#{ :^) Sorry I've been busy with hospital work but I should be free

[coff33andb00ks]

Rule Breaker - Pt 2

max verstappen x single mom!reader

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warnings: cursing, reader y/nsplains, jos is an asshole, fluff, barely proofread, logan tries to flirt, y/n's bestie is a tumblr girlie at heart, kiddo steals the show Summary: Max has it all...right? Besides, he's too busy collecting trophies and completing side quests for anything else. Until... You moved across a whole ass ocean to start over, uprooting you and your son's lives to become social media admin for cars that drive in circles. word count: 6833 auth.note: thank you all so much for the love for part 1!!! ily all and i'm having so much fun writing this

The paddock was relatively quiet so early in the morning. Unable to sleep, y/n had left the hotel and made her way to the track. She was taking the opportunity to explore the settings on the camera and getting her bearings since she didn't have any work duties to complete until later in the day. She had expected Kevin to want to come with her, but he'd opted to sleep in with Ellie, who would bring him to the track later. So she wandered, exchanging the occasional greeting with others. Stopping to take a photo of a bird perched on the fence in front of pit lane, she backed up, crashing into someone.

"Whoop, s'cuse me, sorry," she said, turning to apologize properly. She recognized the two men by their faces but her mind blanked on their names.

"It's alright, ma'am. Didn't mess up your shot, did we?" His American accent was a happy surprise.

"I don't think so." Smiling, y/n lowered the camera. "My fault, and I'll blame it on being new."

"Marketing?" The other man guessed.

Australian. And suddenly she remembered their names. "Social media. I'm y/n."

"So great to meet you." Logan tipped his head slightly. "Carolina?"

"God, you can take the hick outta Carolina, but you can't take the Carolina outta the hick." He grinned and she laughed. "North Carolina, yeah."

Oscar stared at Logan. "How did you guess that? She just sounds plain American?"

"No, dude, it's the lilt. It's like when George got pissed we couldn't pick up on the different English accents."

"Can he pick up on the different American south accents?" y/n asked.

Logan rolled his eyes. "He knows Brooklyn, Midwest, valley girl, and just south."

"In his defense it's hard to pick out each individual one," Oscar pointed out.

Y/n shrugged. "You've got a point. I sound different from people that grew up just an hour from me."

"Yeah! And I know mine's been butchered from so much time in Europe." Logan nodded.

"You still sound more like home than anyone else I've met."

"I was gonna say the same thing – you sound like home." He smiled, a soft, genuine smile that had her smiling in return.

"And what do I sound like?" Oscar asked with a grin.

"A magical place far, far away," y/n told him. She covertly checked the time and wondered if hospitality had finished setting up so she could get some coffee.

"Hear that? I sound like Star Wars."

"She's using southern charm on you, dude," Logan snorted.

"Well it's working, I'm charmed."

A giggle bubbled up her throat and she let it free, raising her camera and giving them a hopeful look. "Okay?"

"Hang on—" Logan fussed with his hair, and y/n laughed when Oscar reached to help him, then they both had to fuss with Oscar's hair. "Think we're presentable enough?"

She nodded, moving so the sunlight was beside them. She got several photos and thanked them. "I'll send them to y'alls social media teams?"

"You can just send it to me." Logan began patting his pockets for his phone.

"Unbelievable," Oscar muttered under his breath, and y/n barely heard it, giving Logan her number and adding him to her contacts once he'd sent her a text.

"I should get going – Sorry for bumping into you."

"Don't apologize, I'm glad you did."

As she walked away she gave her head a little shake, smiling to herself when she overheard Oscar's grumbling that Logan had flirted with fuckin' Red Bull's social media admin. Something told her to glance back and she did, amused to see Logan watching her. Don't show interest, don't show interest, don't—

He gave a little wave. And she smiled, waving back.

Fuck.

Ducking around the corner, she wandered until she found hospitality, grogginess taking over as she made her way to the back to fix herself coffee. She recognized a couple engineers and mechanics that she'd met in Milton Keyes and greeted them, settling into a corner to drink and look over the pictures she'd gotten.

She was on her second coffee, had uploaded the pictures to her laptop, and was editing the first batch for a short video when the chair across from her was pulled out, taking her shoe with it.

"Sorry," Max said when she yelped, chuckling as he bent to pick up her shoe. "Didn't know you were attached."

"Bad habit I'm afraid." Taking the shoe, she shifted to put it back on. "Picked it up when I was pregnant now I do it without thinking."

"For the swelling?" he asked, sitting down and taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah." After tying the shoelace she shifted, tucking one foot beneath her. "Good morning, by the way."

"Morning. Already working?"

"I'm gonna do a short photo tour of the track. I got some nice shots."

"You walked the track?"

"I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, so… It's beautiful first thing in the morning."

Max nodded, picking up his coffee again. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

"Max, you should know that hotel beds suck. Especially with a three year old sleeping sideways and a snoring friend in the other bed. Is this where you tell me you slept great?"

"Haha, no. My sleep was shit but it wasn't because of the bed. I didn't get enough." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I was up late sim racing."

"Okay, explain sim racing to me," she requested, slipping one earbud in so she could check that the music she'd selected went well with the photos. Tweaking it as he began to talk, she realized she was barely paying attention to her work, exporting and posting the video to all the platforms then closing her laptop to focus on him. He talked with his hands. It was something she'd picked up on already, that if he was focused on the topic he used his hands. Maxplaining the fans called it. Finishing her coffee, she listened intently, propping her chin on one hand.

 He smiled, almost shyly, as he finished. "It's something I truly enjoy. I'm not very sociable. I like going out once in a while, but I prefer to stay in, yeah? And I can spend hours in the sim without thinking twice."

"I spent the last few days watching a lot of interviews. Not just of you and Checo, but everyone on the grid," y/n said softly. "Leclerc talks about piano and his family, Norris talks about gaming and DJing, and Hamilton has his six hundred side projects."

"Yes?" He didn't look or sound impatient for her to get to the point, and she appreciated that.

"The thing is, they all have passions outside of racing. This – formula one, fastest cars, all that – is a goal, a dream, but they all have something else they love, that they can pursue now." She paused, meeting his eyes. "The only thing I've seen you passionate about is racing."

He blinked once, nodding his head. "Because it is my passion."

Y/n regarded him carefully for a moment. "You're very lucky, Max."

That must have surprised him, because his brow furrowed. "Why do you say that?"

"Not everyone is able to be successful following their passion. Being able to do what you love for both a job and hobbies is almost unheard of, yet you're doing it. You break records and win races and yeah you've had a few setbacks but you're still in love with this. And on your off time you're training to be better and studying tracks and you go home and race on your computer." She shook her head in amazement. "You're incredibly lucky, that your passion is not only something you're good at but something you can be immersed in nonstop, and that you haven't lost your love for it."

"I guess I am lucky," he said carefully. "But luck had nothing to do with me getting into formula one."

"I know." She held up her hands, not wanting him to think she thought he was in the position he was purely by chance. "I can't imagine how much work you've done over the years, or how many sacrifices you've had to make. It's just… In my experience, passion doesn't always equal financial stability is what I'm trying to say."

"What's that saying? Do something you love and you never work a day in your life?"

Y/n snorted. "That's bullshit. I love sleeping and yet I still have to work."

That made him laugh and she rolled her eyes, even though she enjoyed the sound. "Surely you love more than sleep."

"I love a lot of things. Maybe that's been my problem all my life. I find things and fall in love with them and when I think hey this might be it something new and shiny comes along and I fall in love with that."

"There's nothing wrong with being passionate about many things," Max said gently.

"That's what I keep telling myself. And yet—"

"Are you saying you don't love your job?"

She froze, a wave of panic rippling through her. "Uhmm… Since it's technically my first day I can't answer that."

"Okay. Do you love your social media?" he asked, leaning forward and resting his arms on the table.

The table which was, suddenly, smaller than she remembered.

"I like engaging others. I like creating conversations and seeing my work appreciated," she finally said.

"You sound like a PR person. Do you love it?" He enunciated each word slowly.

She couldn't say yes. The answer wasn't no, either, because she didn't hate it. "I personally hate it. But you've learned how to make it work for you, yeah? How to word things to spark a conversation among followers? What type of content people appreciate?"

"I like to think so."

"Stop being so unsure of yourself. You study it, right? At your last job when you posted a video and no one liked it what did you do? "

She exhaled harshly. "I compare it to ones that did well and pick it apart to see why it didn't work."

"Why?"

"Why?" she echoed.

"Why did you pick it apart?"

"Because I wanted it to do well," she said slowly.

"And these conversations you want to create, do you join in or sit and watch them happen behind the safety of your screen?" He reached over, gently turning her laptop so he could see the screen.

"I engage. I reply and ask questions to make the viewers want to keep the conversation going."

"Why?"

"Because—" She clicked the mouse, bringing up the comments below the video she'd posted to Instagram. "These comments? Come from people that love this brand – or sport. Some of them are trolls who just want to start up an argument to make their boring lives more interesting for a few minutes, but for the most part it's people who care. People who want to see this team do well. People who had the dream of doing it themselves but life got in the way. People who watched it with their parents and still watch to stay connected to someone they love. It's little kids who want to be like you. It's people who spend their hard earned money on a t-shirt or a hat or a ticket to see someone they admire live out their dream." She took a quick breath, scrolling through the comments. "If I don't like or respond to them, they feel like their opinions don't matter. And maybe they don't in the grand scheme of formula one. But they want to be seen and heard. When I click and they see that Red Bull Racing liked their comment or replied with an emoji or whatever, they have a few seconds of elation, and their support of this team is cemented just a bit more."

Max blinked at her, and she continued even though she heard him draw a breath to speak.

"I know very well how horrible social media can be. However, I've seen how it fosters growth for a company. You're not stupid, I'm sure you've seen how TikTok challenges or Instagram livestreams have brought in more support. Not to mention money. If a post of you wearing your Red Bull shirt gets a million likes, I can probably pull the data and show you that a hundred thousand people went to view the shirt on the official shop and probably twenty-five thousand ordered one. A silly picture of you arriving for race day or a new helmet design pulls people in and gets them excited. And, yes, it makes money. Which in turn pays the salaries of everyone on the team."

"Y/n."

She sucked in a breath. "I'm—"

"Passionate," he whispered before she could say sorry.

"I know what it's like to enjoy something and never feel included," she murmured. "So, yeah… I guess I love what I do, because I like that I can include people in something they love."

His hand covered hers briefly. "For a moment there, I even loved social media."

She watched his fingers squeeze hers before they slid away, wondering why his touch lingered. "Yeah?"

"It's easy to forget that there are real people saying nice things. Sometimes all you can see is the negativity."

"Negativity only breeds more negativity—"

"And when you look at it, it's all you'll see," he murmured.

"Well… So far everything I've posted today has been met with positivity."

"That's good."

"Okay, a few comments about wanting to see Lando on the podium. Thank you for letting me rant about why I do what I do," she said, glancing at his hand without meaning to.

"You let me do the same," he reminded her. Lifting his chin, he waited until she looked at him again. "Are you too busy to see what I was talking about?"

"I don't have anything scheduled until after lunch."

"Perfect." He lightly drummed on the table and stood. "Do you want to see my rig?"

"You do know I won't have a clue what anything but the computer and monitor are, right?" Smiling, she stood and began packing away her stuff.

Closing her laptop, he handed it over, catching her earbud when it fell off the edge of the table. "Maybe you'll like it so much you'll want one of your own."

*-*

He was rambling, he knew he was, telling her about the setup and his plan for the 24 hour race over the weekend and how he had everything scheduled so he could do two of the things he loved most. But he could tell she was paying attention, actually listening, as if she really cared. Rubbing his palms against his thighs, he finished and looked up at her.

"So this is your actual job and the f1 thing is just a hobby?" she teased.

Laughing, he got to his feet and got himself a can of Red Bull. "It's just racing, y/n."

"And racing is life."

"Absolutely." He watched her muffle a yawn behind her hand.

"Am I allowed to mention it in my posts? Because it sounds so badass. Sim race stint then qualifying, chug a Red Bull, sim race stint then race."

"You can mention it, not like it's a secret." He watched her hide another yawn and cleared his throat. "Looks like you need a Red Bull."

She shook her head. "Can I tell you a secret?"

Nodding, he checked the time. Just over an hour before he had to meet with his trainer. "Of course."

"I hate Red Bull," she whispered.

He choked on a laugh. "You what?"

"I've tried so many times! I can just about stomach one of the flavored editions, but the original? Tastes like battery acid to me." She looked embarrassed and covered her face with her hands. "Please don't tell anyone."

"You hate the drink. So you accepted a job with a team owned by the drink company." He wanted to laugh. It was so absurd to him.

"Yes," she groaned.

"That would be like me taking a job at Instagram."

"I know it's so bad. What makes it worse is I love Monster—"

"Of course you do," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"Please say you won't tell anyone. If corporate hears, I'll probably get fired. It's in my contract that I can only drink that while in pubic during race weekends which means I've got to either stick to water or learn to fake it."

"Your secret's safe with me," Max promised, breathing in the aroma of her perfume as she moved past him to get her bag.

"Thank you. I think Ellie would kill me if I told her I have to find a new job."

He didn't want her to go so soon. Ridiculous because he knew he'd see her in just a few hours. By the end of the weekend he'd be sick of seeing her. Sipping his drink, he finally sighed and cleared his throat. "You can take a power nap."

She whipped her head around, sending a wave of her perfume his way. "What?"

"A power nap." Before he could stop himself he was setting down his drink and taking her bag off her shoulder. "Thirty minutes, and you'll feel great."

"Max—"

"You need to be alert and focused, and I don't have a Monster for you to drink. Please, I insist." He motioned to his bed in the far corner, gently nudging her shoulder when she hesitated.

"You're sure?" she asked softly, and when he assured her he was she bent to take off her shoes, looking almost elated as she walked over to the bed. "Wait, I need to set an alarm."

"I'll wake you."

She lifted an eyebrow and he pulled out his phone to set a thirty minute timer. Satisfied, she sat on the edge of the bed, thanking him several times as she laid down and curled up on her side. "Thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes," he murmured, sitting on the couch to answer emails. It was fifteen minutes before she stopped shifting and kicking, and when he heard her breathing even out he knew she was asleep. Resetting the timer, he stood and carefully pulled the blanket over her, then returned to the couch and tried his best to ignore that she was sleeping in his room.

Her phone started buzzing on the table. She didn't stir so he ignored it, focusing on his email. That was impossible though so he cleared out his unread texts, one foot bouncing each time he heard her breathe. A mistake. It had been a mistake. He jumped up when her phone began to buzz again and, glancing from it to her, he realized she would undoubtedly sleep through it. He picked it up and was about to silence it when he saw the name on the screen. Ellie. That was her friend that was helping with Kevin… Something could be wrong, so he answered the call and lifted the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, we just— Who's this?"

"Max. This is Ellie?"

"…Yes…" The woman sounded wary. "Why are you – Oh! Max! Right of course. Um, is y/n okay?"

Max looked over at her, smiling faintly when she shifted. "She's fine. Taking a nap, actually."

Ellie snorted. "Of course she is."

"Is everything okay with Kevin?"

As though aware of the question, Kevin began chattering in the background. "Yeah, he's perfect. I was calling to let her know we just got here but I ain't got a clue where to go."

"Are you at the main entrance?" he asked, slipping out of the room so he wouldn't wake y/n. Ellie told him where they were and he nodded as he pulled out his own phone to text one of the team assistants. "You're going to walk down to the turnstiles, scan your passes and come through. Someone will be there to meet you and bring you to the motorhome."

"Ok perfect. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. We'll be downstairs to meet you." Ending the call, he checked that the assistant was going to meet them then reentered his room. He closed the door and silenced his timer. "Y/n?"

She hummed in her sleep, and he smiled while he crossed over to the bed.

"Y/n," he called gently. She groaned, shifting to face away from him and it suddenly occurred to him that when he went to bed that night he would smell her on the pillow and the sheets. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea, but it was too late now.

Would he be an asshole if he had his sheets changed before the end of the day?

Leaning down, he gently touched her shoulder. She inhaled sharply and he saw her eyes snap open. "You have company on its way," he said softly, tugging the covers back in case she tried to get comfortable again. His eyes swept down, locking on the skin bared by her shirt, which had ridden up in her sleep. "Come on, you had a nice nap, time to wake up."

"This bed is so much more comfortable than the one at the hotel," she mumbled, slowly sitting up and turning to face him. Smoothing down her shirt, she stretched and sighed, blinking as she focused on him. "Oh! Ellie and Kevin!"

He laughed as she leapt to her feet, his hands immediately moving to steady her. "It's fine, they haven't even made it to the paddock yet. I've sent someone to meet them."

"Oh," she murmured. "Thank you."

His hands were on her hips, and he forced his breathing to remain calm as she rested her hands on his forearms. The space, which had felt roomy and open, now felt tiny with how close she was to him. He was painfully aware of the scant space between them and each place their bodies touched, but more so of her. That heady floral scent of her perfume and the softness of her palms against his skin. The gentle lushness of her hips. He could hear every breath as his gaze traveled up from her hands to her face, lingering on her slightly parted lips before settling on her eyes. "You good?"

"Yep."

"Right. Sorry," he mumbled, releasing her hips and taking a step back. "I'll get your shoes."

What was wrong with him? It hadn't been so long that he got turned on like a teenager just from touching a woman… As he bent to retrieve her shoes he counted back, dragging a hand over his face in humiliation. What must she think of him? He'd brought her to his room, showed off his fancy toys, then let her sleep in his bed. She probably thought he wanted to fuck her—

You do.

—which couldn't be further from the truth. He was just being nice. Because she was nice. That was all.

Wasn't it?

And why, he wondered as he handed her shoes to her and told her about answering Ellie's call, did he care what she thought? Not caring was his specialty.  

"How do you feel?" he asked, finishing his drink in one gulp.

"Refreshed. Thank you so much, Max." She tied her shoes and ran her fingers through her hair. Her lips moved but he didn't hear a word she said, watching her gather her hair and twist and twirl it, securing it with a band from her wrist.

Witchcraft.

"That okay with you?" she asked, slipping her phone into her pocket.

"Of course," he answered automatically.

She clapped her hands together. "Great! I'll put up a post asking for fan questions."

Max blinked, pinching his brows together. "Fan questions."

"Well we can't do an impromptu Q and A without questions." She had her other phone out now, fingers flying across the screen. "We'll do it this afternoon? Just let me know the best time."

Fuck's sake. What had he agreed to? More importantly, how had she gotten him to say yes? Everyone knew he had a low tolerance for marketing. He could take it back and say no, he couldn't do it today. He could tell her to get Checo to do it, that he would do it another time. He'd gotten out of marketing and social media stupidity without a problem plenty of times before. But he was already opening his calendar, going over his schedule, already telling her the open slot he had at 5, and was already putting Q and A with Y/n in that space.

"Perfect," she enthused, shouldering her bag and heading for the door, her fingers still tapping swiftly on the screen. "They should be here about now, right?"

Nodding, he followed her out the room and down, smiling when Kevin came through the front door with a woman he assumed was Ellie. The boy dropped her hand and sprinted over to y/n, who dropped down to hug him tightly. Max looked on, chest squeezing, searching for something that had been lacking, as mother and son talked and hugged, their words overlapping. They both understood each other perfectly, though, and he smiled at Kevin's excited retelling of what he'd had for breakfast. Introducing himself to Ellie, he reached to shake her hand.

"Mister Max!" The boy squealed.

"Kevin!" He was down in a split second, Ellie forgotten and chest constricting tighter as Kevin hugged him like a long lost friend.

"I saw two cats and a horse!" Kevin tugged at his shirt, grinning as he showed off his Red Bull merch.

"You did? What kind of cats?" he asked, taking the boy's cap and beginning to roll the brim for him while the boy described the cats and then the horse. Returning the cap, he enthused over animals, telling him about his own two cats and pulling out his phone to show him a few pictures.

"I miss Cotton," Kevin said with a small pout.

"Is that your cat?" Max saw his trainer approaching and gave him a quick nod.

"Yeah. We can't bring him to Eng-a-lund so Aunt Ellie's sister has him." Kevin's pout melted into a faint smile. "But she sends lots of pictures!"

"That's good. And maybe you'll be able to get him soon."

"Mama says it's s'pensive." The boy sighed as though he had to earn the money to bring his beloved cat to England.

"I know," Max sympathized. "Go with your mum, yeah? I've got to go train."

Kevin's face puckered in confusion. "Train? Like Shang?"

Y/n cleared her throat. "We watched Mulan on the flight last night."

"What did Shang do?" Max vaguely remembered the movie, but it had been years since he'd seen it.

"He made a man out of 'em."

"Okay, doodle bug, we have to let Max get his workout in," y/n said, flashing Max a smile. "If you ask another question he'll start singing the song."

Max stared at her then turned his attention back to Kevin. "What song?"

Because he had to. Because hearing her groan as her son began singing a song about being a man was priceless. And the dramatic way she hung her head when Ellie joined in made him laugh. Kevin giggled, cutting off his singing and looking at Max hopefully. "Will you watch it with me?"

"I—"

"Mister Max is too busy to watch a movie," y/n cut in.

"We'll watch it this weekend," Max promised, hating the sadness in the boy's eyes. Relieved when it disappeared in a flash, he gave him a high five and stood.

"Yay!"

He exchanged a look with y/n, who sighed and nodded, reaching for Kevin's hand. "I'll see you later," he said.

"5 o'clock," she reminded him as he headed out.

*-*

"So…"

Y/n groaned at Ellie's knowing tone. Watching as Kevin was snatched up by Lando so he wasn't crashed into by Charles in the impromptu game of football, she folded her arms over her chest. "So?"

"He had coffee with you."

God, here we go.

