#2023: Day 13 - Marriage | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

anki-of-beleriand · 9 months

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Bad Liar ch. 14

Summary: Life is about lessons, and Wanda has been learning some harsh facts that had define her life and taken her to a place in which she was given a second chance. Then, all of a sudden, she meets you, and she realizes why it's easier to lie to yourself than to accpet what's right in front of her.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff/ Female!reader - America/Kate - Mentions of past Vision/Wanda - past Natasha/Reader - Some Female!Reader/Carol Danvers - Mentions of Natasha/Maria being married

Warnings: Slow burn - Enemies to friends to lovers - Mentions of abusive relationships - Toxic relationships - angst - drama - mentions of abuse - more tags as the story progress.

Author's note: When everything seems to finally fit in their universe, the shadows of the past come chasing after them.

Guys, we are almost there!!! Please rmemeber English is not my mother tongue so forgive my grammar, spelling and funny mistakes, hope you like this one.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18

Chapter 14

The Day before New year

Christmas Eve from 2023 would become one of the most memorable holidays in your life.

Wanda had shared a piece of herself not even her children had met before. She filled the household with Sokovian traditions while letting her mother tongue to wrap around her words and the stories of her home. Her children had been quite shocked when they heard the strange, yet familiar, language of Sokovia slipping out of their mother’s mouth while you and America had asked for more with excited smiles.

Soon it was not only Sokovian that everyone was trying to learn, but you and America made it their duty to start teaching Spanish as well. It was a nice experience, and you noticed how Wanda’s mood improved whenever her children tried to pronounce one word or another while looking up at their mother for corrections. This only showed how much Wanda had freed herself from her previous marriage and how, little by little, she had been conquering her own identity while also sharing with you and her family the glimpses of who she really was.

The weekend ended faster than you would have liked it, and by the time you made it back to your office you were missing all of them dearly.

You leaned back against the chair in your office, the morning light sneaking inside your office while your eyes drifted to the clouds gliding right above the buildings with your mind replaying the events of the weekend. Your lips broke into an easy smile, the sight of Billy and Tommy laughing and bouncing excitedly while they uncovered their gifts or the sight of Wanda gleaming with happiness whenever she was close to you was everything that fuelled your sanity.

You had gotten used to Wanda, the twins, Kate and America to be by your side in the last week that you forgot your own duties back at the office. You winced remembering the scold you received from Tony, Pepper and Maria and their demands for you to take up your laptop and join them to the meetings for the closing of the year. It had been a really long week, with meeting after meeting and report after report, you had gone home late at night while leaving early in the morning for three long days.

The buzzing from the intercom broke your thoughts bringing you back into your reality, you furrowed your brows leaning in to click on the calendar on your computer but that time of the morning was completely clean. Actually, it was your lunch time, something you had almost missed completely while daydreaming about Wanda and your family. With a light frown, and a scrunched up nose you pressed the red bottom on the intercom, the buzzing sound easing out and allowing you to communicate with your secretary.

“Yes, Mrs. Valerie?”

“Mrs. Y/L/N, you have a visitor, Mrs. Van Dyme is requesting a moment of your time, and Mrs. Hill wants me to remind you of the appointment you have with Director Fury at 3.”

You rolled your eyes at the obvious reminder of such an important appointment, Maria had made it almost impossible for you to evade such an important meeting since it would be the last straw to get Jarvis under Federal custody.

“Very well, Mrs. Valerie, tell Hope to come in and tell Maria to stop bothering me.”

There was a moment of hesitation before the other woman answered, “as you wish, ma’am.”

The door opened to reveal a smiling Hope making her way towards you, you stood up meeting her halfway wrapping your arms around her.

“God! You’re so busy sometimes!” Hope reproached, leaning back shaking her head, “if you’re not here at the office you are out there with Wanda and the children…which is not bad, but certainly shows where your priorities lay.”

You dipped your head away trying to hide the blush in your cheeks, Hope smirked glancing at your watch before nodding to the door.

“You still have some time before that meeting with Director Fury,” Hope teased you, grabbing your hand and dragging you out of your office, “you owe me a lunch and a good story since as of late you had been quite busy with Wanda Maximoff.”

“Humph, please I have a lot on my plate right now…” You tried to justify yourself but Hope merely snorted, leading you to the closest restaurant just around the corner of your building.

“Not for your best friend, it has been quite some time and our phone calls or chats are not enough. Come one!” Hope replied making sure that you did not fight her over while taking you into the lift.

The restaurant was the same as it had been the last time you were in.

You were taken to a seclude area, the one right across to the table you had shared with Carol so long ago. The memory of the blonde-haired woman made your heart twisted in regret. Hope made the order for you turning her eyes to you, a teasing smile decorating her lips.

“Well, spill.” She placed her elbows on the table holding her face in her hands, you rolled your eyes leaning back on the chair.

“That Friday was perfect, we talked and we got to dance…” Hope tapped her cheek impatiently, you huffed, shaking your head, “and of course, we kissed.”

You couldn't help but laugh when Hope squealed like a teen, she grabbed your hand with excitement visible in her face.

“And, then what happened?”

You took a deep breath licking your lips before narrating the events of that Friday night and what had happened in the following days. Hope was patient, absorbing your words with avid curiosity and the hints of sisterly affection you had always identified in her. She laughed and gasp in the right parts of the story, and her eyes never stopped the real emotions going through her when she caught glimpses of your deep affection for the other woman and her children.

Hope had always known of the fragility of your heart. It was so easy for you to love and to fall for someone, that she was really not surprised at all when she caught those words dripping with love and longing. What little she had gotten to see from Wanda, Hope could tell you had made a great impression on her though the path Wanda was taken at that moment in her life might lead to things being slow.

She was not surprised this was what you told her, how Wanda was ready to give you and herself a chance, with the fear and reluctance still at the back of her mind that history might repeat itself. Hope wished she could convince Wanda that you were a good person, that if she were to choose someone to start anew and give her heart a chance you were the right option. But that wouldn't be fair, Hope had been your best friend since kindergarten and her opinion was clouded by her relationship with you.

Whatever was to happen between you and Wanda, whatever relationship the both of you ended up building should be under your own terms. And no one could intervene, so time and patience was necessary for this.

“I guess that's why she was seeing you,” you took a long sip from the glass of wine you had in front of you, “is she part of the underground railroad?”

Hope held her hand midair, her eyes drifting from her glass to you before she set it back down on the table. You snorted, offering a bitter smile.

“I know you can't answer, but you don't need to,” you shrugged looking right outside your window, “I guess as much, you know? And, either way she told me something about her ex-husband…”

“Are you okay with that?” Hope gauged your reaction, she could tell the whole thing bothered you to some extent but she was not sure if it would affect your perception of Wanda or the relationship you wanted with her.

“I guess that explains a lot about her shyness, her insecurities, the fear she sometimes shows in public.” You clenched your fist closed, the tension around your jawline was enough to tell Hope where your heart on the matter was. “I can't believe there is someone out there ready to hurt her or the twins, that someone would dare to put a hand on her instead of loving her.”

Hope broke into a sad smile, “not everyone can be good, Y/N, you know that.”

You nodded shrugging, “I wish she could tell me more about it, that I could help her in some way. I know she is filling out the divorce papers and the full custody of her children but…”

“You have the resources and the power to destroy him.”

You grunted looking away to avoid the knowing glance from Hope.

“Don't.” she stated with force behind her words. “That would only worsen things, and some process must be done without help or intervention. Let her come to you, let her ask for help…right now, what Wanda needs is someone she can count on. She needs someone that can love her and show her that love and family can be something amazing, something she deserves.”

“I want to give her the world, Hope. To her and to Billy and Tommy, I want to…” you trailed off opening your eyes at the sudden realisation of the deepness of your emotions for Wanda.

Hope softened up, she placed a hand on top of yours offering a kind smile.

“I know, Y/N, and that's why this is all worth the wait.”

Your heart beat fast, your abdomen dropping into a single revolution of tingles that made you yearn for Wanda. The smile forming on your face was all the confirmation Hope needed to understand you were already far too involved with Wanda to back out and do nothing else than what you had just stated: give the world to Wanda and her children.

“Well, now that we got that out of the wait, tell me all about Kate and America, I hope you got pictures because I’m all in to tease my little sister.”

Hope laughed, putting her mobile out of her pocket, her face a mask of pure mischief.

“Oh, I caught the exact moment they kissed for the first time.”

You laughed with Hope soon narrating how everything happened from her perspective. You and Hope were so distracted about the conversation you were having and about the recent events you never noticed the man sitting right behind your table paying close attention to every word you two exchanged; the man kept his glare away from you but his body was trembling with rage just as his hands clenched tightly around the papers he had been reading, once you had stopped talking about the newfound love with Wanda Maximoff, Edwin ‘Vision’ Jarvis stood up and left the restaurant.

He couldn’t wait any longer, nor if Wanda had already filled out the sole custody of the twins. He had already received the notification of the divorce, but his children…oh, no, Wanda would never get his children for herself…No, either they faded away with their mom, or they submitted to his wishes.

Vision clenched his jaw, time to make them pay.

_________________________

Wanda signed the last one of the files she was handed over by Natasha, Happy Hogan reviewed the file nodding in approval before stretching the young woman's hand.

“I think this is all, he already received the notification for the divorce and the authorities are aware of your situation and the custody battle.” Happy put the paperwork away furrowing her brows while glancing at Natasha and Wanda, “the judge signed the restriction order, and the State already failed in your favour now we are only waiting for the final approval and he won't be able to fight custody on American soil.”

For the first time since all her journey began, Wanda let go of the tension in her shoulders with a breathy sigh leaving her lips. This time around there were no tears, nor any feelings of inadequacy or fear, there was only peace. Relief.

Wanda stood in the background, the conversation between the lawyer and Natasha completely muffled by the sudden feeling of freedom she got from this last step. She turned around to see Billy and Tommy playing with Liloh, she wrapped her arms around herself allowing a tender smile to grace her lips.

“I think this is a good way to end the year,” Natasha came to her, sharing the same smile while turning her eyes to the boys and the cats.

“I don't know how to thank you for everything you have done for me, Natasha.”

Natasha shook her head, shooting her a mischievous glance while nodding to the kitchen.

“How about by telling me what has been going on with you and Y/N?”

The full blush that adorned the younger woman's face was everything Natasha needed to know that something was really happening. Not that it was any surprised for her or anybody for that matter, ever since you two crossed paths and the quarrel became a friendly banter, Natasha could tell there was something else hidden behind Wanda's submissive and accommodating behaviour that soon was replaced with the woman that was standing right now in her kitchen.

And while this was all Wanda's hard work for recovering herself, without a doubt you and her children had helped her out in some way or another.

“We have been…” Wanda started but soon she trailed off, for the very first time she was wondering what exactly were the two of you, she blinked a couple of times frowning, “I could say that we are dating, but actually we have been spending time with Billy, Tommy, Kate and America, these last couple of weeks had been so…amazing. She makes me feel things I never…”

Natasha cocked an eyebrow making her way to the coffee maker, she waited until Wanda explained what had happened since the Yule Ball, the weekend and the nights spent together, the Christmas day and night and the gifts you two exchanged. Her hand moved to the necklace you had gifted her, while she suddenly realised in all of this you two had just spent a couple of hours alone. Everything had been revolving around her and her children, and Wanda had to wonder why.

“Y/N is just like that,” Natasha served the coffee shrugging, “she tends to be selfless to the point she sometimes forgets she also deserves to be taken care of.”

“God, I must look like a selfless idiot.” Wanda placed a hand on her face, all of a sudden she remembered how you were always there making dinner, breakfast, helping around the house, taking her and the twins out while just standing by her side with nothing more than stolen moments in the middle of the night.

“Nah, I don't think Y/N sees it like that, but perhaps it could be a good opportunity to just have a date.” Natasha could really see the distress in Wanda, the young woman was overthinking once more and Natasha stopped that by clicking her tongue and tapping on the counter.

“It's just that, well…” Wanda didn't need to explain, she had already shared her fears with Natasha and the older woman could understand where they came from.

“Look, take your time, she already told you she is ready to wait.” Natasha offered a comforting smile, “you could also plan something simple, a dinner or an outing to a museum, she loves those things a lot…”

“She does,” Wanda nodded, biting her lower lip, “I just…god, this is sometimes so much, I'm afraid I'm not what she wants, that I can't give her what she wants or needs.”

“One step at a time, Wanda, don't rush it, but give yourself a chance to experiment.”

Wanda turned those words inside her head, she nodded absentmindedly, lifting her face to the older woman. Natasha narrowed her eyes, an idea forming inside her head while she leaned forward.

“I know Strange and Christine invited you over to the New Year's party.”

“They did, yes.”

Natasha chuckled, wiggling her brows, “Well, how about dressing up to spend midnight with her.”

The way Natasha changed her voice into a suggestive tone let Wanda know exactly what the other woman was thinking. Wanda was not a stranger to such thoughts or suggestions,everytime that you and her were alone and shared an intimate moment Wanda felt her heart rate increase and her body and lower abdomen tingling with want. It had been so long since she last felt desired, or needy. Sometimes Wanda found herself on the verge of asking for more but once she opened the mouth the words had tangled in her tongue and she just asked for time, for patience, for cuddles.

“I actually was thinking more about a date,” Wanda dropped her stare hiding her blushing face, “I could ask America for help and just…seduce her first?”

Natasha laughed when Wanda lifted her face smiling shyly at her, the spark of curiosity and mischief gleaming in those green eyes. The older woman leaned back nodding decisively.

“Very well, do you want me to help?”

“Please.” Wanda dropped on the table, she sighed in relief and uncertainty shown in her face soon after, “I really want to make it special, and I want to…I mean, I'm not completely ready but I just want her and…I mean…”

Wanda's babbling was stopped by Natasha who merely rolled her eyes at her.

“I'll help you, now let's start the planning.”

_______________________

The last week of the year was usually the hardest one.

You dropped your head on the desk, the amount of paperwork you had left to sign and the meetings you had to attend were ridiculous and it only showed the great effort you dad made to get back home to his family.

Maria tapped the table, her eyes piercing you with a familiar glare. Fury held back his expressionless face, his lone eye checking over the videos saved on the laptop Maria and Coulson had prepared for the agent in charge of the case.

“You know? Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, can you like…catch him up before that?”

Fury ignored you completely, Maria huffed but said nothing under the sheepish smile you shared with her. The case of the industrial espionage had given the desired results; the man Vision had fallen into the trap without really knowing or actually realising what he was doing. What surprised you the most was that the man had good ideas, he was smart and quite inventive, but he lacked the motivation or the willingness to put some effort in the actual work. He was waiting for everyone to work for him and give him what others had won with hard work.

It was not difficult for Tony and his team to place a tracker, and soon Vision was stealing information they had hidden as classified and highly volatile technology that in reality would end up in nothing.

“It is not a matter of time, Y/L/N,” Fury leaned back closing the laptop, “we are waiting for the final deal, he is to sign with one of the most prolific warlords in Eastern Europe, and as soon as we received the Intel of the deal we will take our guy into custody.”

You straightened up, squinting your eyes at the man sitting across the desk. For the last couple of weeks you had done nothing more than to comply with the Agency and help the government in the case, but the names that had been tossed around involved with Vision had left a bitter taste in your mouth.

You didn't want your company nor anyone inside the building to be at risk, and having a group of federal agents storming inside the place could end up in drama.

“Fury, I hope this won't be an issue, I really don't fancy the publicity that may come from this, or anyone getting hurt…”

Fury shifted on the spot, he turned to Maria who was suddenly quiet and stoic with her eyes completely centred on you. You frowned, pursing your lips while your eyes gleamed dangerously to the older woman.

“What is it?” Your voice dripped coldness, Maria sighed, putting a different file from under the pile she had with her.

“Kingpin is his main investor, he has been the one providing him with the money, the resources, and the people.” Maria winced when you grabbed the file forcefully, “they had been watching over you and America…”

“Fury…” you started but the man didn't flinch, he sat there waiting for you to speak. “What the actual fuck?”

“It was bound to happen, you can pretend to be surprised when you and I both knew this was a huge possibility.” Fury shrugged, “you and America were not left unsupervised, of course, but we know he won't dare to make any rash movements if he can prevent them, Vision on the other hand…”

“It's a cage animal.”

You huffed turning around and pacing around the room, you didn't like this conversation nor the deal you had been made to uphold for old time sake. You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose before turning rashly towards Fury and Maria.

“How long? How long before I can stop housing a thief? How long before I used my money and power to stop this?”

This time around Fury winced, he could tell you were mad but not unreasonable. He faced you lifting a single finger.

“One week.”

“One week, Fury, one week and then I want my family and my company out of this deal.”

Fury took in the seriousness behind your words before nodding curtly, so far you had done more than what was expected and he knew the danger you had been put through was far greater taken into consideration the man you had been kept under the company's roof was the very same man that had hurt your recent love interest.

“I know this is not ideal, and that you were reluctant to follow up on this, but I want to thank you for the cooperation.” Fury stood up presenting his right hand to you, you nodded curtly taking his hand. “I won't forget this, and I can promise you that nothing bad will happen to you or your family.”

“Pretty well, I guess one week is nothing at the end of the day.” You rubbed the back of your neck turning to Maria, “let’s keep a low profile and have normal meetings with him, if I'm not wrong I'm supposed to supervise one of his experiments tomorrow.”

“Yes, he is trying out a new program that needs your approval,” Maria then changed her face, softening slightly, “you want me to come with you?”

You offered a half smile shaking your head, “nah, I can take Bruce with me or Hank it won't take long and either way you have the meeting with the board. I hate those meetings at the end of the year.”

“Very well, then Fury, is there anything else we can do for you?”

Fury smirked, understanding the clear dismissal from Maria, he shook his head grabbing the USB from the laptop.

“No, for now I will be on top of the DA to make sure the paperwork is ready, I don't want any surprises and what we have so far should be enough to extend the warrant for Vision's arrest.”

You saw as Fury and Maria left your office, leaving you all alone to your work and your thoughts. The year had been strange, to say the least, but what was playing in your mind was the woman and the children waiting you back home.You smiled knowing that as soon as you get home she would be waiting for you in her living room, if only to catch up before sharing a sweet kiss and going back home. It was a hard commitment sometimes, to work long hours and knowing as of late all you could offer were mere minutes of your time.

With a sigh you proceeded to finish your work, at least for today you aspired to leave the office early and go home to share with America, Wanda and the twins. Tomorrow would be New Year's and you couldn't afford to be late.

________________

Edwin Jarvis had become a man of simplicity.

He loved money, and the good life. He had come to love being in charge while also giving himself to the pleasures that women, gambling and alcohol could offer. His father had taught him well, women were meant to serve and men like him should always have a woman by his side that showed how respectable and responsible he was. Wanda had been an easy pick, herbfather had money and position and when he died Wanda was left with enough money Jarvis had used and spent in his lifestyle. Of course, handling someone like Wanda had been difficult, and he thought that he had her controlled, she and the brats, but alas some people were just plain ungrateful.

Monday Morning came with a single, and regretful encounter with a courier from the court. Jarvis had been furious enough to almost hit the man, but he contained himself when the spring voice of the man he was making business with stopped him.

“Take it up like a man, and don't hurt messengers.” The voice was filled with power and a warning, and Jarvis had taken the court that actually held the paperwork of his divorce and the paperwork for full custody of his children.

He had been beyond embarrassed and while he was well aware of Wanda's intention when she ran away from him, Vision was not about to give her the satisfaction of a win. His first instinct had been to ask for legal advice, and it was there and then that he found the full case being built against him.

“I think I made the deal with the wrong Jarvis,” Kingpin had mocked, grabbing the paperworks and the files brought by the court official working under his payroll, “your wife just built one of the most solid cases against you, tsk.”

Vision had been furious, that day he had broken the they used to share and had burned the little belongings she had left. But then, he calmed himself, money was not a complete issue for him, he had already thought of taking his children and Wanda away, perhaps teach her a lesson while putting a chain on her neck and hiding her from the world.

A place with no extradition.

Either way, who would miss Wanda?

She didn't have family or friends, Vision had taken care of that. But now…

Everything she had done, she was not that smart, she was a dumb bitch only good for sex and not even that! She had help!

And thanks to Agatha, Vision knew who had helped her.

His plan had been simple, Kingpin would sell him out if that served his purposes, so Vision would gather whatever he needed, have everything ready and take what was his.

Simple, right?

He grabbed the picture in which Billy and Tommy stood by his side, he had each boy on each hand while Wanda stood a step behind him. His lips curled into a nasty grin, Wanda could have had everything with him if only she behaved and was the good wife he knew she could be.

But alas, he no longer had the patience to teach her, and in reality he could get a new pet to educate properly.

With a last glance to his house, he grabbed the black box on the counter and went to his car. Everything had been set up, and now it was time to end the year with a blast.

______________________________

The day before the end of the year broke with a single light of a cold sun, Wanda tried to wake up early to make sure she could say goodbye to you.

But as it had happened the last couple of days, you left far too early after having arrived far too late the day before. Wanda hated the longing in her heart, the way she craved to be near you and to enjoy the same attention you had given to her days prior. She continued with her routine while getting Billy and Tommy ready for the day while also making sure that America was well-fed.

That day, however, was to be different.

That day, Wanda planned for it to be special.

