curled into a soft smile.
âMax and El wanted some new stuff from the mall. And considering you barely let her step outsideâlet alone bring Mikeâyou can imagine how that went.â Hopper scoffed, exhaling a sigh as he shook his head. Typical.
âAnd youâre staying for dinner?â he asked. Almost forced. You shook your head, appreciating the offer, yet again. But before you could even get a word out, Max beat you to itâgrinning, eyes flashing with something smug and a little too pleased. âShe needs to prepare herself,â she teased. âGot a date in a couple of days.â
A date?
Hopper blinked. Once. Twice. His brain stalled, like he needed Max to rewind and hit play againâjust to make sure heâd actually heard those words and wasnât just losing it.
He swallowed hard. âA d-date?â His gaze dropped to you, sharp and questioning, and for a second, you almost frowned. Confused. Because, first of all, he wasnât your father. And second? He didnât get to make the rules for you. Let alone be all protective Hopper on you.Â
âWith who?â
The girls exchanged a glance firstâsilent, knowing. Then their eyes flicked to you, teasing, daring.
They shrugged. Innocent.
But they werenât. Not even close.
âNo one,â they said in unison, straight-faced, before turning back to Jim, their lips twitching with barely concealed grins. To your surprise, that answer satisfied him more than you would have liked. But as soon as the door shut with a quiet click, Hopper gave a single nodâto himself, to the room, to the inevitable conclusion that calling Joyce was not an option. Thenâ âOh andââ
The door swung open again, slamming against the frame. El and Max jumped. You, especially. Hopperâs eyes locked onto you.
âWhen?â
âAnd you really thought she wouldnât notice you lurking around?â
Joyceâs voice cut through the silence, sharp with disbelief. âAs if it wasnât enough either, to almost knock Billy out when you scared the hell out of her?â Hopper exhaled, jaw tight, but he didnât argueâbecause she was right. âThen again, I am kind of proud that she didnât noticed you.â He could still feel the ghost of that damn punch. And yet, none of that had stopped him. Not when he found out where the date was happening.Â
Hawkins Forest.
Of all places.
Being Chief had its perksâlike sneaking into your dateâs location without a second thought. And eureka, there you were, right in the middle of the damn woods. âSo now youâre blaming me for protecting her?â His voice came low, defensive, but Joyce just sighed, exasperated.
Joyce sighed, shaking her head before snatching the binoculars from his hands.
Hopper tensed, ready to protest, but she cut him off with a look. âIâd call this stalking more than protectingâŠâ Her voice trailed off, unimpressed.
He rolled his eyes.
But thenâ
Shit.
One second, you were there. The next? Gone.
And Billy, too.
âFuck!âÂ
Hopper searched for you all night.
Rang every damn doorbell he could think ofâfrom the Wheelers to the Hargroves. Even though he knew where you were. And still, you hadnât noticed him. Hadnât put the pieces together. The hints, the warningsâeverything.
It baffled him.
But Billy? With Billy? That was unthinkable. Insane. It clawed at his ribs, made his blood run hot. Because in Hopperâs heart, you were his. And heâd do whatever the hell it took to keep it that way.Â
Hopperâs fingers drummed against the steering wheel as he drove, music blaringâloud enough to drown out his own thoughts. Joyce sat beside him, quiet, the hum of the engine filling the space between them. He was trying to forget. Trying to make sense of it.
The idea of a life with you.
Pointless, at this hour. But still, he let himself believe that this little date in the woods meant somethingâthat maybe, just maybe, it proved something, too. The thought curled bitter in his chest as he lit a cigarette, lips brushing warm paper before the smoke filled the cab.
After dropping Joyce off, he saw it.
His house, lights on.
He knew El was homeâcurfew was curfew, his rulesâbut something else was off. Something subtle. Something different. The smell.
Rotisserie chicken. Mashed potatoes. Home-cooked.
Someone else was inside.
