#Birthday B.S.

[lifewithaview]

The Upshaws (2021) Birthday B.S.

S1E1

When two of his kids have birthday parties on the same day, Bennie scrambles to find a venue for one, and has to bounce back and forth between events.

[emjayewrites]

hey there, delilah • jude bellingham (8/8)

SYNOPSIS: Real Madrid football star Jude Bellingham has had a big crush on Delilah "Lila" Hamilton, the younger sister of Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton, for a while. As their budding romance unfolds, will they be able to navigate the pressures of fame and family dynamics?

PAIRINGS: Jude Bellingham x Delilah "Lila" Hamilton (face claim Rayan Xasan)

WARNINGS: cursing, f1/football b.s., overly protective siblings, mentions of unprotected sex/risk of pregnancy, smut (18+/minors dni)

TAGLIST: @dreamingjude @foreverisntenough @nichmeddar @lettersofgold @judesbabymamas @perfecttrashface @alika-4466 @cocobutterqwueen @leilaxaliel @ispywithmylileye @vile-harlot @bellinghaalands @certifiedlesbianbaddie @yeea-nah @empressdede @saturnville @pinkcatcus @shepgurl @trentswrld @taytropicana @ffenthusiastt @serpenttines-library @judesprincess @bbgkoo @enretrogue @liamundi

A/N: Please note that this is a work of fiction and some things may not sound "exactly correct" but bear with me to make this work! Shoutout to @purplelewlew for helping me with the Jamaican patois (translations in the parentheses). Also, this chapter is rather long!!!

Was that one line or two?

Lila squinted down at the small plastic stick in her hand, the faint lines blurring together as she tried to make sense of them. She tilted the test under the dim light of the bathroom, her mind racing.

It wasn’t even hers—this was Jade’s pregnancy test.

"Lila!" Jade’s voice pierced through the confusion, breaking Lila’s concentration. "What’s it say?"

Lila blinked, snapping out of her trance as she turned toward her friend. Jade was standing there, eyes wide, chewing her bottom lip nervously. Lila looked back at the test in her hand.

One line. Negative. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

"It’s negative," she said softly, handing it back to Jade. Relief washed over Jade’s face as she exhaled dramatically, her shoulders slumping in visible relief.

"Thank God," Jade mumbled, running a hand through her braids. She took the test from Lila and tossed it into the trash, her mood visibly lifting. "I was really starting to freak out."

"You weren’t being careful?" Lila asked, her brow furrowed.

Jade shrugged, avoiding Lila’s eyes for a moment before admitting, "Not really. I mean, we’ve been... you know, not super safe the last few times."

Lila’s eyes widened. "Wait, with who?"

"Ryan," Jade said casually, as if dropping the name of some old schoolmate wasn’t about to completely shock Lila.

"Ryan? The one from school?" Lila gaped. "How long has this been going on?"

"A few weeks," Jade said with a small, almost embarrassed smile. "It’s just... casual. FWB, you know?"

Lila shook her head, both surprised and slightly impressed. "I can’t believe you didn’t tell me."

"I wanted to, but you’ve been so wrapped up with Jude," Jade said, her voice light and teasing. "Not that I’m mad or anything, I get it. He’s a big deal."

Lila felt a pang of guilt at that. She had been so caught up in her relationship with Jude, barely making time for her friends, especially Jade. Tonight was the first night in weeks she’d really spent time with them, and it was Jade’s twentieth birthday.

"I’m sorry," Lila said softly. "I should’ve made more time."

Jade waved her off. "Don’t sweat it. You’re here now, that’s what matters."

The evening had started out like any other girls' night, with them pregaming at Jade’s flat. The group was a mix of old friends, and one or two new faces Jade had met through work. Then there was Tasha—Jade’s other friend from Stevenage, who Lila had never really gotten on with.

Tasha was tall, with long, dark brown hair and an overly critical air about her. She was always quick with a snide comment or passive-aggressive jab, and though Lila tolerated her for Jade’s sake, she’d always found her exhausting. There was something about the way Tasha looked down at Lila that never sat right, but for Jade’s birthday, Lila kept the peace.

Earlier in the night, Tasha had come up with the bright idea to turn a random TikTok “game” into the night’s entertainment. Apparently, she’d seen some influencer challenge her friends to buy pregnancy tests as a joke, and Tasha decided it’d be “fun” for them to do the same.

"Are you serious?" Lila had asked, raising an eyebrow when Tasha proposed the idea.

"Totally. It's just a laugh," Tasha had shrugged, her tone dripping with nonchalance. "I mean, unless some of you have something to hide..."

Jade, always up for a good time, had giggled and agreed to the idea, much to Lila's surprise. So, they went to Boots, buying a pack of pregnancy tests along with their usual party essentials, and soon they were all back at Jade's flat, the pregame continuing in full swing.

Now, Lila found herself holding the negative test for her friend. But before she could say much more, the bathroom door creaked open and Tasha appeared, holding a different pregnancy test in her hand. Her dark eyes gleamed with mischief, and a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Guess what?" Tasha said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Your test came back positive."

Lila froze, her brain doing a quick mental calculation. What the hell? That couldn’t be right. She and Jude hadn’t even had sex. She was still a virgin, and here Tasha was, acting like she had some big reveal.

Lila blinked, momentarily stunned. "That’s not mine," she said, rolling her eyes.

Tasha raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Mmhmm, sure," she mumbled, tossing the test onto the counter. "Whatever you say."

Lila resisted the urge to throw the test back at her. Instead, she shook her head and brushed it off. "It’s a false positive. I’m still a virgin."

Tasha’s eyebrow shot up, clearly not believing her. "If you say so." She pushed herself off the doorframe and sauntered out of the room. "Anyway, the rest of us are ready to hit the clubs whenever you two are done with... this," she added with a flip of her hair before disappearing into the hallway.

As soon as Tasha was out of earshot, Jade turned to Lila, her eyes wide in disbelief. "Wait—are you actually still a virgin?"

Lila let out a sigh, leaning back against the sink. "Yes, Jade. I haven’t slept with Jude."

Jade gaped at her like she’d just revealed the most scandalous secret of the century. "Are you serious? But you two are so... together. How haven’t you climbed that tree yet?"

Lila laughed, shaking her head as she leaned against the sink. "Trust me, it’s not like I don’t want to. It just hasn’t happened yet. We’re... taking our time."

Jade scoffed playfully. "Girl, you need to get on that. Jude’s a whole damn tree, and you’re what, still admiring the leaves?"

Lila couldn’t help but laugh harder, Jade’s teasing melting away the brief tension from earlier. "Shut up," she said, pushing lightly at Jade’s shoulder. "We’ll get there."

Jade grinned, linking arms with Lila. "Well, when you do, I want all the details."

"Absolutely not," Lila replied, feigning horror, which only made Jade laugh louder.

"Come on, let’s get out of here. The others are waiting," Jade said, pulling Lila toward the door.

The two of them joined the rest of the group, and stepped into the cool London night as they headed toward the club. The air was buzzing with excitement, and despite the earlier awkwardness, Lila felt a sense of ease knowing she was with her best friend. She might have been caught up in her whirlwind with Jude, but nights like this reminded her how much she valued her time with Jade and the girls—even if some of them were a bit annoying.

Tonight was about Jade, and Lila was determined to make sure her friend’s birthday was unforgettable.

________________________________________________

Inside the club, the bass-heavy beats vibrated through Lila’s body as she grinned at Jade. The bottle of tequila in her hand sloshed as she tilted it towards her friend’s mouth.

"C’mon, birthday girl!" Lila yelled over the music, laughing as Jade tilted her head back, ready to take the shot straight from the bottle.

Lila held the bottle over Jade’s mouth, letting the clear liquid pour into her friend’s throat in a classic "driving the boat" move that had become iconic thanks to Megan Thee Stallion. Jade sputtered, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, laughing through the burn as she danced with her arms raised, the crowd around them cheering.

"Woo! You’re a pro at that!" Jade teased, her cheeks flushed from both the alcohol and excitement.

"What can I say? I learned from the best!" Lila winked as she placed the bottle back onto the table, giggling along with her best friend.

Jade spun around, catching sight of her other work friends on the dance floor down below. "I’m gonna dance with them for a bit! You coming?"

Lila shook her head with a smile. "You go ahead! I’m gonna get us some more drinks."

Jade bounced off, her hair swinging behind her as walked downstairs from their section, disappearing into the throng of people on the dance floor, while Lila called over a bottle girl to pay for more rounds. She leaned against the table, pulling out her card when, out of nowhere, Tasha appeared beside her, her lips twisted in that familiar judgmental smirk.

"Still drinking, I see," Tasha said, her voice laced with thinly veiled sarcasm. "Should you really be doing that, though? You know… since you're pregnant and all."

Lila's eyes snapped toward Tasha, her patience wearing thin. She had been trying to enjoy the night, but Tasha always found a way to ruin the mood. Lila took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm.

"I'm not pregnant," Lila said sharply, handing her card to the bottle girl.

Tasha crossed her arms, a look of mock innocence spreading across her face. "Oh please, Lila. Do you think I didn’t notice the way you freaked out when you saw the test earlier? It’s fine to be in denial, but you should be careful."

Lila turned toward her, her annoyance now bubbling over into anger. "Listen, Tasha, I don’t know what your problem is, but this shit isn’t cute. I don’t need your opinion on anything. So, here’s your choice: either enjoy the night like a normal person or take your ass home."

Tasha blinked, clearly taken aback by Lila’s tone. For a split second, it seemed like she might say something else, but instead, she rolled her eyes and moved away, sulking as she avoided Lila’s glare.

Lila clenched her jaw, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She couldn’t let this ruin Jade’s night. When the bottle girl came back with the drinks, she found a spot to sit by herself, sipping at her cocktail and glancing at her phone.

I miss Jude, she thought. He was in Miami with Trent, Marcell, and the rest of the boys. Soon, however, they'd finally be reunited in New York City. The thought of seeing him again made her smile softly, her irritation with Tasha momentarily forgotten.

But as she sat there, the recent conversation about pregnancy tests lingered in her mind, making her think about her relationship with Jude. Almost everyone in her friend group had already had sex, and they talked about it like it was no big deal, sharing their experiences in loud whispers and excited giggles. It wasn’t that Lila wasn’t curious or interested—she was. And she knew that she and Jude shared a deep connection, one that felt intimate and real.

Sometimes, the fact that she was still a virgin at 19 felt like a heavyweight. She had experience, of course—she and Jude were rarely able to keep their hands off each other when they were together. They’d explored each other, teased each other, and shared intimate moments that left her breathless. But still, they hadn’t gone all the way.

Am I missing out? she wondered. There was no rush, she knew that. Jude had never pressured her, never made her feel like she had to do anything she wasn’t ready for, but with her friends talking about it so openly, and Jade telling her to "climb that tree," it was hard not to feel… left behind.

She sighed softly, staring into her drink. Lila was falling in love with Jude, and she knew they’d get there when the time was right, yet part of her couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to cross that threshold—to finally take that step with him.

As the night wore on and the club’s energy pulsed around her, Lila couldn’t shake the feeling that she was standing at a crossroads. She wasn’t sure where she’d end up, but one thing was for certain: when the time came, she and Jude would face it together, just like they always did.

________________________________________

The next morning, Lila found herself sitting at the brunch table, fighting the urge to throttle Tasha. She was this close—two seconds away—from dragging the girl out of the restaurant by her hair. But the last thing she needed was to create a scene that would end up plastered all over tabloids, her face splashed across social media with some dramatic headline about "Jude Bellingham’s Girlfriend Involved in Scandalous Brawl."

No, thank you.

So, Lila took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and forced herself to focus on Jade, who was sitting at the head of the table. Jade’s birthday brunch was supposed to be the highlight of the weekend—a sweet, low-key event with mimosas, pancakes, and avocado toast to ease them all back into some form of sobriety after the previous night's club antics.

But, of course, Tasha had already soured the mood.

"Oh my god, is this really the best place you could find, Lila?" Tasha said, wrinkling her nose as she glanced around the restaurant. "It’s so… basic."

Lila rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses, which she was still wearing indoors to shield her from the blinding daylight. She could feel the headache coming on, and Tasha’s voice wasn’t helping.

Jade, bless her, handled it with grace, though. She smiled patiently, clearly trying to keep things light. "Well, I love it here. The food’s good, and they make killer Bloody Marys. Plus, it’s close by. And who doesn’t love pancakes?"

"Pancakes? Seriously? I thought we were doing something… I don’t know, more elevated," Tasha continued, her tone dripping with unnecessary judgment. "Like, maybe we should’ve gone to that place in Shoreditch—what’s it called again?"

Lila felt her nails dig into the palm of her hand beneath the table. For Jade’s sake, she reminded herself, only for Jade’s sake.

"If you hate it here so much, Tasha, you could always leave," Lila finally said, her tone pointed but calm, not even bothering to look up from her menu. "But I’m sure everyone else is fine with pancakes, so why don’t you stop being a buzzkill?"

Tasha shot Lila a venomous look but said nothing, choosing instead to huff dramatically as she flipped through the menu, the pages rustling loudly. Lila ignored her, focusing on Jade, who was now scrolling through her phone, giggling at something.

"Look at this meme Ryan sent me," Jade said, holding her phone out to Lila.

Lila smiled, glancing at the screen. It was some silly football meme, and she chuckled softly, her annoyance with Tasha easing just slightly. "He’s such an idiot," she muttered fondly. Her phone buzzed just as she spoke, and she glanced down at her screen to see a text from Jude.

Miss you, baby.

Lila’s heart fluttered at his words, and she quickly typed back:

Miss you too.

As she hit send, another message popped up, this time from Lewis:

How’s the brunch? Have an avocado toast for me. And tell Jade happy birthday.

She smiled at that, her brother always managed to check in on her even when he was busy with his race schedule. She quickly sent him a reply:

Brunch is fine, though you’d hate the company. Love you, though.

"Who’s got your attention?" Jade asked, raising an eyebrow as she sipped her mimosa.

"Jude and my brother," Lila replied, sliding her phone back onto the table. "Jude’s in Miami, and Lewis is… well, being Lewis."

"Tell them I said hi," Jade said, popping a piece of toast into her mouth. "And that I’d love to see them again, you know, when you stop hoarding all the cool people in your life."

Lila laughed, taking a sip of her own mimosa. "I’ll pass that along."

As they waited for their food, Jade began opening her birthday gifts, her eyes lighting up with excitement at each package. Lila had gotten her a pair of strappy heels she’d been eyeing for months—classic, elegant, and perfect for Jade’s upcoming events. Jade squealed when she opened the box, her hands flying to her mouth.

"No way! Lila, I love these," Jade said, pulling the heels out of the box and admiring them. "You know me so well."

"Obviously,” Lila grinned. "I couldn’t let you buy them for yourself. Happy birthday, love."

As Jade continued opening presents from the rest of the group, Lila found herself checking her phone again, half expecting another message from Jude. Though she was having fun, a part of her missed him terribly. She scrolled through their recent texts, smiling at the playful banter they shared even when he was thousands of miles away.

It wasn’t that long until they’d reunite in New York, but the space between them felt larger than the Atlantic Ocean. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud exhale from across the table. She glanced up to see Tasha rolling her eyes again, now in response to one of the gifts—Jade’s coworker had given her a handmade necklace, something sweet and personal.

"Really? A necklace? We’re not teenagers anymore," Tasha muttered under her breath, loud enough for Lila to hear.

Lila’s fingers tightened around the stem of her glass. She didn’t say anything, though. She wouldn’t let Tasha ruin this for Jade, not today.

Thankfully, the food arrived shortly after, bringing with it a welcome distraction. Plates of pancakes, eggs, bacon, avocado toast, and all manner of brunch delights were placed in front of them, and for a brief moment, Tasha’s criticism subsided as everyone dug in.

Lila glanced over at Jade, who was laughing with her work friends, clearly enjoying her day despite the subtle tension. That was all that mattered. Lila sent one last text to Jude before putting her phone away for good.

Can’t wait to see you in New York.

And with that, she pushed Tasha’s negativity aside, determined to enjoy the rest of the brunch for Jade’s sake.

lilahamilton and jadevanderwall- London, U.K.

liked by judebellingham, lewishamilton, amara_nadine, and others

lilahamilton: happy 20th birthday to my ace, my ride or die, my bestie for the restie — jadevanderwall! i love you, sunflower 🌻 🥳

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lewishamilton: happy born day lil’ sis jadevanderwall!

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⤷jadevanderwall: so lewishamilton am I getting my birkin?

⤷lewishamilton: jadevanderwall what bout a car?

jadevanderwall: 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽

judebellingham: happy birthday jadevanderwall

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⤷jadevanderwall: thanks judebellingham ☺️

fencer: BIG 20!!! 🥳🥳🥳 jadevanderwall

The moment Lila arrived in Birmingham, she realized that it was about to be more interesting than expected. What had started as a quick visit to see Jude’s family had turned into an opportunity for some additional one-on-one time with his mum, Denise. Originally, Lila had planned to fly out to New York City from London, but Denise had insisted on driving her to Birmingham's airport the next evening, and it hadn’t cost Lila too much to change her flight. It was obvious Denise truly liked her, and Lila couldn't deny how flattered she felt. But, at the same time, it was nerve-wracking—she’d never spent so much time with her boyfriend’s family on her own before.

Dragging her suitcase behind her, Lila made her way to the front door. As soon as it opened, she was greeted by a smile so familiar it made her heart ache in longing for Jude. Denise rushed forward, engulfing her in a hug that felt as warm and welcoming as ever.

"Lila Bila, we miss you!" Denise exclaimed, planting a few kisses on Lila’s cheeks. "Come inside, love!" Before Lila could respond, Denise called out to the house. "Jobe! Get out here to help Lila with her bags!"

Sure enough, Jobe appeared, wearing a T-shirt, basketball shorts, and Adidas slides over his socked feet. "Hey, Big Sis," he greeted, hugging her briefly before grabbing her luggage.

"Hi, Jobey," Lila responded, following him inside.

The Bellingham home was warm and inviting, much like its owners. The living room was cozy, with a large sectional sofa, family photos framed on every available surface, and a soft, worn rug that anchored the space. The kitchen, which opened up to the living room, was the heart of the home, full of warmth, light, and the scent of home-cooked meals. It had that lived-in feel, with stacks of mail on the counter, a fruit bowl that looked like it had been raided by hungry hands, and little knick-knacks from Jobe’s and Jude’s childhood days scattered here and there.

"You can sleep in Jude's room," Denise said over her shoulder as she led the way into the kitchen. Lila followed closely, stepping into the familiar scene of domestic chaos.

In the kitchen, Mark was sneaking a taste from a simmering pot on the stove. Denise quickly caught him in the act and swatted his hand away, a playful scolding on her lips. "Excuse you, are you sneakin' a taste?"

Mark chuckled, rubbing his arm where she’d smacked him. "Just making sure it’s perfect, love."

"Move before I cut off your fingers," Denise warned with a wink. Then she turned to Lila and added with a teasing smile, "Say 'hi' to your daughter-in-law, Mark."

The phrase made Lila’s heart race, a flush creeping up her neck. Daughter-in-law? She wasn’t used to hearing that, but it didn’t feel wrong.

Mark grinned at her, pulling her into a hug. "Good to see you again, Lila. We’ve missed having you around."

Lila smiled warmly. "Missed you too. What’s cooking?"

"Curry goat," Denise replied, her Jamaican accent shining through. "Have you had it before?"

"Yeah, I’ve had it at a spot in West London. I love goat, but oxtails are my favourite."

"Spoken like a true Caribbean gyal," Denise teased, her eyes twinkling. "But my curry goat is the best. Now, we just need to pop over to the store to pick up the dessert, and dinner will be ready soon."

Mark leaned over to the pot again, earning another swat from Denise. "Mark, love, I want you to watch the goat. Not eat it."

"So another taste test, got it," Mark said with a mischievous grin, making Lila giggle.

Denise rolled her eyes but smiled. "Alright, Lila, let’s hurry up before he eats everything." Then, raising her voice, she called upstairs, "Jobe! Are you coming with us to Auntie Venetta’s?"

Lila raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Auntie Venetta?"

"She’s an old schoolmate of mine," Denise explained, pulling on her jacket. "Jobe and her daughter, Justine, are around the same age. And let’s just say Jobey’s got a bit of a crush."

"Oh, trying to set them up, huh?" Lila teased, laughing when Denise nodded knowingly.

"Yep. Every time Jobe sees her, he turns into a tomato. It’s adorable. Justine’s studying to be a teacher in Leeds."

"Leeds? That's not far from Sunderland," Lila noted, thinking about the short distance.

"Exactly," Denise said brightly. "And Jobey has his new flat there. He’s much more independent than Jude, so we don’t need to hover over him as much."

Lila laughed at the idea of Jobe being more independent than Jude. "Jude told me he’s thinking about getting Jobe a new car for his birthday. It’s wild how Jobe can drive, and Jude still can’t."

Denise chuckled. "I know, right? But we’ve finally signed him up for lessons. It’s about time."

Just then, Jobe, now dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants, bounded down the stairs. "You lot talkin' trash 'bout me?" he grinned, looking between Lila and his mother.

"Not about you—about your brother," Denise corrected. "I’ve finally put Judey in driving lessons."

"Oh, thank God!" Jobe said dramatically, drawing out the words. "He’s so useless, Li. I don’t know how you put up with him."

"But he’s so fine," Lila responded cheekily.

"Ugh, gag," Jobe groaned, making a face. He headed for the front door, then suddenly grinned mischievously. "Shotgun!" And with that, he took off for his mother’s car, leaving Lila and Denise chuckling behind him.

As they settled into the car, Jobe slid into the front seat, still wearing his boyish grin. "Can I be on the aux, Mumzy?" he asked in the cutest voice.

Denise rolled her eyes as she reapplied her lip gloss in the rearview mirror. "None with cursing, alright?" she said, clipping her seatbelt into place.

Jobe grinned mischievously and scrolled through his phone before selecting a song. The soft melodies of Usher’s Confessions filled the car.

"I’ve never taken you for an Usher fan, Jobe," Lila teased from the backseat.

"Mum loves him," Jobe said with a grin. "Don’t you, Mumzy?"

Denise nodded. "I do. Missed his residency in Vegas, though, but your father better get us tickets when he performs at The O2 next year for our anniversary."

"As you should," Lila agreed. "I’m thinking of going to see Adele soon. Or maybe Raye. I could ask my brother for some tickets."

"Lewis knows Raye?" Jobe asked incredulously, before adding, "I mean, of course he does. Lewis knows everyone! Think he can hook me up with some Lakers courtside tickets?"

"Jobey!" Denise scolded, and Lila just shrugged, amused.

"I can ask him, but I hate asking for stuff…"

"He’s your brother, love," Denise said gently. "It’s okay to call in a favor or two. You’ve got people in your corner who love you."

Lila nodded, realizing just how right Denise was. Even though Lila prided herself on her independence, sometimes it felt good to lean on the people who loved and supported her.

"Venetta owns an amazing restaurant and bakery in Lozells," Denise continued as they drove through the Birmingham streets. "Her sweet potato pudding is the best."

"It’s like crack," Jobe added, earning him a scowl from his mum.

"What am I going to do with you, Jobe Samuel?" Denise sighed, shaking her head as Lila broke into laughter.