"Showed you his private room and his expensive computer setup… Let you take a nap in his bed—"

"He's just being nice," y/n insisted.

"And he's gonna take time out of his ridiculously busy weekend to watch a movie with Kevin." Ellie hummed, taking a sip of her tea.

Ignoring her, y/n looked on as Lando, Oscar, and Logan pretended to fight back the others while Kevin kicked the ball towards the goal. They were all shouting, dramatic and over the top, and above it all she heard the sweetest sound of her son's laughter. When the ball rolled into the net there was a roar that rivaled a championship game, and she joined in the cheering and applauding.

"You could do worse," Ellie murmured.

"Would you stop?" Y/n rolled her eyes, giving Logan a thumbs up when he gestured to the football and Kevin, understanding they wanted to have another quick game.

"He's cute."

"They all are," y/n muttered without thinking, lifting her camera for a few photos for her personal collection. Recognizing Checo when he suddenly appeared in the viewfinder, she snapped more photos, lowering the camera to watch.

"You know—"

"I can't wait for you to start your job so I can come and try to partner you up with a coworker," she huffed, snorting when Ellie gasped.

"You wouldn't."

"In a heartbeat."

"Besides, there's only one person in that group that's technically your coworker," Ellie said.

"I'm not here for that."

"I know." Ellie leaned against her briefly. "Wouldn't be me if I didn't encourage a delusion, though."

"Yeah…" Y/n laughed softly. "It's my first day, of course everyone's already in love with me."

"Exactly."

It was what she loved about Ellie. No matter what, she could make her laugh. Grinning, she watched Kevin bump into Oscar, who immediately collapsed with an exaggerated howl of pain, holding the leg that Kevin hadn't touched. "And they're all so good with kids."

"Total dad material, every one of them," Ellie agreed. "Not a stepdad, a dad who stepped up."

She choked on a laugh, playfully swatting her friend's arm. Because she knew Logan had overheard them. "Stop—"

"And probably more than willing to crack your back—"

"Oh my god." Clapping a hand over her face, she sensed someone approaching. "I have to work with these people."

"Only until they fuck a baby into you."

"Hey, y/n, your kid's so cool," Logan said.

Her face burned but she slowly pulled her hand away, giving him a weak smile. "Thanks."

He propped his hands on his waist, breathing heavy as he watched Kevin dart between Lando, Oscar, Checo, and Alex. "He always this energetic?"

"Fify-fifty. He's either like this or so quiet I worry he's up to something."

Logan chuckled. "Is he a troublemaker?"

"Nah, if he's quiet it's because he's focused on his cars or studying a bug."

"Christ! Get it away from me!"

Y/n's heart lurched at the sudden shriek from Lando, and she barely saw him sprinting away from her son, who was holding something in his hands.

"It's a frog, mate!" Oscar shouted behind him.

"Don't care!"

Kevin slowly walked over to y/n. "Mama, look!" he said, eyes shining with excitement. His cheeks were a little flushed from the hard play and he was giggling. "Mister Lando scared of a l'il frog."

"He's just not a country boy like you, honey," she soothed. "But maybe we should put the frog somewhere he'll be safe?"

"C'mon, Kev, I'll help you," Logan offered.

"Hmm," Ellie hummed once Logan had scooped Kevin up, cupping one hand over the boy's to keep the frog from jumping away.

"Shut it."

"I didn't say a word."

"Please, that hmm contained at least two paragraphs, ten innuendoes, and a pointed reference," y/n said, trailing behind Logan. Looking on as he set Kevin down near the tree line, she got a few pictures of them releasing the frog. She cringed when her son wiped his dirty hands on his shorts but Logan didn't seem to mind, lifting him up and carrying him back to her.

"He's free!" Kevin squealed. "Thanks, Mister Logan."

"Anytime, Kev." He tousled his curly hair after setting him down, flashing a shy smile at y/n.

She returned the smile, eyes following Kevin as he ran back to the game. "He's gonna pass out as soon as we get back to the hotel."

"He could probably run circles around all of us all night," Logan chuckled.

"True…"

"So like…" He cleared his throat. "Are you married?"

God, she loved Floridians. "No," she answered, turning to look at him. "Are you?"

"God no." He made a face at the thought. "So you're single?"

She nodded, already formulating how she would turn him down if he asked her out. She was too busy. Not interested in anything romantic at the moment. It never hurt to be honest, right? She couldn't lie and say she just had a messy breakup or—

"Would you be interested in – I'm not trying to hook up or anything," he said quickly when she opened her mouth. "Just, like, as a friend? I know how it is to feel like a fish out of water here. I'm kind of used to it but I can remember feeling like I was alone and surrounded by people who didn't understand my Americanisms."

"Oh." Aw. Damn it, she couldn't say no to that. "I… Yeah, sure, I'd like that."

He smiled. "Awesome. Maybe we can do something tomorrow after practice?" he suggested.

"Sure, sounds great. Text me?" she requested. Her phone alarm started going off and she pulled it out to silence it. "I gotta go. I'll see you later."

She waved to Ellie and mimed that she had to get some work done, waiting for her friend to wave back before making her way to the garage. While walking she got a message from one of the mechanics that the cars were photo ready and quickened her pace, envisioning the photos she would get of the mechanics and engineers. As she worked she asked questions, truly interested in what everyone did, a small idea forming that she'd run by Mr. Horner later. She knew that she would enjoy mini profiles on the team, with just the most basic of information like their names and where they were from. Maybe how long they'd been on the team, what had brought them to formula one…

"Thanks so much guys," she said as she finished up, declining the offer of a cold Red Bull. Her alarm went off again – twenty minutes to get ready to meet Max in the lounge back at the motorhome – and she switched off the camera, waving bye and turning to leave the garage.

She slammed into a human wall, grunting in surprise as she stumbled back. Twice in one day, really? The bump had caused the camera to slam against her ribs and she rubbed the spot gently. "I'm sorry! Wasn't looking where I was going."

She expected a chuckle, a reassurance that it was a hazard of the job. Maybe even an apology in return. Instead, the older man sneered at her, looking her up and down in such a way she felt like a child caught misbehaving. "You need to learn your place."

She gulped, fear prickling through her embarrassment. And even though she knew she hadn't done anything wrong, she found her mouth opening to apologize. "S-sorry."

"Horner know better than to hire amateurs," he muttered, scoffing. "He obviously didn't hire you for your looks."

She bristled at that. "I beg your pardon?"

"As you should." He brushed past her.

She felt weak. Clammy and cold. Shuddering slightly, she swallowed hard and left the garage, heading straight for the motorhome, where she was able to catch her breath. Who the hell had that been? He'd been wearing a Red Bull pass, so he had to be on the team. He was obviously important. She couldn't imagine him being considered her boss, not when everyone else had been so nice and—

"Ah, y/n, are you ready to do the Q and A?" Max asked.

Y/n felt her lungs burn and sucked in a breath, staring at the cup of coffee she'd made herself. "Y-yeah, I'll meet you up on the deck?"

Please go up, please go up, please go—

"What's wrong?"

Goddammit.

"Y/n?" He looked and sounded concerned, and she ducked her head as he walked over. "Hey…"

"I'm fine," she lied.

"You're a terrible liar," he said, leaning against the counter. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I'm just overreacting." Rubbing her hand over her face, she shook her head and reached for the coffee. "Just a run-in with an asshole."

"But I haven't seen you in three hours." Max's lips barely twitched at the corner.

"Not you, a different asshole." She felt her cheeks burn and groaned. "I'm not saying you're an asshole!"

"You don't have to, I already know I can be an asshole at times." Folding his arms over his chest, he met her eyes. "Who was it?"

"That's the thing, I don't even know. I was coming out of the garage – You know, I went down to get pics of the mechanics? Anyway, I was about to text you about the Q and A and wasn't looking where I was going and bumped into him."

"Who?"

"I don't know. Older, kinda tall? Sour faced." She raised a hand to the man's approximate height. "I apologized and he told me I need to learn my place, then said I was an amateur and Horner obviously didn't hire me for my looks – I didn't ask his name because I was in shock. All I know is he had a Red Bull pass."

Max's brow furrowed, and she felt him tense. Then, to her surprise, he described the man perfectly.

"Yeah, that's him." She bit her lip. "You know him?"

"Unfortunately," he muttered. "It's my dad."

"Oh." Y/n looked down at her coffee. "Sorry."

"Me too." He sighed, pushing away from the counter. "Don't listen to him, yeah? You have more right to be here than he does, and you're not an amateur. As much as I hate social media, even I can tell that you're excellent at your job."

"Thank you," she whispered. "I just… I've spent my entire adult life working to improve myself and discover my own worth as a human being, and I can give other women empowering pep talks, but I still freeze when a man that thinks he's better than me talks down to me."

"Fuck him," Max said simply. "He's not your boss, he can't control anything you do in your life."

"Either you're really trying to make me feel better or you really don't like your dad," she murmured. When he didn't reply, she slowly lifted her gaze. Seeing the muscle in his jaw twitch, she felt a pang of sympathy. If the man had been that rude to her, a stranger, she couldn't begin to imagine what he'd been like to his own son.

"If he speaks to you like that again, you let me know."

"I don't want to cause a fuss—"

"Not wanting to cause a fuss is why he thinks he can get away with it," Max pointed out. "I'll speak to Christian—"

"Max, no, it's literally my first week!"

"Which is why you have to set boundaries now. He'll either treat you with the respect you deserve or he'll be banned from the paddock."

Y/n blinked in shock. "You'd have him banned?"

"In a heartbeat." The look on his face told her he was serious, from the determined set of his jaw to the way he kept his eyes level with hers. "So either you mention it to Christian in the team meeting or I will."

"God," she groaned, knowing that this had to be just one tiny item among a long list of infractions for Max to want him banned. "Okay. I'll tell him before the team meeting tomorrow."

"Good. Come, let's do the Q and A. You ready?" he asked, taking her empty cup and throwing it away.

"Yeah." Grateful for the distraction, she walked to the stairs with him. "I did a clip of you looking confused and posted it on TikTok and Instagram that went viral because I captioned it When You Ask Max Verstappen About Anything But Racing. Oh and I found out Tumblr fans love making gifs of you laughing. Twitter likes making memes out of your face. Whereas Facebook is mostly a bunch of boomers commenting about how I'm ruining the integrity of the sport."

"I really do hate social media," he snorted.

"And that is why I'm doing social media," she teased. Halfway up the stairs, she slowed, turning to look at him. "Thank you, Max."

"For hating social media? You're welcome."

taglist

@spookystitchery | @halleest | @lyannesworld | @llando4norris

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC’s Lucien - First Snowfall Date - English Translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

Lucien’s 2024 CN Birthday Event (Golden Love Ratio)✧ Birthday Story | Birthday Prologue + Birthday Date (You’re here!) | ASMR

"Actually, the reason for wanting to own a castle is quite simple."

"Because that way, I could have a space of my own to carry out those daring and even dangerous experiments."

"And my parents could also accompany me in the castle, pursuing the research they are deeply passionate about."

"That way, they wouldn’t have to be 'trapped' in the lab all the time."

Translation under the cut!

I’m sorry for dropping this so late. As you might have seen from my tweet, my dad was hospitalized in ICU this month. I’m still struggling emotionally now as I wait for him to wake up. It’s been a difficult time, and the grief is still heavy on me as he hasn’t regained consciousness yet… 

Sharing this date translation is the least I can do to celebrate his birthday for now, even though I won’t be annoyingly scream about it like I usually would hhhh. I guess this date feels a bit like a small comfort—a reminder that even if your loved ones have passed away, it’s not all sadness. There’s still warmth in the memories they left behind :”””.

So, Xu Mo, happy birthday. I’m so happy to see you finally embracing your past with such warmth and nostalgia. Honestly, this year feels like it’s all about him finally gaining ‘blood and flesh,’ becoming more human and beautifully stained with the colors of the mortal world. His world is no longer monochrome, and now he’s moving toward the most vibrant and colorful spring. 

✂———————–

Before reading recommendations:

[2024 Birthday Birthday (a MUST read because this date is heavily reference this!) - My Translation]

[Winery date - Youtube (EN Loc)] 

—秋天是个本身就是带着悲伤和落寞的季节， 但是秋天也拥有盛放的花草， 拥有醇美的葡萄 酒， 还有不变的思念。(Autumn itself is a season inherently tinged with sadness and loneliness. Yet, autumn also boasts blooming flowers and thriving plants, rich and mellow wines, and unwavering longing.’) 

[Autumn Blaze Date - Youtube (EN Loc)]

No tear-floods, Nor sigh-tempests move. The fulfillment of a promise is...

“诺言的实现是别离的开始”。(“The fulfillment of a promise is the beginning of separation.")

[Tidying Up Date - My Translation - Youtube (EN Loc)]

—如果在那些被定格的风景里,你依然生动 鲜活,是否证明我还想念着你。(If in those frozen scenes, you still appear vivid and lively as before, does that mean I still miss you?)

那些被我判定为重要的事,即便现在已经 不再拥有同样的心情,那我是否还爱着你。(If what I previously judged to be important no longer reflects my feelings now, does that mean I still love you?)

✂———————–

[Birthday Prologue]

Sunlight shines on the sofa, and the cozy warmth makes me lift my head from my laptop, stretching with a big, lazy yawn.

MC: It always feels like something’s missing…

Lucien's birthday is coming soon, and to properly celebrate that day, he's been rushing his experiments progress lately, making him incredibly busy.

So, I want to give him a "soft and fluffy" birthday where he can lie down anytime and anywhere.

It's just that I've run into a little problem for the time being.

=Flashback Start=

MC: Lucien, what do you think of this town?

Lucien: It seems quite nice. It just so happens that the lab next door seems to be going here to do some research.

MC: What? No, no, if we're not careful, you'll be swept away by work!

I took out my Plan B and placed it in front of Lucien.

MC: How about this southern city then~ It should be very warm here.

Lucien: Hmm... If you don't want to be disturbed by outsiders, I'm afraid this place won't work either.

Lucien: I remember an academic summit is being held here soon. I just returned the call and declined the invitation to attend.

=Flashback End=

Therefore, after several plans were forced to be aborted one after another, my gaze inevitably shifted to the other side of the ocean.

Let's go somewhere farther away!

That way, Lucien can have a peaceful birthday without being disturbed by work or the outside world.

I immediately change my search keywords and start browsing travel guides for long-distance birthday trips.

Suddenly, a relevant news notification pops up on the webpage.

A castle museum owned by a renowned inventor from the last century will soon be open to the public.

In the photo, the historic castle is adorned with falling red leaves in the sunlight, resembling a piece of condensed amber.

I excitedly click on it and discover that, in addition to the open exhibition area, the castle is also available for rent by the square meter.

MC: ...Castle rental?

My eyes light up, and an idea forms in my mind.

✂———————–

When Lucien returns in the evening, I quietly close my laptop and walk to the door with a smile.

MC: Lucien—welcome home~ Ahem, I have a new idea about your birthday!

Lucien takes off his coat and gently embraces me, his eyes reflecting a soft, tranquil smile like the surface of a shallow water.

Lucien: What's the idea?

MC: Heehee, let me give you a hint~ How about we go somewhere far away for your birthday this time, a place with a vintage feel?

A gentle puff of air that seems like a suppressed chuckle reaches my ears, and a thoughtful expression appears on Lucien's face.

Lucien: Hmm... So, how vintage are we talking?

MC: Like, no elevator, and maybe no heating?

Lucien: Sounds like it could be a bit cold. It seems we'll need to pack some warm clothes.

I subconsciously nod, then immediately react.

MC: Wait, you've already agreed?

Lucien: Mm, after all, celebrating a birthday in a castle is a very appealing option.

MC: !!

MC: Hey! I clearly kept it under wraps, I haven’t even booked the tickets yet.... how did you figure it out so quickly?

Lucien's lips curve into a smile as he takes my hand, his index finger gently tapping on the back of my hand.

Lucien: It's probably because... your browsing history is synced to my computer.

✂———————–

[Date]

If you want to follow along with the voice- you can hear it here . The date starts at 14:10

=[Part 1]=

The late autumn sunshine is softened by the clouds, leaping through the glass window and casting a honey-like, mottled glow on the wooden floor.

MC: Mmh…

The cold air wakes me. As I'm about to stretch, my right hand accidentally brushes against something warm and soft.

Lucien lies peacefully beside me, breathing steadily. His brow, furrowed from days of relentless work, finally relaxes as he falls into a deep well of sleep.

We crossed the ocean and arrived at an ancient castle on the Atlantic coast last night.

It is said that this castle was personally designed and built by an inventor from the electrical era. He gifted it to his wife as a wedding present upon its completion.

They fell in love as they settled down at this very place, continuously building love founded on mutual companionship. Here they remained until they eventually passed away together and were laid to rest eternally within the castle grounds.

The profound emotions and story, coupled with the beautiful view of maple leaves and the ancient castle before my eyes, strengthen my resolve to rent this castle.

Amidst the intermingling of light and shadow this early morning, I quietly gaze at Lucien and a soft warmth wells up in my heart.

A hand with defined knuckles encloses my right hand, his palm pressed against the back of my hand, transmitting his body heat.

It's as if he's reluctant to grasp it tightly, yet unwilling to let go, so he just gently cups my hand.

I raise the hand that he isn’t holding, my fingertips hovering at the smallest distance as I trace the outline of his features.

Eyelashes, the bridge of his nose, his lips… until those closed eyelids suddenly quiver and blink lightly.

Lucien slowly opens his eyes, a hint of soft sleepiness lingering in them.

His hold on my hand tightens as he looks at me drowsily, revealing a gentle, soft smile under the sunlight.

I shift my body slightly, blocking the sunlight that's falling into his eyes, then lean down and gently press my cheek against his.

MC: Happy birthday, Professor Lucien~

Lucien: [his sleepy, soft voice is so cute-] Thank you, my little lady.

He tilts his face up, nuzzling affectionately against my cheek. The sunlight falls on his side profile, making him look fluffy.

The strands of his hair tangle with mine, stirring tender and lingering itches.

Lucien: Waking up in a castle and hearing MC's blessing, I must be the happiest person in the world right now.

Lucien: If I were to say there's still something missing, it would probably be...

Lucien: [chuckles] You're right. This castle is indeed quite cold.

His teasing tone makes me unable to resist lifting the corner of my lips. I snuggle closer, resting my cheek on his collarbone and nuzzling against it, warming the slightly cold patch of skin.

After warming up his skin that was exposed to the air, I tilt my face up to look at him.

MC: Being here with you under the covers like this makes it feel just a bit warmer.  

MC: However, getting up and moving around might help warm up our body too.

I wink at Lucien, speaking with a feigned seriousness that makes the matter seem like a big deal.

MC: I’ve decided to leave this difficult decision to the esteemed castle owner. May I ask, what would Your Highness like to do*?

My words are the picture of courtesy, yet I press myself against Lucien, my hand boldly and unreservedly traces his cheek.

His chest, pressed tightly against mine, trembles softly. Lucien takes my fingers, bringing them to his pale lips for a gentle kiss.

Lucien: Since I’m the owner of this castle... then, I want to stay in bed with my girlfriend for a bit longer right now.

He looks at me and blinks, his eyelashes casting a warm shadow on his cheek.

Lucien: [chuckles] Is that okay?

His voice holds a touch of playful mischievousness. I meet those eyes filled with smiles and feel a little dazed.

MC: Of course…

Before I can even finish speaking, I feel his hand tighten around my waist, and I yield as he wraps me back in the blanket again.

From just a breath away, I hear Lucien's long, contented exhale.

Lucien: [chuckles softly, then exhales comfortably] Then stay with me a little longer, let's indulge in bed a bit more.

✂———————–

*: MC playfully used 您 (nin) here, which is like the formal way to say ‘you’. I translate this to ‘Your Highness’ as an attempt to capture this~

✂———————–

=[Part 2]=

We linger in bed until almost noon when Lucien finally 'digs' me out of the warm covers while I’m still drowsy from sleep.

After freshening up, we enjoy the sumptuous and exquisite brunch prepared by the butler.

Before the birthday dinner arrives, we still have a long stretch of leisurely time that we can freely arrange.

Considering this rare opportunity to vacation in the castle, we decide to spend half the day on the castle's lawn.

Late autumn is a season of vibrant colors, and the castle's designer clearly understood this well, planting a row of deciduous trees along the castle's edge.

[Trivia: Deciduous trees are trees that shed their leaves each year in the autumn!]

The lawn remains as green as an antique jade, but the leaves of the trees have already turned yellow, with a backdrop of maple forests ablaze in crimson.

The sunlight is warm, the fallen leaves crunch under my feet, and I can't help but take a deep breath.

MC: Mmm... It's the scent of autumn!

Lucien chuckles softly and, imitating me, takes a gentle breath of the autumn air.

Lucien: [chuckles] The air is so fresh. It must have rained last night; I can smell the petrichor.

MC: Hearing you say that, it feels like even the air today is a fresh gift for you~

I reach out and catch a falling leaf carried by the autumn breeze, gently placing it in Lucien's hand.

MC: Lucien, I want to give you a gift of autumn!

Lucien: A gift of autumn?

Lucien takes the leaf with a slightly puzzled look. I swing his hand gently and give him a wink.

MC: Consider this leaf a humble offering to spark something greater.

MC: I want to use these fallen leaves, flowers, and fruits to make an autumn basket, offering a small gift to today's birthday boy using nature's bounty.

Lucien gently nods in understanding, the curve of his lips remaining unchanged.

Lucien: Even though you're preparing a gift for me, the birthday boy himself is eager to join in too.

Lucien: Or is it that my little lady will only allow me to stand back and do nothing?

As he leans in slightly, his tone carries a hint of seriousness, and his fingertips lightly brush against my palm.

Sunlight sprinkles across his face, and his smiling eyes, framed by the interplay of light and shadow, appear even deeper, revealing a gentle slyness.