His hand hovered near his gun as he stepped out, tension knotting in his shoulders. But it wasnât the food that set his nerves on edge. It was the music.Low, crooning, bleeding through the walls. And neverânot in his lifetimeâwould he ever blast this kind of shit.
Romantic jazz?
Yeah. Not a fucking chance.Â
âEl!â
Hopperâs voice cut through the night, sharp, urgent. His first instinct was to call for herâhe had every damn right to. Being protective wasnât just second nature; it was who he was. And if sheâd wandered off, thinking a home-cooked meal could buy her way out of trouble, she had another thing coming.
But as he stormed up the porch, fingers twitching as they hovered over the brass doorknob, something about the whole thing felt wrong.
The music. The smell. Too familiar, too intentional. Whoever was inside better have a damn good explanation. Then the door swung open.
And there you were.
Framed in the doorway, wrapped in an apron like you belonged there, lips curling into a soft, easy smile. âHopper!â
Your voiceâlight, warm, effortlessâsettled into him like it fit. Like it had always belonged there. And for a brief, fleeting second, he wasnât sure if you were even real. âI hope you donât mind,â you said, an amused tilt to your tone. âI mightâve gotten a little creative tonight. El and I have been planning to bake for a while, and my date justââ
But Hopper barely heard the rest. His stomach twisted. His pulse thrummed.
Because suddenly, all that mattered was that last damn word.
Date.
Jim blinked. Once. Twice. Just enough to process what heâd heard. âWaitâwait, wait. What do you mean your date justâ?â He tried to sound casual, indifferent. Like he hadnât already known where you were just minutes ago. Like he hadnât been watching. And if he was rightâif he had been right all alongâthen Billy Hargrove would have a word or two coming his wayâ
âBilly was the one who found me.â
That stopped him cold.
âPoor thing,â you continued, shaking your head. âSomething scared me half to death while I was waiting for him. And before I knew it, Billy showed up and gave me a ride home.â Something in Hopper loosenedâuncoiled. Relief. Relief. But that also meant, he would need to explain himself later.Â
Because Billy, for all his flaws, for all the ways Hopper knew he wasnât the right guy for youâwas still better than what his mind had conjured. A breath slipped past his lipsâhalf a scoff, half something else entirely.
You caught it.
Your brow lifted, head tilting slightly as the corners of your lips curved into something soft, something dangerous.âWhatâs so funny, Hopper?âÂ
He shook his head, arms crossing over his chest.
âYou really think a date would show up? And out of all places, Hawkins Forest?â His voice dropped into that familiar father-knows-best tone, the same one he used on El when she was testing her limits.
You rolled your eyes. âI canât help myself, Hop.â
There was something almost vulnerable in your voice nowâsomething real.
âThese days⊠not many guys my age are thinking about the future. The second I bring it up, they freakâlike theyâve seen a ghost or something. I thought maybe if I changed things upâif I took a riskâit might spark something.â
You sighed.
âThat couldâve gotten you killed, Y/N.â His voice was firmâfinalâbut you already knew that. You knew. A beat passed between you. Heavy. Unspoken. ThenâEl peeked out from behind you, her soft, sweet presence slicing through the tension like a blade wrapped in silk.
âWhatâs taking so long?â she huffed, arms crossed, lips forming an almost comically dramatic pout. âIâm hungry.â And she wasnât wrong.
Because just then, as if on cue, Hopperâs stomach gave an unmistakable growl, betraying him. You almost laughed. Almost.
Because right now, all you wanted was food, warmth, and rest. Anything to erase the weight of the night hanging over you like a second skin. âThen letâs go,â you murmured, fingers ruffling through Elâs curls before stepping aside, holding the door open.
An unspoken invitation. Jim hesitated for only a second before stepping in.
And for the first time tonight, something settled.
Settling in, Jim had to admitâhe was impressed. Really impressed. You had somehow managed to pull together a full spread in no time, the mashed potatoes smooth and buttery, the chicken practically melting on his tongue. âDamn,â he muttered, savoring the bite. âIf I had a penny every time your food was this good, Iâd be rich.â
You laughed, soft and warm, wiping a stray smear of sauce from the corner of your lipsâthen, without thinking, did the same for him.
