#//the only family members they have that are around is their mum (not sure if i'll make them have a grandma still thinking about it) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lenaswritingandstuff · 4 months ago

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Home • Mattheo Riddle x bff!fem!reader

Requested: No

Pairing: Mattheo Riddle x f!reader

Summary: y/n wants to make something special for Mattheo's birthday, but little does she know how special it is about to get.

Word count: 3.1K

Warnings: Fluff; English is not my first language.

A/N: Thank you guys so, so much for over 300 followers, love y'all!! That said, I don't think I like this one lol. Comments and feedback are always appreciated. Sorry for the typos. Hope you enjoy it! xx

Tag list: @helendeath @im-jesus @wolfyychan @blocked-zombieartist

Tag list for this story: @lilloves-34

“Aw, how lovely it is to see you two!”

“Hi, mum.”

Your mother held you warmly before turning to the person next to you.

“You’ve grown taller, Mattheo, dear.”

“As always, Mrs. y/l/n.”

She held him too, and Mattheo did his best to return the hug. His dark eyes turned to you and you offered him a small, affectionate smile. He suddenly looked more comfortable and smiled at your mother when she let him go.

“Leave your luggage here, dears, it can be unpacked later. Come, I’ve made you two some snacks.”

You and Mattheo follow her into the kitchen, and you can’t help but look at Mattheo. Partly because, well, it’s not like he wasn’t the most handsome boy you’ve ever seen, but mostly because you know he’s not always comfortable in your mother’s house, despite having living here for over two years now.

Mattheo and you had been best friends since your first year at Hogwarts. But as the years went by, knowing Mattheo was alone at Hogwarts during the holidays made you feel so upset that you started asking him if he wanted to spend it with you, which he accepted with a gratitude he had a hard time hiding. And, naturally, you also asked him if he wanted to come for summer break here as well. From the day Mattheo met your mother, she adored him and soon considered him a full member of the family, sending him sweets and gifts while at school just like she did for you, offering him gifts for his birthdays and Christmas as well, and he started coming every holiday without you asking him. You knew Mattheo was thankful for your mother’s hospitality and affection, as he always made sure to let her know, but you knew - despite him doing his best to hide it - that he felt that he somehow didn’t deserve the kindness and care you mother had shown him. It broke your heart to know he felt like that, but Mattheo wasn’t the kind to easily speak about his feelings so you never dared to bring it up, only sometimes telling him how happy you were that he was here, and that this house was his home.

But what your mother - or anyone else for that matter - didn’t know was that now having Mattheo around at all times was bittersweet for you. You absolutely loved having him in your house, where you knew he was finally loved and cared for, but it also made you two closer and made feelings for him grow - feelings you didn’t know were shared or not. It was slowly breaking you from the inside, and you didn’t know how to deal with it. Of course, you could talk about it with Pansy, who was your other best friend, or your mother, but you perfectly knew what they would both tell you: “tell him how you feel.” Merlin, no. You just couldn’t. Not only because if Mattheo didn’t feel the same way, your friendship would never be the same at best - or completely destroyed in the worst case scenario - and in both cases, you knew it wouldn’t take long for Mattheo to decide to leave your house. If I ever do tell him how I feel, it’s better to wait until we’re both out of Hogwarts and have our own places.

You walked in the kitchen to find your favourite snacks on the table.

“Aw, thanks, mum.”

“Yes, thank you, ma’am.”

“You’re more than welcome. Come, sit.”

The three of you sat around the table, you being next to Mattheo on one side and your mother on the other. You and Mattheo started eating while your mother asked about yours and Mattheo’s lives at school. You and Mattheo took turns in making conversation and even had a few laughs as you recalled some of the funny memories you had. After both your stomachs were full, you decided to go unpack your luggage. Mattheo had the same idea, and went to the bedroom that was now essentially his. You both finished at the same time, and found yourselves in the corridor of the second floor.

“I’ll go take a shower,” Mattheo said quietly. “If you don’t mind.”

“Of course not.”

He walked to the bathroom, but before he came in, you called for him. “Matty?”

He turned to you and you continued, “As always, this is your home.”

He gave you a single nod before quickly turning away and going into the bathroom. Letting out a small sigh, you went down downstairs in the living room and found your mother reading a book.

“Mum?”

She raised her head from her book, “Yes?”

You sat on the sofa next to her, a small smile on your face.

“You know Mattheo’s birthday is coming up?”

“Yes,” she nodded, “I already got his gifts and have everything I need to make his favourite cake. Why?”

“Well,” you said, “I thought that we could do something else for a change. We usually have quiet birthdays and it’s nice but I’d really like to do something for Mattheo this time.”

Your mother frowned, “Like what?”

“A surprise party?” you answered. “I could write to the boys and invite them to celebrate?”

“That’s a good idea, darling. I’ll soon go to Diagon Alley to buy some decorations and, well, more food and drinks.”

You smiled and went to give her a quick hug. “Thank you, mum. You’re the best.”

The evening was nice and quiet, spent playing chess with Mattheo on the ground in the living room like you always did, with your mother playfully cheering on the one winning from the sofa. Mattheo and you laughed a lot while playing, and it warmed your heart to see him relaxed and happy. You knew he was usually shy in the first days he came here, and while you perfectly understood it, you couldn’t wait for him to be his warm, chill, funny self again. The Mattheo you knew and loved. After dinner, your mother went to bed and soon after, Mattheo and you decided to follow. You both went upstairs, and you then went into the bathroom to take a shower and put on your pyjamas. Mattheo had his own bathroom, and he was likely getting himself ready to go to bed. Once you were done, you went to your bedroom, and you weren’t surprised to see Mattheo casually laying on your bed. You went to close the shutters, and when you got in bed, Mattheo’s arms immediately wrapped around your body, and you put your head on his chest. Mattheo and you had taken the habit of cuddling to sleep since the first night he spent here, where a discussion before going to sleep ended up with you guys falling asleep and for some reason waking up in each other’s arms. You found that you slept way better in Mattheo’s arms, so much so that this situation continued in Hogwarts - and it was made easier by your roommate Pansy essentially spending all her nights with Blaise. At first, you just enjoyed the feeling of warmth and safety Mattheo’s embrace gave you, but as your heart started to feel more than friendship for him, cuddling, just like his perpetual presence, became bitter-sweet. You still loved cuddling with Mattheo, in fact you didn’t even know if you could even sleep without him now, but you wondered if it was a good idea to continue like this. But even if I decided it was better to stop, how do I tell him?

“You alright?” you whispered, raising your head to look at him.

He nodded, “Yeah. Why?”

“I just want to make sure you’re comfortable here. This is your home, Matty. And it will always be. But if you’re feeling something different, I want you to tell me.”

“I’m fine, y/n, really. I’m grateful for your mum and you, you know that. Don’t worry your pretty little head over me.”

He kissed your hair, his hands started gently caressing your shoulder and the middle of your back. Soon after, you felt yourself going to sleep, and thought you heard a voice saying “sleep well, princess.”

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

The next following days, Mattheo and you spent all of your time together. Every meal, every activity - playing Quidditch in the garden, reading, studying, taking a nap - was done with him. You loved it, but it made it harder to write to Mattheo’s friends to invite them to the surprise party or to prepare the said party without him knowing, but you still managed to do it while he was reading a book in the living room. Thankfully, all the boys answered your letter and said they would come, and thankfully also, your mother had time to buy what was needed and had the idea to hide it in her room, where you and her knew Mattheo would never dare to go.

On the day of his birthday, you woke up once again in his arms, and kissed him on the cheek as he was slowly waking up.

“Happy birthday, Matty.”

“Thank you, pretty girl.”

You had managed to get Mattheo agree to go to Hogsmeade in the beginning of the afternoon to get his favourite sweets from Honeydukes so your mom could prepare everything for the party and welcome the guests. You spent some time here, and once you knew everything was likely to be ready, you and Mattheo got back home, and you had a hard time not smiling. But you also suddenly worried about how Mattheo would react. Last year, Theo had a surprise party and Mattheo was happy to help prepare it. But does that mean he wants one for himself?

You opened the door, and entered the silent house. Mattheo looked around the corridor, and put his bag full of sweets on the floor in order to take off his jacket.

“Is your mom here?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” you shrugged. “Let’s check the living room.”

Mattheo remained silent and approached said living room, and you had the biggest smile on your face when he suddenly stopped.

“Happy birthday!”

There was some cheering and applause, and Mattheo turned to you as you approached him.

“What-”

“It’s a surprise, Matty,” you couldn’t help but laugh at his confused face. “You deserved to have your friends and your brother with you today.”

He stared at you for a long minute, and you felt your heart beat faster, and he finally smiled at you.

“Thank you, y/n.”

You smiled back at him and gestured for him to go say hi to his friends, who were quick to wish him a happy birthday and greet him warmly, and his brother Tom, who was colder and more silent than the others. You looked around the room, and what your mother had done to decorate was incredible: there were numerous small fireworks up in the air alongside big golden letters saying “happy birthday Mattheo”, small decorations all around, and the long wooden table, usually bare, was also very much magically decorated. Mattheo hugged your mother to thank her while Pansy came closer to you.

“Well done, dear. If you’ve put it together for a friend, I can’t wait to see what you will do when you’ll be dating him.”

“Don’t start,” you warmed her. “Mattheo and I have always been friends and will always be.”

“We’ll see,” she teased.

You rolled your eyes and went closer to Mattheo. It was now time for him to blow out the candles and make a wish, and everyone was gathered around him as your mother brought his favourite cake decorated with whipped cream and full of magic candles.

“Happy birthday again, dear,” your mother smiled. “Make a wish.”

Mattheo closed his eyes for an instant and then blew out the candles. You applauded alongside the others, and everyone gave Mattheo their birthday gifts - books on Quidditch or history or wizards, Quidditch equipment, special quills, a watch - and then came your turn. Feeling your cheeks becoming red, you handed him your own gift, scared he might not like it. He unwrapped it and then saw the book.

“It’s, um, a photo album with some pictures we took along the years and, well, I wrote down some of my favourite memories with you.”

You heard some whispers among Mattheo’s friends - his brother Tom remained silent - but your only focus was on Mattheo’s reaction. He turned some of the pages, smiled at some of the pictures and read the memories you wrote down - and the note you had also written him about how much he meant to you and how special you genuinely thought he was. After a moment of apparently being lost in thoughts, he gently put down the book on the table near the others books he got and looked at you to give you a half-smile.

“Thank you, y/n.”

He gave you a quick, strange hug, and then turned to his plate. Feeling confused, you wondered if he truly liked the gift. You went to sit between your mother and Lorenzo, and as you ate the cake, you looked sometimes as Mattheo, who was now the center of attention, and as time went by, you saw him switching from his usual, funny self to a more quiet, uneasy self, barely listening to what Theo was saying to him. You guessed he was feeling overwhelmed, and as the others finished their plates and went to sit on the sofas, you saw Mattheo mumbling an excuse before leaving the room to go to the garden. You wanted to follow him to make sure everything was fine, but you knew he probably needed some time alone. After a while, you finally went outside, and found him sitting in the grass, lost in thoughts. You approached him slowly before sitting down next to him.

“Are you okay, Matty?”

He nodded, “Yes. Was it your idea to have this party?”

“Yes,” you said quietly. “Why?”

“Thank you, y/n. It means a lot,” he looked at the grass before shaking his head.

“You deserve it,” you said with a gentle voice.

“Actually, I’m not sure,” Mattheo said in a low voice, his head now down.

You frowned, confused. “What? Why?”

Mattheo turned to you and had a small sigh.

“Honestly, y/n. You and your mum have already so much for me. Letting me live here, giving me gifts, being there for me, and now this…What did I ever give you back? Nothing.”

You opened your mouth, but it took a few seconds to answer. “Mattheo, have you not read what I wrote in the photo album?”

He didn’t answer, still looking at the grass.

“Well?” you insisted. “What did the text say?”

“That you deeply cared about me,” he said, almost mumbling. “And that you thought of me as caring, and kind.”

“I meant it, alright?” you said in a more serious voice, wanting him to understand. “You’re the most exceptional person I know. You’re kind, gentle, funny, and caring. You’re a great friend to the boys, and you’re doing your best to have a good relationship with Tom, even when it’s not easy. You’re always there for me, you're always ready to spend time with me no matter the activity, and I know I always count on you whenever I need help or need comfort. You always know what to say, and you always listen to me when I have something to say. You’re also smart, and a damn good Quidditch player. I know you’re scared of becoming like your father, but I know you won’t. Because you two couldn’t be more different. And even if you started to be like him, we both know I’d smack some sense into you.” He had a hint of a smile and you went on, “Yes, sometimes you’re annoying and I think you love to fight too much, but nobody’s perfect, and I wouldn't want you to change for anything in the world. You’re the best person I know, Mattheo, and that’s why I’m in love with you.”

He whipped his head towards you, and that’s when you realised what you just said.

Oh, no. Oh, no. Merlin, no.

“I…Just…Forget what I said.”

You quickly rose up and almost ran back to the house, but you suddenly felt a warm hand on your wrist.

“Wait!” Mattheo said, “What the hell, you can’t leave like that after saying that to me.”

“Yes I can,” you retorted, panicking, “and that’s what I’m doing, just…forget it happened, alright?”

Mattheo let go of your wrist to run a hand through his dark curls.

“But, y/n, I can’t forget,” he said, frowning, as if it was obvious, “and I don’t want to. Did you really mean it?”

“Mattheo, I…”

“y/n, please,” he cut off more severely, both his voice and eyes now pleading. “Please, answer me.”

Doing your best to not look at him, you hesitated before nodding, feeling the need to disappear. He looked at you in a strange way, and you wondered what he was going to say.

“Look, Mattheo,” you started, “I know our f…”

“I love you too.”

It was now you turn to look at him with confusion. “What?”

“I love you too,” he whispered. “You’re…all I want, and all I need. You said this house is my home, but the truth is, you’re my home.”

All of a sudden, he stepped closer to you and brought his hand to your face, slowly caressing your cheek with all the gentleness in the world. You wondered what you should do next - put your hand on his? Put your own hand on his cheek? - but he made the decision for you, suddenly lowering his head towards yours.

“Fuck, y/n…”

And after that whisper, he pressed his lips on yours. It took you a few seconds to kiss him back, but when you did, he immediately grabbed your waist to pull you closer before putting a hand on the back of your neck. You let out a moan, and he deepened the kiss. You had a hard time believing what you had been dreaming for years now was actually happening but at the same time, Mattheo’s lips on yours and his hands on your body was all you could feel, all you could think about and all that mattered. When he finally pulled away, you were both out of breath.

“Does you saying that you love me and this kiss count as two more birthday gifts?” he suddenly asked.

“If you want,” you laughed.

“Then, it really is the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

You both smiled at each other before he kissed you again before taking you into his arms, holding you as if he died if he let go. You held him as well, feeling that, wherever you were, Mattheo was also your home.

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fairytaleendingss · 2 months ago

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Room for One More?

Chapter 8

Summary: You spend Christmas with your family and are joined by an unexpected guest.

CW: Discussion of family trauma (Sirius'; reader has a good family), allusions to sex.

Pairing: Poly!Marauders x fem!reader

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

Hey everyone! Sorry that this chapter is a little late. I was meaning to get it out closer to actual Christmas Day but things just got really busy. I still hope you enjoy nonetheless and that you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Eve had rolled around quicker than you expected and you suddenly found yourself scrambling to pack for your trip home for the holidays.

James had left the day prior for a vacation with his family and Remus had headed home earlier that morning. The only person left in the apartment was Sirius.

