#I mean. What is any of this even doing for anyone

[rafesangelita]

This idea has been stick in my head but I don’t got the skills to execute it.

Rafe dating a reader he calls “Angel” bc despite growing up with Rafe reader somehow has never done half of the crazy shit Rafe did. So reader is quite literally one of the few good thing going for him.

Until *dundundun*

Someone at a party convinces reader to try some drugs (Rafe as the controlling bastard he is, though that’s a good? thing in this case, doesn’t let reader do anything that isn’t weed) because Rafe must get tired of being around someone innocent. But when Rafe finds out what’s been done he’s rightfully pissed that someone tried to taint his angel.

warnings: childhood friends to lovers, drug use, peer pressure, coercion, manipulation, slight angst, crying, fighting, rafe is very overprotective, a little bit of rough handling, reader is described to be innocent and kind of sheltered, light fluff, reader freaks out when she realizes she’s high, reassurance + comfort

wc: 1.3k

‘innocent little y/n’— that’s what everyone called you when you were growing up. you never lied, you never stole, you were actually a tattletale and everyone hated you for it. because of that, no one ever wanted to be your friend, all except for rafe who had no idea why he felt the overwhelming need to protect you and keep you tucked into his side where you were ‘safe and sound’ from anyone who wanted to tease or be mean to you. it was rather easy since you found yourself following him around everywhere anyways.

your dynamic changed when you two got older and he had another threat to worry about that he didn’t have once before; and that was boys. he remembered hearing some of his friends talk about you in a way that had him throwing punches and getting suspended. once ward threatened him with military school on the mainland, he decided that the only way people with ulterior motives and sick and twisted minds would back off was if he stook his claim on you and let everyone know that you were his. and of course.. it worked.

no one knew how on god’s green earth you two ended up together. rafe was a hothead with a drug habit to match, and you were just there; oblivious to it all. you didn’t know anything about rafe’s little problem since he never did any lines or took rips from a bong in front of you. except for one time when he unintentionally got you high when you two were boxed in his truck and he decided to smoke since ward was on his ass and he needed it. he didn’t snap until he looked over at you and saw you spaced out, your eyes red and glossy as you played with the ends of your hair.

rafe was quick to throw out his joint before fanning the air and rolling down the windows. for the next hour he had to deal with your nonstop giggling and even went as far as getting you snacks from the food mart in a poor attempt to shut you up. “would you quit it already?!” he scolded you every time you tried to feed him whatever sweet you had in between your fingers. rafe vowed from that night forward that weed was the only thing he’d ever let you get high on. fortunately, he never smoked in front of you again and didn’t have to worry about that problem— until now.

“do you really think rafe wants to be with someone who’s boring? a little bit of blow isn’t the end of the world, angel.” topper scooted closer to you on the couch, making sure to throw in the nickname rafe has had for you since you were kids. “i’m not boring..” you crossed your arms over your chest once you saw the way topper eyed your cleavage, your eyes searching the room for any sign of rafe. “you sure about that? why do you think rafe never does his shit in front of you? it’s cause you’re a fucking buzz kill.” topper opened up the tiny baggy of powder, a smug grin spreading across his lips once he saw you peer down in curiosity.

“rafe is a pretty crazy dude, wouldn’t he want a break from all of this ‘innocent’ shit? i bet you he’s no where to be found right now because he’s talking to another girl who actually knows how to have a good time.” he scoffed, his words making your eyes water. “just try it, baby, i think rafe would love to see you bouncing off of the walls for once,” topper opened the baggy, scooping some of the substance up with his pinky, “and you wanna know something else? this shit makes you go all fucking night long. rafe would definitely appreciate that..” you eyed topper’s hand as he brought it up to your eye level.

“i don’t know—” you backed away slightly before his fingertips were nudging your lips. “yes you do know, just snort it, come on,” you kept moving away until your back hit the armrest of the couch. topper had his pinky directly under your nostril, a sense of panic flooding your system as you attempted to turn your face away. topper only followed, cursing a ‘just fucking snort it already!’ before you succumbed and gave the substance the lightest sniff you could muster. in seconds, you screwed your eyes shut tight, the crunching sound of bone meeting bone making you yelp once you realized rafe’s fist planted into the side of topper’s face.

topper was immediately rendered unconscious, the partygoers nearby all gasping in unison. rafe grabbed your face, inspecting you quickly before he spotted the coke residue on the tip of your nose. “that sorry motherfucker..” he gritted his teeth, his vision growing blind with white hot anger. despite topper’s unconscious state, rafe still punched him until he drew blood, kelce, along with some of his other friends stepping in before things could get worse. “he’s down already bro, that’s enough!” kelce shouted, your boyfriend swatting away all of their hands until they were able to get him off.

getting out of their grip, rafe wasted no time in dragging you up by your arm, your legs shaking as he lead you two out of the crowded house and to his truck. “let me see you.” he pulled out his phone, flashing the light on your face. your pupils were blown to shit, your teeth clattering as you shivered in the chilly night air. “fuck, baby..” he felt guilty beyond words for thinking stepping away to get another drink— even if it was for a quick second, that leaving you alone was a good idea. “rafe, my heart is beating really fast!” you cried, grabbing his hand and placing it over your chest as your face twisted in horror.

“i know, i know, just try to stay calm, angel.” he placed you in the passenger seat, clicking your seatbelt in place before rushing around and peeling off in the direction of home. you were sweating now and panting as if you had just ran a marathon. rafe felt utterly helpless, the scared look etched into your usual soft and happy features made his gut wrench. he swore he would never do a line again even if his tolerance was already up there from years of experience. he hated seeing you like this. “he wouldn’t stop getting close to me, i didn’t know what else to do!” your leg was bouncing, your fingertips itching to move in anyway you could.

“don’t worry, we’re almost home.” he reassured you, taking your hand and pressing a kiss to your knuckles before you could panic any further. once you two were in the driveway, rafe rushed you both inside, quickly starting a cold shower and cleaning you up. neither of you went to sleep until your high subsided a few hours later. during that time, rafe made you push down a lot of water along with eating something so you weren’t on an empty stomach. “everything is okay, alright?” rafe held you in his arms, a small hum sounding from your lips before you drifted off into a much needed slumber.

rafe watched you sleep and he couldn’t help but think of everything after this incident occurred. you were the only person in his life that wasn’t tainted in any way. the only good thing he had going for him. he couldn’t handle the thought of topper forcing his way over you and you sitting there helplessly, hoping he’d turn up soon. the thought made his fists clench again as he recalled the confused yet relieved look on your face once he was in your view. he made a promise to never leave you alone like that ever again.

gone were the days of attending pointless parties..

[kkusuka]

i would love to be john price's (141's) little bird.

(afab reader, you're lowkey a housewife, g/n pronouns, this was also a lot longer than i meant it to be-1.2k words- and i also wrote it entirely in class)

just the cute little thing he comes home to after long missions; ready to give him anything he needs to fully enjoy his time at home. barefoot and wide-eyed waiting for your bear of a husband to return from his long hard mission, keeping him fed and fucked as much as he needs. and he just loves you so much-- so much that he needs to show everyone how good you are for him.

it's not like he sets out to rub it in, but when his sergeant mentions not having anyone waiting for him at home-- john just can’t help but invite him over, you always talk about how much you love taking care of him, adding another man shouldn't be a problem! and what kind of captain would he be if he didn't take care of his subordinates?

and you aren't complaining! you love when john lets you see into his job! and gaz is just so sweet, saying please and thank you, offering to help clean the dishes, and politely refusing any leftovers even when you all know he has no food to go back to. so, you just have to keep inviting him over, night after night. and he's so good at conversations, even when he and your husband talk with all their military jargon, he makes sure you understand all of it; you just want to keep him in your house forever! so you kind of do…

you can't imagine making him go all the way home to his cold and dark apartment, it's so far and you know he's tired from his month of constant action-- so suddenly kyle has a bedroom set up right next to yours (close enough to hear how john thanks you for being so good to his sergeant, and just maybe a hand goes down below his waistband) a fully stocked bathroom and a place to put his shoes when you all come back your occasion dinners out. (they're dates, you don't think it but they do)

but kyle is not a man so stay silent about his blessings. you're too nice, too pretty to not tell soap about-- and trust john isn't going to complain, and he knows that you won’t either. 'the best roast i think i've ever had' and 'knows exactly how to make a man feel at home' and soap is not one to stray from his desires.

so you end up with your boys, and a bubbling scotsman in your dinning room with no warning. and you're upset, no one told you that you had to make more food and now there isn't enough to give everyone your usual heaping portion- and there is no way you're letting anyone go hungry in your home!

so you end up bouncing around the kitchen, trying to whip something up before the main course finishes in the oven and who but soap offers to help you out! he's got a hand on you at all times (two on your waist when you're chopping the onion, he just wouldn't know what to do with himself if you got hurt making him dinner. so he has to hold you steady, he has to run his hands over your hips keep you stabilized-- don't think too much into it, just stay focused on chopping bonnie)

and soap knows that he can talk for hours, but he can't help it when your eyes light up when he mentions his childhood in scotland and his missions around the world. and your small flinch and frown when he talks about getting hurt. their lass just can't help but worry about them. he just can't stay away from his captains sweet bird-- not when you send him off with a steaming pile of leftovers and a tight hug (pressed against him as hard as you can because you don’t want him to go)

johnny, a man to brag, never shuts up about how it took kyle three months to get a room but it only took him two. (sometimes when he comes back from the bathroom in the morning he can see into your room as you're getting ready. and he doesn't mean to do it but your panties are his favorite shade of blue and they look so amazing on you-- he wants to see them up close so bad.)

and so he tells ghost of all his troubles- unasked and randomly the next time they got sent out. and does ghost really care about johnny's playground crush on their captains bird? yes. how had he been left the only one not getting home cooked meals after being sent out? is he going to say anything about it?

not a chance.

so it takes a little while before the final place at your dinner table to be filled. but after a particularly grueling mission (and already wishing to come over), ghost is finally convinced he belongs with the rest of his team.

and you've never been happier to make extra food; you've been hearing for months about the illusive fourth man of your husband's battalion but having him stand in your kitchen with a cute little store bought dessert was certainly worth the wait. ( 'Ah didnae ken ye liked pink that much, lt' 'it was all they 'ad, can't show up empty 'anded, johnny')

and is he a little awkward and standoffish, of course-- years of military pressure will do that to a man!

and simon is just too sweet, even if he doesn't know it. he's pulling your chair out for you, and running out in the rain to collect the mail that you'd forgotten all about. he even lets you drag him to the grocery store during your weekly trips. (it's not dragging, he'd follow you into the pits of hell if you'd asked him too so the grocery store is really not a big deal.)

everything is just so perfect when all of your the boys are all in the house together!

and suddenly everything in life makes sense again. that plate that you can never reach on the highest shelf in the kitchen, a body is pressed against you as simon leans over you to grab it leaving you with a squeeze to your hip and red face. the gossip that your husband just never understood in the way he should is studently being told to kyle over coffee every morning as your other boys roll out of bed. the soap opera that you rope johnny into watching every thursday night becomes facemasks and wine time.

and john just loves it. he just loves you so much; loves the way you smile at kyles flirting, loves how you cuddle up to johnny on the couch, loves how you let simon hold you so close when you make his tea in the morning, and he just loves teasing you about it. (teasing? yes. making you face the fact that you want your husbands men to run a train on you like a whore. also yes.)

i wanna keep going but i have to let it end at some point

[snoopyracing]

forever and always // ln4

part two to champagne coast

pairing: lando norris X reader

word count: 10k

warnings: cursing and alcohol use

includes: 100% pure fluff

summary: life with lando after the italy trip or lando and you getting your happily ever after

masterlist

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Life at the moment couldn’t be greater for you. You’d just gone on the most amazing week-long trip to Italy and in the process managed to upgrade your best friend into your boyfriend. You couldn’t truly ask for more, except for the screaming baby on the plane to give it a rest. Even in first class the baby’s incessant cries could be heard and you wanted to slap yourself for not remembering to pack your headphones into your carry-on. 

You glance over at your boyfriend who’s sat in the spacious seat next to you. “We should have just flown private like you wanted.” You were trying to not have Lando spend any more unnecessary money on you then needed, lord knows how much he spent on you this past week. You’d told yourself that you could survive a commercial flight, it was only three hours back to London. You do it for work and when you visit Lando in Monaco, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. Well, at least that’s what you thought a couple hours ago. 

“What I wanted was to stay in Italy for another week.” His large hand finds yours and your fingers intertwine. “But I know my working girl has responsibilities and deadlines to meet and money to make and all that kind of stuff.” He lifts your intertwined hands up to his lips and presses a chaste kiss to the back of your hand, the simple gesture sending an eruption of butterflies through your stomach. 

“Yeah well someone’s got to bring home the bacon in this relationship.” You joke, like Lando wasn’t bringing home a modest 30 million a year. 

“Well, racing isn’t gonna last forever, so I am gonna eventually need you to be my sugar mommy.” 

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” Your teasing causes a pink tint to spread across the apples of Lando’s cheeks and it makes you giggle at how easily you can get him riled up. 

He slides down in his seat, trying to make himself seem smaller, all while still anchoring himself to you by his hand. “Nothing wrong with liking to be taken care of.” Lando has never not been vocal (at least with you) about how he in all honesty likes to be babied. 

Sure, he loves taking care of you, but sometimes he just wants the woman he loves (you) to take care of him. Even before you two got together you were the person who would look after him after a particular shit race weekend and when he would visit you back in London he always seemed to just be able to let his walls down and be vulnerable with you. 

“I like that you need me.” You state, which has Lando feeling even more warm and gushy inside. 

“Never not gonna need you. You know that right? You’re stuck with me.” And Lando means every word that slips out of his mouth. He doesn’t know what he’d do without you in his life. For so many years you were his everything and now that he fully has every part of you he can’t imagine letting you go.

Your eyes soften at the man you love. There isn’t anyone else you’d rather endure this plane ride from hell with. Yet, with all the love you have for him, you can’t help but poke fun at him. “Unfortunately.” You say with a cheesy grin on your face. 