His body tensed. Just for a second. A split second.
Stay still. Donât panic.
But it was moments like thisâsmall things, thoughtless thingsâthat did something to him. Something dangerous. And when he looked at you, really looked at you, his gaze didnât waver.
Didnât move an inch.
âYou okay?â you asked, voice light, a nervous giggle slipping through.
God, you hoped he hadnât noticed the pink dusting your cheeks.
But he had. Oh, he had.
And it took everything in him not to grin like a damn foolâexcept, of course, he did. That slow, ego-centric smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
Cocky. Innocent. Infuriating.
âYep. Totally.â
And that was the moment Jim Hopperâgrizzled, cynical, guarded Jim Hopperâfelt something hit him straight in the chest.
Love at first sight.
God help him.
"Three-inch minimum."
Elâs face twisted in open disgust as Hopper leaned in, his breath close enough to stir the air between you. Almostâalmostâhe could feel the ghost of your lips brushing his, a sigh slipping through as if the thought alone exhausted him. He hated this. Every second of it. Because, goddamn it, she was right.
Still, he smiled, lopsided, weary. "Maybe Iâve been a little too protective, huh?"
You matched his smirk, eyes flickering with something just sharp enough to cut. A slow nod. A knowing wink tossed Elâs way. "And maybe then," you murmured, "youâd let me kiss you instead."
Warnings: Swearing, Age Gap, Mention of Death, Assault
Authorâs Note: Hiya! Iâm back with another story, so I will be posting more regularly now (youâre welcome) :). I have more unfinished oneshots and stories lined up, but Iâd love to hear what characters you want to read about, leave a comment and let me know! (Inspo: thepuritan)
Y/Nâs father, Andrew, was hosting yet another of his âall maleâ parties. It was hardly a party however, merely a group of men drinking beer and laughing louder than necessary. Y/N found it somewhat irritating at times, yet she also knew that he needed the company following the loss of Lindsay, his wife and Y/Nâs mother, who had died a few years back.
Y/N had been hiding in her room the entire time, not interested in socializing with drunk men. However, as the party progressed and her stomach began to protest, she relented. With a resigned sigh, she rose from her bed and made her way downstairs. On her way to the kitchen, she bumped into Jim, her fatherâs closest friend.
âOh Iâm sorry Y/N, are you okay?â he asked with concern.
She offered a polite smile and nodded, âYeah, no worriesâŠIâm sorryâŠâ
âNo need to apologize. It was my fault for being in the wayâ he replied softly, returning the smile. He moved aside, leaning against the wall while gazing at her captivating eyes. He soon realized he was staring a bit too long and quickly averted his gaze. When she continued on, Jim found himself unable to look away, watching her figure disappear into the kitchen. Martin, one of his friends, noticed Jimâs distraction and leaned in to whisper in his ear, his breath heavy with the scent of alcohol.
âLooking at Andrewâs daughter, are we Jim?â Martin laughed, throwing an arm around him and pulling Jim out of his trance.
âWhat? No! I was just making sure she was alrightâŠâ
His friend chuckled, giving him a friendly pat on the back. âMhm-mhmâŠâ he teased. Jim felt a slight flush on his cheeks and turned his gaze away. âI wasn't looking at her in that wayâ he protested quietly.
âOh come on Jim, I just saw you looking at her like she was an angelâ Martin countered. âShe definitely has an angelâs assâŠâ he added in a hushed tone. Jim furrowed his eyebrows, feeling a twinge of annoyance at Martin's comments about her.
âShe's not a piece of meat, Martin. And sheâs only 19.â he stated firmly, but Martin simply laughed it off, shaking his head. "Oh relax, Iâm just having a laugh."
Jim rolled his eyes in annoyance, attempting to suppress the unexpected surge of protectiveness he felt towards her. He gazed towards the kitchen, wondering whether Y/N had overheard any of the conversation. He didn't want her to think he was the same as everyone else in that room.