She really owed it to you to have a moment for just the two of you, for perhaps getting that second date to get to know her and to dive into the relationship she was starting with you. Wanda shivered at the thought of your kisses, how good you felt against her, how safe and loved she felt

Love.

Wanda shook her head focusing on her reflection, she fixed her hair back, applying light make-up while giving herself a very critical glance. It had taken her almost all week to get this prepared, and now that the day was here the old glimpses of doubt shadowed her mind. It was the inadequacy built up after trying to please the man she thought she loved.

With a heavy sight, shaking away those darkening thoughts, Wanda smiled at her reflection once more and exited the bathroom. America, Billy and Tommy had been waiting for her right outside, her children lit up running to her while hugging her tightly while America tried to hide away the flush on her cheeks and the awestruck while trying to keep her eyes right above the neckline.

“So, what do you guys think?” Wanda lowered her gaze to her children who smiled back at her.

“You look beautiful, mommy!” Tommy was the first one to answer, Billy nodded glancing at her tilting his head while examining her face.

“You look like a Princess.”

Wanda chuckled this time around, turning her attention to America, “so, what do you say?”

“I can only tell you, Professor, that my sister won’t know what hit her,” America softened her stare, “you really look amazing, Professor.”

Wanda smiled sheepishly, placing her hand on her children’s head.

“You know you can call me Wanda, right? We’re not in school anymore.” Wanda could see as America relaxed nodding, she then straightened up glancing at the watch on her wrist. “I guess I better go, you guys are going to be fine?”

“Yes, mom!” The twins answered at the same time grinning widely.

“I left some food and early dinner for you guys on the stove, please don’t cause too much trouble and go to bed early. Tomorrow we have a long day and I need you to be well-rested.”

Wanda then turned to America, her gaze on the young woman.

“Is Kate coming over?” She asked, and soon she could tell the answer to that question to be positive since America blushed, Wanda rolled her eyes playfully. “Please, behave and you know where to reach me or Y/N if anything happens.”

“Yes, ma’am, don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything, now…go, I bet my sister would be more than happy to see you like this.”

Wanda dipped her head hiding away the flush on her cheeks before strolling down the hall and going down the stairs. She grabbed her purse and with a last deep breath left the house. Her heart was hammering hard against her chest, the pool of tension and tingles growing as she thought of what the night might bring. Of what a night out with you could really mean.

In all honesty she had never been to this part of the city, the town she had been living in was a small suburb area enjoyed by the people who did not like or actually enjoy the overbearing atmosphere of the city. The building you and your family had built stood tall in the middle of the city, right beside the Stark Tower and where everyone could admire not only the name of one of the most important businesses in the country but also the power that came with it.

A lot had been said about you and your family and Wanda had learnt most of it from you and from the news, America and you had been protected by your parents from the spotlight, and you had always enjoyed of the simplicity of life without having to go through the harsh realities others might face. At least, no monetary struggles.

When Wanda first came across your face into one magazine and the news on social media her breath caught in her throat. No longer was the woman dressed in denim or loose pants, or the woman who would dress casually while also staying at home reading or watching movies with her teen sister.

The woman she found was someone with money and power.

Yet, it was not the woman she had come to know and to actually have feelings for. Wanda took a deep breath, she glanced at her reflection through the glassed windows her heart hammering against her chest as she noticed the woman standing in front of her. With a single smile, she took a deep breath and went inside.

Jarvis checked his watch while holding onto the cup of coffee he bought on the street; he had little time to finish what he needed to before leaving the building that day. His mind had been planning out the next steps of his plan, when a voice he had not heard for quit sometime reached his ears.

“Eh, hi, sorry…I’m looking for…Maria Hill?” Wanda tapped the counter offering a nervous smile to the receptionist, the woman lifted her eyebrows taping something on her computer.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, not really I was supposed to…”

“Wanda!!” Maria came running from the hall leading to the private lifts on the left, Wanda sighed in relief pointing at the woman approaching them.

“Here she is.”

The receptionist smiled pointing to the security turnstiles allowing Wanda access to the building. Maria came to her, her eyes flashing around the main entrance before grabbing Wanda and dragging her down the hall into a more seclude area.

Jarvis stood in the shadows, his resolution crumbling at the sight of his wife looking so…so…slutty. He almost broke the coffee cup he was holding, trembling as the other woman disappeared in a restricted area, protected by the high security surrounding Alchemax. For what seemed like an eternity, Vision stood in the shadows with dark thoughts crossing his mind while the plans he had set up changed in a second.

Without wasting more time, he grabbed his phone and wrote a quick message to the only person that was ready to fully support him, then with the same nasty smirk he wore back at home while saying goodbye, he went to his lab.

Time for payback.

____________

“This building is amazing.” Wanda stepped closer to the glassed walls of the lift, Maria offered a half smile nodding while checking the status of Vision.

When Natasha told Maria of the date they had planned out with Wanda to surprise Y/N she had been excited. Work has been almost impossible as of late, and Maria had seen the stress building up in Y/N every day, it was not only the amount of work but the lack of family time she had had with America and Wanda and the kids. It was funny, though. Almost a couple of months ago, she had become workaholic and then, all of a sudden this woman comes in, and everything changed.

Maria let out the air she didn’t know was holding, Vision had been out when Wanda entered the building and was now in his laboratory. Not a chance of them crossing paths at all.

“It had been renovated countless of times; you know? The last time it was done, was by Y/N father who wanted it to be self-sustainable.” Maria approached the young woman glancing down into the city before turning to her. “You look amazing, by the way, and your idea is something Y/N would love.”

“You think so?” Wanda asked in a thin voice, “I guess I’m still nervous about this, about the date and that something may end up…”

“No, don’t let dark thoughts take away from you these moments of happiness, Wanda.” Maria lifted a hand stopping whatever else Wanda wanted to say. “You look amazing, and today it’s going to be equally amazing.”

Wanda nodded taking a deep breath, “thank you.”

“Don’t mentioned it.” The lift made a bumpy stop, the doors opened showing a great lobby with a single desk.

Wanda stepped forward, her hand playing with the hem of the purse. Her eyes wandered around the place taking into the paintings on the wall, the soft music sounding in the ample space and the couple of chairs and sofas spread out the place. Maria walked towards the desk, leaning forward to whisper something to the woman sitting at the front.

Both women turned to Wanda who stood still, standing awkwardly in the distance without knowing what to do. Maria motioned with her hand, Wanda took a couple of steps forward and Maria couldn’t help but smile at the nervousness in Wanda’s demeanour.

“Okay, you can go in, she is not busy so…”

Wanda straightened up, her body hurting with all the pressure she had put it up to while waiting this moment. She let her eyes go from the desk to the office door, then back to a reassuring Maria and a exasperate Valerie.

“Thank you, for everything.”

“Don’t mention it, Wanda, go and enjoy the evening.”

Maria watched as Wanda disappeared behind the door of your office, she turned around grabbing her tablet until something caught her eyes. She could see the screen of the security camera that had been placed in the laboratory offered to Vision, the man was sitting still talking over the phone. That in itself didn’t bother Maria too much, what caught her attention and made the bells of alarm inside her head started playing was the fact he was alone. There was no one inside the office, or the floor for that matter. In all the time the man had been offered the floor of investigation, it had never been left alone, there was always someone there being it someone from his own bucket or someone from Alchemax.

It was empty but by the man sitting by his desk.

Then, Maria noticed the picture, it was a picture of him, Wanda and the twins.

Never before, not until now he had said or even hinted to having a family, and while Maria knew this for obvious reasons, the fact he all of a sudden appeared with this detail of his personal life was suspicious. The woman hesitated, right beside the picture was a laptop, a green one she had never seen before. Pursing her lips, she decided this was best to be consulted with Fury and the head of security in the building.

Maria hesitated; she turned around to see your door closed. For a moment she played with the idea of telling you about this, of warning Wanda but something stopped her. It wasn’t as if Vision knew about Wanda, as if he knew about what would happen to him in a weeks’ time.

“Mrs. Hill, is everything alright?” The secretary asked furrowing her brows in confusion, Maria turned to her chuckling.

“Yeah, just begging this year is over already.” Maria locked the tablet turning around, “good night, Mrs. Valerie, you can go home now if you want to, Mrs. Y/L/N will leave soon and you could use the rest.”

________________

You were finishing the last of the files Maria had put on your desk so kindly early that morning. Your eyesight was already blurry and your eyes felt tired.

You yawned resting the piece of paper on the desk, leaning back on the chair you turned around to see the light of the day fading away slowly. If you put your mind into that last report, you could make it home on time and actually see Wanda without having to rush the conversation. America had already told you she was going to be at her place, and you knew you could convince her to take care of the twins while you took Wanda out to drink something. You smiled thinking about that, perhaps surprising them…

“For all your talk about being busy and having to work so hard, you look awfully unoccupied and quite lazy over there.”

You almost fall off of the chair when the voice of Wanda reached you out, you turned around to see the woman standing right there in the middle of your office wearing the most stunning black dress you had ever seen on her. She had her hair put up into a beautiful ponytail leaving her neck and collarbone exposed to your eyes, Wanda had not moved from the spot she was in and you could barely stand up while taking into her beautiful form. She had chosen a black dress, with a V line going all the way to the chest area, and thin straps pressing softly on her shoulders. The dress wen all the way down, but there was a side-slit that gave her the chance to show her creamy legs.

Wanda had been reluctant to wear the dress at first, she had argued with Natasha and Hope the wisdom behind wearing such an article of clothing but both women had felt that it would not only fit her figure, but it was also a chance for her to feel past her insecurities. Now that she was standing in front of you, she understood what they meant.

“Wanda…” You stuttered shaking your head while striding towards her pulling her to you and kissing her hard.

The kiss took her breath away, and her hands let go of the purse while they went around the back of your neck. You kissed her with the pent-up emotions you held for her, with the longing you had felt that week for not being able to see her the same way you did the week before. And finally because she looked stunning.

“I take it you like the dress?” Wanda was breathing hard, holding onto you with a shy smile.

“I…” You held back before you said something that you might not be ready to say, you hesitated and then kissed her again, this time around slowly.

“You look amazing, love.” You whispered leaning back, you looked at her again before grabbing her hand and leading her to the closest sofa. “This is the best surprised ever, and not that I’m not grateful or anything but, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I just thought you had been having such a rough week, and actually you are the one that always is there preparing something or inviting us…” Wanda shrugged, lowering her face to try to hide her blush, “I just thought I cold surprise you this time around.”

“You did.” You sat beside her, tilting your head to the window then back to Wanda, “aren’t you cold?”

“Oh, I left the coat back in the car, I just want you to see me in the dress.” Wanda gave off a mischievous stare that made you laughed.

“So, you came all the way to my office to pick me up or do you have more, mischievous intentions, Mrs. Maximoff?” You asked teasingly, Wanda shrugged playfully chewing on her lower lip while locking her eyes with you.

“I actually came here to ask you out.”

Your eyebrows went up, just as your pupils dilated thinking about the meaning behind Wanda’s words. The young woman sat there waiting for you to say something, but when nothing came she straightened up sitting at the edge of the sofa while looking at you, hare hand falling on your knee and her green eyes filled with uncertainty and expectations.

“I want to have a night with you, just you and me,” she started tumbling over her words, trying to keep eye contact with you while revealing her emotions, “I know you had been working hard, and I…I have never missed anyone the way I missed you. I just thought, in all this time, we are always with someone by our side, I think we deserved a night out, just the two of us, if you want to.”

There was a long silence after Wanda stopped talking, she wanted to keep holding your stare but all of a sudden it was hard to do so. She looked away giving off a reluctant smile, her heart hammering hard against her ribcage and the old insecurities attacked her mind when your answer took more than what she expected.

“I mean, you don’t have to…”

Wanda held her breath when your hand rested on her naked leg and you leaned closer to you. There was nothing on your face to reveal what you were really feeling, or experimenting at the moment, but when Wanda locked her eyes with yours her breath was taken away, and she just leaning in until your lips were bushing against hers.

“Of course, I would go out with you, Wands.” You whispered tenderly, your fingertips teasing the skin around her knee while your lips sent tingles down her back, “Wanda I…”

You closed the distance between the both of you, the kiss this time around took your breath away with how soft and tentative it was. It held no lust or need, only…

Love.

You let your lips do the talking, you tried to tell Wanda everything you felt for her in a single kiss. Your hands leaving behind a trail of burning desired that made Wanda whimper into your mouth, tilting her head to deepen a kiss you directed in slow and tentative paths. By the time the both of you parted, you knew without a single glimpse of a doubt that you were in love with Wanda Maximoff.

“I am dying to see what you prepare for us love, but…” you could see the fear flashing in her green eyes, you soothed her with a tender smile, “I need to finish a report, it’s one page and my signature and we are good to go, would you mind waiting? Can we afford that delay?”

Wanda nodded holding your hand on her knee.

“Yes, I…I came here early so,” she turned to her purse that was still on the floor, “do you think I can call back home? Find out how they are doing, and we can meet back at my car.”

You scrunched up your nose, standing up while offering your hand to Wanda. She stood up well-aware of your eyes on her body, a bubble of satisfaction filled her chest and there was some pride into knowing you could not take your eyes off of her.

“Yeah, sure…but, you didn’t park here?” You walked to the purse bending to pick it up before bowing in front of Wanda, a teasing smile showing on your face, “my lady, someone a beautiful and as regal as yourself should not worry as long as I am here…you have me at your mercy.”

Wanda blushed giggling at your antics while grabbing her purse.

“I don’t park here, dummy.” She sneaked her arm around your hips pulling you closer to her, she enjoyed the gasp that escape your lips and the way your eyes went wide open at the sudden hold she had on you, “I was supposed to surprised you, so I parked in the visitors lot.”

You shivered under her embrace, and Wanda was suddenly enjoying the fact she was not the only one that got affected by these gestures. Your mind went fuzzy for a moment until an alarm coming from your phone woke you up.

“Okay, okay…” You stepped back shaking your head, Wanda pressed her lips together trying to hide her smile. “You can call them and, give me 10 minutes? I will be down and we can go.”

“Okay, sounds perfect.”

“By the way, where are you taking me?” You finally asked, Wanda shook her head walking backwards, her lips curled into a mischievous smile.

“Nu-uh, it’s a surprised, love. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

“Wanda, you really look beautiful tonight, I just…” You hesitated not finding the right words, Wanda seemed to understand, she could read it in the way your struggled to say something without being inappropriate.

“I know, me too.” She confessed shyly, “I just…”

“Hey, it’s okay, I know.” You approached her kissing her lips one more, “I’m not in a hurry, I just want you to know how stunning you are, how amazing and intelligent and…”

Wanda laughed pecking your lips shaking her head, “yes, yes, I know go back to your work, I give you ten minutes or there will be a punishment.”

“Ugh, do you promise?” You asked back winking at her, Wanda opened her eyes her jaw dropping at the suggestive tone you used.

“Y/N!”

“Wanda!”

Wanda opened and closed her mouth; she huffed turning around and leaving your office. You stood there for a couple of seconds thinking about Wanda when your phone rang. You jumped startled making your way to the desk.

“Yes?”

“Ah, Y/N I’m glad I could catch you up before you left,” You blinked a couple of times trying to catch the name and face behind the voice, in less than a minute you remembered who was at the other end of the line.

“Oh, Jarvis, yes, I’m finishing some reports, tell me how I can help you?” You winced knowing your deals with this man should be short but yet professional enough as to not raise any suspicions.

“There is something urgent I need to discuss with you, you see, my family…my wife, she…she has not been feeling well, and we may need to leave but… would you mind coming here? I would like to speak with you but I can’t leave the current experiment I’m working on.”

You were actually surprised by this request, the man sounded genuinely worried and there was something else in his tone of voice you couldn’t quite name. You hesitated for a moment, the file you had been reading could wait, but what really worried you was the fact that Wanda was waiting for you.

“I’ll be right there,” you hung up turning around to pick up your things ready to leave the office.

The walk to the lift was a quiet one, you wrote Wanda a message before hesitating. You could tell Fury what Jarvis had just told you, the man was ready to leave apparently and while you were pretty sure Fury knew about it, you decided it would be best to send the other man a message.

I just talk to Jarvis, he wants to see me because he has an issue with his wife. He just told me they are leaving, so you better hurry up, Fury, seems he will leave town soon.

With a sight you put the phone inside your pocket and marked the fifth floor.

The place was completely empty.

This in itself was strange, but not really unheard of.

You stepped into the corridor going through your last conversation with Wanda until you reached the office at the end of the hall. Without bothering to know you enter the place, the office was empty, with the light coming from the screen reflecting on the dark shades covering the windows. You frowned looking around to see if perhaps you had missed Jarvis at some point but there was nothing. Turning around, you were about to call the man when one of the lab doors opened and there was the man wearing the same creepy smile you had seen on that first encounter.

“Y/N, thank you for coming.” He smiled pointing to the lab with his thumb, “I was working on something…”

“Oh, right, you mention it,” you made a face, “sorry I forgot, so let’s go inside then and tell me what happen.”

You entered the lab noticing the changes the man had done to the place, several computers had been connected to a single source of information. In normal days, the offices were always full of people trying to make a software or a military program to work, but that day the silence was daunting. There was something strange in all of this, and it wasn’t until you heard the door closed behind you that the alarms inside your head rose with a single blasting red that filled you with an unpleasant shiver.

“So, Jarvis, what is it you wanted to tell me? I’m sorry, it’s just someone it’s waiting for me.” You tried to ease out the conversation, letting him know you were not alone.

The man smirked, he could no longer held back his expressions, and the smirk on his lips made you tensed completely. The man started walking, his footsteps feeling out the silence in the room, you clenched your fists but he walked past you.

“I noticed the young woman that came for you, I must say she is quite beautiful.” He commented offhandedly, you frowned not really knowing what to say, but before anything could be said or done he lifted a picture frame he had on the desk.

“Here, I think I never got a chance to show you my family, did I?” The way he made an emphasis on the word mine shook your very core.

You narrowed your eyes, the man had not lost his smile, and his hand held the object with a glint of anger by the way they trembled and clenched around the glass. You hesitated before stepping closer and grabbing the frame.

Your blood ran cold when your eyes fell upon the single figure of Wanda Maximoff standing behind Vision. It couldn’t be! It couldn’t be! Why didn’t Maria or Fury tell you? Your head was spinning out of control, nausea raising up inside your throat when the full meaning of this meeting, of this man, of the whole situation came blasting right in front of your eyes.

It happened in a second.

Your eyes blasted fireworks, while a piercing pain went through your head and back. Your lips parted letting out a bloodcurdling scream filled with pain. You staggered forward dropping the frame to the floor, the sound of crystal breaking filled the room and give you enough time to hold onto the table and rolled to the side before Jarvis could hit you again.

You were still trying to get a hold of the pain and your surroundings; the man was speaking while he came onto you hitting you on your left arm.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out? That I would never notice you were with my wife?” The man was screaming, the flashlight he had used to hit you with laid on the floor but then he found his fists could do the job just fine.

“Did you really thought I was going to leave that fucking bitch? That I will leave her for you?”

“You…” You staggered backwards, moving aside until Jarvis hit the window, the man let out a scream, and the moment of distraction was all that you needed to hold your head and then ran forward.

Your fists hit him straight on the cheek, you winced before lifting your other fist and hitting him on the stomach.

“I am not someone you want to mess with!” You exclaimed hitting him with a precision born out of those months of training you had spent in high school and college; you were out of shape but you remembered enough to try and stop the violent attack against your persona.

Jarvis snarled lifting his leg, his mouth breaking into a satisfactory laugh when you crashed against the glassed window, blood coming out of the wounds on your head. He strode towards you grabbing you by your clothes and putting you up.

“That fucking bitch thought she was going to run away with my children? That she will escape me? That bitch is mine, and after I have kill you I’m going to enjoy breaking her.”

“NO!”

You gathered strength from deep within your core, your hand scratching his face and poking his eye until you felt something exploded in there. He screamed out crashing your head and back against the wall, you let out an exclamation of pain kicking and struggling until the man hit you on your face and let you on the ground kicking you a couple of times before staggering backwards.

“If…if she…” He breathed out pointing a finger at you, blood poring from his nose, lip and eye, “if she is not with me…she is for no one.”

You tried to stand up but your knees failed you, Jarvis came onto you and with another punch he made you fall backwards. Consciousness slipping away from your, whimpers of pain leaving your lips until he lifted you up only to crash you against the floor several times. The last thing you thought of was Wanda, and you wished the message you sent to Fury would be enough to make them curios.

“Wanda…” you breathed out, Jarvis snarled at you grabbing your phone while going over the message you shared with Wanda.

“I’m in the parking lot waiting, love, America said the twins are fine ready to watch a movie.”

The man threw the phone towards the closest wall hearing with pleasure the crashing of metal and glass. He kicked you once more, your eyes closed and your breathing difficult while your body spasmed.

“Next time, you will only see her rooting corpse.” Jarvis said, he was not in better shape, he staggered towards the door trying to hold onto the burning pain on his eye and body. He opened the door and closed it, locking it behind himself.

His hand went directly to the gun he had kept on his pockets, he had been tempted to put a bullet in between your eyes but Jarvis had only three bullets, and there was a name on them already. He smirked, the best vengeance for you would b that you were useless and, at the end of the day, you could not save Wanda, Billy, Tommy and your sister. __________ Wanda stood by her car wrapping her arms around herself, the flush she had been wearing since leaving your office was still present accompanied by the soft smile she wore with thoughts about you. Her heart was still beating fast, and her body was tingling with want.