MC: Of course I need Professor Lucien's help, but when it comes to the final weaving stage, the birthday boy can't peek~

Lucien: No problem, I will be an honest collaborator.

The autumn wind lifts his hair, creating gentle curves as it sweeps through the strands. I gather his fingers in mine and we step onto the forest path by the castle.

MC: Let's go then, we still need a lot of materials~

In the maple forest during late autumn, fruit trees laden with fruit hide amongst the low bushes, while vibrant beeches with flourishing branches and leaves stand beside the tall oaks.

Purple crocuses peek their delicate buds from the grass, while after the rain, strange fungi unfurl their caps and release spores.

It's like stumbling into an autumn oil painting with bold colors and thick brushstrokes, every glance reveals a colorful and magnificent scenery.

When Lucien picks up a plump acorn, a red squirrel with a fluffy tail scurries out and squeaks at him.

MC: Wow, such a daring little squirrel!

Lucien and I are both taken aback for a moment; this little fellow seems completely unafraid of us.

MC: Is it greeting us, or is it trying to steal the fruit we've picked up?

Lucien seems to already have a way to handle this, a hint of cunningness flashing in his eyes.

He takes a pine cone in his hand and gently dangles it in front of the little squirrel's tail.

Lucien: [chuckles] Little guy, do you want this?

The greedy little squirrel's eyes instantly fixate on the new pine cone, completely captivated by his movement, and it scurries forward a few steps.

It stuffs the pine cone from Lucien's hand into its mouth in one gulp, then hops away with its cheeks puffed out.

Lucien: [chuckles] This maple forest is their world. That pine cone, well, let's just consider it an ‘entry fee'.

Lucien raises his hand again, and when he opens his palm before me, there they are—several even plumper and cuter acorns.

MC: Hold on, turns out you've been secretly keeping all these 'hidden treasures' to yourself!

Lucien: [in an ‘innocent’ tone] After all, my little lady needs these acorns, so I had to find a way to evade those sharp-eared and keen-eyed little fellows.

Though he says this, Lucien shows a relaxed expression, looking like a little fox pretending to be innocent.

The thought of the Great Professor Lucien actually ‘tricking’ a squirrel makes me burst out laughing. I grab his hand and pull him along as I run in the other direction.

MC: Hahaha, Professor Lucien, quick, run with me! Be careful, the little squirrel might go find the squirrel police and report us!

I hold hands with Lucien as we walk through the woods. The surrounding scenery is vibrant with colors, creating the impression of a flowing oil painting.

The air around the sweet osmanthus trees is filled with a sweet fragrance like cotton candy, while black walnuts and red oak acorns roll on the ground.

My pockets are loaded with autumn's ‘spoils’ which keep spilling out as I run, as if they are merging with the forest's hidden mysteries.

Despite these minor incidents, we still manage to gather a basketful of autumn's gifts.

✂———————–

Back indoors, I carry my blessings for Lucien and patiently weave them together.

Leaves and fruits gradually take shape in my hands, carrying small heartfelt wishes, preserving the warmth and liveliness of autumn.

And then, I find Lucien by the window.

He seems to have just come inside, a hint of coldness still clinging to him, but when he turns and looks back at me, a gentle smile quickly spreads across his face.

I smile and lift the basket of fruits and flowers with both hands as if I'm holding all the beauty of autumn.

MC: This castle’s most beautiful autumn is all right here! Here, it's all yours—

MC: I hope every day of your future can be as complete, fulfilling, and beautiful as this~

Lucien's eyes curve into a smile as he takes the basket.  Suddenly, I feel a touch of moist coolness against my ear.

Through the glass window, I see him quietly tuck a vibrant Cleome flower into my hair.

Lucien: Thank you, I really like these autumn gifts.

Lucien: But for me, the most beautiful part of autumn is right here before my eyes.

Lucien: She blooms year after year, staying by my side, and leaving me utterly captivated*.

✂———————–

[T/N]

I think the Cleome Spinosa flower, also known as 醉蝶花 ("intoxicated butterfly") carries symbolic meaning. When Lucien gives her this particular flower, it reflects his emotions about her. The final line (她年复一年地盛开,陪在我的身边,令我沉醉其中 — literally translated as "She blooms year after year, staying by my side, and leaving me intoxicated") directly connects to the "intoxicating" (醉) in the flower's name with the word 沉醉 (immersed in a state of intoxication) in the last line, which combines 沉 (to sink or immerse) and 醉 (to be drunk or intoxicated).

沉醉 conveys the emotional nuances of being utterly captivated, deeply enchanted, and overwhelmed in a consuming, blissful way. This imagery mirrors the 'intoxicated butterfly' of the flower, as if he's the 'intoxicated butterfly', utterly captivated and completely consumed by her existence.

✂———————–

=[Part 3]=

It's past dusk, and the sunlight is as golden and radiant as freshly harvested honey. Outside the window, a vast expanse of red maple trees sways in harmony with the evening breeze, whispering a soft melody. Leaves flutter and dance their way into the room every now and then.

I rub my arms, for even this gentle and beautiful scenery can’t stop the temperature from dropping as night falls.

MC: Uh... It feels even colder than it did this morning.

Just then, the sound of rolling wheels comes from behind me. Lucien approaches, pushing a small wooden cart, a plush shawl in his hand.

Lucien: I found a pretty good way to warm up, want to give it a try?

He gently wraps a shawl around me, and I comfortably nuzzle against his warm and cozy neck.

MC: I'm all ears to hear the esteemed opinions of the castle's owner!

Lucien smiles mysteriously, holds my hand, and pushes the cart as we walk together to a door leading underground.

MC: This is... a wine cellar?

Lucien: I think it would be more ceremonial if we chose the wine list ourselves tonight.

He lights the two oil lamps that were prepared in advance. Each of us carries one, and we slowly move forward through the rich aroma of oak barrels.

According to the butler, the wine cellar was recently ventilated.  

Yet, perhaps the overwhelming aroma of wine saturates the air, walking inside makes me feel a bit stifled. I even feel slightly intoxicated just from the scent, before even having a sip.

Besides me, only Lucien still carries the fresh and crisp scent of grass and trees from when we were gathering fruits and fallen leaves.

It feels like he is the only antidote in this dim room filled with the floating aroma of wine.

Red maple leaves, the wine cellar, the wine itself… memories from the past seem to overlap at this moment.

Suddenly, I recall the winery we visited long ago.

The memory of the autumn stained red by the maple leaves has brought with it the restlessness and infatuation of the past, spilling out from the bottom of my heart without any reason...

It's as if my lips still retain the feeling of his touch when he wiped away the wine stain for me, making my heartbeat inexplicably quicken. Just then, I catch sight of Lucien gently placing a bottle of wine into the cart.

MC: Professor Lucien, what kind of wine did you choose?

Lucien: Riesling white wine.

Lucien turns the bottle around to show me.

Lucien: When I got the cart, the butler knew I was going to the wine cellar and recommended this castle's specialty to me.

Lucien: And you?

I suppress the excitement in my heart and wink at him mysteriously.

MC: Hmph, you'll find out soon enough.

The light and soft aroma of white wine fills the air, and even the candles on the wall seem intoxicated by the wine's fragrance, their flames gently flickering.  

Under the twilight dome of the sky, the shadows of the wine rack and stone walls sway gracefully in the flickering firelight.  

Lucien and I sit at a small table nearby, two crystal-clear glasses already filled with wine, exuding a faintly tipsy aura.  

After two glasses of Riesling, I feel warmth spreading through my body and let out a satisfied sigh.

MC: Ahh, so comfortable... I don't feel cold at all anymore~ As expected of the wine Professor Lucien chose.

Lucien: [chuckles] Would you like some more?

I smile and shake my head, winking at him mysteriously.

MC: First, let's try the wine I picked~

I open the bottle of wine I selected and pour a glass for Lucien, sneaking a glance at his face from the corner of my eye.  

The candlelight cast a soft filter over him, concealing his keen and contemplative eyes, which revealed a soft glow under the haze of the wine.

He parts his pale lips, gently swallows the wine, and seems to be momentarily dazed.

MC: How is it?

I can barely contain my anticipation as I watch his brow smooth slightly, relaxing further after taking in the wine.

Confusion and surprise flit through his gentle eyes, before swiftly transforming into a clear understanding.

Lucien:  ...This flavor is very unique, and yet also very familiar.

Lucien: It's sweet and tender, yet with a touch of bitterness and complexity*.

[Notes from Lux: He copied her remark from back then, word by word :”””. 纠结 is a tricky word to translate because it literally means “intertwined”/”tangled”. But figuratively, it implies a kind of intertwined, tangled feeling, commonly describing a state of emotional or mental conflict, where someone feels torn between different choices or is experiencing confusion and hesitation (a.k.a the state of the earlier stage of their relationship-). I went with ‘complexity’ to capture some nuances, but it might not capture this ‘entangling’ feeling.]

The complex yet familiar remark sends a rush of emotions through me. Just as I’m thinking about what to say, Lucien smiles.

Lucien: But when I savor it again, I feel a warmth, like that of sunshine and rain—a delicate, pleasant warmth.

The familiar words stir a trace of emotion in my heart, and in a daze, it feels as if the autumn equinox of that year has arrived at this very moment.

He still remembers—this is the same bottle of wine I tasted back when we were just getting to know each other, during our visit to Eileen's winery for an interview.

My fingertips unconsciously rub against the bottle, and my thoughts follow my gaze to the red maple trees bathed in the evening glow.

Back then, it was also the season when the maples were crimson and the flowers were in full bloom...

A maple leaf, as if on cue, is swayed by the evening breeze and drifts toward me. I instinctively reach out, and the leaf gently lands in my palm.

It feels as though the early days of tentative exploration and the subtle sweetness of that time have traveled with the falling leaf, arriving here in this foreign land at this moment.

Lucien: I remember, on the way to the winery, I mentioned Maple Road. We ended up going there together.

Lucien: On Maple Road, we read a poetry collection together and visited a maple sugar shack.

Lucien: Later, I drew a picture of you collecting maple leaves. That drawing even ended up in an exhibition...

The rippling light of the wine in the crystal glass reflects on him, even his gaze holds tender memories.

Lucien speaks calmly, his memories unfolding like a heavy book, slowly opening before me with the sound of his voice.

The bond beneath the red maple tree and the feelings growing in the vineyard, word by word, moment by moment, intertwine and become etched into our story-

Only those who created it together can turn its pages and retrieve each other's anchors from the endless flow of time.

My heart is stirred, subtly and uncontrollably. I can't help but rush into Lucien's arms, hugging him tightly.

MC: I remember too.

MC: Not just these things you've mentioned... everything about you, I remember it all.

MC: So after today, Professor Lucien should also update this birthday into all our autumn memories.

His chest pressed close to me, trembles slightly. A warm, gentle kiss falls on my forehead, soft and cherishing.

Lucien: Such beautiful memories, I don't seem to have any reason to let them fade away.

I lift my face joyfully and gently kiss his chin.  

We have already experienced countless stories through many autumns and celebrated each of his birthdays.

And I also want to write down promises with him for each and every autumn in the future, continuing on for a very, very long time.

MC: Then it's a promise!

Lucien smiles faintly and lifts me up with one hand, his gentle gaze meeting mine at eye level.

Lucien: [chuckles] However, if I want to make the anchor of this ‘memory’ even more profound, I still need to gather a bit of inspiration…

The remaining of his words are lost into our mingling breaths, replaced by a crisp kiss tinged with the scent of wine.

This kiss is gentle and intoxicating, leaving me somewhat tipsy, though not from the effects of alcohol.

Perhaps it's because the youthful and inexperienced flavor of that past has long since mixed with the passionate love that has matured over time…

Blending and growing, pulling me deeply into it.

✂———————–

=[Part 4]=

The twilight gradually fades into the night, and the bright moon quietly hangs in the autumn night, illuminating the still dazzling and fiery red maple leaves.

Lucien and I are still sitting at the table, enjoying the tranquility, when a sudden coldness brushes against my cheek.

I raise my head and realize, without noticing it, that snowflakes have already begun drifting down from the sky. Just then, I hear Lucien's smiling voice beside me.

Lucien: It seems that today's ‘gifts’ are not over yet.

MC: After all, today is your birthday—the whole world will be sending you blessings~

Our gazes meet, and with a tacit understanding, we both set down our glasses and take each other's hands.

Lucien: Then, can I invite my ‘world’ to go out with me and experience this beauty together?

In the courtyard, rustling red maples intertwine with falling snowflakes, as if autumn and winter themselves are completing their handover at this very moment.

We get an umbrella from the butler and hold hands as we follow the stone path down the hill from the old castle.

The moonlight on a snowy night grows brighter as we walk side by side to the small town at the foot of the hill, where the houses and streetlights are all covered in a delicate layer of snowflakes.

On the streets of the small town, many people, like Lucien and I, stroll under the moonlight, accompanied by the backdrop of the first snowfall, tacitly enjoying this tranquil night.

I turn my head to look at Lucien and find him reaching out his hand, gently catching a falling snowflake.

His eyes curve faintly, as if harboring some kind of quiet longing, even carrying a touch of rare childlike innocence.

MC: [smiles softly] Why does it feel like Professor Lucien has a special fondness for this snow?

My tone holds a hint of curiosity, wanting to capture this rare glimpse of his innocence. Lucien smiles and begins to speak softly.

Lucien: [softly, like recalling a cherished memory] Just remembered a movie I watched when I was little. I remember... it was about an inventor who lived in a castle.

Lucien: After watching it as a child, there was a time when I also wanted to be an inventor with a castle.

My eyes widen in a bit of surprise.

MC: [pouts] I can understand wanting to be an inventor, but why did it have to be one who lives in a castle…

MC: Professor Lucien, could it be that you're teasing me on purpose just because we came to a castle this year?

Lucien: [chuckles] Of course not. But if this story will make this little lady happy, I’d be more than willing to tell it to you.

MC: I want to hear it, I want to hear it!

I enthusiastically put on an attentive look, Lucien smiles as he begins to speak.

Lucien: Actually, the reason for wanting to own a castle is quite simple.

Lucien: Because that way, just like the main character in the movie, I could have a space of my own to carry out those daring and even dangerous experiments.

Lucien: And my parents could also accompany me in the castle, pursuing the research they are deeply passionate about.

Lucien: That way, they wouldn’t have to be 'trapped' in the lab all the time.

Lucien speaks naturally, his voice imbued with a soft smile, yet it's as if a tiny window is being opened.

Through that window, I seem to see a little Lucien, his eyes sparkling with fascination as he watches the movie, his heart filled with simple and pure longing.

My heart suddenly softens, and I can’t help but smile tenderly as I start to speak.

MC: The dream of becoming an inventor could now be considered halfway realized~

MC: After all, Professor Lucien is a great scientist walking at the forefront of humanity—it’s perhaps even more remarkable than that!

MC: As for the castle... you've been the ‘owner of the castle’ for a day today, does that count?

Lucien: [chuckles] Of course it counts. And now, there’s even the first snowfall.

He takes my slightly cold hand and slips it in his pocket, softly rubbing it.

Lucien: I can no longer recall the plot of that movie very well. But I do remember that on the day we watched it, it also snowed in Loveland City.

Lucien: That day, they finished work early and brought home the videotape of that movie.

Lucien: The movie ended with the town welcoming its first snowfall, and we also stepped outside together to enjoy the snowy world.

He speaks vaguely, but I understand everything.

His low voice feels especially serene on this snowy night, yet as he speaks, another scene unfolds before my eyes.

When his room flooded before, he tidied up those old videotapes and set them aside, placing them carefully in a separate spot.

Is this old movie among those tapes?

As he put away the videotapes, did he recall that ancient castle and that warm snowfall?

I don’t know the answer, but I can feel that those fleeting, rarely mentioned fragments of his past were once so distant and cold.

But now, those precious fragments have thawed like melting ice and snow, filled with nostalgia and warmth as they slowly flow.

I instinctively tighten my hold on his hand.

The first snowfall is falling thicker and thicker, yet it isn't biting cold. Snowflakes gently drift past the edge of the umbrella, landing on the tips of my hair and forehead, as well as Lucien's.

It's as if this world is bestowing its blessings on Lucien in the most gentle way.

MC: Even though it's many years late, it seems that we've now made little Lucien's childhood dream come true.

With a chuckle, Lucien's low voice reaches me through the wind and snow.

Lucien: [chuckles] Indeed, so I was quite surprised, but also delightfully so.

Lucien: However, if it weren’t for this twist of fate, perhaps I wouldn’t have thought of this idea again for a very, very long time.

Lucien: [softly] Because I've long had something far more important.

Lucien: To me, those forgotten thoughts are more like a bottle of wine hidden in a cellar.

MC: Wine?

Lucien: Mm, just like the wine we’re drinking today.

Lucien: Grapes can never return to their original form, but time makes them richer and more mellow, and they will always meet someone who knows how to cherish them.

Lucien: She will give me a castle, stay in bed with me, treasure an entire autumn with me... and walk with me through quiet streets on snowy nights.

A snowflake quietly lands on his eyelashes and melts a moment later. It’s as if the melted droplets seep into my heart, creating ripples of sweet warmth.

I can't help but speak softly, offering all my blessings to my beloved standing before me under the moonlight of this snowy night.

MC: Happy birthday, Lucien.

May each and every year of your future be surrounded with love as you move forward.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*FIN*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

[Bonus Phone call]

Lucien: I received the email you sent. Looks like it has some intel about a birthday.

MC: Yes! It's a text-based open-source game I found online. I modified it a bit~

MC: You can start from age 0 and randomly generate the 'life' of a little Lucien!

Lucien: Mm, just now, I've already completed two endings.

Lucien: The first time, little Lucien was accidentally captured by an alien spacecraft at the age of three and left Earth forever.

Lucien: The second time, little Lucien received a mysterious admission letter at the age of sixteen. No one knows where he went.

[Aren't these just a reflection of his past??? from being kidnapped by BS to mysteriously disappearing hhhhh]

MC: Haha, is the game’s random value design too harsh? Maybe I should tweak it a bit...

Lucien: No need, I really like this level of difficulty. It’s precisely this randomness that makes it so interesting to me.

Lucien: I’ve just started my third playthrough. This time, I’ve decided to reallocate some of the 15 points I gave to intelligence and assign some to luck.

[Not this basically saying that his genius may be the reason for his unluckiness in life :""". His 'luck' in life is that he's able to met her]

MC: So Professor Lucien had been putting all the points into one stat before! No wonder you kept having such over-the-top mysterious experiences...

Lucien: I just subconsciously wanted to test the limits of this little game, and unexpectedly made real discoveries.

Lucien: Although these endings greatly increased the game's replayability, this time, I want to make the game last a bit longer.

Lucien: That way, perhaps I can meet you in the game as well.

MC: Hehe, you can look forward to it!

MC: So, how's it going? What age did you reach in your third playthrough?

Lucien: …Hmm, I've already invented the elixir of immortality and reached the age of two hundred, but I still haven't encountered you.

Lucien: Am I on the right track?

MC: Pfft! I did set up an encounter, but I didn't set an age limit, thinking it would slightly increase replayability...

MC: I feel like I might have overdone it...

Lucien: It’s okay. In the game, little Lucien has already met you—at the age of five hundred.

Lucien: Then, on his birthday, we confessed to each other at the same time and spent a happy life together.

[Man so love-brained that he creates an immortality elixir and stubbornly waits a long time to finally meet her LOL. In this way, it can be said that his current life might be the 'luckiest' possibility because it allows him to meet her so soon]

MC: Hahaha, that's good, that's good... So, do you like this "life path" of becoming an inventor?

Lucien: I like it. I like everything and my destined encounter with you.

Lucien: I’ll be home soon, and when I get there, I’d like to invite you to explore all the other possibilities for little Lucien together—

Lucien: And explore every moment I spent with you on this birthday.

[leosasha2025]

Kennechenko【Disabilities】Buddy's reply

Please let me participate For @rerarepairmonth Week 3 - Education/Teaching, Disabilities, Time Travel - May 13th to May 18th

Buddy writes a reply to Leon.

This sequel/Buddy version

━━ I usually speak Japanese. I translated it using Google Translate. It's a bit strange in places, but please look at it with one eye gently. I'll fix it if I can after looking at the folds. Sorry if the English is weird because it's Google translation ━━

[Reply from Buddy, first letter]

To the American who saved me

Thank you for the letter and magazine. I'm sorry for the late reply to you. When I received your letter in my hospital room, I was still under the control of painkillers and was not in a position to write a reply.

I don't know your address, but I found someone in your country who has connections with your unit, so I will entrust this letter to him. His name is XXX. When I said, "One eye covered hairstyle, good-looking American man, blue eyes, nosy, I don't know his real name but he called himself Leon, probably likes alcohol," he seemed to know who you were right away. Are you a celebrity?

Anyway, after I regained consciousness, the hospital room was boring and I didn't know anyone except for rehabilitation. Your letter and movie magazines helped me to heal that. To be honest, I didn't expect your letter. For you, it may have been just a whim, just like what you did to help me.

I won't say that I don't have any thoughts, including the fact that you shot me for a reason other than my intention. But you did everything you could. As the pain fades, so will my resentment towards you. If this is the last time, I would like to end by thanking you. Thank you.

Alexander Kozachenko

[Reply from Buddy, 7rd letter]

To my friend Leon

Thank you for your letter.

I like writing letters. Please send as many as you like. I remembered that I used to write many letters and used to exchange diaries with friends. They all burned and I don't have them anymore, but they remind me of precious happy memories.

My health is fine now. I'm in no pain and my rehabilitation went well. The doctor has given me the stamp of approval, so please rest assured.

By the way, I had applied for a room in a wheelchair-accessible condominium without knowing it, and I was going to move there. That's why I decided to write this letter in a hurry.

You will deny your involvement as before. But I think this is your consideration, and you would like to know the results, right? I've started to thank you more often.