"Love me, obviously," Jobe said cheekily, winking at Lila through the rearview mirror.

Lila shook her head. "You’re lucky your mum’s got the patience of a saint."

As they arrived at Venetta’s restaurant, Denise expertly parked the car outside the modest brick building. The sweet aroma of spices and baked goods hit Lila as soon as they stepped out of the car, her stomach growling in anticipation. The restaurant was a cozy neighborhood spot, nestled on a corner with a sign that read Venetta’s Caribbean Kitchen. Lila noticed how charming the place looked from the outside, with potted plants and strings of fairy lights hanging above the entrance.

Inside, the warmth extended beyond just the food. The décor was simple but vibrant, with brightly painted walls adorned with murals of tropical landscapes. There were about five or six tables, and only a few people sat around, chatting animatedly in Jamaican Patois. The hum of conversations blended seamlessly with the reggae music playing softly in the background. Lila only caught snippets of the fast-paced language—enough to make out the occasional word, but it was clear everyone here felt right at home.

Venetta herself was behind the counter when they entered, her smile wide and welcoming. She was a stout woman with cocoa-colored skin and short salt-and-pepper hair wrapped in a colorful headscarf. Her dark eyes sparkled with warmth as soon as she spotted Denise.

"Eh-eh, Nisey! Long time mi nuh see yuh enuh!" Venetta exclaimed, her thick Jamaican accent rolling off her tongue as she embraced Denise. (Long time I haven’t seen you!)

"Mi deh yah! Yuh know how it guh!" Denise responded, laughing as they hugged tightly. (I'm here! You know how it goes!) The two women continued chatting in Patois, their voices filled with familiarity and affection. Lila, meanwhile, stood to the side, only catching bits of the conversation, but appreciating the melodic flow of their banter.

As Lila’s eyes wandered around the cozy restaurant, she caught sight of Jobe’s tall, lanky frame hunched over at the far end of the counter. He was leaning in, talking to a girl who Lila assumed must be Justine. Justine was petite, with curly hair that framed her face, her skin a rich caramel brown. She had a gentle smile, and even from where she stood, Lila could see the subtle glow of shyness that painted Justine’s cheeks as Jobe spoke to her. And the way Jobe stood nervously, told Lila all she needed to know; he was really digging her.

"Lila, come yasso," Denise called, waving her over. As Lila approached, Denise beamed, gesturing toward Venetta. "Ven, this is Lila. Jude's girlfriend."

Venetta’s eyes lit up as she examined Lila from head to toe, her gaze both sharp and warm. "What a pretty likkle gyal!" Venetta remarked, her voice playful as she nodded approvingly.

Lila laughed, slightly flustered, while Denise chuckled beside her.

Venetta tilted her head. "Suh yah Jamaican?"

Lila shook her head, smiling softly. "No, I’m Grenadian."

Venetta’s smile widened into a megawatt grin. "A Caribbean gyal dis time? Judey’s taste a get betta man," she teased, her eyes twinkling with mischief. (A Caribbean girl this time? Judey’s taste is getting better, I see.)

Lila’s heart skipped a beat at "this time." Of course, Jude had girlfriends before her—that was normal. But now, curiosity buzzed in the back of her mind. Who was Venetta referring to? Lila had never asked about Jude’s past relationships. It didn’t seem necessary—she was his present, and that’s what mattered. Still, a part of her wondered if she should delve into that conversation with him, even if just to know.

"We shouldn’t even bring that girl up," Denise interjected, rolling her eyes with a hint of annoyance. "Besides, look behind you." She nodded toward Jobe and Justine, who were deep in conversation. Just as Denise had said earlier, Jobe was redder than a tomato, clearly flustered. His fingers tapped nervously on his phone, and Lila couldn’t help but grin at the sight—he was probably getting Justine’s number right now.

Venetta leaned in, whispering dramatically, "‘Tank yuh Gad." She cast her eyes upward in mock prayer. "Long time now him shoulda do him ting. Dem a fool roun’ fi too long now, Nisey." (About time, eh? They've been playing around each other for too long.)

Denise nodded in agreement. "Far too long. Fingers crossed, Ven." She smiled, and Venetta crossed both of her fingers for emphasis, earning laughter from both Denise and Lila.

"Hol’ on deh, mi aguh guh fi di cake, soon come," (Let me go get the cake.) Venetta said, heading down the counter. She paused briefly behind Justine, whispering a few words to her daughter and giving Jobe a playful nudge before disappearing into the back.

Lila watched the scene with a mixture of amusement and warmth. Jobe’s flustered expression, Justine’s soft smiles—it was all too cute. Jobe and Justine were interrupted when a customer called for Justine’s attention. Jobe stuffed his hands in his pockets and slowly sauntered over to Lila, who couldn't help but grin as he approached.

She pinched his arm playfully. "So when should I plan a double date?"

"Come off it, Li," Jobe said, sounding so much like Jude that it made Lila cock her head slightly in surprise. "Jus and I are just gonna hang out."

"Ah… okay," Lila replied, her tone laced with disbelief. She wasn’t buying it for a second, but she decided to let it go for now.

Just then, Venetta returned with the coconut cake Denise had ordered. "Here yah go," she said, passing the box to Denise with a smile.

"Thanks, Ven," Denise replied, giving her a quick hug before they all said their goodbyes and headed back to the house.

Once inside, Denise stored the cake in the fridge and immediately washed her hands. Lila followed suit, ready to help plate the dinner. Together, they worked in harmony, setting out serving platters of curry goat, rice and peas, and fried plantains on the dining table.

As they sat down, Jobe’s hand instinctively reached for the spoon to scoop up some food, but Denise was quick to slap it away. "Not before grace," she scolded, her voice stern but filled with affection.

Mark led them in a brief but heartfelt prayer. "Amen," he finished, and Lila crossed herself out of habit, earning a curious glance from Jobe.

"You're Catholic, Li?" Jobe asked, breaking the momentary silence before his mother could shoot him a warning look.

Lila shrugged lightly. "Not really practicing, but yeah."

The conversation flowed as easily as the food was passed around. They discussed light-hearted topics, joked about Jobe’s antics, and Denise occasionally dropped tidbits of family stories. The curry goat was divine, and the aroma of spices filled the room. Lila couldn’t help but feel at home, even though her mind occasionally drifted to Jude.

After they devoured dessert, Denise suggested they all watch a movie together. Both Lila and Jobe politely declined—Jobe was eager to dive into his Fortnite session, while Lila wanted some quiet time to unwind and call Jude.

"Alright, you two go on then," Denise sighed, though she couldn’t hide her smile.

Lila followed Jobe upstairs as he led her to Jude’s room. "Here you go," Jobe said, pushing the door open with a grin. Lila’s bags had already been brought up, neatly set beside the bed.

"Thank you, Jobey."

"No problem, Big Sis," Jobe smiled then retreated to his own bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Jude’s room was the perfect mix of a young man’s space and remnants of his boyhood. The bed was large and inviting, the covers a simple deep blue. The walls were decorated with framed jerseys, a few football-related posters, and pictures of him and Jobe as kids. The room felt lived-in but neat, just like Jude himself.

As Lila explored the room, she opened his closet and couldn’t resist grabbing one of his hoodies, pressing it to her face to inhale his familiar scent. It was comforting, reminding her of all the times she’d worn his clothes whenever they were together. But as she continued rummaging through the closet, something caught her eye. Tucked away on one of the top shelves was a stack of old magazines—Ebony Sistaz. Lila blinked, her curiosity piqued as she pulled one down and flipped through it. The pages were glossy and full of women with curvy bodies, their hips and thighs prominent in each photo.

"Interesting," Lila muttered to herself, raising an eyebrow at the realization that Jude apparently had a stash of old-school porn magazines.

Why didn’t he just use PornHub like a normal person?

She shook her head, amused, and returned the magazine to its spot on the shelf. She smirked as she thought about Jude’s obvious attraction to women with big butts. Considering how often he smacked hers, it all made sense.

After that little discovery, Lila plopped onto his bed and checked her phone, noting that it was almost 7 p.m. in Birmingham, which meant it was around 2 p.m. in Miami. Without hesitating, she hit the FaceTime button, and Jude answered on the first ring.

"Damn, you missed me, huh?" Lila teased, watching as Jude’s face appeared on her screen, looking all too comfortable.

"Real bad," Jude replied with a dopey grin. He lifted his phone slightly, showing her that he was lounging in bed. His hair was freshly trimmed, and he was shirtless, looking far too relaxed for the middle of the day.

"Why are you in bed? I thought you guys were out doing something?"

"Miami’s not really fun in the daytime, babes," Jude explained, chuckling. "Things only get good at night."

Lila laughed. "True. So what did you get up to this morning?"

"I went over to the Miami Dolphins training facility. Got in a few reps in the workout room with some of the players."

"Not bad," Lila nodded, impressed. "Stay in shape, Judey Bear."

"Always," he grinned with a wink. "I miss you so much, Li. Can’t wait to see you in New York."

"I miss you too, Judey Bear," she replied, her heart swelling at the thought of reuniting with him soon.

They talked a bit more about his plans for the rest of his trip. After they said their goodbyes, Lila gathered her towel, body wash, and other essentials for her night routine. She took a long, hot shower, wrapped her hair in a bonnet, and returned to Jude’s room, feeling refreshed. She slipped into her pajamas and spent the rest of the evening in bed, watching Love Island USA before drifting off to sleep, her thoughts lingering on Jude and their next adventure in New York.

_______________________________________________

Lila sat in her pajamas on a wooden bench in the Bellingham’s garden, basking in the early morning sunlight as she FaceTimed her brother, Lewis. In Belgium, he was boarding a private jet, his summer break officially underway.

"Monaco first, then Paris for Miles’ tournament," Lewis was saying, his voice slightly distorted by the background noise of engines. “I’ll be there to cheer him on, and I think you’re joining for that too, right?"

Lila smiled and nodded. "Yep. Then what? More jet-setting?"

Lewis chuckled. "Well, after Paris, it’s Senegal, Benin, Madagascar, and Morocco."

Her brows shot up in amusement. "Amara tagging along for any of that?"

To her shock, the camera flipped, revealing Amara sitting across from Lewis, looking relaxed and effortlessly stylish as ever. Lila gasped softly, unable to hide her surprise.

"Hi, Lila," Amara chimed in, waving at the camera with a playful pout. "I’ll be in Paris, but I can’t make it to the rest of the trip, though."

"Hi, Amara," Lila responded. As the camera flipped back to Lewis, she tried to stifle her squeal.

Lewis grinned at her reaction. "Surprised?"

"You have so much tea to spill, Lewis!" Lila shouted, wide-eyed. "When did this happen? Since when are you in a relationship?"

It had been ages since her brother had a steady girlfriend. Nicole was the last one, and Lila was sure Lewis had all but sworn off dating until he retired from Formula One. Clearly, Amara had changed all that. After the little fiasco in Barcelona—which Lewis still owed her therapy for—she had decided to give Amara a fair shot. The woman was gorgeous, yes, but she had a brain too, something Lila rarely saw in the other models Lewis usually had time for.

"I know, I know," Lewis said with a grin, raising his hand as if to calm her down. "I’ll tell you all about it in Paris."

"You better!" Lila warned, though there was a smile on her lips.

Lewis leaned back, giving Lila a look before sighing. "I haven’t even told Mum and Dad yet. Let it settle a bit, alright? We literally made it official last night."

Lila’s mouth dropped open. "Oh my God. Last night?!" She shook her head in disbelief. "Okay, well… congrats. I’m happy for you."

"Are you?" Lewis raised an eyebrow, clearly teasing her.

"Yes! Jesus Christ, don’t be weird," Lila replied, rolling her eyes. "You needed a girlfriend, anyway. What man in his late 30s has no prospects? No kids?"

Lewis scoffed. "Yeah, no more Bridgerton for you." As if on cue, a stewardess approached him to confirm something, and Lewis turned his attention away briefly. "Alright, Peanut, we’re about to take off. I love you."

Lila’s smile widened. "Love you too, LewLew Bear."

Amara’s head popped back on the screen, her eyes wide as she sidled beside Lewis. "LewLew Bear? Oh, I am so using that."

"Please do," Lila said with a laugh. "Give him as much hell as I do."

Amara’s laughter echoed through the call, and Lewis shot his sister a warning look. "That’s enough, Li," he said, his grin softening the words as he waved goodbye.

Lila returned the gesture before hanging up. She sat back for a few moments, letting it all sink in. Her brother was dating again. Really dating. She never thought she'd see the day, but here they were. As much as she had teased him, she was genuinely happy for him. He deserved someone like Amara, someone who made him smile like that.

After taking a deep breath, she headed back inside for breakfast. The smell of something delicious greeted her the moment she stepped into the kitchen, and she smiled as she saw Denise and Jobe at the dining table.

"Morning, love," Denise greeted her warmly, placing a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and a steaming cup of tea in front of her. "How was your call with Lewis?"

"Good," Lila said, sitting down and taking a sip of her tea. "Actually, I have some news—he’s got a girlfriend now."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Denise exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she sat down with her own plate.

Jobe raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Who is it?"

Lila grinned, pulling out her phone to open Amara’s Instagram page. She found a picture of Amara at a red carpet event, looking stunning as usual, and turned the screen to Jobe.

His jaw dropped. "Holy shit!" The bacon he’d been holding slipped from his fingers and fell onto his plate.

Denise shot him a sharp look and smacked his arm. "Language, Jobe!"

"What?" Jobe shrugged, sheepishly rubbing his arm as he picked up his orange juice. "Lewis always gets the baddies."

Lila rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re not wrong. One thing about my brother—he never misses when it comes to girls."

"Well, that may be," Denise chimed in, "but there’s more to a relationship than looks."

Jobe just shrugged again, taking another bite of bacon. "Still, though…"

As breakfast continued, they talked and laughed, catching up on life and enjoying the calm morning. Lila occasionally checked her phone, smiling at texts from Jude, who was still in Miami, and one from Lewis letting her know they’d just landed in Monaco. The warmth of family, coupled with the excitement buzzing through her about seeing Jude soon, made the morning feel just right.

After finishing their meal, Lila helped Denise clean up. They put away the dishes, and as Denise washed her hands, she asked, "So, what’s the plan for the rest of the day?"

"Just relax for a bit, really," Lila replied. "Maybe organize my suitcase a bit before heading to the airport tonight."

"Well, we loved having you here," Denise said with a kind smile.

That warmth, that sense of belonging, filled Lila again. Spending time with the Bellinghams felt so natural, and even though it wasn’t her original plan to stay the night in Birmingham, she was grateful for the detour. Tonight, she'd be off to New York to reunite with Jude, but today, she could just enjoy being part of his family.

Jude leaned against the windowsill of the hotel room, gazing out at the stunning New York skyline as the sun began to dip behind the buildings, casting the room in soft hues of orange and pink. The glow of the city’s lights was nothing compared to the warmth radiating in his chest as he thought about what was coming next.

It had been a few days since he left Miami, and though hanging out with the guys was great fun—especially with Trent ducking out early to head to Barbados—Jude couldn’t shake how much he missed Lila. His mind kept drifting back to her, especially to the night after the Euros when she had comforted him. That moment had been a revelation for him. He'd already been falling for her, but that night, something clicked. He realized he loved her.

Jude left Miami a day early, making sure everything went off without a hitch. The plan was to make their time together in New York perfect—a time to express everything he’d been feeling, to tell her how much he loved her. He smiled to himself as he thought about how Lila would react to everything he had planned.

Just as he imagined, the moment she stepped into the room, her breath hitched. The space was decorated with heart-shaped balloons, rose petals scattered everywhere, and more roses filled vases around the room. A soft candlelight flickered, bathing everything in a warm glow. A stack of presents, neatly wrapped, sat on the bed, framed by even more petals. Lila stood in the doorway, speechless, her eyes wide with surprise.

Jude couldn't help but grin, watching her take it all in. She seemed so small standing there, a little overwhelmed by everything he had done. A dozen roses had greeted her in the chauffeur-driven car he'd arranged to pick her up from the airport. Now, as she looked at the room, tears started welling in her eyes.

"Don’t cry, Li," Jude murmured, stepping closer and wiping away a tear with his thumb. He bent down to kiss her forehead, then her cheek, and finally her lips. The taste of her salty tears mixed with the sweetness of the kiss, making him chuckle softly. "Babes, you’re killing me."

Lila giggled through her tears, gazing up at him with a teary smile. "Jude... This is... How did you even plan all of this?"

"I wanted to surprise you. I’ve been working on it for a while," Jude said, taking her hand and guiding her deeper into the room. "You’ve been doing so much for me, especially after everything with the Euros... I wanted to do something special for you."

She blinked up at him, her voice soft. "But how did you...?"

"I left Miami a day early," Jude confessed, a playful glint in his eyes. "Had to make sure everything was perfect before you got here. Got a little help from the hotel staff too, obviously."

Lila shook her head in disbelief, still smiling. "I can’t believe you did all this for me. You’re amazing, Jude."

Jude led her toward the bed and pointed to the neatly stacked gifts. "There’s more, by the way."

Lila’s eyes widened as she reached for the first box. It was small, delicately wrapped, and inside was a beautiful gold necklace with a pendant shaped like a heart. The next gift was a brand-new digital sketchpad, sleek and modern, perfect for her designs.

"Jude!" Lila gasped, running her fingers over the sketchpad. “This is... I don’t even know what to say."

"I figured you could use it for your work," Jude said, grinning proudly. "I remember you mentioning wanting one, so..."

Before Lila could respond, a soft knock came at the door. "That’s our dinner," Jude said, giving her a wink as he went to answer it.

The hotel staff brought in the food, setting up a small table by the window. The candles flickered as they placed down the silver-domed trays, revealing a beautiful spread of Lila’s favorite dishes. Lila sat down, still reeling from everything that had happened in the past hour.

Jude sat across from her, watching her in amusement. "You look like you’re in a daze."

"I kind of am," Lila admitted, shaking her head. "This is all... so much. I didn’t expect it."

"Well, get used to it," Jude teased, giving her a smirk as he beckoned her to come closer. "Actually, come here." He patted his lap. With a laugh, Lila got up and slid onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jude picked up a forkful of food and held it up to her lips. "Open up."

Lila smiled, leaning forward to take a bite, her eyes fluttering closed as she savored the taste. "Mmm, that’s good."

Jude grinned, licking his lips as he watched her enjoy the meal. "I could get used to this," Lila mused, her eyes shining with contentment.

"Same," Jude agreed, his voice dropping slightly. "I missed you so much, Li. You don’t even know."

Lila’s face softened, and she leaned in to kiss him gently. "I missed you too, Judey Bear."

They continued their meal, talking about everything and nothing, with Jude occasionally feeding her bites of food. The atmosphere was perfect—intimate, romantic, just the two of them in their own little world.

When the meal was finished, Jude stood up, holding out his hand. "Come on, I have one more surprise."

Lila followed him into the bathroom, where the large bathtub had already been filled with steaming water and bath salts. Candles flickered along the edges of the tub, and the scent of lavender filled the air.

Jude smiled at her, his hands reaching for the hem of her shirt. "Let me help you."

His gaze never left her as he began to undress her, his hands steady but reverent. Though he had seen her naked countless times before, something about this moment felt different—more intimate. He started by gently pulling her shirt over her head with deliberate slowness. The shirt slid up her soft skin, revealing her pert, brown areolas peeking through the sheer lace of her bra. His breath caught slightly as the fabric finally came off, leaving her upper body bare. He loved every curve, every freckle.

Lila flushed under his intense stare, feeling the heat of his gaze as he moved lower, undoing the button of her jeans, sliding them down her legs, and taking his time to let his fingers brush against her thighs. Each touch sent tingles up her spine, and though he had done this before, she could feel his adoration more profoundly tonight. Jude knelt in front of her, lifting her feet one by one as she stepped out of the jeans, standing there vulnerable, yet safe in his presence.

With a quick flick of his fingers, Jude unhooked her bra, letting it fall away to reveal her breasts fully. His eyes darkened with a familiar hunger as he admired her pert nipples, now hardened from both the chill in the air and his lingering touch. His gaze wandered lower to her hips, where her panties were the last barrier between them. He slid them down slowly, savoring the moment as he revealed every inch of her.

"You're so beautiful, Lila," he murmured, standing up to meet her gaze. His fingers brushed her cheek as he moved in closer.

Lila’s breath hitched. "Jude…"

He smiled softly at her, quickly undressing himself, revealing the toned muscles she had memorized, yet somehow it felt new each time. With his clothes discarded, he reached for her hand, pulling her gently toward the steaming bathtub he had prepared.

She shivered slightly as her bare skin met the cool air, but the warmth of his hand anchored her. He stepped into the tub first, guiding her in after him. The water enveloped her, soothing and warm, as Jude settled behind her, pulling her back against his broad chest. She fit perfectly against him, their bodies molded together as the water lapped gently around them.

For a few moments, they sat in comfortable silence, the warmth of the bath and the closeness of their bodies dissolving any lingering tension. Jude rested his chin on top of her head, his arms wrapped securely around her waist, fingers splayed against her stomach as if to keep her close.

"I love you, Lila," he whispered, his voice so soft it almost blended with the sound of the city.

Lila’s breath hitched again, but this time from the rush of emotion his words stirred inside her. She turned in his arms to face him, her eyes wide and shining. "You… you love me?"

Jude nodded, his smile warm and full of affection. "I do. So much."

Tears welled in Lila’s eyes, but they were tears of joy this time. She cupped his face with her hands, her thumbs brushing over his cheekbones before she leaned in to kiss him. "I love you too, Jude."

Their kiss deepened, slow and tender, each touch of their lips filled with all the emotions they hadn’t been able to fully express in words. Jude held her close, his hands tracing patterns along her back as he pressed her to him, feeling the connection that ran deeper than anything he’d ever experienced before.

They stayed in the bath for what felt like hours, exchanging soft kisses and gentle touches. There was no rush, no urgency—just the two of them, wrapped in their own bubble of peace and contentment. The warmth of the water held them in a gentle embrace, matching the warmth that spread through Jude’s chest as he realized just how deeply he loved her.

When the water began to cool, Jude reluctantly pulled away, standing up first and reaching down to help Lila out of the tub. He wrapped her in a thick, soft towel, drying her gently before grabbing another for himself. Once they were both dry, they slipped into bed together, the city lights filtering in through the window and casting a soft glow over their entwined bodies.

Jude pulled Lila close, wrapping his arm around her waist as she snuggled into him, her head resting on his chest. He pressed one last kiss to her forehead, letting out a contented sigh. For the first time in a long time, everything felt perfect.

"I’m so happy right now," Lila whispered, her voice sleepy but full of warmth.

"Me too," Jude murmured, his hand gently tracing circles on her back as they drifted off to sleep, completely and utterly in love.

_______________________________________________

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The next few days in New York City were exactly what Jude needed—time spent with Lila, exploring the city, laughing, and just being together. It felt like the perfect break from the chaos of his career, especially after the emotionally exhausting summer following the Euros.

Jude had always been a goofball, and with Lila, he was even more comfortable showing that side of himself. On their first full day in the city, after a lazy morning at their hotel, they decided to visit a fabric shop that Lila had been dying to check out. Jude tagged along eagerly, wanting to see her in her element.