She lowered her gaze to the city, the traffic filling out the streets and the light of the day fading away. Wanda shivered feeling the cold of the afternoon, she hesitated playing with the idea of taking her coat out of the car, but she decided against it waiting for you to help her warm up.

Her mobile vibrated on her purse, furrowing her brows she was about to pick it up when the sound of footsteps reached her ears. She smiled turning around only to have her heart dropped down and her blood running cold inside her veins, her smiled dropped and her feet stepped back but it was not fast enough. She let out a groan when he his fist crashed against her face.

“Wanda, dear, I'm so glad I finally found you.” Jarvis narrowed his eyes, his fist closed and ready to strike again, “my love, is that any way to greet your husband? You master? Your owner?”

Wanda put a hand on her cheek, eyes going wide opened as she took in the man in front of her. Her green eyes went to the disheveled clothes he was wearing, filled with glass and blood, his face swelled around his broken lip and nose, and his left eye bleeding. There was a thin layer of sweat on her skin, and he was breathing hard.

Jarvis leaned forward grabbing Wanda by her hair, he crashed his lips on her forcing a kiss that came with teeth and bruises. Wanda retchet trying to get away only for Jarvis to pull her hair harder, hitting her again.

“Now, my love, you know better than to fight me, aren't you glad to see me? You didn't really think you could escape me, did you?”

Wanda was completely frozen, her mind going over a hundred and a thousand question while she also looked for a way to escape. She thought about you, soon you would come…

“Y/N…” she whispered your name without meaning to, it had been more than ten minutes since you wrote to Wanda informing her you were going down.

And Jarvis…

The man smirked pulling Wanda by her hair before throwing her to the ground. His hand reached for the gun that was now pointing at her.

“Ah, yes, your lesbian lover…she is…indisposed at the moment,” Jarvis was trembling, he lifted his leg ready to strike Wanda but decided against it, “I thought she may join us in our family reunion, but I think we will need a babysitter while I claim your body and clean you up for ever thinking you could let anyone but me touch you.”

“No, no, no…” Wanda stood up fighting against the hold Jarvis had on her until the gun pressed against her cheek.

“Nu-uh, dear, you keep fighting I will put a bullet in your head and take the children with me.”

That was all Wanda needed to know to stop struggling, her eyes opened in horror and Jarvis smiled caressing her face.

“Why must you be so difficult? We could have been forever, Wanda, and now I have to punish you.” Jarvis straightened up pointing to the car. “Now, let's go, I missed my children and I think it is time for the family reunion.”

_____________________________________________________________

Next Chapter: Reader is badly injured but even like that she makes a foolish sacrifice that leaves everyone devasted, the twins, America and Kate are fine, but Wanda may need more time to recover. Jarvis gets what he deserves and Agatha is just a memory. In the end, New Year doesn't seem to come with a happy ending-

#fanfic #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #wandaxreader #female reader #personal #imagine wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x female reader

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tropes-and-tales · 9 months

Text

Alone Time

Day 13: Masturbation (Frankie Morales x F!Reader)

(For the 2023 Kinktober event that I created on my own because I am boring and basic and am trying to keep it simple this year...found here!)

CW: Frankie is mildly creepy and a thief; pining; smut (masturbation, male; Frankie's imagination; a pinch of voyeurism); 18+ only.

Word Count: 2415

AN: This was requested by an anonymous person!

It’s not rock bottom, but it’s damned near close.

Other men Frankie’s age have so much more: family, a mortgage, a steady job. What does Frankie have? An ex-wife, a suspended pilot’s license, and a shaky year’s worth of sobriety. He’s got a head full of bad memories—his time in the service, Tom’s death, the implosion of his marriage. He’s got a tricky back that aches in bad weather and pinches his sciatic nerve if he breathes the wrong way.

The sum total of his personal belongings are stored in your garage and in your spare bedroom, where Frankie has been crashing since…well, when he sits and counts out the months, it makes him feel like the world’s biggest asshole loser, so he doesn’t dwell on it.

It was supposed to be a temporary thing. It’s been ten months.

Hell, it takes less time for a baby to be formed and born. Frankie Morales? Ten months of crashing at your place and he’s no closer to launching on his own. Rent is too high, his credit is abysmal, his mechanic job pays next to nothing, and he’s so damned broke that he’s technically owed alimony (though his pride will not allow him to accept it).

But if he sits and ticks off all the reasons why he hasn’t left your guest room yet, there’s a couple of reasons he won’t voice.

That you stopped calling it your guest room and started calling it his room almost immediately after he moved in.

That you integrated his stuff into the wider home—his chipped coffee mug in your kitchen cabinet, his beer in your fridge, his scuffed work boots lined up neatly beside your shoes in the entryway—so he’d feel at home.

That you cook for him, that you wheedle his favorite meals from him and have an uncanny ability to know when he’s having a rough day and needs the comfort of a good meal.

That you eat his paltry attempts at cooking for you, a poor stab at repaying you, that you smile and thank him and pretend not to wince when something is burnt or too heavily salted.

That the casual intimacy of living with you—even platonically—has knocked something loose in him. That seeing you early in the morning, mussed hair and sleepy eyes, rumpled pajamas as you get the coffee started…or seeing you before bed, after you shower, your skin soft and damp and smelling like your herbal soap. It all makes something warm unfurl in his chest, and when Frankie starts to think on it, it makes him feel out of control. He has no right to develop feelings for you. You’ve been nothing but generous with him, and he cannot repay your goodwill by being a creep.

So he doesn’t dwell on it.

-----

He doesn’t dwell on it, and he doesn’t give it voice.

He sits on the couch and listens as you dart between your room and the bathroom, getting ready for a work holiday party. He listens to your muttered curses, your bathroom mirror pep talks you give to your own reflection. He listens to the patter of your bare feet as you bounce between dressing and doing your makeup.

A moment later, you appear, a clutch in one hand and a pair of heels in the other. You stand in the doorway and fix him with a nervous smile before you ask, “do I look alright?”

Frankie has a beat to study you—the dark green dress, the tasteful amount of cleavage, the skirt that flares just above your knees. He looks closer and sees that you’re in stockings, subtly patterned, and as he watches, you brace yourself in the doorway and slide your heels on one at a time. You usually don’t wear much makeup, but for this party, you’ve gone all in: dark lashes framing your eyes, velvety red lips.

You look beautiful. You look like a damned present just begging to be unwrapped and ravished, and Frankie clears his throat roughly before he answers you.

“Yeah, you look alright.”

You snort, shake your head. “Jerk. Seriously, is it too much? Not enough? Give me something to work with here, Francisco.”

“You look nice.” He swallows hard, amends it by adding, “you look beautiful.”

“Alright, nice, beautiful,” you laugh as you pull on your coat. “Good adjectives. Thanks, Frankie.”

He gives you a mock-salute. “Anytime.” And because he feels like a sulky asshole now—he can never strike the right tone with you, tries too hard to hide his feelings and so swings too hard the other way into sullen indifference—he adds, gentler, “no, you look great. Seriously.”

That earns him a hug. You walk over to where he sits, and you lean over to wrap an arm around his shoulders. Even the brief press of your body against his is enough to fuel a month of fantasies, because you look feminine as hell—dress, heels, deep red lipstick on your kissable mouth—but you’re wearing a warm, almost masculine perfume. You smell like tobacco and rum, undercut with the sweetness of vanilla, and the juxtaposition makes him perk up at a cellular level.

“Be good,” you tell him once you release him from the hug. You walk towards the front door and gift him one of your sweet smiles. “Enjoy your alone time. I’ll be back late.”

“You be good,” he replies. “And drive safely.”

-----

You leave, but your presence haunts Frankie. The ghost of your perfume lingers, as does the click of your heels as you walked out. The image of you in that dress feels like it’s burned on the back of his eyelids.

He tries to settle. He tries to relax. He orders in, puts on a mindless movie. He picks at his food, drinks a beer, then a second beer. Hours pass and he still feels jittery, and it’s like the early days of his sobriety, but he’s not craving cocaine. He’s craving you, which is stupid because he’s never had you, so it’s all conjecture—pure imagination, pure pining. Pure want. But the fact remains: he’s not hard, exactly, but he’s at the point of near-arousal, the ghost of you just in his periphery.

Frankie puts his picked-over food in the refrigerator. He cleans up a little. He should go to bed, try to sleep, and so he makes his way back to his room.

But in the hallway, he pauses by his doorway and glances towards your bedroom. The door is cracked. Frankie has been in there before, has sat on the edge of your bed once when you were sick with a migraine and he nursed you back to health. Alone, with you out of the house, your bedroom feels like something in a gothic novel: the forbidden chamber, your sanctuary.

Be good, you told him, and Frankie wants to be good, but his feet lead him the few steps to your door, and his hand pushes your door open wider. The scent of your perfume is stronger here—the incongruously masculine scent that reminds him of a dark-lit jazz club, even though he’s never been to a dark-lit jazz club. The scent curls around him, fills him up, and he steps inside your bedroom.

You’re neat but not painfully so. A neat stack of books are on your bedside table. A basket of freshly folded clothes sits on the bench at the foot of your bed. He steps further inside and studies the top of your dresser: the little dish that holds some of your jewelry, a half-burned candle, a row of lotions and perfume bottles. He leans against the dresser and looks at your bed, and of course he pictures you lying there, which leads to him imagining more.

You lying on the bed. Naked. No, in that green dress. He imagines unzipping it, pushing it off your shoulders, dragging his nose along your warm skin and smelling the perfume on you, your fingers threaded through his hair as he—

No. He rewinds it in his head, starts over. You lying on the bed. In the dress. He imagines pushing up your skirt, imagines you in garters, imagines shoving your skirt up—

No. He shakes his head, goes back to the first scene. Stripping you slowly. Yes, that’s better. Frankie was always the kid who unwrapped his Christmas presents slowly. His mother saved the paper, so it was a contest between him and his brothers to see who could unwrap it the best while saving it for future Christmases. He could strip you just as carefully, his fingertips dancing over your skin, making you twitch at too much sensation, moaning out his name—

No. It’s still not right. He switches the two of you in his mind, imagines himself on the bed, you perched over him. Your hands undoing his belt, his zipper, grasping his cock and stroking it before lowering your head, wrapping those red fucking lips around him, your dark-fringed eyes gazing up at him while you—

“Fuck,” he breathes out, aware of how he’s passed the threshold of near-arousal into outright excitement. He’s hard just from imagining it, and his erection presses painfully against his jeans.

He turns to leave, but his gaze falls on your basket of clean clothing. Christ, he could swipe a pair of your panties, and the thought tempts him but it’s going too far…so he reaches out and swipes one of your t-shirts instead—a soft cotton one you wear around the house. He’s still crossing a line but it doesn’t feel quite as bad, so Frankie flees to his own room with your shirt clutched in his hand.

But not before he pauses, hesitates. He snags your bottle of perfume and spritzes your shirt with the scent.

He has no plan; he’s operating on lust alone, but he figures he can just wash it on the sly and give it back to you, give you some tame lie about it getting mixed in with his own laundry.

-----

In his room. Door locked, just to be safe. Lights off, naked in his bed, the soft scented cotton of your shirt clenched in one hand and held up near his nose.

His other hand gripping his cock, stroking himself. Eyes closed. Pretending it’s your hand and not his own.

Frankie tries out the fantasies from in your room. You on the bed, you in the dress, you with your skirt hiked up around your waist. He tries out other fantasies he’s entertained in the past: taking you against the kitchen table, taking you on the couch. A million positions, a million scenarios, and he can’t settle on one. His orgasm feels far away, unattainable. He’s never been good at just imagining things, has usually relied on a handful of tried-and-true porn clips he’s saved on his laptop, but he doesn’t want that now.

He wants to imagine you. He sighs, refocuses. He reaches over to his nightstand and squirts a fresh dollop of lotion into his palm, then grips himself again.

You….you wouldn’t rush it. You’d go slow. If it was your hand and not his own, you’d go slow, so Frankie goes slow. Strokes his cock slow and steady, imagines you pressing those kissable lips to his neck, his chest. You’d leave smudges of dark red lipstick on him, a trail marking him as yours.

“Good boy,” you’d whisper to him. “Such a good boy for me, Francisco.”

“Yes,” he whispers in the silence of his room. “Always for you.”

“Such a big cock,” you’d whisper to him. “So thick I can barely get my fingers around you.”

Frankie tilts his head back, brushes his nose against the bunched-up t-shirt. He takes a deep inhale, feels the answering throb in his cock as he strokes a bit faster. He imagines you whispering more to him, imagines you telling him how you can’t wait to feel him inside you, his big, thick cock splitting you open, your pussy molding to the shape of him, how wet you already are for him just from jacking him off—

“Always wanted to do this,” you’d breathe in his ear as you stroke him faster, harder. “Touched myself at night thinking about you, Francisco.”

His orgasm, so far away initially, takes him by surprise. He feels the hot coil of anticipation snap, and he groans out your name over and over in the darkness of his room as he comes, spurts of cum painting his belly and thighs, coating his hand. He lays there a long moment, his blood and heartbeat roaring in his ears, his harsh panting slowly calming.

Frankie lays there a long moment, and the post-orgasmic bliss fades too quick. Masturbating is a release, but it always leaves him faintly sad afterwards. He’d rather have the real deal, obviously, but he’d rather have all of it. He wants the afterglow of sex with you, wants to fall asleep beside you. Wants to wake up too early and take you again. Wants to know how that smoky, whiskey-tinged perfume of yours pairs with the scent of sex.

Frankie wants all of it, and when the post-orgasmic bliss fades, he despairs that he’ll never have it. That he’ll be stuck contenting himself with these pathetic moments, jacking off to the smell of you, your soft shirt laid against his skin. That he’ll be stuck at rock bottom.

But the nice thing about rock bottom, as they cliché goes, is that there’s nowhere to go but up. Frankie has hit his bottom and is on an upward trajectory—he just doesn’t realize it yet. It’s the final moment of him not realizing, of feeling maudlin about himself. When he stands up and reassembles himself enough to leave his room and clean up in the bathroom, he’ll run directly into you: standing outside his door, high heels in hand, eyes wide at what you’ve just heard.

You’ve heard everything. Frankie and the obvious sound of him masturbating. Frankie and the sound of him groaning out your name over and over as he came.

Frankie so wrapped up in his fantasy of you that he failed to hear your car in the driveway, the click of your key in the door. Frankie so wrapped up in his own world that he hasn’t realized that hours have passed; that it is late and you’re home when you promised.

#frankie morales #frankie morales imagine #frankie morales x reader #catfish morales #catfish morales imagine #catfish morales x reader #triple frontier #kinktober 2023 #tropes and tales

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shirii · 9 months

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NaruHina Month 2023 Day 13: Marriage 💜🧡💍💒

#nhmonth2023 #naruhina #naruto #hinata hyuga #naruhina fanart #naruto x hinata #hinata hyuga fanart #naruto fanart #naruhina wedding #naruhina month #my art

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shiroikabocha · 8 months

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I have new followers so here are some answers to FAQ about the Homestuck wedding:

the homestuck wedding is a gay wedding. wife 1 (me) is she/her, wife A (the one that’s not me) is she/they

We are technically already married! We originally planned to wed on 4/13/2024, but a member of our state legislature flipped parties in April 2023, and suddenly Republicans had a veto-proof majority in both houses of a state whose citizens had already voted to ban our marriage once before. In a fit of minor panic, we grabbed our immediate family and took a trip to the courthouse for a Surprise Emergency Wedding on 4/13/2023. The “wedding” we’re planning is actually a first anniversary party!

I’m not live-streaming/live-blogging/live-anything the event. I’m going to be pretty busy that day

it’s flattering that so many of you want to attend the Homestuck Wedding but please don’t, I don’t have that kind of catering budget

I’ll share pictures here, no need to track down my dad’s facebook page

The wedding website encourages guests to wear “anything that makes you feel comfortable and fancy,” plus an additional “pop of color” based on this curiously specific list of 12 colors assigned to 12 different ranges of birthdates haha it’s not mandatory don’t worry about it

(I don’t know what’s worse: guests reading the suggested dress code and thinking I’m into Homestuck, or guests reading the suggested dress code and thinking I’m into astrology)

(that’s a lie, it would be so much worse if they thought I was into astrology)

The guests, for the most part, do not know homestuck. I intend to keep it that way. I do NOT want my aunts and uncles googling “homestuck,” christ

My brother knows. When we told the family our planned wedding date, he said nothing, but gave me one of those I Know What You Are stares and all I can say is well buddy this is your fault, if you didn’t want to be the best man at the Gay Homestuck Wedding then you shouldn’t have showed your sister “this neat webcomic I found” all those years ago! Reap what you sow, bro!!

We’re not having children, but during a joke discussion of what would happen if my wife’s sister went into labor at our wedding, we said she’d have to name the baby Casey or Billious Slick or Rosemary or Davekat or something… which is how “Rosemary” ended up on my in-laws baby name shortlist

I know I will not see the gates of heaven, it’s fine, I’ve made peace with the consequences of my actions

#homestuck #homestuck wedding #wedding qaplanning

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dhrmonth · 1 year

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Dramione Month Daily Roundup

Here is Day 13's roundup of Dramione Month works! ⏳✨

AO3 Links:

Reluctant Bonds by Biirdiee_Rose: E, 4166 Words, 1/1 Chapters

Tumblr Posts:

Art by Lunap999 also on Twitter

Art by sophiesstreet also on Twitter

Twitter Posts:

Ficlet by goldenbuckyy (Part 3)

Ficlet by rapunzerelli

Ficlet by mspolapotter

#2023: Week 2 - Bonds #2023: Day 13 - Marriage #2023: Daily roundup #dramione

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horanghaejamjam · 2 years

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Vampire Kisses - {WJH}

↪ Summary: He is the head of the Wen family, the highest ranking family of vampires in the country. You are a mere human sold to them for the purpose of being his mate and bride. Jun is determined to win your heart before you wed, and perhaps a few playful kisses are the key to doing that.

↪ Pairings: Vampire lord Jun x Human female reader

↪ Rating: M 18+

↪ Genre: Vampire Au / Slight rivals to lovers / Smut / Fluff

↪ Word Count: 16.3k

↪ Warnings/Contents: Smut, Blood and blood drinking, Biting, Jun being super flirty and teasing, Arranged marriage, Virgin!reader, Unprotected sex, Body Worship, Oral (male receiving), Praise, Soft bondage (Jun ties/blindfolds reader with silk), Fingering, Talks about impregnation. Mostly just very fluffy and soft with Jun being whipped for reader.

↪ Side Notes: My first post of 2023! This also turned out way longer than I was expecting so I guess I got carried away lol. A few of the other svt members also make cameos in this story. It is implied that reader is younger than Jun.

↪ Huge thank you to the lovely @xiubaek-13 for betaing and editing this fic for me!

↪ Click here to see my other Seventeen stories

↪ Click here for other kpop masterlists

↪ Click here to join my fic taglist

Growing up, your mom always told you stories about marriage and weddings. How a woman's wedding was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, a once in a lifetime moment. Ever since the first story, you dreamed about the day you would get that moment, planning your dream wedding down to the very last detail. As a child, you imagined a royal ceremony in a grand castle, wearing the most beautiful and lavish dress you could ever imagine. Your husband would be royalty for sure, a man who would love and cherish you for as long as you both shall live. You would be happy together, have the perfect family, and live beautifully in your life of luxury. Looking back at those memories, you realized that you should have been careful about what you wished for. You were getting that wedding you always wanted, but it would not be under your terms. The other thing you learned young was that the world you lived in was not simple, in fact one may consider it the merging of two separate worlds. Two dominant races ran this world and fought for power, similar enough to coexist but different enough to segregate them to keep the world in balance.

For centuries, humans were the dominant race on Earth. The knowledge of others existed, but their numbers were far too small to be considered a challenge, so humans called the shots. Then, overtime, vampires became a much more prominent presence, easily taking over and claiming areas for themselves. Regions quickly became divided as vampires took control of certain areas, forcing humans to either fight back or surrender to the change. This caused a conflict for many years until leaders on both sides met and finally came to an agreement. They would coexist and operate together, with humans during the day and vampires at night. The agreement was sealed with a marriage of the royal families that united both sides. From that moment forward, it had become customary for the most powerful vampire families to marry one of their kin to a human as a way to honor the unity. The marriage would be sealed by the vampire claiming their spouse by taking their blood on their wedding day, and from there the human could choose if they wished to stay that way or transition to a vampire by drinking the blood of their mate.

You were born a human, raised in a lower class family who often struggled to make ends meet. You were an only child, and your parents did the best they could to make sure you had everything you needed growing up. You did your best in school and worked a part time job at a local bakery. Overall, you felt that you were pretty average but nothing special, especially not someone that any royal family would set their eyes on. Hell, you never even recalled meeting a vampire so you couldn’t imagine you would catch one's attention, but somehow you did.