You found him sprawled out on the sofa as you lugged a heafty suitcase of gifts out into the living area. He looked over at you in amusement.

"Need some help with that?"

"Maybe," you responded, already out of breath just from the journey down the hall. "I still have to get it down the stairs yet. I'm not sure I thought this all the way through."

He chuckled deeply.

"Well, let me know when you're leaving and I'm happy to assist."

"Thanks Sirius."

You paused for a moment then, gazing at him thoughtfully. He was wearing a tight-fitting long-sleeved shirt and his hair was tied into a messy bun at the nape of his neck. He was watching some Lifetime Christmas movie absent-mindedly. You noticed that he didn't seem paricularly fesitive.

"So what are your plans for Christmas?" You asked him as you dragged your suitcase towards the door.

He shrugged, eyes still glued to the TV. "I don't have any, really."

You frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't really get on with my family anymore and usually I'd spend the holidays with James but as you know, he's in Australia for Christmas this year and I couldn't quite afford the airfair. I thought I'd just spend Christmas here."

Your frown deepened so much that you were sure it'd give you premanent forehead wrinkles. "So what? You're going to spend Christmas alone?"

"I suppose."

You bit the inside of your cheek as you assessed him. You hated the idea of just leaving him alone in the cold apartment during the holidays.

"Okay, get up," you told him after a moment.

He looked at you, perplexed. You just sighed and crossed your arms over your chest.

"You're coming home with me for Christmas."

He raised a brow. "I appreciate the gesture but I don't think-"

You rolled your eyes, cutting him off. "I'm not taking no for an answer. If you think there's any chance I'm just going to leave you here, then you're out of your mind. Now hurry up and grab your things!"

It was a couple of hours drive from the city to your hometown and you couldn't help but take notice of Sirius' nervous fidgeting the whole way there.

The sun was just starting to set when you arrived.

"Y/n! Darling!"

Your mother swung the door open, a giant smile painting her face at the sight of the two of you. She threw her arms out, embracing you in a warm, comforting hug.

"Hi Mum! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," she pulled back, glancing up over your shoulder. "And you must be Sirius!"

"Lovely to meet you," the boy greeted, uncharacteristically politely. He stuck his hand out towards her.

"Oh, don't be silly," your Mother exclaimed, bypassing the handshake and delving in for an equally enthusiastic hug. Sirius looked briefly surprised by the gesture, before leaning down and heitantly returning her affections.

"We're so excited to have you," she announced kindly.

"Is that y/n?" a voice called from through the threshold.

"Oh yes! Come in, you two. The family's all inside."

"Darling! So good to see you!" your Dad stated, getting up to embrace you as well. Sirius hung back as you were greeted by enthusiastic family members.

Once you'd said 'hello' to both parents, grandparents and your younger brother, you turned back to look at your roommate.

"Everyone, this is Sirius," you introduced. "He'll be joining us for the next few days."

"Oh my! You're a very handsome young man!" Your grandmother declared. Sirius let out a soft chuckle.

"Thank you. I'm flattered," he responded slickly. "You're quite lovely yourself."

You held back a laugh as your Nana's face flushed red. "Well, aren't you a smooth talker?"

"So are you y/n's boyfriend or something?" Your brother chimed in from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter, assessing Sirius through squinted eyes.

"Oh no, nothing like that," you were quick to assure. "Sirius and I are just friends. He's my roommate actually."

"Right..." your brother responded. He didn't seem convinced.

You were distracted by a sudden loud clap from your mother.

"On that note, why don't I show you to where you'll be staying?"

You and Sirius followed her up the stairs and down the hall.

"This is you."

She swung open the door to reveal your childhood bedroom. It was still adorned with the same brightly coloured wallpaper that you had growing up, and cluttered with long forgotten momentos of your adolescence.

Your eyes widened slightly as they fell on the queen bed postioned in the center of the space.

Being the gentleman he was, Sirius moved to carry your suitcases into the room while you pulled your Mum aside discreetely, looking around to make sure no one could hear you.

"Mum, there's a... uh, slight issue the bedding arrangements."

A look of feigned innocence crossed her face. "Sorry but there wasn't much I could do on such short notice. You're grandparents are staying in the guest room. So unless you think Sirius should take the couch, or share with your brother, he'll have to sleep in here with you."

You sighed thickly. There was a twinkle of mischief glimmering in he eye.

"I see what your doing here," you uttered, an unimpressed look gracing your features.

Your family had spent years trying to set you up with various different suiters during your holiday visits. Their intentions were good but for some reason they just couldn't stand the thought of you being single.

"I'm not doing anything!" your mother responded with mock offense. "It's simply out of convinience, that's all."

You rolled your eyes. "Right. Sure it is."

She shrugged. "But you know, if there was anything going on between the two of you-"

"Mum!" you scolded harshly.

"I'm just saying! He's very cute!"

You glanced back at the doorway behind you and rolled your eyes. However, you couldn't deny the facts. Sirius was a very attractive man.

"Anyway," your mother stated. "I'm going to get a start on dinner. I'll give you two a moment to settle in."

She sent you a glaringly conspicuous wink as she turned and headed back down the stairs.

You huffed loudly and ventured into the room. Sirius looked up as you entered, from where he'd been examining a set of porcelain figurines on the dresser.

"Everything okay? I heard a lot of whisper-shouting," he smirked.

"Yes. Yeah, it's just my Mum. She can be a bit overbearing at times."

"She seems nice," he murmered absently and suddenly you felt a terrible sinking feeling in your gut.

Sirius had been his usual, confident, charming self during the whole ordeal thusfar, but it didn't go unnoticed, the hint of discomfort that he was trying to mask. It dawned on you that he may not be used to such warm, welcoming family envionments.

You cleared your throat awkwardly. "Sorry, about the... um, sleeping situation."

He gave you a gentle smile. "I'm okay if you are- to share, I mean."

You felt your palms grow sweaty. God, his smile was deadly.

"Uh, y-yeah. That's fine."

"Great," he nodded. Then he glanced once more around the room, taking in it's eclectic design choices. "So this is where you grew up, huh?"

"Yes it is. Gorgeous, isn't it?" you remarked sarcastically, gesturing to the pink and blue striped wallpaper.

"So tell me," he teased. "How many boys did you sneak up here over the years?"

"Oh loads. Yeah, I was clearly very popular in highschool."

He barked out a laugh. "Of course. I'm sure all the guys were just lining up to spend some time under these lovely magenta bedsheets."

You chuckled, looking up to meet his eyes. He sent you a handsome grin, a dimple popping out in his left cheek and suddenly you felt a lot more at ease.

Maybe this situation wasn't so bad after all.

You awoke the next morning to the feeling of an arm splayed across your waist. You looked over at the boy beside you. He looked angelic, framed by the golden morning light that was peering through the gap in the curtains.

The previous night had gone extremely well, with Sirius charming your family in various ways over dinner. He'd chatted to your Dad and brother about shared music tastes and listened to your Nana's long-winded stories with unwavering interest. He even made sure to go back for seconds on every course of your mother's Christmas Eve menu. Overall, he'd been a perfect gentlemen.

As you gazed at the man, taking in his boyish, almost delicate features, he began to stir. He blinked up at you, gathering his bearings before a smirk overtook him.

"Merry Christmas sweetheart," he murmered, his voice deep and heavy like the strings of a bass guitar.

"Merry Christmas Sirius."

Your family was gathered in the living room when you made it down stairs, cups of hot chocolate in hand and ready to exchange gifts.

"Took you two long enough!" your father called from his armchair beside the fireplace.

"Yeah!" Your brother echoed. "What were you doing up there anyway?"

You rolled your eyes and slapped him gently on the shoulder as you came over to sit beside him on the floor. Sirius hung back awkwardly, not quite sure where he fit into the family dynamic, something that didn't go unnoticed by you... or your grandma.

"You can have a seat right here, hun." She patted the spot on the sofa beside her.

You couldn't help but chuckle as you watched Sirius follow her direction, squishing in to the tight seat between your grandparents. You raised a brow at him from across the room and he responded with an tight-lipped smile.

"Alright! I think it's time for gifts!" your Dad announced.

It took a while to get through all the boxes piled under the tree. By the end of the ordeal you had precured a mass of items including, several handmade bees wax candles from the shop down the road, a boldly detailed set of teacups, a new sunhat and a lovely pair of earrings from your mother.

Your gaze trailed back to Sirius every once in a while, taking note of the way he curiously watched on to see the reactions of your family as they opened their various gifts. It occured to you that Sirius had likely never experienced a pleasant Christmas morning such as this one before. Something in you felt very glad that you'd dragged him along this year.

"This one's for you, Sirius!" your mother chirrped after most of the presents under the tree had sucessfully been unwrapped. She held out a gift box towards him, over the sea of massacarred Christmas paper that now covered the floor.

Sirius eyes widened. "Really? Oh, you didn't have to get me anything."

Your mother chuckled warmly. "Well we couldn't leave you giftless during all of this, could we?"

Sirius smiled but seemed hesitant in taking the box.

"It's only something little," your mother informed.

Your brows furrowed as you watched Sirius take the gift. You hadn't been made aware that your family had gotten him anything. Especially on such short notice.

Sirius carefully removed the wrapping paper to find a large silver box hidden beneath it. Cautiously, he opened it up and you couldn't contain the snort of laughter that burst from you at the sight.

Sirius let out a throaty chuckle as he held up the ugliest Christmas jumper you'd ever seen. The rest of the room was quick to follow as they assessed the man's gift.

It was a frosty blue colour with a giant, smiling snow-man in the centre. There were snow-flakes of all shapes and sizes surrounding it, adorned cheaply with silver glitter that was bound to shed and get into every nook and cranny of the house.

"Wow. This is uh... well, it's definitely something," Sirius muttered as he analysed the woolen monstrosity.

"You could wear it today!" your grandmother suggested and you let out another chortle at the insinuation.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I could."

With that, he hesitantly reached up and slipped the piece of fabric over his head. Everyone in the room began to cheer jokingly as he secured the item.

"How do I look?" he asked, throwing his arms out to show off his present. He looked directly over at you.

"Oh, it's super sexy," you teased.

"Knew it," he responded leaning back on the couch. For the first time since he arrived, it seemed that the playful glint in his eyes had returned. You could tell he was finally starting to feel more comfortable. "I reckon there'll be a queue for me outside the door once all the girls in town get a glimpse of me in this thing."

"Well, I think you look very handsome," you grandmother chimed in.

Another eruption of laughter filled the room.

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Your Aunt's family came over for Christmas Lunch and you got the chance to observe Sirius in caught up in an intense nerf gun fight with you younger cousins as you helped set the table.

You couldn't help but smile at the sight and the revelation that the man was surprisingly good with kids.

You spent the day laughing and drinking and unwrapping presents. All the while, Sirius never even thought about taking his new jumper off. In fact, he'd never tell a soul but secretly he found it very comfortable.

The day ended where it began, in the living room. With bellies full of Christmas ham, your family had spent the evening sipping brandy and remeniscing about your childhood in the english countryside.

You'd never felt more embarassed in your life as when your grandfather recounted the tale of you falling head-first into the touching pool at the aquarium you visited on your 6th birthday.

You also noticed the way that Sirius laughed loudly at all the stories, soaking up the energy in the room as if he was trying to freeze the moment in time. You found yourself drawing closer and closer towards him on the couch during the night, gravitiating into the comfort of his contact.

Everyone was pretty tispy by the time 11:00pm rolled around and one by one, began heading off to bed. You, Sirius and your father were the last men standing as the clock approached midnight.

"Well, that's it!" your Dad sighed, glancing down at his watch. "Christmas is over for another year."

"What a shame," you sighed. You were propped up on the sofa beside Sirius who had an arm lazily thrown around your shoulders. Unconciously you found yourself nestling into his side. "I wish it could be Christmas all the time."

"That sounds awfully expensive," Sirius teased and your father chuckled in response.

"Well, I'm off to bed," you Dad announced, getting up from his seat and setting down his mug. "Do you two need anything before I go?"

You shook your head gently. "Nope. We're good I think."

"Well then," he came over to place a kiss on the top of your head. "I'll see you in the morning. Merry Christmas guys."

"Merry Christmas, Dad," you called after him at the same time as Sirius muttered a "Goodnight Sir," in his direction.

And then there were two.

The room was mostly dark, the only light coming from the twinkling Christmas lights that adorned the tree in the corner. Snow was falling steadily outside and the fire crackled in the fireplace on the opposite wall from where you sat. You could feel the alcohol buzzing through your veins.

"Did you have a nice time?" you asked Sirius, scooting away from him slightly to get a better look at his face.

"I had a lovely time. Did you?"

You nodded enthusiastically. "I always have a lovely time on Christmas."

Sirius chuckled. "I can see why."

His eyes darkened a bit and you could tell he was thinking about some distant memory, probably from childhood, that rattled around in the back of his brain.

Maybe it was the alcohol or just the comfortability of being in your childhood home, but you decided that tonight was the night to broach the subject.

"James told me that you don't get along with your family."

Sirius scoffed. "That's putting it lightly."

You frowned. "I'm sorry."

"S'not your fault," he murmered, gazing into the fire. "They're awful, rancid people. The lot of them."

"But you're close with your brother aren't you?"

Sirius sighed. "I am now. Took us a while to get there, though."

"Oh."

You sat back, biting the inside of your cheek as you looked up at him. He looked ethereal in the flickering fire-light. There was a moment of heavy silence between the two of you. One that clouded the room and settled like dust over the furiture.

You didn't want to push him to talk. Not if he wasn't ready. However, after a few long seconds, he began to speak again.

"I ran away at sixteen, you know?"

He turned to look at you, stormy eyes boring down into your own. They were full of so much emotion. All the pain and vulnerablility he was so good at masking was coming to the surface, brought forward on the tides of liquor.

"i just couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take them. My parents- well, they were always mad at me about something. What classes I was taking, who I dated, who I was friends with. It just seemed at that point, like all they could do was yell at me."

"That sounds awful," you sympathised.

"It was," he continued. "And the worst part of it was how they pitted me and Regulus against each other, made us compete for their love and attention. Regulus and I didn't speak for years after I left."

"Where did you go?"

He huffed, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "James'."

A sort of fuzzy warmth erupted somewhere in your gut.

"That's nice. It's good that you had someone you trusted so much."

"James is my best mate in the world," Sirius explained. "And his family took me in like I was one of their own. If it wasn't for them... well, I don't know what I would've done."

"He's a wonderful person," you responded fondly. "We're very lucky to know him."

"That we are."

There was a pause and then:

"You're a wonderful person as well, you know? I also feel lucky to know you."

You felt an explosion of heat behind your cheeks, and you had to turn away from him quickly to hide your embarassement. Your heart was pounding in your chest and suddenly your throat was as dry as a desert.

"Come on, I think we should go to bed now.”

You stood abruptly from the couch, grabbing his hand in yours and tugging him up with you. The two of you tiptoed up the stairs, doing your best not to disturb any of your sleeping family.

"Wait! Hold on a second."

You stopped in the doorway of your room, coming face to face with the boy in front of you. He was standing very close, eyes alight with an emotion you couldn't quite describe.

He reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind your ear. Then he gestured upwards. Following his direction, you looked up to notice a single strand of Mistletoe hanging from the doorframe. You could only guess who put it there.

Then you looked back at Sirius, who had a small smirk painted on his lips. Slowly he began to lean closer towards you.

"We have to do it," he murmered, your lips only centermetres apart. "It's bad luck if we don't."

Then, in an instant, he lunged forwards, pressing his lips to yours. Sparks errupted within you as you kissed him back.

Sirius moved his hands into your hair, lacing them in between thick strands. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him into the doorway and pressing him up against the wall.