As they strolled through the aisles, Lila’s eyes lit up at the sight of different textiles—silk, cotton, linen, all neatly rolled up in vibrant colors.

"This is perfect for my next collection," she mused, gently running her fingers over a soft velvet fabric.

Jude grinned, nudging her playfully. "You know, I’d make a great model for your line. Think about it—Jude Bellingham, draped in couture. That’s got a ring to it, don’t you think?"

Lila burst out laughing, shaking her head. "Oh, sure. Maybe I’ll design you a velvet tracksuit or something."

Jude gave a mock serious nod. "Yes, I could pull that off. Velvet’s a good look for me.”

"Whatever you say," Lila teased, picking up another fabric to examine.

"Oi, rude," Jude chuckled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "But seriously, Li, these are beautiful. You’re gonna do amazing things with this."

Lila’s smile softened as she looked up at him, touched by his support. "Thanks, Jude. It means a lot."

After their time at the fabric store, they grabbed ice cream from a vendor nearby. Jude insisted on getting the biggest cone possible, making a mess of it almost immediately.

"Look at you," Lila laughed, shaking her head as Jude tried to lick the melting ice cream before it dripped all over his hands.

"What?” Jude grinned, licking a smudge of ice cream off his thumb. "It’s good. Want some?"

Lila wrinkled her nose. “Not after you’ve licked it like that.”

Jude smirked, leaning closer. "Oh come on, I don’t have cooties. Here," he held the cone out to her, playfully trying to smear some of the melting ice cream on her cheek.

"Jude!" Lila squealed, dodging him and playfully swatting at his arm. “You’re such a menace.”

They spent the afternoon wandering through Central Park, visiting the zoo, and laughing at the antics of the sea lions and penguins. Jude couldn’t help but point out the similarities between one particularly lazy penguin and Trent, snapping a photo to send to him later.

The next day, they ventured into the city’s more unconventional attractions, including a trip to the Museum of Sex. The whole experience was both fascinating and hilarious, with Jude making cheeky comments about some of the exhibits.

"See this? I think we should try it," Jude whispered to Lila, his voice dripping with mischief as he pointed to a rather risqué exhibit about anal sex.

Lila gave him a horrified look. "Hell no! We are not doing that."

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist as they moved to the next room. "You know I’m kidding, right? But, you know, if you ever change your mind…"

Lila rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "You’re impossible."

"Yeah, but you love it," Jude shot back with a wink, earning a laugh from her.

On their last night, Lila and Jude found themselves lying comfortably in the soft glow of the hotel room. The New York skyline was visible from their window, twinkling as the city buzzed beneath them. It had been a perfect few days—filled with laughter, love, and all the little things that made them feel closer.

Lila turned on her side, propping herself up on one elbow to look at Jude. "Tomorrow we leave New York," she said softly, running her fingers through his hair. "Back to England tomorrow night, and then to Bradford to watch Jobe’s last preseason game."

Jude nodded, stretching out beside her. "Yeah, back to reality. It’s been a nice break, though. Needed this time with you."

"Same," Lila agreed, brushing a thumb along his cheek. "I’m excited to see Jobe play, though. Oh, speaking of Jobe… he was talking to Justine."

Jude raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh really? He got her number?"

"Yep," Lila confirmed with a laugh. "I saw him talking to her when I was in Birmingham, and then later I heard he asked for her number. It’s cute."

"'Bout fuckin' time," Jude chuckled, resting his hands behind his head. "That’s interesting. I thought Jobe was more focused on football this season."

Lila tilted her head, giving Jude a pointed look. "So were you before we got together, mister."

Jude smirked, shifting to face her. "True, but I always wanted you, Li. I was just waiting for the right time."

Lila rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, come on. You didn’t even know me that well before Monaco."

"I knew enough," Jude insisted, his tone serious despite the teasing glint in his eyes. "I had a thing for you for months before that. I just needed a little push to actually talk to you properly."

Lila blinked in surprise. "Wait, seriously?"

"Dead serious." Jude sat up slightly, leaning on one elbow now. "I always knew you were endgame. I just didn’t know how to go about it without making it awkward. Thank fuck for Trent."

Lila let out a laugh, shaking her head in amusement. "Trent is a good wingman, I’ll give him that."

Jude grinned, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "He really is. Got me the girl of my dreams."

Lila’s heart fluttered at his words. She leaned in closer, pressing a kiss to his lips. "You’re too smooth, you know that?"

"I try," Jude said, his voice low as he kissed her back, his hands resting on her waist. "But it’s the truth."

They stayed like that for a while, just talking and enjoying each other’s presence. Jude loved the way they could talk about anything, from football to family to their future together. It felt easy, natural—like they were meant to be.

"Have you told Trent how much you appreciate him playing matchmaker?" Lila asked with a grin.

"Oh, I’ll tell him. Maybe I’ll owe him one for the rest of my life," Jude joked, making Lila giggle.

As the night went on, they discussed their plans for the next few days—heading back to England, spending time with family, and then diving back into the whirlwind of their lives. But no matter how busy things got, Jude knew one thing for certain: Lila was the one, and he wasn’t going to let her go.

"I can’t wait for Jobe’s game," Jude murmured, pulling her close to him. "We gotta make sure to cheer loud for him."

Lila smiled, resting her head on his chest. "Of course. He’s going to love it."

They lay together, the soft hum of the city outside lulling them into a peaceful state. Jude kissed the top of Lila’s head, feeling grateful for these moments they shared.

"I love you," he whispered, his voice barely audible but filled with sincerity.

Lila’s heart swelled as she nestled closer to him. "I love you too, Jude."

He tilted Lila’s chin up, his eyes locking onto hers, searching for any hesitation. Instead, he found only warmth and longing mirrored back at him. Jude leaned in, their lips brushing softly at first, a gentle exploration that sent shivers down Lila's spine. The kiss deepened, igniting a fire that had been simmering beneath the surface. His hand moved to cup her face, fingers tangling in her hair as he kissed her with a passion that felt all-consuming.

Lila melted against him, her hands roaming over the expanse of his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath her fingertips. She traced the contours of his body, memorizing every dip and curve, and she could feel him respond to her touch, his body growing taut with desire.

Jude shifted their positions, pushing Lila back against the soft sheets. He hovered above her, his gaze drinking in the sight of her beneath him, flushed and breathing heavily. She looked up at him with eyes that sparkled with mischief and affection, and he couldn’t resist leaning down to capture her lips again.

Their kisses grew more urgent, lips moving together in perfect harmony, deepening with each passing moment. Jude's hands slid down Lila’s sides, fingers dancing over her hips before he grasped the hem of her oversized T-shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it aside. His breath hitched as he took in the sight of her breasts, the soft curves that beckoned him closer.

Jude's lips traveled from lower, kissing a trail down her body that made her gasp with anticipation. Lila moaned and threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer. When he reached the waistband of her shorts, he looked up at Lila for permission.

She nodded eagerly, aching for his touch. He slowly pulled off her shorts and panties, leaving her completely naked before him. His breath caught at the sight of her, the way she was looking up at him with such desire in her eyes.

He leaned down again, pressing kisses along the inside of her thighs before finally reaching his destination. He gently parted her folds with his fingers, teasingly brushing against her slick center as he planted soft kisses on her inner thighs before delving into her pussy.

Jude maintained eye contact, drinking in her reactions, each kiss and flick of his tongue eliciting more gasps and whimpers from her. Her legs trembled, and she squeezed them together instinctively, but he gently nudged them apart, eager to taste more.

Her hands tightened in his hair as he continued to work magic with his tongue. She could feel herself getting closer and closer to the edge, the tension coiling within her until it finally snapped.

"Jude," she gasped out as she came undone beneath him.

He continued to lap at her pussy until she was writhing beneath him in pure ecstasy. Once she stopped shaking, he kissed his way back up her body, stopping to pepper kisses along her skin until he reached her lips again. He captured her mouth with his, their kisses merging sweet and sultry, filled with the heady aftermath of her orgasm.

Jude’s heart raced as Lila tentatively placed a hand to cup his erection, pulling him gently toward her center. Her eyes, half-lidded with desire, and the way she bit her lip ignited a challenge in him. "You’re not ready for all that, Lila Bila," he said, trying to mask his own excitement with caution, but the warmth radiating from her was intoxicating.

"I am, baby," she replied, her voice steady yet sultry, causing him to sit back on his haunches. The moment felt electric, charged with unspoken promises and the weight of their connection.

"Lila… we don’t—"

"I love you, Jude Victor William Bellingham... and I want you to be my first. I know what this means, trust me, and I want to… with all my heart." Her words struck him like a bolt of lightning, piercing through any hesitations he had held onto.

"Lila, babes…" he began, but she cut him off again, her gaze unwavering.

"Do you want to fuck me or not?"

Jude reared back, clearly shocked at her bluntness. The mixture of her boldness and vulnerability sent a thrill through him. "Of course I do, baby. I want to make love to you."

"Then do it." The smug smile on her face was irresistible, and she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer.

His mind raced, caught between desire and hesitation. He thought about how warm she felt against him, her skin like silk, radiating an energy that made his pulse quicken. He had dreamed of this moment, fantasized about making love to her, and now that it was within reach, he couldn’t deny the longing in his heart any longer.

Fuck it.

They were in NYC together for the perfect getaway that solidified everything between them. He was going to make love to his girl.

Jude felt a rush of protective tenderness wash over him as Lila’s gaze held his, a mixture of excitement and nervousness flickering in her eyes. He gently cupped her face, brushing his thumb over her cheek. "Are you sure, Lila? I want you to feel completely ready."

She nodded, her breath catching slightly as she held his gaze, determination mixing with the vulnerability in her expression. "I am, Jude. I trust you."

With a soft smile, he leaned in closer. Every part of him wanted to reassure her, to make this experience beautiful and unforgettable. He kissed her gently, tasting the sweetness of her lips, feeling her respond to him with a softness that made his heart race.

"Just tell me if you want me to stop, okay?" he murmured against her mouth, his voice low and steady.

"Okay," she whispered, her breath warm against his skin. The certainty in her voice made his resolve strengthen as he kissed her deeper.

Jude's lips left hers to trail kisses down her neck, eliciting small gasps from her as he captured one of her nipples in his mouth, teasing it with his tongue as she arched into him. His hand slid down between her legs, feeling how wet she was for him, and he groaned at the thought of being inside her.

He paused for a moment, catching her gaze, silently asking if she was still with him. Lila’s half-lidded eyes locked onto his, her breath uneven as she nodded, urging him to continue.

Jude leaned back slightly, his fingers deftly unbuttoning his pants, his heart pounded in his chest as he pushed them down, and his dick sprung free, the sight of her beneath him only intensifying his desire. Her eyes flickered downward briefly, then back to his face, her lips parting in a small smile.

"Be right back," he muttered, his voice hoarse with need. He briefly left her, walking across the room to his bag, rummaging through it until his fingers wrapped around the condom.

He returned quickly, climbing back onto the bed, and he slid the condom on his length. The anticipation in the room was palpable, the air thick with desire as he moved back over her, pressing his lips to hers once again. His kiss was deeper this time, more urgent, as he positioned himself between her legs.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle.

"I’m perfect," Lila whispered, her voice breathy as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

With a soft, reassuring smile, Jude leaned in, and slowly began to push inside, feeling the warmth of her body enveloping him. Almost immediately, he met some resistance, the tightness of her body causing her to tense up beneath him.

Lila's eyes widened, her breath hitching as the sensation of intrusion took hold, unfamiliar and intense. "Breathe, babes," Jude whispered, his voice soft but steady as he paused, giving her time to adjust. "You’ll make it worse if you don’t relax."

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and she let out a shaky breath, trying to ease the tension building in her body. "Jesus Christ, Jude, you’re—"

Before she could finish, Jude slanted his lips against hers, silencing her words with a kiss, deep and filled with the tenderness he wanted to convey. He moved slowly, allowing her body to grow accustomed to him as he pushed in deeper, his dick throbbing with every inch.

His hand moved to her breast, massaging gently, hoping to distract her from the discomfort. The other hand braced against the mattress, steadying himself as he fought to keep most of his weight off her, wanting to be careful not to overwhelm her.

She let out a low moan against his lips as her body adjusted further. The tension was still there, but it was beginning to ebb as her body slowly welcomed him. Jude's head was swimming with pleasure and restraint, focusing on making this as easy for her as possible.

"You’re doing so good," he murmured against her lips, his voice strained with the effort of holding back. He wanted nothing more than to lose himself in her, but he knew this was important—her first time. It had to be perfect, and he was going to make sure of it.

Lila let out another shaky breath, her fingers gripping his shoulders as he pressed in deeper, and slowly, her body began to relax. "Jude," she breathed out, her voice filled with both uncertainty and need.

He smiled against her lips, his hips moving carefully, kissing her softly as he continued to push forward, filling her inch by inch. Her body responded eagerly, her hips rising to meet his with a desperate need that made his heart swell with pride.

"That’s it, baby," he murmured, his voice rough, a hint of desire lacing his words. "Just like that… you’re so tight, fuck."

Lila moaned in response, her hands clutching at his back, urging him closer. She had never felt anything like this before, the pleasure coursing through her body was unlike anything she had ever experienced. He could feel her growing more confident, her movements becoming more purposeful as she learned what felt good for both of them

"You like that, baby?" His breath was hot against her neck as he pressed kisses along her skin, moving in slow, deliberate thrusts. "You’re taking this dick so well... so fucking perfect."

Lila could only moan in response, her mind hazy with pleasure. The sound of his dirty words, the feeling of him so deep inside her—it was intoxicating. "Jude… oh God, Jude," she gasped, her body trembling beneath him as her legs tightened around his waist, pulling him closer, urging him on.

He shifted slightly, pushing deeper, feeling her walls tighten around him, and he groaned, his control slipping as he fought to hold back. "Fuck, baby, I’m gonna come if you keep squeezing me like that."

"Don’t stop," she breathed, her voice shaky, but her need was evident in the way her body responded to him. "Oh god," Lila gasped as she felt a surge of pleasure shoot through her body. She clung onto Jude tightly as he continued to move with expert precision.

Jude could feel Lila’s body trembling beneath him, the heat and tightness of her driving him wild as he thrust deeper, losing himself in the rhythm of their bodies. His hand moved from her breast to grip her hip, holding her firmly in place as his lips found her ear again. Her breathing was erratic, her moans turning into soft cries of pleasure.

"You gonna come for me, baby?" he whispered roughly.

"I… I—" Lila’s breath hitched, her entire body trembling as the pressure inside her built to a peak, the sensation overwhelming.

"Come for me," Jude commanded, his voice filled with urgency and raw desire as he quickened his pace slightly, pushing her closer to the edge. "Let go, Li."

His words sent a surge of heat through her, and Lila’s body responded without hesitation. A moan tore from her throat, her back arching as her orgasm crashed through her, waves of pleasure rolling over her in intense, dizzying bursts. "Oh my God, Jude!" she cried, her legs tightening around him, her body spasming as she clung to him.

"That’s it, baby," Jude groaned, his voice rough as he felt her pulsing around him, the sensation nearly pushing him over the edge.

Lila’s moans turned into gasps as her body shuddered, lost in the overwhelming sensation of her release. The sensation was too much for Jude to handle and he followed soon after, both of them reaching their high together.

"Fuck," he groaned, holding her close and kissing her deeply as he slowed his thrusts, savoring the feel of her quivering beneath him.

As Lila stood next to Jude in the stadium, her mind wandered back to their time in New York City, replaying the intimate moments they shared. The closeness she felt with him now, after losing her virginity, was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. There was a newfound intimacy between them, a sense of being in sync that hadn’t been there before. She felt more confident in their relationship, and with that came a quiet pride. Jude had been patient, loving, and everything she needed him to be, which only deepened her feelings for him. The memory of him murmuring her name, touching her with care—it made her feel like she belonged to him in a way that was beautiful, not possessive.

Now, here they were in Bradford, cheering on Jobe as Sunderland played Marseille. The game ended in a draw, and the crowd's energy began to settle. Lila smiled as she watched Jude cheer for his little brother, clapping his hands and shouting, “Good game, Jobey!” There was something heartwarming about seeing Jude so proud of his brother. The bond between them was obvious, and it made her feel closer to Jude too, like she was becoming more a part of his world.

Jobe, instead of heading directly to the corridors with his team, lingered by the barrier, talking to a girl. Jude noticed and pointed him out. "Look at ‘em, straight mackin’ it." he teased with a grin.

Lila squinted at the girl Jobe was chatting with, and suddenly her heart jumped. "That’s Justine," she said, disbelief in her voice. Jude scoffed, clearly dismissing her observation.

"No, it ain’t. Probably some Bradford gal," he replied, but Lila wasn’t convinced.

"No, I swear it’s Justine. Are you blind or something?" she nudged him playfully, a hint of irritation creeping in.

Mark, who had been talking to Denise, paused and squinted too. "Shit, isn’t that Justine?" His father’s comment made Lila smirk and stick her tongue out at Jude.

"Dad, that’s not Justine," Jude said, shaking his head. "I’m telling ya, it’s some Bradford gal. Jobe has girls all over England." He whispered the last part, thinking he was being sneaky, but Lila still managed to hear, earning a quick glare.

"Jobe isn’t like that!" she retorted, defending the innocent image she had of him, but Jude and his dad exchanged knowing looks that made her question things. "You’re kidding me," she sighed, feeling her idealized image of Jobe starting to crack.

"Told ya Jobe’s not as innocent as you may think," Jude added, clearly amused, but Lila didn’t want to let go of her sweet, goofy perception of Jobe. He was slightly taller than Jude but still had this endearing quality about him that made her think of him as a little brother too. The idea of him out here, potentially having sex—it was almost too much for her to believe.

Denise, who had been absorbed in her phone, suddenly looked up. "Judey, we may have to go back to Madrid early for—wait, is that Justine?" She squinted at the field, her eyes widening as she finally recognized the girl. "Oh my goodness, it is her!" she gasped, quickly reaching for her phone. "I have to text Venetta."

"Mum, that’s some Bradford gal, not Jus—" Jude started, but then the Jumbotron camera panned to Jobe, who was signing a kid’s jersey. Standing next to the gaggle of kids was the girl, and sure enough, it was Justine. "What the fuck is she doing here?" Jude muttered, clearly taken aback.

"Clearly meeting up with Jobey," his mum said matter-of-factly, her tone filled with a mix of surprise and amusement.

"Well, this certainly escalated," Lila chimed in, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth as she watched the scene unfold. Jobe, now waving to the fans, finally turned and headed down the tunnel to the showers.

"Lil’ mutt’s got a girlfriend now?" Jude shook his head, still processing it. "Can’t believe he lied to me 'bout focusin' on football. Lil’ shit."

Lila turned to him, gently caressing his arm. "Jude, are you really upset?"

"A bit, yeah… we tell each other everything," he admitted, a small frown tugging at his lips.

"Everything?" Lila arched an eyebrow, emphasizing the word as she looked at him knowingly.

"Yeah," Jude nodded, still preoccupied with the idea of Jobe keeping something from him.

"Well, maybe he’s waiting to tell you. Things happen fast on our end, I can only imagine Jobe’s life." Lila’s voice was soft, reassuring. She understood Jude’s bond with his brother and why it might sting that Jobe hadn’t confided in him.

"I guess so," Jude sighed, leaning into her touch. He smiled faintly, though the shock hadn’t completely worn off. Lila couldn’t help but smile back at him.

Jobe couldn’t believe she’d actually shown up. When Justine texted back, agreeing to come to his last preseason game, he figured she was just being nice. He hadn’t expected her to actually make the trip out to see him play. But there she was, standing by the barrier after the game, a smile tugging at her lips as she waved. He tried to keep his cool, but inside, he was buzzing.

It hadn’t been part of his plan to get involved with any girls this season—he was determined to focus solely on football. No distractions. He wanted to get better, to push himself, especially now that he was stepping up and making a name for himself, just like Jude. With all the endorsements coming his way and the demands of training, Jobe was committed to taking his game to the next level. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t get caught up in any relationships, unlike Jude, who dove headfirst into love with Lila. No offense to her—she was basically like a sister to Jobe—but having a girlfriend right now felt like too much. He valued his freedom, the chance to live his life without being tied down, and there wasn’t going to be anything that made him give that up.

But Justine… she was different. Chill, low-maintenance, and upfront about what she wanted. She had been honest from the start—she wasn’t looking for a relationship either, just something casual to help ease the stress of her studies and upcoming teaching placement in Leeds. Jobe respected that. It was exactly what he needed, too. Someone who wouldn’t demand too much from him but still had enough going on to keep things interesting.

As he changed into his team’s tracksuit and said his goodbyes to his teammates and coaches, Jobe felt a little more at ease knowing he had an off-week before returning to Sunderland for training. Just enough time to meet up with Justine again later tonight. He was looking forward to it, but he also knew how to keep things light—no commitments, just fun.

Outside, he spotted his parents, Jude, and Lila all looking around as if they were searching for someone else. He waved a hand in front of them. "Literally right here," he said with a smirk. "What are you lot lookin' 'round for?"

"Nothing, Jobey, let’s go eat," his mum replied, brushing off the moment. Justine was long gone, likely already on her way home. They piled into their cars and headed to a nearby restaurant. Jobe was about to follow when Jude stopped him.

"Wanna talk?" Jude asked, nodding toward a quieter area. "I’ll be right in, Li," he added to his girlfriend, and Lila followed their parents inside.

Jobe chuckled, knowing this conversation was coming. Jude’s rising fame meant they had to be careful where they went, even when having casual chats like this. "What's up, mate?" Jobe asked, acting casual, though he could tell from Jude’s expression that his brother had something on his mind.

"You fuckin' Justine?" Jude said bluntly, cutting right to the point.

Jobe shrugged, a smug grin creeping onto his face. "Maybe."

"Big Bellingham in the fuckin’ play!" Jude nudged him, a grin of his own forming. "I thought you were focusin' on football?"

"Not so much to become a fuckin' monk, JB." Jobe rolled his eyes, laughing as Jude crossed his arms.

"Li told me you got her number. 'Bout fuckin' time, you were pinin' for her long enough."

"Not pinin'," Jobe corrected. "More like lustin'. It's different."

Jude snorted. "Right, right. She’s a cool girl, though. You could do worse for a casual thing."

"She is. And besides, our families trust each other. If anyone’s gonna be a chill FWB, it’s her. No drama."

"She got fine, hadn’t she?" Jude added with a teasing grin.

"Finer," Jobe corrected, then shot Jude a look. "And don’t you have a girl? I can’t wait to tell Li that you're checkin' out other girls."

"Won't mean a thing. I have eyes just like everyone else, but Li’s forever. Doesn’t matter," Jude said nonchalantly. "Besides, you should see her when she reacts to Michael B. Jordan. She goes feral."

Jobe shook his head, laughing. "You’re really gone, aren’t you?"

"Yeah, she’s wifey," Jude admitted, that dopey smile spreading across his face.

"Just hold off on the wedding and babies, okay? You’re barely in your twenties."

"Oh, I know. I may do some crazy shit, but I’m not stupid. No wedding or babies until I’m at least twenty-eight."

"Fuck, mate," Jobe muttered, shaking his head at his brother’s antics. He admired Jude’s commitment but didn’t want any part of it for himself—at least not yet. Football was his priority, and freedom came with it. Still, Jude had his path, and Jobe respected that.