You will be able to come to my room any time and enjoy my hospitality. I promise.

Alexander Kozachenko

[Reply from Buddy, 10rd letter]

Dear Leon

Thank you for coming to my home.

After your last visit, I was thinking about what I should have done. If that present thing made you so happy, I wanted to give you something better…etc.

I am not used to expressing my emotions. My upbringing... No, talking about the past is not going to help. But, when I calm down and think about the past, I regret not expressing my love and gratitude to the people I care about, and the times when I hesitated because I was busy with my daily life.

I was taught that expressing my feelings is free and is the most effortless expression of affection. So, I decided to write this letter.

You are a very important person to me. I will think about what it means later. At the very least, I can say that you are the closest friend I have now, after losing everything in the civil war.

I wish you luck and peace.

Sasha

[Reply from Buddy, 20rd letter]

Mr. Leon S. Kennedy

I'm going to let you know what happened. I have been appointed to work as a teacher in a new school building renovated with the aid of the United States.

I have been thinking about you. I have been living as a guerrilla for many years now. That is why I am also anxious. You know what kind of man I was, right?

And I can no longer just wait for you and relax. I have cried in front of you, and your kindness and passion up until now……there were times when I thought I could keep waiting for you like this forever.

It is very difficult to say this, but I think our relationship has become too complicated.

I am not in a position to build a new relationship. Not only emotionally, but also physically and environmentally. Your position is not typical either. It is very painful to admit that I am dysfunctional.

I cannot say any more in a letter. Please guess. I don't know if I want to see you now. Who can refuse when you beg me?

I am not saying that I cannot trust you. I am always truly grateful for your support and warm friendship. You will always be my benefactor and friend.

From Sasha

[Reply from Buddy, 32rd letter]

Моє сонечко(My sunshine)

I am really glad that you are happy. When I think of you with that contented smile on your face, I also feel happy. I am looking forward to the new you coming to my house.

But I have said before that you write too much. You should think about me, who received that postcard from the postman the other day.

кохання, саша

Japanese↓

バディの返事

━━━━━━━━━━━━━

【バディからの返信、一通目】

私を救ってくれたアメリカ人へ

手紙と雑誌をありがとう。 返事が遅くなってすみません。 病室に届いたあなたの手紙を受け取った時、まだ俺は鎮痛剤の支配下にあって手紙の返事を書くどころではありませんでした。

あなたの住所が分からず、あなたの国であなたの部隊と関わりがある人を見付けたので、その人にこの手紙を託します。○○○という名の人です。 「片目を隠したヘアスタイル、美形のアメリカ人男性、お節介で、本名は分からないが呼び名はレオン、多分酒好き」と言ったら、誰なのか分かったようです。あなたはもしかして有名人なのでしょうか？

とにかく、意識がはっきりしたあとは、リハビリテーション以外、病室は退屈で私には知り合いもいません。 あなたの手紙と映画雑誌はそれを癒してくれました。 正直に言うと、あなたからの手紙は予想外です。 あなたにとっては私を助けたことと同じ、気まぐれの一つかもしれませんね。

あなたが私の意図とは別の理由で撃ったことを含���、思うところがないとは言いません。 ですが、あなたは出来ること全てをしてくれました。痛みが薄れれば、あなたへのわだかまりも薄れるでしょう。 これが最後なら、お礼を言って終わりにしたいと思います。ありがとう。

アレクサンドル・コザチェンコ

━━━━━━━━━━━━━

【バディからの返信、七通目】

私の友人レオンへ

御手紙ありがとう。 手紙は好きです。いくらでも送ってください。

かつて、何通も書きましたし、友人達と交換日記を書いていたことを思い出しました。全て燃えてしまって手元にはありませんが、貴重な幸せな記憶を思い出します。

私の体調はもう大丈夫のようです。痛みはなく、リハビリテーションもうまくいきました。

ところで、私はいつのまにか、車椅子仕様のマンションの一室に入居できることになっていました。そこで、急遽この手紙を書くことにしたのです。

あなたは今まで同様関与を否定するでしょう。でも、これはあなたの配慮だと考えていますし、あなたも結果が知りたいはず。 またお礼を言うことが増えました。

あなたはいつでもこの部屋に来て、私のもてなしを受けることが出来るでしょう。約束します。

アレクサンドル・コザチェンコ

━━━━━━━━━━━━━

【バディからの返信、十通目】

レオンへ

先日我が家へ来てくれてありがとう。 あなたの来訪のあと、反省点を考えていました。あの贈り物であんなに喜ぶなら、もっと良いものをプレゼントすれば良かった、とか……。

私は感情を表現することに慣れていません。私の育ちは……いえ、昔のことを言ってもどうにもなりません。 ですが、落ち着いて過去のことを考えてみて、大切な人たちに愛情や感謝を表現してこなかったこと、日常に忙しくてためらった時のこと、これらを後悔しています。

気持ちを伝えるのは無料で、最も手間のかからない親愛の表しかただと教わりました。なので、この手紙を書くことにしました。

あなたは私にとって、とても重要な人間です。どういう意味かは、これから考えるとします。 少なくとも、あなたは、内戦で全て喪った今の私にとって最も親しい友人だと言えるでしょう。

あなたに武運と平穏を祈ります。

サーシャ

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

【バディからの返信、二十通目】

Mr. レオン・Ｓ・ケネディ

起きたことをご報告します。 アメリカの支援で改築された新校舎に教師として勤務することが決まりました。

あなたのことを考えていました。 もう何年もゲリラとして生きてきて、不安もあります。あなたは私がどんな男だったかお知りでしょう？

それに、私はただ、あなたを待ってゆっくり過ごしてはいられなくなります。 あなたの前で泣いてしまったこと、これまでのあなたの優しさと情熱……。このままあなたを待っていてもいい、と思ったこともあります。

とても言いにくいのですが、私たちの関係は複雑になりすぎていると思っています。

私は新しい関係を築ける状態にないのです。感情的にはもちろん、肉体的にも、環境的にも。あなたの立場も一般的とは言えません。 自分が機能不全だと認めるのはとても辛いことです。

これ以上は手紙では話せません。どうか推測してください。あなたに会いたいかどうかも、今は分かりません。あなたに懇願されて断れる人がいるでしょうか？

あなたが信用できないと言っているわけではありません。 あなたの応援と温かな友情にはいつも心から感謝しています。あなたはいつまでも私の恩人であり友人です。

サーシャより

━━━━━━━━━━━━━

【バディからの返信、三十二通目】

Моє сонечко（私の太陽）

あなたが幸せそうで私も本当に嬉しい。あなたが、あの満ち足りた笑顔を浮かべているところを考えると、私も幸せです。 新しいあなたが私の家にやって来ることを心から待っています。

しかし、あなたは開けっ広げに何でも文字を書きすぎだと前にも言いました。この前の葉書を、郵便配達人から手渡された私のことを考えるべきです。

愛を込めて、サーシャ кохання, саша

[mxckiemxn]

Standby

Chapter 4-Run

Word Count: 1,600

Warnings: swearing, infections, blood, guns, food insecurity, anxiety, mentions of death, zombie shit

Taglist: @rkive-joonie @tweetiebirb @arantxaglz

Author's note: Another shorter chapter haha. Sorry it took so long. I've been extremely busy and stressed this last week. As always, feel free to reblog if you like it and let me know what y'all think about this chapter. ~Mackie 💜

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You woke up covered in a pool of your own sweat and feeling as if the room was spinning. You looked to your side, only to realize Hobi wasn’t there. You slowly lifted the blankets to look at your inflamed wound. It looked as if it had become infected as a thick, clear substance oozed out of it.

You cried as you attempted to sit up. Pain flowing throughout your entire body as your torso throbbed intensely. You stood up weakly, as your legs shook beneath you. Feeling as if they were about to give out. Slowly, you put one foot in front of the other, losing your balance and falling to the floor. The sound must’ve alerted Hobi, because soon enough he was running into the room.

“What happened?” He frantically asked, trying to help you up before you pushed him off.

“Please don’t touch me, Hobi!” You cried. The feeling of his hands on you made you feel as if your skin was on fire.

“Jin!” Hobi yelled a few times, trying to wake the others. It didn’t take too long though, and within a couple of minutes, everyone was running to your room.

“Shit, she has fever.” Jin stated, as he tried to look at your wound. He received the same treatment as Hobi. Getting pushed off as you continued to cry in pain.

“Y/N, please. I need to see if it’s infected.” Jin pleaded. You looked up at him with worried eyes. “I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

You allowed him to check your wound, and he kept his promise, remaining as gentle as he possibly could.

“Fuck. It’s infected.” He stated as he looked at the others behind him.

“This is bad. What are we going to do?” Jungkook asked through an anxious tone.

“She needs antibiotics. She could die if we don’t get this under control.” Yoongi said.

“She’s not going to die!” Hobi yelled, still crouched down beside you. Being as careful as possible as to not touch you.

“She will if the infection spreads, Hoseok!” Yoongi yelled back.

“Yoongi’s right, Hoseok. If we don’t get her some proper medication, then the infection will spread.” Namjoon reasoned.

“Then we need to find something.” Hobi argued.

“Please, stop yelling.” You groaned. The sound was starting to give you a headache.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” Hobi whispered.

“There has to be a pharmacy somewhere. Right?” Taehyung asked.

“Where, Taehyung? We don’t even know where we are. We could be hours away from a pharmacy.” Jimin stated, now starting to panic as well.

“Will everyone just please calm down!” Namjoon said through a loud tone.

As much as you hated the sound, it worked. Everyone stopped arguing and looked to Namjoon for answers. No one knew what was going to happen to you if they couldn’t get antibiotics in time.

“If there isn’t a pharmacy nearby, there has to be a hospital or a doctor’s office. That would be our best bet.” He stated.

“A hospital is too dangerous.” You muttered.

“It’s a risk we’ll have to take.” Namjoon said.

“We drove for hours and didn’t see anything. How can we be certain we’ll find something?” Jungkook asked.

“We should all go.” Taehyung suggested, causing everyone to direct their attention to him. “Look, we don’t know how long it’ll take and by the time we find what we’re looking for, the infection could already be spreading. The sooner Y/N takes the antibiotics, the better.” He continued.

“Fucking fine with me. Come on, Y/N. Let’s get you up.” Hobi quickly stated, attempting to put his arms around you.

“Will you please calm down?” You asked him, gently swatting his hands away. “Is everyone fine with coming, or does anyone want to stay here?”

“I never unpacked. So, I’m fine with going.” Jimin stated.

“Yeah, me too.” Jungkook added.

As you looked around at the men surrounding you, it was evident that they were all willing to pick up and leave again if it meant saving your life.

“Then it’s settled. Let’s grab our bags quickly. Jin, help Hobi get Y/N in the car.” Namjoon said.

Everyone dispersed to gather their things and prepare to leave again as Jin and Hobi helped you to stand.

“I’ve got her. Grab her bags.” Jin told Hobi, who wore a look of hesitation before nodding.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, causing you to look up at him with a look of confusion.

“Never better.” You said, causing him to chuckle at your sarcasm.

“No, I mean mentally, how are you?” He rephrased.

“I’m tired, Jin.” You admitted. He didn’t say a word in response. Opting to nod in understanding.

Once he was sure that you were secure in the backseat of his car, he stared down at you for a moment as his hands rested on the door.

“You know you’re going to be okay, right? We’re going to take care of you.” He said softly.

“I know, Jin. That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then what is it?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m worried that if something does happen to me, that Hobi would blame himself for it. I know he made a promise to me, but I’m afraid that he’s going to get himself killed in the process of trying to fulfill it.” You told him.

“I won’t let that happen. None of us will. You’re one of us now, Y/N. We’re all going to make it through this.” His tone was soft, but you could see the sincerity in his eyes.

“Thank you, Jin.” You said. He gave you a confirming nod before shutting the door gently and entering the drivers side.

Shortly after, Hobi and Jungkook took their seats in the car and we were off. The air felt heavy, but you were unsure if it was due to the burning sensation flooding your body. With every bump in the road, you winced lightly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jin had been driving for about an hour, yet the scenery hadn’t changed much. You were still surrounded by trees and the sun was finally starting to rise. You couldn’t help but think about your parents. If there was a chance that they were still alive, are they happy? If they were dead, did they die peacefully? The thoughts lingered incessantly. It made you want to hit your head against the window repeatedly in an attempt to get the images to leave your mind.

The sound of static pulled you from your thoughts, Yoongi’s voice coming through the other end.

“Hyung, we have to stop.” He said, causing everyone to sit up.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Jin asked, pulling to the side of the road.

“We’ve run out of gas. We can’t go any further.” He said as he parked in front of you.

“Fucking hell.” Jin groaned as he rested his head on the steering wheel.

As you attempted to pull yourself up to look over your shoulder, you realized just how low the gas gauge was in this car as well. You guys could probably drive for a couple more miles, but it wouldn’t matter. You’d run out of gas soon enough too.

“We’re going to have to walk.” Jin muttered, looking at you in the rear view mirror.

“She can’t walk in her condition.” Jungkook spoke.

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine.” You reassured the men in the car.

You weren’t too keen on walking, but you had no other choice. It was either wait here for the infection to spread and die or die trying to stop it. Either way, you mentally prepared yourself for the journey.

Namjoon knocked on Jin’s window as the others approached the car.

“We’re going to have to continue on foot.” He spoke.

“I know. We’re almost out of gas too.” Jin sighed.

“Y/N, how are you doing?” Namjoon asked.

“I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.” You said weakly.

“Let’s only take what we need. If we find gas, we’ll come back for the cars.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You did your best to keep up a good pace, but you were still slowly trailing behind the others as Hobi allowed you to hold on to his arm in order to remain steady. The group had to leave a lot behind. Only splitting as much food and water that you could fit in each of your bags.

“Wait!” Namjoon raised his hand as he stopped walking, signaling everyone else to come to a halt.

“What is it?” Tae asked quietly.

“Look up there.” Namjoon pointed to the road ahead of us that was on a hill.

You did your best to focus on what he was looking at, squinting as the sun shone directly in your eyes. Your breath hitched as you realized what it was.

There was a massive hoard of zombies ahead. There had to be hundreds of them, all walking towards you. As you began looking around, you realized that they weren’t just ahead of your group, but all around you. Coming out from the trees as if they were waiting for the right time to strike.

“Guys, we need to run!” You urged, making the others aware of the impending danger that you were all in.

Everyone began running in the opposite direction, unsure of where to go. The zombies were catching up and there was nowhere around to hide. You cried as you lost your grip on Hobi’s arm, falling to the ground harshly.

“Y/N!” He called, as he realized you were no longer beside him.

“I’ve got her. Just go!” Yoongi’s voice yelled from behind you. “Put your arms around me.” He instructed and you quickly did as you were told as he picked you up, bridal style, and began running.

You couldn’t help but look over his shoulder, panicking as you realized how close they were now and how far away the rest of the boys had gotten.

“Yoongi, you need to let go of me. I’m slowing you down.” You told him.

“Shut up, Y/N.” He growled through deep breaths.

You reached over his shoulder and began digging through his bag, trying to find his gun. Once you felt the cold metal, you quickly pulled it out and turned off the safety before firing at the zombies closest behind you. The unsteadiness of your body as you shook in Yoongi’s arms made firing a sure shot nearly impossible, but it slowed a few of them down. As you turned back around, you realized that the others were no longer in sight, and there was a smaller group of zombies coming from the right side of the road.

“Fuck, Yoongi turn left!” You yelled.

He carried you into an opening in the woods, not stopping until you were both sure that you’d gotten away. You were now in the middle of the woods, tall trees surrounding you. Yoongi gently set you down on the ground with your back against a tree as he fell to his knees, attempting to catch his breath.

As he looked up at you, the two of you shared a knowing look. You had gotten separated from your group, and neither of you knew where you were. You were alone now.

“What are we going to do?” You asked through a whisper as tears formed in your eyes.

He stared at you for a moment before sighing and snickering lowly as he shook his head.

“We’re going to find a pharmacy.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Previous Next

[thedepthsoffandomminds]

Episode two - Blessings of St Coccyx

Master list

Jack Dawkins x fem reader. Belles older sister.

You walk into the hospital finding your sister pulling a bed pan from below a patient's bed.

"You take human excrement from sick people and dump it outside the door?" You hear Belle asking.

" Well, you may fashion a quilt from it, should you desire." Dawkins laughs

" This place is horrendous." You say drawing their attention.

"You noticed?" He quipped, hands on his hips.

"Has no one here heard of cleanliness?" You ask. Belle meets your eyes and her smile stretches wide. "You'll need mops." You say.

"and a change of clothes. I need to address the nursing and laundry staff." Your sister giggles. The two of you march out of the ward followed by the staff.

As your sister worked to clean the wards and have the sheets changed on every bed you were busying yourself with dusting the main entrance and hallways. Dawkins walks up behind you.

"Are we to have the pleasure of your presence here as well?" He asked resting himself against a wall. You jump and look back at him.

"On the contrary, I simply came to see how Belle was getting on. I'm glad I arrived when I did."

Jack smiles, "that's a shame, I'd rather see you around here."

You laugh but catch yourself with a tightness in your chest. Jack instantly stood to your side.

"are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I should not have used so much of the wood polish." You try to lie.

"I should examine you properly." Jack said placing a hand on the small of your back.

"No, no I'm fine. I'll just get some air. You should continue with your work. Thank you Dr Dawkins." You say stepping away from him.

"Lady y/n, would you call me Jack?" He asked before you got too far away.

"Perhaps." You grin and turn away. He watches you leave, then returns to the ward to check on Charlie.

You rested outside the back door taking in the fresh air. You had to admit the heat of this country was much better for your chest than England had been. In truth it had been part of the reason your father had taken the job as governor. Your health had been a worry for him for many years. Not one Doctor had ever told him a true reason for it. It took some time for you to focus on the argument happening between Belle and Jack.

"I'm sorry I was not born into a life of wealth. I don't have the luxury of being able to cause trouble and get away with it." He held his face still to control his emotions.

" So, really much better to be a common thief with your uncle." Belle bit back.

"Do you know how much they pay the surgeons here? Well, no, of course, you wouldn't. Why would you? Nothing. I get free food and accommodation." That caught your attention "Then, how do you..." She asked.

"By gambling. I play cards. That's how I make my money. And I'm pretty good at it. Except, last time, I got cheated, and now, if I don't come up with a year's worth of income, then I get my hand cut off."

"So, that's why Fagin stole the gems?" You step up to them. Jack looks back to you his eyes showing the hurt he felt inside. He turns back to Belle, "You want to be a surgeon? Then expect nothing in return." He walked away from you both re-entering the hospital.

"Get back to work, Belle." You told your younger sister before rushing inside.

"Doctor Dawkins? Doctor, Jack wait!" You called after him. He finally stopped at the sound of you calling his name and turned to you.

"Jack, I can help you. If you need money I can get it for you." You say pulling him to the side.

"what?" He blinked at you.

"I have money, if you need it." You say again.

"No, y/n no I couldn't take money from you. I have no way of paying it back. I do not need your charity." He's a little agitated as he talks.

"that isn't...Jack you're a good surgeon I simply do not want you to-"

"What, become a thief? A criminal?" He said the words as if they tasted bad in his mouth.

"I'm sorry if I've offended you Doctor. Good day." You turn and rush from the hospital, a tightness in your chest that was not medical plagued you all the way home.

Later that day Belle returned home and told you about the hernia operation. The prof had almost killed the poor man before Belle and Jack had taken over.

"oh, you look pale, sister." Fanny said walking into your room.

"oh I'm quite well, just tired. I spent too much time in the sun I fear."

"Are you well enough to come down to my soiree?" Fanny asked. You and Belle both stood.

"yes of course." You follow her down to the parlour where Smales is resiting yet another of his poems to your parents and the other guests. Belle was ready to leave almost immediately. Though you tried to stop her.

"You will make your sister sad. Stay." You whispered to her.

"What happened today, before you left? Jack was in a foul mood all afternoon." She half whispered back to you.

"I'm sure I have no idea." You say, turning back to your youngest sister's art show.

*_*_*_*_*

It was a few days before you chose to return to town. Belle had been spending her days in the hospital whilst you stayed in your family gardens. Fanny was still determined to marry off her sisters so she too could marry. You had decided today was good enough to walk around the town, take in as much of it as you could.

Standing outside the hospital you waited for Belle to finish her day when you heard his voice. He was laughing along with Fagin.

"Oh, lady y/n, how lovely to see you again." The older man bowed his head to you.

"Thank you Fagin, a pleasure I'm sure." You replied with a danity smile. He nodded and stepped away leaving you and Jack alone.

"I am just waiting for my sister." You said, unsure of what else to say.

"Yes, of course. Lady y/n I...well I wanted to apologise. I shouldn't have been so brash with you." He began.

"No, you should not have been. I accept your apology." You say abruptly and turn away from him.

"Well, I thought you...I, well the debt is gone. We have dealt with it." He informed you, seemingly finding it hard to say the words.

"Oh, good. The rubies?" You ask.

"No, um we, well Darius and I played for it." He appeared nervous.

"And you won, I assume?" You turn back to him, meeting his eyes at last. His hair looked brighter in the afternoon sunlight. "How, how is Charlie?" You ask, not wanting the conversation to end.

"He is doing well, he likes your sister visiting. He may enjoy one from you as well." He took in a long breath.

"Yes, perhaps I shall." You reply. For a moment the two of you are silent, looking into each other's eyes.

"Sister?" Belle stood at your side.