“You love me.” Lando pushes back. 

“Unfor-“ 

Lando interrupts you before you can push his buttons even more. “Wait, do you hear that?” 

Your eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, your head glancing around the cabin to try and figure out what he’s talking about. “Hear what?” 

“Exactly.” 

And that’s when you realize that there is nothing to hear, because the baby had stopped crying. You think you’d forgotten what quiet was for a moment and to finally have it back was pure bliss. Though the little slice of silence lasts for a few short moments because as the plane begins its descent the change in air pressure has the baby crying once more. “Well, at least we know we are almost home!” You say trying to be positive. 

“We could have still been in Italy.” Lando groans. 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Adjusting to life back in London was a little harder than you thought it was going to be. It helped that you had Lando with you this week, but you wished so badly to be back in Italy. The Thames couldn’t hold a candle to the Mediterranean Sea and you could only dream that you would wake up to the calming lull of the waves and not construction and sirens. And while you were slowly adjusting it seemed like Lando wasn’t at all.

When Lando was back in London for work he usually just stayed with you or Max, so Lando staying at your place wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but him not letting Max or his family know that he was back home was out of the ordinary. After the third day of Lando being a hermit in your apartment all day while you were at work you finally confronted him about it. 

“Lan, I’m home!” You called out as you kicked off the world's most uncomfortable heels, your feet silently thanking you as they felt the cool flooring beneath them. 

“Kitchen!” You hear him holler back and by the smoke free air you’d have to conclude that he wasn’t trying to cook you dinner. Instead you find him standing at the counter in the middle of making himself a cup of tea. Your hands sneak around his waist, resting your head on his muscular back. A content sigh escapes past his mouth and you feel his free hand settle on your arm. 

“Hi baby. How was work?” 

“Very long and tiring. I’m glad to be home.” You reply before placing a kiss on his shoulder. 

Lando says nothing as he moves to grab your arm, leading you towards the couch. And by some miracle he sets his cup of tea down on the coffee table spill free while he pulls you into his side as you two plop down. “Missed you while you were gone.” His words are slightly mumbled as he plants a kiss onto the top of your head. 

Moments later his phone buzzes and your eyes can’t help but glance at the screen as he pulls it out of his sweatpants pocket. You barely see the contact name of your shared friend across the screen before he’s locking his phone and sliding it back into his pocket. 

“Lando.” His fingers ghost up and down your arm as he hums in response. “Why have you been ignoring Max?” You weren’t trying to pry into his business, but what you were saying was true. You’d seen the unread texts and for Lando to ignore his best friend, especially when he was back in England, was very out of character for him. 

His movements halted and you can hear the gears in his pretty little head turning. “I’m not ignoring him.” 

You shift on the couch so you can properly look at him. “Lando. You’ve been holed up in my apartment ever since we got back. What’s going on? You ignore Max’s texts to make plans. I see the missed calls from your parents. Are you second guessing things or do you not want people to know about us?” 

Lando’s eyes nearly bulge out his head at your suggestions and he’s reaching out for your hands faster than lightning. “Oh god no. God. No no no. Never in a million years would I not want to be with you.” 

“Then what is going on?” Your eyes soften at the man you love as you try to understand what’s going on in his head. 

“It’s quite selfish of me.” He finally admits with his head hung low while you rub your thumb across his knuckles, encouraging him to continue. “I know this sounds ridiculous, but I don’t want to have to share you with anyone quite yet. You going to work I can handle, but god we haven’t even gotten to really spend time together as a couple. Summer break is going to be over very soon and then that’s a whole nother beast we have to figure out and I know I’m very in my head about all of this but I just want you to myself for as long as I can. I don’t want other people’s opinions about you or our relationship to be all over the internet either. God why am I so in my head?” . 

Your heart swells at Lando’s words and while you understand how he feels, you know you’ve got to talk some sense into him as well. “I get it. We’ve been living in our own bubble this past week and now it’s even better that we’re together. It’s like the real world and reality are out to get us, but baby that’s life. And really I don’t give a fuck what anyone on the internet says about me or us because they’ve been saying stuff for years. It’s not anything new– I know what’s real between us and that’s all that matters to me and it should to you also.” 

You give his hands a reassuring squeeze, trying to convey just how serious you were about all of this. 

“Plus, I’m not worried one bit about once you start racing again, sure I’ll miss you when I can’t come with you, but we’ll make it work. What I am worried about though is you isolating yourself. I love that you love spending time with me, but Lan you gotta not let the anxiety of life get into your way. Even with this crazy life that you live you’re lucky enough to have people who care deeply about you and the rare occasion that you aren’t in England for more than a day or work and you chose to ignore them is not good for you. So take your phone out and tell Max that we’ll be over at his place Friday.” 

Lando sighs as he internalizes your words. Everything you had said was right. You always know how to get into his head and talk him off his anxiety induced edge. He can’t recall how many times you’d been there for him during a bad race weekend— granted this was nothing like that, but nonetheless he knows he can always confide in you and that you’ll always be there with love and the right words to say. 

And like the obedient boyfriend he is– he slips his phone out of his pocket and quickly sends Max a text. “Why not Saturday? Don’t you work Friday?” He asks. 

You shrug your shoulders at him like it was no big deal. “I got Friday off and we have other plans for Saturday.” 

“With your friends?” 

“No. We are having dinner with your family. I’ve been texting your Mom occasionally ever since we got back. Someone had to let her know her son was still alive.” 

Lando’s cheeks turn red in shame, he’s a known certified Momma’s boy and he knows his Mother was probably worried sick about him these past couple days. “I’ve always said she likes you more than me.” 

“Yeah well I actually respond to her messages.” You tease as you tuck yourself into Lando’s side, the couch pulling you in deeper. 

Silence fills the room for a few moments and it’s tranquil– golden hour cascading through your floor to ceiling windows as the two of you cuddle up on the couch, the feeling of Lando’s fingers running up and down your back as you listen to his steady heartbeat. 

“Thank you.” Lando is the one to break the silence, his voice soft and meaningful. You hum in response, waiting for him to continue. “Thanks for getting me out of my head. You’re my person, you know that? Don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

The sun filtering into the room makes the golden brown flecks in his eyes pop even more and you can’t believe that this beautiful and caring man that you’ve had in your life for so long is now actually yours and that maybe if you would have opened your eyes sooner you could have had him this way for even longer. 

“I love you.” 

Lando’s face erupts into a smile and you can’t help but lean into his hand as it moves to cup your face. 

“I love you too.” 

He leans in for a kiss and when your lips meet you swear it’s like you're kissing him for the first time again. There’s something so enthralling and intoxicating about kissing Lando and you pray it’s something you never grow tired of. 

“Can you really blame me though, for wanting to stay locked away with my sexy, stunning, intelligent, caring, and breathtaking girlfriend?” Lando states as you two resume your prior positions on the couch, soaking in this serene evening together. 

“Wow, that's a lot of adjectives.” You reply as a slight giggle escapes from you. 

“I can name some more if you’d like.” 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Friday comes in the blink of an eye and before you know it you’re standing next to Lando as he knocks on the door to Max’s apartment. The solid white door swings open and there stands Max with a mischievous look on his face. 

“Thought you two had fucked off and decided to move to Italy.” 

“It’s still a possibility.” Lando states as he walks in behind you. 

“Don’t be bitter because you weren’t invited Fewtrell.” You chime in. 

The three of you settle in the living room and it reminds you of old times before Lando moved to Monaco. When you’d all be gathered at someone’s place and life seemed simpler. Things have changed drastically since then, but you know you’ll always have these two annoying guys in your life. 

“I’m not bitter. I’ve third wheeled enough in our friendship to know when I’m not wanted.” Max is chomping at the bit to know what went down on your trip and if nothing had he thinks his two best friends may have one collective brain cell that they share between them. “Soooo. How was Italy? Romantic?” 

Your eyes quickly dart over to Lando who’s seated in one of the chairs slightly to your left, while Max is sitting on the couch opposite of the one you’re residing on. Max was clearly digging for information and according to someone else in your friend group, Max had a large amount of money that he had bet on the two of you coming back from Italy and being together. So Lando and you had decided to make Max work for his prize– nothing like a little lying and mental warfare while spending time with friends right? You see that mischievous look in Lando’s eyes and then he open’s that pretty little mouth of his. 

“Did you know pizza was apparently invented in Naples?” 

Max furrows his eyebrows at Lando, surprised at the fact that was what came out of his mouth. “I didn’t.” 

“Yeah. Think we ate our body weight in pizza this past week. Gonna have to hit the training hard before the season starts back up.” Lando is acting too nonchalant about the trip and you can tell Max is listening for any little slip up. 

“Hmm is that so?” Max glances over in your direction and you know your next in line for his interrogation. “Y/N.” 

“Max.” 

“How was Italy?” 

“It was great. We ate lots of good food, went sightseeing, went to the beach, and relaxed. Everything you’d do on a trip to Italy.” 

Max still isn’t satisfied with anyone’s answer. To him there was just no way that something didn’t happen between you two on that trip and he was going to get the truth out even if it killed him. “Nothing exciting happened?” 

You shrug your shoulders as you glance over at Lando– wanting him to take the reins on this one. You can see the gears turning in his head all the while Max is getting antsier by the second waiting for someone to respond. 

“Well, Y/N did meet a guy.” 

There’s a shocked look on both Max’s face and yours at Lando’s words. Even with your little plan in place you didn’t think Lando was going to say that or honestly bring up that night ever again, but he did and he’s thrown Max for a loop at the same time. 

“You met a guy?” Max asks you. He isn’t sure if he heard Lando right and he’s really starting to wonder how this trip could have gone this horribly wrong. 

“Yeah. We went out to a bar one night and I started talking to this guy. He was really nice and happened to be from London. He’s my most recent follow on insta if you want to see what he’s like. His name is Harry.” You hadn’t bothered to unfollow him and at this moment you guess it was a good thing you hadn’t. 

Max thinks the world is ending right here in his apartment. How could his best friends be so fucking stupid? How could they go on a trip by themselves and not see how utterly in love they were with each other? 

He pulls up your instagram and finds the guy's account– sure he’s attractive, but there’s never going to be the connection there that Lando and you have. Anyone with two working eyes and a brain could see that and as Max locks his phone and tosses it on the couch cushion beside him he thinks he should make an appointment for both Lando and you to go see an optometrist and neurologist. 

“He seems like a nice lad.” Max had given up. If anything did happen you two were clearly dead set on not giving it up, so he’d try again another day. If Max knew one thing it was that consistency was key and being annoying about his best friends being in love was one thing he will always be consistent about. 

“Yeah I think he’d fit in really well with our friend group.” The look on Max’s face is nothing shy of disgust and out of the corner of your eye you can see Lando fighting back his laughter. You know if you fully look at Lando that you’ll break so you focus on Max who seems to be going through the five stages of grief.

“Right. Well Lando I’ve got a couple things I need to go over with you for Quadrant. Let me go get my laptop real quick.” Max has no issue with changing the subject at this point— the mere idea of that guy joining your friend group was completely out of the question. 

Once Max was out of earshot you immediately turned your attention to Lando. 

“Oh he’s absolutely fuming.” Lando states, his voice slightly higher from trying to suppress his laughter. You can feel the giggles rising from within you and it’s like in school when you aren’t supposed to be laughing, but everything is way more funny because of it. It’s not even that funny of a situation, but Lando and you are nearly beside yourselves over it. 

Before you both completely lose it Max waltzes back into the living room with his laptop in hand. The two of them go over clothing ideas and mockups for sometime while you calm yourself and scroll through your phone. 

“Ok one last thing- the redesign for the website. I’ll send the test link to your phone and see if there’s anything you want to look different on the mobile site.” 

Lando pats his pockets and realizes he forgot his phone in the car. “Shit. Hey baby can you please run to the car and grab my phone.” He’s tossing the car keys to you and you’re catching them before Max can get his brain and his mouth to work fast enough. 

“Sorry! What?!” 

You stand there confused, Lando’s keys jingling in your hands. 

“What’s wrong?” Lando asks. 

Max doesn’t know what to think at the moment. “You just called Y/N baby!“ 

In all honesty Lando didn’t even realize the term of endearment had slipped past his tongue and from the way you reacted it seems you didn’t either. But Lando and you share a knowing look and instead of panicking you decide to just run with the situation.

Lando scoffs, like Max had just suggested the most outrageous thing. “No I didn’t” 

“Yes you did!” Max’s eyes look like they are about ready to bulge out of his head as he speaks. 

“Max he literally didn’t. I think I would know if Lando called me baby.” 

“Stop gaslighting me!” Max knows what he heard, he’s not stupid or crazy like the two of you are making it seem. His eyes dart back and forth between Lando and you, trying to see if he can read your faces, but it’s useless. 

“Alright well I’ll be right back. Lando maybe try to calm Max down.” You state before swiftly leaving Max’s apartment before you break character. 

While you’re gone Max doubles down on his interrogation of Lando, but all Lando does is deny deny deny. His PR training coming in handy at this moment in time. It doesn’t take long for you to get back and when you hand Lando his phone and keys Lando can’t help but fan the fire some more by intentionally letting that little four letter word slide right off his tongue. 

“Thank you baby.” His hand lingers on yours for way longer than need be. The simple skim of his fingers across your skin sends a shiver up your spine. You don’t even get time to respond to Lando before Max’s big mouth is hollering once more. 

“I know I’m not going crazy. I heard that clear as day! Now would you two quit fucking with my head and tell me you finally opened your eyes.” 

There’s an unspoken agreement between Lando and you as you shift your gaze towards him, a shrug of the shoulders and both of you knowing that if you continued to screw with Max he’d probably start to make your lives hell. So, you take a seat on the arm of the chair that Lando is still residing in and like a magnet he’s snaking his arm around your waist–pulling you closer to him. 

Max sits there eyeing the both of you, your current positions tell him nothing, as your closeness and touching was nothing out of the ordinary for you two, but it’s what comes out of Lando’s mouth seconds later that has Max’s eyes as wide as saucers. 

“Better call Ed and let him know he owes you some money.” 