Suddenly, he was reaching towards the hem of your shirt, fingers dancing over the skin of your hip and sneaking up your side. You let him.

Before you knew it, that stupid Christmas Jumper was decorating the bedroom floor.

You grinned against his lips as Sirius pulled you down onto the bed.

Taglist:

@hisparentsgallerryy @navs-bhat @shushbruv @magicwithaknife @eeviee4 @notapoetjustscar @gugggu6gvai @robertsmithclone @ilovesugurugeto69 @taytayy178 @its-notkiee @bugworldsworld @switchingfandomslikecrazy @evangelquill, @delusional-4-fake-people, @ch4rlotte35, @insideoutjulie, @hiireadstuff

#marauders #james potter #james potter x reader #remus lupin x reader #sirius black #sirius black x reader #remus lupin #poly!marauders x reader #marauders au

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woso-dreamzzz · 2 months ago

Text

Different: Christmas

Katie McCabe x Teen!Reader

Summary: Christmas with Clover

"Coopurr...Coopurr, man, knock it off!"

Your mum's cat continues to try to attack your feet under the safe covers of your bed.

"Coopurr! Come on!"

"You can just kick him off the bed," Your aunt Ella says from the doorway and you finally sit up in bed.

"I can't because he's the only sane person in this house! Do you know what it's like leaving with you two?"

"Amazing?"

Your mother pops her head through the door. "The most perfect thing in the world?"

You let out a bark of laughter. "You wish."

Katie winks. "I don't have to wish for something that's already true."

"The most perfect thing in the world is you leaving me here for Christmas."

It's Katie's turn to laugh now, pulling down your blankets and allowing Coopurr to bat at your now exposed toes.

"No chance," She says," Come on, up! We've got the flight back home this evening."

"Just leave me here to rot!" You say dramatically and Katie laughs again.

"You know, if you're here alone then you have to cook for yourself," She points and you sigh, finally sitting up in bed and scooping Coopurr into your arms.

"Fine," You say," But don't think I'll be happy about it."

"You're never happy about anything."

"Kim'll tell you that it's because I'm a teenager."

Katie cracks a smile. "You know what? Kim's onto something."

You roll your eyes as you get out of bed as Katie's eyes narrow.

"You haven't even started packing yet, have you?"

"I was still banking on us staying here."

Katie plucks Coopurr from your arms with an eye roll, trying to push you along with her foot. "Go and pack. And make sure to bring lots of jumpers! You know my parents don't like turning on the heating in Winter!"

You rolls your eyes as you go rummaging around in your wardrobe for your suitcase.

It's not like you don't enjoy going back to Ireland. On the contrary, you love going back to Ireland. You just didn't enjoy how big of a family you have.

Certain members of the family seemed to delight in reminding you that you weren't actually Katie's daughter. It didn't seem to matter to them that Katie had been a mother figure to you all your life. It didn't seem to matter to them that you barely even remembered your biological parents.

All that seemed to matter to them was pointing out that you were technically, biologically, Katie's little cousin.

You stuff whatever's clean and visible into your suitcase with little regard to what clothes you're actually packing before practically throwing the suitcase down the stairs.

"Stop trying to break stuff!" Katie yells.

"Ella's the one that broke the hallway table!" You yell back with a laugh," She came in drunk and fell over it!"

Ella gasps in horror from her room. "You said that you wouldn't tell her that!"

"And you said you would get me ice cream. But here I am...Ice creamless!"

You don't actually get your ice cream, even at the airport when you very pointedly show a selection of ice creams to Ella and she promptly ignores you.

Pulling up to your grandparents' house has always been a bit daunting to you. Before Katie adopted you, you lived in that house too, once upon a time.

Now though, it feels you with trepidation.

Most of the family is probably already there and you just know you're going to have to end up sharing a room with more people than just Katie.

You're right, of course, when a few other aunts and uncles arrive. Katie's aunts and uncles, of course, but also kind of yours. But you'd never really considered them that.

They were related to your biological parents and, again, you barely remembered them. You'd grown up with Katie as your maternal role model so it made sense to you as you got older that her siblings ended up filling the roles of aunts and uncles to you.

"You feeling okay?" Katie asks, hand gently covering yours as you sit on the squished sofa and pick at the Christmas Eve meal that her mother made for everyone.

"I...Yeah, I just..." You look up at one of the older men in the room, the one that always insisted on calling you anything but Katie's daughter. "I'm just going to the toilet."

"You feel sick?" Katie sits up properly, eyes narrowed as they flick over your face, searching for a flush or anything that shows you're feeling under the weather.

"No! No...I...I just need a bit of a breather, you know?"

"Yeah, kind of overwhelming around here, huh?"

"Yeah...I'm just gonna..."

"Yeah, you go ahead."

The mirror in the bathroom clearly hasn't been cleaned in a while, covered in little water droplets but you don't really mind as you splash your face with water a few times and stare at yourself, gripping the sides of the sink in a white knuckle grip.

It takes you a while to psych yourself up, enough time that you're pretty sure dinner has been finished and people have moved onto dessert.

It's usually loud in the McCabe household and on Christmas Eve, it's no different.

Lots of people fighting over the remote and someone singing a horrific Christmas carol and someone else lecturing someone on the correct way to cook a turkey even though everyone knows that no matter how a turkey is cooked, it always comes out dry.

But this yelling is different and you definitely recognise the voice of one of the people yelling.

"Get your bag!" Katie yells, finally spotting you lingering in the doorway.

"Wh-What?"

"Your bag!" Katie snaps before sighing and softening her voice," Can you go upstairs and grab our bags? Wait for me by the door."

You know better than to try and ask her things when she's like this so you leave to grab everything, coming down to catch the tailwind of her yelling.

"-She is my daughter and she will always be my daughter, no matter what any of you people think!"

"Katie-"

"No! I won't hear it! She's my daughter and I love her and it's none of your business anyway!"

"You can't just leave, it's Christmas tomorrow!"

"Yes! And I will be spending Christmas with my daughter! I don't care if it's just the two of us. If it has to be that way then it will!"

Katie looks surprisingly calm when she joins you at the front door.

"I don't think we'll get a flight at this hour," She says," But I reckon we could still catch the ferry and then we'll take a cab back home, sound good?"

You smile at her. "I might have accidentally left your present at home anyway."

She laughs. "That's 'cause you're psychic. You knew we were spending Christmas at home this year."

#woso x reader #katie mccabe x reader #katie mccabe #woso community #woso imagine #woso fanfics #woso

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swiftiethatlovesf1 · 3 months ago

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Championship winner

Heyy guys, I hope you enjoy this Lando one-shot inspired by his win in Abu Dhabi :) If you want to read more stories of mine here's my masterlist.

The cheers from the McLaren garage were deafening as Lando crossed the finish line, securing not only his own race victory but also the championship for McLaren. My heart swelled with pride, my hands clasped together as I tried to contain the wave of emotions threatening to spill over. Tears blurred my vision as the team erupted into cheers, hugs, and high-fives.

He did it.

Lando did it.

The moment his car rolled to a stop in parc fermé, I bolted from the garage, weaving through the maze of crew members and fans. When I finally reached him, he had just climbed out of the car. His helmet was still on, but I could see through the visor that his eyes were glistening, a rare vulnerability in his usually cheeky demeanor. The sight made my chest ache with love and pride.

"Lando!" I called out, my voice trembling with excitement.

He turned towards me, and the moment our eyes met, he yanked off his helmet and tossed it to a crew member without breaking stride. He swept me up in his arms, spinning me around as if the weight of the world had finally lifted from his shoulders.

"I did it, baby! We did it!" he shouted, his voice muffled as he buried his face in my neck.

I clung to him, laughing through the tears. "You were amazing! I—Lando, you were perfect out there!"

He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, his hands cupping my cheeks. "You believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. Thank you for that," he said, his voice quieter, more intimate.

"Always," I whispered, my fingers brushing a stray curl away from his forehead.

We didn’t get much time to savor the moment alone. The rest of the team swarmed us, patting Lando on the back and lifting him onto their shoulders. I laughed and cheered along with them, stepping back to give him his moment. He looked so happy, grinning from ear to ear, his arm raised in victory. I could see Zak Brown clapping proudly, the engineers crying, and even Oscar giving Lando a hearty hug.

As the celebrations carried on, I joined Lando’s family in the paddock. His mum hugged me tightly, tears streaking her face. “He’s been dreaming of this since he was a little boy,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion.

“And he made it happen,” I replied, squeezing her hand. “I’ve never seen anyone work harder for something.”

Hours later, after the podium ceremony, champagne showers, and media interviews, Lando finally found me again in the McLaren hospitality suite. He looked exhausted but radiant, his hair damp from sweat and champagne.

“There’s my favorite person,” he said, collapsing onto the couch beside me. His arm draped over my shoulders, pulling me close.

“I’m pretty sure the entire world is your favorite person right now,” I teased, running my fingers through his messy curls.

“Nope,” he said, tilting his head to look at me. “Just you.”

My cheeks flushed, and I leaned in to kiss him softly. His lips lingered on mine, warm and slightly sticky from the champagne. When we pulled back, I rested my forehead against his.

“I’m so proud of you, Lando. You have no idea,” I said, my voice thick with emotion.

“It means everything to me that you’re here,” he replied. “I couldn’t have done this without you, you know? Every pep talk, every late-night phone call, every moment you’ve been there for me... it all got me here.”

“You did this, Lando,” I said firmly. “You’ve earned every bit of this moment. But I’ll take some credit for keeping you fed and hydrated.”

He laughed, his eyes crinkling in that way that always made my heart skip a beat. “Fair point. Best chef and cheerleader combo.”

The celebrations carried on late into the night. Lando danced with his family, his teammates, and even Zak, who shocked everyone with some surprisingly good moves. I stayed close, watching him soak in every moment of this monumental night. The joy was contagious; it felt like the entire paddock was alive with energy.

But eventually, the crowd began to thin, and Lando found me again. He grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers as he leaned close to my ear.

“Ready to get out of here?” he asked, his voice low and suggestive.

“Leaving your own party already?” I teased, though the heat in his gaze made my stomach flutter.

“I’ve celebrated with everyone else,” he said, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “Now, I want to celebrate with you. Just you.”

My heart skipped a beat at the intensity in his voice. I nodded, unable to form words as he led me out of the suite and towards the car waiting to take us back to the hotel.

As we drove through the quiet streets of Abu Dhabi, Lando’s hand never left mine. He looked over at me, a soft smile playing on his lips.

“Winning the championship is great but winning your heart is the best prize I've won, you know that?” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I felt my cheeks heat, and I looked down at our joined hands. “You’re going to make me cry again,” I said, laughing softly.

“Good,” he replied. “Because I’m not done telling you how much you mean to me.”

When we finally got to the hotel, he pulled me into his arms as soon as the door closed behind us. His lips found mine, slow and deliberate, and all the emotions of the day seemed to pour into that kiss.

“Thank you for being mine,” he murmured against my lips.

“Always,” I whispered back, knowing that no matter how many victories came his way, he’d always be my greatest one.

@justaf1girl

#f1 #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula 1 #lando norris #lando x you #lando x reader #lando imagine #lando norris x reader #mclaren

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multicohn · 6 months ago

Text

summary: nicole piastri ships y/n with yuki and is determined to get them together.

warnings: none

pairing: fem! reader x yuki tsunoda

genre: fluff

face claim: none

author note: tbh this sucks, but yuki retired and im upset.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

y/n can clearly remember when her crush on yuki tsunoda started:

oscar had only talked about the japanese male a few times, his mother absolutely loved him. when the australian grand prix came around, oscar had ( unwillingly ) invited his own teammate along with yuki tsunoda, daniel couldn't join them since he was going to spend time with his family, but sent a gift basket to thank her for the invite.

y/n was very nervous about interacting with the two drivers since she never strayed too far from the garage or hospitality when attending the races.

she was busy chatting with hattie at the table when they arrived. oscar greeted his friends and guided them through the house, y/n making sure to keep her head down and pretend to type away as they came in.

“thought you only had three sisters?” lando asked once they were out of ear shot

oscar shrugged, “we grew up together, it’s basically the same thing”

“no, it isn’t” lando argued

“yes, it is”

“no. it isn’t”

“yes. it is”

“isn’t”

“is”

while the two mclaren drivers argued, yuki greeted oscar’s mum to brought him into a hug before ushering him out of the kitchen and refusing his help. yuki sat down at the table and smiled at y/n who had looked up to see who sat across from him.

“i’m yuki” he reached his hand out and y/n wiped her slightly sweaty hands onto her skirt / shorts / pants

“y/n”

“so, how do you know, oscar?”

“we went to primary together”

y/n thought that yuki was quite sweet for talking to her, but figured it would change the moment oscar or lando came — but, it didn’t. yuki was curious and wanted their conversation to go on forever, he liked talking with her and found himself glancing in her direction every few seconds.

nicole noticed this and couldn’t help, but let out a giggle.

since then, her mission had been clear: get y/n and yuki to date.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

it was no secret to fans that nicole piastri absolutely adored yuki and made jokes about her basically adopting him into the family since oscar is considered a leclerc now. every time y/n would accompany the piastri family to a race, nicole would drag her off to see yuki before making up some excuse to leave them alone ( despite all the staff members that were also around ). y/n knew what nicole was doing, but kept quiet.

“y/n!” she looked up from her phone to see who had called out her name and smiled at seeing yuki jogging towards her

“hi, yuki” he reciprocated her smile before stopping just a few centimetres in front

“oscar’s mum just came by, but you didn’t, so i came to find you” she felt herself grow warm at his words

“oh, sorry, must’ve been too caught up with oscar”

an uncomfortable silence fell between them as everyone else moved around the pair, completely unaware of their thoughts.

“should i walk away now?”

“should i tell her what oscar’s mum told me?”

yuki cleared his throat and it made y/n pull her eyes away from the slightly cloudy sky.

“so — oscar’s mum told me that you have a crush on me…”

y/n’s eyes widened as yuki nervously played with his hands before continuing on.

“she did what? should i run? i should probably run. how did she even know? was i that obvious or was yuki oblivious? fuck —“ her internally monologue was cut off by yuki speaking

“sorry, um, if you’re not busy after the race. do you want to eat with me?”

“oh! um, sure” yuki smiled and y/n tried to reciprocate it, but her beating heart didn’t stop

“okay. um, so, i probably have to go back now” he glanced down at his watch and y/n nodded silently already taking a few steps back

“i’ll see you later”

“bye” y/n said quietly while waving at him

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

extra scene

oscar looked at his mother with a weird expression as she explained her plan to get y/n with yuki.

“what if rejects her and she comes crying to the garage?” she waved him off

“he likes her back” oscar didn’t believe her

“mum, i don’t know”

“don’t be a wet blanket, oscar” one of his sisters spoke as she walked past him and he just sighed

nicole gave her son a smug smile as she watched yuki and y/n from inside mclaren’s hospitality. he shook his head, not believing his mother’s faith in yuki liking y/n — he didn’t even know she liked him, but was brushed off by his mother who wasn’t surprised.

“hey, y/n” oscar called out as she made her way towards them

“hey, osc” he rolled his eyes at the nickname

“what were you and tsunoda talking about?”

“he asked me on a date?” his mother smiled widely at her words

“that’s sounds more like a question…” he trailed off making nicole glare at him, upset that he’s ruining the fantasy of her ship

“well, he asked me to eat with him after the race. it might be cause nicole told him that i liked him-“ she gave the older woman a look, but she pretended not to notice “-but, yeah” oscar just sighed, again

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ceesimz · 10 months ago

Text

Best of Both Worlds

Yes, the title is a Hannah Montana song, it fits perfectly. Also, for the sake of fiction, Leah did in fact play at Wembley, thank you!