Part three

@fandomfan-102

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I've not posted here much in the last couple of weeks, for a number of reasons. The main one being that my grandfather's in the hospital and I've been busy with trying to visit him frequently and support my family (he's now back in the care home and alive, but also his ability to be coherent and aware of his surroundings has taken a major hit that it looks like will probably be permanent, and that ability had already been significantly eroded by Alzheimer's so he didn't have a lot of it to lose, but he's still here and that's what matters, sorry to include this very bleak information in a fun post but it seemed weirder to not specify the outcome as that would imply he's dying, which he's not at the moment, so that's good, but it's been a rough couple of weeks for everyone involved), but also I've become a touch fixated on trying to get my comedy folder absolutely perfect, now that I have my new 14TB hard drive. I've brought over lots of stuff from other hard drives, I've re-downloaded comedy that I watched in the last few years but never saved because I didn't have space at the time, I've added new folders and re-organized old ones. I've realized there are a few people who definitely should have had folders but didn't, it's more organized now. Also, it turns out that Demetri Martin's name was misspelled in his folder name for the entire ~3-ish years that my comedy folder has existed in its current form, so I've fixed that. Things like that. I've also spent the last week running my laptop constantly to back up this folder of about 4TB, which my laptop has been struggling through valiantly and is now, apparently, 84% done. It really does take a long time.

So for the last two weeks, much of my free time has been spent on family stuff, and any free time I have at home, I've been obsessively reorganizing hard drive files rather than doing things like writing posts. I have a list in a Word doc of comedy things that I've got into lately and want to write about, but every time I have the chance to do so, I instead do something like make sure the 2005 recording of the Brixton gig where Kitson compered for Simon Munnery and Demetri Marin is copied into both the Munnery and Martin folder as well as the Kitson folder (the specific example being what I did this morning and how I caught the spelling mistake in the folder name for "Demitri Martin").

Anyway. The only other thing I've been doing with my time is attending local comedy nights, and a couple of weeks ago I closed a show for the first time (it was just a free pub comedy night so they don't do, like, headliners or anything - but they also won't put someone last unless they're pretty sure that person will end the night on a strong note, so that was a sign that the guys who run that night like me, which is cool because I like them), and I was excited about it, so fuck it, do people want to hear my six-minute set? Or at least, most of it. I cut out about 20 seconds at the beginning of me starting really awkwardly and getting no crowd response. Because it's my audio file and I can do what I like with it.

I've realized while listening back that there's more than I realized of references that probably only make sense to Canadians, preferably anyone who lived in Canada in the year 2000, when our former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau died and they had a huge state funeral and massive national mourning and my fifth-grade class did a big project on him, and there were famous images of his two teenage sons crying over his coffins, and one of those sons was named Justin and he grew up to be another Prime Minister, and he sucks. You mainly have to know that. Also he got divorced last year.

I also realized on a re-listen just how much I stumble on my words and say "um" and "uh", which I'd been trying to work on cutting down, and apparently I have to try much harder. Anyway it's fine.

[patibato]

[Bitter Sweet Sixteen] 002-A24 - Eat, Smile, Have a Blast

*crowd chattering*

Momiji: Wow~ so many people! It looks like all the tourists have gathered here!

(Everyone travelled for the festival, huh. …I'm really glad it opened without issue.)

…Hm?

Customer A: Excuse meee, I'd like to buy a three pack of baby castella with the special syrup.

Ushio: Right, hold on a moment…!

Customer B: I'll take a five pack!

Ushio: R-right…!

Customer C: No way! This is delicious! The special syrup is pretty good! I'll get it as a souvenir! Sir, make it a ten pack~!

Ushio: -…! Ri…! Right!

Momiji: Amazing. It's busy as hell…

Nanaki: Hey. It's been like that since the festival started.

Momiji: Nanaki-kun, Kiroku-kun! Good work!

Kiroku: …Good, work… to you… too…

Nanaki: Um, Chief. If it's alright… well. Our hands are free at the moment.

We were thinking we could help Kurama-kun out with the stall. The waiting customers are gonna get bored at this rate.

…Will that impact our grade?

Kiroku: … We'll … do our… best.

Momiji: Huh!?

(Nanaki-kun and Kiroku-kun came to offer help themselves…)

-… Of course! Just ask if there's anything you don't understand! Let's do our best to provide hospitality!

*omotenashi battle*

Momiji: Thanks for the help, you two! Our dear customers seemed very happy! Right, Ushio-kun!

Ushio: …Well, they got sold quicker than if I did it alone. It's a natural result of multiple people maintaining it… …

…It helped. Here, as thanks. It's the castella I'm selling.

Kiroku: …You're… thanking…

Nanaki: Here's hoping it doesn't start raining again. …Thanks for the food.

Chew chew… …!?

Delicious…

Ushio: …Hmph.

Nanaki: The moment the mild syrup flavour enters your mouth, an aroma spreads out like you're on a prairie…

The gentle sweetness of the sponge softly creeps up on you, like flowers garnishing a pure dreamscape…

A miraculous harmony that wouldn't be possible without both—a magnificent combination of saltiness and sweetness, with a somewhat nostalgic feeling…!

What is this… until I swallowed it, I had a Jimu Hen* guitar solo running through my brain…

Momiji: Amazing! Looks like you've got a talent for food reviews too, Nanaki-kun!

Nanaki: Ah, no, it was just too good, so I ended up…

Kiroku: … …

… …

Momiji: (Kiroku-kun's fully focused on eating. …Cute.)

Oh right, Ushio-kun.

Ushio: What.

Momiji: The lady who prepared the baby castella machine was praising you. She says you should have told them that you'd properly brought all the ingredients with you, instead of going "I forgot the syrup~".

"It's the first time I've had such delicious sweets" she said, so she's thankful.

Ushio: … I mean, I just did what I was supposed to.

Momiji: (So he says, but his cheeks are turning a bit red. He's embarrassed, huh.)

—Everyone really put their all into this. The fireworks were also a wonderful success, and both the tourists and the locals were very pleased. You really livened things up!

Nanaki: The music did?

Momiji: Of course! The sound source was far better than the one they'd been using before, and both young and old people enjoyed it!

Nanaki: Really!?

Momiji: Really. There's already a video online. They're saying the way it's matched with the fireworks is the best, and the number of views is doing good.

Nanaki: I see!

Ah, no. …It's because I worked hard. Yeah.

Momiji: Kiroku-kun's lantern is also really popular, it's addictive eeriness is considered cute—

Kiroku: …Huh…

Momiji: It seems like it's become a photo spot. Lots of pictures are being uploaded to social media.

Kiroku: Re… …rea, lly…? But… it's not… fin… ished…

Momiji: Being unfinished isn't as bad as you think.

Kiroku: …

Momiji: The clear skies brought a good turnout, and the management side was pleased too. Everyone's having so much fun—I, I'm so moved… …

Ushio: …You're quite the crybaby, for an adult.

Momiji: S-sorry. Looks like the sea breeze got in my eyes.

(At any rate, the kid who did the most to ensure everyone's efforts bore fruit like this was—)

Akuta: He~y there! 'Tis I, the man who will completely eviscerate the competition for the Kurodemy** Director Prize!

Muneuji: Good work, everyone.

Momiji: Akuta-kun, Muneuji-kun, good work!

Akuta: Ah~ this takoyaki is seriously good! The okonomiyaki's cooked all fluffy, and the oden's so flavourful~! Stall food is the best!

Nanaki: Aaah, you've bought so much, even though Sakuchan-sensei said we'd go out for food at the after party…

Akuta: Nope~ I remember that clear as day. When I passed in front of the stalls, I got 'em for free!

Ushio: Bet you were looking real greedy. Or like a starving puppy.

Kiroku: Isotake does… make you want… to give… food… to him…

Muneuji: As they're a representation of everyone's kindness, we couldn't refuse. Though I did say to not eat them now, and save them for later.

Momiji: He couldn't help himself, huh.

Akuta: No problem! My stomach is infinite! It's still only ten percent full!

Sakujiro: Ah, here you all are. It seems the store will be ready soon. We will be going to the same place we got Hishio bowls at on the first day.

Momiji: Since we'll be leaving Shodoshima tomorrow, we should absolutely all eat together this time.

Akuta: Hi-shi-o! Hi-shi-o!

Kiroku: …

Nanaki & Ushio: …

Muneuji: We'll all be participating, then.

Kiroku: … It… seems… that way.

Muneuji: …

Ushio: …

Kiroku: …Will you two… be… o… kay?

…You won't…… get into a…..

Akuta: What's that? You'll share half your Hishio bowl? With me? Hooray! Thanks!

Kiroku: …!? That's not—

Akuta: Huh, did you say you'll share your miso soup too? You're seriously a god, Kiroku! Thank you thank you~~~!

Kiroku: …I, didn't… say…

Momiji: (It somehow feels like they're not on the same page…)

At any rate, let's set off!

Nanaki: What do you mean you launched the egg!?

Akuta: Yep! It went boom!

Momiji: Hm? What did?

Nanaki: Nothing, we're discussing a movie.

Don't yell.

Muneuji: We negotiated with the egg, and this is how things turned out.

Nanaki: You mean it could communicate? The egg? I didn't think it seemed much like a living creature.

Muneuji: If you're asking if it reacted like it had a living body, it didn't. However, I could sense some kind of purpose from it.

Akuta: It was like a space communication device? Controlled remotely, like a radio controlled car~

Nanaki: So now, the egg is…?

Akuta: We searched the mountain for a bit, but couldn't find it!

Muneuji: I fear it may have burst into tiny pieces.

Nanaki: Wow… seriously…?

Akuta: No way! It doesn't have such a weak nature! It's an egg.

We'll definitely meet again someday. Somehow—I can just tell.

Nanaki: You're really confident about a baseless assumption. …Well, it's fine. Whatever you do, don't let Kinugawa-kun know.

He seemed really attached to the egg. I'm sure he'll be hurt if you tell him it might have burst.

Muneuji: Understood. I shall tell him that it returned to the sea itself.

*ジムヘン/Jimu Hen is a reference to Jimi Hendrix, often abbreviated to ジミヘン/Jimi Hen in Japan

**The Kurodemy Prize is a real thing, but it seems to be a manga award with no subcategories, so I'm not sure it's actually a reference to that

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Masterlist

[winryofresembool]

Could You give us a sneak peak of the next chapter of the things we lost in the fire?

Sorry it's taken me a while to answer this! i've been very busy lately (or have I just been procrastinating on everything? Who knows). But sure, I can give you a sneak peek (honestly I'm so sorryyy it's been /so long/ since the last update but life happened...)!

She (Calypso) fished her phone from her bag and unlocked it to see her notifications. 11 missed calls. When she opened the call history, she saw that all of them were from Piper, who knew that she was at the flower shop at this hour, likely to drop a message instead of calling unless it really was something urgent. Had something happened to one of their friends? As Calypso was pondering that, the screen lit up again for an incoming call and she swept the answer button with shaky fingers.

“Piper? What’s going on?” she answered without even greeting her.

A hoarse voice responded: “I’m sorry, I know you’re at work right now but… do you think your boss might let you come to the hospital? Now?”

(whoops am I actually teasing you with another cliffie? Shame on me. For the context, if someone doesn't remember, Leo and Jason were left in a picky situation in the previous chapter and now it's Calypso's time to find out what happened to them)

While I do have most of the chapter written, I should give you a fair warning that I really am not sure when I can update again. I do have a 'break week' the first week of March so I could try to get some work done for this fic then, but a 'break' doesn't mean a break from school reading in my case so I may not have as much free time as I'd like. But one way or another, I'll get this chapter done, eventually >:)

[hamausagi]

AHH HI!! im so glad you're happy to see me HDJSJDJ i was worried you'd have forgotten abt me LMAO (no bc why is this giving pick me boy energy... PLSSS) lowk i considered leaving so many times bc im so busy irl but i think i'm just too attached to this site 💀

OMG GIRL congrats on being in your second year!!! that's actually so crazy and quick, i feel like i remember you posting when you were in hs??? (or maybe im delusional 😭) BUT BACHELORS IN FINE ARTS??? THAT'S SO COOL!!!!! are you enjoying it??? and good luck for the sem!! i'm sure you'll be able to ace it even though you're busy 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ but also what are you working as???? :O

AND YES i will definitely update you as i continue playing until then 🫶 i've been quite busy recently, but i'm FINALLY on sem break so hopefully i'll be able to get back on it hehe <3 i'm not from the philippines but i think general SEAsian culture is quite similar, like i was streaming the beginning to my friend and we were talking abt how the high school they're in looks exactly like our primary school 😭🙏

QUILL UPDATE!!! okay honestly the last few years have been a MESS i don't even know where to start 😭 first of all i started my degree last april, i'm doing bachelors of chemical engineering 😧 can u imagine. Me. quill starglitterz, ceo of xiao fanfiction, doing engineering 💀💀💀 HAHAHA idk how to explain but basically my parents put me in this degree (<- most normal asian).

anyways aside from that i've also been working part-time!! i work as a professional dancer hehehe so i perform at events and concerts as stuff w my studio :> also2 i have unfortunately been in and out of hospital for the past 3/4 years? i don't think i mentioned it here but it started getting increasingly worse which also contributed to my inactiveness,,, and in the end i finally got diagnosed w a rare chronic illness after being misdiagnosed for like 2 years 😭😭😭

AHDJSKDK sorry for the sudden lore drop but. Yeah. 🙏 BUT WE BALL!!!!! i'm still living my best life (or trying to) despite the opps being out to get me 🙂‍↕️ the universe knew i'd be too powerful so they had to nerf me with a sickness 😞 BUT ANYWAYS OMG I YAPPED SO MUCH SORRY 😭 i should have been diagnosed w chronic yapper instead LMAO anyways2 yes ilysm i hope you're having a good day!!! please dw abt replying to this, take your time pookie and TAKE CAREEE ILY 🩷🩷🩷

NOOOOO I CLD NEVER OMG ??? LMASO NO dw bb i cld never forget abt the best part of PEAK genshinblr (you ofc 💕) but omg i totally get you bc even tho i left for a good year-ish i just couldnt NOT come back 😭🙏 this site just rlly has that grip on us LOL

THANK YOU !!! yes back in like 2021/2022 i was in my senior year of hs, so its been like 💀a minute LMAO BUT YES YES YES ITS SOOOOO FUNNNNNN im doing so much fun stuff this year, its a lot of 3d modeling and 3d animation n stuff AND im in a big game dev team for the whole semester and we're in the prepro phase of cooking up a pretty cool game so its just been so amazing 😭 but thank you for your encouragement 😌 right now im working as a rental technician at a ski resort about an hour from where i live (i have made some poor choices 💀) but its a relatively fun job and i get a free season pass to ski so 😋😋😋

QUILL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING ARC ???? WOWZA THATS A CRAZY DEGREE GIRL I PRAY FOR YOU 😭😭😭quill starglitterz, CEO of xiao fanfic, and princess of chemical engineering 😌 ↕ (also help is this emoji combo like nodding bc if it is im like actually obsessed with the innovation) honestly that just means ur like super cool and smart and whatever so like 🙄i hope its going well for you 🙏 BUT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE A PROFESSIONAL DANCER ??? THATS SO FUCKING COOL ??? LIKE HELLO ?? you are actually so cool for that, what's it like ??? pls pls tell me abt that bc i think thats actually SO rad and i wanna know more 🙏🙏

omg im so sorry to hear abt your medical trouble, being misdiagnosed for that many years must have been actually SO frustrating and im so sorry 😭i hope things are able to get easier now that you have the proper diagnosis 🙏 AND DONT APOLOGIZE FOR THE LORE IM SO HAPPY TO HEAR HOW YOU'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE YEARS !!! so amazing how you have remained SLAYING despite these opps out to get you.... but you're just cool like that 💪💪ILYT ILYT AND I HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD DAY TOO !!!! 💕💕💕

[hosannan]

Right, the White Heron Cup. She didn't have the heart to tell Altena no, nor the heart to tell her that...

Never mind. It would be fine... It should truly be fun...

Full list of interactions under the cut; planning on trying (really, truly) to send everyone an ask/answer an ask! (Currently: 32!) Please do send me a message if an ask didn’t go through.

Getting Acquainted (1) | Getting Acquainted (2) | Getting Acquainted (3) | Askbox

Air— Marth, Sigurd, Ivy, Raven, Maria, Hortensia, M!Kris, Niamh Earth— Leif, Ares, Chad, Leonardo, Caeda Fire— Micaiah, Ethlyn, Cordelia, Colm, Lene, Larcei Lightning— Ingrid, Altena, Sakura, Soren, Laslow, Volke Water— Lachesis, Sephiran, Poe, Denning, Edward, Dimitri, Celica

Flowers:

Air— Ivy Earth— Leif Fire— Larcei Lightning— Altena Water— Lachesis

[ratherbefangirling]

Belong 4

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Pairing: ot7 x reader

Genre: Fluff, hurt/ comfort , Omegaverse

Synopsis: The pack seems to be falling for you but Jungkook doesn't like it one bit. What happens when he learns you are his mate

You avoid the boys by staying at home. You don't tell your mom so as to not bother her.

Instead you crash at your best friends house. Yun Suyeon was a beta with an alpha mom (you had bonded over 'are all alpha mom's the same?' ) and you had been friends for a long time.

Suyeon though finds it a bit strange but doesn't comment on it and commits on spending more time with you.

"Are you excited for the college fest." She asks.

"I dont know."

"You should. Why don't you try for the Coordination. I'm in hospitality. Lim Suho is one of the heads and Kang Taehee is another they need more people."

While normally you would probably not consider such an intensive position but it didn't seem like a bad idea to drown in work.

"Isn't it kinda too much work?"

"Yes but you get certificates and stuff." She replies. "That's why I've volunteered for the social media head."

"Fine. Where do I sign up."

"Wait let me send you the link." She said.

After you submitted the form. Suyeon's pack mom bought snacks for the both of you.

You thanked her.

"It's nice to see you too. Come hang out with our pup more often." She says.

You nod politely.

"Don't stay up too late." She says as she leaves.

Suyeon hugs you squealing in excitement.

"We are going to be the coolest kids on the block." She says.

She notes you have put on scent cleaners. But before she can say anything about it. Her phone rings her boyfriend asking to hang out. She informs him she's infact with her wifey and thus is not available.

You dress nicely in the morning as today was the team meeting between the coordinaters.

There were four of you. Though you didn't know who the fourth was because their number wasn't saved on your phone but you were added to like 5 different groups.

After the classes were over you all had decided to meet at a coffee shop to discuss. Suho who the teachers had declared the main guy was the one who would bridge between the teachers and you all and you would look over and communicate with heads of all the other committees like decor, entertainment etc.

Suho was a beta and Taehee was an omega like you. The third member was Choi Yeonjun, an alpha.

You thought he was cute. You texted the same to Suyeon.

S: he's soobins bestie

S: should I arrange a double date

Y/n: noooo ... I'm just happy with eye candy

S: I mean let me know if you want a taste

Y/n: YUN SUYEON

S:😉😘😘😘

You had met at the campus and Yeonjun offered to drive you all to the cafe.

But Suho had his bike and Taehee had to go home for a change in clothes as someone dropped their drink on her.

So it ended up being you and Yeonjun.

"So ... what made you decide to coordinate? You always hide behind your bestfriend." He said.

"Just like that what about you?" You say.

"I like meeting new people. This is the best way to make it happen."

Their is silence.

"Can I turn on the radio?" You ask.

He does it for you.

It's nice not having too speak and the music is decent until Namjoon's favourite song starts playing and you abruptly turn it off.

"Is something wrong?" He asks.

Luckily the cafe is in sight.

"No just like that.. the cafe is here." You say changing the topic.

He nodded and the others joined you shortly. You soent an hour discussing themes and writing down important information.

"Let's have dinner together. Bonding night." Taehee suggested.

"I'm sorry I have prior engagement but I will pat the next time. You guys have fun." Suho says.

"Don't tell me you guys are busy too?" Taehee pouts.

"No I'm free and quite hungry." Yeonjun says.

"Me too." You add.

"Perfect!" Taehee exclaims and you guys go to a barbecue place.

You have a good time. Yeonjun takes it upon himself to serve. Its very alpha of him but you don't mind.

Taehee is good company too.

After your meals are over. Yeonjun offers to drop the two of you. You spend the ride discussing ideas and themes. Taehee is very excited for a more fantasy based one. Yeonjun wants a more party theme.

"Why don't we do it Russet inspired?" You ask.

Russet was a popular fashion magazine.

"That's super vague." Taehee comments.

"Exactly bur we can include different elements under one thing. And maybe people can wear things they already own instead of buying so it's sustainable."

"I would have never thought that." Taehee says.

"Yeah and we could get sponsorship from a fashion house or Paqsal Inc. ....they do charity galas to support initiatives like recycling and other sustainability endeavors."

"Let me text it to Suho. Let's run our ideas through the teachers. But the art department is going to be excited." She says. "We need to be very specific for the things to match and not be all over the place though."

"I'm sure we can do that we have like more than two months." Yeonjun adds.

Taehee's home is closer so she leaves and their is silence in the car.

"So?" You both say in order to ease the awkwardness.

You both laugh.

"It was genuinely a great idea." Yeonjun says.

"Thanks.. yours was nice too and probably easier to execute." You reply.

"All good things are hard work." Yeonjun replies as your house appears.

"Maybe.. but what if they aren't so great because they were too hard."

He shoots a concerned look towards your way but bites his lips.

Choosing instead to offer you a smile.

"See you later."

"Good bye, goodnight. See you later."

Taehyung had come out to throw trash when he saw you coming out of the unknown alpha's car. How he knew it was an alpha? Well no omega or beta liked that type of flashy car.

He wants to call you out but he can't since Namjoon has decided they should give you space. He thought it would be a better approach even Yoongi had conceded.

The pack house wasn't the best place to be right now. Jin had left to see his family. He had been very sad and even Hobi was very restless and short these days. Jungkook was still stubborn. Namjoon was was working himself to death and Jimin was stuck to either Taehyung or Jungkook. Continuously scenting.