He knows what that means and has clearly been waiting for it to happen, but actually knowing now has him somehow not believing that Lando is telling the truth. “Are you guys fucking with me again or is this for real?” 

“What you want me to physically tell you that Y/N and I are together? That we finally realized that we’ve been in love with each other for an unreasonably long time and made everyone close to us crazy for years?” 

Max sits there dumbfounded, for someone who had been wanting to finally hear this news he just can’t believe it had finally happened. “Well yeah I guess.” He watches his best friends as their hands intertwine and when they look at each other he can see the love radiating between them. 

It had always been there– the love, but there was something different between them now that they’ve become partners like the missing pieces of the puzzle had finally slotted into place. He’s happy that his best friends finally have each other in the way they were meant to and perhaps that he has a little more money in his pocket. “Alright well now can you actually tell me how Italy was?” 

“Well first of all. It wasn’t just you and our other friends that were annoying about us. I think everyone in Italy thought we were a couple before we even realized how we actually felt.” And so you tell Max all about Italy and how special it is to the two of you now. 

“See now why couldn’t you have just told me all of this in the beginning instead of fucking with me?” Max exclaims. 

“Well that’s no fun is it?” Lando rebuttals. “Think about how funny of a story that will be to tell at our wedding one day?” 

You feel your heart start to rabidly race and a heat spread throughout your body at Lando mentioning your wedding. You guys had only really been together for like a week and he’s already casually mentioning marrying you? You weren’t trying to freak out, but what the fuck? Your ears are ringing and it’s like your mind has left your body for a second, but the one thing that brings you back to Earth is the feeling of Lando’s hand squeezing yours. 

When you look down at him and he looks at you with those pretty eyes that seem to be an enigma of colors and that smile of his that could make you feel better even on the shittiest of days you just somehow know that he is the man you’re going to marry. You couldn’t imagine yourself marrying anyone but him. And yes it’s early, way too early to be thinking about marriage in this relationship, but if Lando asked you in a couple months to get married during the Las Vegas GP by some Elvis impersonator in a little church on the strip– you’d say yes in a heartbeat. 

“Well as long as I’m your best man.” Max states. 

“Who else would it be?”  

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

The three hour drive from London to Lando’s childhood home the following day is spent trying to figure out how you should announce to his family that you two are together. You’d gone over every scenario, but they either seemed too awkward or just unnecessary. 

“We could just say ‘hey we are in love and in a relationship’ as soon as we walk into the door.” Lando suggests. 

“Do we even really have to tell them?” You counter, knowing you are both totally overthinking this situation. “I mean couldn’t we just let them find out through social media or something?” 

Lando scoffs at your suggestion and he doesn’t even have to speak for you to know that your idea wouldn’t work with his family, especially his Mother. Cisca would never let you both hear the end of her finding out about you two over social media, especially when she’s been not so shy about expressing how she felt about you two. 

The English countryside passes by in a blur as you stare out the car window, you’d given up on figuring out ideas and decided to enjoy the view and the feeling of Land’s hand in yours as you continued the journey. 

“If my family didn’t know that you were coming I could have just called and said I was bringing my girlfriend home for them to meet.” Lando states from the driver's side. Now it’s your turn to scoff, but Lando doesn’t seem to be backing off the idea. “Seriously, we could surprise them.” 

“Lando, that's not a good idea. You’re gonna be in deep shit with your Mom.” 

“I’ll just call and say that you aren’t coming and that there’s someone that I’ve been wanting them to meet for awhile.” He thinks there’s nothing wrong with his plan, but you know he’s gonna get his ass chewed out by his Mother. You love Lando dearly, but he’s also stubborn and sometimes you have to just let him learn his lesson. You can’t even tell him it'll be your funeral before you hear the phone ringing. Cisca picks up rather quickly and you decide to keep quiet in the passenger seat. 

“Hello darling. Are you guys almost here?” Her voice echoes through the luxurious car. 

“Yeah we’ve got a little under an hour left.” 

“I can’t wait to see you and Y/N. Can she hear me? Hello my love! I’ve got a little gift for you when you guys get here. I saw it when I was out shopping the other day and I just thought of you instantly.” 

You want to speak up, already feeling the guilt creep in over this and Lando hasn’t even opened his big mouth to speak yet. You look over at him with pleading eyes, trying to convey just how much he shouldn’t do this, but he’s waving you off and you know this is when Lando has signed his death certificate. 

“About that. So Y/N isn’t coming to dinner. There’s actually someone else that I’ve been wanting you to meet.” 

There’s silence on the other end for some time and anyone would think Cisca had hung up or the line had disconnected, but the call time on the screen keeps going. “Mum are you still there?” Lando finally breaks the deafening silence. 

“Am I on speakerphone?” She replies and you know Lando is about ready to get yelled at. If there was one thing you knew about Lando’s Mother, it was that she didn’t play around when it came to you, especially if it involved Lando. 

“No.” Lando says confidently like her voice wasn’t echoing throughout the car. 

“I know I raised you better than this Lando. Y/N and I have been talking and she literally planned for all of us to have dinner. For you to uninvite her and then decide to bring some random girl in her place is absolutely horrible Lando. She said you guys had a wonderful time on your trip and that you had been staying at her place this week so I don’t know what is going on, but this better be a joke. If it’s not you’d better pray that you don’t lose the one person who cares so deeply about you. I’m so disappointed in you son, but we will talk more when you get here. Oh and hopefully the girl you decided to bring likes my roast dinner. I know it’s Y/N’s favorite meal I make so I was going to surprise her with it. Anyways I’ll see you in a little bit.” 

There’s no goodbye’s exchanged or time for Lando to reply, just Cisca hanging up on her son and then music that was playing before the call filling the air once again. You so badly want to tell Lando that you told him so, but from the blank look on his face and the thousand yard stare he’s got going on, you think perhaps that wouldn’t help the situation any. 

“I should have listened to you.” He finally says, the stupidity of his idea fully sinking in now that his Mother reprimanded him over the phone.   

You shrug your shoulders at him, fully knowing he should have, but not wanting to rub it in his face. “Hopefully once she sees me your wrongs will be forgiven.” 

“God, we can only hope.” 

By the time you pull into the driveway Lando’s already thought of ten different ways his Mother could kill him and when he’s getting out of the car and heading up to the front door he’s thought of eleven. Usually his family would be opening the door to greet them by the time they pulled into the driveway, today was a different story. The decadent smell of his Mom’s cooking hits both of you in the face as soon as you enter the house and you’re so glad you’re actually here and not back at home like you were supposedly meant to be.

“Mum! I’m home!” Lando hollers. 

“In the kitchen.” 

So you slowly traipse behind Lando towards the kitchen, letting him be the one to greet his Mom. He stops just past the doorway, his Mom standing at the counter peeling potatoes, while you’re slightly hidden behind him. “Smells amazing.” He figures starting out with a compliment wouldn’t hurt his situation any.

“Thank you.” 

You can’t exactly see Cisca, but you know just from the tone of her voice and the fact that she doesn’t have her son wrapped up in her arms right now tells you she’s still upset with him. The sound of the peeler against the potatoes is getting more rapid and aggressive– you’re thankful to not be a potato right now. You can slightly see her over Lando’s shoulder and she’s still got her back turned to you both still as she speaks once again. 

“Are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?” 

Lando steps to the side, nudging you to step into his previous spot. You know Cisca will be thrilled when she sees you, but you’re still a little nervous after seeing the ever apparent cold shoulder that she’s giving Lando right now. You hear the peeling stop as you step into the kitchen and when Cisca turns around to see the supposed mystery girl, the peeler drops to the ground with a clang. 

“Y/N! Oh my darling!” A look of shock, excitement, happiness, and slight confusion washes over her face as she’s practically running towards you and wrapping you up in her arms. “What are you doing here? Lando said you weren’t coming?” She pulls back from the hug and just stares at you, like she’s trying to figure out if you’re actually here. 

“Surprise!” You say with a smile. 

She looks back and forth between you and Lando, who unbestowed to you has the biggest grin on his face. And then like a switch that was flipped her jaw drops and she grabs your shoulders like she’s afraid you’ll run away. “Wait a minute.” 

You feel Lando delicately place his hand on the small of your back as he moves right up against you. “Mum can you stop hogging my girlfriend please.” And you can hear the smile on Lando’s face as he speaks. 

The look on Cisca’s face you would have thought Lando had just won the driver’s championship. “Oh my god finally! My love I’m so happy you’re here. If it hadn’t been you that I saw when I turned around I think I would have had to knock some sense into my hard headed son.” She’s wrapping you up in another bone crushing hug and it’s one of the best feelings in the world to be embraced by someone who truly cares about you. 

“Well to be fair I think we both needed some sense knocked into us a long time ago.” You joke as Cisca finally frees you. 

“Yes, but this is how it was clearly meant to be. I’d always said you two were meant for each other and that one day eventually you’d open your eyes and hearts and realize that your other half had been with you all along.” 

You can see tears start to well up in her eyes.

“God I’m just so happy that you’re here. My heart broke when Lando had said you weren’t coming, but now it’s like it’s been mended. You’re the person for my Lando and I knew that from the first time I met you all those years ago Y/N. You’ve made him so incredibly happy and always been there for him during the extreme lows and highs, but as much as you're his person he’s just as much as yours. I’ve never seen him act like he does with someone like he does with you. I saw that love in his eyes that only a Mother can see the first time he brought you home. He may not have realized it, but I did.” 

Now you’re feeling the tears start to well up in your eyes and it’s only a matter of time before Cisca has got you in her embrace again. 

“Where’s the love for your own son?” Lando asks jokingly as he watches the two most important women in his life. 

“My own son wouldn’t have played with my emotions like you did earlier.” Cisca fires back, before heading back to her previous task.

Lando and you sit down at the small table in the kitchen while Cisca resumes peeling the potatoes. “I told him not to do it.” You say just to finally get in your I told you so.

“And that’s why you’re my favorite!” Cisca chimes in. 

Lando groans, but it’s all an act because there’s nothing that makes his insides turn to mush more than you being so loved and getting along so well with his family. “Maybe I actually shouldn’t have brought you.” 

You know he’s joking, but he earns a full name shout and a look from his Mom that only Mom’s can do. Which in turn emits a giggle from you and to Lando anything is worth getting to hear that melodic sound bless his ears, even getting scolded by his Mother. 

Dinner is spent filling in the rest of his family and both Lando and you somewhat get made fun of as his family points out all the times you two were so blind about how you felt about each other. Then to no one’s surprise Cisca begins to get emotional again as you’re talking to her about Italy. And not soon after Lando says the one thing again that makes your heart skip a beat and your body run hot. 

“Alright Mum save those tears for the wedding.” 

You laugh it off and allow for Cisca’s animated reaction to allow no one to focus on how flustered Lando’s words have you. It was one thing to talk with Max about it, if anything you were sure Max had mentioned (more like teased) you two about getting married many times before. But to just so openly mention it, even if he was just messing around, to his family had your head spinning and the butterflies in your stomach ready to burst out like some sick gory horror movie. 

You had always been close with the Norris family ever since Lando and you had become friends, but there was something about their not so shocked reaction (besides Cisca) that had you wondering if they had just always expected Lando and you to end up together. For you two to get married and grow old together. That the idea of it being anyone other than you had never crossed their minds. So that when Lando does casually mention it during dinner it’s like yeah of course you two would get married? Why wouldn’t you? It’s not until people begin getting up from the table that you come back to reality and out of your head. 

Once the mess from dinner is cleaned up you find yourself looking at all the photos across the house. Picture frames filled with childhood photos and family portraits scattered on shelves, tables, and walls. You’ve seen them all before, each one with a story that’s been told you were sure to anyone who visited the Norris household. Pictures of Lando as a child were your favorite to look at, especially when you see just how tiny he was as a kid. Cute little innocent Lando who had to be velcroed to his karting seat and went up against kids three times his size.

As you continue to look through the pictures your mind begins to think about the future and you can’t help but wonder if your kids would be small like him or when they inevitably started karting if they too would have to be velcroed to their seat. If there was one thing you knew for sure it was that you hoped they would have Lando’s pretty eyes and curly brown hair. God you hoped they wouldn’t inherit his big head. 

Then it’s like reality hits you in the face and you realize just how insane you’re being at the moment. You have to remind yourself once again that you two haven’t been together even a month yet, perhaps thinking about your future children is a little premature. But then you remember Lando mentioning you two getting married multiple times already, so you tell yourself your thoughts aren’t as bad as you made them out to be. 

Moments later a familiar pair of strong arms snake their way around your waist and some unruly curls tickle your neck as Lando rests his chin on your shoulder. He’d been admiring you from the doorway for some time before he finally couldn’t resist not clinging onto you somehow. You feel yourself start to melt into his embrace and before you know it you’re leaning back into him, his arms secured around your midsection as both of you now look at the various photos. “You know you were a pretty cute kid.” 

Lando hums in response, his lips pressing a chaste kiss to your neck as he tries to stop himself from thinking about how much he’d love to have mini versions of you two running around. Not right now of course, but god some years from now he could imagine it clear as day. He hoped they would be little spitting images of you, that he’d hear your laughter in little kid form and know that when he came home from a bad race weekend that he’d have the most important people in his life waiting there for him. He’d always figured he’d eventually settle down and have a family, but now that you’re in his life there’s not a doubt in his mind.

While Lando was thinking the same thoughts you had minutes ago an unfamiliar picture on the wall catches your attention. “Is that one new?” You question, breaking Lando out of his thoughts. 

His eyes follow to where your finger is pointing and sure enough it is. In fact it’s a picture he didn’t even know existed. “Mum must have taken it and decided it was worthy of a place on the picture wall.” Lando mumbles. 

“It is a good picture though.” 

The picture in question? The two of you after the Belgium Grand Prix weeks ago. The race didn’t go the way Lando wanted it to at all. Yet, even with the disappointment from the race it was like when he saw you afterwards none of that shit mattered. He knew he was going to get to spend a week with you in Italy and at the end of the day he knew you’d always be there for him. 