Possibly the most long-awaited day of Leah's life; her national team return. It was one thing to play for The Arsenal again, but to represent her country whilst wearing the captain's armband at Wembley was an experience that simply couldn't be matched. And that's why it meant everything and more to her that you were in the stands with her family and her name on your back.

It wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing match ever, a 1-1 draw against Sweden, but Leah was back in her rightful place under her rightful role, and that was a win in itself. With each step on the pitch, your heart swelled with pride, knowing the mountain she'd climbed with her injury and how hard it had been mentally with each bump in the road, especially when she had to drop out of the last camp.

But here you were, seated in the same area of the stands her family had been when she had won the Euros, watching on in awe at how seamlessly she slipped back into the team. You had missed that fateful day back in 2022, having only met Leah five months after it at a New Year's Eve party, but with the affection Leah described that day with, you may as well have lived it for yourself. Now, having experienced your first game at Wembley since you hadn't gone to that game last year, you were beaming as you watched your girl command her national team around again.

Sure, you'd been to many a game of her's before, but there was something different about this one. There were obvious reasons of course, her injury and whatnot, but seeing her lead her team out to a stadium filled with the most people you'd ever seen her play in front of, a feeling settled in your chest that was unlike anything before. And when she was back in your arms at the end of the game, you would show her exactly how much you treasured her.

So, as she made her way around the stadium post-game, taking the time to applaud all the fans that had come along to watch and signing things for some, there was a smile of admiration on your face that her cousin beside you noticed. You blushed heavily at the teasing nudge she gave you with a smirk on her face.

"I suggest you wipe that cheesy, love-sick smile off your face before she comes over and bullies you for it." The woman next to you said, the pair of you laughing as you rolled your eyes, both all too familiar with her antics.

But the absence of said smile only lasted for about a minute, because then Leah was making her way over to the area of stands where you and her family was, and she had a down-turned smile on her face, the one she always did whilst trying to suppress her actual one. You were sat on the second row behind Leah's immediate family, so you stood back and waited for her to greet them all, also doing so as to not attract much fan attention. Leah made that hard though, because when her Mum pulled her into a bear hug, she indulged herself fully in it for about five seconds before her eyes flitted up to you and the corners of her mouth finally quirked up.

She jokingly pushed her Mum to the side so that she could reach out for you, and leaned up to hug you tightly. However, you pulled away after a few moments, and she made her disapproval very clear.

"What you doing that for?" She quizzed grumpily, looking utterly unimpressed up at you as some of her family members chuckled at her.

"The fans, Leah. We're at Wembley, think of all the videos." You whispered close to her ear, not quite intelligible for the others to hear.

"Who gives a toss, babe, I've hugged all my family here and you're no different." She responded, and she pulled you back in before you could complain. You wouldn't have complained anyway, because really who were you to deny your girlfriend's hug, your favourite in the world.

"Don't throw a strop later if there's about a million different angles of this." You teased, pinching her side where one of your hands rested around her.

"Doesn't matter, it's still you I get to go home with." She murmured before quickly pecking the spot under your ear and pulling back with one last squeeze. When she leaned back, she saw the light blush to your cheeks and smirked. "A year later and I've still got it."

You shoved her away lightly so that she could chat with the rest of her family before going off to do her post-match routine. Seeing her with her family, who she was so tight-knit with, was always a joy to see and you'd never get tired of seeing it. And as she jogged away back to the tunnel, her Mum turned to you and embraced you too.

"Thanks for coming, darling, it means a lot to her and to us too." She told you, rubbing a hand up and down your back. Praise and gratitude from her never got old either.

"Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world." You said back to her, to which she smiled and kissed your cheek.

You and the rest of the group made your way around to the family area inside the stadium to wait for her, making light conversation with them all to pass the time whilst Leah carried out media duties. It was fun and easy spending time with her family, because as a result of your girlfriend's relationship with them, you had grown almost as close with them too. Ever present at family dinners, birthdays, and events like christenings and weddings etc, now it was second nature for you to follow Leah to them. Within only a few months of being with Leah, every invite had your name on it too.

In the middle of your conversation with her cousins, talking excitedly about plans for the summer vacation later that year, you were interrupted as Leah finally appeared in her tracksuit with short wet blonde hair, a soft smile on her face. She spent a bit of time talking some more with her family, before bidding them farewell and wandering over to you.

"Home time?" You wondered, reaching a hand out to brush some of her hair back behind her shoulder.

You had, rather bravely, drove to the stadium today after Leah somehow secured you a reserved parking space, with the plan of driving yourself and Leah home your flat for the night before she travelled back up north to St. George's Park with the team tomorrow.

"God, yes." She sighed, and you smiled up at her.

"Let's go then." You took the hand she offered after pulling up her hood and let her lead the way out of the stadium.

Arriving at your car, with a few curious stares from fans to see if the hooded figure beside you was who they thought it was, you helped her lift her things into the boot of your car before the pair of you clambered in.

For the time it took to drive home, you caught up with her as it had been a few days since you had seen each other whilst she had been at camp. You, ever the safe driver, weren't one to hold your girlfriend's hands whilst on the road, always with two hands on the wheel at all times. Leah teased you of course, her and her English humour never falling to banter you everytime she could, but nevertheless when she was feeling a little clingy her hand would rest on your thigh as you drove, or it would massage and stroke the back of your neck as her arm leaned on your seat's headrest.

Today was a case of her resting a hand mindlessly on your thigh, something you would smile at constantly and glance down at the sight every chance you could get. She didn't notice though, busy talking and too tired to realise. Adjusting back to playing 90 minutes was something she was still in the middle of, not that she couldn't handle them because she obviously can, it's just the tiredness afterwards was something she hadn't experienced in a while of playing professionally.

That meant you weren't exactly surprised when she flopped down immediately on your sofa when you got home, not even bothering to drop her bags off in your room.

"Want some food, love?" You offered, pushing her bags to the side of the hallway so that they weren't a tripping hazard before leaning against the doorway of your lounge.

"You don't have to cook, we can just order a Nando's or something." Leah yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"Well, I thought ahead." You smiled at her, giggling at the tired and confused expression she silently responds with. "I meal-planned for you. I can heat up a plate of that Carribbean chicken and rice and veg if you want."

She gazed at you for a few moments before her head dropped back against the pillows with a groan.

"If I had a ring right now, I'd ask to marry you."

With a laugh, you took that as a yes and headed to the kitchen to do exactly as you said. As you were gone, the blonde put Netflix on the TV and chose the sitcom you had been watching together before pausing the episode to wait for you. She sat up with a groan and slumped back heavily, going onto her phone to reply to some friends and family.

Not so long later, you walked back in with Leah's food, handing it to her before sitting down beside her. Plate and fork in hand, she twisted her body to lean her back against your shoulder and happily tucked into her meal as you pressed play on the TV.

"Thanks for this, babe, I'm really grateful." She muttered as she ate, to which you smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"It's no problem, Le. I made a plate for myself too but I had a hot dog at half-time so I'm not hungry." You revealed, giggling as Leah chuckled.

"I know it's just a plate of food but... I don't know, means a lot to me that you thought about this." With a light blush, you shrugged nonchalantly and kissed the side of her head.

"I would say I know you'd do the same for me, but everybody knows you can't cook." You jested, grinning when she grumbled under her breath.

"I was only being nice, but alright." She huffed, but you only held her tighter against you.

"I'm kidding. I just love you, s'all. Wanna take care of you, especially after the last year and especially because I know you're a bit of a bottomless pit after a game." You say, and she hums in agreement. "If I'd have known my chicken was so good, it inspired thoughts of marriage, I'd have made it more often."

"I could never say no to that."

You both fell silent at that, more than content to enjoy each other's company with the show on in the background. Spending time with you after a game, just relaxing together, was fastly becoming Leah's favourite tradition. Going to dinners with friends or partying were great, but not much could beat this. Great food with even better company, in the arms of her girlfriend, Leah was finally at peace with the silence she had to greet after a game that was anything but.

That was something not many people would guess was a struggle in women's football. Going from playing in tiny stadiums to bigger venues but hardly any fans, to then playing in sold-out game after sold-out game for both club and country, that was her dream. What she wasn't expecting was the mental challenge that came with it. Spending well over 90 minutes in a booming stadium with fans that never ceased their chants was astounding to her, but the silence that met her when she would go home to a quiet and empty apartment was difficult.

She had worked on dealing with it better since the Euros where it had really picked up, but there was one thing that made it so much easier every time without fail. And that was you.

"You know I do plan to marry you, right?" Leah piped up out of nowhere sometime later, her plate long discarded to the coffee table as your positions on the couch remained the same. At her out-of-the-blue question that took your breath away a little, you cleared your throat and nodded though she couldn't see you.

"Yeah."

"Because I do want to marry you one day. I've known that from early on, I actually know the exact moment I thought that."

"Do tell, my love." You smiled, never one to pass up on a chance to hear just how and when Leah had fallen for you.

"The second time we saw each other after the New Year's party, when you started teasing me for not kissing you again after that night."

Much to Alex's dismay, the night of that party yourself and Leah had spent pretty much all of it talking about everything and nothing, compelled by a desire to get to know each other. That was until the blonde's intake of Dutch courage lived up to its name as she kissed you a little more than what could be described as friendly once the clock struck midnight. And when the night ended, no matter how much you didn't want to leave, you both shared a taxi to your respective apartments and exchanged details. It wasn't long before you saw her again though, in fact you saw her twice in the two weeks that followed, but the defender had been a little too embarrassed at her eager act a few weeks prior to kiss you again. But when you teased her one too many times about it, on the third 'date', she huffed before firmly yet delicately gripping your face and finally kissing you again.

"I spoke to Wally after our second date and she called me crazy for knowing I'd marry you when I didn't even have the balls to kiss you again." You laughed loudly at that, a notion Leah soon joined in with as she knew her past-self had acted in a ridiculous and shy way. "But that's the truth, babe. I knew I had to have you, and what better way to show that than snogging the life out of you on a random bench in London."

"Ew, Leah! Why describe it like that? I thought it was such a sweet moment, but you've just described it like we were two horny teenagers." She grimaced at the point you made, regretting it already.

"My bad. It was sweet. If not a bit... desperate." She snickered, grinning when you swatted her shoulder. "So, would you marry me then?"

"Wow. If this conversation couldn't get any less romantic, I think you've just put the nail in the coffin." Leah scoffed and sat up, fixing you with a disapproving look.

"That wasn't my actual proposal, you knob. I just wanna know if you'd say yes when I did eventually ask. Properly, that is." The defender asked with a shy smile, and you couldn't help but giggle at her face, doing so more when she frowned in confusion.

"Yes, I would accept your proposal. As long as it's with a nice ring and a better speech." You answered to put her out of her misery. She lets out a relieved sigh but smiling again.

"Noted."

With that, she stood up, now your turn to be confused. Squealing as she lifted you up bridal style, you laughed when she lay you down on your back length-ways across the sofa. Then, she kneeled against the cushions under your knees and carefully laid on top of you, her head resting against your stomach. Her hands came up to slide under your back and she sighed contently.

"Comfy?" You asked with a smile, your own hands settling on the back of her head.

"So comfy." She hummed, eyes closed as she faced away from the TV.

"If you're gonna fall asleep, Le, we may as well go to bed."

"No." She grunted. "I won't fall asleep. I just want to lay here for a bit."

"Alright." You conceded, your attention fully lost from the TV and instead on the girl draped over you.

You admired the slight view of her face available to you, your hands combing delicately through her almost dried hair as the only sounds shared between you were the calm and quiet breaths you both let out. A few minutes passed by and you thought she had gone to sleep, but she proved you wrong.

"This is my dream, you know."

"What is?" You asked her, moving one of your hands to rest on the side of your face and stroking her skin there with your thumb.

"Going home from a game to someone I love. Who I can fully switch off with." The small explanation had you beaming, beyond happy to hear how special you were to her.

"Well, I'm glad I can help, my love." You replied, a sheepishly proud smile on your face.

"I used to find it hard, y'know... our football blew up in popularity during the Euros, and I struggled with it more than I expected." You hummed curiously, not wanting to disrupt her train of thought but letting her know you wanted her to continue. "Going from being surrounded by up to ninety thousand people, singing and chanting and cheering non-stop, to just... nothing when I got home. Just a cold, empty, silent apartment. The contrast of it troubled me a lot. I worked through it with a psychologist and coped with it better, but it was never perfect."

She paused, adjusting her position so that her hands came to rest under her chin as she looked up at you, that same down-turned smile from earlier returning. Your hands fell to clasp behind her neck, waiting for her to elaborate.

"Then you came around, and now that anxiety doesn't even phase me anymore."

Now, if that wasn't the most heart-warming thing your girlfriend had said so far, you weren't sure what was.

"That makes me so happy, Leah." You whispered, cupping her cheeks with your hands and smiling softly at her.

"One of my favourite things about our relationship is how easy it is for me to switch from Leah Williamson the footballer, to just Leah when I'm around you. Makes coming home after a game much easier."

Shaking your head, you took her hands and urged her to move further up your body so that her head rested against your chest. Wrapping your arms around her, you squeezed her tightly, desperate to convey your love to her in a way words couldn't explain.

"I'll happily welcome 'Just Leah' home all the time."

"Now you're ruining the moment."

#woso x reader #leah williamson x reader #leah williamson #woso fic

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scribblesofagoonerr · 2 months ago

Text

found family | buddy & monkey: double the trouble

summary: how it came to be.

word count: 5097

double the trouble masterlist

Yes this one has been re-wrote in line to fit with monkey's background, and I honestly didn't like the way I wrote the older version.

You never really understood the importance of family, after all, you grew up with an alcoholic and drug addict of a father who made it very well known he didn’t care about you from the very day you were born but meeting Leah and Jordan changed everything for you - They became your found family.

You had been a part of the Arsenal Girls’ Centre of Excellence since you were young, however, if you asked Leah then she would tell you that she’s practically watched you grow up right in front of her.

It was somewhat true at least.

You guess you can say that she has always been there, watching out for you even when you weren’t aware of it. Leah had met you when you were just nine years old, a small and scrawny kid with a magical touch on the ball.

Back when everything was simple and you were a happy kid, you lived with your grandma who was the only real family member that gave a damn about you. She was your dad’s mum but that lady adored you, fussed over you and made sure that you never went without so when she died, you were completely heartbroken.

Everything started to fall apart from there.

You were left to move in with an arsehole of a father who was nothing but neglectful, and he couldn’t have cared less about you. It wasn’t just his words that he lashed out with, but his fists too.

You never properly realised it but Leah made a promise to your grandma before she passed away. A promise to keep you safe from the man that you called your father, but social services deemed him good enough to have you back in his care.

They missed out on seeing the alarm bells. He was convincing enough to make them believe everything was fine, they didn’t see the numerous beer cans strewn around the room nor did they smell the stale smell of cigarettes lingering through the house.

Your father put on an act. It was convincing enough for people to believe for so long, that nobody realised that everything wasn’t as perfect as it seemed behind closed doors until you reached the age of 15.

Five years you had to deal with that man, your dad being so clever to hide the truth, but even best-kept secrets have a way of coming to light eventually.

Leah, of course, always knew something wasn’t right and pieced things together with the information your grandma had given her prior to her passing away.

Your dad never liked that and made sure to try and cut all forms of contact with her when he could.

Leah’s weekly visits to your house dwindled to nothing, and that went for phone calls as well. You were so confused why she stopped showing up, but you never realised your dad was behind it all along.