Taehyung was worried Jimin was taking this very personally but he could do nothing to help except do whatever Jimin felt like that.

When he had talked about this to Namjoon, he asked Taehyung to take Jimin and visit their family packs.

So they had planned a trip. Taehyung had to guilt trip Jimin a bit but Jimin did need to be babied a bit and nobody did that better then their family packs.

But before Taehyung left he would give Jungkook a little something to think because that boy had done enough hiding after rejecting his mate when she helped him out.

If you were Taehyung's mate he would never hurt you like this or let you be away from him unless you needed to.

When he comes inside the house. Jin is at the window looking outside towards you. He can see the longing in Jin's eyes.

He let's his hyung be and looks at him. Staying with his family has turned Jin chubbier and his face is glowing except for the expression on his face. Taehyung decides to change it.

"Jin Hyung !!! When did you come?" Taehyung says.

Jin is startled almost falls on the sofa beside the window but before he can recover himself Taehyung octopus hugs him causing him to fall.

"I will break my back you brat." He says but Taehyung smells no real anger. Thus Taehyung pays no heed scenting his beta.

"Can't you ask me before scenting me?" He says only half serious. In reality Jin missed his packs scents.

"No, my beautiful beta." Taehyung says muffled against his skin.

Jin laughs. Alerting Jimin who came out searching for Taehyung.

Jimin was glad to see a laughing Jin tackled by Taehyung. Jimin too joined the pile.

Just in time Namjoon came to witness the happy site. He planted kisses on their head and was going to leave when Taehyung pulled him too.

Maybe things were a bit rough but it would be fine as long as they were together.

On the day they were leaving, Jimin was careful to scent Jungkook. Taehyung had gotten their bags and tickets. He entered the room where he observed Jimin sitting on Jungkook's lap. A flash of irritation arose.

"Jiminie." Taehyung called out.

"Yes Tae." Jimin asked.

"Go get ready. We have to leave soon." Taehyung informs Jimin flashing the train tickets.

Jimin nodded rubbing his scent on Jungkook for the last time before he left yo get ready.

" You're angry." Jungkook said scrunching his nose.

Taehyung wanted to agree but he also didn't want to fight.

"Why are you so mad? Shouldn't you be happy about going home.. are you worried about alpha's on the train."

"I kind of hate that part." Taehyung confessed but that wasn't what he had been actually bothered about but that was a concern too it had been a while since it was just him and Jimin usually one of the hyungs would accompany them. When they were younger Jimin had built enough muscles to pass off as a non omega, these days Taehyung pretended to be the non omega. Even though it was inconvenient he did secretly enjoy being able to protect Jimin as much he liked being coddled by his soulmate.

Taehyung sighed and let Jungkook scent him.

"I saw Y/n yesterday." Taehyung confessed. "She was with another alpha. It made me kind of thingies." Jungkook stiffened but did not say anything.

Taehyung sighed. Jimin and Hoseok had come back. Hoseok was driving them to the station.

Before they left Taehyung stopped by quickly into Namjoon's room who had an off from work today.

Namjoon's scented him and it made Taehyung feel better and he could finally enjoy the time in which he would have Jimin to himself.

Jungkook is stirring a cup of coffee in the kitchen when Namjoon comes down. Now awake.

"Wanna go on a date?" He asks Jungkook.

Who stops functioning for five minutes. Namjoon uses those to make himself a cup of coffee.

Jungkook knew Namjoon liked you when in his rut he could remember smelling Namjoon on you, so he thought Namjoon might ignore him to sort his feelings out.

"Ok..."

"Good!" Namjoon says smiling so brightly that his dimples start showing. He gives Kookie a kiss on his forehead mumbling something about outfits.

Namjoon comes out wearing all black hoping to match with Jungkook who had decided to go with the softer warmer colors in his wardrobe, Hobi who's sitting outside with Yoongi eating tangerines bursts out laughing when he sees them.

Namjoon smiles too when he realises what happened. Jungkook groans in embarrassment.

Jungkook starts the car as Namjoon sits in and puts on the safety belt.

"Where are we going, hyung?" Jungkook asks.

"I was thinking let's go to the beach, it's been a while."

Jungkook nodded and entered the location in the GPS. Namjoon played his 'driving' playlist.

The beach was fairly empty when they reached it.

They set up the little picnic basket and picnic mat they had bought near a tree.

After eating the sandwiches and drinking their beverages they lie next to each other staring at the sky. The breeze is lovely and the sound of wind comforting.

"I should have brought something to sketch." Jungkook tells Joon.

"Hmm." Namjoon acknowledges.

Jungkook cuddles closer to Namjoon. Its rare they have time together like this.

"Hyung... can I ask you something?" Jungkook asks and he hates to ruin the peaceful moment but his curiosity overcomes all.

"Of course kookie." Namjoon replies.

"Do you... you not like it that I've driven her away?"

Though he doesn't take your name Namjoon knows who he's talking about.

"I can't say I'm happy that our relationship is in strains but if I had to chose it will be you over Y/n. I know I may not say this often but I love you and I love our pack. This.. us. It means the world to me. Being pack alpha I want to be able to take care of all the packs needs and whatever the others may or may not feel about her she's your mate and I should apologise for bringing her to you in your rut but I won't because I couldn't see you suffering and as your hyung and your pack alpha I just couldn't bear to see you in distress or lacking."

"No you don't have to be sorry. I trust you hyung."

Namjoon ruffles Jungkook's hair.

"Why did you reject her, jungkook?"

"I didn't want her in the pack."

Namjoon nods.

"Remember when you joined the pack." Namjoon asks.

Jungkook nods. Ofcourse he does how does one not remember the best thing that happened to them.

"You know how most people avoid larger non familial packs. " Jungkook nods. " The reason we worked was all if us were in duos as friends before we decided to become a pack. Then we suffered in the transition. It isn't very easy to include more people in an already established dynamic. Then you came along like a Knight in shining armor. To be honest a part of me was jealous that even though I was a pack alpha I couldn't provide for my pack omega when a kid who didn't present did. But later I learnt that I couldn't be the sole provider and that it was ok not to be. Now I know this is something you lean and keep learning..Then came the part we decided to bring you to the pack. There were many concerns, your age, your presentation, uneven number of packmates. But you know who was the most willing to bring you in?" Namjoon prompted.

Jungkook shook his head no.

"It was Taehyung. He talked to me, convincing me. I even asked him if he was ok with no longer being a maknae. He was like Jiminie needs it hyung. And he was right but it also made me realise how cool our Tae is. Jimin is his soulmate and he didn't even care about jealousy or loosing Jimin. He just cared that Jimin be happy and healthy. I guess it did work out in the end that you could supplement each others need to be babied." Said Namjoon chuckling at the end.

"Taehyungie hyung told me he saw Y/n with someone."

"Aah." Namjoon drawled in understanding.

"I dont know how to feel about it." Jungkook said honestly.

"It's ok not to know. But if you think there's a possibility you want her then don't make her wait. "

"It's so tough." Jungkook whined.

Namjoon let out a small peal of laughter and pecked his baby alpha's nose.

"It's going to work out in the end and you have all of us to help .. anyway I'm hungry again let's go check out if there's foodtrucks that opened right now." Namjoon says standing up and giving Jungkook a hand.

In the middle of their journey back Namjoon groaned loudly.

"What is it hyung?" Jungkook asked sparing a sideway glance.

"I forgot to check out crabs." Namjoon exclaimed almost jumping of his seat.

Jungkook laughed.

Yeah so this one doesn't have much fluff with you involved but we cleared the air ig aaaand we have a love rival. We will probably be seeing more members but hopefully it balances out.

Hope you enjoyed and let me know your thoughts.

I would like to take a moment to say that I'm grateful for the support and that's the only reason I'm continuing this au honestly it was meant to be a one shot maybe 1.5 shot lol and writing this it's easy to get stuck because I don't have any idea where I'm going with this. I mean I had plans with alpha reader and beta reader.

Anyway don't be shy to drop in and say hi.

Until next time 💜

Taglist : @jaiuneamesolitaiire ; @mintsugarmy ; @goooood-vibes ; @juju-227592 ; @singukieee ; @zae007live ; @rainbow-bunny-bts ; @fluffy-canada-pancakes ; @bleubirdinthesky ; @kyrah-williams ; @thedarkwinterrose ; @realswimshaddy ; @djodjom1 ; @thsrndkd ; @emu007

[btnclmrttn]

Hellloooo! Are you still taking requests? :O if you are, can i pleaaase have saitama with a doctor s/o please? 🙉🙊🙈

Yes Yes Yes! I've been waiting for an ask like this! I'll ll do my best, but I'm only a nursing assistant lol. Only thing I can tell you about doctors is that they're usually insufferable pains in the ass working with. But that's for another discussion I hope you like it sorry it's long