To anyone else looking at the picture they would have thought you two were together, but at the point in time you two were still hard headed dumbasses. He remembers posing for the picture with you, but the angle this one is taken at he knows his Mother must have taken it from behind the scenes. She’d caught him looking at you with the biggest heart eyes mankind has ever seen and a smile that only radiates one thing– love. 

Night time was fast approaching and as everyone retired for the night you found yourself in Lando’s childhood bedroom. It still had its boyish charm with trophies and medals lining the walls next to posters of past racing legends. There wasn’t really anything that had changed since the last time you had stepped foot in his room, it was almost like a time capsule from the last moment in time that Lando still lived at home. 

As you take a seat on the twin bed you glance over at the one thing you loved to tease him about and when you see a bare wall where it should be you’re shocked. A freshly showered Lando walks into the room seconds after you’d spotted the missing piece of history. 

“You took down the Alex poster?!” You bombard him as soon as your eyes land on him. 

Lando furrows his eyebrows as he looks over to the spot where the infamous poster once resided. “Yeah.” He says, like it’s no big deal. 

“Why?!” 

Lando’s confused as to why you’re so distraught over him taking down the poster, but he entertains your inquiry. “Maybe because I didn’t want a poster of Alex Albon, who is my co-worker, staring me down while I fuck my girlfriend.” He teases as he saunters towards the way too small bed. 

You know what you’re planning on saying will get Lando riled up and so you say it with confidence. “Well thats what I was planning on looking at while you fucked me.” 

Lando hates how much of a tease you are and how easily you can press his buttons. He thinks he might need to teach you a lesson and in a flash he’s hovering over you with your hands pinned above your head. “You really know what to say to get me going, don't you love?” 

“Yeah but you love it.” 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

two years later

The salty sea air fills your nostrils as you walk along the beach holding the hand of the man you love. It had been an amazing week in the country you both hold to your hearts so dearly and tonight was the last night before you both had to go back to reality once more. Lando had suggested taking a walk after dinner and you were never one to pass up admiring the natural beauty that Italy has to offer. The lounge chairs and umbrellas were long gone from the beach and all that was left was the lulling waves and a picturesque sunset over the coastline. 

“I’m glad we were able to come back here.” You state as you lean your head on Lando’s shoulder. 

“Me too. It’s been too long.” 

And it truly had, the two of you hadn’t been back to Italy since the first time years ago. Since then the two of you had moved into a beautiful place in Monaco, Lando had two constructors championships and a driver’s championship under his belt, and you had been dominating your new job– quickly moving your way up the ladder. You were both thriving and it seemed like to you life couldn’t get any better than it was right now. 

Lando on the other hand somewhat felt the same. He’d accomplished so many things in the last couple years, but there was something that just didn’t feel complete in his life. And that something was burning a hole in his pants pocket. He’d won both championships, traveled the world more times than he could count, he’s lived a thousand lives it seems, but none of them would ever feel complete until he made you his wife. 

He’d known very early on that he was going to marry you, but the timing never seemed right and it was something he didn’t want to mess up. In all honesty he’d had the ring for over a year and how you hadn’t found it while living together he didn’t know, but the fact that you hadn’t was a sign to him that this is how it was meant to happen. 

You two had been talking about wanting to go back to Italy since what seemed like the day you got back the first time, but it seemed like something was always popping up or you had plans to go to someplace else. So when your schedules lined up and nothing else had been planned Lando knew this was when it was going to happen. 

He’d talked it over with Max trying to create some elaborate plan, but in the end they both agreed that something lowkey and more sentimental would be the best option. So now here he is minutes away from asking the love of his life to be his forever and she has no idea. He seems to be slyly checking his pocket every chance he can get to make sure the ring is still there and each time he feels it he thinks his dinner is about ready to come back up. 

When you ask him to take some pictures of you with the sunset he knows this is the moment. He actually does take a couple pictures of you just as like a moments before kind of thing, but when you turn your back to him he tosses the phone in the sand and grabs that little black box from his pocket. His heart feels like it’s about ready to beat out of his chest and he thinks he’s experiencing more adrenaline now than he ever has while racing. He gets down on one knee and his hands are trembling so bad he can barely open the box to display the ring. This is what he’s been planning for what seems like years, yet in the moment he’s so fucking nervous he can’t even think straight. 

“Oh my god!” 

He hadn’t even looked up at you yet before you had turned around and saw the scene in front of you. Your voice snaps him out of his anxiety induced trance and when he sees the woman he loves standing in front of him on the verge of tears he knows this is meant to be. 

“Y/N Y/L/N. I’ve known I wanted to marry you since practically the first week of our relationship, but I’ve loved you knowingly and unknowingly for what seems like a lifetime. You’re my sun, my moon, and my stars. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t acknowledge just how insanely lucky I am to have you in my life and for you to be mine. You love me when I’m happy, when I’m sad, and even when I’m a little bit of an ass.” 

He pauses trying to calm himself. 

“God, you’ve supported me through my worst times in racing and during my absolute best times. You’re my best friend, my soulmate, my lover, you’re everything I’d ever need in life wrapped up into one extraordinary woman. I’ve done so many things in life and accomplished so many things, but my life isn’t complete until I make you my wife. I’ve never loved someone like you and I never plan on loving anyone but you. You’re it for me, you’re the person I want to grow old and grey with. So Y/N, will you make me the happiest man on Earth and marry me?” 

There’s tears streaming down your face and Lando manages to let some of his own fall as he professes his love to you in the most vulnerable way possible. You feel like you’re not even in your body at the moment, but you drop to your knees and grab Lando’s face in your hands, pulling him into the most passionate and loving kiss you two had ever shared. To hear the man you love with every fiber of your being talk about you like that is a moment you’ll never forget. When you pull away you look down at the breathtaking ring that’s residing in the box being held by a still shaky Lando. 

“Yes, I’ll marry you.” You say breathlessly. 

“Yes?” Lando can’t believe the words he’s hearing. 

A huge smile stretches across your face, of course Lando doesn’t believe you. “Yes!” 

In an instant the ring is out of the box and being slid onto your ring finger. It’s even more gorgeous on and as you stare at your hand you really can’t believe you’re engaged. Lando’s pulling you into another breathtaking kiss and you realize you’re kissing your fiance which makes you feel even more giddy. 

“I love you so much.” Lando says as he stares deeply into your eyes, his hand gently cupping your cheek. 

“I love you more.” You counter back. 

“Impossible.” 

As you two walk back to the villa you’re both still on cloud nine, but it doesn’t stop either of you from being your cheeky selves. “Y/N Norris does have a nice ring to it doesn’t it?” 

You give him a tight lipped smile. “This is awkward… I thought you’d be taking my last name.” 

Lando lets out a laugh, pulling you tighter into his side. “Honestly I’ll do whatever you want my love.” 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

a year later 

The wedding was planned rather quickly, the both of you almost considering just getting eloped, but you knew you’d want the memories and stories to tell. So, you planned a wedding with just your families and close friends to attend. 

The ceremony itself was beautiful and you couldn’t have asked for it to be any more romantic or sentimental. Tears were shed by both Lando and you and the crowd during your vows. The way Lando talked about you and expressed just how much he loved you let you know you had made the right choice in marrying him. 

The reception on the other hand was what seemed to be the party of the century. You had ditched your long elegant wedding gown for a much shorter white dress. While Lando ditched his suit jacket and had opted to roll up his sleeves and unbutton the top buttons on his shirt which had you feeling feral. You’re husband was looking hot as fuck and you couldn’t wait to have some alone time with him. 

As the two of you sat at the wedding party table you heard the clinking of silverware on a champagne flute. To your right stood Max Fewtrell with his glass held high and everyone’s eyes on him. “Excuse me everyone, but as the best man I’m required to give a speech, so here goes nothing.” He shoots a wink towards Lando and you and you’re scared for what’s about to come out his mouth. “Well let me just start off by saying, I think we all figured this day would eventually come, but for a while we didn’t think it ever would. I mean I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people be more in love with each other for years and not realize it and deny it!” 

The crowd laughs and you feel your cheeks turn pink at the teasing, choosing to hide your face in Lando’s neck for a moment while Max continues. 

“There was a time where we all went on a group trip to Greece and mind you there was a group of us and Lando and Y/N acted like no one else existed. They’d go off and do their own thing, leaving everyone else behind, and this was probably a good year before they finally opened their eyes. Then when they went to Italy together by themselves and made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal, when it was all Lando could literally talk about the week leading up to it. Luckily they came back and realized how in love they were with each other, because I know I can speak for myself and everyone in this room when I say we all would have had to knock some sense into you if you hadn’t.” 

More laughter fills the air and both Lando and you have a little red tint to your cheeks, which you both blame on the alcohol. 

“Anyways, I’m so happy that my two best friends have each other in the way they were intended to. You two are my favorite example of love and I hope I can make another speech at your fiftieth wedding anniversary.” Max raises his glass in a toast. “Here’s to the happy couple. May your love last a million lifetimes.” 

The crowd erupts into applause and hoots and hollers as Max sits back down in his chair. Lando presses a quick kiss to your temple before quickly getting up from his chair, repeating the actions of Max’s glass clinking. You look up at him confused, but he just shoots you a smile before speaking. 

“First of all thank you all for coming to celebrate me marrying a woman who’s way out of my league. Secondly, thank you Max for that lovely speech.”

Laughter and cheers fill the air once again and then there’s some commotion in the background somewhere. Then you see two guys wheeling a projector screen to the middle of the room where everyone can see it. 

“Um, I’ve got a little something for my amazing wife that I’ve been working on for years and actually I had been working on it unknowingly for years before that. Anyways, let me stop rambling and show you.” Lando sits back down in his chair next to you as the lights dim and before you can ask him what’s going on his pretty little face pops up on the screen. 

“Hi baby! Over the years of us being together I’ve been capturing pictures and videos of you. Which is nothing new, we are always taking pictures and stuff, but these ones are special. These are pictures and videos that you’ve never seen. Instead of me explaining just let me show you. I love you so much and I want everyone to see the extraordinary woman I’ve married. I want everyone to see you how I see you.”

The screen fades to black and then pictures of you begin to pop up, ones that you didn’t even know existed. You’re so used to Lando having his camera out that you never thought to think of the ones he didn’t show you. Pictures of you in your pajamas making breakfast to you in your work attire to you all glammed up for a gala. Videos of you singing in the car, laughing, and just existing. Birthdays, trips, everything you could imagine someone could capture. Then you realize some of these pictures and videos are from before you two even got together from when you were still friends. 

It makes your heart swell to know Lando’s been capturing you in such a loving way since basically the beginning of you two knowing each other. You don’t even realize your crying until you feel Lando gently wiping away your tears. If someone would have told you years ago before you two went to Italy that you’d be here today married to Lando and crying over the most beautiful thing he’s ever given you, you would have laughed in their face. You look into your husband’s eyes and you know that there’s not another human being on this planet that could love you like he loves you. There’s a permanent place for him in your heart now and deep down you think there always has been. He’s your person and you're his and sure it may have taken you guys awhile to get here, but everything happens for a reason and you know you two were meant to be here at this moment right now. 

“You’re mine forever you know that right? I love you so much it hurts.” You tell him as the video ends and the guests also wipe their tears. 

Lando grabs your hands in his, his thumb rubbing over your knuckles. “Forever and always, baby.” 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

five years later 

A little girl with a mop of brown curls and laughter that resembles her Mother plays in the sand with her Father by her side. “Daddy!” She screeches looking up at him with eyes that mirror his– pretty blue like the water. The waves keep inching closer and closer to the sandcastle they’re building and the little girl is worried their hard work will be washed away any minute now. “I know my love. We should have listened to Mommy and built it further up.” 

“Mommy know’s everything.” She states matter of factly. 

The man lets out a laugh. “That she does.” 

A baby lays on his Mother’s chest as they both lounge under an umbrella. The woman watches her husband and daughter lovingly as they play in the sand. She catches her husband's eye and he flashes her a smile that even after all these years makes butterflies erupt in her stomach. 

Later after a day spent at the beach they’re both carrying a sleeping child back to the villa, their world in their arms. Finally when both kids are sound asleep in their beds the adults find themselves sitting outback with an all too familiar scenery around them. The man leaves for a brief second and while he’s gone the woman watches her babies through the baby monitor, her heart swelling over the fact that she made them with the love of her life. 

When he returns he has something hidden behind his back and with a raised eyebrow from his wife he reveals an old favorite of theirs. 

“The trip wouldn’t be complete without this now would it?” He says as he sits down next to her. 

“God we haven’t had this in forever.” She says as she takes the glass of pink moscato from him. 

“Just a man after your heart.” 

She laughs at her husband's antics. “You’ve already got it darling.” 

[delilahsturniolo]

— ୨୧ dear god . . . m.s

in which . . . matt shows you how beautiful you are, in a different kind of way.

warnings . . . smut, unprotected sex, (BIG NONO) praise, gentle sex, body worshipping, kissing, cursing, use of pet names, fingering.

written by @delilahsturniolo. do not copy, steal, or modify my works. if you are taking any inspiration from this, please ask me first before posting and credit me in your description. happy reading! :)

SO CLOSE TO WHAT WRITING MARATHON . . . fic #5

it’s late. the kind of late where the world feels quiet, like it’s holding its breath. the bedroom is dark except for the soft glow of the streetlight sneaking through the blinds, casting shadows across the walls. you’re lying on the bed, wrapped in matt’s arms, your head resting against his chest, listening to the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing.

matt doesn’t know you’ve been crying. or maybe he does, but he hasn’t said anything yet. his fingers trace lazy circles on your bare back, warm and gentle, grounding you in a way nothing else has been able to.“what’s on your mind?” his voice is soft, but it pulls you from the storm inside your head.

you hesitate. you don’t want to ruin this—this quiet, this closeness, this moment where everything feels still. but the weight in your chest is too heavy, the words pressing against your lips, aching to be let out. “i don’t know,” you whisper, your fingers gripping the fabric of his t-shirt. “i just… i feel lost.” he shifts, just enough to tilt your chin up, his thumb brushing away the tear you didn’t realize had slipped down your cheek.“talk to me,” he murmurs. “whatever it is, you don’t have to go through it alone.”

you exhale shakily, pressing your face into the crook of his neck, breathing him in. his scent, his warmth, the steady rise and fall of his chest—it’s the closest thing to peace you’ve felt in a long time. “sometimes i just don’t feel like i’m enough, i don’t feel worthy of being loved.” you admit, your voice barely audible.

matt was taken aback by this confession. “what? what makes you say that baby?” his arms tighten around you, pulling you impossibly closer. you lift your head just enough to look at him, your fingers tracing the curve of his jaw, the shape of his lips. “why are you even dating me? i’m not even pretty.” you confess, tears glazing your eyes. matt’s heart absolutely broke at the sight.