Leah never failed to show up. It was a promise she never intended to break.

It was your dad that made it more difficult to do so.

During the time of being eased into the first team, ever the observant one that she is, the woman would notice the way that nobody ever came to pick you up after training on the days that you were there.

“Where’s her dad? He’s meant to pick her up,” Leah's concern was vivid as she watched you walk out of training, your dad’s car nowhere to be seen, “She can’t walk home by herself.”

“Calm down, I’m sure there’s a reasonable excuse for him not being there,” Jordan would try to reason with her worried girlfriend, “Perhaps he’s just stuck at work.”

Leah arched her brow, pursing her lips, “I don’t like it.”

“I know you don’t, but even if you offered her a lift, you know she wouldn’t accept it. She never does,” Jordan reminded her girlfriend with a knowing look.

Her concern only got worse though when you would arrive late in the mornings, stumbling in with a messy kit and barely holding it together. The way you would scarf down any leftover snacks at the club like you hadn’t eaten a proper meal in god knows how long didn’t go a miss either.

Leah knew right there and then that something was going on, but of course you didn’t want to tell her.

You were afraid to spill the truth. You didn’t want anyone to know what was going on behind closed doors. You were terrified of your dad, and you knew you would be at the full front of his anger if you told her.

Your dad never did like Leah, or Jordan for that matter. He’d always seen them as a threat to him, even if all they wanted to do was make sure you were okay.

You just realised it, you didn’t want to upset your dad so you went along with whatever he would say in order to keep him happy. But it was still never enough.

You thought you were doing an amazing job of hiding the truth – Keeping your head down, making jokes and pretending like everything was totally fine.

Even when it wasn’t, and Leah was able to see right through it.

“Where the hell is her dad?” Leah couldn’t help but think to herself as she watched you slip out of the door alone.

You were oblivious to realise how Leah would frown every time she sees that you’re alone, or how she would shake her head when she watched you drag your feet in the morning.

And of course, she can see through you acting like a menace.

“I’m telling you Jord, there’s something seriously going on,” Leah brought up the conversation with her girlfriend again as they left training for the day, her own maternal instinct kicking in.

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Jordan attempted to reassure her girlfriend as they made their way over to the car, “The little one is old enough to be able to make her own way home now, anyways.” She added.

“Yeah, but Jord, I feel there’s something more going on,” Leah murmured, her hand resting on her slightly swollen belly, “You can’t deny that you don’t feel like there’s something suspicious going on?” She asked the older woman.

“I don’t know, Le,” Jordan admitted, shrugging her shoulders, “Do you think that maybe, and don’t bite my head off for suggesting this, but do you think you might just be overthinking things? I know you care about the little one, and I know you’re not happy with how everything happened, but…”

“No, Jord,” Leah replied, biting her bottom lip as she tossed her bag in the boot of the car, “I know what you might think, and it’s nothing to do with that. It just seems like something is going on, and I have a gut instinct about this. You know what that man came be like…”

There definitely was something wrong.

Leah couldn’t shake the feeling of something being off, every day she had to stand back and watch you, with that same nagging feeling that things weren’t quite right, and it only grew stronger.

The blondes’ worry only increased, especially on one particularly miserable day when the rain was pouring down – It was the kind of relentless downpour that would soak you to the bone within seconds of being outside – Leah was driving back home from a quick check-up with the physio’s when she spotted you trudging down the road.

You were completely drenched and shivering in the thin jacket that you wore, your kit bag slung over your shoulder as you tried to shield yourself from the rain with the attempt of a flimsy hood.

“What the actual hell…” Leah’s jaw dropped in shock, her eyes widening in disbelief as she couldn’t believe the sight that she was seeing in front of her.

You were there, walking alongside the road in the freezing rain with not a single adult in sight.

Without even thinking twice about it, Leah slowed her car down and pulled up beside you, “Monkey,” She rolled down the window and called your usual familiar nickname to get your attention, “Get in, I’m taking you home. It’s hammering it down and you’re going to get ill in this weather.”

“No, no, it’s alright,” You were quick to disagree, shaking your head as your teeth chattered from the freezing weather, “It’s not much further to walk now. I’m good.”

“Monkey, come on. Let me just give you a ride this once,” Leah was relentless in giving you a ride as she leaned over to open the passenger door, “You’re bound to get ill and I’m not going to let that happen. Your grandma would be swearing at me, wouldn’t she?”

You frowned at the mention of your grandma, even if you knew how true that was. Your grandma definitely would have something to say about that if she could see you know.

You were hesitant to agree to Leah’s offer. You didn’t want to give anything away but couldn’t deny her car’s warmth and safety, knowing it would be better than being out in the terrible weather.

“Okay,” You reluctantly gave in, sliding into the passenger seat as your teeth continued to chatter from the freezing temperatures, “Thanks,” You mumbled, trying to not meet her gaze as you stared down at your sodden trainers.

“It’s okay. You know you can get a lift of me anytime,” Leah said softly, cranking up the heating in the car to help keep you warm, not even needing to ask for your address since she’d been to your dad’s house numerous times before at the start before you started to push them both away, “So… Is there any particular reason you’re out walking alone in this weather?” She asked, trying to tread carefully and not spook you when asking questions.

“Oh, uh, my dad is working late so he couldn’t pick me up today,” You were quick to make up the excuse, knowing full well that if you asked your father for a lift home then he would have most likely laughed in your face.

Leah clicked her tongue in disagreement, “Right,” She murmured, strumming her fingers on the steering wheel, almost like she didn’t believe your words.

You barely believed them yourself.

“Listen, Monkey, you know if you ever need a ride to training or you know, back home… I don’t mind doing that again,” Leah began to talk, glancing over to try and see your reaction, “All you have to do is ask, alright? You know I’m here for you still. I’ll always be here. I made that promise to your grandma.”

“Thanks,” You murmured in a low tone of voice, although you weren’t quite sure if you would ever take her up on that offer.

Trust wasn’t something that came easily to you these days, and you had your walls built so high up around you that even Leah and Jordan, two people who had been in your life for the better part of the last several years, you found it hard to trust them.

It was the only way to protect yourself.

The next week at training, you end up being late again. This time though, you're not just dragging your feet but also feeling pale, and shaky, and you’re barely even able to stand up properly.

It’s not long before your vision has become blurred and you can feel yourself stumbling but before you drop to the floor, Leah’s there in an instant to catch you before you hit the ground.

“Whoa,” Leah held you steady in her arms as she guided you towards the bench in the changing room, “It’s okay. You’re alright. Come take a seat, yeah?” She told you, gently.

“M’ fine,” You murmured, feeling yourself being pushed down onto the hard bench, “M’ good.”

Leah, however, wasn’t so easily convinced, “No you’re not, Monkey. You can barely even stand up,” She paused, routing through her own bag to pull out a protein bar, “Here, eat this. Please.”

You didn’t hesitate to tear into it. The gnawing hunger finally eased up a little bit.

“Monkey,” Leah began as she looked at you in concern, “When was the last time you had a proper meal?” She asked in a soft tone of voice.

You hesitated to answer. Your mind scrambled to remember the last time that you sat down to eat something that wasn’t a hastily grabbed snack, “Uhm…” You stammered, the pause in your response telling Leah everything that she needed to know.

Leah sighed softly and crouched down to meet your eye level, “How about you come around our house for dinner tonight?” She suggested in her usual gentle tone of voice, “You still like pizza, don’t you? We could order that, watch a movie and just chill.”

“I… I don’t know,” You were sceptical to agree, fumbling with your fingers and fidgeting with the hem of your hoodie that you wore, “My dad’s at work, but… if I’m not back by a certain time then he’ll be worried about where I am.”

“I understand, but if your dad’s working then I don’t think he’ll mind you being with us, will he? You are keeping out of mischief then, eh?” Leah joked, lightly nudging you but the way you flinched at the sudden movement made her face flicker with concern, “How about… How about you just come for an hour? You can eat some pizza with us, and I’ll drive you home right after, yeah?”

“Okay, alright, but… just an hour though, I don’t want my dad to worry,” You begrudgingly agree with Leah, knowing that she wouldn’t let it go.

You couldn’t let your dad know where you were though. If he realised you were with Leah and Jordan then he would have hit the roof. He disliked them, for whatever reason and made it very clear that you weren’t to be around them.

It wasn’t that easy though considering you were now going to be in the same team as them.

“Deal,” Leah grinned, relief washing over her face with the promise of a warm meal and some company, even if it was just for an hour, it felt like a small victory in a battle she was determined to win.

“Jord? We’ve got a guest for dinner!” Leah called out, beaming a wide smile as she gently rested her hand on your shoulder, guiding you through the front door of their shared home.

You had never had the opportunity to come here before, but the way it was warm and welcoming was a different contrast to the cold, bleak and mould-infested house that you currently lived in.

Jordan had already made it home before Leah, having already apparently been given a heads up ahead of you coming to their house for dinner so the pizza was already on its way.

You were weary enough to be here, your anxiety felt sky-high in fear that your dad would find out where you were.

Of course, he wasn’t at work like you said, more like down the pub instead, so maybe he wouldn’t care if you were home or not at all?

“Hey, little one!” Jordan’s cheerful smile greeted you as she appeared around the corner, “Pizza’s on its way, why don’t we make our way into the living room and you can choose a film for us to watch?”

“Hi,” You felt like a complete stranger in their home, despite knowing them for several years, fumbling with the loose strings of your club-branded hoodie before Leah gestured for you to follow her into the living room.

“I’ve ordered cheese because of Miss Picky over here,” Jordan teased, pointing her index finger in the direction of Leah, “You okay with that?” She checked.

“It’s okay, I like cheese,” You told her as you settled into your spot on the sofa, and you couldn’t help but note the various baby items scattered throughout the living room. You suddenly felt a bit curious to ask questions, “Are you going to have a baby soon?” The words came out of your mouth before you could even stop them.

“We are,” Leah agreed, her smile gentle as she rested her hands on her growing bump, “It’s only another couple of months to go until we meet our little bubba.”

“Wow,” You murmured in amazement, and you couldn’t help but feel somewhat bitter about the news, “You two are having a baby?”

Weren’t you good enough to be wanted?

“Yeah, we are,” Jordan joined Leah on the sofa, her arm casually draped over the back of Leah’s seat, “We’re really excited to meet them,” She said with a fond smile, but she failed to see the frown that appeared on your face.

“Oh… that’s cool,” You murmured, unsure what else there was to say.

Thankfully, the moment was interrupted by the doorbell ringing which meant the pizza had arrived, and you wouldn’t have to talk anymore about the subject.

“I’ll go and grab that,” Jordan offered as she got up from the sofa, already walking ahead to the front door to retrieve the pizza.

“Monkey…” Leah wanted to ask how you were, but she was afraid to even say the right word at that moment, “You know…” Her words were cut off by Jordan walking back into the living room carrying pizza boxes.

“Pizza smells great,” Jordan interjected, placing it down on the table in the middle, “Help yourself little one. There’s plenty to go around.”

“Thanks,” You were sceptical to even eat a slice of pizza, but you had to remind yourself this house was different, and you couldn’t ignore the hunger you felt in your stomach, so you reached over and picked out a piece to eat.

True to her word, Leah drove you home an hour later. Of course, your dad wasn’t there when you arrived, the lights were off and you entered the empty, stark home where you lived.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay here by yourself?” Leah’s worry kicked in, the neighbourhood you lived in wasn’t that great, but you were used to it now, “You know, you can come back to ours. You could even spend the night if you wanted?”

As much as you’d have loved to have agreed, you couldn’t. Your dad would no doubt be home at some point later that night, and you knew you would be in trouble if he came home to an empty house.

“I’ll be alright. Thanks for the pizza,” You made a quick exit out of the car, rushing to the front door and opening the door to be hit with the all-too-familiar stale cigarettes and leftover beer.

“Bye, Monkey,” Leah murmured, that all too gut feeling returned that she couldn’t shake off as she drove off back home to Jordan.

You couldn’t let her know what was going on behind closed doors.

“Something is going on… More than what we know,” Leah brought up the conversation with Jordan again later that night as they got into bed, “I’m worried about her, Jord. Tell me you’re not worried about her as well?”

“Of course I am,” Jordan pulled back the duvet and settled in beside her, “You’re not imagining things, Le. There’s definitely something more going on behind closed doors that we don’t know about. She seems so… different. Like she’s on edge, and constantly scared.”

Leah turned to face Jordan, her brows furrowed with frustration and helplessness, “Then what do we do about it? We can’t just ignore it anymore,” She said, her voice wavering, “We both know there’s something wrong, we can’t just sit here and do nothing about it. I’ve stood by and let it happen for way too long– I know social services didn’t deem me capable of looking after her all them years ago, but I’m older now. I’m in a– We’re both in a better financial place to look after her.”

“I know, Le,” Jordan mumbled, exhaling a soft sigh as she wrapped her arms around the blonde and rested a hand on her bump, “I understand you’re worried, I get it babe, I do. I’m just as concerned about her as you are, but we can’t do anything without proof.”

“If anything happens to her, then I… I’ll never forgive myself,” Leah admitted, quietly.

Jordan nodded in agreement, “I know, all we can do for now is be there for the little one. Make sure that’s okay and nothing serious happens,” She said, “I know it’s difficult, and the social makes it impossible, but we’ll be there for her. Even if she doesn’t need us.”

“I… I don’t like this,” Leah mumbled, her mind still restless with thoughts as she lay there staring up at the ceiling with the weight of the spoken promise heavy on her shoulders, “I promised Jean I would take care of her. I’ll do whatever I can to protect our girl. I’ve never broken that promise, and I don’t intend to.” She vowed, ready to act when the time came.

Over the next several weeks, Leah and Jordan made a more conscious effort to keep an eye on you during the time you were training with them – You tried to push them away, but they always made sure to include you in the conversations and ask about how you were doing.

Leah would often always slip you a protein bar when she noticed you hadn’t eaten much, and Jordan would offer you a ride back home, no matter if you tried to refuse it or not.

As much as they both hated to admit it, there was nothing that they could do right now without proof of anything going on.

That was until one day when something more serious happened, and both Leah and Jordan were immediately alert of the situation when you didn’t show up to training at the same time like normal.

If anyone else had been late then they wouldn’t have batted an eye, but their gut instinct that there was something further couldn’t have been more right.

“Maybe she is just running late?” Jordan suggested, weary about it.

Leah’s brow furrowed, shaking her head as she attempted to phone you only for it to go to voice mail again, “She’s not answering her phone. This is unusual for her…” That was cause for concern itself, knowing how glued to your phone you are most of the time.

“She’s not answering her texts either?” Jordan asked.

“No…” Leah exhaled a deep sigh, running her hand through her hair as she attempted to make contact again, “Her phone keeps going to voicemail, and her texts just keep saying they’re left on delivered.”

“Oh,” Jordan mumbled, unsure what else there was to say that wouldn’t further panic Leah.

There was an uneasy feeling that neither of them could shake. When you finally stumbled in the state that you did, bruised and limping, it became clear that something far worse had happened.

“Right, now do you believe me something is going on?” Leah said, urgently, her eyes locking on Jordan’s with a mix of fear and frustration, gesturing towards you while she noticed the bruise on your cheek straight away and the way you favoured one leg, “I knew it. I knew there was something wrong! Nobody else believed me, I knew I was right!”

The concern and protectiveness that Leah had for you was something else.

“I do… I do believe you,” Jordan’s face fell in shock as she took in the sight of you, swallowing a lump that formed in her throat, “But… What do we do now?”