"You meetin’ up with her later?" Jude asked, his voice dropping. Jobe nodded, and without hesitation, Jude dug into his pockets and handed him two Magnums. "For later."

Jobe scoffed but took the condoms anyway. "Thanks, I guess."

"Of course, gotta make sure my lil’ bro isn’t being stupid and end up with ten baby mummas," Jude said, slapping Jobe on the back. "Let’s head inside before Mum starts raising hell."

The two of them walked back toward the restaurant, knowing all too well that their mother didn’t have the patience for them being missing in action, especially when food was involved. But Jobe felt a little lighter now, knowing he could enjoy his off-week with Justine. Just the way he wanted it.

____________________________________________

A couple of hours later, Jobe said his goodbyes to his family, slipping into his car and making the short drive to Leeds. The address Justine had given him earlier led him to a quiet, residential neighborhood—a mix of brick row houses and modern flats tucked away in a peaceful part of town. The street was dimly lit, with tall trees lining the sidewalk, their leaves rustling gently in the night breeze. As Jobe parked his car, he grabbed his duffel bag and a bag of leftovers from the restaurant, making his way to Justine’s front door.

He rang the bell and waited, feeling a buzz of anticipation in his chest. The door swung open moments later, and there stood Justine, looking far too tempting for his liking. She was wearing a snug baby tee that clung to her curves, with a pair of shorts that were so short they barely covered the bottoms of her ass, leaving her toned legs on full display.

Jobe couldn’t help but lick his lips at the sight of her. "What’s up?" he said, his voice dropping low.

"Nuttin,''" she replied in that sweet voice of hers, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Come in." She stepped aside, allowing him to enter.

Jobe followed her inside, his eyes glued to the way her hips swayed as she led him to her flat. It was cozy, with soft lighting, potted plants in the corners, and a minimalist setup—just a few pieces of furniture and some personal touches, like a stack of books on the coffee table and framed photos on the wall. It smelled faintly of vanilla, and the atmosphere felt intimate, private.

"You got any flatmates?" Jobe asked, glancing around the place.

Justine shook her head. "Nope. We’re all alone," she said as she closed the door behind them.

Jobe smirked, shrugging off his hoodie and letting it fall to the floor before dropping his duffel bag next to it. He stepped closer to her, holding up the bag of food. "Brought you somethin'. You like pasta, right?"

Her eyes, heavy with lust, roamed over his frame beneath the tight white t-shirt he wore, taking in the broadness of his chest and the strength in his arms. "Yeah," she murmured, her gaze flicking back up to meet his. She smiled, teasing him slightly. "You brought me food, eh?"

"Of course," Jobe replied, getting closer until he was towering over her, boxing her in between his body and the radiator behind her. "Can’t just fuck you. Gotta feed you too. Mum raised me right."

Justine laughed softly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Big ups to Auntie ’Nise."

"Mmmhmm," Jobe murmured, his voice deep and thick with desire, just before he captured her lips in a heated kiss. He dropped the bag of food onto a nearby end table, his hands quickly finding her waist. With a small yelp from her, he lifted her off the ground, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.

Jobe groaned against her lips, the heat between them building fast. "Where’s your bedroom?" he muttered, his voice rough.

"We’ll make our way to it," Justine whispered, her breath hot against his skin. Jobe chuckled at her response—there was something incredibly sexy about the way she was playing it, making him want her even more.

Instead of rushing to the bedroom, he carried her over to the sofa, gently laying her down before climbing on top of her. Their lips crashed together again in a feverish kiss, hands wandering and tugging at clothes. Jobe pulled off Justine’s baby tee in one swift motion, revealing her bare chest beneath.

He grinned, his eyes gleaming with playful teasing. "Bad, bad girl. No bra?"

Justine smirked, but before she could respond, Jobe dipped his head, taking one of her breasts into his mouth. Her breath hitched, and she arched beneath him, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he worked his mouth against her, his tongue flicking over her sensitive skin.

Justine's breath hitched, and her back arched as Jobe's mouth worked against her bare skin. She tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him close as his tongue swirled over her breast, sending sharp tingles through her body. His hands, rough from years of football, slid down her sides, grabbing hold of her hips as he kept her pinned beneath him.

"Jobe…" she whispered, her voice barely a breath.

He didn’t answer, only hummed against her skin, the vibration sending a shiver through her. He moved to her other breast, giving it the same attention, and Justine’s grip tightened, her nails lightly scraping against his scalp. Her legs fell open slightly, and Jobe’s hips pressed against her, feeling the heat between them growing more intense with every second.

"You're drivin' me crazy," Justine managed to say, her head tilting back as her body moved instinctively beneath his touch.

Jobe lifted his head slightly, his lips curving into a smug grin. "Good," he said, his voice low and teasing. He dipped his head again, planting soft, teasing kisses along the curve of her breasts, down her stomach, all while keeping his eyes locked on hers. "That's the plan."

His hands moved down, slipping beneath the waistband of her shorts, tugging them off in one smooth motion. Justine bit her lip, watching him intently. She reached up and traced her fingers along the strong line of his jaw, pulling him back up to kiss her again, her lips eager against his. The heat between them was almost unbearable now, the room filling with the sound of their breath, quick and shallow.

Jobe kissed her deeply, savoring the taste of her lips before pulling back just enough to look down at her. "Still want this?" he asked, his voice husky but with a hint of playfulness in his tone, knowing full well what her answer would be.

She rolled her eyes, smirking. "What do you think?"

With a laugh, Jobe leaned down, brushing his lips against hers again. "Just makin' sure," he murmured before pulling her closer, their bodies pressed tightly together. His hands roamed her body freely now, every touch igniting a new fire between them. He kissed down her neck, tracing the line of her collarbone as his fingers slid lower, teasing along the waistband of her panties.

"You're too damn good at this," Justine breathed, her voice a mix of frustration and desire as he continued to tease her.

Jobe chuckled, his fingers finally dipping below the waistband of her panties, eliciting a soft gasp from her as he removed them. "Told you, Mum raised me right."

Justine laughed softly at that, her eyes half-lidded with lust. "I'm gonna have to thank her later," she teased, her breath catching again as his fingers found exactly where she needed him.

Jobe grinned against her skin, feeling her body react to his touch. "You should," he whispered, his fingers moving slowly, teasingly, while his lips continued to explore her neck and shoulders. The tension between them built with every subtle movement, every breath that became more uneven.

Justine’s hips arched toward him involuntarily, her body practically begging for more. "Jobe," she gasped, her hands tightening around his biceps. Her mind was a haze of need, and the teasing was driving her mad.

He raised his head, their eyes locking as he pressed his body closer, his fingers slipping deeper, drawing out a soft moan from her lips. "Tell me what you want, Justine," he murmured, his voice low, gravelly.

"You know what I want," she breathed, her voice shaky with anticipation.

Jobe’s smirk grew as he leaned in closer, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "Say it."

"God, Jobe," she moaned, her breath catching as his fingers worked her slowly, deliberately. "I want you."

Hearing those words flipped a switch inside him. He pulled his hand from her and tugged off his tracksuit bottoms and boxers. Reaching for his duffel bag, Jobe fished out one of the condoms Jude had given him earlier. He quickly tore the packet open, rolling the condom over himself with ease, the anticipation thick in the air between them.

"You sure?" he asked, a flicker of concern in his voice, despite the raw desire etched on his face.

Justine smiled, reaching up to pull him down to her. "I’m sure," she whispered, her fingers threading through his hair as she kissed him again, harder this time, her body arching into his.

With that, Jobe positioned himself between her legs, pressing against her, and with a slow, deliberate thrust, he filled her. The sensation made them both gasp, their bodies melding together as the tension broke, replaced by pure, unfiltered pleasure.

Justine moaned softly, her hips moving with his, finding a rhythm that matched his pace. Jobe leaned down, kissing her neck, her collarbone, his breath hot against her skin as he thrust into her, each movement driving them both closer to the edge.

Time seemed to blur as they lost themselves in each other. The only sounds filling the room were their ragged breaths, the quiet moans that slipped from Justine’s lips, and the steady, rhythmic sound of their bodies moving together. Jobe’s focus had shifted entirely now—he wasn’t thinking about football, endorsements, or the stresses of his life. Justine was the only thing in his world at that moment, and the feeling of her beneath him, responding to his every touch, was all-consuming.

"Jobe..." she whispered, her voice breathy as she felt herself nearing her peak.

He groaned in response, quickening his pace, his hands gripping her waist tighter as he felt her body tremble beneath him. "I got you," he breathed, his voice deep and husky.

Justine’s body tensed, her back arching as she finally reached her climax, a soft cry escaping her lips. Jobe wasn’t far behind, his own release crashing over him as he thrust deep into her one last time, his body shuddering in pleasure.

For a moment, they stayed like that—breathing heavily, their bodies tangled together, basking in the afterglow. Jobe pressed his forehead to hers, his heart pounding as they both tried to catch their breath.

"Damn..." Justine muttered, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on his chest as he hovered above her. "That was..."

"Yeah," Jobe said with a small chuckle, still slightly breathless. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, savoring the lingering taste of her.

As they lay there, limbs tangled together on the sofa, Jobe’s mind wandered briefly back to his initial plans—to focus solely on football this season, to avoid getting wrapped up in relationships like Jude had with Lila. But as he glanced down at Justine, her eyes closed, a content smile on her face, he couldn’t help but feel like maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing after all. It wasn’t love, but it was easy.

"Hungry?" he asked after a moment, breaking the silence.

Justine opened one eye, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Didn’t you already feed me?" she teased, her voice still soft with satisfaction.

Jobe laughed, rolling off her and sitting up. "I meant the food I actually brought," he said, gesturing to the bag he’d left on the table.

"Well, in that case..." Justine sat up, reaching for her baby tee. "Yeah, I’m starving."

Jobe smiled, pulling her close to kiss her one more time before grabbing the bag of food. He couldn’t help but think that maybe this arrangement—casual, stress-free—was exactly what he needed right now.

THE END....

.........sike....epilogue coming soon.....

[roo-bastmoon]

I'm so happy and thankful: a mantra meditation

I'm just so happy and thankful that I never have to rely on big accounts who monetize lies. I never need edited pics, or deep fakes, or deliberate mistranslations, or super secret hand signals. I watch original content so I've never once mistaken one of the boys for an empty beach or a Christmas tree.

I never need to harass the other members or their families or the staff or their collaborators or fellow models or businesses or restaurants or company. I've never had to beg for moments on lives. Never had to wonder if they know each other's tiny intimate things--like lyrics to each other's songs and when grandma's birthday is or how spicy noodle is too spicy.

As absolutely adorable as all bonds are between BTS, I am so happy and grateful I've never once had to feel shame trying to spin complete b.s. into gold. I just enjoy the friendships that exist, and I celebrate whatever label Jikook wanna put on it when they are around each other.

I'm so happy and grateful now that I never need worry about rumors or "eye witness" accounts or whatever. BTS all love each other. But our boys made their choice.

Jungkook is gonna keep holding Jiminie. Bleugh blueugh blueaaaggghh.

Love Roo <3

[katnisspeetaprim]

Key - 💞 fluff, 💦smut, ✨️spice but no smut,

🥀angst, 💥crack,🔔most popular

Kim Seokjin

Pockets 💞

Min Yoongi

Scar ✨️💞

Privacy Part.2 🥀💦🔔

Appropriate Concert Attire 💞💥

Happy Birthday Old Man! (LS series) 💞💦 Let's Do It together 💦💞🔔 Best Concert Ever 💞 Basketball 💞 Haegeum Challenge 💞 Always, Us M.list (Suchwita Couple) 💞💦🔔 Pushing Your Luck ✨️ Safeword 💦🥀 Broad Day Light 🥀💞

Jung Hoseok

At The Concert 💞 Enlistment (LS series) 🥀💞 Who's Your Favourite Full M.list 💞🥀💦😊

Stress Relief 💦

Kim Namjoon

Appropriate Concert Attire (LS series) 💞💥 B.S Standards pt.1 Part.2 🥀💞 I'm Not Quitting. 🥀

Park Jimin

Like Crazy Challenge 💞 Thank You For Believing In Me 💞

Kim Taehyung

Embarrassed 🥀

Jeon Jungkook

Let Me Do This For You 🥀💦 Late Night Talking (LS series) 💞💥🔔 Boxing (LS series) 💦🥀💞 New Tattoo 💞💥 What's With The Late Night's? (LS series) 💞 Careless Live (LS series) 💞🥀 They're Gonna Know. How Would They Know? 💞

I Told You So! 💞 Again? Really? Part 2. He's a Nuisance 💞💥 Slice of Life M.list 💞🥀 Couples Shoot 💞🥀 Pluto Part.2 Part.3 🥀 I'll Sort It Out 🥀 Lost Keys and Soaked Clothes 🥀

8th Member Margot Han

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[gothamite-rambler]

Ra's had this coming

Batman and Red Hood make it to one of the many rooms that has a Lazarus pit and take a guess that Ra's Al Ghul already took a dive into his magical goop that drives people insane.

Red Hood (turning Batman the other way): Let's do a count before he emerges from the water.

Batman: I like that idea. Three.

Red Hood: Two.

Ra's Al Ghul (rising from the Lazarus pit): Heeeeey. Whaaat uppp it's meeee!

The duo turned around and then cover their eyes at the man's nakedness.

Batman: Well... I wish I hadn't seen that.

Ra's: Quit hating.

Red Hood (growling with anger): STOP! Oh God, put some pants on!

Ra's: You two are as pathetic as I remember. You thought you could kill me? Plebians!

Batman (gritted teeth): Don't let the intrusive thoughts say it.

Batman (V.O.): I'll let him say it.

Red Hood (speaking for Batman): Die already! ALSO PANTS!

Ra's (placing a towel around his waist): Can't kill the true powerful ruler!

Batman: I wish I could pour the remnants of what's left of the New Jersey River in this fucking pit!

Ra's: It's really cute you think you can successfully kill me, but I am Ra's and have a large amount of magical life reviving liquid, so not sure what you want to do from here.

Batman: Just fucking die, he shot you! Die!

Red Hood: Yes! Thank you! Fucking die already. Just die!

Ra's: Join my side or die yourself and then I revive you as my loyal servants.

Red Hood groaned, hitting his helmet with the side of his gun.

Batman (taking a deep breath): Okay, Hood, we don't shoot him, but we beat the ever loving shit out of him and act like this never happened. Count it as a birthday gift.

Red Hood: I think that works for me.

---one hour later---

Batman and Red Hood left the area after beating the confidence out of Ra's who rested in an infirmary in his castle. Talia, not personally caring about her father's injuries, chatted with Batman about Damian before he left.

Talia: Is Damian taking his vitamins?

Batman (lying): Yes, I'm giving him those definitely safe to take for children vitamins every single morning.

Talia (sighing relief and believing the b.s.): Oh good, have a safe trip back. My father is fine, pissed off and bruised, but you know breathing.

Batman: That's good, we're off.

Batman headed onto the bat jet as Talia headed back to the castle.

[summercourtship]

a view from above. (edward's POV)

From Ch. 11- observing the Iceberg Lounge. Something short and sweet (see: kinda creepy) word count: 2271 | warnings/notes: ed is a lil creepy sometimes, there is also an implication that the reader has sent pictures to Jonathan but you can dismiss it as noncanon if you wish.

read on AO3 | stay to burn masterpost

He hacked into her phone only when he was tired of waiting for her to just randomly show up at his apartment. When it hadn’t happened the day after he’d dropped off the card at her apartment, he knew she was waiting for something. But he needed to know what exactly she was waiting for so he wasn’t wasting his own time. He had other things to do, after all. (Though he was finding that they were seeking increasingly less important in comparison to… her.)

Besides, he didn’t even really hack into her phone- just her text messages which were all stored in the Cloud anyway. And once he found what he wanted, he left. He didn’t snoop around, didn’t try to learn more about her through her conversations. He certainly didn’t look to see if she had sent any pictures to Dr. Crane. (And if he had found any pictures, he certainly didn’t save them.) 

But he found the information he needed- she was going to go to the Iceberg Lounge with her friends on Saturday. He knew the date, the time, the theme (it was for the birthday of a friend, another college student named Bridgit that Edward vaguely recognized from some of the Instagram pictures he had looked at before.) And he had a gut feeling that he was the reason she had seemingly changed her mind about attending. 

The night of her outing, he waited in his old apartment. Edward tried not to spend too much time there- it was abandoned, yes, but you never knew when the GCPD was going to come sniffing around to make sure there were no squatters or other delinquents making use of the empty space. Or worse, if the Batman was going to check on the place for any of his followers. Especially since they were all on high alert after his escape from Arkham (though it was slightly insulting that they’d think he’d return to the one place they had him definitively connected to). Really, he’d only popped in a few times to see what had been done with the place (gutted) or meet a follower. He never risked being there for more than fifteen minutes. 

But he was risking it tonight. 

Half an hour before the group she was a part of was going to arrive, he had almost everything ready. The burner phone he was giving her was placed in its box, though the last component of his gift wasn’t quite ready yet. Something had compelled him to put pictures with the box, to show her that he hadn’t forgotten about her or her promise to help him. (And also, partially, because he liked to imagine the look on her face when she realized that he was watching her). 

So he waited at the window, shrouded in shadows, watching the street. The sun set, the street lamps flickered on. A slow crowd of people entered the club, and every time the door opened he feared that he had missed her arrival. 

Then- there. Her car, beat up and probably long overdue for an oil change, was parking in a spot nearby. He watched, not blinking, as she maneuvered into the spot, resisting the urge to wince when it turned out she was… not very good at parallel parking. 

Immediately from the back seat, two boys and a girl get out. Edward watches with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out who they are to her. Even though he isn’t too familiar with the social circles she runs in, he is certain that these people are not close to her. They couldn’t be, he couldn’t imagine her getting along with frat-boy jock types. He sincerely hoped she didn’t get along with them- she was much too important, much too special to bother with men whose only goal in life was to drink beer at parties and barely obtain their B.S. in Business. 

Then from the passenger side emerged a slightly familiar woman, though it takes a moment for him to place where he’d seen her before. Then it hits him: Mitchell’s funeral. She had been the friend, the one who had left her name tag out in a place where he could easily see it. Which had, in turn, led to him finding her. 

A few beats pass and for a moment, he’s genuinely afraid that she will drive away, that she wasn’t actually going to go into the club. But then-- the driver side door opens and- and-

And, oh, look at her. He was so used to seeing her in her wardrobe of carefully curated business casual that the sight of her in something else nearly knocked him off of his feet. But there she was- in a short dress, almost her entire leg exposed to the light of the streetlamps as she walked to catch up to her friend (Marie, that was her name). 

He was staring.

He was well aware of it. 

He wouldn’t be surprised if his mouth had gone slack. 

But what else was he supposed to do? Besides, it wasn’t like she could see him staring. Edward was free to look her up and down and up again, taking in every inch of her body while she was none the wiser. 

He watched as she walked towards the entrance to the club, out of the same window he had watched for the Batman many months ago. 

Slowly, he raised his camera with shaking hands, waiting for the perfect moment. If he had a digital camera, he’d be free to take as many as he wanted. But right now he would only afford himself two photos- one, which he took and shoved into his pocket, and the other to give to her. To show her that he was present. 

He watched as the second one developed, a dark photograph with only her face in the light, peeking over her shoulder. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she was looking for him. 

And then, everything was set. The present, placed perfectly in the middle of the room. It was wrapped in newspaper, pretty badly, but he’d topped it off with a green ribbon. Just to make it look nice, so that she wouldn’t see it and immediately run. He placed the envelope with the pictures inside on top and left the room, looking back once to make sure it was as nice as he needed it to be. 

Nodding once, he made his way to his spot for the night, climbing out of the window with practiced ease. 

He sat, waiting on the rickety fire escape. It was a risk to stay here, knowing that all she had to do to find him was simply look outside the window.

But if that were to happen, then they could talk. But he trusted that she would be too preoccupied with his gift that she wouldn’t bother looking out at his fire escape. It was a risk, but one he was willing to take. 

He couldn’t see much of the entryway to the Iceberg Lounge from his current spot so he left the window open a bit to hear if anyone entered the apartment. Plus he wasn’t going to be able to see her for the entire time, and hearing her was the next best option. 

Even though he had spent the last week waiting for this night, waiting for her to come to him, the last hours of it were the worst. Every creak in the apartment building, every muffled noise, every shift of dust on the floor had him peeking over the windowsill to see if she had entered the building at last. 

Finally, he heard the unmistakable creak of his door being pushed open and light footsteps on the wooden floor. There was no other possibility- she was here. 

A bolt of nervous energy, or adrenaline, coursed through him and all he wanted to do was turn around and peek through the window, to see her in his old domain. But he controlled himself. He didn’t want to risk it all by looking into the apartment, not now that she was finally here. So instead he listened as she shuffled through the space, exploring the empty rooms slowly. 

Edward knew when she’d reached the present because her movements stopped. He assumed she was looking down at the gift, probably debating if it was safe to open or not. 

He pictured all of the things she might be thinking it was- a bomb, probably. Another riddle, sure. He wasn’t sure how likely it was that she would guess he’d brought her a phone- a direct line to him. There was no other use for the phone (for her, at least. He, of course, had also installed a tracking device into the phone. Just to make sure that she wasn’t going to skip town on him. That’s all.)

For a second he thought he’d imagined it but she had whispered his name, called out into the darkness for him. He couldn’t stop himself- he looked through the window. It was dark and he could barely make out her form, but there she was, looking around her before focusing her attention on the box at her feet. The Polaroids were in her hand and he realized he had zoned out for a minute and missed any audible reaction she’d had to the photos. 

Slowly she lowered herself to the floor, though she was moving in an odd way and it took a moment for Edward to realize it was because she didn’t want her skirt to flip upwards. Which, while fair, was disappointing that she felt the need to hide herself even when no one was watching (well, as far as she knew). 

Gingerly, she unwrapped the gift before staring down into the open box. He turned away from the window again, pulling his phone out. If everything went to plan, she’d- his thoughts were cut off as the phone began to ring.

Well, not really ring. Thank goodness he remembered to put the phone on silent. 

With a surprisingly steady hand, he answered the call. It was silent and he waited for her to make the first move, to be the first one to say something. 

“Edward?” Her voice was almost a whisper, like she was uncertain that he was on the other end.

“You found it. Good.” He kept his voice low, trying to prevent her from hearing him anywhere but the phone. 

“Where are you?”

He held back a chuckle. If she only knew that he was only a few feet away… “You don’t need to worry about that.” 

“I’m not worried, I’m just… curious.” He could imagine the incredulous look on her face, slightly defensive at the notion that she’d worry about him. “Can you see me right now?”

“Hm.” He hummed as he considered if he should tell the truth or not. He decided, for his own sake, to not. And technically, he wasn’t lying because he wasn’t looking in through the window at that moment. He couldn’t see her at that very second.“No.” 

“But you could, earlier.”

“Yes.” Obviously, the picture of you in front of the Iceberg Lounge proved that. 

“Right.” He hazarded a glance into the apartment. She was looking out one of the front windows, pulling a curtain to the side as she stared down at the Iceberg Lounge. “What do you want me to do with this phone?”