Your whole world changed on the night of your 23rd birthday, being awoken to a knock at your door. Standing there, dressed in a black and red suit with a devilish smile, was one of the most ethereal beings you had ever laid your eyes on. He was tall, with piercing eyes and an almost dark aura to him, his fangs undeniably poking out against his lip as he smiled. You didn’t know what you expected vampires to look like, but it certainly was not this. He bowed and introduced himself as Mingyu, the head servant of the Wen family. He then explained that they had been observing you for quite some time and wanted to ask for your hand in marriage to their eldest son. You had been too stunned to speak, staring at Mingyu as if he had two heads while your parents argued against the idea. You had wanted to refuse also, not wanting to marry someone you had never met, let alone a vampire. However, they had promised protection and financial stability for you and your family as long as you stayed mated to him and provided an eventual heir to the bloodline. As much as you hated the idea, you knew deep down that it was what was best for your family, and so you said yes and prepared to move into the Wen family estate, where you now resided.

You had been living here for a few years now and never found adjusting any easier. Your wedding to Wen Junhui was set to take place within the next month, falling on the first full moon after your birthday. You didn’t quite understand how everything worked but you remember Mingyu explaining to you that this would be the time where the energy was highest and you were both at your prime. There was a chance for mating bonds to go wrong so this was the best chance of eliminating that risk. You had tried to ask what happened when it went wrong but all Mingyu did was pat your head and tell you not to worry about it.

That time had been spent allowing you to learn about the family and adjust to what your new life would be. Mr. and Mrs. Wen had met you almost immediately upon your arrival, giving you a once over before welcoming you with open arms. You learned a lot about the family, and about vampires in general from them, helping you to adjust more to your new life. Mr. Wen was born into the family and had been around for many hundred, if not almost a thousand years despite the fact that he didn’t even look 50. Mrs. Wen had been a human when she married into the family, making the decision to transition and stay with her husband when she was in her late 20s. Though she had also explained that she had only been turned after her 30th birthday so she was, technically, significantly younger than her husband. This made you question how age worked with vampires, especially the aging. All you were told was the brief explanation that aging was slower and it took many years for them to age the way a human would in one or two. There was also something about blood slowing down the process but you decided to tune that part out for your own sanity.

You were also informed about the family line, and how the head of the family would change every couple hundred years to keep up with the changing times, though the original head will often stick around for a while before moving on. The family had two known sons, with Jun being the oldest and only bred vampire which gave him the title by birth right. In human years, he would have just turned 26 making him a few years your senior, when in reality he was slowly nearing 300 years old which was the prime age for a vampire, if not still a bit young. He also had a younger brother, Minghao, who was a transitioned vampire. The human born son of one of the servants that Mr. Wen took in and claimed as his own child. The two brothers, despite not being blood related, were very close and did almost everything together. They had been traveling together at that time, so you hadn’t been able to meet either until a while later.

It had been during dinner (or breakfast for the family), when the two brothers finally returned. Polar opposites in style and personality, but both striking in their own way. Minghao was more delicate but striking in his features, jet black hair falling over his face in messy locks and dressed in an all black trench coat that hid most of his frame. He did not speak much around you, but when he did his voice was soft and his words were sharp and to the point, he had almost reminded you of one of your highschool professors. He acknowledged you briefly with a calm smile before excusing himself to his study, leaving you to finally turn and acknowledge your soon to be husband.

You would have been lying if you said Junhui wasn’t one of the most gorgeous men you’d ever seen. Immediately you could tell he was taller and had a larger build than his younger brother. His gaze was softer but still had an alluring touch to it, almost as if he looked bored. His hair was longer, practically touching his shoulders with a striking blonde color. Most of it was slicked back but a few strands fell in front of his eyes. He had been wearing a slick black button down with the top three buttons undone, tucked into fitted pants that suited him nicely. You were immediately attracted to, if not very intimidated by the man standing in front of you, even when he gave you a gentle smile and sat beside you. “Y/N,” he had muttered softly, taking your hand and kissing it, “I am so happy to finally meet you.” His voice was soft, and even a bit higher pitched than you had been expecting, and he seemed more than eager to get to know you.

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

From that moment forward, it seemed like Junhui, or Jun as he preferred you to call him, would not leave you alone. He was always following you around, attempting to talk to you or get you to acknowledge him. Whether it be genuine questions, teasing you over the smallest things, or even flirty advances, it seemed that no matter where you went Jun was there. You gave into him occasionally, but for the most part you found his presence to be quite annoying. Yeah you knew you were being forced to marry him but you hadn’t expected him to be all over you the second you met him. You figured, or more like hoped, that the two of you would stay acquaintances at most and just keep the formalities when his family was around, but it seemed like Jun had different ideas.

You tried your best to tolerate him, but as your wedding drew closer you found the whole thing weighing on you more and more. The situation became too real for your liking and suddenly you were questioning if this was really a good idea. You were marrying a complete stranger, someone who was infatuated with you but you wanted nothing to do with. You were expected to spend your life with this man and eventually have children with him and you didn’t know him, let alone love him. The thought alone made your skin crawl, trying to suppress the thoughts of what would happen on your wedding night, all for the family to stay in power. Unfortunately there was no way for you to change your mind, knowing that your family would suffer if you tried to back out was the only thing keeping you from running away. Instead you developed a new routine, sleeping through the night while they were up and taking advantage of the daytime to sneak out and enjoy the last few days of your freedom. Today was no exception, with you waking up early and pacing around your room, waiting for the day to arrive so you could sneak out and meet up with your friends.

Looking out the window, you saw the sun slowly starting to peak out over the horizon, just enough to paint the sky with a purple hue. Within the next hour or so it would be light out and, if your calculations were correct, the family would be asleep by then. Mr and Mrs Wen specifically were likely already in bed by now, the older vampires having no desire to wait for the sun. They were much more sensitive to the light as you had learned, keeping their curtains drawn hours before the sun even thought of rising. They were easy to sneak around, often following the same schedule so you knew where they would be at what time. Minghao was a bit trickier, the man not following a set schedule and often staying up way past when his peers had gone to bed. However, you also learned that he was a bit of a recluse, preferring to stay in his room or study whenever possible. Even when he did catch you, he seemed to either understand your feelings or not care enough to stop you, simply giving you a nod and a knowing look as you made your way out the door. You made a mental note to thank him one of these days for not stopping you or ratting you out to his parents.

Jun, on the other hand, was not as easy as his family. You weren’t sure if he liked the thrill of being up when it was day or he just didn’t trust you but he would be up for hours before finally resting. Sometimes you found him in his study working on who knows what and other times you had run into him chatting with one of the servants in the kitchen as if that was a normal occurrence for him. Well, technically it was, but that didn’t mean you liked it any more. Day time was the only time you ever had to yourself, enjoying the quiet and freedom before you would be forced to adapt to the nightlife. Though it seemed your soon to be husband didn’t like the idea of leaving you alone, always knowing where you were and sneaking up on you like the two of you were playing a twisted game of hide and seek.

“Enjoying the view Sweetheart?” speak of the devil, you nearly jumped out of your skin when you heard his voice behind you. You hadn’t even heard him enter your room so you had no idea how long he had been there. Jun chuckled at your obvious shock as he walked up behind you, reaching out to close the curtain before the rays of the sun could peak out and threaten him. Glancing at him over your shoulder, you saw that he had ditched his usual suit and jewels for his pajamas, a simple white shirt and baggy pants, giving you hope that this visit would be short.

“I thought you would be in bed,” you muttered as you turned to face him fully.

“Without saying goodnight?” he questioned, “I would never! You should know that by now.” He hummed in thought for a moment as he glanced down at you, bottom lip finding its way between his teeth, “Though judging by the way you’re dressed I’m assuming you’re staying up again. I don’t understand why though, it’s so lonely when everyone's asleep isn’t it?”

“I like being alone, and I’m not ready to give up my life just yet for the sake of your family,” you argued, making the male wince as if your words burned him.

“You really don’t like me do you?” he asked, or more like whined which made you roll your eyes. Surely the fact that an all powerful vampire such as himself was pouting at you like a kicked puppy was pitiful. Still, it seemed to have a bit of an effect on you as you sighed softly.

“It’s not that I don’t like you,” you started to explain, “I mean come on we’re practically strangers and I’m supposed to give myself up to you completely in a few weeks time, do you really expect me to be happy about that?” You watched Juns eyes shift around the room for a moment, clicking his tongue as he processed what you said. His slender frame leaned against the support of your bed with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked back at you.

“We wouldn’t be strangers if you gave me a chance you know?” he pointed out. You opened your mouth to argue but he cut you off with a single lift of his finger, “From the moment I came home to you I’ve been trying to get close to you and every time you push me away. I like to think I’m a patient man Y/N but your actions hurt me you know? So do tell me how am I supposed to get close to you when you constantly keep me at arm's length?” You froze, eyes widening and mouth hanging slightly open as you tried to defend yourself. Even though you knew that Jun was right, the prideful part of you didn’t want to admit that fact. Just like you didn’t want to admit that you were too scared to let him get close to you. You weren’t sure if Jun read your mind, or he was just that observant, but you were snapped out of your little daze when you heard him chuckle. “So that’s how you want to play it then? You want to keep me as a stranger despite everything?”

“Is there something so wrong with that?” you challenged, mirroring his position. Juns eyes scaled your form for a moment before sighing and glancing away.

“I am trying you know,” he argued, “I wouldn’t have chosen you to be my bride if I didn’t see something special in you and you won’t even let me prove myself to you. That’s quite cold hearted you know.” You paused for a moment at his confession, not realizing he was the one who chose you but also never seeing him this sincere before.

“What do you mean you chose me? You never even met me before that night?” you questioned, though it seemed Jun was back to his normal self as he merely clicked his tongue.

“That is a story for another time my dear, you still haven’t answered my question?” he urged. Jun adjusted slightly and hardened his gaze as he looked back at you, making you feel tiny compared to him. You bit the tip of your tongue as you tried to think of a way out of this but it was clear he wasn’t leaving without an answer.

“I guess I don’t know what I want,” you admitted sheepishly. Jun hummed in thought and you could have sworn you saw a smirk ghost across his lips before he was hardening his gaze again.

“Well, let's think about it this way then, I want to get you close to me and you are afraid of opening up and letting me do that correct?” you wanted to protest but he shook his head, “It’s a yes or no question Y/N.”

“I suppose,” you whispered, though it seemed he heard you anyway.

“Well clearly neither of us are going to get what we want with how things are now, so why don’t we try something new? If you are willing to put that hard front of yours aside for a minute I have a deal for you,” he proposed, effectively catching you off guard.

“What kind of deal exactly?”

“It’s a simple deal really,” he assured, “one that I think both of us will benefit from. How it works is you give me a chance every day to win your heart. If I succeed, I get to give you a kiss. If I fail, that's a day you get to go out.” Your eyes widened as you processed his words. It seemed like it would be easy for you given how you avoided him thus far, but you knew this also meant he would be trying harder to win your attention. “Of course,” he continued after a moment, “this means you will also have to adapt to my schedule in order to be fair, but I’m sure you’d have just as much fun in the night life.” You nodded and took a moment to think it over, having the sinking feeling that there was more to this agreement than he was letting on.

“What’s the catch?” you asked.

“There’s no catch, it’s as straightforward as I can possibly make it. Our wedding is in three weeks, yes? That gives me ample time to prove myself to you, and if I don’t that’s more free time for you before you end up stuck with me, no?” The more you thought about it, the more you realized he had a point.

“I suppose you’re right, but why are you so insistent on this deal?“ Jun let out an almost annoyed chuckle, but his expression didn’t falter.

“We are destined to be together, you know. Not only is this a chance to be close to you but it’s also a fun build up to the main event where I finally get to kiss you where I want.” His words made you internally cringe, shaking your head to regain your composure.

“This is a terrible idea!” you finally exclaimed, causing Jun to scoff.

“What’s the matter, doll? Are you afraid you’ll fall in love with me?” he raised his eyebrow in a teasing manner. You were sure if you tried to roll your eyes any harder, they would end up stuck in the back of your head.

“I highly doubt I’d ever fall in love with you,” Jun visibly deflated a bit at your words, but regained his composure before you could fully process it.

“Then there’s nothing for you to lose, might as well humor me and prove me wrong no?” It was getting increasingly harder to argue with him, and at this point you just wanted him to go to bed and leave you alone so you reluctantly gave in.

“Okay, fine, you have yourself a deal,” you muttered, “are you happy now?”

“Once you finalize the deal, yes I will be,” Jun agreed, standing up and walking over to you with his arm outstretched, offering his hand to you. You gave him a look of ‘Are you serious?’ before groaning and reaching out to shake his hand. His skin was cool at first, but quickly warmed up with your heat and you also took note of how soft his hand was. He firmly gripped your hand for a moment with a smile before letting go and slipping his hands into the pockets of his pajama pants. “Alright we have a deal, try not to have too much fun out there darling, tomorrow night is when the fun starts,” with that he turned and left your room, the door closing behind him with a gentle click. You stared at the spot he just stood for a minute before sighing and collapsing back down on your bed. Your head spun as you processed the mess you just got yourself into, suddenly no longer feeling like going out.

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

The first week following your agreement went by painfully slow. Most of it was you trying miserably to adjust to the nocturnal life, meaning you were way too tired to acknowledge any of Juns advances. He didn’t seem to mind too much though, giving you space and allowing you to enjoy your victory, though you only left the house maybe once the whole time. The rest of the time you were busy staring off into space or reading whatever book you could get your hands on in the study to keep from passing out. Minghao had actually been a great help during this time, giving you story suggestions and even suggesting a certain tea he drank often that could help you stay awake. He also introduced you to Wonwoo, another one of the prominent workers at the manor. Wonwoo had spent most of his life as a scholar so he showed you all the best stories both hardcover and digital. You also learned he had quite a knack for video games and showed you how to access them on one of the computers in the main study. After that, you found it very easy to stay up during the hours of the night, something Jun immediately took notice of.

“Good Morning Starlight,” you jumped at the sound of his voice as you stepped into the kitchen, turning to see Jun perched up against the counter. He wasn’t as dressed up as he normally was, wearing only a thin shirt and leather pants with the familiar family jewels adorning his fingers and ears. His hair also wasn’t slicked back like it normally was, merely brushed to keep his bangs out of his eyes. He also didn’t appear to have any makeup on, the familiar black shadow from his eyes all but gone. You hated how attractive he looked even when he didn’t seem to be trying. Though the main thing that caught your attention was his lips, stained red from the thick red liquid he was swirling in a glass. Every few moments he would sip at it as if the drink were a fine red wine, though you knew better than to try and trick yourself. “It’s cows blood, don’t worry,” he muttered when he noticed your hesitation, “we only really need to drink blood maybe once or twice a week to keep up our strength. The supply is donated to us from the local butcher and lasts quite a while. We never feed from humans, unless they offer themselves to us of course.” You blinked a bit as you processed his explanation, again watching the liquid slosh around as he spun the glass between his fingers.

“I take it you don’t get offers very often?” you questioned, not really sure you wanted to know the answer.

“You’d be surprised,” he responded, “a lot of humans get curious. They come to us asking just for just a quick bite, allowing them to know the sensation. There’s a rumor going around that a bite from a vampire can be quite pleasurable and they want to know if it’s true so they basically throw themselves at us. It’s kind of funny if you ask me.” You raised an eyebrow at him as he answered the question, addressing the topic like it was the most simple thing in the world. Though you also noticed the underlying tone in his voice when he mentioned pleasure, knowing immediately what he was implying.

“Does it taste different then?” you asked, and this time it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

“Is this really something you’re interested in or are you just trying to make conversation?” when you shrugged he chuckled, “well in a way yes it does. I can’t really describe it to you but the different proteins and types change the flavor.” He quickly finished his drink and set the glass to the side, wiping his lips with his sleeve. “I’m flattered you’re actually taking interest in me though, it means a lot,” he teased as he walked over to you, “enough about me though, I’m guessing you’re hungry right? How about I get you breakfast and then we go through a walk around the manor.” You nodded softly and he smiled, patting your shoulder and motioning for you to take a seat. Jun hummed softly as he roamed around the kitchen, grabbing an assortment of different items and setting them down in front of you before taking a seat himself.

“Did you just grab the whole kitchen?” you asked, slowly beginning to pick at the food in front of you.

“I’m not too sure what you like so figured I’d just grab what we had. You’re also the only one who requires food to survive so we don’t have much at the moment,” he confessed.

“You mean to tell me you guys only drink blood?” you exclaimed, making him laugh.

“No of course not,” he replied with a chuckle, “we still like to drink and have meals but it’s just for the fun and taste of it. We don’t really get any sustenance from meals like this.” To prove his point he snatched a grape from one of the bowls in front of you, rolling it between his fingers before popping it delicately into his mouth. You hummed in thought as you copied his action, letting the flavors rest on your tongue for a moment before grabbing a roll. There was a silence that fell over the both of you, you focused on eating and Jun watching you intently. Normally this would make you shy away from him but something about this reaction was oddly domestic and quite comfortable. You tried not to overthink this change though, telling yourself you were just used to his presence now that you had spent a week with him.

“You said you wanted to go for a walk after this?” you remembered as you finished up your breakfast, “doesn’t that seem kind of boring though?” Jun tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at you which made you shrug, “I mean, I’ve pretty much seen everything here already so what’s the point?” This made him chuckle a bit, leaning back in his chair without taking his eyes off of you.

“I can assure you that you haven’t seen everything, so I figured I’d show you a few fun places you haven’t seen yet,” he explained.

“Places like what?” you asked.

“Well for starters, do you really expect to stay in a guest room after we’re married?” he answered your question with one of his own, “we’re going to be sharing a lot so I figured I’d show you where you’d be staying after. There are also a few special places that are technically for family only but I don’t think they will mind if I show you a bit early.” You had to admit, now you were intrigued to find out what was being hidden from you. Jun noticed and smiled at your eagerness, standing up and walking over to where you were still seated, “Once you finish eating I’d recommend grabbing a jacket, it gets a bit chilly at this time. I’ll meet you by the staircase when you’re ready.” With that he patted your shoulder softly and exited the room. You turned your head just enough to watch him leave before sighing and returning your attention to the food.

“He’s planning something, I just know it,” you mutter to yourself, finishing the roll you had been snacking on and putting everything back where you thought it belonged. With that out of the way you ran upstairs to your room and rummaged through your closet for something warm you could put on. It wasn’t that cold in the manor itself so you didn't want to wear anything too heavy, but you assumed based on what Jun said that you would end up outside at some point so you wanted to be prepared. It took a minute for you to finally just settle on a sweater that you could throw over your top, thick enough to keep you warm but not enough to make you overheat.

When you left your room you saw Jun standing by the staircase as promised, though his back was turned to you as he conversed with two individuals you had never seen before. Two other males, one dressed in all black with his hair slicked back and the other in all white with his hair down, almost as long as Juns but not quite. They dressed like polar opposites yet seemed like they belonged together as you watched them talk with your fiance. They were laughing at something, the one in all white even reaching out to hit at Juns arm. You were curious as to what they were talking about, but didn’t want to be rude and interrupt so you stayed put. The other male noticed you after a second, pointing in your direction which made Jun turn to face you.

“Ah there you are, don’t be shy come and join us,” he urged you over. You stayed put for a moment before doing as you were told, silently walking to stand beside Jun with a shy smile. “Y/N meet Joshua and Jeonghan, they have been close friends of the family since even before I was born,” he introduced you, both males bowing their heads to you.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Joshua greeted, “though I’m sure we’ll get to know each other very soon.”

“We work very closely with Jun and his family so we were summoned in to help with the wedding, specifically to help you,” Jeonghan explained. You shrunk a little bit in realization, nodding and forcing a smile so as to not be rude.

“Ah I see, then I guess we will get close won’t we?” you muttered.

“I hope so, it would be nice to have a friend that’s normal,” Joshua teased.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jun whined, “I am normal!”

“Suuure you are,” Jeonghan stated with amusement. The three went back and forth for a minute which made you laugh softly, finding the interaction similar to you and your friends. It didn’t last long though as Jun quickly regained himself, clearing his throat and placing his hand on your shoulder.

“Anyways, I promised this one I’d show her around so we should probably get on that, I’ll see you too before bed though,” with that he was guiding you past the two males, pausing only long enough for you to wave goodbye.

“They seem fun,” you commented as you walked with Jun down the hall.

“They’re a pain but I love them,” Jun agreed, “everyone here is like a big family if you haven’t noticed already.” In reality you had noticed, having seen the way the family interacted with each other and their staff. Of course there was mutual respect but it never seemed like a boss and employee type situation, more like a friendship if anything.

“Is that because of how long everyone's been here?” you asked.

“Perhaps that may be part of it but I wouldn’t say that’s the reason,” Jun replied, “We may all work together but everyone here has a different story for how they got here. For certain people like Joshua and Jeonghan our families ran together so we were raised together. Then you have people like Mingyu or Wonwoo who came from lower class families and grew to bond with us. Or, on the complete opposite side you have my brother, we’re not related by blood and he was born a human but we took him in and I love him just as much as I would if he were born into the family.” Jun paused for a moment before shaking his head with a soft laugh, “I’m rambling now but my point is that it doesn’t matter where you come from or how long you’ve been around someone, it’s all about the bond you build with them.” You sighed as you processed his words, casting your gaze down to the floor. He talked about bonding with someone as if it was the easiest thing in the world and yet here you were, making things more difficult by avoiding him. You never cared about getting to know him before so why did you feel so guilty all of the sudden? If Jun noticed your shift in mood he didn’t say anything, continuing to walk a bit before stopping in front of a door.