As he entered the kitchen, he heard her rummaging through the fridge. Leaning against the doorframe, he cleared his throat to announce his presence. Y/N turned to face him, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
âOhâŠhello againâŠâ she greeted softly.
He smiled and stepped further into the room towards her. âHey, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I really do apologize for bumping into you" he said as he came to a stop right in front of her.
Y/N shook her head while she continued to prepare a plate of food. âOh donât worry about itâŠit happens all the time, believe me.â
Jim chuckled and leaned against the counter as she completed her plate. âAh yes, I bet the men are crowding you at any given chanceâ he teased lightly, a smirk making a subtle appearance on his face.
âNo, my dad wonât let themâŠhe doesnât care that much, but at least he keeps me safe from drunk old men touching meâŠâ she responded with a laugh.
He nodded, fully understanding why her father was so protective. "Oh yes, if I'm honest, I don't blame him. He wouldnât want to risk one of those men taking you away right from under his nose.â
âNot that any of those men are interestingâŠâ she scoffed slightly, causing Jim to raise an eyebrow.
âNone of them? What about college? A lot of boys must be interested in youâŠâ
Y/N shook her head, a trace of loneliness seeping into her voice, âTrust me, theyâre notâŠâ
He furrowed his eyebrows and leant forward a little, surprised by her statement. âNo one? And no one youâre interested in either?"
Y/N shook her head again, looking down.
He looked at her intently, his tone gentler, âWell, I suppose it isn't bad being a single womanâŠno responsibility. Though you may end up lonely when you're a little older.â
She shrugged her shoulders, picking up her plate as she began to exit the kitchen. âCanât get much more lonely than thisâŠâ she murmured.
He observed her closely as she walked away, her final words causing him to frown even more. âI didn't mean to make you upset, Y/NâŠâ he called out, trying to catch her attention.
Y/N halted in the doorway, turning her head to meet his eyes. âYou didnâtâŠdonât worryâŠâ she reassured, smiling softly.
He smiled back, yet a slight frown remained on his face. He sighed quietly and pinched the bridge of his nose, his mind racing. Something about her words resonated with him. After lingering in the kitchen for a while, he eventually decided he couldnât just leave it. He pushed himself off the counter and strolled out of the kitchen, into the living room. There, he found Andrew seated on the couch, enjoying a beer.
Jim approached him, lowering his voice, âHey, can I talk to you in private for a second?â
Andrew frowned but nodded, rising from the couch and following Jim into the hallway. Once they were away from others, Jim leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
âCan I ask you something about Y/N?â
Andrewâs frown deepened as he took a sip of his beer before responding, âUh yeah, sure. What is it?â
Jim ran his fingers through his hair, glancing back at the living room to ensure the others were still distracted. âPromise me you won't think I'm going madâŠâ
Andrew laughed softly, âI won't, just ask me.â
Jim shifted his weight, feeling somewhat uncomfortable as he continued, âDo youâŠdo you ever feel concerned about your daughterâŠbeing alone so much?â
Andrew chuckled once more and shook his head. âJim, you're just overthinking it. My daughter is a quiet girl, she doesn't like being around people. That's all there is to it. She's not lonely.â
Jim let out a quiet huff. He was beginning to feel frustrated already, even though he was known to be quite calm.
âYou don't think that maybe it's a little strange for someone like her not to have any romantic interests at all? No boyfriend? No guy that has even come by asking for her?â
Andrew took another swig of his beer, shaking his head resolutely. âOf course no one has come to me and asked to date Y/N. I wouldn't let any of those boys even approach her. No one is good enough for my angel.â
Jim bit the inside of his lip, annoyed with Andrewâs stubbornness. âBut haven't you ever thought that maybe she wants someone? Has she never tried looking for a boyfriend herself?â
Andrew raised an eyebrow, âShe's my daughter, Jim. I know what's best for her. That's final. No one is good enough to be with her.â
Jim rolled his eyes, his irritation escalating with each moment that passed.