Doctor S/O HCs

~~~~

It's a miracle how you guys managed to meet considering your schedules but luck have it he liked you enough to find you again

(I'd say you were standing in line in front of him and managed to get hundreds of dollars worth of groceries reduced to like $80. He wants in on that witchcraft)

He admires you so much by the work you do, and is almost intimidated how you can crunch in those long hours.

Always trying to stuff you up with little healthy snacks after you told him sometimes you guys don't have time to sit and eat.

Days off are always the best together. You got used to constantly be running errands on your day off and he helped you learn to chill out and not worry about everything the second you get free time

Lots of tub time together for your sore ass

He's always a sad egg when you get mandated. If it's too long you'll come home to him basically sitting at the door like a puppy. He misses you on the main just isn't aware of it.

If you're having the classic nerve pain or feet n ankles mega ouch he will NOT let you be up on them. He says you should rest as hard as you work.

Any medicine or cream you use for it he likes giving to you, like he's playing doctor

So that's where the househusband energy comes in. He's doing everything he can for you. His kind of lazy is bare minimum lazy, not total slack off. He'll do it for you

He's on your ASS about stretching. ALL THE TIME

He will message you sometimes but if it's a nerve problem it don't help at all for some people

Once you explain a handful of terminology he'll actually be interested in you work ramblings. There isn't ever a boring day, especially with dick bag coworkers

This fool will look downright mortified if you get talking about the not so fun part of the job. Not necessarily the deaths or gore, but the body waste hazards. Don't tell him till AFTER he's eaten any meal or it will ruin the whole appetite

He still listens even if it's gross. Why you chose this life, he'll never know

The job itself is painfully sad, most of the time. Usually everyone's too busy to have a minute to process most things. So if a well loved patient ends up dying, he'll try and be there for you

Literally had no idea what to do but let you just cry it all out while holding you. He'll barely say anything cause he just has no idea how you handle it as well as you do

Every now and then you'll see him in a window waving at you if he's in monster battle ground. The hospital never stops no matter what the warning is so you can get front row seats sometimes

He got knocked into the hospital one time and was like "oh hey hun" before hopping back into battle

You don't really have to ever patch him up after some fight but sometimes his friends that tag along are a different story. He'll be just showing you off and telling everyone what a good job you do as you're trying to stop some bleeding or some shit

Always boasting but he isn't aware of it, tbh

Be like "My partner, a doctor btw-"

When he explained how he lost his hair, you joked about it being alopecia. Now he's just contemplating his life and if it really wasn't hard work, just weird timing.

Because of how much you make, sometimes you take him out on a little bit more expensive dates, or get him really nice gifts.

He loves you but he hates it. The fact you have more money he can make in months is flabbergasting. Don't do this to him when you first meet it will scare him away

He's just grateful someone so smart and caring like you loves him. Ask him, and you're out of his league. He's a lucky mfr

[m-jelly]

Hey there! I’ve been hospitalized today so may I request a Moder AU Levi x Reader fic?

(Also I am ok kinda. Just in pain and need to stay here for them to watch me 😅)

Reader suddenly needs to go to the hospital and stay a few days. Collapsed at work or something and they need a few things.

Knowing Levi has a super busy day with important meetings, they ask Erwin and Hange to bring them clothes and stuff

Levi later learns about this and gets super insecure, because they didn’t call him.

But fortunately there is the one thing only Levi can provide to make us feel better and that’s….Levi himself ❤️

I hope you're feeling better anon! I'm going to change it a little! I'm gonna have you contact Levi, cause it's a little mean not to let him know you're in the hospital.

@kenkopanda-art <3

I don't want you to worry.

Pairing: Levi x Reader

Genre and tags: romance, fluff, cute, modern AU, worried Levi, serious talking, being a couple.

Concept: You collapse at work and end up in the hospital, turns out it's only something small, you are a little low on sugar and iron. Getting a top-up from the doctors and them telling you off, you ask your friends to get your clothes for you as you have to stay just for a few tests. You send Levi a text to let him know where you are and you're perfectly fine, but you'll be in for a day or two. Levi comes over after work and begins to worry. You relax him and snuggle with him on your bed.

Warning: Talks of self-neglect. Reader collapsed due to not getting enough iron and sugar in their diet.

Tag list: @ladycheesington @levisbrat25 @skittlelover69 @strawberrybunny123 @nyxiieluna @li-anne @galactict3a @notgoodforlife @demonsimp6

You groaned a little as the doctor ripped into you about not looking after yourself. You had been working too hard and you put yourself on a ridiculous diet. You were being told to eat normally, work fewer hours and get some sleep.

Levi had been on top of you a lot with it all, but he had no idea about your diet. He knew you had smaller portions when you ate around him, but he didn't know you'd been skipping meals. You had to face facts, you needed to stop your diet and just go back to the way you were.

You knew Levi loved you just the way you were, he'd be really upset that you made yourself sick and would probably blame himself. You didn't want Levi to blame himself. You felt bad about yourself and you punished your own body. Levi told you all the time how much he loved and adored you.

You texted Levi where you were and that you were perfectly fine and to come in after work. You sighed and called up Erwin. "Hey, Erwin? Could you and Hange go to mine and Levi's place and grab some clothes for me?"

"Sure. What's going on?"

You sighed. "I'm in the hospital and I have to stay for two days. So, I need some things."

"Oh, sure."

You gave him the hospital. "I've texted Levi, but I can imagine he's in a meeting."

Erwin hummed. "He is. Give him a call when he's done. That should be half an hour."

You smiled. "I intend to because I know how upset he'll get if I don't contact him. I just know you and Hange would be free. Thanks again."

"No problem! See you soon!"

You sat back in your bed and had a nap. You woke up to see Hange and Erwin moving around your room. "Thanks."

Erwin winked. "No problem. We'll head on out now."

You waved and then called Levi. "Hey, Levi."

Levi shouted your name. "Are you okay!? What do you mean you're in the hospital and I shouldn't worry?"

"Levi, I really am okay. I'm just low on sugar and iron."

"What? But I've been making your dinner and you've been eating."

You gulped. "Well..."

He said your name. "You have been eating, right?"

You welled up. "No..."

He sighed your name. "You...ah...I'll come over and talk to you. I'll be there in a bit." He hushed you. "Please don't cry."

"I'm sorry."

"Shh, it's okay. I'll be there in a few minutes. I love you."

You sniffed and rubbed your tears. "I love you too." You ended the call and whined a little. You stared at your hospital door for ages until it opened. "Levi."

Levi smiled at you. "Hey, are you alright?"

You rubbed your tears. "I'm sorry."

He put his bag down and ran over to you. He sat down and hugged you. "Hey, hey, hey, you're alright, it's alright."

"I'm sorry."

He cupped your face and kissed you. "Don't be sorry, okay? I love you so much. Tell me what happened when you're ready."

You sighed. "You know how I've been having smaller portions?"

"Mm, it has worried me."

You nibbled your lip. "Well, I've been skipping all my other meals. I have been drinking water, but only water and tea when I'm with you."

He held your hand. "Why?"

You sniffed. "I think I'm...well..."

He moved closer. "You are the most perfect and beautiful woman in the world. You are stunning. I know you don't think it, but I really believe it. I always tell you the truth, even if it's shitty."

You laughed. "Yeah."

"I don't hold back."

"You don't."

He kissed you. "I love you. I love all of you. Please don't hurt yourself like this, okay?"

You nodded. "I am going to be good, don't worry. The doctor told me off about it too." You laughed. "I'm going to go back to eating normally."

"Good." Levi lay on the bed and pulled you into his arms. "If anyone judges you for the way you look, they can fuck off. I'll take care of them. I'll cover them in honey, tie them to a tree and leave them to the ants and bears."

You giggled. "Levi."

"What? They deserve to be ripped apart for hurting me cute bunny."

You snuggled close. "They're a bunch of meanies."

He kissed your forehead. "They are." He hummed. "You want pizza when you get released?"

"You know it."

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Apocalypse/End of the world AU in which some sort of big catastrophic event has been heralded to happen for years and several hundred spaceships have been built to save a select few of humanity's elite and bring them on a new planet to ensure the human race doesn't just die out. (They are designed like massive cities, with living areas imitating nature, apartment complex-like structures for living, hospitals, recreational centers etc)

Other than those in the position to pay millions to save themselves and their families, there are some special categories of people that get to board the ships for free, with two other family members/friends/whatever: pilots and operating staff, engineers, scientists from several fields and state leaders.

Wei Wuxian is the chief engineering specialist in charge of the spaceship project. Being so close to it, he knows when the catastrophic event will take place, so he lets his parents, Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze, know in advance so they can get ready and secure a good place on one of the ships.

Except... they don't.

"We've lived our lives already, A-Ying." His father says, a serene smile on his face.

"It's true, we're old by now! We would only cause trouble, you know?" His mother says and offers him a comforting hug. "You're such a big boy now, so strong and capable, and we're really proud of you and grateful that you want to take us with you, but we would like to die in our house, on our planet, here."

Wei Ying's eyes are filling with tears. "I can't go and know I've left you like this... is there no way I can convince you to come? I showed you my designs, everything, I can make you a home just like this one-"

His parents envelop him in a tight, loving embrace. "We love you more than words can say, A-Ying. We are so proud of you and so happy we got to be your parents. But the future belongs to you now, to your generation. It is you that should get in those ships, not us."

--

"My parents won't come with us." Wei Ying says, distantly, reviewing some of the ship's final plans.

Wen Qing sighs, places a comforting hand on one of his shoulders. "I'm sorry to hear that... But that's understandable, in a way... this is more than leaving your house or your country..."

Wei Ying gives her a half smile. "What about you? Have you talked to your uncle?"

Wen Qing looks away, picking up some paperwork off an adjacent table and activating a hologram to input some of the data. "He will be taking Wen Chao and Wen Xu."

Wei Ying's expression falls. "...that's...that's all?"

"Yes."

"What a piece of shit! It's not like he can't afford the tickets for you and Wen Ning..."

She shrugs, already having made peace with it. "It's his money. And it's not his fault I didn't qualify to take anyone with me either. I guess there are more than enough doctors around..."

"I'll take you. And Wen Ning. And A-Yuan."

Wen Qing's eyes widen, and she drops the papers onto the ground. "Wei Wuxian-"

"I have to adopt him so I don't have to pay for the ticket, but that's just a formality-"

"You don't have to do this, you should take someone that matters to you-"

"You guys are like my family anyway. We've been working together for years. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather take with."

She's crying before she knows it. "...thank you."

---

A-Yuan is more than excited to go on the ship, ooh-ing and aah-ing at everything he can see: the high ceilings, the tall, thick walls, the lifelike greenery, even the trashcans.

He's adorable, and serves as good distraction from the fact that, in just a few hours, the world as they all know it will be gone, with all the people in it. It had been an emotional last couple of months - Wei Ying spent most of it with his parents, whilst Wen Qing and Wen Ning made sure A-Yuan got plenty of memories with granny and Fourth Uncle, as well as the rest of their relatives that would be long dead by the time the ships even made it past Jupiter.

Boarding is... an unpleasant business, to put it elegantly. Rich snobes flaunt their wealth obstentatiously, some of them having brought their luxury cars and private planes aboard, mindless of the fact that the new planet would not be providing them compatible fuel. Staff hauled dozens upon dozens of designer bags, expensive alcohol collections and jewelry vaults - as if any of those would matter at all in the end.

It was only one particular family that brought books alongside their personal riches. The family that sponsored the project since the beginning and gathered more than enough financial support from other impossibly rich families: the Lan.

Wei Ying admired them for that, for the fact that they were not as snobbish and materialistic as others (read: the Jins) to bring their entire net worths with them to a whole new planet - and also because they did not just throw money at the project but became actively involved.

Their eldest and second eldest sons were part of the pilot crew, and the head of the family, Lan Qiren, was in charge of cultural heritage preservation and archives. There were some other family members doing the odd administrative job on the ship as well, though the crew was so large it was hard to keep track of them all.

The only reason Wei Ying remembered those three's names was that he had worked with them, especially running multiple test flights as co-pilot for Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen. He had grown somewhat of a camaraderie with them, but he was especially keen on making friends with Lan Wangji, who he found intriguing and, to be frank, really attractive. (Not that Lan Xichen wasn't, they had almost the same face, but Wei Ying couldn't help gravitating towards the stoic one of the brothers and trying to get him to open up a bit).

The day of departure was especially busy for the crew and engineers, so after dropping the Wens off at their living quarters, Wei Ying was quick to enter the command room and help take-off.

Lan Wangji was chosen as captain for that day, in his white uniform and distinct forehead ribbon, and Wei Ying was glad - because he always seemed to synchronize so well with Lan Wangji, much smoother and easier than with anyone else, like they shared a mind.

"I have seen you with your family at the entrance gate." He said, sipping from a cup of steaming hot tea as the crew awaited orders. "I did not know you had a son."

"The Wens are my family, but we are not blood-related. My parents wanted to stay behind and the Wens' uncle had made... other choices. So I decided to take them with me instead." A little smile. "Oh, and I adopted A-Yuan, but he's actually Wen Qing's little cousin. We're all taking care of him, though."

Lan Wangji felt inexplicably relieved at the explanation. He had thought Wei Ying had perhaps been married with a child and just never said anything... which would have made Wangji feel even more awkward about the crush he already had on Wei Ying. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Thankfully...? Hard to say. Wangji was finding it more and more difficult to conceal his feelings for Wei Ying, and the situation was already deeply emotionally charged...

Take-off had gone as planned. Under Wei Ying's careful guidance, Lan Wangji seamlessly worked through each maneuver, like he had often done in every simulation. But that wasn't just a simulation anymore. And just like everybody else in the cabin, Wangji cried upon departure, the familiar planes of Earth becoming increasingly distant as the ship moved on its designated course.

After he was certain that everything was in order, Wei Ying was quick to excuse himself, overwhelmed with everything. He had just left his friends and family to die, while he was safely headed to a new planet, never to see his home again.

Wangji could sympathize with this, of course. But he couldn't stand thinking Wei Ying was alone, crying in some corner of the ship, he wanted to be there, to help him.

He finds Wei Ying in one of the control rooms, gazing at the ever smaller image of the Earth, sniffling quietly.

"Lan Zhan...?"

"Mn. Do you mind if I join you?"

Wei Ying didn't respond and Lan Zhan took it as a yes. If Wei Ying hadn't wanted him there, he would have sent him away.

"I knew this was going to be hard, but... I can't help feeling like I've abandoned everyone... like... I don't know... " The sniffles turned into sobs. "What's the use of all this if... so many people are going to die out there anyway? Who have I helped save? Those that caused this mess in the first place? What's the point?!"

Lan Zhan resonated with that so deeply that his heart ached. He felt the same, hated the fact that it was privilege that decided who would be worthy to live and who would be left for a gruesome death. That was why he insisted he become a pilot in this project - so he wouldn't be just another rich asshole buying his ticket for survival just because he had the means to. And that was why he and Xichen had donated so much money to people, as well - but they couldn't save everyone.

There was nothing Lan Zhan could think to do but cradle Wei Ying in his arms, tightly, lovingly. "You have done your best, always. It was not you who decided how your inventions would be used. You've already saved more people than anybody could have, do not be cruel to yourself."

They stayed like that for a long time, watching the Earth getting farther and farther away, holding one another like they would dissipate if they let go.

"I'm glad you're here..." Wei Ying whispered, burrowing his head in Lan Zhan's chest. "Thank you for being here..."

"I will always be."

[thatgoblin]

RE Boys Listening to Voicemails/Reading Texts After S/O Reader's Death

I am wholly putting the blame on @abysswhiskey11 for this. Blame them, not me.

Warnings: Death, miscarriage, murder, death from sickness.

Chris

He doesn't do it often, maybe once or twice a year. Usually around the holidays or your birthday.

Chris will find himself a nice drink and sit in his office alone as he goes through the voicemails and texts from you that he's saved over the years.

'Hi, this is Y/N. I had a really fun time the other night and wanted to see if you were up for a second date? Give me a call or shoot me a text if you want to. Bye.' - END OF VOICEMAIL

'Hey, it's me. Letting you know that I'm running late a bit, but I'll be there soon. See you in a bit, bye!' - END OF VOICEMAIL

'I know you can't answer and probably won't get this voicemail till you get back to the states, but I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you, a lot.' *giggles softly* 'Didn't think I could miss someone so much before. But uh, we should go to your favorite steak place when you get back. How's that-' END OF VOICEMAIL

'Chris, stop being an ass and pick up. I'm worried about you. It was a stupid argument over a stupid dish. I'm sorry I yelled at you, things at work have been busy as hell and I shouldn't have taken it out on you, please call-' END OF VOICEMAIL

'Hey Baby. I'm stopping by the store before heading home to OUR new place.' *giggles* 'I am making sure to pick up the right wine for tonight as well, so don't worry about that. Just make sure the steaks are ready! Love you!' - END OF VOICEMAIL

*sniffles and shaky breathing* 'I know you won't get this yet, but I'm just having a hard night without you. I miss you so much. I'll be okay, but I just wanted to feel like I was talking to you a bit.' *deep breath* 'I love you. Please come home safely.' - END OF VOICEMAIL

'Hey, Claire came by and dropped off some stuff of your parents from her place. Give her a call later about it. Love you!' - END OF VOICEMAIL

'Hey you. I just got done at the doctor's office. Give me a call when you get this. Love you, bye.' - END OF VOICEMAIL

*soft sobbing* 'Chris, please call me. I need you.' - END OF VOICEMAIL

'I know you hate getting voicemails, but I can't reach you right now and I'm. . . I'm not doing okay. Call me, please.' *shaky breath* 'It's not looking good, babe.' - END OF VOICEMAIL

'Chris. . . I. . .' - END OF VOICEMAIL

'You're in the bathroom of the hospital room right now and you're taking a shower. I just want you to know how much I love you and how much you mean to me. You're the best thing to happen to me Chris Redfield. I love you, Baby.' - END OF VOICEMAIL

Leon

He shouldn't check it as often as he does, but some days are too hard. Leon needs to see your words, to remind him that you weren't a dream.

So on days he's deep in the bottle, he'll pull up your texts to remember some good moments in his life and why he works so hard to keep others from having to go through the same thing.

8/9/2013: 'Hey you. Figured I'd shoot you a quick text. I'm free Friday if you wanna take me up on that offer of dinner. ;)'

8/11/2013: 'We should go out again, soon. It was a lot of fun at that bar. Especially with the karaoke songs. lol'

8/31/2013: *sends a picture of a forest green shirt and a navy shirt* 'Which one do you think will sell my boss on giving me vacation?'

10/7/2013: 'Just picked up dinner and heading over! See you soon! <3'

11/24/2013: 'I know you said you wanted alone time, but I just want to let you know that I'm here for you if you need me. I care a lot about you, Leon and you're not alone.'

11/30/2013: 'Morning handsome. >:)' *sends pic of Leon's rear from behind in his kitchen*

1/20/2014: 'When do you get done with work? I've got some new fun things to show you. Like that thing we talked about the other night for instance.'

2/17/2014: 'Leon please answer the phone. I don't know where you are and I'm freaking out. Please let me know you're okay.'

2/18/2014: 'Can you give me a call when you get this? I haven't heard from you since yesterday morning and I'm trying not to be smothering, but I'm worried. If I don't hear from you by later today I'm calling Helena.'

2/19/2014: 'I know you're dealing with your own demons and issues, but please please please do not shut me out. I don't want to lose you. I love you.'

3/1/2014: 'Hey Babe! So, my coworker Erica said we could use her family's cabin this weekend since you got the time off. What do you say? A little woodsy time? Eh? Eh? :D?'

3/17/2014: 'Running late, trying to go as fast as I can in this stupid traffic. I'll message when I'm home. Love you!'

3/31/2014: 'I know you're on assignment in DC right now and can't take many calls, but I can't wait for you to get home in a few weeks. I went to the doctor today to confirm something and she said it was positive. You wanna be a real Daddy, Leon?' *sends picture of ultrasound*

4/7/2014: 'So far so good! No morning sickness or really anything. Feeling good! How about you, Papa?'

4/29/2014: 'I need pickles. Can you stop by the store on the way home from the office? Please? I love yooooouuuuu!'

5/15/2014: 'Not feeling that great. Gonna lay down for a bit. We'll order out for tonight, just wake me up when you get home. Love you.'

5/16/2014: 'Leon pick up the damn phone. Something's wrong. I'm in a lot of pain. I'm calling an ambulance.'

5/16/2014: 'Please call me. I'm bleeding and the paramedics just got here.'

5/16/2014: 'Leon, your voicemail is full and I need you here. Please.'

5/16/2014: 'I lost her. They have me on fluids and pain meds, but I haven't ever felt this much pain before. Where are you?'

5/16/2014: 'I'm trying to stay awake to wait for you, but I'm so damn tired. I'm in room 112. They know who you are and will let you in. I'm going to shut my eyes for a bit. I love you.'

Carlos

It hits him out of the blue, never on a schedule. The need to see you or hear you, but the phone he had with all your exchanges on it was destroyed on a mission, but there were the little notes you left him.

Carlos can still smell you on them, swears he can hear the pen scratching across the paper of the post it notes as he pulls them out of the wooden box he kept his most cherished possessions in.

Left on his desk at work after two weeks of dating. - 'Hey sexy, cute butt. Wanna bang?'

Found on his bike at work. - 'Tag! You're it!'

Shoved into his jacket pocket. - 'You had one job, Carlos! One job! Toothpaste! Now we're doomed!'

Stuck to the top of a pastry container. - 'Sorry for yelling at you last night. It wasn't your fault and I shouldn't have said half the things I did. I get mean sometimes. I love you and hope you can forgive me. - <3 P.S. I got you chocolate cake from that bakery you love.'

Left on top of his pillow while you were asleep and he came home from a mission. - 'Wake me up when you get home so I can greet you properly, soldier. ;)'

Taped to the fridge. - 'Don't forget to check the security system before you leave. It's being weird with the cameras and doors not chiming. Love you! Rest well! XOXO'

Pinned to his uniform. - 'Freshly cleaned! Now try and keep zombie guts off it as long as possible. I love seeing you in it without the entrails. XOXO.'

Found inside a pair of his dress shoes. - 'Wear these, not boots. We will NOT be allowed inside the restaurant otherwise. Love you!'

Slipped into his lunchbox. - 'I swear to any deity above, Carlos Antonio de Franca Oliveira, if you leave your food containers as work again -> flip over.'

On the other side. - 'You will NEVER get in my backdoor again! You hear me! I love you, have a good day. XOXO'

Taped to the bathroom mirror. - 'Can you call the security system people again? The cameras are down and the door chimes aren't working again. Thank you. :) XOXO'

Stuck to Carlos' chest when he wakes up. - 'I love you, so fucking much it hurts. So don't make me hurt you and pick up your damn boots before I break my neck over them. Thank you! XOXO'

Slid under the front door. - 'Locked out. Open the door. Keypad not working. SOS. It's raining and I'm cold. :('

On the floor of the kitchen, fallen face down with a few spots of blood. - 'Not sure what the hell is going on with the security system, but I double checked the doors and windows cause the cameras are out and the doors aren't chiming again. They're all locked. I'm heading to bed Babe. Wake me up when you get home, I miss you so much! I love you! XOXO.'

Tag List: @abysswhiskey11 @interviewedchicken @cadouboo @lonely-af-fangirl @girl-obsessed-with-things @mmmm----15 @depressedthebluefox @whimsywispsblog @singingsiren98 @parkerschurros @chrissyreid

[gucciwins]

Are you Angel?

Harry gets hurt while on the job and Y/N gets a phone call she was not prepared for.

Word count: 7413

A/N: hello friends, it's been a while :) this is a continuation to my story Trouble Follows. You don't have to read but it will give you an insight of how Y/N and Harry met. I am thrilled to share more of firefighter harry with you. I adore him and I hope you do as well.

please do let me know what you thought of the story and please reblog! <333

Warnings: angst, breakups, hospitals

A firefighter will always run into a burning building with not a hint of hesitation. All their focus is on saving the people stuck inside.

Running towards trouble is second nature to them.

She knew that.

She also knew what it meant to date a firefighter.

The unreliable hours, the non-frequent communication, the many failed dinner dates. The twenty-four hours shifts when he would then arrive home to just sleep.

Harry had begun to give her a constant comfort that he would eventually come home and climb into bed behind her. He would then gently nuzzle his face in her neck, taking in her sweet honey scent. In contrast, she took in the woody ashy smell that seems to be permanently stained on him.

So trust her when she said she knew what she was in for when Harry asked her to be his girlfriend.

Four months in, she knew she would be here for a long time, maybe forever, if life would allow it.

She was sure; she knew what to expect.

But she didn't, not until she got the call.

The call that would shatter her heart.

The call that would lead her to be sitting in this uncomfortable, ugly brown hospital chair, holding tightly onto his ashy hand. As she prayed on and on to a God, she no longer held close but wished for Harry they were real and would bring Harry back to her.

Y/N prayed for Harry to finally open his eyes and give her a reassuring smile that he would be okay.

That they would be okay.

Until then, she'll wait.

Harry being Lieutenant allowed him to have a consistent schedule. That did not mean there weren't days where he had to pull a double shift or stay back to finish paperwork; he let it pile up.

The one day that was Y/N's was Sunday.

She got him an entire day to lay in bed together and eat all the baked goods she baked for him to try. It was becoming their day. Everyone at the station knew Harry could not be disturbed on Sundays unless it was the end of the world, and even then, they'd have to pry him away from Y/N.

He feels safe in her arms. Harry had never felt that before. Sure, he was surrounded by his firehouse family, but he had never felt so loved in two arms as if she could take all his problems and stresses away. Still, she did exactly that when she would flash him her gorgeous smile and hold her arms open for him to fall into at the end of every day.

Harry knows he's never felt this way, and he won't ever take it for granted.

This Sunday will be different, and she feels it as soon as she wakes up because, in her queen-sized bed, she's alone. No arms wrapped around her waist; no head tucked into her necks as he places soft open kisses to wake her from her sleep gently.

Already, she knows this is going to be a bad day. She feels it in her bones. Having been around trouble for so long, she knows the difference between good and bad. The feelings she has made her want to find Harry and pull him back into bed where she can keep him safe.

Y/N gets out of bed, throwing the warm sheets off her body going to the bathroom to do her morning skin routine, wanting to feel refreshed for when Harry breaks the news; he's going to leave her alone on their day. She knows him well enough; he's cooking her breakfast to make up for leaving her so early in the morning.

She walks out of her bathroom, going straight to her closet and taking out the first sweater she saw. It's a baby blue color and stitched on the left side on top of her heart is: "love me please?" It's Harry's favorite sweater of hers because it's an oversized sweater that fits him well. The only reason she has it back is that he wanted her to wash it and wear it until it got her smell again. Y/N kissed him silly when he told her that, plus she loves that it smells like him now.

Y/N takes one look at her unmade bed and walks away, knowing she's going to crawl back in after Harry leaves her. She walks out and, from the hallway, can hear Harry humming away. If she's honest, she doesn't recognize the song. As she has come to learn, Harry has an interesting taste in music; he has basically heard every song ever to exist. It's a reason they are so good at Four Clovers Thursday Trivia night. She dominates pop culture and films, and Harry takes on music. She's also better at history than him. Their friends love trivia night because their winning always gets them free drinks. It's something she looks forward to each week.

"Morning, H," Y/N says as she approaches him from behind and wraps her arms around his waist. Harry smiles, instantly feeling warm with her arms around him.

"Morning, firebug. Sleep well?"

She mumbles a no, causing Harry to laugh, and she feels it vibrate through her.

"Awe, upset I wasn't wrapped around you." He teases. "I'm making up to you by making breakfast."

She pulls away, spotting blackberries on the counter. "Sure, Jan."

Harry can hear the change in her tone and knows she's still goofing off with him but knows she's upset.

"Angel, come sit. Coffee is ready."

She shakes her head but makes her way over to the chair he pulled out for her. "No coffee. I'll be going back to bed soon." Y/N waits to see if he'll correct her, but he doesn't.

"I'm sorry." He begins.

"No apologies."

"Please let me. I'm leaving you on our day." He pouts.

"As much as I don't want you to go, I'm sure they need you more than I do."