“I’m not standing back and letting it happen any longer, regardless of what social services think!” Leah said determined, her mind already made up, “I know you might think I’m crazy, and well maybe I am, but I want her to move in with us.”

Jordan was a bit more hesitant to agree to the idea, “I… I don’t know, Le. I know you love Monkey and you’re very protective of her, but well, we’re already going to have our hands full with the little ‘un on the way. Aren’t we?” She pointed out gently, trying to remind Leah of their current situation, “Do you really think it’s a good idea? A newborn baby and a teenager, I mean it’s a lot to take on.”

“I don’t care, we can manage it– We can find a way to handle it!” Leah was now more determined than ever with this decision, “I… I know it’s a lot, but I refuse to just sit back and do nothing about this now, Jord. Monkey needs us, Jord, and if we don’t help her then, who will?”

Jordan exhaled a deep sigh, running her hand through her hair as she weighed out the gravity of Leah’s plea, she knew her girlfriend’s heart was in the right place, but the practicality of the situation still loomed large, “Le…”

“Jord,” Leah began to speak, “I made a promise to Jean, I promised her I wouldn’t let him hurt her, and if I don’t do anything now then… then I’ve just failed, haven’t I?”

“Okay,” Jordan finally gave in reluctantly, knowing there was no point in trying to argue about it with her stubborn girlfriend, who had already made her mind up about this - After all, it would be a bad idea to try and disagree with a pregnant lady, “Alright, fine. If this is what you really want to do then I’m on board with it.”

“I do, I really do want to do this,” Leah’s expression softened, a mix of relief and gratitude washing over her as she reached out to squeeze Jordan’s hand, “Thank you! Thank you! I just… I can’t turn my back on her, not now. She needs a safe place, a real home now. She can have that with us.”

“I know, Le,” Jordan said, her grip on Leah’s hand tightening, “I know, and we’ll make it work, whatever it takes– We’ll figure it out together as a team.”

Leah nodded and gave her girlfriend a genuine smile, “As a team,” She repeated, squeezing her hand in reassurance, “Just get ready for the chaos.” She joked.

“Oh with a newborn baby and teenager under one roof? I couldn’t think of anything more chaotic,” Jordan replied playfully, pulling her girlfriend in closer, “But it could also be kind of fun, right?”

“You and I have different versions of fun,” Leah teased, a glimmer of amusement dancing in her eyes, “But yeah, it might just be the best sort of crazy we’ve ever signed up for.”

Getting your dad to agree was surprisingly easier than it should have been. It was a somewhat mutual decision, in the way that he was more than willing to wash his hands off you, and he was so disinterested in you that you swear you saw a genuine smile appear on his face for the first time since you moved in with him.

An actual genuine smile on his face which made you sad about the fact that your dad really couldn't care less about you.

Maybe it was the fact that he never got the son he so badly wanted?

“Have her then,” The man sneered, “I’ve washed my hands off her, she’s your problem now.”

His parting words stung a lot and while Leah’s hands clenched in anger, Jordan’s arm around her kept her grounded.

Leah’s eyes were blazing with anger, “You’re unbelievable,” She spat out, her tone sharp and unfiltered, “Mark, you’ve got a kid right in front of you– A kid who’s done nothing but try to survive despite you, and all you can do is shrug her off like she’s nothing? You can’t don’t even have the decency to pretend to care!”

Jordan just held Leah’s hand tighter, her silent support a calm anchor in the storm of emotions, “Let’s go, Le,” She urged softly, though her gaze was cold and unforgiving as it lingered on your father.

Leah’s anger didn’t fade, if anything, it deepened as she looked at the man who had treated you like a burden instead of his flesh and blood, “She’s not some problem to be handed off. She’s not a mistake that you can ignore. She’s a kid, she’s your kid, and the way you’ve been treating her is disgusting!”

Your dad scoffed as if was barely affected by Leah’s words, “Yeah? Well, she’s your problem now, so good luck,” He repeated in a gruff voice, “I don’t want anything to do with the brat.”

Leah’s jaw tightened, the venom in his words made her stomach churn in disgust. She opened her mouth to say more, but Jordan gently tugged at her arm with a silent reminder that nothing else could be said that would change the man in front of them.

Turning away from your dad, Leah relented as her expression softened when she looked at you, but the fire in her eyes never dimmed, “Let’s just go.”

“Come on, little one,” Jordan protectively guided you out of the house with her arm wrapped around you, Leah and Jordan helped gather the small amount of belongings that you had in this house and left, “Let’s get you out of here. Let’s get you home.”

You should have felt an instant relief leaving that house. But instead, you just felt incredibly sad that the dad who you had grown up with the last five years, regardless of how much a neglectful bastard he was, was and always would still be your dad.

A part of you foolishly hoped that one day he’d see you, really see you, and want you around.

But that never did happen though.

“I know this won’t be easy for you to adjust Monkey,” Leah noticed the flicker of sadness in your eyes and squeezed your shoulder reassuringly, “But you’re not alone now, okay? We’re here and we’re not going anywhere. You’re safe, you’re safe here with us.”

Jordan nodded in agreement, giving you a small encouraging smile, “Le’s right, little one. We’ve got you,” She told you gently, “Whatever you need, whenever you need us. We’re here.”

And from there on, you were about to gain the family that you’d always deserved - A real home, with Leah and Jordan, who cared a hell of a lot about you to fight for you, even when the world seemed to have given up.

#monkey #double the trouble fic #leah williamson x reader #jordan nobbs x reader #woso x reader #woso one shot #scribblesofagoonerr #woso fanfics #woso imagine

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nemo-writes · 4 months ago

Text

𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝖿 141 + 𝗏𝖺𝗊𝗎𝖾𝗋𝗈𝗌 𝖺𝗌 𝗋𝗈𝗆𝖼𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗉𝖾𝗌 ; 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗍𝗐𝗈 ── .✦

masterlist

── .✦ 𝗌𝗈𝖺𝗉 ; "𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝗉𝗈𝗉𝗎𝗅𝖺𝗋 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝗌𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗈𝗅 𝖺𝗍 𝖻𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝖿𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗉𝗈𝗉𝗎𝗅𝖺𝗋 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗈𝗇."

It’s day three of bed rest, and Soap’s already climbed up the walls of his room and back down again. Injured or not, he’s never been one to sit still, and being restricted to the base with “no hard jobs, no missions”—as the medic had stressed—has left him itching for something to do. Restless, he decides to wander, eventually finding himself at the library-slash-records room, a quiet corner of base he’s never thought to visit before.

He thumbs through a book on the nearest shelf, flipping pages more out of boredom than actual interest, when a voice behind him makes him nearly jump out of his skin.

“Good choice,” you say casually, glancing over his shoulder at the book in his hands. “I read that one when I was a teenager.”

Soap whips around, wide-eyed and ready to defend himself before he registers you standing there, a bemused smile on your face. It’s not often anyone manages to sneak up on him, especially after working alongside Ghost—but here you are, quiet as a shadow.

“Christ, you gave me a fright!” He laughs, trying to shake off his surprise. “You a ghost yourself, or just a natural sneak?”

“Neither,” you reply with a shrug. “I just work here. Records department.”

He raises an eyebrow, tilting his head with a hint of scepticism. “Records, aye? Right, sure. So… what squad d’you belong to, then?”

You laugh, not seeming to mind his incredulity. “No squad. No task force, either. Just a regular base staff member. I make sure all your physical files stay organised, is all.”

“Well, I didn't expect to find a hidden gem like you in here,” he says, putting on his usual flirty grin, expecting some kind of blush or maybe even a shy look.

But you just give another amused smile. “I’m not a gem, just the records keeper. I also stock the books,” you add, gesturing around. “Figured a small library might be good for those interested. We don’t have much, but it’s a nice change of pace for some people.”

The flirting sails right over your head, and Soap’s grin falters ever so slightly before he recovers. “Ah, so you're the one to thank for this wee slice of quiet paradise on base, huh?”

You nod, a touch of pride slipping through as you straighten a few already-tidy books. “It’s simple, but I like to keep things in order here for whoever wants to pick up something to read.”

Soap tries another grin, leaning against a shelf, his tone softening just a bit. “Well, reckon I’ll be a regular if it means more chats like this. Seems like a fair deal, yeah?”

But you only hum thoughtfully, eyes scanning the shelf beside him, clearly cataloguing if anything’s out of place. Soap finds himself smirking, both amused and oddly challenged by how thoroughly you’ve ignored his attempts to charm you. He realises with a quiet laugh that this just might be the break he needed.

. . .

In the quiet of his quarters, Soap lounges on his bunk with the phone pressed to his ear, listening to his mum and sister talk about his childhood. It had started with the usual check-in—hearing how he was healing, how things were on base—and soon drifted into familiar family banter.

His sister, Cait, laughs as she recalls his ‘miraculous’ ability to get hurt every other day growing up. “Remember when you broke both your arms jumping off that shed roof, John?” she teases, barely stifling her laughter. “Mum had to practically wrap you in bubble wrap.”

“Aye, aye, laugh it up,” Soap mutters, though he’s grinning. “Was tryin’ to perfect my landing, is all.”

His mum’s voice chimes in with a fond chuckle, “Perfect it you did, son. Broke both arms and had us all in stitches—not just ‘cause of the casts, but because you couldn’t stop fidgeting.”

“Oh, I remember,” he groans, recalling the itch of the casts and the boredom of sitting still for weeks. “I was goin’ mad with nothing to do!”

“That’s why I read to you,” his mum adds, the warmth in her voice audible even over the line. “You were always restless, even with two arms in casts.”

Soap’s grin turns a bit softer. “I remember that… just not the book itself. Somethin’ about a fox and a forest?”

His mum hums thoughtfully. “It was a sweet story, but I can’t recall the title. Do you, Cait?”

Cait only chuckles, clearly drawing a blank. “Oh, I remember the fuss he made, but the book? Not a chance.”

Soap shakes his head, feeling a little pang of nostalgia. “Wouldn’t mind findin’ it again someday. Reminds me of home.”

A few days later, Soap strides through the hallway, his arm still snug in a sling but his energy undeterred. He greets everyone he passes, effortlessly drawing smiles and laughter from a few soldiers standing by the vending machines. A corporal waves, and Soap flashes him a quick grin, offering a joking salute with his free hand.

But today, he’s not here to soak up the attention. His steps have purpose, carrying him straight back to the quiet sanctuary of the records room. When he steps inside, the calm hits him like a breath of fresh air. His eyes land on you instantly, tucked in the back of the room, your head bent over something on the desk.

You’re focused, scribbling notes or reading from a thick stack of papers, and for a moment, Soap just watches. There’s something about the way the light catches on your face, the peaceful concentration you exude. He doesn’t even realise he’s smiling until his cheeks ache slightly. He adjusts his posture and clears his throat, strolling over casually, pretending not to notice the way his pulse picks up just a bit.

“Hey, there,” he says, his voice breaking the quiet like a soft ripple on a still pond. You glance up, blinking at the interruption, and he swears there’s a flicker of recognition in your gaze that makes his chest tighten.

“Back again?” you tease lightly, setting your pen down. “Getting into trouble already?”

“Nah, just takin’ it easy,” he says, his tone breezy. “Needed a break from bein’ so popular, y’know? The fans are relentless.” He winks, and you roll your eyes, though there’s a smile tugging at your lips.

He shifts slightly, leaning his good arm against the edge of the desk. “Actually, I was hopin’ you might be able to help me with somethin’. Feels a bit daft, but here goes.” He scratches the back of his neck, suddenly feeling the weight of how silly this might sound. “There’s this book. From when I was a kid. My Ma read it to me when I broke both arms once—don’t ask,” he adds quickly, grinning sheepishly. “But I can’t remember the title. Just bits of it.”

That piques your interest. You sit up a little straighter, curiosity lighting up your features. “What do you remember about it?” you ask, your tone genuinely warm.

Soap exhales, relieved you haven’t laughed him off, and starts piecing it together. “Right, so it was about this fox. A scrappy wee thing, always gettin’ into trouble. Lived in a forest, sneakin’ around like it owned the place. There was… a badger, I think? Big, grumpy fella, always tellin’ the fox to stop bein’ reckless. But the fox didn’t listen—bit of a troublemaker, that one.”

You nod, your attention fixed on him, and it spurs him on. “One part I remember clear as day—there was a trap. The fox got its paw caught, and I thought it was done for. Had my heart in my throat. My Ma kept tellin’ me it’d be fine, but I was sweatin’ over it.” He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck as if to brush off the emotion. “Then there was somethin’ about the forest gettin’ destroyed, so the fox had to leave. Find a new home, y’know?”

You lean forward slightly, completely drawn in, and it makes his pulse quicken. “That sounds… really sweet, actually. And a little sad.”

“Aye, it was,” he says, his voice softer now. “Hit me like a brick back then. Think I might’ve cried—don’t tell anyone that,” he adds quickly, wagging a finger with mock severity.

Your smile widens. “I wouldn’t dream of it. But… you’re describing it so vividly. I might know it. Hang on.” You tap your chin thoughtfully, sorting through your mental catalog of titles. Soap watches you closely, his expression softening as you mentally sift through the possibilities. After a moment, you shake your head, regret flashing in your eyes. “I think I know the book, but I don’t have it here. Sorry.”

Soap raises his brows, clearly impressed. “You’ve got a memory like a steel trap, lass. How d’you even keep track of all that?”

You wave him off modestly, a faint smile tugging at your lips. “It’s nothing, really. I just like books. Spend enough time with them, and you start remembering the little details.”

“Still,” you say, your tone tinged with determination. “I’ll keep an eye out. If it crosses my path, I’ll make sure you’re the first to know.”

Soap’s grin widens, his eyes crinkling in that way that makes it hard to look away. “Aye, I’ll hold you to that.” His voice softens, and for a moment, there’s a quiet warmth between you that neither of you rush to fill.

“Thanks,” he says finally, the sincerity in his tone catching you slightly off guard. “You’re good company, y’know that?”

Before you can reply, he pushes off the desk with his good arm, the playful edge returning to his expression as he gives you a wink. “Don’t let me distract you too much, aye? I’ll see myself out.”

You manage a small laugh, watching as he makes his way toward the door, the faint scent of his cologne lingering in his wake. But just as he steps into the hallway, he pauses, glancing back through the open door.

For a brief second, his gaze softens, the memory of the fox, his Ma’s soothing voice, and the quiet comfort of your little nook weaving together to warm a part of him he hadn’t realised needed it. With a nod to himself, he turns away, the thought of returning already forming in the back of his mind.

. . .

The cafeteria buzzed with the usual hum of conversation and clatter of trays. Soap, now out of his sling and feeling like himself again, sat among Gaz, Ghost, and a few others from the base, his laughter loud and infectious as they swapped stories and teased one another. His attention was fully on Gaz’s exaggerated recounting of a drill mishap when Ghost’s gravelly voice cut through the din.

“Oi, Johnny. Little mouse headed this way.”

Soap blinked, confused, until Ghost gave a subtle nod toward the figure approaching from behind. Soap twisted around, and his breath hitched the moment he spotted you.

Springing to his feet far too quickly, Soap’s knee hit the table with a loud clang, trays rattling dangerously. The others shouted half-hearted complaints, but Soap didn’t care. All his attention was on you, standing there with a paper bag in hand, a shy smile gracing your lips.

“I—uh—hi,” Soap stammered, suddenly unsure of himself as you held the bag out toward him.

“I found it,” you said simply, your tone giddy. “Thought you might like to have it.”

He stared at the bag, then at you, before carefully taking it from your hands. His fingers brushed yours briefly, and he swore he felt a spark. Peeking inside, his jaw dropped. There it was—the book. The cover was pristine, like it had just been pulled from a bookstore shelf.