“Keep it on you.” He adjusted his pose, leaning in further to watch her. He prayed it was dark enough, that she wouldn’t look over at him. “I’ll call.”

“What are you going to have me do?”

What a question. Something he could give so many answers to, though he was certain she wouldn’t like any of them, criminal or otherwise. 

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

He could practically taste her frustration in her held back groan, though a bit escaped her in a huff of breath. 

“Please don’t draw this out any longer-” She was practically pleading with him. It was, admittedly, a nice sound. It was awful realizing that it would probably be the only way he would hear her like that- she would never beg him to do something she’d like, and he’d have to content himself with that truth. 

“All in good time.” Before he could say anything else, he hung up, tucking the phone into his pocket. He watched her silhouette as it turned in his space. Then, she jumped, and dug around in her purse before pulling out her actual phone, the blue light illuminating her face. She pressed it against her ear, clearly talking to someone. As she talked, she shoved the polaroids and burner phone into her purse, and he felt a curl of satisfaction in his lower stomach knowing that she was doing exactly what he wanted her to. 

Then, oddly, she grabbed the bow off the package and took it too before practically running out of the apartment. With a slam, the door shut behind her. 

From where he was, he couldn’t see where she went next. 

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the slightly bent picture he’d taken before. It was a bit blurry, but he could still make out her figure despite it. He’d made sure to wait until she was underneath one of the streetlamps to catch her body in the yellow glow, illuminating her. He resisted the urge to sigh, instead slipping it back into his pocket and making the journey off of the fire escape and back to the street. 

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

The amount of PR b.s. when William kicked them out of KP 🙄 They put out stories saying QEll might gift them houses and paintings worth millions because that's how she rewards her family members and she'll just shower the best on Harold since he's her favourite grandkid (which was another lie coz Peter Phillips is her favourite grandchild apparently). They were saying they'll get the York Cottage, Adelaide Cottage, Frogmore House. Remember the "thou shall not" list?? Crazy!

The Queen's favorite grandchildren are Peter, Louise, and James.

Peter because she kept asking him to plan jubilee/birthday events, as well as the support to be accompanied by a girlfriend to royal events.

Louise because she was born premature.

Louise and James because they were the youngest, who came around when The Queen and Philip were beginning to slow down a smidgen, but also because they lived the closest to The Queen and Philip in Windsor, so they spent more time together.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Rereading The Fellowship of the Ring for the First Time in Fifteen Years

The more of this book I read, the less reasonable it seems to call this a reread. I definitely internalized almost nothing of this book the first time around. This time around though, we have fun things like Gandalf army crawling around Rivendell to troll Pippin, Boromir being the single person of the big folk to actually be practically concerned about the hobbits in the wild, and a personified and deeply pissed off mountain. So let's talk chapter three, "The Ring Goes South."

Literally the majority of the time we spend with the hobbits in Rivendell is in meetings. We JUST got out of the council meeting--which was a hell of an infodump chapter and frankly my head is STILL spinning over it--and now the hobbits are in Bilbo's room having their own little meeting. This is also kind of where I'm really starting to see the big folk totally disregard Merry and Frodo's relationship and lump Merry in with Pippin, because it's not even a QUESTION at first that Merry and Pippin will go along with Frodo and Sam. Which like...again...MERRY IS SOLIDLY 95% OF THE REASON THEY MADE IT OUT OF THE SHIRE AND TO BREE SAFELY. GIVE THE HOBBIT THE DAMN CREDIT HE DESERVES!!!

I can't say I'm not enjoying the Gandalf trolling Pippin dynamic, but it's wildly unfair to lump Merry into that, and frankly I cannot wait until our hobbit gets to Rohan and gets his own little adventure, because he deserves it.

In the meantime, however, all points to Sam for gently calling out that they'll "just wait long enough for winter to come" before leaving Rivendell to start their quest. I grew up in Alaska, and I am EXTREMELY with Sam on this one. A bigass quest in the winter is doable, if you're prepared and know how not to die of stupid or exposure or cold, but it is going to SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

I also deeply approve of Bilbo pinning the blame for THAT precisely where it belongs:

"That can't be helped," said Bilbo. "It's your fault partly, Frodo my lad: insisting on waiting for my birthday. A funny way of honoring it, I can't help thinking. Not the day I would have chosen for letting the S.-B.s into Bag End. But there it is: you can't wait now till spring; and you can't go till the reports come back."

The SHAAAAAAAAAAAAADE on Frodo giving Lobelia Sackville-Baggins Bag End on Bilbo's birthday there is amazing, and honestly this is an excellent point. That said though, it's also just a biiiiiiiiiiit harsh on Bilbo's part to blame Frodo for making a plan without full information. We do the best we can with the information we have at any given point, and I rather think that given his druthers--a a lack of Black Riders on the road--Frodo might have spent longer in Crickhollow and Bree, which could have meant that they would have been off on this trip in the spring. That would also have been entirely too late to do anything useful, but there you go.

We do just casually spend two months in Rivendell though, so it's literally the end of December before they get word that eight of the nine Black Riders were successfully de-horsed and de-cloaked by the rushing waters at the ford, which clears the party to officially form up and leave Rivendell.

I am not gonna lie, having largely grown up on the movies, I find it absofuckingloutely hilarious that Peter Jackson just kind of went, "Let's do 'I am Spartacus' during the council of Elrond to put the party together" and Elrond is basically like, "Nine companions...Cool beans!" And I have now discovered that the actual way this went down was a lot more "I am Elf Daddy, Hear Me Roar":

"And I will choose you companions to go with you, as far as they will or fortune allows. The number must be few, since your hope is speed and secrecy. [...] The Company of the Ring shall be Nine; and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil."

Ok, cool; they're an explicit parallel to the Black Riders. And thank you Tolkien for trying to subvert the dreaded movie title mention, even if Peter Jackson didn't take the hint and got cute with it (affectionately). I will say though, Elrond might have...ASKED FRODO if there was anyone in particular he wanted with him while he walked to hell. Like, this should have been a conversation, not a declaration. I grant, Frodo wouldn't have known all of what he'd need, but damn Elrond, way to not even bother to ASK.

Which is also why I am grateful Gandalf pipes up when Pippin insists that he and Merry are going. Because not only does Gandalf make up for the trolling a bit here, he also is willing to respect hobbits' desires more than LITERALLY ANYONE ELSE UP TO THIS POINT. Here's how this bit goes down:

"We don't want to be left behind. We want to go with Frodo." "That is because you do not understand and cannot imagine what lies ahead," said Elrond. "Neither does Frodo," said Gandalf, unexpectedly supporting Pippin. "Nor do any of us see clearly. It is true that if these hobbits understood the danger, they would not dare to go. But they would still wish to, or wish that they dared, and be shamed and unhappy. I think, Elrond. that in this matter it would be well to trust rather to their friendship than to great wisdom."

THEY ARE NOT CHILDREN JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE SHORT, ELROND. Frodo is like fully in his hobbit 30s, and everyone else is a legal hobbit adult. They get to make their own choices, even if your ass doesn't like them. And THANK YOU GANDALF for supporting hobbit agency at this time. Honest to christ, it's like big folk see small folk and go "child" and as a short woman (five foot one on a good day) this is deeply irritating to me. Height isn't some indicator of adulthood and intelligence. It's an indicator of HEIGHT.

And sure, even if the hobbits have no fucking clue what they're in for, that's not like...wildly unusual for newly adulted adults. We make all sorts of decisions in our early twenties (or have them made for us *glares in military drafts and student loans*) that we absolutely would not have made given more life experience. Like...welcome to adulthood, sit the fuck down Elrond.

Which he eventually does, we sort out the company roster, and everyone fucks off to go get kitted up.

Anduril just gets casually reforged so Aragorn can have a sword that is actually USEFUL on this leg of the trip. My favorite thing though? Absolutely has to be Bilbo's CASUAL DISREGARD FOR RIVENDELL'S ARCHITECURE:

"Here is your sword," he said. "But it was broken, you know. I took it to keep it safe but I've forgotten to ask if the smiths could mend it. No time now. So I thought, perhaps, you would care to have this, don't you know?" He took from the box a small sword in an old shabby leather scabbard. Then he drew it, and its polished and well-tended blade glittered suddenly, cold and bright. "This is Sting," he said, and thrust it with little effort deep into a wooden beam.

The absolute HELL I would have caught from literally everyone if I ever casually plunged a sword into someone else's house doesn't even bear thinking about. I also appreciate the casual hobbity disregard for Frodo's own sword. Like, it was broken, and Bilbo just...forgot to get it fixed? Part of me is like, "Well, he IS a hobbit," and the rest of me is like "THE FUCK YOU FORGOT, SIR. THIS IS A PLOY TO SET YOUR NEPHEW AND HEIR OFF WITH A SWORD YOU TRUST." Which is deeply relatable and honestly super adorably parental, especially since it is ABSOLUTELY Bilbo's fault that Frodo ended up in this position. (Yeah that might be harsh and it might ignore the Ring's own agency, but I stand by "magic rings shouldn't be passed down to unsuspecting nephews" thing.)

I do appreciate that Frodo gets Sting though, because that sword served Bilbo well in The Hobbit, and even I can appreciate the value of the inheritance that Sting brings to the quest in general and Bilbo in particular. Same with the Mithril shirt--although the word Mithril is not used in this chapter!!! Bilbo refers to it as dwarf-mail, and I would need to go back and look at The Hobbit to see if he knows it's Mithril there and I cannot currently be bothered.

What is really adorable is that Frodo takes one look at this thing--and its matching pearl and crystal belt--and goes "I should look - well, I don't think I should look right in it." And Bilbo AGREES!!! But it's darling, really, because he does the hobbitiest thing imaginable to get the protective gear on the nephew:

"Just what I said myself," said Bilbo. "But never mind about looks. You can wear it under your outer clothes. Come on! You must share this secret with me. Don't tell anybody else! But I should feel happier if I knew you were wearing it. I have a fancy it would turn even the knives of the Black Riders," he ended in a low voice.

The masterful parenting skills on display here. First, we validate the kid's feelings that yeah, it looks pretty stupid. But hey, nobody has to see, and it can be our cool little secret! And it would make me, your beloved, frail, old Uncle Bilbo feel better if you did. Do you WANT to get stabbed again? Because not wearing this is how you get stabbed again. This is literally just Bilbo running through the parenting manual at warp speed, and I kind of love it. Because ultimately, the Mithril goes on, and it will end up saving Frodo's ass.

Although admittedly it's not going to do much on Caradhras.

It then takes three and a half pages to get everyone out the goddamn gate, but a third of the way into this chapter, we do FINALLY get the fellowship setting forth. Before they can get out the door though, Elrond spends a weird amount of time going "EVERYONE IS A VOLUNTEER. THEY CAN LEAVE WHENEVER THEY WANT." It has very "Covering my ass to not get sued" vibes, and frankly while I appreciate the clarity--and yes, I get it, the choice to stay together is what makes the bonds strong more than some oath--CAN WE PLEASE GET THE HELL ON THE ROAD ALREADY???

It is getting toward January, so walking to the mountains is cold and windy and miserable but probably also deeply boring, so Tolkien kind of glosses over that until we get to the Misty Mountains and we get like fifteen names for each peak that I'm not spending time on because I don't care. The important thing is that we have to go up the Redhorn Gate on Caradhras and head for the Dimrill Dale, where we will descend the Dimrill Stair toward the Mirrormere and River Silverlode. Got it.

It does not take long for Aragorn to get anxious because the patterns of the land are disrupted, and I love that as per usual, when something important happens, it's Sam who is there. When the crebain pull their little flyover, it's Sam whose watch Aragorn shares, SAM who actually first sees the dark patch that heralds the spy birds, and Sam whose eyes we see them through. Sam is the keeper of knowledge for our hobbits, and I adore that this pattern is still standing strong, even if it means that these people can't stay secret or hidden for longer than a few days if their damn lives depend on it. Literally at no point have the forces of Mordor not known that the ring is moving, and they've generally had a rough sense of where it is too. Even Gandalf is over here going, "and I have no freaking clue how we're getting over the Redhorn Gate unseen, but we will burn that bridge when we get to it."

Unfortunately, by the time they actually do get to Caradhras, weather seems to be moving in, and Wizard Daddy and King of Gondor Daddy are fighting about the route and refusing to ask for directions:

"Winter deepens behind us, [...] the weather may prove a more deadly enemy than any. What do you think of your course now, Aragorn?" [...] "I think no good of our course from beginning to end, as you well know, Gandalf," answered Aragorn. [...] "But there is another way, and not by the pass of Caradhras: the dark and secret way that we have spoken of." "But let us not speak of it again! Not yet." [...] "We must decide before we go further," answered Gandalf.

But ultimately, they opt to go over the mountain, with Boromir super wisely piping up as the expert on traveling in deadly winter that hey, MAYBE THEY SHOULD BRING SOME FIREWOOD, because "it will not help us to keep so secret that we are frozen to death."

Like, Aragorn is a ranger, but he isn't used to these altitudes. Gandalf and Legolas aren't bothered by snow. Gimli is...a dwarf. But Boromir has probably seen people die in snow and cold, and I'd bet he knows that thanks to the weird thing where people who are smaller have higher surface-area-to-volume ratios and lose body heat faster. Boromir and Aragorn are big dudes, but the hobbits are literally child-sized. They're going to be in more danger from cold faster. So YEAH, bring the extra fire wood.

Oh, and hey, Gimli? THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE MOMENT TO MENTION THAT CARADHRAS HATES ELVES AND WIZARDS. I PERHAPS WOULD NOT HAVE WAITED UNTIL YOU WERE EYEBALL DEEP IN AN UNNATURAL SNOWSTORM TO MENTION THIS.

Seriously, they get partway up this mountain, and Gandalf and Aragorn are still having a pissing contest about the route they're now actively on, Boromir is hypothesizing that Sauron is yeeting a blizzard at them, AND NOT A GODDAMN WORD FROM GIMLI until the next day when Boromir is hearing fell voices in the air and BIGASS STONES ARE FALLING ON THEIR HEADS. And even then, it's not the full explanation we'll get in another couple pages, it's:

"Caradhras was called the Cruel, and had an ill name," said Gimli, "long years gao, when rumour of Sauron had not been heard in these lands."

Like, sure, ok. It's a mean, grouchy mountain. BUT AGAIN, MAYBE WE COULD HAVE PICKED A DIFFERENT ROUTE IF WE KNEW IT SPECIFICALLY HATED ELVES AND WIZARDS.

This heralds probably the worst night that the company spends on this mountain. They have almost no cover, the snow nearly buries the hobbits, and had Boromir not been watching, they'd have fallen asleep and suffocated to death under snow or frozen to death. And it is SUPER clear that Gandalf doesn't understand how biology works, because in response to Boromir's "This will be the death of the halflings" (which, YEAH, no kidding!!!), Gandalf pulls out the Elven liquor. Specifically miruvor, or the cordial of Imladris, but that means jack to me at this point other than IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP THE HOBBITS ALIVE IN A MOUNTAIN BLIZZARD IN JANUARY.

Ultimately it's Boromir's foresight to bring some goddamn fuel and light a fire that keeps the hobbits alive, and frankly as someone who grew up where it could hit minus 50 Fahrenheit, Gandalf is no longer allowed to lead on mountains. If Boromir hadn't been there, they would have had four dead hobbits on their hands. Like, yes, eyes on the prize, but PERHAPS NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE LIFE OF THE RINGBEARER LESS THAN A MONTH INTO THE JOURNEY???

At this point, Gimli calls for, and is granted, a retreat, because the mountain is absolutely going to kill all their asses. Boromir again gets MEGA points for being the beefiest of beefy warrior men and breaking a trail to get everyone else down--WHILE CARRYING MERRY AND PIPPIN. Like, quite literally this bear of a man has one hobbit piggyback, one clinging to his front like a monkey, and STILL manages to keep clearing and widening the path for everyone behind him. And this goes on for like another day or two as they get off murder mountain.

Quite literally I am gonna need everyone to stop what they're doing and acknowledge that Boromir pulled everyone's asses out of the fire that Aragorn and Gandalf bickered them into. Like, I'm not gonna say this man was done completely dirty by the movie, because he gets little "protector of the hobbits' physical well-being" moments throughout, but HOLY TITS WAS THAT SCALED DOWN.

I think I'll leave it here, with Caradhras having quite handily handed the fellowship their asses, and Boromir being the only reason that the hobbits survived that little foray into mountain passes. Like, they gave it the old college try, and I'm sure that probably seemed like the least bad of all the shitty options for travel in front of them, but if anything was DESIGNED to murder the hobbits in their little hairy tracks, it was the angry, Elf and Wizard hating mountain that can yeet stones and whip up killer blizzards...

[dtmsrpfcringe]

God, I was never going to anonymous ask on this (or any) blog, but I'm so mad right now. HOW can these assholes repost entire collections of posts from Anna's birthday party and then just bitch and moan about how "aggressively" she's partying? And how Michael looks "sober" and all this b.s. when he's singing Sweet Transvestite and clearly having a ball and being a gem of a boyfriend? It's just such crap. How are they not embarrassed to use a woman's own birthday party to shit on her??!!

hey anon can you send me the link to this? I saw this as I was about to go to bed but I haven’t seen any of these complaints yet. You can drop the link like you sdid here anonymously and I can see it

[mariacallous]

He dreamed of a career in the Israeli military. Instead, ironically, he co-created an iconic cereal brand which bears a distinctly military name and rank — Cap’n Crunch. The man behind the cereal is food technologist Chaim Gur-Arieh. He not only was on the laboratory ground floor bringing Cap’n Crunch to supermarket shelves, but Gur-Arieh brought us multiple other blockbuster brands and products — Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, Tiger’s Milk Bar, single serving pudding and gelatin cups, and wine coolers.

Ninety-year-old Gur-Arieh is a non-stop innovator not only of foods, but of himself. He’s lived on three continents and pursued three distinct careers. Born in Istanbul, Turkey to a family that traces its roots there to the 1500s, he moved on his own at 14 to Israel. A high school dropout, his hopes of a life in the Israeli army ended when an explosion caused a hearing loss. Undeterred, he returned to school and earned a B.S. in chemical engineering.

In Israel, Chaim changed his last name from Mizrachi, a common name there, to Gur-Arieh, meaning “lion cub.” But this wasn’t the only change he made. After working at a rubber factory, Gur-Arieh decided chemical engineering wasn’t for him, he explained in a recent interview. So, he reinvented himself once more. He moved to the U.S., earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Food Science at the University of Illinois, and became a food technologist.

His first job was at Quaker Oats Company in the Midwest. It was there Cap’n Crunch was born. At the time, Quaker Oats had another cereal on the market. It also had a problem. That cereal, Life, was infringing on a patent owned by Ralston Purina Company, according to Gur-Arieh. So, Quaker Oats needed an alternative manufacturing method, and while working on one, came the idea of developing a sweet cereal for children, namely Cap’n Crunch.

While Cap’n Crunch is famed for its sugary taste and distinctive cartoon character, Gur-Arieh’s contribution was technical and industry trend setting. He co-developed the cereal’s manufacturing process called extrusion, the mechanical process when grain is forced to flow — under one or more varieties of conditions of mixing, heating and cutting — through a mold which shapes and/or puff-dries the grain. Before extrusion became the most common method of processing cereal, grains were typically rolled.

In the six decades since its introduction by Quaker Oats (now a subsidiary of PepsiCo), the popular corn and oat cereal has spun off into numerous flavors and seasonal variations, including ones with berries, “vanilly,” peanut butter” and “choco.” 

As for Gur-Arieh, he too spun off into multiple ventures. He worked for Del Monte Foods and a company developing food for astronauts. After that, he ran his own companies and along the way hit another gastronomical home run — developing Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing or more accurately the dressing as we dip and devour it today. Years before, ranch dressing had gone to market in dry mix packets, but Gur-Arieh created the bottled liquid formula convenience-loving consumers didn’t know they craved. 

About this time, Gur-Arieh took on a partner-for-life, his wife Elisheva. After 35 years in the food business, at an age when many people might consider retirement, Chaim and Elisheva opted to fulfill a longtime dream of opening a winery. Their Di Arie Vineyard & Winery, located in the Sierra foothills outside of Sacramento, CA, grows 11 varietals of grapes. In addition to the vineyard, there’s a tasting room and a wine club. Chaim makes the wine, while Elisheva, a nationally exhibited artist, oversees sales and marketing. 

Now, 24 years into operating the winery and having just celebrated his 90th birthday, you might ask when does the man behind Cap’n Crunch start resting on his laurels — or at least on his vineyard? The answer: Not yet.

Since COVID, the vineyard faces new challenges and Gur-Arieh is innovating once again to meet them. Sales are down and consumer tastes are changing, he explained. 

“First, there’s a general decrease in the amount of wine people are drinking. It’s partially an economic decision, but it’s also generational,” he said. “Younger drinkers are turning away from wine and back to hard liquor and that’s having an impact.”

To combat the downturn, this nonagenarian inventor has created three wines that pair with sushi. This new Hikari line is being marketed to money-spending younger foodie fans to win them back to wine. It has three offerings including a specially formulated chilled red wine blend and comes in bottles and cans – again, a nod to a younger demographic. Hikari is already sold in supermarkets in the West and Gur-Arieh is negotiating with a major Midwest chain to place Hikari there.

And with that update on his business, our interview concluded. The man who never lost his stride, be it during relocation from country to country (or continent to continent) or industry to industry, put on his floppy hat and headed out the door. There were grapes to tend to, watered and watched. Another day of work for this constantly innovating continually enterprising food scientist-turned-vintner.

[dballzposting]

Trunks is standing htere like What up im Trunks this is my buddy Goten he wears blue and I wear green but we're still cool in fact Goten may not be able to factor binomials or build a motherboard but he's the realest one out here way more real than any of you sonsabitches. He wears tall socks and it's LAME AF and I kick him around for it constanrtly but if any one of you makes a comment about his sickly attire then I will turn your face into ROADKILL! His mom picks his clothes out for him and he listens to her and while you're here you better call his mom "mom" too becasue if you don't then you get the skillet. No one beter say any shit about his mom becasue even though she doesnt let us stay up late at sleepovers she's still the realest one out here way more real than any one of you sonsabitches and today is her birthday too so you better pay her your respects i better hear you say "happy birthday mom" or I swear to God that your ass will become filet mignon. Goten's mom can shake a grill like it's nobody's business so you best run on out of here before she starts getting creative. There's a full house tonight and she doesn't have time for your B.S. so you better bow in respect and let her work and don't say nothing about her son's stupid gay socks neither or you'll end up on the wrong side of the grill. You'll end up lying supine on a garnished plate with a stick up where it hurts and an apple in your mouth if you dont goddamn start paying some fucking respects right now

[foxydivaxx]

Zosan: Late Night Birthday Special

Here it is. Zoro's birthday special. I set this in the AU I have created. Zoro gets a visit from a certain blondie. Just read on and see what I am talking about. Warning: Sexual content.

Zoro sighs as he walks into his swanky condo in Manhattan. Sure, today was his birthday but he purposely ignored all the birthday greetings from the others. Perhaps getting gunned down weeks ago might have made him a little too paranoid.

At first, he suspected Sukuna his rival, sort of friend, and Sanji's ex-lover. But after some investigation, Sukuna was found innocent of all crimes even though he had enough motive to do it as the bastard used to obsess over Sanji and almost killed him on more than one occasion.