“you are beautiful, baby. so fucking beautiful. inside and out, anyone who thinks otherwise is a fuckin’ idiot, okay? i love you, and i always will.” matt reassured you. “let me show you just how much i mean that.” matt whispered. his lips part, something unreadable flickering in his eyes, but he doesn’t give you a chance to respond. instead, he closes the distance between you, pressing your mouth to his in a slow, aching kiss.

he sighs against your lips, his hands sliding up your spine, fingers tangling in your hair as he deepens the kiss. it’s soft and unhurried, but there’s something beneath it—something raw, something desperate, something that feels like salvation. you whine in a needy tone as matt picks his body up off the bed, his lips not once leaving yours as he hovers over you.

matt pulls away, his fingers trailing over to hem of your shirt. “is this okay?” he asked softly, you nodded your head eagerly as matt pulled your shirt and panties off, your body naked beneath him. matt’s hands trailed down your body slowly, and teasingly. “so fuckin’ beautiful, shit..” matt cursed under his breath, his hands traveling from your boobs, to your stomach, and brushing past your core.

“mmm..” you mumble with need, slightly squirming with matt’s touch. his breathing was heavy as his hand slowly palmed your aching slit, his fingers collecting the wetness along your folds, eliciting a gasp from you. “oh? you like that?” matt smiled, pushing his fingers into you, making you moan as the pleasure coursed throughout your body.

you whined as matt suddenly pulled his fingers out of your pussy, he began to fiddle with his belt, pulling his boxers down, letting his cock spring out. fuck, you needed him so badly. matt kneeled between your legs, gently lifting your chin up with his finger. “look at me while i fuck you sweetheart, wanna see those gorgeous eyes..” matt spoke as he slowly took your thighs, spreading them apart wider. “s’pretty like this hon, could fuck this pretty pussy all day…so perfect..” matt murmured lazily against your neck, you could feel yourself getting close.

and dear god, this was all you could ever ask for.

© delilahsturniolo do not copy, re use, or modify any of my works.

taglist

[harrysfolklore]

i don't like red - lh44

summary: alana hamilton is excited to see her dad racing again. however, she’s not a big fan of his new team’s color wc: 1.3k

read the bestest fist :)

folkie radio: F1 IS BACK BABYYYYY, honestly i love writing dad!lewis and this idea popped in my heard a while ago and i just had to write it ! hope you like this, we all need some comfort about that race

MASTERLIST | MY PATREON

Alana Hamilton is a clever child, with a growing interest in the world her father is part of. At just five years old, she knows with unwavering certainty that her daddy is the best driver in the world. His number is 44, a fact she proudly recites to anyone who'll listen, and he drives a sleek black and teal car that matches his racing suit.

For Alana, race weekends are magical. They mean hanging out with her beloved uncles Toto and Bono, watching Georgie drive alongside her daddy, and sometimes playing with her little friend Jack.

The paddock has become a second home, its sights, sounds, and faces as familiar to her as her own bedroom. So when the first race of the 2025 season arrives and you lead her towards a different part of the paddock than she's used to, confusion clouds her bright eyes.

The sea of red before her is a stark contrast to the silver and teal she expects, and Alana's little hand tightens in yours as she looks up at you, confusion clear on her face.

"Mommy, where are we going?" Alana asks, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Daddy's garage is the other way." She points towards the familiar Mercedes area, her brow furrowed in confusion.

You squeeze her hand gently, trying to find the right words to explain. "Remember how we talked about Daddy driving for a new team this year? We're going to his new garage."

As you finally approach the Ferrari garage, Alana is even more confused when she fails to spot any familiar faces, "Mommy where is Uncle Toto and Uncle Bono? And Georgie? Is Carmen here? I want her to paint my nails like last time."

Before you can reply to Alana's barrage of questions, a familiar voice calls out, "There's my little champion!"

Alana's head whips around, her face lighting up as she spots Lewis. "Daddy!" she exclaims, breaking free from your hand and running towards him. Lewis scoops her up, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Alana giggles, but then pulled back, her tiny hands on either side of Lewis's face as she examines him seriously. "Daddy, why are you wearing red? Did you spill pasta sauce on your racing pajamas?"

Lewis chuckles, exchanging an amused glance with you. "No, sweetheart. Remember how we talked about Daddy driving for a new team? This is my new team's color."

"But I like the silver car," Alana's lower lip transforms into a pout. "Can't you paint this one silver?"

"I'm afraid not, princess," Lewis says gently. "But you know what? Red is a very fast color. And look," he points to his race suit, "my number 44 is still here. Some things don't change."

"But I don't like red," Alana insists, "I like silver."

Lewis put Alana down, crouching down at her level, "I know it's a big change, sweetheart," Lewis says softly. "But sometimes change can be exciting. Want to see the new car? It might be even faster than the old one."

Before Alana can respond, Charles Leclerc approaches, a warm smile on his face. He crouches down next to Lewis, bringing himself to Alana's eye level.

"Hello there!" Charles says cheerfully. "You must be Alana. I'm Charles, your dad's new teammate. It's so nice to finally meet you!"

Alana regards Charles with curiosity, but there's still confusion in her eyes. She looks back at Lewis, then to Charles, and then around the garage again.

"Do you know where Georgie is?" she asks Charles, her voice small but determined. "My daddy always drives with Georgie."

Charles' smile softens with understanding. "George is still with the other team, Alana. But I'm here to be your dad's new teammate. Maybe we could be friends too?"

Alana doesn't respond immediately, her gaze drifting back to the unfamiliar red surroundings. "I don't like red," she repeats, more to herself than anyone else.

Sensing the need for a distraction, Charles' face lights up with an idea. "Hey Alana, would you like to meet my dog, Leo? He's here in the garage and loves making new friends."

At the mention of a dog, Alana's eyes widen with interest. "A doggy? Here?"

"Yes! He's very friendly. Would you like to play with him?" he asks, "My girlfriend Alex is here as well, and I bet she'd love to meet you. She said your dress is so pretty."

Alana's interest seems piqued by this,"Really? She likes my dress?"

Charles nods enthusiastically. "Oh yes, she thinks it's beautiful. She'd like to be your friend too. What do you say?"

Alana looks up at you and Lewis, seeking permission. You nod encouragingly, relief washing over you at seeing a spark of happiness in her eyes.

"Go ahead, sweetheart," you say. "Just remember to be gentle with Leo, okay?"

As Charles leads Alana to meet his dog, you feel Lewis' arm slip around your waist. You lean into him, both watching as Alana's giggles begin to fill the air.

"That was... more dramatic than I expected," Lewis murmurs, his voice a mix of relief and lingering concern.

You turn to face him, reaching up to straighten the collar of his race suit. "She's just used to everyone at Mercedes," you reassure him. "She knows them since she was born, it's a big switch but she'll adapt."

Lewis smiles, his eyes softening as he watches Alana play with the dog. "You're right," he kisses your temple softly. "She's smart, just like her mom."

"And stubborn, just like her dad."

Your moment is interrupted by the sound of Alana's delighted laughter. You both turn to see her on the ground, giggling as Leo licks her face. Charles and Alexandra kneeling beside her and engaging with her.

A few minutes later, Alana runs back to you and Lewis, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Mommy, Daddy! I love Leo, he's so fluffy! And Charles is funny, he does silly faces. And Alexandra's dress is so pretty, it has flowers all over it!"

You can't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "That sounds wonderful, sweetheart."

"They're my new friends!" she pauses, her expression becoming slightly more serious. "But can I still say hi to Uncle Toto and Uncle Bono and Georgie later? I miss them."

Lewis smiles at her fondly, touched by the way the team that was a huge part of his life, was a huge part of his little girl's too.

Lewis kneels down, pulling Alana into a hug. "Of course you can, princess. They're still our friends, even if we're on different teams now. And guess what? You'll make even more new friends here too."

"Okay, Daddy," Alana nods, her smile returning. "I don't like red, but I like your new friends."

The adults laugh, making Alana giggle too. Through the day, Alana's initial hesitation about the new team begins to fade as she spends more time in the Ferrari garage. She becomes fascinated by the bustling activity and the shiny red cars. Lewis takes her on a tour, explaining the different parts of the car and introducing her to the mechanics and engineers.

Alana is fascinated to see her dad race again, her eyes wide as she sees the red car fly in the circuit, even when she insists that she doesn't quite like the red.

After the race, you and Lewis hold each of Alana's hands as you walk through the paddock, you spot Toto, Bono, and George near the Mercedes garage and Alana's eyes light up, she tugs on Lewis' hand.

"Daddy, look! It's Uncle Toto and Uncle Bono and Georgie! Can we say hi? Please, please, please?"

Lewis chuckles and nods, leading her over to his former team members. They greet each other warmly, with Alana receiving plenty of hugs and hair ruffles.

"Well, well," Toto says with a grin, crouching down to Alana's level. "If it isn't our favorite Hamilton!"

Alana giggles, but then her face turns serious. "Uncle Toto, I have a very important question."

"Oh? And what's that, sweetheart?"

Alana leans in close, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Do you think we can paint Daddy's new car silver when no one's looking? I don't like red."

[777rare]

ASTROLOGY OBSERVATIONS PT.10

THESE NOTES ARE ONLY A STUDY OF MINE AND HAS/HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN YET, SO IF IT DOES NOT RESONATE WITH YOU, FORGIVE ME AS IT WAS ONLY A STUDY/OBSERVATION OF MINE.

I DO NOT PLAGIARIZE, COPY OR REWORD ANY OF MY FELLOW ASTROLOGY OBSERVERS POSTS AND I DEMAND THE SAME IN RETURN.

This also has an 18+ touch here and there so you can skip if you're uncomfy with such themes or YOU ARE A KID.

•I've observed that those who are born natural actors have strong Moon influence in their chart. This is because moon is responsible for our emotions and our ability to handle our emotions. Our ability to express what's deep within our mind and heart [expression does not just have to be verbal (mercury)].

So a native with strong Moon influence on the ascendant (esp. harsh aspects), or even venus and even having moon aspect asteroids like Actor or Talent can make us understand that they are born actors. These people become amazing and unique artists in any area of expression and emotions.

Even people with Moon in the 5th house, 10th house and 11th house become naturally born actors. These people are naturally very talented in anything expressive and informal (informal, in the sense, what allows them to expand and not be restricted, things that involve thinking outside the box and not having to curb down their talents).

I've noticed so many all rounders have this placement. I have also observed that people having moon aspect chiron or in water signs can make the person use their hurt emotions to better perform in acting (esp. when they have moon in the 10th house). Ex: Alia Bhatt, Tom Hanks, Vikrant Massey.

Even natives having moon in a water/air signs can become the most talented actor if they also have 5th house placements. Ex: Kamal Haasan, Rajnikant.

Examples:

From left to right:

1st row: Zendaya, Vikrant Massey, Kamal Haasan

2nd row: Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks, Alia Bhatt

• Saturn in the 5th house natives find it very hard to open up their heart easily. A lot of trust issues when it comes to love. These people do not date many people in their life but whenever they do, it goes on for a while like many months to even a year. Even a couple of years but finding a committed partner is not easy for them. When I say dating, I mean offline dating.

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• Saturn CONTRACTS while Jupiter EXPANDS. Whenever Saturn sits will result in contraction of the area often pushing the individual to try and expand that area or work on that area so it grows but all efforts result in slow progress along with little positive results. Wherever Jupiter sits is where there is massive expansion in your life and that area continues to grow more and more as you keep working on that area.

Ex: Saturn in 11th house = subjects related to friend circle, elder sibling, social settings, expressing yourself, future plans, etc.

Jupiter in 9th house = subjects related to knowledge, philosophy, various cultures and traditions, religions, foreign languages, travelling, pilgrimages, teachers, etc.

• How do you know if a Scorpio Mars really loves you? (Romantically)

Even if they're frustrated or angry, they'll try their level best to speak kindly with you. You are their soft spot. They can't look at you in the eye when they say hurtful stuff because at that moment they aren't feeling well and they know damn well what they're saying ain't true. They will never lash out on you..no matter how angry they are, they'll make sure not to throw that all on you.

From my observation, these people will literally say the most mean shit to anyone when they're frustrated, tired or angry. They won't mind lashing out on them or just saying them to 'fuck off-' when they are in a bad mood but they'll do the complete opposite with the person they love. They are very sensitive towards the feelings of the person they love and this can be quite a struggle for them to handle because they're so used to just saying mean shit to people without hesitation when pissed and now they don't wanna hurt the person they love aww😮‍💨 They'd rather go punch a wall than to say something extremely rude to the person they love.

[speaking from experience]

• Again, like I mentioned in my other post, A lot of people aren't aware that Moon is also a very sexually driven planet. Where Moon sits and which sign Moon sits in can indicate how sexual you are deep down, like what turns you on, what makes you want to have the baby of a person, what makes you wanna rip that person's shirt off, etc.

Example:

✓Moon in the 10th and 11th house or in Capricorn and Aquarius natives are freaky as hell deep down when it comes to sex. They want the type of sex that involves handcuffs, blindfolds, vibrators, tying up the hands, etc. They honestly want the type of sex that breaks the bed lol.

✓Water Mars and Mars in water houses natives want to get dominated by their partner. They want to be put on their knees or told what to do in the bedroom by their partner. They also like positions that involve lot of rotation and touching the partners most delicate parts like the nipples, etc.

✓ In astrology the flavours of food and types of food are represented by different planets, being:

Sweets are ruled by Venus.

Alcohol and drugs are ruled by neptune.