âWhat's best for her? What is she going to do for the rest of her life then? Sit in her room alone every night? Never have any excitement or passion in her life?â
Andrew clenched his jaw, disapproving of Jim's tone. He raised his voice, âYou don't get to tell me how to parent my daughter and what she can and can't do. I know what's best for her, and you need to drop this now. Why do you suddenly care so much about her anyway?â
Jim clenched his fists, fighting to suppress his anger. âI'm not trying to tell you how to parent. I'm just saying you're not letting her make her own decisionsâ he retorted.
Andrew stepped forward, forcing Jim against the wall. âDon't you dare tell me how to raise my daughter! I'm protecting her from the pricks out there! You think you know better don't you? You think you know my daughter better than I do and what's right for her?â
Jim pushed Andrew back, standing his ground. He was beginning to lose his temper faster than ever.
âI'm not saying I know her better! I'm saying any father who wants their daughter to be happy would let her experience what love is!â
However, Andrew wasnât taking it. He shoved Jim against the wall, his voice rising, âShut up! You don't know anything!â
Jim winced as his shoulder collided with the wall, biting his tongue to stifle a pained gasp. The other men at the party hurried into the hallway, pulling them both apart.
"What the fuck is going on here?â Martin yelled, glancing between the two furious men.
âNothing, just a disagreement. That's all.â Andrew replied firmly, still glaring at Jim with anger in his eyes.
âAbout what?â Martin asked, but Andrew snapped at him, âNone of your business!â he shouted, snatching his beer from the floor and storming out to the backyard.
Jim let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the wall while rubbing his sore shoulder. Y/N, having heard the commotion, rushed down the stairs. She looked at the men with a puzzled expression before taking on a more authorative tone.
âI think itâs time that you all go homeâŠâ
âYeah, I think we've outstayed our welcome hereâŠâ one of the men muttered as they gathered their belongings and exited through the front door. However, just as Jim was about to leave, Y/N called out to him, âHey Jim?â
He turned to meet her gaze, pausing at the doorway. âYeah?â
She gestured towards his shoulder, her voice turning softer, âYou okay?â
Jim couldnât help but smile at her concern, nodding, âI'm alright. Just a bruise, nothing to worry about...â he assured her.
âWhat happened? Did heâŠdid he get mad again?â Y/N asked tentatively.
âWe just had a disagreementâŠâ he explained, worried that revealing too much might upset her, which was the last thing he wanted.
Y/N nodded softly, âAlright, are youâŠare you going back home?â
Jim was slightly taken aback by her question, and he thought about it for a moment. He was about to say yes, but then found himself hesitating. He didnât truly want to go home. Not after his argument with her father and the conversation he had with her earlier.
âIâŠI'm not sure yetâŠâ
She cast a glance towards the back door, from which her father had just left, before turning her attention back to Jim. âDo you want toâŠI donât knowâŠgo somewhere?â she asked quietly.
He followed her gaze, looking into the garden where Andrew was having a smoke. Returning his gaze to her, a soft smile spread on his lips. âYeah, of courseâŠwhere do you want to go?â
âThereâs a small bar not too far from hereâŠif you havenât been drinking enough already thoughâŠâ she replied with a soft chuckle.
He laughed, stepping closer to her and lowering his voice so Andrew wouldnât overhear. âActually, I havenât had anything to drink yet tonightâ he confessed, pausing briefly before adding, âJust donât tell your dadâŠâ
Y/N smiled gently, shaking her head, âI wonât, you have my word. Letâs go drink something thenâŠâ
He grinned a little, nodding in agreement, âAlright, lead the way, sweetheart.â
Y/N couldnât help but smile at the term of endearment, concealing the gentle blush on her cheeks by turning away. She stepped through the front door, Jim following close behind, his hands shoved into his pockets. He cast a final glance at Andrew, feeling bad for arguing about his daughter and now leaving with her, yet he found himself unable to stop even if he tried.