“Enough of that though, I’m here to show you what your life will look like with me. This should be an exciting moment,” he gave your shoulder a reassuring squeeze and opened the door, gently nudging you inside. You couldn’t help but gasp as you walked in and looked around the room. Juns bedroom was nearly twice the size of yours, the walls mostly the same white color as the rest of the manor but with red accents that gave it an almost romantic glow. The wall opposite you had large window like doors that opened to a small balcony overlooking the outside of the manor, dark red curtains pulled back to let the moonlight seep into the room. The light hit his bed perfectly, centered in the middle of the room like a centerpiece. Delicately carved wooden frames accented with the same red curtains and satin sheets in the same color. The walls were decorated with a few paintings, one of Jun, another of the family, and the last you couldn’t quite make out but the rest was bare. Cautiously you stepped further into the room, feeling the soft rug tickle at your ankles as you walked to the bed, Jun stayed quiet as he watched you. His figure leaned against the doorway with an amused grin as he watched you explore, touching things so gently as if you were worried they would break.

“Don’t be shy,” he spoke up after a moment, “this will be your room soon enough so don’t be afraid to get used to it.” He closed the door and walked over to where you were, falling back onto the bed and laying with his back against the headboard so he could watch you.

“This room is amazing,” you said in awe, moving away from his bed and walking over to the balcony.

“It’s a bit old fashioned for my taste but it is nice,” Jun remarked.

“Old fashioned?” you asked, to which he nodded softly.

“This original manor was built by my great grandfather when he was elected into power,” Jun explained, “my grandfather and dad made a few changes to the decor to match the changing times but a lot of it is still the same as when it was first built.” Vampire age was still a concept you were confused by, but given how old Mr. Wen was you could only assume the manor was over a couple thousand years old, which was shocking because it looked brand new. “If you’re wondering why it’s in such good condition, it’s gradually rebuilt and redecorated whenever a new head takes over,” he added. You couldn’t help but scoff a bit at how easily he seemed to read your mind, or maybe he was just that used to these questions.

“So do you plan on renovating when you take over?” you asked, brushing your hands across the curtain.

“I have a few ideas, I won’t change much but it would be nice to modernize everything a bit,” he explained, “it would be nice to have a TV in here don’t you think? Maybe a few more computers since I’ve noticed a lot of people here like playing games.” He glanced over at you as he said this, making you smile shyly.

“There was nothing else to do and Wonwoo showed me how to play so...” he cut you off before you could finish explaining.

“It doesn’t bother me at all, I want you to be comfortable here,” he promised. You nodded and glanced back outside, having to focus to see outside through your own reflection. Your fingers brushed against the cool railing, searching for the handle to open the door when you heard footsteps behind you. You could almost feel Jun press against you as he reached up to undo the latch and swing the doors open. “It may be a bit high for you to reach,” he teased, patting your head and brushing past you to walk onto the balcony. You quickly followed, shivering a bit at the cold. The balcony wasn’t large, just big enough for the two of you to stand on it comfortably. Over the railing you could see out into the back gardens, a vast maze of different flowers and other plants illuminated by the moon. In the middle stood what appeared to be a fountain, though you couldn’t make out its shape, and in the distance you thought you spotted a greenhouse. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?”

“It is,” you agreed, looking at the vast array of flowers, “I didn’t even know we had a back garden.”

“There’s only really one way to access it and it’s kind of hidden by the study so it makes sense you didn’t know,” Jun said with a chuckle, “do you want to see it up close?” You eagerly nodded, an action he repeated with a smile, “Alright then, shall we?” He gestured for you to go back into the room, closing the door behind him before offering his arm to you. You hesitated slightly but gave in and wrapped your arm around his, allowing him to guide you out of his room and down the hall. The general study was a place you were familiar with, a large room decorated with multiple wooden desks and bookshelves. The main room branched off into two smaller studies, one that Minghao used as a personal art studio and the other that belonged to Jun, though you’d never seen the older brother use his.

Jun led you through the room to a back area that had previously been concealed by one of the large bookshelves. Had he not led you right to it, you wouldn’t have even noticed that it was there.

“Wow this is hidden,” you commented, Jun nodding and letting go of your arm to open the door.

“There’s quite a few rare plants out here with very special properties. We keep the entrance hidden from guests to keep people from abusing them,” he explained as he opened the door and nudged you through. This time you were prepared for the chill that attacked you as you stepped outside, pulling your sweater closer to your body. Almost immediately your senses picked up on the scents of the various flowers surrounding you. It was almost overpowering but you found it quite pleasurable. Jun wrapped his arm around your shoulders and led you through the rows of flowers and into the clearing. You stopped a few times to glance at certain ones that caught your eye, careful not to get too close and ruin them. Jun didn’t have the best knowledge of all the flowers, but he told you the brief information he did know, such as names or where they were from. You had to give him credit for trying, making it clear that he was trying to impress you, and perhaps it was working.

When you finally made it to the middle of the garden you gasped. You hadn’t been able to make out the full view from the balcony but now you could see everything. The area was outlined with various shrubs and trees that blocked it off from the rest of the garden, though there was an opening that allowed the moon to shine through. There were a few benches nestled into the corner, and in the middle was the fountain you saw earlier. Carved marble base leading up to the silhouette of an angel, the vase she was holding being the part of the fountain that water spilled out of in addition to small jets around the base.

“This is beautiful,” you mused, walking over to take a seat on the fountain. There were a few stray water drops that sprayed you but you paid no mind, closing your eyes and listening to the sound of the water. Jun stayed in his spot the whole time, smiling to himself as he watched you, enjoying the first peaceful moment between the two of you.

“It really is, isn’t it?” he agreed, though he wasn’t exactly talking about the fountain. He couldn’t stop his eyes from trailing across your frame, taking in every detail while you were peacefully unaware of what he was doing. Eventually he got tired of watching you though, moving to take a seat beside you. Your eyes opened as you felt his leg brush against yours, glancing over to see Jun looking up at the sky. Now it was your turn to admire him, taking note of the way his long hair framed his face, and how he seemed to glow under the moonlight. You wondered, if he hadn’t been immortal, would he still be this beautiful? “Like what you see?” he asked without looking away from his spot, making you shy away from him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you tried to argue, “I was just enjoying the view of the garden.”

“I take it I am part of the garden then? You’ve been staring at me for at least the past five minutes.”

“Does my staring bother you?” you questioned.

“No not at all,” he assured, finally looking down at you, “in fact I actually find it quite comforting. It means that there’s at least some part of you that’s drawn to me.” You wanted to argue but opted against it, knowing there was no winning with Jun. He smirked at you before glancing at the sky one last time, “Damn, time really does fly by fast doesn’t it. The sun should be coming up soon.”

“Wow already?” you exclaimed, glancing up but not seeing any sign of the sky getting brighter.

“You learn new tricks to tell time when you need to avoid the sun,” he said, “I’d rather go in early than be caught off guard otherwise I would take you to see the greenhouse. If you’re impressed by this I can imagine what you’ll think of it.”

“What happens if you stay out in the sun?” you asked, causing him to side eye you for a moment.

“We don’t burst into flames or anything if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said with a slight hint of amusement, “It does burn us pretty badly though, like think of the feeling you’d get if you kept your hand on a hot stove or even a flame. For purebloods like myself, if we didn’t get inside within a few hours we would likely succumb to the heat and burn. Though some half bred vampires aren’t fully developed so they can go out if they wish.” You let out a soft “oh” before looking away, not even wanting to imagine that pain. Jun gave your shoulder an assuring pat and urged you to look at him, “Don’t worry about me though, I don’t plan on letting myself get hurt anytime soon,” he smiled softly at you, squeezing your shoulder until you smiled back, “there we go I like it better when you smile. You’re more than welcome to stay out here if you wish, but I really should get inside before the sun comes up.” He squeezed your shoulder one last time and was about to get up before he stopped himself, “Oh but before I go, I do believe I get a prize for today, no?” You were confused and about to ask what he meant before remembering the deal you made with him.

“Alright I guess you do win for today,” you gave in. Jun smiled and grabbed your hand, playing with your fingers for a moment before placing a soft kiss on the back of your palm. His lips were soft and slightly cooler in texture, much like the rest of him, but you couldn’t help feeling your body heat up at the contact.

“One of hopefully many,” Jun whispered, his breath and lips tickling your skin, “until tomorrow my love.” He placed your hand back into your lap and stood up, adjusting his shirt as he walked out of the garden, slow enough for you to follow if you wished but not pressuring you. You watched him leave before returning your attention to the fountain with a sigh, glancing down at your reflection in the water. Without Jun beside you, it suddenly felt much colder, the breeze blowing the water onto you like a harsh mist. Still you didn’t move for quite a while, even as the sun rose and you felt exhaustion creep into you, you didn’t want to move. You hated how lonely it suddenly felt without Jun beside you, and you hated the way your hand still tingled where he kissed you. Though you told yourself it was just being flustered and touch starved. Jun was still a stranger to you, and there was no way you could ever see yourself falling for a vampire. You kept telling yourself that as you finally stood up and slowly made your way inside, even as you changed and tucked yourself into bed the words repeated.

You could never fall in love with Wen Junhui.

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

Unfortunately for you, fate seemed to have other ideas for what you wanted. Jun, encouraged by getting his first kiss, seemed to only up his game as the days went by. Meal dates, going for walks, performing a song for you, even taking you out into town to give you an idea of what the nightlife was like. You quickly learned that things didn’t operate much differently when vampires were running things and most were more than welcoming to you. Jun had taken you to all of his favorite stops, including his favorite restaurant and an arcade he went to with his friends a lot growing up. You also learned a lot more about him during that time. Jun explained to you how his family line is actually from China and they weren’t always as powerful. The Wen name grew with his great grandfather, who had moved in search of business opportunities and ended up in the right place at the right time. Because of their heritage, the family was in charge of many international affairs. You also learned that Jun was multilingual, practically begging for him to say something to you in Chinese when you heard that. Lastly you learned that Jun was a man of many talents, especially when it came to singing or dancing. It felt like you were meeting him for the first time, and every time you learned something new about him you found yourself falling for him more. No matter how hard you tried to deny it, or to distance yourself from him, he always made his way back with a kiss right before the sun rose. After your hand it was your wrist, then the top of your head, then your forehead, and, most recently, your cheek. Every kiss made you tingle and crave more of him, as if there was some type of love potion on his lips that he applied to you with each one. You supposed that wasn’t entirely out of the question but you doubted that Jun would be desperate enough to try a stunt like that.

Not everyday was a victory for Jun though, there had been a few where you weren’t in the mood for his antics or something happened that pulled his attention away from you. Those days he would sigh and tell you to enjoy your night out with a semi forced smile, making sure you knew to call him if something went wrong. You tried to enjoy going out alone those days, and to be fair you did have fun exploring the new shops that were usually closed in the day, but you always felt slightly guilty. Every time you left you saw Juns disappointed expression in your mind and you ended up dragging yourself back to the manor way earlier than you intended. Most of the time he would be busy with something work or wedding related and wouldn’t realize you were home until much later. One time, however, you caught him working in his study, smiling at your presence and inviting you to sit with him as he worked. You ended up staying there for hours talking about whatever came to mind.

Unfortunately, there was a new issue presenting itself that threatened to drive a wedge between the two of you. That issue being the fact that your wedding was now only a few days away. Meaning that not only was Jun being dragged away, but you were as well. The realization of everything happening weighed on you like a million bricks and suddenly it felt like you were back to where you started when you first moved in. You were nervous, on edge, and it seemed like all progress being made with Jun was starting to go backwards. You never saw him anymore, and when you did he was too busy to acknowledge you. The most you ever got was a hello or him telling you how gorgeous you looked before he was being dragged off again to who knows where.

You didn’t even know why the distance upset you so much when not even two weeks ago all you wanted was for him to leave you alone. You did your best to convince yourself that you were just lonely without him, occupying your time by hanging out with any servant you could find or even Minghao. The younger vampire was clearly put off by your sudden attachment to him, but he allowed you to keep him company anyways. You would read with him or sit in his study/studio with him while he worked on a new painting until Jun or a worker came to find you. Minghao definitely wasn’t one for words but you learned quickly that he was good with advice and listening. Whenever he saw that frustrated look on your face he would offer you a glass of tea or wine and listen to you as you vented your frustrations. Depending on your mood he would either then offer you advice or distract you with something else like picking out colors for the wedding. You also quickly learned the younger vampire had quite the eye for color and fashion, so much so that you swear he lit up when you asked him to help you with your wedding dress.

That was exactly what the two of you were doing now, with the assistance of Joshua and Jeonghan. You had been standing in the middle of your room modeling every style, color, and fabric known to man. Jeonghan and Joshua seemed happy with most of the designs, but Minghao still hadn’t found anything he had liked.

“This one’s too long.”

“This one's too short.”

“Neckline on this one isn’t flattering.”

“The dress shape hides your figure too much.”

“This color doesn’t match your complexion at all.”

“This color is cute but the style is all wrong.”

By what easily felt like the millionth try on, you were frustrated and about ready to throw a pillow at Minghao. The male in question was humming softly to himself as he circled around you, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

“Hao, is all of this really necessary?” you whined, struggling to stand up straight as you felt something poking your side.

“Of course it is!” he replied, “you want to look perfect for your wedding right? We should not settle for anything less than perfect.” He circled around you one more time before shaking his head, “We’re getting closer but no this one is still off, next.” You couldn’t help but groan, half tempted to slam your head into the nearest wall when Joshua spoke up.

“I think that’s the last one we have right now and I think Y/N is getting tired,” he stated softly. Minghao sighed and shook his head, muttering something under his breath as Joshua spoke again.

“How about we just sit down and discuss what we did and didn’t like about all of them, so you can narrow down the list and we can find something.” You had half the mind to run over and kiss Joshua for the idea, nodding eagerly when Minghao glanced at you.

“Very well,” he agreed, “go get changed Y/N and we can discuss this, we need to get this done soon so we can find the dress before the wedding day.” You wanted to roll your eyes at the mention of the wedding. Honestly you didn’t care for your dream wedding at this point, you felt like you weren’t getting a say in much and you were so stressed that you just wanted everything to be over.

Nonetheless, you sat down with all three boys and discussed your ideas until you had designed a dress that everyone agreed on. It would be slightly form fitting to flatter your figure, but also allow you to move around freely, with a neckline that was not modest but not too revealing either. The same red, white, and black color scheme that the rest of the family seemed to love, and a few lace accents to make it elegant. You would decide on your accessories and veil later, but Minghao seemed satisfied with the design and ran off to get working, Joshua and Jeonghan hesitantly following after apologizing to you for the younger's attitude.

Exhausted and beyond frustrated, you found yourself leaving your room and going to the one place you knew people would leave you alone, the garden. Tucking yourself away on one of the farthest benches, you sighed and buried your head in your knees. The sound of the fountain and the wind rustling the leaves brought you great comfort as you tried to clear your mind. No more stress about the wedding, no more stress about Jun, no more stress about anything. Why couldn’t your life just go back to the way it was before? Why did you have to be stuck here, getting married to a vampire to help your family? Even worse, why were you actually starting to fall in love with him? Why couldn’t you have just stayed strangers and just used the wedding for show? Part of you wished you never met Jun until your wedding day, then all of this would have been significantly easier.

“There you are,” lifting your head, you locked eyes with the one man who occupied your mind. Jun looked exhausted, his shirt messily unbuttoned under his vest which also wasn’t fastened properly. His eyeshadow was smudged, making it look like he hadn’t slept in years, and his hair was messy as if he just rolled out of bed. He was a mess, and yet you still found him unbelievably gorgeous. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” he confessed as he sat down beside you, “Jeonghan told me you were in a pretty bad mood earlier.”

“I suppose you could stay that,” you muttered, “what about you though, you look like a mess.”

“Thanks I tried my best,” he replied sarcastically, though his expression quickly softened, “I just have a lot to do, that's all. My parents have been preparing me for the wedding and taking over the family so I guess I’ve been stretched pretty thin.”

“So I’ve noticed,” you whispered to yourself, Jun heard it though as you felt his arm wrap around you.

“Awe don’t tell me my sweet girl missed me?” he teased, “I’m sorry I haven’t been giving you much attention, will you ever forgive me.”

“Shut up!” you groaned as you nudged him off of you, “who said I missed you?”

“Your actions are worth a million words, you know?” he pointed out. When you didn't respond he huffed and leaned closer as if telling you a secret, “Also you should know that word gets around quickly in this family.” It took you a second to realize what he meant, internally groaning as you realized his brother probably told him everything.

“Remind me to kill Minghao next time I see him,” you hissed which made Jun laugh.

“You can’t kill what’s already dead My Love. Also don’t be mad at him, he’s only trying to help.” You bit your bottom lip and cast your gaze down, watching the grass sway beneath your feet for a moment. Jun quickly dropped the teasing and cleared his throat, tapping your shoulder to get your attention, “Seriously though Y/N, I know I haven’t been around much recently and I’m sorry. I can’t make up for that but I am here now so talk to me, what’s bothering you?” You debated answering for a moment, gnawing at your lip and curling up more. Jun waited patiently for you to collect your thoughts, not taking his gaze off of you as you finally sat up properly and looked at him.

“It’s stupid but this isn’t what I wanted,” you confessed, “I always dreamed about having this royal and lavish wedding and now I’m getting it but not how I wanted. I don’t know anything about how vampire weddings work and I haven’t gotten a single say in anything. I didn’t get to choose who I marry, when, how, hell I barely even got a say in my own dress. It hurts even worse because I’ve been so confused about my feelings for you and now I don’t know what to do.” You took a deep breath after speaking, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off of you. Jun stayed silent for a second, his occasional blinking the only sign that he hadn’t completely frozen. Then, before you had time to react, he was pulling you against him in a tight hug. You gasped, needing a moment to process the contact before giving in and hugging him back. Your arms wrapped tightly around his waist and your head buried into his chest, ignoring the lack of a heartbeat and instead focusing on his scent. Of course you had been close to Jun before but not like this. His scent was very floral, but there was also a hint that reminded you of herbal tea, it was refreshing and very much him.

“I’m sorry,” Jun muttered into your hair, pulling away from you just enough so that he could look at you, “this is all my fault. I’m the one that dragged you here, and I’m the one that kept you in the dark. I should have told you everything from the beginning.”

“Can you tell me now?” you asked, looking up at him.

“What do you want to know?” he answered you with his own question.

“Everything, why did you choose me? Also what is going to happen at our wedding and what happens after? I want to know so I can prepare.” Jun exhaled harshly but nodded, keeping one hand on your arm while the other moved to run through his still messy hair.

“Well to start, I chose you because I saw something special in you. Families like mine always married off their next in line to a human, that’s an agreement to keep things fair on both sides. I am the oldest son and so I knew when the time came I would need to find someone to marry, my parents knew this too so they often sent me out during the day. I was disguised of course and protected from the sun, so I think I did a good job blending in. You probably don’t even remember that you’ve met me before, I stopped by your work one day with a friend. I don’t know why but something about you was different, special, I knew that exact moment that you were the one. So I asked my friend to get to know you and everything he told me only proved to me that I made the right decision.” You tried your hardest to remember ever getting close to someone that would know Jun, or even when you saw him before but your mind was coming up blank.

“What was your friend's name?” you asked, desperate to know who it was he was talking about.

“Kwon Soonyoung, but he often had people call him Hoshi,” your eyes widened at the name, recognizing it as one of your old coworkers. He started working there about a month after you and you two became friends almost immediately, you had no idea that he had any connection to someone like Jun.

“Him, really?” you asked.

“What, didn’t expect that I could befriend a human?” he questioned.

“No no not that it’s just, how did I have no idea?” Jun smiled and patted your head playfully, laughing as it messed up your hair.

“You not knowing means he did his job well, but yeah I learned about you through him, and then when I was told it was time, I sent Mingyu to get you. The timing wasn’t the best though as Hao and I had to return back to China to deal with a few personal matters, which is why you spent the first year with just my parents,” he explained. You were both silent for a moment as you processed the information, then Jun spoke again, “as for the wedding, it will probably be a bit different than you’re expecting. Everything will still happen that does at a normal wedding, but there is also the business element and the mating ritual that goes along with it. All our friends and family will be there, but so will the main political powers on both sides to ensure that the wedding is official, so it may be a bit more crowded than you’re used to. Though it is your wedding as much as it is mine so if you would like to join me in planning things I would love to have you with me.” You nodded and smiled, glad he was giving you the chance to be involved, though your smile quickly dropped as you remembered the mating part.

“What exactly is the mating ritual?” you asked, albeit a bit hesitant. Jun sighed, almost looking like he didn’t want you to ask.

“Divorce isn’t really a thing in our life,” he started, “so vampires are known to ‘mate’ for life I guess you could say. When we marry the bond between us is shared by a blood exchange, it will keep me connected to you, allow me to know what you’re feeling and be close to you even if not physically.”

“A blood exchange, that means that...” you trailed off.

“I will have to bite you,” he answered your question for you, “but it will be quick I promise and you can choose where you want me to do it.”

“Will it hurt?”

“It shouldn’t, remember I said most people even say it’s pleasurable. You’ll feel a little prick and then after that it should just feel warm,” he explained.

“I don’t have to drink your blood though, right?” you asked.