Harry frowns, "I hope you'll never stop needing me." He whispers against her lips before closing the gap. Y/N hums against his soft lips allowing herself to get lost in the moment; she loves his kisses, soft and gentle just as he is despite what his sharp eyes might have one believe.

Harry pulls away after pressing one final kiss on her pouted lips. "I'm sorry I have to go to work, but I know for certain that I can meet you for a late lunch."

"Lunch?" She repeats, arms wrapped around his waist, hoping he was serious with his offer.

He hums. "Yes, 2:30, that bistro with that avocado dressing you like for your sandwich."

"It's a date." She grins, laying her head on his chest letting him hold her tight. He unwraps his arms, letting her go.

"I've got to get going, firebug, but I'll see you later."

"Stay safe, Styles." She tells him as she does every time he leaves.

"Try my best, angel."

With that, he slips his beat-up white Vans with lilac laces and walks out the door; it shuts it behind him. Just as Y/N steps towards it to lock up, it opens back up, startling her. Harry steps back in, and before she can question him, he places both faces on the side of her face and kisses her breathless. Y/N is quick to react, allowing their lips to move in perfect harmony, not as smooth but perfect, nonetheless.

"I--" Harry begins before he clears his throat. "I'll miss you, angel."

Y/N feels the heat rush to her cheeks because, for a moment, she thought he'd say another three words. "And I'll miss you, H. Now get out of here; I don't need you showing up late to our lunch date."

Harry smiles, dimples on full display, hugging her before walking out a skip in his step. She peaks her head out, making sure he gets in the car safely before he drives off. He sits there for a moment, and she knows he is letting his Bluetooth connect as he waits for his drive-to-work playlist titled "it's time" to start playing. He takes a look at his mirrors before backing out and driving. That's when Y/N closes and locks the door.

Time to go back to bed for a few more hours; what else is there to do on a Sunday when she's left alone.

Harry genuinely did not want to go to work today, but it's not like he could say no to his Chief. His Chief was never one to call in favor unless it was an emergency. He didn't ask, knowing he'd get the full story Monday, but for now, he gets on his pants, t-shirt, and boots and hopes there are no fires today.

The only thing is that Harry isn't used to working with the B-shift, sure he knows everyone's name and a little of their lives, but they aren't his usual team. He shakes that off because he knows he would do anything to help a team member and knows they would do the same in return.

Harry is lost in thought, wondering what Y/N was going to do today. He knows she planned to take him to a butterfly pavilion today even told him the outfit she had planned out for it. A pair of jeans that had flowers embroidered all over something she added, saying she thought they looked a bit plain, pairing it with a pastel pink top. Harry was surprised with her style after meeting her various times in different outfits. He was surprised at how soft she dressed in pastels. She may have a bold personality, but her fashion was delicate and warm. It was a nice balance.

He nearly runs into Carols as he made his way to his office, too busy thinking of the girl he left at home. "Sorry, bud."

"No problem, Harry. Surprised to see you here," Carols tells him, everyone knowing Sunday was Harry's day off.

"Chief had something come up and asked me to come in. I should be out of here by eight tonight if we're lucky."

Carlos smiles, "with you around, we usually are."

Harry chuckles, telling him he'll be in his office if he needs anything. He looks around his desk and sighs at how much has piled up already.

Might as well get ahead.

It's a few hours when Harry realizes the house is quiet. He peaks around the window and figures they are all in the common room. It's only one, and thankfully there have been no calls, and if it continues, then he will make it to lunch with his angel.

He shoots her a text.

Angel

13:24 PM

I miss you. Counting down the minutes until I get to see you xxx

Harry clicks send and smiles down at his phone. 2:30 couldn't come fast enough.

As he gets up to stretch and go for a snack in the kitchen, he takes a deep breath because as confident as he may seem, he isn't around the second shift. They don't know him so well, and Harry ultimately is shy. He may be able to hide it, but he has small quicks that others pick up on. Something he knows Y/N spotted quickly, like when he toes his foot into the ground or when he begins to chip at his nails, and Y/N's favorite is when he moves his hands behind his back and sways side to side. She finds it endearing, but others might not think it's leadership material.

He walks into the lounge to cross to the kitchen when a few heads turn to him, but before they can say a word, the alarm rings, and Harry is literally saved by the bell.

Not a second to waste, everyone heads over to the rig and quickly suits up. Harry is Lieutenant meaning he's in charge of the scene today, seeing as their captain and Chief aren't here today. Harry respects all the firefighters and knows this will go well if everyone carries out their job.

It's a factory fire, and as soon as they arrive, Harry can see it's burning fast. He's not sure how many people are there, but he calls in for reinforcements knowing they will need all the manpower they can get.

"This is House 102; please send more units available. The factory fire is burning at a faster rate than we can control. My team is going in now. There are five people unaccounted for; the left side of the building is clear." Harry speaks into his two-way radio.

"Carlos," the young firefighter jogs over, eyes on Harry, no longer staring at the roaring fire. "You're going in with Baz. Stay close and don't go up the second floor; you need to be quick in and out."

"Who's going with you, Lieutenant?" Carlos asks, clearly worried.

"Jameson and Rey are coming with me; stay safe, and if anything happens, just radio in."

"You got it!" Harry pats his shoulder and walks off towards the two waiting men.

Harry knows the men well, he trained them when they came into the house, but they preferred B-shift instead of being with him. One spot was available, and he knew they didn't want to be separated. Rey and Jameson have been dating for two years, but that's a secret only very few know. It's not prohibited, but if it gets more serious, one will have to relocate to a new station. They simply aren't ready for that, and indeed Harry would be sad not to have them around the house or hearing their stories. It just adds a more considerable risk because, at the end of the day, the job is first.

Rey walks towards the entrance with Harry following right behind. Jameson, a few feet back, calling out for anyone in there that needs help.

"Fire department, call out." Echoes out as much as it can as the fire begins to roar louder.

The heat gets worse the further they walk in; they turn right at the edge of a desk labeled "Torres."

"H, there!" Rey shouts, rushing over to a man knocked unconscious and had heavy storage struck over his legs, pinning him down. Harry and Jameson run over, assessing the man before making any sudden moves.

Jameson finds a pulse, weak but there. He gets the extra mask over the man's face hoping it'll wake him up soon.

"On the count of three, we lift," Harry tells the two men standing to a stand as the others do the same.

They nod. "One, two, three." They grunt in unison, pushing the container to a standing position. Harry looks over the man's legs and is thankful there is no blood, but there will be swelling and bruises. "Right, Rey, take him out. We'll keep searching."

Rey nods, lifting the man over his shoulder as he was trained to do, and rushes out of the burning building. Harry and Jameson have just learned a new area when the radio comes on. "Lieutenant Styles, it's Carlos. We found two men; only one remains unaccounted for."

Harry nods. "Got it, no one comes back in. We'll be out soon."

He now leads the way, making his way towards a stairway. There's no fire here, but it's moving faster, and smoke is thick. Whoever is in here might not last much longer without oxygen.

"Fire department, call out," Harry shouts, voice firm.

"Here.." a whisper is heard, both Harry and Jameson freeze. Once more, "here" is yelled but sounds muffled.

Harry looks around, not seeing anything but fire, and fears the structure will collapse soon. Just as he was about to yell again, he sees a can knocked, and a man hidden under a black rag is seen. Jameson rushes over, helping the man sit up. He's older, well into his sixties. He doesn't look too well; he has a few scapes.

"Right, we need to head out," Jameson tells Harry, helping the man stand up who is fighting consciousness.

"This is Lieutenant Styles; on our way out found the last man. Have paramedics on standby."

"Got it, Styles. Get out quick."

Jameson and Harry get the man up and head to exit. Harry can see the light of day and knows he will be late for lunch, but thankful Y/N is understanding and very forgiving. He'll make it up to her by buying dessert.

Just as they almost reach the door, a piece of dry wood comes falling down, separating Harry and Jameson; luckily, it did not hit them, but now Harry has to find a new way out. It's not looking good.

"Harry," Jameson looks panicked, but Harry stays calm.

"Get him out, now," Harry tells him, looking in every direction for what to do.

"No, I won't-" Harry cuts him off.

"Jameson, get this man out. He needs medical attention. That's an order." Voice full of authority with no room to argue.

Jameson nods and heads out. "I'm coming back for you."

Harry chuckles. He sees a small path, but it'd be a more extended way out. He debates what to do. He could wait, but the longer he stays, the quicker this building is beginning to collapse.

It takes him two seconds to decide to go right and find a new route out instead of staying put. He walks and only gets hotter as the fire begins to surround him. He's good at not panicking, always thinks better under pressure, but this is getting intense. Harry climbs over a crate and bends low to go through this tight space. He sees the exit, it's still a bit away, but he knows he is in the clear.

That's when he hears a big explosion knocking him forward. His oxygen masks flys off, landing a few feet away. As Harry reaches his hand out to get it, he's pulled back. He looks behind and sees he's stuck. There are crates stacked on top of him. The air is thick of smoke, and with no oxygen, it seems like the fire will soon enough engulf him.

Shit.

He's really in trouble now.

Harry presses his radio, holding it, hoping it's still working. "This is Harry," He coughs. "I'm trapped under a few crates. I can't reach my ask. I'm west of the building."

"Harry, hold on. We're going in." Harry hears Jameson reply, but he's fading quickly.

He shakes his head. "Can't go to sleep, but this smoke is too thick to actually see anything, let alone for his team to find him.

"Tell…" He coughs again, and this time doesn't stop for what feels like five minutes but is only a few seconds. "Tell angel, I'm sorry."

A voice comes over the speaker, but Harry's eyelids are fluttering shut, the weight of the crates is too much, and the smoke only gets deeper in his lungs if he keeps speaking.

Harry welcomes the darkness as he sees the one person he was supposed to meet for lunch. She's holding an outstretched hand for him to take and who is he to ever say no to her.

Real or not, he goes to her, and soon enough, he falls unconscious, not feeling when his team lifts him out and puts him in the back of an ambulance.

Y/N decided to show up a bit earlier for their lunch date, putting in their order early, wanting to maximize all their time together. She wouldn't see him until late that night, and honestly, she wasn't a fan of being separated on her favorite day of the week.

She sits on a bench right outside, both sandwiches wrapped tucked away in a brown paper bag and a lemonade sitting next to her untouched. It was his favorite, too sweet in her opinion. Still, Harry loved it, especially since he wasn't one to indulge in sweets unless they were hers.

Knowing Harry could be running late, she pulls out a book from her orange tote bag that Harry gifted to her. The book was Beach Read, Frankie recommended it to her then gave her the book saying she needed to read more romance books and not just poetry and nonfiction books. She actually enjoyed it, which surprised her, but even if she didn't, she's too invested to not find out the ending.

She was just starting chapter five when she feels too much time has passed and glances down at her phone.

2:55

25 minutes late isn't bad or unusual even; she decides to put the book away and keep an eye out for him. Usually, when he keeps her waiting, he makes up for it with a long kiss that never fails to take her breath away; she's excited about it now.

Time seems to go slower when she just sits waiting. She debates beginning to eat her sandwich when her stomach starts to growl. It's low, but she would feel bad if she began to eat, and that's when he shows up. She settles for waiting and instead takes a drink of the sweet lemonade.

As Y/N sits waiting for Harry, her phone begins to ring and displays an unknown number but the city's area code. Every bone in her body tells her to prepare for the worst but hopes she's paranoid.

She takes a deep breath before answering and bringing the phone up to her ear.

"Hello, are you angel?" A deep voice man asks.

"It's Y/N. Actually, can I ask who's calling?" She's holding her breath; only one person calls her angel.

"I'm calling on behalf of Lieutenant Harry Styles. Harry has been in an accident and was taken to the hospital. He asked us to call an angel on his way to the hospital. We assumed you were one of his emergency contacts."

Y/N feels her hands begin to shake. "What hospital?"

The man on the phone rattles the information, and she lets it all sink in. He hangs up, and she sits there waiting on the bench for her date that will not be showing up.

Her phone rings again, she answers without looking at the caller.

"Y/N," she recognized the voice; it's Mitch, and if he's calling, then it must be true.

"Mitch," she whispers, not recognizing her own voice. It's shaky, tears beginning to well up.

"Where are you?"

"At the bistro a street down from the station." She replies, hoping he's coming for her.

"I'm close; we'll pick you up and go see him, darling." She nods but remembers he can't see her.

Y/N isn't sure why she's not crying. She feels the tears, but it's like they are stuck; her heart hurts, and she knows that says enough. "We were supposed to meet for lunch. I got worried when he didn't show up, but I didn't think--" he interrupts her.

"Harry is going to be fine, trust me. He's okay, and he needs us there."

Y/N doesn't reply because she sees him pulling in. Mitch is in the passenger seat, Sarah is driving. She doesn't say a word as she swings open the door and settles in the back.

She sets her hands in her lap; she can feel herself trembling. She can feel herself breaking because she won't know if he's okay until she sees him. Mitch can say he's fine, but she needs to see for herself.

Sarah and Mitch share a concerned look; Y/N doesn't notice her eyes looking out the window.

"Y/N?" Mitch begins, voice full of concern. "Do you- are you okay to go see him?"

"Of course." She replies quickly. "He needs me; well, I hope he does."

"Course he needs you. Needs his angel by his side." Sarah tells her calmly, wanting to see her smile, but it doesn't work because only Harry should be calling her that. She shouldn't be on her way to see him in a hospital bed. She should have seen him next to her on that bench as he ate his sandwich and gave her kiss and kiss as she told him stories.

They are silent the rest of the way. Sarah pulls into an empty parking space, and she rushes after Mitch, who seems to know exactly where Harry is as he rushes past the front desk. The only thing that slows them down is waiting for the elevator; she gladly would have taken the stairs if Mitch didn't tell her that he's on the sixth floor. Instead, she waits impatiently for the old elevator that will take her to see her love.

He is going to be okay. He has to be okay. Y/N keeps those thoughts running through her head as Mitch and Sarah guide her to room 613.

Mitch walks in first, holding the door open, Sarah places a comforting hand on her back, and Y/N feels supported and loved, but nothing prepares her for what she is about to walk into.

The constant beep of Harry's heart monitor is the only thing that can be heard in his private room. The beep is steady; it makes her let out a deep breath. The monitor already calming her down, she approaches slowly as if he'd wake if she'd walk any faster.

She sits in the uncomfortable chair next to his bed and pulls it as close as she can.

Y/N just stares at him, taking it all in. He looks like he's resting peacefully like he should originally have been when they started this day together. His curls are disheveled, his face dirty with smoke stains and a few gauzes wrapped around his arms. She can't see much else but knows he's got a road of recovery still ahead of him.

"Hi, Harry," she whispers, her hand slowly reaching under the white sheet to grab hold of his right hand. "I'm right here, okay. Take your time waking up; there's no rush. Just know that I'm not going anywhere."

She pauses, hoping for a reply even though she knows she won't get one. "We can also discuss how I'm sort of one of your emergency contacts."

Y/N presses her lips to his hand. "Need you to wake up, want to see those Rapunzal eyes." She sits back, not removing her hand from his. Sarah has not taken her eyes off of her, Sarah might feel like she might blow up soon, but being at his side, she has begun to feel better.

"Harry, we're here for you. The whole team is outside in the lobby, probably why they sent us to the floor with the biggest waiting area. Even young Carlos is out there, saying you gave them a scare but really hopes you never pick up another B-shift again." Mitch sniffles before stepping out of the room. Sarah walks over to where he was standing.

"Hey Harold, it's trivia night in a few days, and kind of counting on you to get us those free drinks." Sarah chuckles. "It's been a while since we've been in the hospital. I think it was when I made you all donate blood for that ambulance competition. Fun times, now you rest and get better. The good thing is you have the best nurse looking out for you." Sarah glances at Y/N, sending her a small smile.

Y/N sits back in her chair as Sarah sits in one by the window. She knows she's in for a long afternoon and an even longer night.

Harry's head is throbbing.

He's not sure why. The last he remembers is leaving Y/N's house to go for his shift at the station.

They were meeting for lunch; he's sure she wouldn't let him drink any alcohol on the job.

Harry slowly opens his eyes and is blinded by the bright light. He sees a photo of the sunset right in front of him, and a tv hung up; if he's not mistaken, he's in a hospital room, primarily due to being in an uncomfortable bed. The oxygen mask over his face is also a dead giveaway he was in an accident.

He looks around, and he sees he is not alone. His angel is sleeping, a tight grip on his right hand; she looks exhausted. Mitch walks in just as Harry was about to wake her. Y/N mumbles and sits up, pulling her hand away from his to rub the sleep away. Harry wants to tell her to stop knowing how much it actually irritates her eyes, especially when she tubs a little harsher than usual.

"Were you able to find tea, Mitch?" Y/N asks, looking over at him.

"Sarah's bringing it over." Mitch's gaze never turns to her staying on Harry; this confuses Y/N and turns back around in her seat to look at a resting Harry but instead finds his eyes on her.

"Harry!" Y/N scoots forward, grasps his hand in hers. "You're awake. Mitch, the nurse, please."

Harry raises his free hand to take off the mask. He wants to speak, but this won't allow him. "No, love. Got to keep it on."

Harry's eyes close, then flutter open. He stares at Y/N, his eyes kind but defiant. He takes the mask off, coughing a bit; it makes Y/N feel nauseous, knowing he's not doing so well.

"I think you need to keep it on, Harry." She says, "the nurse needs to see it when she comes in soon."

"Hey, angel," he says in a raspy voice. It sounds like he's in pain when he talks.

"Yes?" She asks.

"I'm sorry for scaring you."

Y/N shrugs, "no big deal. I wasn't even scared."

Harry smiles, showering her his dimples since she last saw him this morning. He begins to laugh but stops when it causes him to cough. Y/N lets him settle down before bending down to gently kiss him.

"Now, let that hold you over, and put the mask pack on."

Harry nods. "Anything for you, my angel."

It's a half-hour before the doctor comes in, and by that time, Harry had fallen back asleep, only just waking up a few minutes before the man walked through the door. Mitch alerted everyone outside he was awake and doing good.

Dr. Vazquez walked white coat open, displaying a purple button-up and a bright yellow tie. It puts a smile on Y/N's face.

"Hello, Mr. Styles. Glad you're awake."

"Me too, Doc. Nice tie."

Dr. Vaquez smiles, looking down at himself, "Thank you, my wife picks out my tie every morning before she heads off to work."

"Lucky man," Harry tells him.

"That I am." Dr. Vazquez replies. "You've got a mild concussion, nothing serious, but you are allowed to sleep while you're here. We've got a good team looking out for you. You've got a few burns, but those will heal nicely if properly cared for. A few deep bruises on your leg and one on your rib cage, no blood clots. It will hurt to walk for a few days."

"Nothing too bad, then," Harry sighs, relaxing in bed.

"I've looked at your charts, and it looks like you will be making a full recovery and should be back on the job in three or four weeks. In the meantime, you will need to stay overnight and keep taking in oxygen. I see the nurse changed your mask. Please don't remove this one." Harry nods. "Any questions?"

Harry shakes his head no, "Not at the moment."

"Alright, I'll be off then. I'll come to see you tomorrow midday, and we'll talk about going home. I hear you have a waiting room full of people dying to see; just be aware that visiting hours end at nine, but if you're kind to Nurse Lucy, she'll be lenient to ten."

"Thank you, Dr. Vazquez." Mitch and Y/N say in unison as the man exits the room.

"That's the quietest I've ever seen you, firebug." Harry teases.

"You hush." She lightly pats his arm.

Mitch laughs, "going to go tell them you're allowed, visitors."

Y/N and Harry sit in silence. He can tell she has something on her mind, a slight frown on her face. He wonders if it's about him if she won't be able to handle dating someone who can be hurt by the job. Harry honestly does not want to lose her.

"I'm going to step out," Y/N tells him, looking down at their joined hands, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"Y/N," Harry sighs.

"You've got lots of people waiting to see you and roughly have an hour to see them all. I'll be close by." She leans down, presses a kiss to his cheek, and walks out before he can reach out to stop her.

She steps out while a few members of his team come in to see him offering her a smile as she passes them. As much as she didn't want to leave him, she needed a moment away, and he needed a moment with his family.

God, Y/N has never felt so scared, and now a minute alone, everything is beginning to set in. She has no idea where the restroom is, and the next thing she knows, she's running into someone, but it seems they recognize her because they say her name, and the next thing she knows, she's crying, sinking to the floor. She feels arms wrap around her.

Shushes in her ear, brushing the ends of her hair. It's calming, but she needs to let all the tears she's been holding in.

"Y/N," she can now recognize the voice as Sarah's, "I'm going to help you stand and sit you in the chair.

Y/N feels herself nod.

She begins taking deep breaths, never letting Sarah pull her hand away. It is the only thing keeping her grounded.

"I got her some water." Y/N hears Frankie whisper handing it to Sarah before taking the seat to the left of her.

"I'm okay," she repeats. "I'm okay."

"Y/N," Sarah begins.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, sweetie." Frankie brushes her hair back.

"I'm supposed to be strong; I have to be strong to do this to stand by his side," Y/N tells them, beginning to let her emotions out.

"No one is expecting you not to cry."

"Bu-" Sarah interrupts her.

"No. stop. Accidents happen, and so do injuries. It's okay to be scared and hurt."

"I want to be strong for him." She whispers.

"You are. You never left his side; you talked to him. You're crying now because you care."

She wipes her eyes with her sweater sleeves. "I love him, and I was so scared that when I got the call, I'd never get to tell Harry."

"Then you tell him as soon as you walk back into his room."

"Thank you."

"Nothing to thank, I care about you, and I know Harry would be grateful to know you're not alone. You've always got us. Now let's grab something to eat, and we'll come back in an hour once all of them go home."

She chuckles. "Alright."

"Text me where you're sitting. I'll pop in to see Harry, then meet you."

"You don't have to," Y/N tells Frankie because she knows she is just as concerned about her friend.

"Are you kidding me? You're my friend first, always."

Sarah and Y/N walk down to the cafeteria. She knows she isn't okay but is feeling better, finally letting emotion out. It was only a matter of time before she let the dam break; she's just happy it was not in front of Harry.

The girls sit in the cafeteria munching on snacks for well over an hour. Mitch sends them a message letting them know all the crew has left and it's time to say goodbye for the night. Frankie wishes her goodnight downstairs with promises to come to see her tomorrow and bring her a change of clothes.

"Let's walk you back," Sarah tells her, linking their arms together.

"Do you think he'll know?" Sarah takes a good look at her and grimaces. "I'll just say I tripped, and it made me cry." Y/N jokes.

"I don't think he'll believe that."

"Yeah, me either." The girls walk out of the elevator as their laughter dies down.

They settle in silence as they make their way to his room, Sarah holding her hand leading the way. Mitch is in the chair she was in for so many hours before waiting for him to wake up. Mitch hears their footsteps and turns his head, but Harry is frowning, looking out the window at the dark sky.

Y/N doesn't know what to say, but one look at him has her heart filling up with relief; he's okay.

He's fine, and he gets to go home soon, and she gets to love him all she wants.

Harry turns his head as she steps forward. "Angel," he breathes out.

It makes her eyes well up with tears again. "I love you," she just lets it out, as if she's told Harry this every day as if she never went a moment not saying it.

"Oh my angel," Harry begins to cry, feeling overwhelmed and incredibly happy. His angel loves him, and although this isn't a perfect day, the moment is.

Mitch and Sarah sneak out quietly, shutting the door behind them to give them their privacy.

"I love you so much. Please come here." Harry replies, voice shaky.

In the next second, she's moving forward, pulling the chair as close as she can as he grabs her hands, squeezing them tightly. She leans down and presses her lips to his chapped pink lips. They move gently, pouring all their love and fears into the kiss. Telling each other that the worst is over and they are together, and they are fine. Y/N pulls back, knowing she can't kiss him as long as she'd like due to his sensitive lungs.

"Harry, I love you, and I was so scared I'd never get to say it."

"I'm sorry, angel; I never wanted you to get a call like this, at least not before talking about it."

"Me either," She sniffles, no longer able to control her tears, "but it happened, and I'm just happy you're okay."

"I'm okay," he repeats. She smiles, taking one of her hands out of his hold to wipe his tears away; Harry can't help but lean his head into her gentle touch. "I'm okay because my angel is always looking after me.

"Harry."

"It's true. I've never been luckier and safer since you came into my life." She smiles. "But there's something we have to talk about." He continues, and by the tone of his voice, it's going to be serious.

"Are you okay?"

"What? I'm fine. You're the one in a hospital bed." Her tone is defensive.

"There's something wrong. I can see it."

Y/n sighs, taking a deep breath. She takes her hand out of his hold.

Harry is quick to mask his hurt.

"I don't like that you're hurt. I hate that we aren't at home in the kitchen dancing around to your Sunday playlist as I bake you a new treat." She says in a rush.

"Hey, love, relax," he says and gestures for her to move in closer. She does so, allowing him to take hold of her hands with a firm grip this time.

"You're upset because I got hurt?" She nods in reply to his question. It's stupid because, of course, he's going to get hurt; it'd be naive to think he wouldn't in his job.

"It's part of the job." He says simply. It's something he wants her to accept and remember. She thinks back to a month into dating when he told her about his ex-girlfriend and how she couldn't handle the unknown of the job each day he left her. Y/N thought she'd be fine, but she loves him, and losing him would be something she could never recover from.

"I know. It's just not easy to see." Her voice was quiet and defeated.

"What do we do?" Harry asks, and Y/N freezes; she can feel her heart beating in her ears.

What do we do?

"What do you mean?" She can feel her hands begin to shake.

"This can happen again." He gestures to him in the hospital bed.

"I know." She says softly.

"Is this something you can handle or not?" He asks very direct. She knows this might not be the first time he's had the conversation, but she just told him she loved him, and he's questioning her. She's allowed to feel this way, but it doesn't mean she can't handle it.

"Y/N," he begins, "I'm incredibly happy with you. I see you and me together for a long time. You're it for me, but this job is my life."

"I know," she repeats. "I would never ask you to give up your job."

Harry stares at her; heartbreak passes through his eyes. "Are you asking me to give you up?

She shakes her and begs for the tears not to fall, but it's no use. She feels them falling and can't wipe them as Harry has a hold of her hands.

"Harry, I love you." He frowns as if fearing the worst. "I love you, and I'd rather love you every moment I have you than let you go now and never know what could have been."

"Oh, thank god." Harry lets out a deep breath. She giggles. "I'm sorry we couldn't have this conversation earlier; honestly, I feared if I brought it up, you could possibly break up with me, and I selfishly wanted to have you longer."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere, not if it's up to me. Seeing you laid up is hard but knowing I get to be there for you makes up for it. Also helps that I'm a nurse."

"That it does."

Y/n grins at Harry, leaning in to kiss him, short and sweet for now. Each kiss never fails to make her heart race, and due to Harry's heart monitor, she knows it does the same to him. They sit in silence, staring at each other as Harry traces small shapes against Y/N's cheeks, loving the feeling of her in his hand. Especially when she lets out a soft giggle when he hits a sensitive spot.

"Move in with me," Y/N blurts out after a while of silence.

It shocks Harry. "What?"

"Until you're better. That way, I can be your in-home nurse."

"Only until I'm better?" She nods. "So, you'll give me the boot after." Harry teases.

Y/N can feel her cheeks warming up but pushes through, "Only if you're a bad patient."

Harry smiles, dimples on full display for her, always for her. "Okay, I can be good and naughty only when you ask."

"Harry!" She gasps.

He throws his head back, laughing.

"God, I'm so lucky to love you." His words warm her heart, and she promises to tell him every day from now on.

"Now get up here and cuddle me. I got Mitch to cue up Netflix."

"Are you sure?" She stands slipping her shoes off, knowing he won't be taking no for an answer.

"Going to deprive an injured man of what he wants most?"

"Guess not."

"Good."

Y/N crawls on and lays on his side, carefully resting her head on his chest. Harry presses kiss after kiss for his comfort, knowing he will be okay and has his favorite person by his side. She chooses Legally Blonde knowing it's Harry's comfort movie as much as he tries to deny it.

For an unusual start to their Sunday, it ends right; together in bed, a hospital bed but nonetheless a bed, together arms wrapped tight around each other.

Y/N might not have liked that Harry got hurt, but he's okay, and he will recover.

That's all she could ever ask for.

thank you so much for reading!

please send me a message of what you thought or if you'd like to see more firefighter harry

I adore you. take care xx