As he enters the living room, he sees Sanji lying on the sofa in a seductive manner, dressed in a wine suit. His heart starts pounding. Some things sure do not change.

"Hello Marimo" he says, a playful smirk in place. The way the blonde says that childhood nickname of his often does things to him. Zoro gives him a curt nod, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "Hi Curly."

Sanji slowly gets off the sofa and makes his way towards him. Once Sanji gets close to him, he traces his fingers across his chest, causing shivers to go down Zoro's spine. After all these years, Sanji still held that level of power over him.

Ever since that Sukuna incident that happened five years ago, the couple kept their distance, trying to pick up the pieces of their life. Same applies to the rest of the gang as well.

"You actually came back." Sanji giggles. "I could not stay away for that long darling. Besides, everyone needed that break to you know, recoup from all the drama and b.s. I mean, we were all a bunch of fucking kids. What do kids know?"

Zoro chuckles at that one. He had a point. "That's what happens when you give kids that much power and fame. It can intoxicate you." Sanji grins and wraps his arms around his ex's neck. "A little birdie told me that you do not want to celebrate your birthday."

Zoro sighed. "Yeah. After that shooting, I was not excited." Sanji then leans closer to his ear and whispers, "How about I change all that?" He then proceeds to slowly rub Zoro's crotch. The green-haired heir had to bite his lip. God he missed Sanji and this was one of the reasons why.

"What's the plan babe?"

Sanji smirked. "Glad you asked."

A couple minutes later, the couple are in the limo with their friends. Sanji managed to call the rest of the gang. Not their old friends but rather the new ones they made.

"Hold up?! How did these two end up together?!" Zoro exclaimed, pointing at Gojo and Nami. "Thank Sanji for that." says Gojo. Zoro stares at Sanji who smirks. "Well, how it happened is that Gojo here helped me pay for my dinner after my date stood me up. Sanji heard about that and called him and encouraged him to take me out for a bar date. The rest is history." says Nami as she sips some champagne. Gojo grins and wraps his arms around his new beau. "Best decision ever."

"Who would have thought that the great Gojo could mellow out like this?" says Zoro. "Still the same old Gee. Just a different flavour." says Gojo.

"Heard Usopp got engaged." says Eren. "What?!" Sanji's jaw dropped. "About time tbh." Zoro laughs. Mary flashes the 15 carat diamond ring. "Wooh!! Look at that bling!!" says Sanji. "Usopp got taste." says Gojo, chuckling. Usopp shrugs. "Anything for my princess." he says, kissing Mary on the cheek.

"What about you Luffy? Congrats on that Hollywood Star." says Sanji. The gang applauds Luffy who chuckles. "Thank you!! Thank you!! Much appreciated." says Luffy.

"Do not compliment him too much. His brain might explode." Sabo jokes. "Pfft...like you are one to talk." Everyone laughs. "Don't mind him." says Ace. "He was a sobbing mess that day though," says Shanks. "Who wouldn't be? Like that is a fucking huge honor," says Sanji .

It was great to see the entire gang back together. The last time this happened was 5 years ago and there was a lot of drama then thanks to the old crowd

"He got a point man." says Franky who is smoking a cigarette. "How about a toast ladies and gents?" Sanji suggest. Everyone grabs their glass and toasts to Zoro who grins at Sanji and then leans closer to him and whispers in his ear, "Thanks for this babe." Sanji smirks. "Anything for you my love." With that, the duo seal it with a kiss. "Aww." the girls all cooed. "Took them both long enough." Gojo jokes. Everyone laughs. Zoro smirks. Tonight was going to be a long night.

After hours of nonstop clubbing and partying, everyone heads home. "I cannot remember the last time we have had this much fun together." says Zoro as he and Sanji walk back into his condo.

"This is why I arranged all this for you Daddy." Hearing Sanji call him Daddy after all these years was enough to work wonders on his ever growing bulge. Without hesitation, Zoro pulls Sanji closer and begins to kiss those lips of his hungrily.

Sanji obliges him in kind, letting out a moan in response. "God I fucking miss you!!" The two start stripping and throwing their clothes around as they make a race to the bedroom.

Sanji gets on all fours on the bed and wiggles his ass. "Come get me big boy." Zoro chuckled and proceeds to lick and eat out Sanji's ass, earning more moans from the blonde.

He could have kept at it til Sanji came on the sheets but he would rather have his dick in that ass and fuck him senseless. Grabbing the lube from the bedside drawer, he pours some on his dick.

Once he was satisfied, he pushes his bulge into his lover who lets out a loud gasp. "F-Fuck...."

"Damn you are as tight as ever!!" He then begins to fuck the living daylights of Sanji who is reduced to a screaming, moaning mess. Normally, he owuld take it nice and slow but he knows Sanji well enough to know how impatient the blonde can get.

He keeps on going, trying to find that spot that he knows would drive Sanji crazy.

"Fuck!! Right there!!"

Zoro smirks and proceeds to keep on hitting that spot. Eventually, Sanji cums screaming his lover's name. Zoro follows suit and moans cumming hard into Sanji.

Once they were done, Zoro pulls out out of his lover and lies down on the bed. Sanji crawls towards him and liesdown next to him and cuddles him.

"Happy birthday Daddy." says Sanji. Zoro smiles and kisses Sanji on the forehead. "I owe you one babe." Best present ever.

What do you guys think?

[emjayewrites]

All For Us - Pt. 3 (Lewis Hamilton SMAU)

SUMMARY: Lewis Hamilton secretly dates an older woman with a daughter and the public slowly starts connecting the dots. [smau w/narrative]

PAIRINGS: Sir Lewis Hamilton x influencer!OC Bree King (faceclaim is Sasha Exeter)

WARNINGS: verbal/emotional abuse from an ex, drama, age gap romance (Bree is 2 years older than Lewis), difficulty conceiving/geriatric pregnancy/IVF, formula one b.s., pre-established relationship, step-daddy Lewis. PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS!!

READ THE PREVIOUS PART: here.....epilogue coming soon

TAGLIST: @cocobutterqwueen @httpsserene @galatially @pausmoon @a-moment-captured @yeea-nah @melodichaeuxx-lacritquexx @weetjy @lewisroscoelove @hxneyclouds @questionable-behaviour @lovebittenbyevans @alika-4466 @saintslewis @cherry2stems @woderfulkawaii @d3kstar @scorpiobleue @certifiedlesbianbaddie @blveeeeeee @sugardontbesweet @omgsuperstarg @bluesole16 @serpenttines-library @peyiswriting @jasmindaughteroftheworld @motheroffae @hrlzy @xoscar03 @xsweetdellzx

A/N: Read the warnings!! Please let me know if you want to be added/removed from the taglist. The headers/dividers are by @inklore

Bree sat in the bathroom of Lewis' penthouse in Monaco, staring at yet another negative pregnancy test. Even though they weren't actively trying to conceive, she had officially been off birth control for almost six weeks. Despite assurances that everything seemed fine with her ovaries, the lack of results was disheartening. Bree was approaching her 41st birthday, and she knew that conceiving at her age would be challenging, with options like IVF potentially necessary.

A knock on the bathroom door made her jump.

"Bree? You in there, baby?" Lewis's concerned voice came through the door.

She quickly flushed the toilet and washed her hands before hiding the pregnancy test, wrapped in a washcloth, in a cabinet below. "Y-Yeah, I'm here," she managed to reply, her voice thankfully steady.

The door opened and Lewis poked his head in, eyeing her carefully. "You've been in here a while. Have you been crying, baby?" he asked worriedly.

Bree forced a smile onto her face as she turned to him, wiping away stray tears. "No, no, allergies," she lied effortlessly.

Lewis stared at her for a couple of beats, then nodded. "The car's here."

The ride to the house they were viewing was silent, with Lewis drawing small circles on Bree's hand as he scrolled through his phone with the other. They were in the process of looking at homes in Monaco to move into after their marriage. Bree's wants were rather simple: a large kitchen, proximity to a park and good schools, and space nearby for Sloane's pony, Buttercup. However, Lewis had a long list of requirements that seemed unattainable in the small principality.

They arrived at the house, where a realtor decked out in Chanel greeted them. It was a luxurious 21 million dollar, 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom penthouse in the district of Larvotto. As they walked through the home, Bree found herself liking it, while Lewis had a bit of doubt, especially regarding some of the design choices.

The realtor showed them the spacious living room, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the Mediterranean. The kitchen was a chef's dream, with top-of-the-line appliances and ample counter space. The bedrooms were sumptuous, each with an en-suite bathroom and walk-in closets.

Bree could envision herself cooking in the kitchen, entertaining guests in the living room, and watching Sloane ride Buttercup in the nearby horse stable. However, Lewis seemed less enthused. He frowned at the marble floors in the foyer, commenting that they would be slippery and hazardous. The artwork adorning the walls didn't match his taste, and he found the color scheme in the master bedroom too muted.

As they wrapped up the tour, the realtor looked at Lewis and Bree expectantly. "Well, what did you think? Isn't it just gorgeous?"

Bree opened her mouth to respond, but Lewis beat her to it. "It's certainly…impressive," he said slowly, glancing at Bree. "But I'm not sure it's quite what we're looking for."

Bree frowned slightly. "I thought it was lovely, Lewis. The kitchen was amazing, and the views were incredible."

Lewis shook his head. "The layout didn't flow right for me. And did you see those tiny closets in the guest bedrooms? Completely impractical."

The realtor jumped in, trying to salvage the potential sale. "But Mr. Hamilton, those were simply the secondary closets. Each bedroom has an enormously spacious walk-in closet as well."

"Even so," Lewis said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I think need more than that."

Bree couldn't help but roll her eyes a little. "Lewis, I'm sure we could make it work. The important things are there - the kitchen, the location near parks, stables, and schools."

Lewis turned to her, his expression serious. "Sweetheart, this is our forever home we're talking about. Our family's sanctuary. It has to be perfect." He took her hands in his. "Money isn't an object here. I want you and Sloane to have everything you could possibly want or need."

Bree's features softened at his words. "I know, baby, but…perfection is awfully hard to attain." She managed a small smile. "However, I do appreciate you trying to give us the world."

Lewis pulled her in for a warm embrace. "For you and our little girl? I'd hang the moon if I could." He kissed her forehead tenderly.

Clearing her throat, the realtor chimed in again. "If this particular property wasn't quite right, I do have some other listings that might be a better fit…"

Lewis looked over at her. "Yeah, yeah send them over. Though I have a feeling we may need to explore expanding our search beyond Monaco." He gazed at Bree. "No sacrifice is too great."

New York City was abuzz with excitement as Lewis, Bree, and Sloane strolled down 5th Avenue near the iconic Empire State Building. A large crowd had gathered, eagerly awaiting Lewis's arrival to show off his driving skills by taking his Mercedes F1 car for a spin up the iconic street. The unveiling of the new WhatsApp and Mercedes partnership, complete with a new F1 car emoji, had taken place the previous evening. But today promised even more excitement.

"Lewis, can we get pizza after this?" Sloane piped up, skipping alongside Lewis and Bree. "I want the one with pineapple and Canadian bacon!"

Lewis shot Bree an exaggerated look of disgust. "Ew, Princess, I don't think that's the type of pizza you should happily tell people." He feigned worry, causing Sloane to swat at him playfully, throwing a flurry of fake punches.

Bree tried to step in, almost slipping into mom mode to calm her daughter's silliness, but as always, Lewis handled it gracefully. He scooped up the nine-year-old, slinging her over his shoulder as they approached the sleek Mercedes F1 car sitting idly nearby.

"Lewis, put me down!" Sloane squealed amid peals of laughter that drew smiles from the crowd.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Hamilton crew!" a familiar voice called out.

Gayle King approached, her warm smile brightening as she took in the happy scene. "Don't you all make a beautiful family?"

"Gayle!" Bree greeted with a hug. "So good to meet you."

"Likewise, my dear." Gayle's gaze landed on Sloane, still dangling upside-down. "And hello there, Miss Sloane. You know, with a name like King, we might just be cousins!"

Sloane's eyes widened comically. "No way, really?!"

The group shared a laugh before Gayle turned her attention to Lewis. "I hear you're bringing this lovely family of yours to the Miami Grand Prix later this week?"

Lewis grinned, finally setting Sloane back on her feet and wrapping an arm around Bree. "You know it. Got to celebrate my favourite lady's birthday in style." He pressed a loving kiss to Bree's temple as her cheeks warmed faintly.

"Well, you let me know if you need any Miami recommendations," Gayle winked conspiratorially. "A lady's gotta properly celebrate, am I right?"

As the crowd began to swell in anticipation, Gayle gave Lewis an inquisitive look. "Speaking of celebrations…the Met Gala is right around the corner too, yeah? Can we expect to see you two making your grand debut on the iconic steps?"

Lewis replied with a vague chuckle. "You know how I keep things tightly under wraps, Gayle, but you'll just have to wait to find out."

With a wink, he gestured for them to find their places as event staff began ushering him toward the idling race car. The roar of the powerful engine echoed through the streets as Lewis put on a show, leaving the crowd ecstatic over his impressive driving stunts.

After bringing the beast of a car to a smooth stop, Lewis hopped out, waved to the fans then made his way back over to Gayle for his scheduled interview segment.

"Well, that was certainly a show-stopping performance!" Gayle grinned at Lewis as he joined her. "Though I have to say, I'm a little surprised you didn't bring your lovely wife-to-be out for a joyride too."

Lewis let out a warm chuckle, shaking his head. "Are you kidding? And risk messing up that gorgeous hair of hers before the big day? No chance!"

They shared an amicable laugh as Lewis took a seat across from Gayle. Bree and Sloane watched on proudly from the sidelines.

"So let's dive right in - this incredible new partnership with WhatsApp. How are you utilizing their platform in your day-to-day life?" Gayle asked.

"It's been a gamechanger, honestly," Lewis replied easily. "Just trying to stay connected with friends and family; WhatsApp makes it all flow so seamlessly. The voice notes, video calling, it's brilliant."

Gayle nodded conspiratorially. "I can only imagine how invaluable that's been with wedding planning too. Sending photos back and forth, keeping the bride and stepdaughter-to-be in the loop…"

Lewis's smile widened at the mention of his upcoming role as stepfather to Sloane. "You know it. I actually FaceTimed Bree on WhatsApp just yesterday to go over the finishing touches for the floral arrangements."

"Speaking of family…" Gayle's warmth was evident as she redirected the discussion. "There've been whispers that after this fairytale wedding, an exciting new legacy-cementing phase of your life is on the horizon. Perhaps an autobiography to inspire the next generation? Or even theatrical re-enactments of your most legendary races?"

Lewis laughed heartily at the speculation. "You know I can never reveal my cards too early, Gayle. We'll just have to wait and see what unfolds." His gaze drifted meaningfully over to Bree and Sloane. "But I can say with certainty that whatever comes next, my newly-minted family will be right there alongside me every step of the way. That's what grounds me and inspires me to chase bigger and bigger dreams."

The profound adoration in Lewis's expression made it evident how much his home life meant to him beyond fame or accolades. Clearly this side of his world - the personal family man - outshone any trophy or championship.

"Well, I have to ask about those bigger dreams then," Gayle transitioned seamlessly. "We know your creative pursuits extend far beyond racing - from musical ambitions to fashion investments to philanthropic endeavors. What excites you most about that creative realm these days?"

A pensive look crossed Lewis's face as he considered his response. "You're right, I've been so fortunate to explore so many artistic outlets. And they each allow me to use my platform to uplift voices that need to be heard." He continued, sincerity ringing in every word. "But I think what truly sets my soul on fire most is getting back to my roots - uplifting and empowering kids from underserved communities through increased educational opportunities. Removing those systemic barriers to success…that's the ultimate dream."

Gayle gave an admiring nod. "It's that drive to create positive change that made you such an inspirational force in the first place. No wonder the world can't get enough of you, Lewis."

As their interview segment wrapped up, Gayle made one final request. "Before I let you go, when can we expect to see you tearing up the streets of New York again? Maybe next time with a bonafide grand prix!"

Lewis threw his head back with a rich laugh. "You know I'm always game to put on a show for my fans. But I'll let you in on a little secret…" He winked roguishly. "I'm working on making that Grand Prix dream a reality soon enough. You'll just have to stay tuned."

The vibrant North Miami streets were alive with the sounds of laughter, music, and clinking glasses as Lewis's Almavé pop-up tasting event was in full swing. Under the warm sun, guests sampled the brand's premium, non-alcoholic offerings while mingling around lush, tropical decor.

Bree sipped an Almavé margarita mocktail, feeling light and carefree as she watched Lewis in his element, that megawatt smile never leaving his face as he worked the room like the natural-born charmer he was.

As she watched him greet adoring fans, Bree was approached by a woman she didn't recognize. The stranger's expression was polite enough, but there was an unmistakable hardness in her eyes.

"Excuse me," the woman said in a saccharine tone that immediately set Bree on edge. "But aren't you the woman not allowing her child to visit her father?" Before she could even formulate a response, the insult continued. "Just using Lewis for his money like some gold-digger ho', huh? I don't see why he's with you."

The accusatory words felt like a slap across Bree's face. She was utterly speechless, mouth working soundlessly as a torrent of shock, anger, and distress washed over her. "Listen here, bit—"

Seemingly from nowhere, Lewis's bodyguard appeared, placing himself firmly between Bree and the rude "fan." With a few low, authoritative words, he swiftly yet discreetly ushered the woman away from the event.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Hamilton?" another bodyguard quickly checked in, and the new honorific title made Bree's head spin dizzily. "Do you want me to get Lewis?"

She managed a weak nod as she calmed her emotions. "I'm fine, thank you. Just some crazy ass fan."

"Yeah, they get like that sometimes," the bodyguard said with a nervous chuckle. "They don't call them a cult for nothing."

A possessive one at that, she thought. Bree's eyes connected with Lewis who was speaking with his co-founder, Ivan. He gave her a small smile and flirtatious wink, and that unpleasant incident was soon forgotten.

------------------------------------------------------------

Race day at the Miami Grand Prix was an electric, vibrant spectacle that swept away any lingering dark clouds from that encounter with the rude "fan."

Bree and Sloane had prime viewing spots, courtesy of Lewis. The little girl was practically vibrating with enthusiasm, decked out in a custom varsity jacket honoring her soon-to-be stepfather's new NASA-themed collection from his merchandise line, Plus 44 World. Iridescent patches were stitched into the deep blue fabric, giving the appearance of a star-studded night sky.

"This is so cool! I love the planets and rocket ships, Mommy," Sloane gushed, smoothing her hands over the intricate designs as they waited for the race to start.

Bree beamed proudly. "Lewis really went all out for his biggest little fan, didn't he?"

The roar of engines drowned out Sloane's enthusiastic response as the F1 cars lined up in their designated spots. Leaning over, Bree typed a quick "Good luck!" text to her fiancé, accompanied by a selfie of her and Sloane's matching eye-crinkling grins.

From there, the next couple hours passed in a whirlwind of screeching tires, broadcasted commentary, and Sloane's adorably invested shouts of encouragement. Despite a somewhat disappointing 6th place finish for Lewis, his exuberance was undimmed as he bounded over to greet them after the race.

"There are my two favorite ladies!" His warm voice carried over the roar of the crowd.

Sloane practically vibrated with glee as Lewis swept her up into his arms, squeezing her tightly before sharing an equally euphoric kiss with Bree. They were a picture-perfect family portrait amidst the ecstatic chaos.

As if the celebratory scene couldn't get any sweeter, some of Lewis's racing peers and crew unexpectedly gathered around to serenade Bree with an impromptu chorus of "Happy Birthday." Her cheeks warmed slightly, and she ducked her head against Lewis's chest as Sloane beamed at her adoringly.

Hand in hand, the three made their way through a gauntlet of celebrities and racing elite congregating around the paddock club's VIP area. Bree couldn't help but feel like a queen with her husband-to-be and cherished daughter by her side as they were enthusiastically congratulated and fawned over at every turn.

-----------------------------------------------------

A pleasant, mellow heat still clung to the early evening air as they eventually escaped to a more private beachfront setting. Bree and Lewis stretched out on a plush lounger and watched Sloane blissfully chasing waves along the shoreline.

Lewis studied Bree's contemplative expression. "What's on your mind, baby? You've seemed a bit…off the last couple of weeks." Concern furrowed his brow. "Please don't tell me you're still feeling ill from that food poisoning in Shanghai?"

Bree shook her head. "No, I'm fine physically. Just…a lot on my mind with the wedding, moving, everything."

Lewis took her hand reassuringly. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

After a steadying breath, Bree revealed, "I took a pregnancy test when we were in Monaco."

Lewis's eyes brightened with cautious hope. "Were you…are you pregnant, then?"

"No." Bree's voice was small. "It was negative. And I'm scared, Lewis. Scared that I won't be able to give you children of your own."

He squeezed her hand. "Then we'll explore other options - IVF, surrogacy, anything. And if none of that works?" Lewis stroked her cheek tenderly. "Then I'm more than happy with just you and Sloane. She's my daughter in every way that matters."

But then Sloane, sandals abandoned, came running over barefoot to gleefully hurl herself into Lewis's arms. "What're you two talking about?"

"Just grown-up stuff, Princess," he replied easily, tickling her sides until she squealed with laughter. Bree watched the joyful scene with a warm smile, her worries momentarily forgotten.

As they settled back against the pillows, Bree remarked, "The Met Gala is right around the corner. We'll need to finalize our fitting schedules the second we're back in New York."

Lewis grinned. "You know I live for a moment to get all dolled up with my ladies." He winked rakishly. "Those steps won't know what hit them when we strike a pose."

Laughing, Bree swatted him playfully. With Lewis's steadfast love and Sloane's infectious spirit, she felt optimistic about tackling any challenges their future held. This little family of hers made her so incredibly proud.

Bree settled back on the plush hotel sofa, tablet propped up as she initiated a FaceTime call to Sloane back in Toronto. After a few rings, her daughter's bright face appeared on screen.

"Mommy! Hi!" Sloane waved excitedly before turning the camera to show off her ballet recital dress hanging nearby. "Isn't it so pretty? I can't wait for you and Lewis to see me in it when I perform next week."

"It's absolutely beautiful, baby girl," Bree enthused, admiring the delicate embroidery and ethereal colors. "You're going to be such a little princess on that big stage."

"Speaking of princesses…" Sloane's nose crinkled mischievously. "When are you gonna let me see your Met Gala dress, huh?"

Bree laughed. "Nice try, little miss. But you'll just have to wait and see mine and Lewis's outfits like everyone else!"

After extracting a dramatic pout from Sloane, Bree asked her to grab her dad so they could go over the upcoming week's schedule. Moments later, Tom appeared looking rather disheveled.

"Hey Bree," he mumbled distractedly while sinking onto the couch beside his daughter. "What's up?"

Bree relayed the key details - Sloane's science fair on Wednesday, ballet practice the next day - which Tom acknowledged with a weary nod, but his glassy gaze and fidgeting demeanor set off internal alarms.

"Tom? Is everything okay?" She asked with a furrowed brow. "You seem…off."

Running a hand through his unkempt hair, Tom sighed heavily. "Yeah, I…I kinda got myself into a bit of a pickle here, Bree."