“You didn’t…” he began, but words failed him. His gaze flicked between the book and your face, awe written plainly across his features.

You chuckled softly, patting the hand that held the book. “It’s no big deal. Enjoy it, yeah?”

And with that, you turned and walked away, leaving Soap frozen in place. He watched you go, only snapping out of his trance when Gaz whistled low under his breath. Soap turned back to the table, clutching the bag as if it held a treasure.

Seated back at the table, the book resting carefully in his lap, he barely touched his food, his usual chatter replaced by a soft, distracted smile. He flipped the book over in his hands, running his thumb along the edges of the paper bag, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.

“Someone’s got a fan,” Gaz teased, grinning.

“Shut it,” Soap muttered, his cheeks flushing.

But the teasing didn’t stop there. One of the younger men at the table, a mechanic who had joined the base recently, leaned forward, asking him about you with a smirk edged with something he didn’t like, at all.

Soap’s expression darkened instantly, his jaw clenching. Ghost, always the observer, grumbled lowly. “Leave it, lad,” he warned, his voice a quiet rumble. The mechanic wisely dropped the subject.

As the conversation shifted back to base gossip, Soap’s focus stayed on the book in his hands. He traced the edges of the paper bag absentmindedly, his mind replaying the moment you’d handed it to him and the warmth of your hand on his. His smile widened, soft and genuine, as he looked the book over again, the edges of the paper bag crinkling beneath his fingers.

Ghost glanced at Soap briefly, noting the faraway look in his eyes. With a barely audible snort, he shook his head and returned to his meal, leaving the smitten Scotsman to his thoughts.

. . .

Soap spent the better part of the next day scouring every corner of the base, peeking into offices, workshops, and even the records room during normal hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of you. Each empty space only added to his frustration.

“Sneaky little mouse," he muttered under his breath with an undeniable smile, hands on his hips.

His gripping earned a chuckle from Gaz, who leaned back in his chair and exchanged a knowing look with Ghost. “Maybe you’re just not lookin’ in the right places, mate,” Gaz teased, popping a peanut into his mouth.

Ghost, however, offered a rare bit of practical advice. “Try the rec room. Late hours.” His tone was low, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. “Sometimes I go there when I can’t sleep. Tea’s decent, and I watch matches on my phone. Could be she’s got the same idea.”

Soap perked up at the suggestion, nodding gratefully. “Aye, worth a shot. Thanks, mate!"

Later that evening, Soap made his way to the rec room. The base was quieter, the halls dimly lit, and the faint hum of a vending machine filled the otherwise empty space. As he approached the rec room, the soft clink of a kettle caught his attention. Peering in, he spotted you by the small kitchenette, the warm glow of the stove’s light illuminating your face as you poured hot water into a mug.

For a moment, he hesitated. His usual bravado faltered as he took in the calm scene, unsure how to approach without disturbing the peaceful air you carried with you. But then, squaring his shoulders, he stepped inside.

“Didn’t think I’d find you 'ere,” he said, his voice low but carrying a playful lilt.

You glanced over your shoulder, surprised but smiling softly when you saw him. “Evening, Sergeant. Tea, late-night stroll, or both?”

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Both, maybe. Been lookin’ for you, actually. You’ve got a knack for disappearin’, y’know.”

You turned back to the stove, shaking your head lightly as you reached for another mug. “You found me now, didn’t you? Want some tea?”

“Aye, thanks.” Soap approached, watching as you handed him the steaming mug. He cradled it, savoring the warmth in his hands. “Listen, about the book…”

You waved him off, cutting him off before he could continue. “It’s nothing, really. I should be the one thanking you. You’ve shown interest in the books and my little corner. It means a lot to have someone notice.”

Soap blinked, caught off guard by your words. Before you could turn back around to retrieve your own mug, he reached out, catching your hand. His fingers curled around yours gently, his thumb brushing the back of your knuckles.

The contact was warm, steady, and startlingly tender.

“No,” he said, his voice dropping to a softer tone. “It wasn’t nothin’. You went out of your way for me, and… it means more than I can say.”

You opened your mouth to respond, but the words caught in your throat when he lifted your hand, pressing a lingering kiss to your fingers. His lips were warm, his expression earnest as he looked up at you, gratitude and something deeper shining in his eyes.

For once, you were the one left speechless, your heart skipping a beat as the weight of his sincerity settled over you. Soap released your hand gently, his fingers lingering for just a moment before pulling back.

“Thank you,” he said again, his voice a near whisper.

You swallowed, your cheeks feeling uncharacteristically warm. “You’re welcome, Sergeant,” you managed, offering him a soft smile.

“Stay a while?” he asked, nodding toward the small table tucked into the corner.

Your heart skipped a beat, and before you could overthink it, you nodded, moving to sit down. He followed, his mug cradled in his hands as he eased into the chair across from you. The quiet hum of the room settled over you both, broken only by the soft clink of his mug against the table as he set it down.

For a moment, neither of you spoke, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. Instead, it felt warm, almost fragile, like something new and precious was taking root between you.

“You’ve got a knack for this,” he said, his tone low and easy.

“For what?” you asked, taking a sip of your tea.

“Doin’ things that catch a man off guard,” he replied, his blue eyes glinting with something playful yet sincere. “Like huntin’ down a book I barely remembered just to give me a piece of my past back.”

You waved him off modestly, though the compliment made your chest tighten in an unfamiliar way. "It's...just a book."

“To you, maybe,” he countered, his voice soft. “To me, it’s somethin’ more. And so’s this.”

He gestured vaguely, encompassing the quiet space you now shared, the table between you feeling more like a bridge than a barrier.

You lowered your gaze to your mug, the steam curling upward as you processed his words. There was a warmth in his voice, an openness you hadn’t expected but found yourself leaning into.

When you finally looked up, Soap was watching you, his gaze steady and filled with something unspoken. You held his eyes, the corners of your lips curving into a smile that matched his.

“This is nice,” you murmured, almost to yourself.

“Aye,” he agreed, his voice low. “It is.”

And as the two of you sat there, sipping tea and sharing quiet smiles, the space between you seemed to shrink, the glow of the moment wrapping around you both like a promise of something more to come.

banner credit

#cod #cod fanfic #cod fanfiction #john soap mactavish #john soap mactavish x you #john soap mactavish x reader #soap x reader #soap x you

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daisyblog · 4 months ago

Text

“Tommy…meet my Dad!”

Young Love Masterlist Summary: Tommy, Mia’s boyfriend, meets Louis.

based on this request.

warning: mentions of family member passing away

(Mia - 13, Tommy - 13, Noah - 8)

“So tonight’s the night…I get to meet the lad that’s stolen my little girls heart!”. Louis voiced into the open spaces kitchen. Mia and Noah were sat at the kitchen island eating their lunch as YN pottered around trying to tidy away random items that had been left.

“Don’t be embarrassing Dad!”. Mia rolled her eyes as she reached to grab her phone to reply to Tommy’s text. “He’s already terrified to meet you…especially after what Uncle Harry said at the show”.

Louis took Noah’s empty plate away and placed it in the dishwasher. “Hey, give me a chance…I was thinking we order some pizza, have a film night…and then I’ll tell him if he hurts you I’ll kick his ass!”.

“Mum!”. Mia shouted in annoyance, wanting her mother’s help as she sent Louis daggers. Louis chuckled to himself as he stood tall and large smirk on his face.

Noticing his dad was teasing his older sister, Noah joined in. “Mia’s got a boyfriend, Mia’s got a boyfriend!”.

“Shut up Noah!”. Mia had become irritated by the whole situation.

“Right that’s enough!”. YN’s assertive voice entered the kitchen with a point to prove. “Noah…stop teasing your sister…and Louis stop trying to scare Tommy before he even arrives!”.

Mia sent a sarcastic smile to Louis, pleased that her Mum was on her side with this.

“On that note…I’m going out!”. Mia popped her used dishes in the sink and began to walk away.

“Be back by six for dinner!”. Louis shouted in her direction. “Can’t wait to meet Tommy!”. Louis continued to be amused by his over exaggerated teasing.

YN stood with her hands on her hips, a look of disappointment written on her face. “You better behave yourself tonight!”.

“I always behave!”.

---

Just after 6pm, the sound of the front door opening perked Louis up as he lounged on the sofa. He could hear a mixture of two voices, one deeper than the other. He knew it must have been Mia and Tommy. It was new unfamiliar feeling for Louis. He’d always thought this moment wouldn’t happen for a long time, but before he knew it, his little newborn baby girl was now a teenager.

Mia appeared by the doorframe of the living room, where Louis was still sitting. Louis noticed the young boy standing behind his daughter. He was a head taller than Mia, his curls were loose on his head and his eyes darted with nerves.

“Where’s Mum?”. She was quick to ask noticing her mother was no where in sight, and knew her father would use that to his advantage.

“She’s upstairs helping your brother a minute”. Louis calmly explained, as he still sat and stared at them both. “Are you coming in? Or are you gonna stand there all night looking like you’re about to shit yourselves!”.

Mia glanced back at Tommy, who let out a small smile at Louis humour. They both walked quietly into the room. Whilst Mia sat comfortably on the other sofa to Louis, Tommy sat on the edge of his seat next to her. His nervousness was filling the room.

“Are you gonna introduce us Mi?”. Louis gave his daughter a sarcastic look.

“Dad…this is Tommy!”. The young boy gave Louis a polite smile. “Tommy…meet my Dad!”.

Before Louis had the chance to say anything, Tommy found his voice. “It’s nice to finally meet you…Mia’s told me a lot about you”.

Louis smiled with happiness, as he nodded his head. “I’m sure she has…but has she told you that if you hurt my girl, then I’ll kick your ass?”.

“Dad!”.

Tommy gulped heavily as he looked from Louis to Mia. “I…I-”.

“Louis! What did I say?”. YN appeared into the living room, giving Tommy’s shoulder a gently tap as she passed by. “Don’t listen to him Tommy…the only thing that’ll be kicked is Louis out of this room if he doesn’t behave”.

“Ooo feisty!”. Louis responded, staring at YN in amusement. He looked back Tommy, knowing the humour may have gone too far. “I’m sorry Tommy…I was just trying to scare you a little, I don’t mean it…I’ve only heard positive things about you”.

YN knew Louis would take it a step too far, and the fear was still in Tommy. “Shall we order pizza?”.

“PIZZA!”. Noah came running into the room, jumping on Louis without warning.

---

With dominoes boxes surrounding them, as they sat around the kitchen table, Louis wouldn’t like to admit it yet but he liked Tommy. He was polite, he was kind to Mia and he already fitted into their family dynamic.

“So Tommy, did you enjoy Harry’s show the other week?”. Louis asked with a slice of pizza sitting between his fingers.

Tommy placed his glass of orange fanta down on the table after taking a sip. “Yeah…it was really fun, I hadn’t been to a concert like that before…so it was different”.

“Harry puts on a show, fair play to the lad”. Louis complimented his younger brother.

“My brother’s girlfriend hasn’t shut up about me going…she wanted to go but couldn’t get any tickets”. He explained, trying to continue the conversation.

YN smiled at Mia as they both realised that Louis and Tommy were having their own conversation. “How many brother and sisters do you have?”.

“Uh…I have two older brothers, Adam and Ethan”. Tommy began to explain, Louis and YN smiled as he spoke. “They’re a bit older than me, so they’ve moved out…but they’re always coming back for my mum to do something for them”.

Louis picked up that Mia had become tense all of a sudden, and kept glancing to her side to take small looks at Tommy. The next sentence to fall from his lips, explained why.

“Uhh…my um…my dad passed away a couple of years ago…so it’s just me and my mum”. Tommy wasn’t sure why he blurted that bit of information out, but he felt it was necessary for them to get to know him.

The words hit Louis hard. He felt the twinge in his chest as he sympathised with the young boy that sat in front of him, showing them all a vulnerable side.

“We’re really sorry to hear that Tommy…I’m sure he’d be very proud of the young lad that’s sat here tonight”. Louis spoke with confidence as he wanted him to know that he liked him.

“Thank you”. A small smile was shared.

YN noticed the shift in the atmosphere, wanting to change that she thought of nice gesture. “Perhaps your mum would like to come over some tea one day, we’d love to meet her”.

“She’d really like that!”.

---

Louis was sat outside in the garden, a white stick between his fingers and smoke circling in front of his face. He was distracted by his own thoughts, when he heard the sliding door open and close. A body came to sit on the small wall next to him.

“You alright lad?”. Louis asked when he realised it was Tommy. “You better not be out here for a smoke”.

Tommy could hear the teasing in Louis’ voice, but he felt the need to reassure him. “No…no…definitely not…just wanted some fresh air”.

The silence between the two was surprisingly comfortable, neither said a word for a few minutes, just enjoying the natural sound of the world around them.

“I’m sorry to hear about your dad”. Louis’ voice was quiet, very calming.

Tommy gulped loudly as he began to pick at the loose cotton on his denim shorts. “It’s okay…it’s got a little easier with time”.

“I lost my mum and sister…in a short space of time, so I know how you feel”. Louis shared the facts, assuming Mia had already told him. “Although it gets easier, doesn’t mean you don’t feel all the emotions at times…so if you ever want to talk, I’m here!”.

“Thanks Louis!”. Tommy turned to smile at him, realising that he wasn’t as scary as he thought he’d be. If anything they had a lot in common.

“Anytime son, anytime!”.

miatomlinson

liked by lottietomlinson, tommybaker and 823,729 others

miatomlinson my mum calls him love, my dad calls him son❤️ View all 8,124 comments

tommybaker my girl❤️

louist91 I can still kick his ass!! ⌞niallhoran I can help! ⌞miatomlinson Uncle Niall don’t spoil it, you’re my favourite!

yntomlinson Aw young love🥰🥰

niallhoran Just how fast the night changes, ey?

lottietomlinson Cuties💖Can’t wait to see you xx

sophia_lewis So happy for you bestie💞

benstanton got the parents approval then mate😂

1dfan9 Mia using 1D lyrics in 2023 was not on my list!!

louisfan3 LOUIS MET HIM!! #protectivedad

1dfan7 EVERYBODY WANNA STEAL MY GIRL!!

Taglist:

@ell0ra-br3kk3r @slaymybreathaway @wh0s-nadii @peterholland04 @lillisummers

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dollypopup · 9 months ago

Text

Today I'm thinking about how so much of Colin's narrative speaks to the neurodivergent experience of having to pretend to be someone else as a survival mechanism. Of the pressure in masking because your real, authentic self is rejected or ignored: too weird, too quiet, too loud, too gullible, too soft-heart, too. . .everything. Too anything. And at the same time, not enough.

Colin gets excited about his travels, about his hyperfixations, talks and talks and talks about them, and no one cares. So, Colin shuts up. Colin writes letter after letter, and gets no reply. So, Colin writes in a journal just for himself. Colin tries and tries to make his family proud, tries to marry, tries courting properly, and it blows up in his face. So, Colin chooses not to date, to become a spectator. Colin is yelled at for trying to invest, so he no longer asks or talks about money, doesn't try to rock the boat in his city. Who Colin is, what he wants, ceases to matter, the fabric of him folded smaller and smaller- instead he focuses on the shell. Builds it in image of his older brothers, of the men around him. Mirrors them.

Anthony says he should have taken Colin to brothels, that he's a fool for trying to marry and his engagement blows up- Colin thus goes to brothels. Colin hops from city to city, trying on new personas like outfits, fine tuning each one. Is this it? Will this be what finally makes them accept me? Colin's appeal to the women of the ton is that he does not talk about himself- but about them. That they're wearing beautiful dresses, that surely they'll find husbands. Separating himself from them- cannot tell them of his travels, that he's not the brave one, it was everyone working together to help with the balloon.