Salt is ruled by Saturn. Also dark coloured foods and bitter food.

Yellow or orange coloured Foods are ruled by Sun. Even foods with rich flavour and strong taste.

Red colour vegetables or food and spicy food are ruled by Mars. Also food that induce heat in the body.

Fats are ruled by Jupiter.

Milk, bland foods and dairy products are ruled by Moon.

Green and leafy vegetables are ruled by Mercury.

Consuming a lot of that food item can indicate that planet (ruling the food) being strong in the chart.

Few food examples for each planet:

Moon: Cucumber, watermelon, milk, coconut, papaya, water, algae, seafood (crab, mussels, oysters, clams…), cabbage, soups, noodles, eggs.

Sun: Citrus (orange, lemon), cinnamon, egg yolks, sunflower oil & seeds, ginger, saffron, grapes, peaches.

Mercury: Cabbage, Broccoli, Spinach, green Capsicum, nuts (cashew, walnuts, pistachio), lemongrass, dill, lavender, berries, fiber-rich foods (bananas, plums).

Venus: Honey, figs, mango, avocado, fatty food (duck grease…), greens, sugar, dates, cakes & biscuits, sweet potatoes, plantain.

Mars: red meat, spices (Chili, cayenne & sichuan pepper), tomatoes, basil, black coffee, curries, pepper, raspberries, redcurrant.

Jupiter: Fish, (peanut) butter, fried foods, seed oil, saffron, bananas, “umami” foods.

Saturn: Sesame seeds, Salt, lentils, oats, rice, pickles, kimchi, soy, root veggies (radish), durian, pickles.

• Is it just me or does every single person with water placements and 4rth,8th and 12th house placements always wonder how others go about their day without spirituality and the universal guidance...like I always wonder how can one even go about their day without chatting with the universe😅😂 but also I'm then very much happy and grateful that I was chosen among others to walk this beautiful path.

.

• Cancer over the 8th house/ Cancer Mars = Masochistic people. They love sex that involves biting, hickeys and yeah, all those kinds of stuff. My friend has this and she bites anyone she really likes and loves...yes, she bit me😂 and no,not like the literal biting, it's a soft kind of one don't worry. My fellow Cancer Mars's and 8th housers aren't cannibals, chill😂👍

.

• Where Saturn sits is the area we criticize more or get criticized and put down more than we are celebrated. Ex: Saturn in the 4rth house makes a native get put down, get a lot of empty promises and getting disappointed later and get hurt by their family, specifically the mother, rather than being appreciated for what the native has achieved and being motivated by his/her family more. This native's emotions and pain are also ridiculed or not taken seriously by their family members. Lack of emotional support and lot of criticism from the persons family.

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• Where Neptune site is where you are a little too liberal for the sake of 'the subject of the house'. Also you are a bit too open there or tend to overshared there too. Ex: Neptune in the 5th house = love, romance and fun. Neptune in the 11th house = Having friends and connection, etc.

Thankyou for Reading through this today!

Have a great day and I hope you all stay for the next one😊❤️

[flwrkid14]

Could I request your Tim Doesn't Hold Grudges with a Dead Tired Twist, cuase just imagine he doesn't hold grudges against anyone who wrongs him, but the moment you say something bad about his boyfriend-

Danny does it too but itn reverse, he grudges against everyoen who ever hurt his boyfriend.

And the batfam don't understand why Tim's boyfriend hates them all witha burnign passion

thanks for the ask! and I can totally do that, their dynamic is everything to me! <3

Tim Drake does not hold grudges.

It's not that he forgets—oh, no, Tim has perfect memory when it comes to betrayals, slights, and near-death experiences. He could give you a full PowerPoint presentation on every time someone has wronged him, complete with timestamps and psychological profiles. But does he hold it against someone? Never.

The League of Assassins kidnaps him and tries to brainwash him? Eh, just another Tuesday. The Justice League ignores his warnings about a world-ending threat? Annoying, but whatever, Young Justice have managed on their own. Bruce replaces him without a word? Disappointing, but he’ll manage. Damian tries to murder him again? Tim still sets aside a plate for him at family dinners.

Tim is a firm believer in moving on. He takes his hits, internalizes them, and keeps going. No point in holding onto anger. No point in letting grudges slow him down. If someone screws him over, well—he probably expected it anyway. That’s just how life works, right?

But the moment you insult Danny?

All bets are off.

It’s not even an explosive anger—it’s worse. It’s cold. Calculated. Petty. You say Danny’s a bad influence? Suddenly, every embarrassing piece of information about you is mysteriously public knowledge. You doubt Danny’s skills? Weird, your bank accounts have been flagged for fraud (don’t worry, it’s temporary… probably). You try to slight Danny in any way? Hope you enjoy Gotham’s worst coffee because Tim has blacklisted you from every decent café in the city.

And then there’s Danny, who holds grudges for Tim, and he holds them with the fury of a thousand dying stars. If you so much as look at Tim wrong, Danny will remember it forever. You made Tim cry in third grade? Cool. Danny’s counting down for the day karma comes knocking. You ever doubted Tim’s capabilities? That’s fine—Danny’s just going to glare daggers at you until you feel physically uncomfortable in your own skin.

Now enter the batfamily, who are so confused because Tim is still as calm and forgiving as ever, but his boyfriend? His boyfriend hates them.

Damian: "Why does your boyfriend keep glaring at me?" Tim: "I have no idea." Danny: "I have a few ideas."

Jason: "I swear your boyfriend wants me dead." Tim: "I mean… you did shoot me." Danny: "Oh, don’t downplay it—HE PUT A BULLET IN YOUR CHEST."

Dick: "I don’t get it, I was trying to be friendly." Danny: "Remember all the times you made Tim cry? Yeah, well I do."

Bruce, exhausted: "What do I have to do for your boyfriend to stop glaring at me?" Danny: "You exist, that's already beyond unforgivable."

Meanwhile, Tim thinks this is all hilarious and has no intention of stopping Danny. He just sips his coffee and enjoys the show (and basks in all of Danny's love, obviously).

[moonstruckme]

Hello Mae! I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far. I have never requested before but I saw your requests were open and I felt inspired! (Forgive me if I do or say something wrong!) I saw that you write for stranger things but I’ve never seen a poly!steddie before! If it inspires you, I thought a little hurt/comfort with some angst could be fun with the boys. Maybe a miscommunication between them when they’re first figuring out the dynamic and one of the boys says something hurtful to writer by accident (we know those silly boys have no brain to mouth filter). Thank you for sharing your writing and working so hard for us, you’re so appreciated and loved! ❤️❤️

Thank you angel <33

poly!steddie x fem!reader ♡ 1.1k words

“God, it’s worse than I thought.” Eddie rolls onto his stomach on Steve’s bed, dragging the chord of your headphones with him. “How many of these do you have on here?” 

“It’s the whole album,” you say. You’re watching your boyfriends all tangled up on top of the covers, half tempted to join them but too shy to do it. The carpeting on Steve’s bedroom floor is soft enough anyway. 

“Eugh, your poor ears!” 

“You’re such a snob.” Steve gives Eddie’s ankles a halfhearted shove where they’ve fallen over his lap, but really you know he doesn’t mind the contact. 

“No, a snob would tell her to listen to fucking strings music or something,” says Eddie. “I just have taste.” 

“What’s wrong with U2?” you ask. 

Really, you knew better than to think you’d actually get any studying done with your boyfriends. You knew it since Steve invited you over, but that didn’t stop you from going, pep in your step and textbook like a prop in your bag. You were barely ten minutes in when Eddie had plucked your headphones up from your head, taking a listen. He declared your taste in music “laughable.” 

“What’s wrong with U2?” Eddie repeats incredulously. “Baby, where do I start? I didn’t know I had a pop princess on my hands here.” 

You recognize the teasing in his tone, but the jabs at your music selection still taste sour in your mouth. “Oh, because Metallica is so underground.” 

“See, that’s part of it. At least Metallica is real rock. U2 is just—like—I don’t even know what to call them. They say they’re a rock band, but listen to this shit!” He sits up and tries to put the headphones on Steve, who wards him off with a hand. “This is not rock.” 

“You’re a total snob,” Steve repeats, laughing when Eddie only fights harder. 

“No, seriously! This isn’t rock. Plus, have you ever seen Bono perform? It’s totally overdone.” 

“I went to one of their shows,” you say. “Last summer.” 

“Fuck.” Eddie blows out a breath as he gives up on trying to get your headphones on Steve. He collapses against your boyfriend’s side, grinning. “My condolences, then.” 

“I liked it.” 

“Awe. That’s probably because you haven’t been to a real concert yet, huh? Don’t worry, gorgeous, we’ll get you to a good one eventually. Your ears will be relieved.” 

“Yeah, okay.” You roll your eyes. Neither of your boyfriends seem to have notice how you’ve gone quiet, both too absorbed in each other as Eddie lands aggressive kisses on Steve’s cheek and Steve grins and pretends not to like it. For the first time since you started dating, you feel bitterly alone. 

Part of you thinks you might be overreacting. You don’t usually care what people think of your music tastes—they don’t usually fixate on them so intensely, but you generally tend to believe that art is subjective and everyone is entitled to their own preferences. The thing is, you know music is really important to Eddie. He’s made it his life. He plays in a band; half his shirts are band tees; there’s a guitar mounted on his wall that he talks to more sweetly than either you or Steve. So if he thinks your taste in music is garbage, what does that say about what he thinks of you?

“Hey.” Steve nudges you with a foot. You’ve been looking morose without meaning to, not realizing anyone was watching. “You know he’s just kidding, right?” 

“Oh, no,” Eddie says, still grinning, “I don’t kid about concerts. We’re fucking going.” 

You start putting your textbook away. “I think I’m going to finish studying at home.” 

“No, hey,” says Steve, frowning now. “Come on.” 

Eddie’s eyebrows rise as he catches on. “Wait, are you seriously mad?” 

“I’m not mad,” you lie. “I’m just going to go listen to my awful music back at my place, where I can actually study.” 

“Please, you knew what you were getting into, babe. We were never going to study.” Eddie’s trying to joke with you again, but his tone turns serious when you stand up to leave. “Hey, hold on. I’m just messing around. Stay.” 

You turn around, unsure what to say and not really wanting to look at either of them, either. 

“I didn’t know you liked U2 that much,” he says in a softer voice.

“It’s not that I—” You sigh, crossing your arms. “I’m not, like, obsessed with them. I just don’t get why you have to rag on what I like so much.” 

“I was just playing, baby. I’m sorry, I didn’t think you cared, just—c’mere.” 

Eddie wraps a hand around your elbow, tugging you onto the bed with him and Steve. Your arms uncross by the nature of the movement. He gets you between them, kissing the side of your head. 

“I’m sorry,” he says again, words all mushed up. Not teasing anymore. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I did, didn’t I?” 

“No,” you say, partially because you don’t want to seem dramatic and partially because it really is difficult to blame someone who’s pressing their lips to your cheek like they plan to leech on and never let go. “Just, I at least pretend to like the things that you like.” 

“Pretend?” Eddie pulls away, looking wounded. 

“Try not to take it personally,” Steve tells you. His hand has found your neck, thumb rubbing at the tense muscles near your shoulders. “He really is a snob. He called me a philistine for listening to Tears for Fears.” 

“Well,” Eddie cuts in, “you are a philistine.” 

“But,” Steve goes on with a narrow-eyed look, “he doesn’t have to be such a dick about it.” 

“Right. Right, yeah, I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Eddie devotes himself to you again, hugging his arms around your waist. “Really. I was just messing with you, I thought we were joking around. We can listen to U2 if you want. We can even—if you want us to, we can go to a concert.” 

He sounds so pained as he says it that it coaxes a small smile out of you. Steve, seeing, squeezes your shoulder encouragingly. 

“I know you had to fight a gag reflex to say that,” you tell Eddie. 

He grimaces. “I may need a vomit bag when we go. But if it’s important to you…” 

“That’s okay.” 

The sigh Eddie lets out is gargantuan. He sinks against your side. “Thank you.” He kisses underneath your jaw. It tickles, but he only latches on tighter when you try to get away. “I knew you loved me. I’ll never make fun of you again.” 

“You can still make some fun of me,” you allow. 

Steve makes a dissenting noise. “Not in an asshole way, though.” 

“No, that’s it. I’m swearing off teasing for the rest of my life. The stakes are too high.” 

“Right, sure.” Steve reaches around you to tug on one of Eddie’s curl gently. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”

[strwbrychffoncke]

"lets ,you and me ,start over today ,be happy,, 2k+ words synopsis: you hope for a miracle on white day contains: lnds caleb x reader ,its white day! ,angst -> fluff ,kinda yearner!reader ,oblivious!reader ,jealousy (u think he likes someone else ,he thinks u like someone LOL) ,chef!caleb ,you're both kinda dumb tbh ,reader cries ,caleb comforts you ,slightly possessive!caleb ,confession ,kiss scene ,later a misunderstanding is fixed ,fluffy end ,i think thats it note: (unedited!) wow didn't mean to not write for so long OOPS.... i found this concept in my notes and decided to cook it up today and slowly get back into the writing groove cause i missed it...... ill edit this later too lazy to do it rn :x

-

you're not really sure what triggered it.

maybe it was the excited giggles of girls passing you through the halls as they chatted with their friends about who had left them chocolates on this special day. maybe it was the shocked expression on your close friends' faces, pleasantly surprised at having received chocolates of their own, yet trying to brush it off as no big deal realizing you had yet to receive any.

or maybe it was the fact that you'd caught caleb up in the kitchen later than usual, the sweet smell of your favorite chocolates wafting through the space and towards your nose.

you'd watched him meticulously measure out the proper ingredients, noticing he was trying his best to stay quiet (seeming to recognize both you and gran were asleep, or so he thought) while quietly humming to himself, carefully stirring and monitoring the sweets as they developed. a pleased smile graced his features when he delicately poured the fresh liquid into cute molds you couldn't make out (but realized with a sinking heart had to be new, because you didn't recognize them) and watched as gathered a dallop of it on his finger to taste test.

having seen too much, you managed to rip yourself away from where you hid in the hallway, quietly retreating to your room, and burying yourself into your covers.

you didn't want it to be true. you didn't want to think about caleb working so carefully to make something for another girl, who just so happened to have your taste in sweets.

how bittersweet.

you heard his footsteps pass by your room, fighting the urge to burst open the door and corner him for answers, and instead listening to the soft pat pat of his socks against the wooden floor retreating just down further into his own bedroom.

tears slipped down your cheeks as you willed yourself to sleep, trying to think of anything to push away the image of caleb gifting the likely very-nicely wrapped chocolates to some mystery girl.

he never mentioned anyone. why would he keep this a secret from you?

wasn't he the one that said there shouldn't be any secrets between you both? that he was the first person you could speak to about anything, and vice versa?

you don't remember falling asleep, but are quickly shaken back to reality in the morning when you wake to your tear-stained cheeks.

and now you had arrived home, locking yourself in your rooms as you curled up and cried to yourself about the situation all over again.

of course he wouldn't think of you like that, he couldn't possibly, you knew this and thought you'd accepted it long ago—

so why was it that the tears wouldn't stop flowing?

you didn't even care that you didn't receive anything from anyone else (even caleb piped up the question on your unnaturally quiet walk home, but you only shook your head. since your gaze was trained infront of you, you missed the relief that flooded his prior sharp eyes and the sigh that escaped his lips) because you only wanted something from one person.

the one person who you could never have.

you're not sure how long you were crying for, but accustomed to being left to yourself for awhile after school, you were startled at a sudden knock at your door.

you jumped, head perking up towards your door— you'd left it unlocked.