Her stomach twisted apprehensively. "What kind of pickle are we talking about?"

Tom shot a glance at Sloane, ensuring she was engrossed in a video on his phone, before continuing in a low mutter. "You remember Talia? That woman I was kinda seeing for a few months?"

Bree's brows lifted but she remained silent, allowing him to go on.

"Well, uh…she's pregnant. With my kid."

Her eyes widened at the unexpected bombshell. She knew Talia was quite a bit younger than Tom - practically fresh out of college, if memory served. And now she was expecting his baby despite their evidently casual entanglement?

"How…how do you feel about that?" Bree asked carefully once she recovered her voice.

Tom dropped his head into his hands with a tortured groan. "Excited, I guess? In theory? But Talia…she doesn't want to keep it, Bree."

Just then, a knock sounded on Sloane's end of the call. Tom cut off abruptly, pasting on an overly bright smile as his daughter skipped back over.

"Sorry about that," he said with forced levity. "But I should let you two ladies get back to your girl time. I'll make sure everything goes smoothly on this end for the week, don't you worry."

After hanging up with Tom and Sloane, Bree sat back on the sofa, her mind still processing the weight of Tom's revelation about Talia's unexpected pregnancy. So much uncertainty and turmoil swirled in the air between her ex and his new fling.

Before Bree could get too entrenched in worrying about their complicated situation, the hotel room's door opened and Lewis strode in. Sensing her preoccupied state, he wordlessly crossed the space to stand behind the sofa. His strong hands slipped around her neck from behind as he bent to press a tender kiss against the side of her face.

The simple gesture immediately grounded Bree in the moment, chasing away her swirling thoughts. She instinctively relaxed into Lewis's embrace, grateful for his stabilizing presence. No words needed to be spoken - they understood each other on a deeper level.

Turning her head, Bree met Lewis's warm gaze with a grateful smile. His thumb stroked along her jawline as he returned the look of pure adoration. In that shared gaze, she found reassurance that no matter what turbulence life threw their way, they would face it as the formidable partnership they had become.

"I love you," Bree murmured, the words seeming inadequate yet carrying profound meaning.

Lewis's response was to capture her lips in a lingering, romancing kiss that conveyed everything his heart felt. When they finally parted, he let out a contented sigh.

"I love you too." He stood up and walked around to the other side of the couch where she was sitting. Gently, he helped her stand up as well. "Let's go," he said with a sly grin, "I think we have an hour before Eric and everyone else shows up."

She playfully responded, "For what, sir?" knowing fully well what he had in mind.

Lewis smirked, his eyes dark with lust. "For whatever my lady desires," he replied, trailing his fingers down her arm.

"Oh, is that so?" Bree teased, her own fingers dancing along Lewis' chest.

"Absolutely," he confirmed, swooping in to capture her lips once more.

"Let's make the most of this hour then," she suggested with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Lewis chuckled and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her towards the bedroom with ease. As they disappeared behind closed doors, their laughter and passion echoed through the quiet hotel room.

Time seemed to stop as they lost themselves in each other, their bodies tangled together in a heated dance. At this moment, there was no race or fame or anything else - just the two of them and their all-consuming love. When they finally emerged from their cocoon of love and pleasure, it was with satisfied smiles on their faces.

"I can't believe we used up our entire hour," Bree joked as she snuggled against Lewis' bare chest.

"We'll just have to make up for it later," he replied with a wink.

Bree laughed and playfully swatted at him before getting out of bed to freshen up. As she brushed her teeth in front of the bathroom mirror, she caught sight of herself wearing Lewis' satin robe.

Glancing over at him lying naked on the bed with his tattoos on full display, she couldn't help but feel incredibly lucky. They were from completely different worlds but somehow managed to find each other and create something beautiful together.

"What are you thinking about over there?" Lewis asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

Bree smiled and turned to face him. "Just how grateful I am for you," she replied, walking over to the bed and climbing back in beside him.

Lewis wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I feel the same way about you," he said sincerely.

------------------------------------------------------------

The Met Gala was in full swing, with celebrities strutting their designer looks on the prestigious carpet. Bree watched from the sidelines, content to let Lewis bask in the spotlight. He looked devastatingly handsome in his all-black Burberry ensemble, the intricate floral details on the long overcoat and the flower-themed gold jewelry adding an elegant flair.

"You should be out there with me, love," Lewis said as he rejoined Bree after posing for what seemed like a million photos.

Bree shook her head with a smile. "Tonight is your night to shine, my star. The cameras want you."

Lewis leaned in to nuzzle her cheek. "As long as I have you by my side, I'll shine twice as bright."

Warmth bloomed in Bree's cheeks at his words. "Flatterer. Now go dazzle them all."

With a wink, Lewis swept back towards the carpet, greeting fans and stopping for interviews. Bree watched with immense pride as her soon-to-be husband commanded the attention with his charismatic presence.

Once inside, the gala was a whirlwind of glamour, music, and mingling. Bree found herself snapping photos with celebrity after celebrity, a permanent smile etched on her face.

"Bree! You two made it!" Sarah Jessica Parker pulled her in for an air kiss. "Let me get a picture with the future Lady Hamilton."

They posed together, all smiles and glittering gowns. As Sarah pulled back, she eyed Bree knowingly. "You're just glowing, honey. Love looks amazing on you."

Hours later, as an exclusive afterparty at a trendy Manhattan club began to wind down, Bree and Lewis emerged into the crisp night air. Bree took a deep, contented breath.

"You know what I love about New York?" she asked as they strolled, arm in arm.

Lewis looked over at her with an indulgent smile. "What's that, darling?"

"You can get food at any time, day or night." Bree's eyes lit up. "Ice cream sound good? I could go for some ice cream right about now."

Chuckling, Lewis tugged her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Lead the way, baby."

They found a quaint ice cream parlor still open, allowing them to indulge in towering sundaes piled high with toppings. Lewis watched in amusement as Bree dug in with unabashed delight.

"Someone's enjoying herself," he teased gently.

Bree grinned around a mouthful. "You know what else I'm enjoying? The idea of being your wife. Lady Hamilton…"

Lewis reached across to take her free hand, his expression softening. "I can't wait for you to be Lady Hamilton, my love. Saying those words will be my greatest honor."

Under the warm glow of the streetlights, they came together in a tender kiss, the city that never sleeps celebrating alongside their everlasting love.

Lewis, Bree, and Sloane arrived at the prestigious International School of Monaco for the viewing day. The campus was impressive, with modern buildings and lush green spaces.

"Wow, this place is huge!" Sloane exclaimed, her eyes wide as she took in the sprawling grounds.

Lewis chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Just wait until you see the inside, princess. This is one of the best international schools in the world."

As they entered the main building, they were greeted by a smiling administrator. "Welcome to ISM, Mr. Hamilton, Ms. Jamison, and Miss Sloane. We're honored to have you here today."

The woman proceeded to give them a comprehensive tour, showing off the state-of-the-art facilities. The classrooms were bright and airy, equipped with the latest technology. The library was a book-lover's dream, with floor-to-ceiling shelves and cozy reading nooks.

"And this is our world-class performing arts center," the administrator said proudly, leading them into an auditorium that could easily seat five hundred people.

Sloane's eyes grew even wider. "No way! This is so cool!"

Lewis grinned down at her. "You'll have to put on a show for us when you start here."

They continued on, visiting the Olympic-sized swimming pool, the indoor basketball courts, and the expansive playing fields.

"We really do have everything a student could possibly need or want," the administrator commented. "Our goal is to provide a well-rounded, global education."

Bree couldn't help but be impressed. "It's amazing. Sloane is going to thrive here."

As if on cue, Sloane tugged on her mother's hand. "Can we see the stables next? I want to make sure there's enough room for Buttercup!"

The group chuckled, and the administrator nodded. "Of course, we have some of the finest equestrian facilities in the region."

As they followed her outside, Lewis leaned over to murmur in Bree's ear. "Well, what do you think, darling? Is this the place for our little princess?"

Bree smiled, giving his hand a squeeze. "It's perfect. Though I have a feeling she'll be more excited about seeing the ponies than anything else!"

The tour continued as they made their way towards the stables and equestrian facilities. Sloane practically bounced with excitement at the prospect of seeing where her beloved pony Buttercup would be staying.

As they walked, the administrator began discussing tuition and fees. "Our annual tuition for the primary school is 37,800 euros," she stated matter-of-factly.

Bree couldn't help but inwardly cringe at the exorbitant number, despite having researched the costs beforehand. Even expecting the steep price tag, hearing it out loud was still a bit jarring.

Lewis, however, didn't even blink. He simply continued smiling politely as if the administrator had commented on the lovely weather.

"Of course, that covers the full educational experience here at ISM," the woman went on. "From classroom instruction to extracurriculars, field trips, and the use of our exceptional facilities."

Bree felt Lewis's hand give her arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze. He leaned in close so only she could hear. "Nothing but the best for our girl, remember?"

She managed a small smile and a nod, knowing he was right. This was an investment in Sloane's bright future, one they were incredibly fortunate to be able to make.

The administrator led them through a arched entryway into a beautifully manicured area where sleek stables and paddocks awaited. Sloane's delighted gasp was all the confirmation they needed that this was indeed the right choice.

"There's room for twelve ponies here on site," the woman said. "And of course, the full-sized stables are just a short distance away for our competitive equestrian teams."

"Did you hear that, Mommy?" Sloane looked up at Bree with shining eyes. "Buttercup is going to love it here!"

Lewis crouched down to Sloane's level. "What do you say we get Buttercup settled in and then you can take her for a ride, hmm? Test out these facilities properly."

Sloane flung her arms around her father's neck with unbridled joy. "Yes, please! This place is the best!"

Straightening up, Lewis winked conspiratorially at Bree as if to say 'I told you so.' Her heart swelled with love for her family. The astronomical price tag was meaningless when she saw how happy her daughter was.

"Well, ISM certainly seems to have made quite the impression," the administrator said with a warm smile. "Should we continue on to discuss the enrollment process?"

The group followed the administrator back inside the main building, where they were ushered into a beautifully appointed office. Leather chairs surrounded an impressive mahogany desk, giving the space an air of understated sophistication.

"Please, have a seat," the administrator gestured. "Let's go over the enrollment details."

Bree and Lewis settled into the plush chairs, with Sloane nestling between them, still buzzing with excitement over the stables. The administrator opened a file and began explaining the process.

"First, we'll need to formalize Sloane's application with some additional paperwork…" She slid a small stack of forms across the desk.

Lewis leaned forward, all business. "Of course, whatever you need. I want to ensure we have everything properly in order."

As the two went back and forth discussing requirements like transcripts and academic records, Bree felt Sloane fidgeting beside her. She gently brushed a stray curl from the girl's face.

The paperwork continued, with discussions of schedules, extracurriculars, and payment plans. Bree couldn't help stealing glances at Lewis, amazed by his effortless handling of all the meticulous details.

Finally, the administrator leaned back with a satisfied smile. "Well, I believe that's everything then. We just need your signatures and we can get Miss Sloane officially enrolled at ISM for the upcoming term."

Lewis reached over to squeeze Bree's hand, his eyes shining with a mixture of pride and love. "You ready for this new adventure, ladies?"

Sloane was already nodding vigorously, but Bree took a moment to savor the profound warmth filling her heart. This was their family's newest chapter, and she couldn't wait to see what amazing experiences awaited them.

"More than ready," she replied, locking eyes with her husband-to-be. "Let's do this together."

As their names scrawled across the enrollment forms, cementing Sloane's place at the elite academy, Bree knew they had just opened up a world of possibilities for her daughter's bright future.

TO BE CONTINUED......Epilogue coming soon...

[wickedsrest-rp]

Name: Booker Finlee Species: Human (Non-powered) Occupation: WRPD Detective Age: 55 Years Old Played By: Elliott Face Claim: Hugh Jackman

"Don't drink the tap water. There's got to be some kind of chemical leak around here."

TW: Parental death

Booker Finlee had a pretty normal childhood, as far as these things go. He grew up in the South Bronx of New York, attending public school and busying himself with a handful of various hobbies, his favorite of which was scavenger hunts. He’d beg his family to set them up once every few months, and his folks were always happy to oblige. It eventually became something of a tradition, and the best ones were always on his birthday. Booker’s mother was an elementary school teacher at the same school he attended, and his father was a radiologist at the nearby hospital. While teaching and medical careers had never interested him, his parents did manage to instill a deep thirst for knowledge in their son and give him an appreciation for the scientific method.

His appetite for solving puzzles had not diminished since childhood, and he became enamored with the concept of detectives and solving crimes like the guys in the movies; helping victims by bringing them the closure they deserved and protecting innocents from the ever-vague ‘bad guys’. When it came time for college, Booker attended NYU and earned his B.S. in Criminal Justice and Psychology. While at NYU, he met his future wife, Gloria. She was an Arts major, and as they say, opposites did in fact attract. Where Booker was quiet and contemplative, Gloria tended to be loud and spontaneous. He loved her more than he’d ever loved another human being, he thought. She kept him above ground, and he kept her from floating off into the clouds. They were perfect for each other, and got married while still attending school. They had their first child, Amos, when Booker was twenty-five, with another quickly following the next year who they named Avery.

Booker’s first job out of the police academy was as a CSI for the NYPD. This job meant long shifts, and he would often work twelve hour days, on weekends and even on holidays. As you might expect, this created a strained home life. After a few years of this, he jumped on the career track to becoming a police officer, seeing detective at the end of that four year tunnel and striving for it with deeply ingrained enthusiasm. He was going to do great work.

In 2004, five years after becoming a detective for the NYPD, his good friend and partner died on the job. What was supposed to be a relatively safe occupation suddenly was not, and Booker never fully recovered from the loss, instead withdrawing. He kept saying he was fine when he wasn’t, and he threw himself even more into his work to cope, often staying overnight at the office. In the same year, his parents both passed in an accident and the detective became a shell of his former self. His wife filed for divorce two years later, and moved with the kids to Maine after being granted majority custody. The last thing she ever asked of him was to please see a therapist. He did.

Booker never dated again after his wife left, settling down into a life of self-inflicted solitude. Work became his priority again, as well as maintaining a good relationship with his kids. They visited every other holiday and during the summers until they went off to college, and during those years, Booker made time to go visit them as often as possible. Both children ended up putting down roots in Portland, which acted as the catalyst for Booker’s decision to move closer. He eventually settled on Wicked’s Rest, after hearing his kids talk about the surprising number of missing persons cases and discovering that it had an open position for a police detective. They had visited the town in the past but couldn’t seem to recall anything especially strange, just that people would go missing there a lot. Intrigued, Booker decided it was time to uproot his life in the city and move to the coastal town up north. What could make so many folks disappear? Couldn’t be anything so bad as the violence he experienced in the city, he figured, but it was a question he wanted to answer. Besides, he’d be much closer to his family this way, and in his older age, he found himself less concerned with working himself to death and more concerned with having weekly dinners with his kids.

Character Facts:

Personality: Inquisitive, persistent, obstinate, guarded, lawful, observant, empathetic, altruistic, nescient

Booker is a true professional when it comes to his job, but outside of work he is a deeply unserious man. This is evident in both his dry sense of humor and his peculiar fashion choices. He likes loud shirts, but also greatly values comfort over everything else. This might explain his sock with sandals fixation, despite the protests of his children. 

He is generally soft spoken despite his gruff appearance suggesting otherwise, and his habit of silent observation and contemplation often makes it seem like he's grumpy when he's actually just deep in thought. 

He's a very ‘by the book’ (haha) kind of man. He always follows the rules, even to his own detriment. He is not naturally a violent person, preferring to talk his way out of situations, but he will use force to protect himself and innocent people if it comes to it. 

Despite being fairly private about his own life, he takes great interest in hearing about others and genuinely loves listening to people talk about their passions.

He has never encountered anything supernatural in his life, and has never believed anything that couldn’t be proven true—beyond a shadow of a doubt—by science.

His pet cat, Fresno, is a twenty-five pound blue Maine Coon with a spitfire personality. He is also leash trained, and Booker can be often spotted taking him on walks around town or on hikes. 

Booker’s son, Amos, has taken him to many paint bars, but the old detective has never been good with a brush. About ten years ago they started trying other crafts together, and Booker discovered a hidden talent for needle felting.

[cheesy09]

[CN] Kiro's 2023 Birthday Prequel

🌸 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for content that hasn't been released on the EN server yet! 🌸

[Note: This prequel was translated with the help of Google Translate :>]

[Chapter 1: Returned Treasure]

After turning the key into the keyhole twice, the door was pushed open.

"Take a look at it first, Kiro. If you want to buy additional furniture and appliances, just let me know."

Accompanied by the man's words, Kiro walked through the entrance hall, a bit of deliberate curiosity in his blue eyes as he looked at the new residence that the company had arranged for him.

The living room was very spacious, enough to place a lot of music equipment.

The kitchen was L-shaped, and the aisles were neither wide nor narrow. There was a refrigerator, oven and other high-end appliances built into the wall cabinets. There was only one thing missing - a microwave.

For a "killer cook", it could almost be considered one of the greatest inventions in the world.

But he didn't want to trouble the unfamiliar man in front of him, so he nodded deceptively and walked towards the bedroom. But as soon as he stepped through the door, he frowned.

Although the sun was shining brightly in the sky, the room was extremely dark, and the white bed and wardrobe in his field of vision were covered with a layer of gloomy gray.

The instigator behind this was a drab building standing next door. The walls looked like cracked skin, mottled and old.

The man seemed to have noticed something and said softly, "It's disturbing being blocked by this building, isn't it? But it will be demolished soon."

"Disturbing?"

The subconscious rhetorical question made the man stunned, but he quickly reacted and showed two rows of big white teeth.

"Hey, is this a northern dialect? How should I explain it..."

"When something makes you feel uncomfortable and upset, we call it disturbing..." As if he found it hard to describe at once, the other party started to make gestures.

Kiro listened quietly while observing the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes in front of him. An hour ago, he had introduced himself in the pick-up hall --

Savin, a manager of B.S. Entertainment and the one responsible for his acting arrangements in Loveland City in the future.

He'd heard this information from Pen a long time ago, but he still wasn't sure whether the other party was a member of B.S. But it didn't matter. There would always be more than one pair of eyes lurking around him.

Therefore, he took Savin's words very naturally.

"Haha - so that's what it meant. It's okay, Savin, I'm not disturbed."

The casual form of address made Savin stunned for a moment, and his eyes softened. "You must know that we Northeasterners can easily take away people's accents. You should learn less, don't be afraid of using your usual Californian accent..."

Savin paused and handed the key in his hand to Kiro.

"Also... I know you've just returned to China, and you must be uncomfortable with everything."

"Food, accent, residence... including the people. But all of this is temporary. I believe you'll find your own rhythm here soon."

Under Savin's sincere gaze, Kiro also nodded solemnly.

"Okay, how about this for today? I'll leave first. You have a good rest. I'll see you at the company tomorrow."

Savin walked out as he spoke. The moment he closed the door, another sentence was hurriedly squeezed in, "If you need anything, please call me at any time!"

Bang - the door was shut.

Kiro finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to walk to the suitcase he brought back from California - one which was filled with souvenirs he'd collected over the years.

He touched the box and smiled, then walked around again before finally opening an inconspicuous low cabinet and putting it inside.

This was the "treasure" he hid, and the keyhole could only be accessed by one person.

"Hey, I'm back with the treasure box. I hope I can find you soon."

[Chapter 2: Tiny Light]

--8:30 a.m.

A sharp ringing sounded throughout the bedroom.

"Mm..."

Accompanied by a vague voice, a slender arm stretched out from under the quilt. It followed it's owner's will and groped around the bed, but as it fumbled, it grew impatient. It kept swatting at the bedside like a gopher until the world became quiet, and an unknown amount of time had passed.

The man who had been dreaming suddenly opened his eyes, looking around in panic and confusion. However, in his misty vision, there was only a tiny cluster of light huddled pitifully in the corner, secretly confusing time, making it impossible to distinguish between day and night.

Kiro had no choice but to pick up his phone and take a look -- 8:38 a.m.

"......"

He helplessly rubbed his messy blond hair, walked to the window with bare feet, and pulled the already open curtains wider to both sides. However, the light only spread a little symbolically, illuminating half of the floor.

--It seemed a little disturbing.

He frowned and inadvertently stepped into the sunlight.

The thin light could only illuminate half of his body, but the corners that were illuminated were dazzling enough. He subconsciously squinted his eyes and followed the trajectory, all the way out of the dilapidated building next door. After that, he saw the endless flow of vehicles and the small crows of people going back and forth.

At this moment, Kiro's heart seemed to open up.

There was nice whether today.

-

--9:30 a.m. B.S. Entertainment Conference Room

"Kiro, although you've just returned to China, you should rest for a while to adjust yourself."

"But there haven't been many domestic entertainment resources recently, and everyone has be rushing to grab them, so we should seize this opportunity."

Savin picked up a stack of papers and handed them to Kiro, "If you continue to focus on your music, your development will become more rigid, so the company has secured some film and television audition opportunities for you."

"We can't just be singers, we need to become famous superstars."

Upon hearing that, Kiro knew that this had been the decision taken up by B.S. After all, only by expanding his influence in all directions would it be easier to do things for them. But he wasn't put-off. He knew very well that only by constantly broadening his own path, would he be able to take the initiative into his own hands sooner.

"Alright, Savin. I just have one question." He flipped through the audition details in the file. "When will the auditions start and how much time do I have to prepare?"

Kiro's calmness made Savin laugh and adjust the watch on his wrist slightly.

"Two o'clock in the afternoon. There's an audition for a sports commercial."

"Okay, I'll get ready now."

[Chapter 3: Good at Joy and Happiness]

In just a month, Kiro's success rate in auditions was nearly 75%. But when Savin reviewed the results, he frowned, "Strange... why did the auditions for movies and TV series fail?"

A trace of frustration flashed in Kiro's eyes, "I'll continue working hard. Please give me some time."

After a moment, Savin spoke in a deep voice, "Don't worry, this isn't something you have to work hard on alone. I'll find you a professional acting teacher. It's okay. There's no need to rush for success. We still have time and opportunities."

With that said, he took out his cell phone and walked out, until a polite greeting came from the corridor.

-

The next day, Kiro was already in the garden of the lecturer's home--

"Hello, Mr. Chen. My name's Kiro."

He nodded slightly and looked at the man sitting on the wooden chair.

It was easy to tell from the drooping wrinkles on the other person's face that he was already a bit old, but his sharp eyes made him appear to be in high spirits.

"Mm, Savin told me everything."

"But before we start with the class, tell me, what do you think acting is?"

Kiro stayed silent for a while before considering his answer.

"Acting to me... is about interpreting different lives."

"That's half right, but it's more accurate to continue living these different lives." The teacher raised his eyebrows, "Although the characters in the scripts are fictitious, and the plot is also fictitious, most of them come from real life."

"In the corners you can't see, and to the people you can't see, ever-changing things happen every day. Actors are there to live these lives again."

Hearing this, Kiro seemed to vaguely understand what the teacher meant - "deduction" and "experience" seemed to be two different things.

But before he could continue to digest it, the teacher undid the folds on his pants and said, "That's all. Let's do some imagination and sensitivity training."