“Not unless you want to become a vampire yourself,” he responded with a chuckle, “but you don’t have to decide that now.” You nodded softly, looking down and feeling your cheeks heat up as another question entered your mind.

“Umm, what about the wedding night?” you immediately regretted the question as you saw a mischievous glint in Juns eye.

“Why are you that excited for what’s going to happen?” when he saw you blush harder he snickered and patted your shoulder, “relax Qinqin I’m just teasing you. Eventually my parents are going to expect an heir to the Wen family, but if you’re not ready on our wedding night we can just share a drink and relax.”

“What if I am ready?” you asked yourself outloud, not really thinking about it until you saw Juns expression.

“Are you ready?” he pushed, you quickly felt shy and looked away, but he placed his fingers under your chin to make you look at him.

“Yes? No? I mean...I don’t know I don’t even know how I feel about you,” you confessed. Jun hummed in thought and you could have sworn you saw him blushing a bit himself.

“I think you do know and you’re lying to yourself,” he whispered. Your eyes widened as he drew slightly closer, barely inches away from you. His dark eyes were blown and piercing as they stared at you, your own glancing down on his lips then back at his eyes. “Just admit it Y/N,” he whispered, “I won, you’re falling for me.” Your breath hitched, wanting to turn away but feeling like you were frozen in place. Jun huffed and leaned forward, placing a kiss to the side of your lips, just enough to tease you. Your eyes fluttered for a moment at the contact before opening again and looking up at him in confusion. “That’s how I know you do feel something for me,” he pointed out, placing another kiss to your forehead before pulling away, “don’t worry my dear, you’ll get the real thing in a few days, just be patient.” You didn’t know whether you wanted to hit him at that moment or pull him close to you and kiss him. He didn’t give you the option though as he was standing up and excusing himself, letting you know that he would be in his room if you needed company. You whined to yourself as you were quickly up on your feet and rushing after him, not wanting to be alone just yet.

“I’ll get you back for that Wen Jun!”

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

You definitely took Jun up on his offer to join him in wedding planning, getting a say in everything from the decor to the catering. You also got a glance into the life Jun lived, watching as he handled different affairs and communicated with different workers. It was honestly endearing watching him in his element, though you did your best to stay out of his way. Whenever he wasn’t too busy though you guys were enjoying your time together, oftentimes with him having his arm around you while you looked at decor ideas for the manor or holding your hand as you organized seating for the wedding. That domestic feeling returned and this time you didn’t fight it, actually finding yourself excited for your wedding.

It felt like only a minute before the day in question came, you were woken up early when Minghao, Joshua, and Mrs. Wen burst into your room. The sun hadn’t even set completely, as you could see the rays poking out through a crack in your curtains. Minghao quickly rushed to pull them fully closed though as Mrs. Wen placed a tray with fruit and tea on your nightstand.

“Rise and shine my dear,” she urged, “it’s time to get you ready for your big day!”

“Already?” you asked, rubbing the sleep from your eyes, “it’s so early.”

“Yes but there’s a lot to do,” the older woman reminded, “we need to get you fed and dressed, do your hair and makeup, and then get the final preparations ready. Our guests will start arriving in a few hours so we need to make sure everything is done now.” You groaned softly but nodded, taking the tea from the tray and sipping at it as you woke up, Mrs. Wen fretting over your health and complexing as Minghao and Joshua focused on getting your dress. “You look a little pale my dear, do you need anything? I can go get you some medicine.”

“I’m fine I promise, just a bit nervous,” you assured.

“Mom, relax, I’m sure you remember how nervous you were when you got married,” Minghao argued, making a few last minute adjustments on your dress.

“You shouldn’t listen to everything your father says, you weren’t even there,” the woman argued, though Minghao only giggled as he focused on his work. You also laughed a bit at the family's banter before finally giving in and getting out of bed.

“Alright what do you need me to do?” you asked.

“You go wash up and then I’ll help you get dressed, just call when you’re ready for me. Then the boys and I will help make sure everything is in place and do your hair and makeup. By then it should be almost time to start so you can rest,” Mrs. Wen explained. You nodded and made your way to the bathroom, quickly showering and brushing your teeth before calling for help with your dress. It was simple enough that you were mostly able to get it on yourself, but you still needed help with the zipper and the layers. You couldn’t help but look at yourself in the mirror as the older woman helped you out, tearing up at the sight of you in the dress. You hadn’t been the most fond of the idea at first, but seeing yourself in it made you realize how gorgeous it actually was. It seemed your soon to be mother in law agreed as she stared at you in awe. “You look gorgeous Darling,” she praised, adjusting the bodice and allowing you to glance at yourself.

“Thank you, I feel gorgeous,” you agreed. She clapped in excitement before helping you back out to your room where the two males were waiting. Minghao was holding various sewing supplies and Joshua was holding your veil and a few other accessories. Behind them on the bed was a kit which you assumed was for your hair and makeup. Both males smiled as they saw you, Minghao clapping softly as he walked over to you.

“I told you this would be perfect,” he boasted, getting a gentle whack on the back of his head from his mom. He didn’t acknowledge it though as he looked over you to see if there were any needed adjustments. “I’m sorry if this is awkward to ask but,” he said nervously, “but have you decided where you want your…mating bite to be?” The room went awkwardly silent, you stiffening and looking at him which made him rub the back of his neck. “I’m only asking to know if I need to adjust the dress at all so Jun can access it, that’s all.” The room went silent again, all the attention on you as they waited for a reaction.

“It’s fine if you don’t know yet,” Mrs. Wen assured but you shook your head.

“No no it’s fine,” you promised, “I guess I haven’t really thought about it, what would you suggest?”

“Well,” she trailed off as she thought about it, “I personally chose my neck, it’s a bit more intimate than your wrist but it would be easier for him to reach and the mark is easier to hide.” You nodded, placing your finger on your pulse point as you thought about it.

“If you want to consider both options I was bitten on my wrist when I turned,” Minghao said, showing you his wrist where you could clearly see the scar, “it doesn’t hurt but it does feel tingly and if he bites your wrist it may take a bit longer.” You reached out to gently grab the male's wrist, which he allowed, tracing your thumb over the two bite marks then letting him go.

“I guess I’ll go with my neck, it seems easier,” you decided.

“Good choice,” Joshua muttered from his spot on the bed. Minghao nodded and moved to adjust your sleeve, pinning it down a bit so that your neck was exposed.

“That should stay put,” he commented, “all you have to do when it’s time is tilt your head back a bit.” He mimicked the action and you nodded in understanding, not wanting to question how he knew what to do.

“Now then,” Mrs Wen quickly spoke up, “we still have a lot to do, go ahead and have a seat and we’ll finish getting you ready.”

The next three hours were spent making sure everything was absolutely perfect, eventually Minghao had to excuse himself to help Jun and get ready himself but Joshua and Mrs. Wen stayed with you to keep you company. Apparently there was also a moment where Jun tried to sneak in and see you but he was promptly dragged away. To pass the time the two told you stories about the past, specifically stories they knew would embarrass Jun. Moments like him dancing around with his arms behind his back, failing miserably at sports, or just randomly running up to a mirror and saying how handsome he was before running away. Every story made you laugh more as you imagined the Jun you knew doing all these things. Before long you got a knock on your door, one of the female staff poking her head to let you know it was time. Joshua quickly took his leave after giving you a reassuring smile, leaving you with Mrs. Wen. The woman glanced at you to silently ask if you were ready, handing you your bouquet before linking your arms and leading you out of your room and to the stairs.

The manor was set up so that the main room was turned into a ballroom type setting, all of the guests sitting with their backs towards you. At the front of the room, stood by the now decorated front door, was Jun. He was wearing a perfectly pressed white shirt under a black vest with red accents and a matching red tie. His makeup was sharp but toned back a bit, enough to make his eyes look piercing and his lips stand out more. His shoulder length hair was also slicked back, the top layer tied up in a half ponytail. Minghao, Joshua, and Wonwoo were standing behind him, all dressed up in matching suits. At the announcement of your arrival, all the guests immediately turned to face you. Many of them were faces you didn’t recognize, but you could see your close friends and family towards the front, all smiling up at you. Mrs. Wen gave your arm a gentle squeeze before walking you down the stairs and towards the front, your eyes locking onto Juns from behind your veil. He couldn’t see you properly yet, but you swore you’d be able to see his smile from a mile away.

Mrs. Wen bowed her head to the officiant before handing you over to her son and moving to take her seat beside her husband. Jun took your flowers and handed them to Joshua behind him, lifting your veil and running a finger across your cheek.

“You look breathtaking,” he whispered.

“So do you,” you replied. He chuckled softly and grabbed your hand, both of you turning to face the officiant. The majority of the ceremony went by in a blur for you, mainly because you were more focused on the way Jun was looking at you and the way he was holding your hand. Your warmth seeped into him and warmed his skin, and you could feel his thumb rubbing on the back of your palm. You only snapped back into reality when it was time for the rings, Jun slipping a black band with his family's crest engraved on it onto your ring finger, you doing the same for him. With that the officiant closed their book with a satisfied smile.

“It is my honor to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Wen, you may claim your bride.” Jun could no longer hide the mischievous glint in his eye as he looked at you.

“Finally the moment I’ve been waiting for,” he whispered.

“Yeah, me too,” you teased, cupping his cheeks and pulling him down to kiss him. Jun gasped in shock but quickly melted into you, wrapping one arm around your waist and the other cupping your cheek. The room was silent and for a moment it was just the two of you, finally sharing every emotion that you had been hiding from yourselves and each other. Though the moment couldn’t last forever as you had to pull away from each other. Your eyes were glazed over as you looked up at Jun, the male smiling down at you as if you were the most precious thing he’d ever laid his eyes on. Though you remembered that it wasn’t over as you felt him brush your hair away from your neck. You stiffened a bit which he noticed, the hand on your waist rubbing soothing circles into your side.

“Deep breath okay, it’ll be over before you know it,” he promised, “are you ready?” You did what he said and took a deep breath, closing your eyes and leaning your head back like how Minghao had told you.

“I’m ready,” you whispered after a moment, though you didn’t dare open your eyes. Jun didn’t say another word, but you felt his fingers tracing your neck, followed by his lips. You felt him kiss your neck once, then twice, then you felt his fangs poke your skin. You gasped as you felt a sharp prick against your skin, the pain only lasting a second though before you felt a warm tingling sensation. The feeling was hard to place, but it almost felt like your body was going numb despite your senses being heightened. Jun hummed against your neck, sucking for a moment before pulling away and swiping his tongue across the bite. His hand that had been on your shoulder moved to rest against your back to support you.

“How do you feel?” he asked, keeping his grip tight on you just in case you got dizzy. It took a moment for your feelings to return to normal, you relaxing a bit in his arms before opening your eyes and looking up at him.

“I’m okay,” you assured. Jun smiled and nodded, pulling you against him for a moment to kiss the top of your head before turning to face the crowd. The proof of a successful bond had the room erupting into loud clapping and cheer, almost loud enough to be deafening. Jun chuckled a bit as you winced away from the noise, wrapping his arm around you and leading you to the kitchen where a banquet was already prepared.

You stayed beside your husband the whole time, practically hiding behind him as hundreds of people came to greet you. They all congratulated you both and would introduce themselves to you as family friends or business partners or whatever else. You didn’t care enough to remember all of their names, knowing that you likely wouldn’t see them again for a long time. Jun did all the talking for the two of you, allowing you to hide behind him as he made pleasantries with all of the guests. Though you did stray away from him long enough to greet your parents. Your mother was already in tears when she approached you, pulling you into her arms and crying about how grown up you were. It took everything in your power not to cry yourself as you embraced her, promising that you were fine and happy with Jun. You stayed holding her for a moment, letting go to hug your dad before deciding that it would be best for them to go. Every other human guest had excused themselves at this point and you knew your parents would be working again in the morning so you bid them goodnight with one last hug and a kiss from your mother. After they left you returned back to Jun, the male glancing over at you with a smile before returning his attention to his guests. It was fine at first, and you tried to interact with as many guests as possible, but after about an hour of still meeting new people you quickly got bored. Not only did you want to get away from the crowd but you were also desperate to finally be alone with your husband. It finally got to a point where you decided to take matters into your own hand, tugging at Juns arm to get his attention.

“As nice as this is, I would love to go get used to my new bedroom now,” you whispered when he finally looked at you. Jun immediately caught on to what you were implying, smirking down at you and licking his lips.

“You’re a scandalous little thing aren’t you?” he teased, but still he quickly excused the both of you for the night. He used the excuse that you were tired and still getting used to the change in schedule to anyone who asked as he escorted you out of the kitchen and up the stairs. No one even gave you a second glance as you followed Jun into his room, quietly closing and locking the door behind you.

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

The second the door locked you were all over Jun, gripping his vest and smashing your lips together in a desperate kiss. The male eagerly returned the kiss, removing your veil so he could tangle his hands into your hair. Your tongues battled each other, lips remaining locked as you started exploring each other's bodies. Your hands made quick work of undoing his vest while he fumbled with unzipping your dress. You pulled away once you felt him pull the zipper down, his lips attacking your neck as he pulled your dress down your body. Due to the shape of the dress you had opted not to wear a bra underneath exposing your breasts to the cool air once your dress was off. Jun took advantage of this, gripping at your breasts and pinching your nipples between his fingers. You moaned softly at the feeling, growing louder as you felt his fangs graze against your neck, kicking your dress off as he pulled you close to him.

“You have no idea how good you taste,” he muttered against your neck, “it’s almost addicting.”

“You can have another taste if you want,” you gasped out, he paused long enough to glance up at you, making sure you were serious. You smiled and ran your fingers through his hair as a silent confirmation. Jun took the hint and trailed his lips back to where he originally bit you, running his tongue across the area once before biting down again. This time you moaned at the sting, tightening your grip on his hair and throwing your head back as the same warm feeling returned. This time Jun groaned into your neck, sucking harder and pressing your bodies together. His hands gripped at your hips desperately, grinding them against his own as he continued sucking at your neck. Though he pulled away out of fear of making you dizzy. Jun placed one last kiss on your neck before lifting his head and licking his lips.

“Yep, very addicting indeed,” he groaned. You took a deep breath and chuckled softly, pulling away from him slightly so you could loosen his tie. Jun watched in amusement as you undid his tie and the first few buttons of his shirt, pushing him back until he fell back on the bed.

“I think it’s my turn to have a taste,” you cooed. Jun leaned back and watched in amusement as you climbed on the bed to straddle him. He grunted softly as you trailed kisses down his neck and chest, slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt as you went. You had known Jun was slightly muscular but you hadn’t realized how much until now as you felt the outline of his muscles.

“Like what you see?” he teased once he realized you stopped your actions.

“A lot actually,” you teased back, Jun chuckled and licked his lips as you trailed more kisses down his stomach until you reached his belt. You made quick work of undoing the belt and popping open his button. Jun lifted his hips just enough to allow you to pull his pants and boxers down, revealing his already semi hard length. You could already tell his length was more than you expected and suddenly you were frozen. In fact, you actually had no idea what you were doing so seeing him exposed for you was a lot to handle. Jun noticed this and adjusted a bit to look up at you. “Are you okay doll?” he asked, reaching a hand out to stroke your cheek.

“Yeah I just…I don’t really know what to do,” you confessed. Jun had to keep himself from chuckling at your adorableness.

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” he told you.

“No I want to!” you whined.

“Very well, want me to tell you what to do then?” he asked, to which you nodded, “okay then, grip it gently and start by stroking it.” You hesitantly did as you were told, Jun immediately gasping and falling back against the bed at your touch. You stroked him softly for a minute, feeling him twitch in your hand and rubbing at his tip for a second before gaining your confidence back and leaning down to place kitten licks along his head. Jun twitched at the contact, groaning softly and throwing his head back as you licked across his length before finally taking his tip into your mouth. “There you go, just like that,” he urged. His hand that had been on your cheek returned to grip softly at your hair, tugging it softly and brushing it out of your face so he could see you. You looked up to meet his gaze and moaned softly at the sight of him. His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly opened as he panted, his muscles were tensing from the pleasure and his hair was now out of its bond and falling messily into his face. His grip on your hair tightened more as you took him deeper, an audible groan leaving his throat, “Good girl, treating me so well.” The praise got to you and had you rubbing your thighs together, taking him as deep as you could and using your hand to stroke what wouldn’t fit in your mouth. You continued your actions for a few more minutes, enjoying the way Juns groans got louder and more desperate, but he quickly tugged on your hair to pull you away. “As good as your mouth feels baby girl, I’m getting close and I would rather finish inside you.” You felt your cheeks heat up at his comment but you nodded and allowed him to flip you both over.

Jun took a moment to rid himself of his shirt as you got comfortable on the bed. He stepped away for a moment to grab something from the dresser before returning to you, with something hidden behind his back. “You trust me right?” he asked as he crawled on the bed with you.

“Of course,” you replied with a soft smile. Jun returned the action and gently pushed you to lay down fully.

“Good, now relax and put your hands above your head,” you immediately did as you were told, feeling the smooth silk run over your wrists before tightening around them. “Is that too tight?” he asked, watching you shake your head and nodding as he carefully tied your wrists to the headboard. He tugged on the knot for a moment to make sure it was sturdy before grabbing another silk tie and draping it over your eyes. “Still doing okay?’ he asked as he tied the silk behind your head.

“Yeah I’m fine,” you assured, squirming softly at your now loss of vision.

“Good, just let me know if it gets uncomfortable,” with that his hands were back to roaming your body. His large hands kneaded your breasts before moving down to play with your hips and thighs. You continued to squirm and moan at the contact, tugging lightly on your restraints. “You are so gorgeous,” he whispered, trailing kisses from your neck down to your breasts, “I always knew you were beautiful but your body is so perfect.” He placed kisses along your breasts before taking one of your nipples into his mouth. You shivered as you felt his fangs brush against your skin, his tongue swirling around your nipple as he sucked softly. Soft moans left you as he continued, gripping into your thighs as he switched to the other nipple.

“Jun,” you whined out, making him hum against your skin.

“Yeah baby? Do you need something?” there was a teasing edge to his voice that made you whine more.

“More, please touch me,” you begged. He chuckled softly and removed himself from your breasts.

“As you wish,” he muttered, one of his hands left your thigh to run a finger across your clothed core. You shivered at the feeling, grinding your hip into his hand to get more friction. “Shit, you are so wet for me,” he groaned as he pressed his finger harder against you.

“Stop teasing me please!” you whined, desperate to feel more of his touch.

“Fine, fine, because you’re being so good to me,” he agreed, slipping your panties off and spreading your thighs so he could get access to you. His finger trailed against your slit, gathering your wetness before pressing his finger into you. You moaned and squirmed softly, not used to the intrusion. “Just relax,” Jun cooed, “it’ll feel weird at first but I promise it’ll be worth it.” You nodded and did your best to relax, squirming and gasping as you felt his finger move inside of you. Jun pressed a kiss to your thigh as he continued, curling his finger and making you whine as he hit that special spot inside of you. “Found it,” he muttered, continuing to hit that spot and watching as you squirmed and moaned at the feeling. Slowly he urged another finger into you, curling them and making a scissoring motion to help stretch you out. The sting burned a bit but that was quickly washed out by the pleasure he was bringing you, constantly hitting your G spot and his thumb moving to rub at your clit. “How are you feeling Y/N?” he asked, not slowing down his motion.

“So good, it feels so good!” you moaned out, arching your back and pulling at your restraints.

“Good,” Jun muttered as he pulled his fingers out, “are you ready for more then?” You didn’t hesitate to nod, practically shaking in anticipation as you felt him line up with your entrance. You arched your back and groaned as you felt him slowly enter you, his hands gripping your waist and soft pants leaving him. Jun stilled once he bottomed out, kissing you and muttering praises while massaging your hips to distract you from the pain. It took a moment to adjust to the stretch, but the second you felt it fade you were nodding at him to continue. His thrusts started off slow, simply letting you get used to the feeling before picking up the pace. You couldn’t hold back your moans as you felt him inside you, wrapping your legs around him to hold him closer to you. Juns grip on you tightened and he groaned as his thrusts continued. “You are so tight, you feel so good,” he grunted as his head dropped to rest against your neck. With each thrust you felt a tightening in your stomach, whining and squirming more as you realized you wouldn’t last much longer.

“Jun I’m gonna..” you couldn’t find your words as you lost your breath. Jun seemed to understand though as you felt him nod against your neck. Without slowing his thrusts, he reached up with one hand and undid your blindfold, brushing your hair out of your eyes as you blinked up at him.

“Go ahead and cum for me baby,” he groaned, that was the approval you needed to finally let go. You tightened around Jun and arched your back with a soft cry as your orgasm washed over you. Jun slowed down for a moment before continuing his movements, making you whimper from overstimulation. “Hold on for me just a little bit longer okay?” he urged, “I won’t last much longer. You’re going to be good for me though right? You’re going to let me give you my heir?” You couldn’t verbally reply, simply nodding and whining. Jun thrusted a few more times before stilling inside of you, a low groan left him as he reached his climax.

You both panted softly as you came down from your high, Jun carefully pulling out and leaving gentle kisses across your face and neck. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he untied you, massaging the soft red marks on your wrists as you sighed.

“That was amazing,” you gasped out, staring up at Jun with a tired smile, “but I’m exhausted now.” He smiled and laughed softly, kissing your head as he climbed off the bed.