"pipsqueak?"

you cursed to yourself.

of all times.

you frantically wiped at your wet cheeks, taking quick deep breaths to try to ensure your voice wouldn't come out shaky.

at another knock, you found it in yourself to answer.

"y-yeah?"

dammit.

with any luck, caleb wouldn't notice the shake in your voice.

"hey, are you alright?"

you cursed his perceptiveness.

"yeah, what's up?"

you hoped that sounded more convincing.

a beat of silence passes between you both, and you want to speak up again to ask what he needs when he beats you to it.

"i'm coming in."

"wait—!"

your panicked cry is ignored as caleb bursts through the door, eyes quickly locking onto you.

in seconds, he closes the distance, kneeling before you and gently gripping your shoulders.

"hey, hey, were you crying?"

"...no—"

"don't lie to me."

"don't ask stupid questions!"

you huff in mild frustration, rubbing at your eyes to try to keep any more tears from falling in his presence.

at your action, he reaches up to pry your hands away from your face, holding them gently in his own warm ones. his thumbs start caressing the backs of your palms as he looks into your eyes.

"what's wrong?"

you quickly shift your gaze away from his.

"nothing—"

"it's not nothing. come on, you can tell me anything."

you take a deep shaky breath.

"did something happen today?"

shouldn't you be the one asking him that?

he tilted his head, trying to meet your eyes.

"is it because you didn't get anything?"

"no, caleb—"

"then what?"

the soothing movements of his thumbs on your hands stop for a moment.

"did someone say something to you?"

you sniffle, shaking your head.

"did someone—"

"no one did anything, caleb, that's the problem!"

his eyes widen slightly, and his thumbs resume the soothing motion again at your sudden outburst.

"what do you—"

"i just—! i just hoped...."

a fresh batch of tears well up in your eyes, and you try your best not to let them fall.

"hoped for what?" his voice is quieter, almost a whisper.

"hoped for the impossible."

your gaze is on your lap, looking at the size of caleb's hands compared to yours.

he's close, so close, and yet...

you sniffle as a couple of tears fall, dropping to where your hands are connected.

"the person i like.... made chocolates for someone else."

caleb feels his heart stop.

is that what this is about?

while a large part of him wants to shake you for the name of this person so he can beat them to the ground for making you cry, the deeper twisted part of him is relieved that you haven't been taken from him.

he couldn't allow that.

"pipsqueak..."

"am i... not enough?"

he feels his heart shatter at the sound of a broken sob escaping your lips after these words, and his hands fly to cup your face, bringing you closer to him.

"of course you're enough, don't ever question your worth because of someone else. they're just too stupid to not see that, so its better not to think about them, alright?"

your eyes widen in surprise at the intense look in his eyes mixed with his honest answer, and you both feel comforted and a little more heartbroken hearing this come from the one this is about in the first place.

he swipes your tears away with his thumbs, one hand moving to pat your head. his eyes soften, a fond looking taking over them.

"one day, someone who's worthy of your love, who knows everything about you and cares about you more than anything in the world will sweep you off your feet. trust me."

the way he says these words with such certainty in a calm and kind voice warms your heart.

"do you really think so?" you murmur.

"i know so," he answers.

you both stare into each other's eyes for a long moment after that, exchanging a million words in just one look.

maybe its because of what day it is, maybe its because he's so close, or maybe its because the person he described reminds you so much of him, but for whatever reason, you find yourself leaning forward.

there's not a lot of distance between the two of you, and in a way you think 'maybe its now or never,' as you decide to close it, tilting your head and closing your eyes as your soft lips land onto his.

its brief and fleeting yet so much is exchanged in the few seconds you're merged together this way. caleb is shocked to his core, eyes wide and not having time to even process if this is real or not. when he feels you begin to pull away, the hand that's planted itself on top of your head slips behind and pushes you back, this time leaving you in shock as he properly melds his lips with yours.

you're the first to pull away again after a few long moments, close enough that your breaths mingle as you both catch your own, eyes locked onto each other.

one of his hands is still cradling your face, his other brushing some stray hair out of your face, tucking it behind your ear, breath shaky as he follows the movement, eyes dragging over every detail of your visage.

his sunset eyes bore into yours as he speaks his next words, voice wavering.

"did you mean it, pipsqueak?"

you can only nod your head in his gentle hold as a response.

surprise crosses his eyes for a moment when his brows suddenly furrow slightly.

"what about... your crush?"

a small smile stretches across your lips.

"he's been by my side this entire time," your eyes drift away from his face as you nuzzle your cheek slightly into his palm.

"i couldn't help myself."

his heart feels like it could burst, his eyes practically glimmering, and a smile painting his lips.

at the sight of his lovesick expression locked onto you, you sniffle, turning your head towards the door.

"well, i think i'm gonna get a snack—"

you move to get up but are stopped by a hand wrapping around your wrist, quickly pulling you back.

you yelp in surprise, falling into caleb's arms as he cages you against him, embrace holding you close, nose nudging against your shoulder.

"should i take that as a confession?"

-

extra:

"wait."

you perk up, looking to where caleb is standing over the stove, the man in question already facing you.

its hours later, and you're sitting on a nearby stool, completely reassured from earlier's outburst, watching him cook dinner for you both.

"i'm still confused about one thing."

you tilt your head.

"ok?"

"you said the person you liked gave chocolate to someone else," he starts, stirring what's in the pan he's holding before tossing the food slightly in midair before briskly catching it all in the pan, body turned towards you.

showoff, you think, grinning and shaking your head slightly.

"buuut, i didn't give anything to anyone, pipsqueak."

your expression morphed into one of puzzlement.

"but... i saw you... making chocolates...."

caleb took a moment to process your words before small chuckles began escaping him.

he lowered the heat, placing the pan back down before facing you completely, his laughs growing louder at this point and of pure amusement.

"its not that funny," you pouted.

he took a moment to catch his breath before walking over to the fridge and pulling something out, shutting the door and approaching you.

"its just— pip, they're for you."

you tilted your head at him, looking down at the packaging wrapped prettily.

"earlier, i had originally gone to your room to coax you out and give you these, but then..."

you gasped.

"c-caleb—!"

"did you notice these were your favorites?"

"which is why i was that much more upset!"

a fond chuckle rumbled through his chest as he reached out with his free hand to pet your hair.

"so cute."

"i deserve them for the distress you caused me," you pouted, reaching out for them only for caleb to hang it higher above you, out of your reach.

"nuh-huh, i don't think so."

"caleeeeeb!"

"not before you've had your dinner," he reasons.

you slump back into your chair, sighing.

"okayyy."

"hm, good."

that night, after a fulfilling share of "caleb's famous cooking," you helped yourself to the love-filled chocolates made specially for you, caleb feeding them to you, his gaze full of only love for the one he's wanted for so long.

this was definitely a white day to remember.

-

a/n: heyyyyyy guess whos back..... prepare for me to spit out more fics cause im dying to after not writing for like a month (and for no particular reason) stay tuned.... side note the current zayne event game is so fun ugh

-

[thjsrots]

princess reader x thief vi drabble

; warnings: riding (tribbing?), top!vi x sub!reader, biting, drool, hate fucking but not really, forbidden sex

As the future ruler of Piltover, you had many responsibilities. Helping keep the people safe, making harsh decisions, and putting on your best face for everyone were some of the few that mattered most. As time consuming and stressful the position was, one could only take on so much at a time without some kind of… relief.

Sure, masturbating did it for you most of the time, but it never quite reached that itch that still buzzed at you after you finished. No matter what you tried; your fingers, toys, pillows, there was always that spot you just couldn’t pleasure enough. You craved something more, something real, someone real. Not just anyone—

Violet Lanes.

She was a cold hard thief, wanted by your parents, who put a hefty bounty over her. Your citizens tore their own heads off, running around like crazed chickens trying to find her and get the reward. But Vi was smart, she knew her way around Piltover, and knew her way around you. While everyone searched high and low for her, she was right above their heads in your room, gripping onto your ass as you shamelessly rut into her cunt. The room was heavy with the squelching noises of mixed wetness, pants, moans, and the smell of forbidden sex. She laid there, working her hips against your drippy cunt as you rode her. She had a smirk on her stupid, hot face, looking oh so proud of herself.

“Geez, Princess. You’re quite greedy, aren’t you?” Vi said in between pants, guiding your thrusts with her hands, making sure she rubbed against just the right spot, making your breath hitch.

You could tell she was doing it on purpose, trying to break down your barriers. Your eyebrows furrowed, fighting the pleasure as best as you could to show disdain, teeth gritting before you spoke. “What—Mmh! Whatever… do you mean?” Your bud was constantly rubbing against hers, eyes rolling back as your hands gripped onto her breasts.

“Well, think of all those poor citizens out there looking for me right now. Ripping their hair out with frustration, and I’m right here, letting their precious Princess ride me. And your parents, Gods don’t even get me started on—”

You cut off her taunting by crashing your lips into hers, sliding your tongue in her mouth as you savored her saliva, making her groan in the process. You pulled away, string stuck between yours and her lips, feeling a warmness spread throughout your lower stomach. “Vi, shut up… S’close…!”

She scoffed, opening her legs up more so you could grind against her whole cunt, your clit smothered with her juices. Your back arched, moans growing louder until she reached over and stuffed her fingers in your mouth. “Actually, I think it’s you who needs to shut up.” Your tongue swirled around her salty digits, sucking on them as your orgasm crept up on you. Vi’s egotistical eyes were fixed on nothing but you, completely eating up the fact that you were naked and vulnerable. She probably felt like she one upped the system, but for some reason, that thought made you even closer. The friction between the two of you was indescribable, unbearable, better than any gourmet meal or anything money could buy. This is what your body so badly needed, what it was craving. It craved the worst person in Piltover, the one that could fuck up your whole royal life if anyone found out.

This orgasm wasn’t like the ones you’d had during your alone time, this one rode out. You felt it at your thighs at first, a tingle that quickly turned into bursting jolts all throughout your body. You stiffened up, drooling and biting on her fingers, damn near drawing blood as you came all over her cunt. You didn’t care how pathetic you looked to her in that moment, you were drunk off nothing but Violet. She reached hers soon after, throwing her head back as she felt your hole dripping cum along her sensitive clit. You threw your body on her, sweaty skin touching, panting as her arms wrapped around you. Your body tensed up, scoffing at her touch, looking up at her face that had a grin plastered on it. You scoffed and glared. “You know, I truly hate you.”

She laughed, poking your nose, making you scrunch it up. You pulled away, sitting up and crossing your arms, staring at the naked, stupidly sexy woman laying in your satin sheets. “You sure about that, Princess?”

should i write more? 🤨

[aethersquid]

I mean, sure, some sci-fi does attempt to use a hypothetical future as a means to comment on the present. But plenty of it does not do that, and just exists to entertain the audience. That doesn't mean it doesn't end up saying something about the society that produced it, just that that isn't why it exists. It's the same for just about any fiction genre.

But crucially, even sci-fi that doesn't set out to actually say anything gets the "OMG [author] predicted the future!!!!" treatment, because the future is mostly made from spare bits of present, and almost anyone who pays enough attention to ongoing developments in a particular field, whether scientific or political, can probably get a decent idea of what will happen next, in a way that seems almost mystical to people who weren't really paying that much attention until it directly became their problem.

I feel like we don't talk enough about how sometimes Don't Create the Torment Nexus is actually Here's an Exaggerated Version of Something Fucked Up We Do Already, For Real, In Real Life, So You Can Understand What's Bad About It and people will STILL look at that and be like yeah you're right the exaggerated version is much better. we need a real life Torment Nexus.

[pettysreverie]

I am supernaturally obsessed with the “secret relationship” trope (I blame my days on wattpad way back in yesteryear lmao). But something about it is just….great googly moogly!

Thinking about it, though, I just know that Johnny could never keep you a secret for long (if at all). He’d be too giddy. Smug, even. He’s got himself a fine one—you’re perfect in every way he can imagine. The Scotsman would be ready to combust the moment he laid eyes on you, let alone when you two made it official. So secret relationships are kinda out with him (in my mind) unless a very specific situation/reason were to arise.

Kyle, too, wouldn’t be able to keep you a secret. But not because he can’t keep his mouth shut, like Johnny. More like he just doesn’t want to. I mean, this man has survived quite a lot. And with the kind of lives TF141 lead, managing to land a stable and thriving relationship is like hitting the jackpot 10x over. So yeah, Kyle is definitely telling others about you. I mean, the man has you has his damn lockscreen and his wallpaper! He’s hooked on you and definitely wants others to know.