Deflect. Never centered. Colin exists on the outskirts as Pen does, he's just hypervisible for his exterior, and invisible otherwise. His charm is that he pleases those around him. His wounds are that the truest version of him cannot accomplish that. Thus, he becomes hyperaware of what his impact is, first to apologize and last to be forgiven. Living for the approval of others is a trap. He knows. He's fallen into it, a bear claw around his ankles.

He feels like the only way he's worthwhile is if he's providing something for someone. An apology, or comfort, or ease, compliments or winks, a laugh or a distraction, good looks or a fantasy. Providing a happy life for Pen by stepping out of the way, his own needs secondary. It's being there for his mum for an escort or a soft heart to heart. It's taking Anthony's disappointment in him and being indulgent to Eloise's insults. It's giving Benedict his special tea and saying hardly anything about why he bought it in the first place. Bringing gifts to family members who did not write back to him as he wandered the world, alone. It's sticking his neck out for Penelope with Jack, it's providing a dance or a rescue or a good time, checking on Marina to make sure she's alive and okay, listening to Phillip. Colin isn't at all comfortable being himself, the himself that is messy, so he covers it in the himself that is useful.

But what he does, what he provides other people, is not his actual worth. He thinks he's being altruistic by stepping aside and languishing in his feelings for Pen, believing she'll be happier in the future with Debling, waiting and waiting and waiting, until that candle burns out and he's at the 11th hour- and when he snaps and goes after her, when he cuts into her dance, when he runs for her in that carriage, he makes a choice for himself that he thinks, in some way, is selfish.

But it isn't. It's what she wants, too. And there's something beautiful in the fact that with Penelope, his being real, what he thinks is so difficult and unwanted, is actually giving her what she has desired all along. They both find fulfillment and contentment in his unmasking. Penelope never wanted the shell. She saw what was beneath it. She loves what's beneath it.

And I think there's something. . .healing, in that narrative. That us ND peeps who mask as a means of fitting in- that will never bring us happiness. Not really. That it didn't bring Colin happiness.

His arc is realizing that he should be his true, authentic self, and that love will bloom from it. And it does.

I don't know. I think I can learn something from that. I think I'm going to carry that with me for a while.

#polin #colin bridgerton #penelope featherington #bridgerton #i just have a lot of feelings about him #and Colin as an ND character means a lot to be as an ND person and I know it meant a lot to Luke Newton as ND actor #like i see the choices he made with colin and that makes his performance so impactful for me #fandom: *shakes magic8 ball* “will dolly ever shut up?”#response: 'seems unlikely'

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ghcstao3 · 1 year ago

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that one slower scene in every superhero movie when the good guys take a beating from the villain and need to regroup, so one of the members of the team is like 'i know a place'.

so, nik gets some coordinates from soap and flies them to a countryside in scotland where mrs mactavish greets them on the front porch of a lovely house and immediately threats them with an ass whooping if they don't take their muddy combat boots off before going inside.

momma mactavish seems completely unafazed by a helicopter in her backyard, doesn't ask any questions, treats them all like a family. she's tiny and a little scary, makes them eat their vegetables and treats them to a delicious dessert. she can't stop kissing johnny's head and roast him for his mohawk.

ghost notices how relaxed and happy johnny is and how domesticity suits him. he would like to see it more often. for the first time in his life he is reluctant to come back to work.

immediately pictured the avengers at hawkeye’s house

Usually when someone on their team says I know a place when they find themselves in a bout of trouble, they don’t usually mean their childhood home.

Usually, I know a place means a warehouse, a run-down safe house, or, God forbid, some cave. And yet instead, here they all exist idly in Soap’s mum’s house while she coddles them in between scolding her son like it’s just another normal day for her. Like they aren’t all hardened soldiers standing in her home, each with innumerable kill counts and severely blacked-out personnel files.

It’s… weird, being crowded into a dining room and served a home-cooked meal despite coming unannounced and uninvited. That isn’t to say they’re not all thankful, having surely used up the last of Mrs. MacTavish’s gauze and bandages to get to this point, but it’s just—not at all what any of the team had been expecting.

Soap’s about the only one who seems unperturbed. Price is still rubbing his wrist from when Mrs. MacTavish smacked him for his insistence on helping with supper.

You’re guests, she had said, sounding positively aghast. What kind of host do you take me for?

Ghost can certainly see where Soap had gotten his fiery nature, as he bickers back and forth with his mother while the rest of them eat quietly, tentatively, like they’re not sure they’re allowed to. They may not share much in looks, but it’s no doubt that Soap is his mother’s son.

By the time dessert rolls around—which is yet another surprise—Mrs. MacTavish has finally been directing conversation to the soldiers sat around her table, asking about work and life as if they aren’t all bruised and scarred and about half-dead from an awful fight. Yet they all find themselves discussing what’s asked of them like it’s no more than the weather.

Something about Mrs. MacTavish’s spirit instills a sense of familiarity, homeliness. Ghost understands why Soap thought to bring them all there.

Ultimately it’s Gaz who charms Soap’s mum away to the living room along with Price and Nik that lets Ghost, at the very least, get away with helping with dishes once everything is said and done. Unfortunately for Soap, he’s never offered the choice.

“Good thing you have goin’ on here, Johnny,” Ghost eventually remarks, once they’re finally in the swing of wash, dry, wash, dry. “Not afraid of anything getting traced back here? To her?”

Soap shakes his head as he scrubs at a particularly tough stain. “Nah. It’s no’ on any of my records. Hell, it’s barely on any records. We’re off grid, LT, no need to worry your pretty head.”

Ghost rolls his eyes. He wipes off the plate that’s handed to him before setting it on the drying rack, and tossing his towel over his shoulder. It’s not until Soap’s trying to hand him something else does he take notice of Ghost’s pause.

Slowly, Soap sets the dish back in the water, frowning up at Ghost. “What?”

“…Nothin’,” Ghost says after much too long. He huffs. “Just… nice seeing what home looks like on you.”

Ghost doesn’t allow himself to linger watching Soap’s expression change from confusion to a near softness, instead making a reach for the discarded dish in the murky, soapy water to kick their routine back in gear.

He doesn’t want to think about it too closely. Doesn’t want to think about the things he’s realizing about himself this evening, or the fleeting thought that maybe he’d like to stay here forever, instead of return to the field where death waits openly at every turn.

It’s still appreciated, though, this moment of tranquility. He’ll have to make sure to thank Mrs. MacTavish when he gets the chance.

#ask #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #kyle gaz garrick #captain john price #task force 141 #ghostsoap #soapghost #writing

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jinhyun · 1 year ago

Note

just saw your post about the drabbles and if you could please write "you know what we are. you just want to hear me say it." with hyunjin i would love you forever (i would even if you didn't write it tho). thank you <3

- 💗

"What are we?"

"You know what we are" you smiled, looking up at him for a moment before your face was buried on his chest again. "You just want to hear me say it".

"Well, yes" Hyunjin pouted, tightening his hold around your waist as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "Haven't heard you say it to your family all day".

You chuckled, but ultimately said nothing. Instead, you just took a deep breath and let yourself relax under the warmth of your boyfriend's touch.

It still felt surreal to call him that. Boyfriend.

Your boyfriend.

Having been friends most of your life, to the point that your family considered him to be another member of it and his family considered you a part of theirs, it surely felt like you were dreaming to get to call him that now, instead of just your best friend.

Then again, your family had been there when you first caught feelings for each other — catching on in the switch from platonic love to romantic feelings even before you did.

They had been there when the two of you finally realised your own feelings and started to faintly act on them.

They were there that night when you came back home squealing, after you went on a date neither of you dared to call as such and he softly kissed you by your doorstep.

They had been there through it all, and therefore, the term 'boyfriend' had become the rule to them when it came to what Hyunjin was to you.

No matter how many times you called them out on it, no matter how many times they almost slipped up in the presence of Hyunjin himself, and no matter how many times you told them you were still just friends, to them, Hwang Hyunjin was your boyfriend.

So, although you had only made it official a day ago, it hadn’t really crossed your mind to introduce him as such when your parents invited him over for lunch that Sunday, like it was usual by now.

"Are you telling them we're a couple now?" He mumbled.

This time, you couldn't help but giggle. "They've been referring to you as my boyfriend for like a month now".

Hyunjin smiled, having to bite his lip not to let out a breathy, incredulous laugh. "It's official now, though. So, you know… maybe…"

"You want to be introduced to them as my boyfriend?" You asked genuinely.

Pulling away from his chest just enough to look up at him once more, you were met with his excited eyes before he nodded.

He had been your best friend for years now, and he wanted everyone to acknowledge the fact that he wasn't just that anymore.

He wanted to take pride in being called your boyfriend now, especially in front of your family.

Smiling over how cute he was, you leaned up to press your mouth on his — feeling him smile against your lips before he cupped your face and his thumbs traced the corners of your mouth.

Your lips only detached when you heard an obnoxious cough by the door, being met with your sister's inability to hide her very obvious smirk.

"Mum says to go outside with the rest of us" she quickly let you know before her eyes fixed on Hyunjin. "And our dad wants your help with the barbecue".

Hyunjin nodded, placing his hands on your wrists to undo your hold on him. "Yeah, of cou—"

"Just let me hug my boyfriend for a little longer" you pouted, paying no mind to his previous attempt of walking away to go help your dad, as you rested your cheek on his chest and your arms tightened around his body.

Your heart melted over the way Hyunjin's heartbeat sped up at the sound of your words, feeling it pound heavily against the side of your face; and a small giggle escaped your mouth when one second later you felt his arms wrap around your waist and his lips press a kiss to the crown of your head.

On the other hand, your sister rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Hurry up or I'm telling them you guys are taking too long because you're making out" she threatened as she turned around to walk away. "Not like they'd really care, but…"

Watching her disappear from your view, your eyes locked with Hyunjin's again. He looked just as amused as you were.

"She didn't even bat an eye" you confirmed your prediction.

"And apparently your parents wouldn't mind us making out in here?" He laughed incredulously.

"I told you it'd be no news to them".

Shaking his head in amusement as a soft chuckle escaped his lips, he leaned down to lock them with yours in a tender kiss. "It's okay".

Maybe having your family take him for your boyfriend already was just as good as you introducing him as such to them, if not better.

In the end, what mattered was that they knew you were together and that he wasn't just your best friend anymore, right?

He didn't need you to tell them what you were at all.

"Still want me to call you my boyfriend in front of my parents?" You mumbled against his mouth.

He snorted, pressing his lips to yours once more. "Absolutely".

#skz #stray kids #hwang hyunjin #hyunjin #skz imagines #stray kids imagines #hyunjin imagines #skz scenarios #stray kids scenarios #skz reactions #stray kids reactions #hyunjin scenarios #hyunjin reactions

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lessi-lover · 8 months ago

Text

the not so very well hidden II b.mead x v.miedema

summary: beth seeks help on how to manage with a newborn baby ★ the not so very well hidden II b.mead x v.mediema

beth and viv hadn't exactly tried to hide you away from anyone. it was just how it seemed to work out in the scheme of it all. with the amount of commitment it took to get through not one but two acl injuries, announcing you was the last thing on their minds. and so, you stayed in shadows away from the media.

beth didn't exactly know how comfortable she felt sharing her and viv's journey of adopting you a couple months past the first round of surgeries, and she definitely wasn't sure of the reactions that would spur if they did tell end up telling anyone.

on the other hand, viv wasn't at all bothered about telling people that they had decided to adopt a baby girl. she honestly enjoyed watching the attention you relished in by her friends and family, although she didn't think she'd get used to them showing up unannounced.

they had kept it tame, only introducing you to a couple of family members, then their cousins and aunts and uncles, and then finally a few close friends. it had all gone perfectly, you and your inherent bubbly nature entertained all of their friends to no end and nobody could stir away from your toothy grin and loud giggles.

it was only when photos of beth and viv walking around with a toddler surfaced on twitter that beth realised how much you would actually be exposed if they were to reveal you to the world.

she didn't like the thought of that.

she wanted to keep your smiley face and bright eyes away from the cruelness of social media. she wanted your first steps and your first words to be a private moment that would just be for her and viv, so they kept you a secret.

"what's on your mind beth?" steph, one of beth's closest friends asked. the two of them had been sitting on the porch, the both of them sipping their tea in silence as they watched the last of the sunset.

the australian had been worried about her friend for a few weeks now, the usually cheerful blonde always the one to make everyone else smile, but lately she just seemed so distracted and out of it from what steph knew of her best friend.

beth sighed, setting her cup down on the wooden table. "it's about y/n." she began, her voice warm even as she spoke so worriedly. "i've been thinking a lot about whether or not we should tell everyone about her."

steph nodded, understanding immediately what her friend was talking about, she had seen a few posts about the 'mystery baby' online but chose not to mention it in spite of comforting beth. "you and viv have done a great job keeping everything private. but why the sudden concern?"

"photos of us with y/n are all over twitter," beth admitted. "it just made me realise just how much exposure to the public she would get if we went public with the whole adoption. i don't want to expose my baby to the harshness of social media."

"viv's not as worried about it," beth continued, trying her best to explain how she felt in hopes her friend could offer the advice she usually would. "she enjoys seeing buttercup interact with our friends and family. but for me, it's different."

steph was on the edge of her seat, her hand moving to beth's knee as she saw a few stray tears escape beth's eyes, the tears dampening her top as she tried to muffle her cries.

"mum never got to meet her, and that still hurts. by the time i realised how sick she really was, the adoption was out of the question and i just wanted to be with my mum."

steph squeezed beth's hand, her expression softening from the one she sported just ten minutes ago, never having seen the fellow blonde so distraught and upset. "i can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you, beth. your mum would have loved y/n."

beth nodded with her lip between her teeth, tears welling up in her bright eyes. "i know she would have. she always wanted to see me happy and having a family of my own. it just feels like sharing buttercup with the world is letting go of something so personal, something my mum never got to be a part of no matter how hard she tried to stay with us."

steph took a deep breath, choosing her next few words carefully, she didn't want to mess anything up given how hard it must have been for beth to share this with her. "you know, sharing buttercup doesn’t mean losing those moments you have as a family. you and viv can still have those special memories, you can control what you want to share and what you keep just for yourselves."

beth nodded, appreciating steph's support even when she had just thrown this into her hands with no warning. "viv and i didn't exactly hide buttercup. it just sort of happened with how everything ended up coming together. two acl injuries and the adoption process.. it was overwhelming to say the least."

"you've both been through a lot," steph acknowledged beth's words, nodding along so the blonde knew she was listening. "how did the the introduction to your family go?"

"it was perfect. little one charmed everyone who came. they couldn't get enough of her actually," beth smiled fondly at the memory. we started with close family and then we moved on to our other friends and of course you."

"see, she is already loved by so many," steph pointed out, remembering how you giggled when you first saw her and reached your small hands out to grab her hand to pull her even closer than the aussie had already been. "maybe it's time to let the rest of the world know. on your terms, of course."

beth sighed, deep in thought. "i just want to keep the special things private. those moments are for us to enjoy."

"and they will be," steph assured the blonde. "no matter what, those moments will always belong to you and viv. nobody can make them any less special than they are to you. you can control how much you share with the world."

beth looked at steph, her eyes filled with gratitude. "thanks, steph. i needed to hear that."

"anytime, beth. whatever you decide, i'm here for you," steph said, giving her friend a reassuring smile.

#woso #woso community #woso fanfics #woso imagine #awfc x reader #arsenal wfc #beth mead x vivianne miedema #viv miedema #meadema

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