“You stay here, I’m going to grab something to clean up with and then we can rest okay?” you gave him a hum of confirmation and closed your eyes. Jun disappeared into the bathroom for a moment before returning with a wet cloth. He hovered over you and gently wiped down your neck and chest before folding it and gently pressing it against your core. You sighed at the cool feeling against your sore body, letting Jun clean you with no hesitation. Once you were clean he quickly cleaned himself off before setting the rag aside and crawling into bed with you. You immediately crawled under the covers and snuggled up against Jun, with your head on his chest and his arm over you. “You’ll probably be pretty sore tomorrow, so if you want to stay in bed I’m not opposed,” he mused, chuckling when you weakly hit his chest.

“We’ll see,” you muttered, “right now though I just want to sleep.”

“As you wish,” he agreed, kissing your head as he snuggled up with you.

“I love your kisses by the way,” you whispered, placing a kiss on his heart before closing your eyes.

“I’m glad,” he hummed, “it took a lot of effort for me to get them, you know?”

“I know, and you will still need that effort,” you teased, hearing him scoff.

“We’ll see about that,” he placed one last kiss on your head before closing his eyes, “rest well my love.”

“Goodnight Qinqin.”

At this point it was safe to say, you had fallen in love with Wen Junhui.

↪ Vampire Kisses Release Taglist: @eli-ljkh @foxdaisy @honeyhuii @kpxpseoul @knucklesdeepmingi @kmoon @woohoney @kimsabinaskzlover @meowjunhui @blizzardfluffykpop @d-noona

↪ Authors Notes: Qinqin means dear one or kiss

Also I’ve been considering doing a spinoff of this story where reader ends up with Minghao instead of Jun, would anyone be interested in that?

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rosemarymonths · 1 year

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Introducing Rosemary Month 2023, all throughout October!

You can submit art, fanfics, music, cosplays, meta analysis, shitposts, etc, for the prompts!! I’ll be keeping track of the tags: #rosemary and #rosemary month2023 for submissions!! Or you can simply just @ this acc so I don’t skip over yours by accident!

Prompts:

Day 1: From The Start

Imagine rosemary at their very beginning of their dynamic or at the first step of their romantic relationship!

Day 2: Turtle Consorts

Rose and Kanaya hanging around Rose’s consorts would’ve been pretty cute!

Day 3: Meteorstuck

Imagine any Meteorstuck shenanigans Rose and Kanaya got into together!

Day 4: Hurt/Comfort

Obligatory sadstuck day, but with added comfort for safety measure!

Day 5: First Kiss

Either imagine Pre-Retcon Rose and Kanaya’s first kiss, or the unseen post-retcon kiss! Or maybe you want to explore a different way they could’ve had their first kiss?

Day 6: Quadrants

Time for some rosemary quadrant smearing!

Day 7: Birthdays

How neat would it be to see Rose and Kanaya celebrating each other’s birthdays?

Day 8: Cats

Imagine Rose and Kanaya playing with a bunch of cats!

Day 9: Rain

Rose and Kanaya going through rainy weather, or just explore anything you want to do with rain.

Day 10: Rays

After the rain, Kanaya and Rose finally get some sunshine.

Day 11: Game Over

Explore the absolute heartbreak that is Rose and Kanaya’s deaths, either during the catastrophe or the aftermath within the dreambubbles.

Day 12: AUs

Any AU you want!! Been thinking about a MLP AU lately? A Little Prince AU?

Day 13: Family

Explore either Rose and Kanaya with their own little family, or just them with the other Strilondes/Maryams! Or both!!

Day 14: Alpha Timeline

Imagine either Alpha Rose x Beforus Kanaya, or post-retcon rosemary! Whichever one you like best!

Day 15: Tropes

Explore your favorite rosemary tropes!! Or a trope you’d love to see with rosemary!

Day 16: Scars

Rose and Kanaya bonding over their shared scars, either literal or metaphorical.

Day 17: Flowers

Either Kanaya simply infodumping about her botanic skills to Rose, or just pretty flower art, you decide whatever!

Day 18: Stars

Perhaps Rose and Kanaya stargazing, or aesthetic pieces! Go crazy!

Day 19: Date Night

Imagine Rose and Kanaya finally going on a somewhat decent date this time around.

Day 20: Robots

Assigned meat rosemary day, or just do whatever you wish with robots and rosemary!

Day 21: Double Date

Imagine rosemary going on a double date with another ship you like!

Day 22: Dreambubbles

Either Rose and Kanaya having dreambubble fun times, or perhaps more Game Over angst?

Day 23: Domestic

Explore Rose and Kanaya’s sweet domestic life, as they deserve!

Day 24: Strider Third Wheeler

It wouldn’t be Rosemary without Dave trying to tag along like he’s their five year old son, right?

Day 25: Proposal

Who do you think proposed? Rose or Kanaya?

Day 26: Wedding Anniversary

Rose and Kanaya celebrating their marriage!!

Day 27: Snow

Imagine Rose and Kanaya undergoing snowy weather!

Day 28: Fnaf Day

Exactly what it says. Happy Fnaf Movie month

Day 29: Beach Episode

Imagine Rose and Kanaya just having some beach summer fun times

Day 30: Clothes/Style Swap

A good ol’ fashioned clothing/style swap between Rose and Kanaya!

Day 31: Halloween

Happy Halloween!! Are Rose and Kanaya trick or treating? Passing out candy? Going to a party?Scaring little kids to death maybe?? Do whatever halloween fun you want with these two!

#homestuck #rosemary #rose lalonde #kanaya maryam #rosemary month 2023 #rosekan

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fiveredlights · 5 months

Text

there's glitter on the floor after the party: the deleted scenes

i'm sure it'll make someone happy because i think we all need it! just as a note, this is all unedited so some of it might make no sense and that's okay.

(i recommend the google doc for easier reading otherwise the whole thing is under the cut)

Chapter one: 2023

I don’t have anything to show…anything I did cut has already been long deleted. My bad. The first two are very sparse because I was cutting unwanted things as my Google docs was lagging whenever I opened it. The only thing I remember writing that chapter was that it was meant to coincide with Daniel’s return to COTA in real life but I ran out of time so I pushed it back to Las Vegas.

Chapter two: 2024

CUT: Daniel winning the championship

WHY: Felt too rushed and easy. No emotional pay off, you were only just introduced to Daniel in RBR again. Also don’t ask me what happened to Max for him to not just clean sweep 2023-2027. Also don’t ask who won the championship in 2026. I declare that your favourite driver won it and I definitely did not forget to give a championship.

DANIEL: Oh my god, it’s just surreal like I don’t know how to describe it. Especially after the past couple years, it’s just—yeah. And to do it with Max too, it’s just something special for me and the team.

MISCELLANEOUS:

73 Questions With Daniel Ricciardo | Vogue

3.3M views 2 days ago …more

Vogue 4M

[00:00:00]

DANIEL: Hello Vogue, didn’t see you there. Welcome to my home away from home.

[00:13:33]

PRODUCER: One sentence you could tell your younger self?

DANIEL: Doors are meant to be opened.

[00:15:09]

PRODUCER: Worst thing about racing in Formula 1?

DANIEL: Accidents, hands down. It’s horrifying as a driver to watch someone crash, because that’s when everything sort of gets a reality check in the cockpit. Like we are racing around at three-hundred kilometres an hour, and there is a real chance that something could go wrong. I’ll never forget Max’s Silverstone accident, just—yeah it just a horrible thing to witness.

—

emotionalsupportredbull

not daniel fidgeting with his necklace when he talks about max’s silverstone crash… you ain’t slick boy

#yes i have deluded myself into thinking it’s from max #i’m already depressed i don’t want to hear it #join team emotional support redbull delusions

348 notes

frenchpine

qu'est-ce que tu sais, espèce de salope française qui aime l'érable et qui parle bizarrement ? sors avec ça (What do you know you maple-loving weird speaking French bitch? Come out with it)

#je ne veux pas te traiter de salope #ou peut-être que c'est le cas (#i don’t mean to call you a bitch #or maybe i do)

392 notes

(i promise i wrote this before he decided to rear end daniel in china. i pinky promise.)

landando

daniel “doors are meant to be opened” ricciardo

#what is my man on #doors are meant to be opened 😭😭 #he didn’t open a door one time and it’s haunted him for life

78 notes

Chapter three: 2025

CUT: Red Bull marketing video

WHY: Chapter was already very long. Also I couldn’t find any good questions.

Daniel and Max play the F1 newlywed game 💒💍

827K views 10 hours ago #Gives you wings #F1 … more

Oracle Red Bull Racing 1.58M

INT. RED BULL RACING HOSPITALITY - DAY

[00:00:00]

MAX: Hello everyone and today we are playing the newlywed game.

DANIEL: Are you excited?

MAX: I mean I have to say yes otherwise I look like I’m in an unhappy marriage.

DANIEL: Wow—

MAX:—Also the name doesn’t even make sense. Newlywed? That isn’t us.

DANIEL: [To off screen] Guys, I would get someone to approve your overtime, we’re gonna be here a while.

[00:02:01]

OFF SCREEN: Who is more likely to overpack for a holiday?

DANIEL: Don’t look at me!

MAX: We have three suitcases.

DANIEL: It takes effort to look this good.

MAX: Three suitcases every single race weekend.

DANIEL: What’s the next question?

CUT: Lucinda’s vaguely threatening email

WHY: Broke the fourth wall. Glitter on the floor is meant to be solely a third POV view and I couldn’t justify it.

CONFIDENTIAL: PRESS STRATEGY REGARDING MAX VERSTAPPEN AND DANIEL RICCIARDO

From: lucindasalzar@/press.redbull.racing

To: maxverstappen@/redbull.racing, danielricciardo@/redbull.racing

CC: christianhorner@/redbull.racing, teamdaniel@/press.redbull.racing, teammax@/press.redbull.racing

Date: 21 Nov 2025 at 3:04am

Hi all,

Please see attachment below for finalised details regarding your press strategy and talking points this weekend. Media have been advised to not ask any questions about the ring and we’d like to keep it that way. Remember to keep it vague if you do get asked, and if you don’t feel comfortable a simple no comment will suffice.

Please email for any further clarification or questions and good luck this weekend. (And please no spur of the moment Las Vegas—Elvis impersonator weddings you two.)

Best regards,

Lucinda Salzar (she/her)

Head of Communications, Red Bull Racing.

E: lucindasalzar@/press.redbull.racing

P: +44 ** **** *****

CUT: The chaotic Abu Dhabi super seat swap

WHY: I had to cut this because I altered the timeline, Las Vegas was going to the second last race. In an earlier version Max and Daniel were gonna come back in 2026 and also drop the Matilda news at the same time but I wanted more content just out of Maxiel so I had to leave this on the cutting board. Some of it made it into the published fic but the original thing was more chaotic. (Also I changed the Red Bull junior driver at least once a week because they kept dropping them. It went from Hauger, to Crawford, to Maloney and then I just gave up because I could not keep up.)

lights-out-away-we-go

red bull needed to replace two drivers and they did in THE MOST CHAOTIC way possible. okay, just listen:

the official red bull reserve driver is liam lawson (of alpha tauri, so he obviously gets pulled up)

alpha tauri then call on zane maloney to replace liam (alpha tauri’s reserve driver)

BUT, daniel’s car still needs to fulfil the mandatory rookie free practice session (max’s was completed in mexico when maloney drove)

red bull can’t get zane in daniel’s car again cause he’s got to drive liam’s… so they’ve got to find someone who has the super licence points … we’ll come back to this

so right now car 3 is being driven by liam lawson, car 40 is driven by zane maloney. i hear you ask… who is driving car 1? it’s none other than yuki tsunoda (of alphatauri)

I KNOW, but red bull have quite literally run out of contracted reserve drivers and i believe because every driver is technically employed by red bull (whether they drive for RB or AT) they’re able to pull them up or down without the FIA kicking up a fuss

i’ll wait for why red bull pulled up both AT’s

this means yuki tsunoda’s alpha tauri will be without a driver and once again, red bull call Pepe Marti

#i don’t even know if this is 100% correct i could be so wrong

13,482 notes

—

SKY F1 SPORTS- 2025 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE 1

David CROFT: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to our final race of the 2025 season, to our first free practice session under the blistering sun of Abu Dhabi and if this is your first time watching, welcome along cause this will certainly be an interesting race weekend. Now, eagle eyed viewers may have caught that AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda is in the Red Bull, and his team mate is sitting in the next garage over not in a car. Anthony Davidson is with me—Ant, care to explain to our viewers at home the driver seat swap chaos that’s happening down at Red Bull?

Anthony DAVIDSON: Hello everyone, wherever in the world you may be watching and yes, chaos is the right word for it isn’t it? I’ve got about five pieces of paper and I’m going to do my best to explain, what I think, is the most complicated driver situation in F1 history.

CROFT: Yes, for those who didn’t join us last time out or who may be new to F1, I promise driver seat talk usually isn’t this complicated but we’ll do our best to make sense of it all. Now we’ve got to start at the last race for it all to make sense. Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo had a nasty crash with Enzo Fittipaldi of Haas that left him with a concussion and bruised ribs, which is why presumably he isn’t racing today, and we wish him well in his recovery. Red Bull’s other driver Max Verstappen was also not able to race this weekend for an unspecified reason, so Red Bull are left with two empty seats.

DAVIDSON: We know that Red Bull’s official reserve driver is Liam Lawson, so that’s no problem there. He’s driving Daniel’s number 3 car, but here’s where the trouble starts. Car number 3 still needs to complete its mandatory FP1 session, which Zane Maloney was planning to do this session. But you’ll notice that Zane is in Liam’s car right now, the Alpha Tauri—and this is because he’s Alpha Tauri’s reserve driver.

CROFT: Still following everyone? So far, car number 3 is being driven by Liam Lawson, car number 40 is being driven by Zane Maloney. But Liam Lawson isn’t even in car number 3 at the moment, it’s Pepe Marti, who is currently racing in Formula 2 and part of Red Bull’s junior academy. He’s competing the mandatory rookie FP1 session for car number 3.

DAVIDSON: So now we move onto Max Verstappen’s car, which is being driven by the other AlphaTauri driver, Yuki Tsunoda. Which now means AlphaTauri needs a driver to replace him and it’s Red Bull junior driver, Isack Hadjar who is in car number 22.

CROFT: Right, so it’s Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson in Red Bull for the race, Zane Maloney and Isack Hadjar in the AlphaTauri’s and Pepe Marti in Liam or Daniel’s Red Bull for FP1. Confused? Don’t worry, so are we so bare with us if we accidentally get names and teams wrong because I believe this is possibly the biggest driver change in F1 history.

DAVIDSON: Yes and because I know people will be asking, “Why didn’t Red Bull just put Maloney in Daniel’s car for the whole weekend?” and we have an answer and officially, it’s because of contracts. Whatever behind the scenes isn’t allowing him to drive that Red Bull which is why they called up Yuki instead. Maloney has also said he feels more confident driving the AlphaTauri all weekend rather than the Red Bull, so that also may play a factor in this.

CROFT: But also this is a perfect opportunity for Red Bull to compare both drivers, should the opportunity for one of them to make the move into Red Bull when the time arises.

Chapter four: 2026

CUT: Netflix Drive to Survive script

WHY: Once again, I was lazy and didn’t want to write a script. I kinda wish I did though, I think it would’ve given Las Vegas 2025 more substance, especially because you only see it through a fan perspective whereas DTS allows you to get the driver’s perspective, but I do plan to finish this off…. eventually….

Netflix- Drive to Survive

Season 9, Episode 3 “Redemption”

The Las Vegas Grand Prix is back in town but it’s not all good fortunes for those driving. The biggest paddock secret is unveiled.

—

INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

We see scrambled eggs on a frying pan.

OFF SCREEN: Daniel? Where is my jumper? The blue one?

The camera zooms out from the eggs to see Daniel, wearing a light blue jumper, grimacing at the camera.

DANIEL: (Under his breath) To be fair it was my jumper first.

The camera swings to Max in the doorway, arms crossed as he narrows his eyes at Daniel.

MAX: I heard that.

(In the garage, during the crash.)

RED BULL TEAM MEMBER #1: Has anyone told Max?

RED BULL TEAM MEMBER #2: We’re not telling him.

RED BULL TEAM MEMBER #3: Seriously?

RED BULL TEAM MEMBER #1: He thinks his husband is dead, we’re telling him!

INT. HOTEL ROOM

PRODUCER: Do you have some fears about allowing the world to know about your relationship?

DANIEL: God, of course I have. We both have. But we spent so long being—not scared, but worried let’s say about the consequences of us just being together. But then Las Vegas happened and all I wanted was Max to sit by my bedside and make a stupid joke about me being in hospital again. And it was when Christian literally had to fight multiple people to get Max into that hospital I realised that what we were doing was unsustainable.

PRODUCER: Unsustainable?

DANIEL: Are you married?

PRODUCER: Yes?

DANIEL: Have you ever watched your partner crash into something at three hundred kilometres an hour and no one telling you if they were even alive? Because I’ve done that. We’ve done that. Multiple times.

Montage of different Max & Daniel accidents.

DANIEL: And then you have to go on with your day, going to debrief, doing press but all you really want to do is go to them and make sure that they’re even alive?

PRODUCER: …

DANIEL: So yeah. Unsustainable.

—

333 update account @/official333

📺 | Drive to Survive (Netflix)

Daniel talking about his relationship with Max on and off the track:

Q: Do you think it’s been challenging to balance out the relationship given your unique relationship with Max?

Daniel: No, and I think people over dramatise the complexity of it all. I mean sure, it has been somewhat difficult, especially at the beginning but in the end it is just racing, you know? We’re both aware that we are something different from the other drivers, but I like that. Not many people get to do what they love with their partner right next to them, so I definitely take every race we do together for granted.

476 replies 88 reposts 8,372 likes

CUT: Alternate ‘M’ reveal

WHY: I genuinely spent like half an hour thinking if fictional Max and Daniel would show Matilda, I had earlier drafts where they hide her face until I was like okay, this is fictional. Bad things do not exist in this universe, so it’s fine. Plus, Matilda is so cute I can’t hide her.

[Video: Daniel, standing in front of a door.

DANIEL: I know a lot of you guys might have noticed that I’ve been dropping clues towards who this mysterious M is and it’s finally time to reveal who it is.

He opens the door and pans the camera to Max.

DANIEL: M stands for Max. Sorry to break the news, it’s not that exciting. Wait, who’s that?

The camera pans further down to show Max holding a baby, she’s sleeping soundly in Max’s arm.

Photo: A baby. She’s wearing a light blue onesie, and her hand is wrapped around a mini honey badger soft toy.]

Liked by lucsalzar and others

danielricciardo Everybody meet Matilda. Matilda, this is everybody.

View all 5,638 comments

georgerussell63 They learnt what hard launching is and said we’re going to do it for everything… Congrats 🙌

landonorris be prepared for the onslaught of driver themed onesies coming your way…

1 March

CUT: The half-completed TIME article about Daniel

WHY: I did not have it in me to write another 1000 word article. I spent around a week just writing Daniel’s The Players’ Tribune article. But what I did write, I did like. Was also around the time TIME named Taylor Swift as their person of the year, so that’s where I got that inspiration.

How 2025 was the year of the Honey Badger—Daniel Ricciardo on winning his first Formula 1 Championship during a historic year.

by Tylda Rune-Liberi for TIME

February 15, 2026 9:33AM EST

It’s 2017 and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was asked in a press conference what race he would like the new owners of F1 to host. His answer? Las Vegas. In 2023, five years on, his wish was granted. Two years later, in 2025, the race he had proclaimed as a dream race would turn into stuff of nightmares.

Leading the race and looking like he would take a first win at Las Vegas after a podium in 2023, it looked like everything was going Ricciardo’s way until a bizarre accident with Kick Stake Sauber’s Theo Pourchaire causes a major accident, leaving Ricciardo wedged in the cockpit for over half an hour.

Pourchaire had given way to Ricciardo as he was being lapped, before attempting to unlap himself, choosing the wrong moment as Ricciardo was heading into the pitlane. Radios released after the accident have Pourchaire admit he “didn’t think he was going into the pit lane.”

It’s a horrifying crash to watch—even with the knowledge that both drivers would be okay, and it would soon be clear that no one felt it more in the pitlane than Ricciardo’s own teammate: Max Verstappen.

Formula 1 drivers all drive with the knowledge that a crash could happen at any given moment, but this accident was different.

[Photo: Daniel, in a dark navy denim blue overshirt and jeans.]

Ricciardo and Verstappen have had a long and varied partnership throughout their career, first starting in 2016 where Verstappen was brought up mid season from then-Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso (now Visa Cash App RB), winning his debut race with the team, where it looked like the win would go to Ricciardo instead. They would go on to be teammates for another two seasons, before Ricciardo announced a shocking move to Renault (now Alpine).

One thing that stood out about their initial partnership was how their off track friendship never seemed to waver, even in their most turbulent of times (see Hungary 2017 or Azerbaijan 2018). In an era where friendships between teammates seemed to famously end in failure, in the likes of fan dubbed ‘Brocedes’ (Nico Rosberg & Lewis Hamilton; best friends growing up who’s friendship ended in rivalry fighting for a championship) or former Red Bull teammates Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber (Multi-21 Seb?), it was an outlier that the two remained such good friends, even after Ricciardo had departed Red Bull.