"Now, close your eyes and imagine that you're walking in a forest. The grass is soft and the sound of the stream is in your ears. But you also hear the rustling sounds coming from the grass in the distance. What do you think is there?"

"A rabbit..." Kiro closed his eyes, a faint smile on his lips.

"Then, what do you want to do?"

Kiro couldn't help but hold his breath, and stepped forward more slowly. He groped his way to the grass and squatted down, "Hey... would you like to come into my arms and play for a while?"

As he spoke, he opened his arms and waited quietly. It wasn't until his body suddenly froze that he carefully retracted his arms, as if he were really picking up a rabbit... Then, he tilted his head and raised his right hand gently.

Caressing down.

"Hello, I'm Kiro."

Unconsciously, the teacher's voice also became much softer, "After playing with you for a while, the rabbit suddenly ran into the bushes."

"....!"

A hint of panic appeared on Kiro's face. He placed his palms on the ground and leaned down to search.

"You've been looking for it for a long time, but you haven't found any trace of it..."

He was silent for a while, then curled his lips in relief, "It's okay, we'll definitely meet again next time."

"Very good, remember this feeling now." The teacher's voice could not hide his excitement, "You did not follow the public's logic to express your loss, but followed your true feelings. Those are the feelings you want, remember?"

Before he finished speaking, a sharp cry passed through the sky--

Kiro subconsciously closed his eyes and raised his head. At the same time, the teacher also spoke vigorously, "There's a Swift flying across the sky right now!"

"Swift..?"

"Yes, it's a bird that flies all its life."

"Because of their body structure, it's difficult for them to take off once they stop, so they only stop on branches to rest."

"Do you want to keep flying?"

The teacher smiled lightly, "Since we're curious about it, let's go and see its life."

"Now imagine that you are it. Your body is very light, and countless sceneries pass your feet. You just watch them from winter to spring, from dry to blooming, never stopping."

Kiro gently opened his arms. Under the guidance of the teacher, his arms gradually became sore, as if there were thousands of pounds of stones pressing on them.

"You'll also grow tired during this period. Looking at every corner of the city, there is no resting place for you to take off again."

Kiro suddenly felt uncomfortable. He found that he and the Swift were very similar.

They have always been on the road. Although there had been very beautiful places to sing and see along the way, when they said goodbye again, they would be greeted by an endless flight.

But--

"It doesn't matter, I can persist."

Kiro said in his heart.

"I'll keep flying until I find a place where I can rest peacefully and then stop."

[Chapter 4: First Show of Strength]

After repeated training, Kiro became more empathetic.

Even with the scorching sun above his head, he could be so cold that he would tremble all over, huddled in a corner waiting for the snow mountaineering team; or he could stand on flat ground, but there could be an abyss beneath his feet, making him feel dizzy, struggling hard on the edge of the cliff.

His heart was now able to deceive his eyes and brain with ease.

"Kiro, Kiro!"

Kiro, who had just finished training, saw Savin running towards him in a hurry, holding a suit of armor and carrying a red tassel gun.

"What is this, Savin?"

"The actor playing the young Sun Ce in "Three Kingdoms", temporarily broke the contract due to scheduling issues, so we're going to audition now."

"Three Kingdoms?"

"You must know that this is a production worth hundreds of millions. If you can get this role, it would be better than acting in ten other unknown works."

Savin shook the armor as he spoke, causing the fine dust covering it to sway. "Ahem! This is a costume taken from the company's warehouse. Let's make do with it for now."

"If your mixed-race looks go directly for the auditions, you'll definitely suffer a big loss, so let's take care of your hair first before going over." He took out a black wig from the helmet and quickly combed it with his fingers, "We can't miss out on the wig and contact lenses..."

Savin's rare rushed appearance made Kiro confused, so when he saw that the wig was about to cover him, he subconsciously tilted his head to avoid it.

"Savin, what is the Three Kingdoms? Why do I have to wear these? Do I need to act in a costume film?

"You kid..! Have you heard of the Four Great Classics? Do you know the romance of the Three Kingdoms? That's the story in it."

"I've heard of it, but I haven't even read the scripts, so can I just go directly to the auditions?" Before he finished speaking, the hairband was placed on Kiro's head with lightning speed.

"You can't control that much. Just try it."

After getting his hair done, Savin picked up the armor and put it on for him, one by one. At that moment, the teacher who had been sitting on the wooden chair also slowly said, "I remember you said that your dream when you were a child was to be a superhero. Now I tell you, Sun Ce is also a hero. So it doesn't matter if you don't know his life, just remember that he is a a hero who is not afraid of anything."

These words began to play in Kiro's mind over and over again, until he arrived at the shooting scene with Savin. The director improvised an audition topic--

"You are now fighting a battle with less to win more, but because you have no escape, you are fearless."

Along with his words, flags were flying on the distant city wall, and wolf smoke was also billowing. Kiro looked at all of it this, and his heart remained very calm. Although he didn't know what the Three Kingdoms was about, he knew what a hero was.

The next second, he walked to a white horse, holding a red tassed gun in his hand, and jumped on it.

The workers around him were hurriedly moving their filming equipment, but in Kiro's ears, he could hear the sound of horns roaring, and the sound of thousands of horse hooves trampling behind him.

At that moment, Kiro was convinced that he was on the battlefield.

Amidst a horse's cry that pierced the sky, he loosened his reins and galloped forward, riding into the wolf smoke that was about to engulf the world. There were only a bunch of red tassels, as bright as a torch. Even the beacon of fire in the sky couldn't annihilate it, as if it were soaring into the sky.

--"All officers and men, listen to my order and join me on the battlefield."

[Chapter 5: Forgotten Birthday]

He got the role of Sun Ce. In addition to receiving congratulations from all around, he also heard some nasty remarks--

"A mixed-race guy with blond hair and blue eyes wants to play a famous historical figure. Isn't there something fishy about this?"

It would be a lie to say he didn't care, but Kiro also knew the distance between himself and Sun Ce. He began to frequent the library and borrowed one history book after another, but found that the words were concise and difficult to understand. He ran to ask Savin and found that they were classical Chinese texts, written articles in ancient Chinese.

He had no choice but to borrow another classical Chinese dictionary and compare it word by word. After a long time, in his dreams, he would be wearing a robe and looking at a bottle of Coke that was as tall as a human being, shaking its head and saying something.

"Ran, ran."

But due to the language barrier, coke was sprayed all over him, which made him wake up.

There were many such interesting things, which made him enjoy the learning. But the more he got to know Sun Ce, the more Kiro discovered that in his eyes, this man could not completely be called a hero. He was just forced to be involved in the mud of history, especially since the death of his father. How many decisions had he made, and how many goals did he really want to achieve?

With that mentality, the filming of the scene about the young Sun Ce began--

"Kiro, isn't the helmet a little tight? But it's too late to customize it. Please bear with me."

"It's okay, director. This is nothing to me."

"Kiro, there are some risks in this fight scene. If you can't adapt, we can find a substitute."

"...I think if I do it myself, the effect will be better."

In addition to constant contact with the filming scene, the director would also patiently point how people in ancient times spoke, behaved, and pronounced.

It's just that there were so many things to learn. So whenever the filming ended, he would sit in a corner alone and watch and learn.

Days like this went on and on. Then one day, a small change occurred--

"Happy Birthday, Kiro! I got this on the internet."

At that moment, the director who had been looking at the storyboard also heard the sound and put down what he was holding, "Kiro, happy birthday."

"....."

"Why are you just blinking and not talking? Is it because you were so lost during filming that you don't even remember your birthday?" The director teased, then raised his hand to look at the time and called for the makeup artist to come over.

"Time is tight. Take him to put on his makeup first."

Kiro didn't say anything more and left with the makeup artist.

But on the way, he took out his mobile phone as if to confirm--

April 9th. He was so busy that he had forgotten about it.

[Chapter 6: Stopped Swift]

"Okay, cut! This fight scene was great!"

"Would you like to do it again? There were a few movements I could've done better..."

The director smiled and waved his hand, "No, I liked the energy you had just now. Not ruthless, just high-spirited. And isn't it your birthday today? Go back quickly."

"It's okay, director. I want to stay for a while to observe and learn."

Kiro shook his head quickly. There was a highlight today and he didn't want to miss the confrontation between "Zhuge Liang" and "Sima Yi".

"It's okay. Don't think about it, your friends and family are all waiting to surprise you." The director deliberately frowned, half-pushed Kiro, and asked him to leave the set.

After taking off his armor, Kiro walked lightly on the crowded streets. At that moment, he suddenly felt as though he were back in California. At that time, he had no place he wanted to go and walked one road after another. What had changed today? He obviously wanted to stay on set to study today, but why did he still have to "wander" outside?

Was celebrating a birthday really necessary?

Why couldn't he just spend the day sitting in a corner of the set and watching?

Do we have to buy a cake and sing happy birthday to make this day not go by in vain?

A series of self-questions made him stop and sit on a bench, feeling discouraged.

Let's get over this day quickly... When it's over, you can stay at the filming site with confidence.

While he was convincing himself, a girl carrying a schoolbag and her mother walked past, hand in hand. The mother was wearing a floral skirt, carrying a shopping bag in her right hand. The scallions sticking out of her bag swayed with her footsteps.

What was more beautiful than the sunset were the ordinary human fireworks.

Then, he laughed and rubbed his head.

Kiro, what are you being pretentious about? You have two choices now: First, go buy a cake for your birthday; second, go back and do some weight-training, and then fall asleep from exhaustion.

Just as he was making a decision in his mind, a white nanny car stopped in front of him.

"What are you doing here, kid? Get in the car."

He looked at Savin who rolled down the window in surprise. His mind went blank for a moment, so much so that he didn't even remember how he got in the car. When he regained consciousness, he already had a gift box in his arms.

"Happy birthday," Savin said with a smile. "I originally wanted to give it to you in the morning, but the company's kept me busy with work. I finally finished it and was about to send you home..."

"The director told me you had left, but why were you still sitting here?"

"...I was sitting here to observe life."

Kiro tried explaining things, but what he got in return was Savin's blank stare.

"That's not important. I'm here to tell you some good news. It might be your best gift today."

With that said, Savin took out a document from the side and handed it to Kiro, "The director recognizes you very much and has recommended you to senior directors everywhere. This is an audition invitation sent by them. Basically, you're the protagonist."

"From my professional point of view, starting from the young Sun Ce this time," Savin became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke. Because he was speaking too fast, his face turned red.

"It won't be too long before you become a superstar, because you were born to be one!"

Faced with such powerful acknowledgment, Kiro didn't know what to say for a while.

Music and performing have always been his dreams, but he didn't know how many people would like his abilities.

Ten thousand? One hundred thousand? One million?

He didn't know.

He just opened the folder in silence, looking at the audition requirements, thinking quickly about how to feel so that he could express those characters more realistically.

But what was certain now was that in the face of those demands, he was no longer as overwhelmed as he was two months ago.

Maybe he had gradually adapted to this city. Just like France and California... he would find his own place in this huge city.

Suddenly, a swift black shadow passed through his peripheral vision, and Kiro subconsciously raised his head and looked out the window.

A bird was sitting on a high branch.

--It was a Swift.

Translation Masterlist: here

Kiro's Habitat Date: HERE

[blowflyfag]

WWF RAW MAGAZINE: JUNE 2001

The RAW Interview 

By Keith Elliot Greenberg

The Extreme Truth

Paul Heyman Pulls No Punches as he Reveals the Roots of “Hardcore”

(Part One)

Not long ago, World Wrestling Federation fans were astonished to turn on Raw Is War, and see none other than Paul Heyman sitting in the commentator’s chair. Since 1993, Heyman–also known as Paul E. Dangerously–had been the brains behind Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), an organization known for outrageous storylines and thrilling action. Through the years, some of the most gifted performers in the business–among them, Mick “Mankind” foley, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Chris Benoit, Tazz and the Dudleyz–got their seasoning in ECW, and many believe that the renegade group helped inspire the World Wrestling Federation’s edgy age of “Attitude.”

For much of the last year, Heyman struggled to keep his promotion alive, sometimes with the help of World Wrestling Federation-provided talent on his shows. But in early 2001, he realized he’d fought as hard as he could. When Jerry “The King” Lawler walked away from the World Wrestling Federation, Heyman found himself calling matches of the Federation, alongside Jim “J.R.” Ross.

RAW Magazine: Tell me about when you discovered that you’d be replacing Jerry Lawler on Raw Is War.

Paul Heyman: Actually, I thought it was a rib on me when they asked me to do it. I had no desire to be on camera. I get a much bigger thrill being behind the scenes. And I think the fact that I kept myself off camera so much in my own promotion is a testament to the fact that I truly don’t want to be an on-air personality. I was negotiating with the World Wrestling Federation when the company released Stacy Carter (The Kat), and her husband Jerry Lawler walked out on her behalf. When they told me they wanted me to sit in the commentator’s chair, I didn’t believe it. I haven’t been a commentator since October 1991, when I was in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). And I just couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to put a fat, bald, 35-year-old Jew on the air. It didn’t make sense to me… until 8:57 p.m., when they sent me out to the ring.

[“When the decision was made to take all wrestling stuff off Turner Broadcasting, I knew that, despite our efforts, the death knell was sounding for ECW. The fight was over. It was time to call it a day, and join the World Wrestling Federation.”]

RAW: In the weeks leading to your appearance on Raw, there were rumors about your last-ditch efforts to save ECW. How did you finally decide that it was time to come to the World Wrestling Federation? 

Heyman: I’ve been a longtime acquaintance of the McMahon family. It’s kind of like in the movie Almost Famous. I B.S.’ed my way into the back of Madison Square Garden right after my 14th birthday. When ECW ran into bad times, there was so much support from the World Wrestling Federation, offers of advice, talent and promotion from the very top of the organization all the way down to just people volunteering production services on their off-hours. It was a no-brainer for me. WCW was never even a consideration because, quite honestly, they were structured to fail. Had WCW been taken off the Turner networks, we hoped we might be able to replace them. But when the decision was made to take all wrestling off Turner Broadcasting, I knew that, despite our efforts, the death knell was sounding on ECW. The fight was over. It was time to call it a day, and join the World Wrestling Federation.

RAW: Just as, in the 1950s, when Antonio Rocca popularized the flying head scissors and Gorgeous George opened the door to gimmick performers, many fans believe that in the 1990s, the ECW attitude influenced the World Wrestling Federation attitude. Do you concur with that?

Heyman: I would say that it was smart business on everybody’s part to be influenced by us, and study what we were doing right and incorporate it into their own product. We had something very, very special, and it was working. It was creating a situation where we had the most rabidly loyal fan base that many in this industry ever saw. We didn’t have the media exposure to market and promote our product the way the other guys did. So, to me, they were smart to beat us to the punch and bring it to a wider audience. If not, it would have enabled ECW a better wing at the ball in capturing any percentage of market share. 

RAW: Back in 1994, there were people in the World Wrestling Federation who look at the ECW product, and said, “That stuff’s too hardcore. That may work in a bingo hall in Philadelphia, but on a national level no one’s gonna buy it.” I’m sure you heard those comments. So what compelled you to keep pushing the envelope without fear that it was going to explode in your face?

Heyman: We listened to the audience, and the audience was digging it. So we just kept on pushing it because they wanted us to. 

RAW: How did you end up in the dressing room at 14 years old?

Heyman: When I was 13 years old, I’d go to Madison Square Garden with my zoom lens, take pictures of the matches, and then trade those photos with people all over the country. It was an expensive hobby because I had to reproduce so many pictures. So I started putting together a newsletter with everyone’s photos and match results. I was having a blast, the time of my life, and I wanted to get some interviews. I was tired of taking zoom-lens pictures with the ropes in the way. I wanted to go backstage and take photos of the wrestlers there. Now, I might have had pimples and braces, but I also had a deep voice. And I B.S.’ed my way on the telephone, and finally got a hold of Vince McMahon, Sr. [father of current owner Vince McMahon]. He arranged for me to get a press pass for Madison Square Garden. I just acted like I belonged, and I guess they believed that I did. I gave a picture of Andre the Giant that I had taken to Vince, Sr., and he gave me $50 for it. And every month after that, I showed up with my press pass and got in. I ended up getting to know everybody, and just became part of the scene. 

RAW: Did you always believe in your heart that you’d be in the World Wrestling Federation at some point?

Heyman: I never really thought about it. I’ve never taken the time to sit down and wonder what comes next. I see TV executives do that all the time, and I hate their guts for it because they’ll make decisions that are based on future political ramifications instead of what’s right for their organizations. I just wanted to put 100 percent into whatever I did. So I never really thought that I would end up here. It’s been close several times through my career. But for one reason or another, I always ended up doing something else. I have a different perspective coming here at age 35 than I would have had if I came here when I was 24. I’m glad I had a chance to grow up outside the structure of the WWF because it enables me, at 35, to bring an old man’s experience but a young man’s enthusiasm to the table. 

RAW: When did you make the transition from being a photographer to being a participant?

Heyman: I was editing one of the wrestling magazines in 1985 and 1986. And I also was doing work at [New York nightclub] Studio 54, doing publicity, promotions and producing shows–kind of like ECW. IN April 1986, Studio closed due to insurance problems. Suddenly I found myself out of work, so I began working on independent wrestling shows in the Northeast. In January 1987, I started working at the old wrestling territory in Florida. From there, I went to Memphis. And from there I went to the [now-defunct] American Wrestling Alliance (AWA). Everything just took off like a rocket for me. 

RAW: It’s one thing to take pictures at ringside, it’s another thing to take bumps in the ring. How did you learn to make that change?

Heyman: I didn’t learn how to do it at all. I loved performing. It was a fantasy come true. And I just went out there and did it with no formal training, figuring things out along the way–like a real schmuck.

RAW: It’s no secret that, back in the days of the regional wrestling territories, some promoters didn’t treat the fans like they were intelligent. Did you learn from their mistakes?

Heyman: ECW was a very fan-friendly promotion. We believed in talking to and with our audience instead of at them and thinking that we were above them. I didn’t buy into the mentality some other promoters had. 

RAW: In Memphis in 1987, you were involved in a very famous altercation with the man you replaced in the World Wrestling Federation, Jerry Lawler. 

Heyman: It was the first time Lawler lost a hair match. I was Austin Idol’s manager and, in the middle of his match with Lawler, Tommy Rich–who had been hiding under the ring all day–came out and gave Lawler a piledriver after the referee got knocked on his ass. And Idol pinned Lawler. Then, they let me into the cage, and we proceeded to shave the head of the hometown hero, Jerry “the King” Lawler.

RAW: And the fans really seemed ready to riot?

Heyman: They did. It took us 45 minutes to get out of the cage. The cops couldn’t get to us, and we couldn't get out of the cage. People were literally climbing the cage to get in. And Tommy Rich was swinging a chair to bat them down. I was just 21 years old and stupid–I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. Meanwhile, I’m starting to realize, “Hey, why are the cops standing all the way back there? And why haven't they gotten to the ring yet?” And I realized it was because they couldn’t get to us. I was too excited to be scared.

RAW: And it was Tommy Rich who helped get you into the AWA?

Heyman: Yeah, he got a job there and mentioned that there was this young guy he knew who no one had seen on a national level. The AWA was on [TV] daily on ESPN at the time. The Gagnes [AWA owners Verne and Greg Gagne] were hesitant to use me because I'd been a photographer.

RAW: Why was that a problem? Did they think that you weren’t a professional manager?

Heyman: I really can’t identify the mindset, simply because I’m happy to state that in my life, I don’t think that I’ve ever been that stupid. 

So I said to them, “Here’s what I'll do” I’ll buy a ticket to the TV tapings on my own. And if you like my shtick, give me back the plane ticket money and tell me that I have a job. If you don’t, I'll pack my bags and leave; the ticket’s on me and thank you for the opportunity.”

[“We brought in Sabu, then Tazz, and then Tommy Dreamer… (ECW) just gave the people a quality show, and it caught on. We could see the movement gaining momentum, and I decided to stick with it.”]

RAW: So you go out there, and you get heat?

Heyman: Yeah, kinda.

RAW: So did the Gagnes say, “Fine, you can stay”?

Heyman: Yeah, I walked to the dressing room, was handed my plane ticket money and told, “You got a job.”

RAW: Then you got national exposure?

Heyman: Yes.

RAW: And that led to you appearing in ECW?

Heyman: Right, I left Verne [Gagne] right before New Year’s Eve in ‘87, and spent the next 10 months working a little bit for Jerry Blackwell’s promotion in Georgia. Then I was Eddie Gilbert’s assistant booker in Alabama, while i was booking a new promotion out of Chicago called Windy City Wrestling. In WCW, Tully [Blanchard] and Arn [Anderson] had just left for the World Wrestling Federation, and the new Midnight Express [Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane] needed someone new to work with. So I came in with the Original Midnight Express [Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose, who’d previously used the name} for a Midnight vs. Midnight feud. And we started there the day that Ted Turner took over the company.

RAW: But what was significant about that was that fans weren’t sure if this was a storyline or the real thing. The announcers had said, “These guys [Condrey and Rose] don’t even work for WCW.”

Heyman: Very much. It was a lot like the things we did in ECW. Fans weren’t sure where the story ended and reality began.

RAW: Let’s hear about the roots of ECW.

Heyman: In 1993, my old friend Eddie Gilbert was living in Philadelphia, putting together Eastern Championship Wrestling with Tod Gordon. Eddie asked me to come down a few days a month and help him produce promos and teach some guys different interview skills and stuff like that. I always loved to work with talent.  When Eddie and Tod had a falling out, Tod was left in a bad jam. And he asked me as a favor to help him. I came in and took over the creative end on September 18, 1993. And he asked me if I would do it a little longer while he got his legs underneath him. And I started producing characters like the Public Enemy. We brought in Sabu, then Taz, and then Tommy Dreamer. And we gave a young announcer named Joey Styles his first exposure and turned Shane Douglas into “The Franchise.” We just gave the people a quality show, and it caught on. We could just see the movement gaining momentum, and I decided to stick with it. 

RAW: How did Eastern Championship Wrestling become Extreme Championship Wrestling?

Heyman: Even after the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) ended its close association with WCW, the NWA continued to exist. It was mainly a group of small promoters around the country. And there were some members of the board of the NWA who kept trying to stop ECW’s progress. So the decision was made in 1994 to promote the next NWA world heavyweight championship tournament at the ECW Arena [in Philadelphia]. And the decision was made that Shane Douglas would get the belt. At that time, we made the decision that the NWA was truly a dead organization, and this was our chance to do something that we’d never done. We would declare the past dead and say, “This Is a whole new beginning. We’re gonna break all the conventions and trash all the rules. And look out world, here we come.” We took the risk of alienating ourselves from the rest of the wrestling industry, which we did. 

Shane beat Too Cold Scorpio in the final. And then he threw down the NWA title in the ring. He didn’t throw it into a garbage can, as many people later claimed. And [NWA president] Dennis Coralluzzo came in the back and asked what was going on. We said Shane was the champion, whether he wanted him to be champion or not. 

When out TV show aired, he was introduced as our new ECW champion. But we weren’t Eastern Championship Wrestling anymore, and we weren’t the NWA. We were Extreme Championship Wrestling. And the way the business would be propelled into the future would now be labeled “extreme.”

[Part Two of the Paul Heyman interview will appear in the July issue of RAW Magazine, on sale June 26.]