But Price and Simon…? Oh, they’re different stories entirely.

Simon is fairly secretive by nature, that much is very obvious and clear. I mean, do you know how long it took for his team to even see his face?!? And you think he’d share something as personal as his romantic life? Whom he may or may not be laying beside every night, watching intently and enjoying the gentle rise and fall of your chest and the way you— well, you get the picture.

This big behemoth of a man is in love with you. Deeply and utterly. But he’s not telling a single soul. It’s not pertinent information, to him. Anything about you is given out on a need to know basis, and as far as he is concerned, no one needs to know. It’s all just safer that way, anyway.

And then there’s Price… Captain Price. The weight of the world seemingly on his shoulders and so many eyes watching his every move. Task Force 141 is a specialized and highly trained, effective and skillful team…but the wrong move could not only get them killed out on the field, but also at home—the higher ups ready to muzzle the trained soldiers before they can manage to spill any secrets.

Each day is a drag in its own right. Meetings. Paperwork. Dodging bullets and tackling terrorist cells. John leads a team that fights the good fight…but one you’ll never hear about. What they do will never make the news. There will never be parades held in their honor, or flashy award ceremonies. Just monetary compensation and a pat on the back—promises of full pensions and retirement benefits (should they even make it that far…).

But amidst all of that, is you. His precious secret. His respite. His home and his happiness. You are his love. His shelter. He finds just as much comfort with his arms wrapped around you, as you do being wrapped up in his arms. So no, he doesn’t tell anyone about you. Perhaps it’s selfish, but he appreciates and enjoys having you all to himself. His peace. His tranquility. His girl.

[sunderwight]

It's wild to think that liushen probably has a bigger age gap than bingqiu. Especially by the end of the story.

Like, we don't have firm ages for anyone other than Luo Binghe, but we know Shen Yuan is vaguely in his twenties when he dies the first time, that the Qing generation of peak lords are all within a reasonable age range of one another, and that Yue Qingyuan was a grown adult when he helped seal Tianlang Jun under the mountain. And that this happened after Shen Qingqiu had been accepted into the sect and become the successor of Qing Jing Peak, which, consider Shen Jiu was considered a late addition and also that he presumably didn't climb the social hierarchy of his peak overnight, probably means Yue Qingyuan was closer to 30 than 20 when he fought Tianlang Jun (assuming they weren't even older than that).

Which would put the Qing generation around their 40's, most likely, by the start of the story. Probably mid-40's, which works out for simplification sake because that would mean the best guess is that Shen Yuan is about 10 years older than Luo Binghe at the start of the story, and Liu Qingge is about 20 years older than Shen Yuan.

I mean we could absolutely take more generous estimates to get it closer to one end of a range or another, especially for a particular fic or whatnot, but this is like, the most reasonable guesstimate without doing any of that. I think? I mean you could feasibly make the bingqiu age gap as small as six years or as big as fifteen without really defying canon, and if we want to be very generous to Liu Qingge we could say he's the youngest of the peak lord and just barely squeaked into their generation and is closer to 30 than 40 and shorten the liushen age gap to 10 years instead, but there's also no real reason to assume that either. All things being equal, Liu Qingge being like 45 seems to be more likely than him being 30 or than him being like, 100, even though both are technically possible (to be honest we don't even know if he's actually younger than Yue Qingyuan, since peak lord hierarchy is about the rank of your peak, not your actual age).

Anyway of course eventually Shen Yuan dies again and stays dead for a few years, Luo Binghe gets to catch up to him a bit but Liu Qingge keeps going. Which just widens the liushen age gap (whatever it is) while shortening the bingqiu one. So even if the liushen gap's closer to a 10 years than 20, by the end of the story it's still probably bigger than the bingqiu gap.

I think what makes this extra amusing is that nobody would enjoy the revelation of all this, though. Luo Binghe and his age gap kink would be appalled to learn that his shizun is barely older than him. Liu Qingge (who is firmly in the thick of things with his childhood-enemies-to-lovers arc) would also probably not take it well to find out that he's been unwittingly attempting to rob a cradle.

Nobody likes this!

[lemotmo]

Okay 911 fandom...

I feel like I've been very nice about this before and I always figured it would all just disappear after a while, but this insane Ryan Guzman hatred is getting out of hand. And frankly? It is pissing me off!

So, let's get something very clear here:

This whole concept some people have in their head that Ryan is the reason why Buddie won't ever go canon? IT IS WRONG!

The man has screamed Buddie from the beginning. He came up with the name for Christ's sake. Just because some of you only joined the fandom after 7x04, doesn't mean you get to shit on this guy. You don't know the lore or the history. So shut up!

This idea that Ryan is a bad actor and he is botching up his scenes with Oliver, because Oliver clearly plays Buck as in love with Eddie?

Again... WROOOONG!

Buck is sooo much further on the Buddie path than Eddie is. All he has time for right now is his son! Ryan is NOT going to play Eddie smitten with Buck, because he isn't there yet in the narrative. He obviously cares deeply for Buck though and we see it in everything Ryan puts into his acting. He is obviously a talented actor and artist. So again... SHUT UP!

If I see any of you threaten the man over a fucking fictional ship on a TV-show? I will report you on whichever platform you are on and I'll make sure that everyone knows who you are so they can block you accordingly. Are you insane?! You cannot threaten people for doing their job.

And NO! Nobody is going to recast Eddie because you have it in your stupid little ignorant dumb minds that the man is a misogynist, a sexist, a racist, a terrible father (ARE YOU CRAZY! YOU CANNOT CALL A MAN YOU DO NOT KNOW A BAD FATHER! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING!?) and a whole other slew of things that are simply made up in your own head!

He made one single mistake a loooong time ago. He admitted that he was in a very dark place around that time. He even talked about trying to take his own life at a certain point. How much more honesty do you need?

After that mistake he apologised and he has obviously worked really hard to become a better guy. We can hear that in every interview he does. Stop spreading the narrative that people can't be forgiven after they apologise. What age are you? Four??? Of course people can be forgiven. It's called growth. This insane cancel-culture that has been growing rampant for the last couple of years has gone to all of your heads. Wake up and SHUT UP!

Stop these ridiculous claims and please do everyone a favour! Move on to another fandom where miserable people like you are welcome.

For years now this fandom has been a great place to be in. I love it here! But I've had it with the insane hate-campaigns against a guy just doing his job.

I won't even go into the insane Eddie hate I have seen lately.

This has got to stop!

I am still not a Ryan stan, but I am a decent human being and admirer of his work. So whatever has been going on lately? It is NOT right and we should all shout that from the top of our lungs.

If anyone is reading this and recognises themselves in what I have written here? Please step outside, touch grass, look at the sky and if you are following me? Kindly unfollow me. Thank you.

If anyone is reading this and feels the same way? Feel free to follow. I promise that I don't often make posts like this. I try to spread the fandom positivity as much as I can. So expect lots of that here.

Can we now just go back to enjoying what is really important here? Buddie is about to go canon. Let's celebrate and have fun! We've been waiting years for this. This is our time.

[shaaknaa]

Oh yeah, definitely rituals involved in that. At least in the anthropological sense (you'd need to ask someone who read the original it it's mean anthropologically or religiously).

In anthropology a ritual is anything that with multiple steps you do the same way each time. So brushing your teeth is: get brush wet, put toothpaste, individuals have different checklists for making sure the get all their teeth, spit, rinse, spit. And that's a ritual.

As a person who does data: yeah. There's ritual. *So much.* It's *Vital.*

You know what happens if my data collecter labels the X and Y coordinates in the wrong order? Chaos. If they label that point a non-standard name? Not as bad, but still annoying. If *I* check the wrong box in the program or select the wrong option? Rotated into non-meaning but at least i can fix it before anyone notices. It *must* be the Same! Every Time!

And for Good Reason. If we give out inaccurate product we get sued and no one wants to hire us. Literally, any data heavy job is dependent on accuracy as it quality. One typo can literally cost our clients thousands of dollars. A really bad one caught late can be tens of thousands. The Rituals are there to increase both Speed *and* Quality Control.

In fact one of the worst things about DOGE is the lack or disruption of ritual. The stated goal of "increase efficiency" is fine, and the obvious other goal of "screwing over minorities and the working class" is heinous but predictable. But he's not going through the basic steps (rituals) to achieve his goals without screwing himself over, *or* to keep from getting sued. Like... they don't even seem to have a proper accountant to make sure their tallies are correct? Just marketing and tech bros.

Best history fact acquired today: apparently in the early Han dynasty the data-gathering necessary to keep accurate tax records was taken very seriously, as the recognized foundation of an operational imperial state.

Specifically, the actual emperor was expected to perform obeisances upon receiving the census and harvest data for the year. The translation of Jia Yi I'm looking at in this paper refers to this as being among 'the rituals for receiving statistics.'

That's banger.

Like, considered teleologically as historical context for the surveillance state, less rad! But rituals for receiving statistics. Just!

A whole ritual category for being provided with actionable datasets! That's some real shit. This is the historical information I'm here for.

[starrdream]

Never about the looks

Anakin Skywalker x f!reader summary: Comforting your husband after you noticed he was struggling. includes: angst with a happy ending (really this time)

Ever since Anakin lost his arm, he's been different. It might look like didn't mind, like he was proud to sacrifice himself for The Republic, but deep down you knew it bothered him

At first, it started out with lingering looks in the mirror.

Then you would see him staring into his forearms when he thought you were asleep.

Then he would spend a lot of time fussing over it-making sure it was working, mentioning it casually through conversation, even making rather cruel jokes about it.

And the final straw. For a good three days Anakin refused to take his glove off unless he was showering, sleeping or checking up on the mechanics his bionic arm.

It was hard not to notice because it wasn't exactly a subtle change.

His past routine was simple: He'd come back from work ad immediately take the glove off whilst making jokes about it.

"I swear one of these days this thing will malfunction and mess up my combat skills"

"If he material keeps getting stuck in the screws I'll take this damn thing off myself."

He'll follow it up with a chuckle or a sincere laugh, letting you know he was being playfully.

But now? He was a whole different person.

No more jokes. No more tickling you with the cold metal. Nothing.

You barely even saw him without gloves or his Jedi robes on. Not only that, he was way less talkative too. Nothing past quick, seemingly meaningless kisses.

You were fed up with it. You noticed more than enough times to know what was going on, you just didn't know how to bring it up.

It wasn't even the lack of intimacy that bothered you, you just wanted you Ani back.

The one who couldn't wait to get home and kiss you senseless before doing anything else. The one who'd squish you while cuddling throughout the night.

You hated to admit it but it was taking a toll on you. On your relationship

One day you finally cracked and mustered up the courage to confront him.

You sat him down one evening, taking both of his hands in yours and asking the golden question.

"What's been bothering you Ani? Don't lie to me you know I notice."

At first he was closed off. Barely even looking at you.

Eventually, he warmed up. Admitting he was unhappy and frustrated. And finally, after at least 20 minutes of nothing he admit it, breaking down in tears.

"I can barely look myself in the mirror." He shook his head. "I can't stand myself like this."

You listened carefully, your silence urging him to continue as you wiped away his tears.

"I just..." He trails off. "I can't understand how you still love me. I mean just look at me, look at this" He gestures to his arm.

"You can't honestly wake up and think that I'm beautiful or handsome or whatever when this monstrosity is a part of me forever. I don't know how you even look at me sometimes. I don't understand it because I can barely look at myself." He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"I can't help but feel like I'm not good enough for you, nor anyone else." He confesses, tears staining his cheeks yet again.

"And I don't want to blame you but..you always used to compliment my muscles and hold my hand. Now I just feel like you're repulsed by me. Like you don't want to be around me anymore. Like you don't find me attractive and like that was the one thing our entire relationship was based on.." He sniffles, letting out a shaky breath.

"Anakin.." You breathe out, squeezing his hands gently. "Baby, it was never about the looks." You assure him, pulling him closer and kissing the side of his head.

He sighs, resting his forehead against your shoulder.

"You say that, and deep down I know it's the truth, I just..my brain doesn't want to believe it." He mutters against your skin.

His arms tighten around you, and you can feel the way his breath shudders as he exhales. "But I don’t feel like me anymore," he admits, voice small.

You pull back just enough to cup his face, making him look at you. His eyes are red-rimmed, his expression filled with so much doubt it breaks your heart.

"You’re still you. You're still the man who drives me insane with his stubbornness, the man who makes me laugh when I’ve had a bad day, the man I fall in love with over and over again."

You bring his metal hand up to your lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the cool surface. "This doesn’t change you, Anakin. It doesn’t make you less. If anything, it shows how strong you are."

His eyes search yours, desperate, pleading. "I don’t feel strong," he admits, voice barely above a whisper.

"Then let me be strong for you," you say. "Let me remind you how much you mean to me. To everyone who loves you."

His jaw clenches, and he shakes his head. "You don’t get it," he mutters.

"It’s not just about the arm. It’s what it represents. Every time I look at it, I see my own failure. My own weakness." His voice is thick with emotion. "I should’ve been stronger. I should’ve been faster. Maybe then I wouldn’t have-" He stops, his breath catching.

You reach up, tucking a strand of his hair behind his ear. "You think this makes you weak?" you ask softly. "Anakin, you survived. You fought, and you lived. That isn’t weakness. That’s strength."

He lets out a bitter laugh. "Then why do I feel so useless?"

"Because you’re holding yourself to impossible standards," you say. "Because instead of letting yourself heal, you keep reopening the wound." You squeeze his hand, both flesh and metal.

"You push me away, you push everyone away, but I see you, Anakin. I see you struggling, and it kills me that you won’t let me help."

Anakin swallows hard, his breath shaky. "You should," he whispers. "You should see me differently."

"But I don’t," you say firmly. "I still see the man I love."

You lift his metal hand, pressing it to your chest so he can feel your heartbeat. "I still love you, Anakin. No matter what."

His eyes fill with tears as he looks at you, searching your face for any sign of doubt. When he finds none, something inside him cracks.

A sob escapes him before he can stop it, and he collapses into you, burying his face in your shoulder while sobbing.

And for the first time in a long while, he allows himself to believe you.