Even Ricciardo mentions that Lewis Hamilton had gone up to him to ask how Verstappen and Ricciardo had managed to keep their friendship going even though they had tussles on track. “I don’t really know,” Ricciardo says. “I mean it’s definitely all in hindsight now, but I think it was because we—or at least I—knew that our friendship was really important. Like it was no matter what happens I don’t go and screw up this friendship I have with Max.”

Ricciardo would go through a bumpy time in his post-Red Bull career, going through two seasons at Renault, two seasons at McLaren before a 6 month break where he was named ‘Third Driver’ for Red Bull, a 6 month stint in Red Bull sister team AlphaTauri (formerly Toro Rosso, now Visa Cash App RB) which was marked with Ricciardo missing 5 races due to a hand injury during a free practice session in Zandvoort before returning back to the very seat he left six years earlier, Red Bull announcing Ricciardo’s return at the 2023 Las Vegas race.

A move that was then deemed as a surprise move by many pundits, all was put to rest when Riccardo finessed his AlphaTauri in the podium position, grabbing the team 3rd place and their first podium since Pierre Gasly in 2021.

Something was different about this second stint, and it wasn’t the journeys they’ve both gone on since they both parted ways. There was something different about them together.

[Photo: Max and Daniel laughing in the Red Bull garage.]

Nine years on since their first race together, it was oddly reminiscent of their first. Verstappen crossed the line to win a race his teammate had been poised to do so. Only this time, the celebrations were much different.

With Ricciardo in hospital, Verstappen quickly left the race track after a tuned down podium ceremony, skipping out on mandatory post-race media duties, where competitors and team can attract fines for doing so. (The FIA opted not to fine Verstappen and Red Bull in this instance.)

Even during the red flag it was clearly Verstappen was antsy, with his radio calls after finding out his teammate was in an accident conveying his state of worry. Leaked video from inside the Red Bull garage has Verstappen mention not finishing the race, wanting to be by Ricciardo’s side instead.

///

“I remember I posted the post and people were like ‘Oh, maybe he meant it in a friendly way’ and I was like f***, I’ve got to actually spell it out for them.” Hence, the iconic post that broke the F1 world was born.

[Daniel’s tweet.]

It’s 2020, and the Australian Grand Prix has just been cancelled due to COVID.

All the drivers and teams are left scrambling to try and leave the country before the borders close, and Daniel Ricciardo has just invited Max Verstappen to stay over at his house in Perth.

“I don’t think I can even call it a friendly gesture, because as much as I like the other guys on the grid, there’s no way I would’ve invited them over.”

///

“Yeah, I won a championship. But I’m still the same person.”

Ricciardo’s often been somewhat of an open book, he says—whether it was for the better or for the worse. Every aspect of his life has been so highly publicised, from winning races to what it looks like when he’s not, it’s remarkable how he still holds nearly the same candour, even if his name and career has seemingly been dragged through the mud a thousand times over by the media.

Last year he publicly came out in a F1-related podcast, to what he says was very unplanned. “I didn’t plan to come out, let’s say, it just kind of happened.

“I didn’t even plan to come out, let's say, it just kind of happened? I was recording a podcast and I was talking about 2022 and how it unfolded, the support systems around me and I said “my partner”, and a part of me went Oh, shit! I hadn’t talked about my relationships at length before that, and I knew people were going to absolutely run with it and then I was like—well, might as well just go the whole nine yards, so then the second reference to my partner I very deliberately dropped in he. And that was it.”

“I remember so vividly, I went home that night and I told Max, oh I think I did something stupid and his mind immediately went to me accidentally leaking like team secrets or something big like that, and I was like no, I may have accidentally came out and within like three seconds you could see is brain just switch.

“There is no we found the elephant in the room or whatever. The elephant has always been in the room and it’s just decided to make its presence known.”

“Look, I definitely understand some of the criticism that some people may have with F1 or Red Bull or us capitalising on our relationship or whatever, but I think now more than ever there’s a need to perhaps know who the drivers are when they aren’t driving.” Ricciardo adds.

“Because it’s all fine and good if John Smith is winning races and driving amazingly, but if you know next to nothing about the person because it seems like they’re packed up and shipped race to race, you’re not going to root for the guy because they’ve made no connection.”

Ricciardo quickly clarifies that it’s not a negative for sports people or celebrities to maintain their personal lives, but he sees it more as a way to express or show what he wants to show in his own lives. “We spent nearly five years it near complete secrecy from the outside world and whilst I’m not saying that we should’ve just been public right from the start—we probably wouldn’t have survived—I was just wanting to post a photo of Max burning dinner or something and not have gossip magazines or Instagram accounts dissect every pixel of it.”

Did Ricciardo get pushback from the FIA or his team? It’s a difficult question to answer, he tells me. NDAs and whatnot. He says, “The team was wonderful about it, though. Had multiple team members come up to us willingly to fight the higher powers if needed which was very sweet.”

“Let’s just say there were conversations that I had been made aware of that had made me feel like we weren’t even allowed to look at each other when we were in the paddock. I felt like they were asking me to only refer to him as my teammate, stuff along those lines.”

///

“One of our friends told us at our wedding something along the lines of for F1 drivers, you did move pretty fucking slow in your relationship! And Max was like yeah, did you know who we were in 2018?” Ricciardo laughs loudly, scaring one of the cats who seemed ready to take a nap.

///

“I used to rely so much on what other people thought of me, it wasn’t enough that I thought I was the best guy out there, you also had to think I was the best guy out there.”

///

Racing has always been part of Ricciardo’s life, but he doesn’t want it to be the only thing now in his life. He wants you to ask about things not related to racing, like how much he loves his family or how he thinks the Buffalo Bills are the greatest NFL team on earth.

“I’m not going to do this forever, you know?” He says, finishing the can of Red Bull he’d been slowly sipping throughout the course of this piece. “I hope when I look back at these years of my life I’m going to be equally proud of what I did in the car and what I did outside of it.” — With reporting done by Tylda Rune-Liberi and Nicolas St. Revelate.

CUT: Max and the team getting called up to the FIA

WHY: The FIA seems like an organisation who might send me a cease and desist if I wrote them as quietly homophobic. I don’t have money for a lawsuit. Also wanted to keep the universe happy because the real one is not. Still think my Mad Mex reference is funny.

Autosport @/autosport

Breaking: Max Verstappen summoned to the stewards after allegedly breaking parc ferme rules.

12 replies 90 reposts 821 likes

—

F1 - 2026 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX - POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE - TRANSCRIPT

23.3.26

Q: Sorry, Daniel just coming back to you now. We’ve just received word that Max Verstappen has just been summoned to the stewards for breaking parc fermé conditions, any reaction on that?

Daniel RICCIARDO: For what?

Q: Uh, we think it might be related to post race procedures around weighing. Not entirely sure yet, his meeting is at 6:15pm.

DR: Well there goes our dinner plans. To be fair our dinner plans were literally just Mad Mex in our hotel rooms before flying to Perth, but still.

Jack DOOHAN: Mad what?

DR: Mad Mex? You know, the Mexican fast food place. Surely you’ve had it.

JD: Oh, I thought you said Mad Max and I was like, “He finished P4 that doesn’t seem too bad.”

DR: Did Max not do the weigh in or what?

Q: He did, after your podium. Sorry mate, even more bad news for the team, they’ve been summoned to the stewards as well.

DR: If I find out I’m going to lose another podium about ten years on after the race here I’m gonna be pissed.

Q: This one is related to Article 26.13 b, where “Unless authorised by the FIA, no one under the age of 16 is permitted in the pit lane at the following times: b) The period commencing fifteen (15) minutes before the pit exit is opened to allow cars to cover reconnaissance laps and the time when the last car enters the parc fermé after the sprint session or the race has ended.”

DR: What cause we had our daughter with us at the podium celebration?

Q: Quite possibly, yeah.

DR: That’s interesting. I—yeah, I’m just gonna say that’s interesting.

Oscar PIASTRI: Kevin had his kids with him in Monza twenty four, didn’t he?

DR: Yeah, I’m sure the team will have a lot to say so we’ll just leave it at that.

CUT: Reaction to Australia winning

WHY: Timeline changes. Original timeline was Australia 2026 being their first race back after Las Vegas and relationship/kid reveal. I apparently also cut the all Australian podium. Can't remember why.

[Photo 1:

Photo 2:

Photo 3:

Photo 4: Lucinda holding the constructor trophy on the podium, Daniel giving a big grin next to her.]

Liked by jackdoohan and others

danielricciardo Never thought I’d be able to share a podium with two other Aussies but what better time than at our home race. @/jackdoohan @/oscarpiastri @/redbullracing 🇦🇺❤️

View all 5,382 comments

ausgp Surely this gets us a public holiday?! @/auspm

oscarpiastri We’re about to get even more annoying…

—

Oracle Red Bull Racing @/redbullracing

Don’t mind us, we’re just in a puddle of tears over how cute @/Max33Verstappen and @/danielricciardo are 😍😭🫶

[Video: Taken from behind the parc ferme barriers, Daniel holding Matilda as Max hugs him, one hand around his waist and the other around the back of his neck.]

—

jeanie 🤠 @/COTADANIEL

flabbergasted about how well max and daniel hid their relationship from the world because man that he looks at daniel like he hung the moon stars and the sun and we’ve just been blind to notice

jake @/381racers

Maxiel admin logged on today thank you universe 🙏

—

DANIEL: Yeah, I just didn’t think I was able to have this, you know? If you had told me like seven years ago that hey, “You’ll be winning again and Max and your kid will be right along with you”, I would’ve laughed in your face. There is still absolutely more work to do, but I’m just glad I get to have my little moment without like some of these outside factors screaming and kicking at us.

CUT: Jake @/381racers meeting Daniel

WHY: Felt too indulgent. Loved it, but I think the idea pushed the boundaries/fourth wall maybe A Little too much, even for my low standards.

jake @/381racers

Only felt right that I get this signed

[Photo: Jake’s infamous tweet “Max Verstappen can you fight?” printed out and framed. Max has signed it and wrote “Yes he can.”]

—

jake @/381racers

First photo really Daniel did you have to shame me further . I thought we had a promise. Anyways, here's the video of me meeting them.

[Video: Jake meeting Daniel, in Red Bull hospitality. They’re both sitting down in chairs, and Jake has his hands on top of a frame placed face down on the table.

JAKE: Do you remember like two years ago in COTA you wore a leather jacket outfit and basically the internet blew up because of how good you looked?

DANIEL: Yeah, with the cowboy hat and everything!

JAKE: And there was a tweet that trended on that weekend—

Daniel sits up in his chair, eyes widening in realisation of who Jake is.

DANIEL: Oh my god you’re “Max Verstappen can you fight?” guy?!

JAKE: Embarrassingly, yes.

DANIEL: (offscreen) How did you find him?!

OFFSCREEN: Remember when I said I was going to bring my boyfriend this race?

Daniel looks back and forth behind the person offscreen and Jake multiple times before bending over and laughing hysterically.

OFFSCREEN: Yeah, I’m not happy about it either.

DANIEL: Oh my god did I like cause you two to meet?

jake @/381racers

No I too am not happy about my internet history coming back to bite me

CUT: Interview with Lawrence Baretto

WHY: I ran out of time. I had planned to post this at the end of Jan, but since I didn’t post that NYD bonus fic, I didn’t wanna go a month without an update so this got culled. Also my vague illusions to Max’s dad felt a little weird.

Exclusive: Daniel Ricciardo on retirement, 15 years of F1 and family with Lawerence Barretto

When I ask about his daughter and if they have any interest in making her follow in her parents footsteps, he shuts down my line of questioning pretty quickly.

“No,” he immediately says. “I’m not going to write out a path for her to follow, or put expectations for her to go into karting because of a family legacy. I think Max knows it a little bit more than me, how the expectations of someone who’s meant to take care of you can tarnish the thing you love.”

Jos Verstappen, Max’s father and former F1 driver hasn’t been seen in the paddock since 2023. Both declined to comment when asked.

“If she wants to start karting, then we’ll probably have a very long conversation about how it’s important that she finds it fun and if she doesn’t then she doesn’t. It’s not important to me that she wins or whatever, I just want her to enjoy it.”

Chapter five: 2027

CUT: Drive to Survive script

WHY: I did not have the energy to write a full script, and I felt like there were too many events to write about and I could not do it justice. Also I would like idk if Max and Daniel would show Matilda on DTS which is crazy because Matilda is not real…

—

Drive to Survive

Season 10 Episode 10 “One final rodeo…”

After fifteen years in the sport, Formula 1 says goodbye to Daniel Ricciardo.

[00:20:26]

INT. HOTEL ROOM INTERVIEW

PRODUCER: We don’t have to talk about Las Vegas.

DANIEL: No, it's fine. Probably should. Uh—yeah.

PRODUCER: We can take a minute.

DANIEL: Yeah, thanks. I didn’t talk about it last year did I?

PRODUCER: No. Okay, we’ll cut.

CUT TO BLACK.

Sound of car crashing into wall, before it fades in to show the Red Bull in the pitlane wall. Cuts to people reacting—Red Bull employees, fans in the grandstands and then a birds eye aerial view of the crash, showing the medical and extraction crew.

PIERRE HAMLIN (V.O): Daniel, are you okay?

Cuts to Max’s T-CAM footage, him driving past the car.

MAX (V.O): What the fuck happened?

PIERRE: Daniel, please just press the radio button so we know you’re okay.

Cuts to Daniel’s T-CAM footage, his helmet leans against the left side of the halo, indicating he’s unmoving.

PIERRE: Daniel, can you hear me?

Cuts to showing the Red Bull pitwall, everyone looking at each other worried.

DANIEL (V.O): The first thought I had was: Shit. This is really bad timing. Second thought I had was: Max is going to kill me.

Cuts to Daniel's forward facing cockpit onboard, him moving his head and looking up and down the cockpit.

PIERRE: Daniel?

DANIEL: Yep. Fuck. My chest, fuck. Shit, is um the other driver okay?

PIERRE: Yes, he's okay but don't worry about him. Do you think you can get out of the car?

DANIEL: Yeah no, I don't think that's happening with breaking something. Fuck, my ribs. Oh god. I think something's broken.

PIERRE: Okay Daniel, the medical team are nearly there but do not move if you think it will cause more damage. The car is safe, so do not worry about anything else.

DANIEL: Yep, okay. Um, will someone tell Max I'm okay? Just, don't freak him out yeah?

PIERRE: Copy Daniel, it will be okay, it will be okay. Just keep radio on please.

DANIEL: Okay. Fuck, this sucks.

INT. STUDIO

TEXT: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing driver

MAX VERSTAPPEN: Been a while.

PRODUCER: Didn’t think you were going to agree.

MAX VERSTAPPEN: Would be a big thing if you made it look like we hated each other again!

PRODUCER: We asked Daniel what his first thought was when he had that accident. He said “This is really bad timing” and that you were going to kill him. Why?

MAX: Well, because of Matilda.

EXT. PORT HERCULES, MONACO— MORNING

Long shot of Port Hercules, Monaco, filmed from a balcony. It’s peaceful, quiet—the city sounds filling the background before we hear a baby scream in joy.

DANIEL: Matilda!

Matilda is on the floor in the living room, on a playmat and she plays with wooden blocks. Max is next to her on the ground, with his back leant against the couch, Daniel is on the couch.

DANIEL (V.O): Yeah, she’s one of the best things to happen to me. For a long time my whole life was just racing, but now she’s my whole life. Like it’s okay if I have a bad race or whatever, I’ve got to move on quickly because she’s there at home waiting.

MAX: Having a kid does change you, I think. Daniel will not say his driving has changed, but it has.

PRODUCER: In what way?

MAX: I think now he is more focused on winning every race, not that he wasn’t before. But because maybe he knows that every race matters more now. You hope that the others around you will not be too reckless so that you can go home after the race.

EXT. CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS — MIDDAY

TEXT ON SCREEN: 2025 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX

RED BULL EMPLOYEE #1: Hey, welcome back Danny!

DANIEL: Thank you, thank you. Hope you didn’t miss my handsome face too much.

RED BULL EMPLOYEE #1: I didn’t know Jake went on holiday!

DANIEL: I’m gonna crash the car just for that.

RED BULL EMPLOYEE #2: No, we’re just kidding. So how’s the baby?

DANIEL: She’s great, do you wanna see a photo?

RED BULL EMPLOYEE #1: Oh, she’s adorable. Matilda was her name?

DANIEL: Yeah, yeah. We had a list but I think Matilda was the only one that stood out to us. She just looks like a Matilda you know?

///

The camera swings to the right, as Daniel’s head sticks out from the door.

DANIEL RICCIARDO: You aren’t talking shit about me, Maxy?

MAX VERSTAPPEN: Of course I am.

///

MAX: I have raced with Daniel in every single year of F1. I think it will be weird.

DANIEL RICCIARDO I think I was a pretty good darn car mechanic.

CUT: Max’s interview with GQ

WHY: If you haven’t learnt by now, I am very lazy. Honestly, I just wanted this chapter out and I knew I didn’t have the time to write a whole article. Also I don’t think Max would be this open about this relationship but maybe Daniel made him more open in this universe. I still stand by the first sentence, it is possibly the truest thing to come out of the fic.

You can’t talk about Max Verstappen without eventually talking about Daniel Ricciardo, and you can’t talk about Daniel Ricciardo without eventually talking about Max Verstappen. This was a true statement in the earlier part of Verstappen’s career, but now perhaps even more so. “He’s made me a much better person,” Verstappen comments when I ask him about his husband. “I maybe wasn’t the best person to be teammates with when I was first in Formula 1, but he stayed friends with me. Even after he left and I was not being nice to him, he still stayed. That was very important to me.”

There’s a certain aura of happiness that comes from Verstappen when he starts talking about Ricciardo, and he says it’s probably one of the most documented love stories of F1.

It started in the early morning after the final race of the 2018 season, and a drunk voicemail to Ricciardo kicked things off. “I was still mad that he was going, and I had too many gin and tonics and I called him at like 12 am or something. Obviously he didn’t answer because he was sleeping but I said really embarrassing stuff in that voicemail.” He left one more a couple hours later, asking Ricciardo not to mention it.

“He really took that to heart.” Verstappen laughs. “I don’t really know why, we would talk when we saw each other on race weekends and pretend that everything was fine between us.”

They were seemingly friends only when it was the race weekend, but off track they had never been further apart. There was a lot of resentment and unsaid conversation from Verstappen’s side, self proclaiming that his stubbornness had put a pin in their relationship. “It’s easy to say now looking back, but I thought Daniel leaving Red Bull was also leaving me. And I didn’t take it well.”

But a little bit of push and shove from his fellow friends made him realise that having Ricciardo in his life was more important than whatever feelings he had towards him leaving.

///

Verstappen proposed two years later in December 2022 at that same house. “Coordinates of the house and everything on the ring,” Ricciardo comments when he drops in to grab something from the office. “Cried like a baby when I realised.”

Deleted Epilogue:

WHY: I still can’t decide if Matilda would go down the F1 path. If she did, she is definitely a Ferrari driver. Just to mess with her dads. I think she would sign with Red Bull in the junior seasons, maybe do two seasons with Red Bull then switch to Ferrari. A Sebastian Vettel if you will…let’s hope it turns out better for her than him.

[Photo 1: A Ferrari car crossing the chequered flag.

Photo 2: Matilda on the third step of the podium, holding the trophy in the air, the Australian flag wrapped around her shoulders.]

Photo 3: Matilda hugging her parents in parc ferme.]

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mvr one home race down 🇦🇺, one more to go 🇳🇱 😉

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scuderiaferrari 👏🎉

23 March

—

SKY SPORTS: 2048 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

David CROFT: And Matilda Verstappen-Ricciardo absolutely sends it down the inside and makes it stick, and what a move! Gosh, I was not expecting her to pull it off but she absolutely does and gets a roar of a cheer from the home crowd, Verstappen-Ricciardo is currently in P3.

Jenson BUTTON: I mean, we should not be surprised. Daughter of Max Verstappen, a six time World Champion and Daniel Ricciardo, another World Champion. A lot of racing talent in that family, I thought the last of the late breakers was Daniel but she has really put a new meaning on late!

DC: And speaking of there is Max and Daniel Verstappen-Ricciardo, who I imagine are probably the most nervous parents in the paddock right now! A lovely nod and clap of encouragement as we watch the reaction of Matilda’s overtake for P3.

—

matilda verstappen-ricciardo @/MVR

if you’re wondering if it’s embarrassing to have your parents show up at work to congratulate you just wait till one of them interviews you in front of the tv…. thanks dad i’ve never felt so uncool before

138 replies 98 reposts 20,482 likes

—

POST RACE: PARC FERME INTERVIEW

Daniel RICCIARDO: Matilda!

Matilda VERSTAPPEN-RICCIARDO: Oh my god, please be cool about this.

DR: Just wait till I convince F1 to let me and Max double host it.

MVR: This is actually my worst nightmare. Like maybe three other people will understand what I’m feeling right now.

DR:

///

MVR: I mean I’m not worried about a legacy, if people think I’m here to start or continue a legacy then they can think that, but I’m here to race. Not carry on whatever my parents did.

#maxiel #glitter on the floor #candle wax and polaroids verse

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