#JUST WANTS TO end season 1 with these guys before i start them on new adventures

[missadangel]

MAKE HIM DISLIKE LOVE YOU

Harry Castillo x Reader (The Materialists)

Chapter 1: Blind Date

series masterlist next chapter

Summary: You work as a housekeeper in a rich family's mansion and often have to deal with their spoiled daughter. One day, she asks you to pretend to be her on a blind date with a guy her dad picked out for her. Your mission is to make him not like you so he won't want to marry her. But here's the twist: will Harry end up hating you, or could he actually fall for you? That's the real question. Warnings: 18+ (smut, MDNI) kinda romantic comedy stuff, fluffy, angst, lying, soft and caring Harry Castillo, Lucy as his ex, John as Lucy's ex, wealth, expensive gifts, drinks, money, cars, language, sexual tension, oral sex, p in v sex, kissing, slow burn, power imbalance, I might have missed some warnings; I will update them in due time. Word Count: 4.8k for now, There will be a part two if you guys like it, but I'm not sure about the rest. Sorry for the poor writing; that was quick. authors note: I am not sure about his name. If there's any update, I will edit. English is not my native, so please be nice; this is my third fanfiction. Thank you for the reblogs, comments, and likes. Love you all!

"Ugh, this dress is so last season! Are you serious? Everything here is out of style—get rid of them! Call Elliot and have them send me another dress, or I'm going to be really pissed!"

As if tossed at you like a used handkerchief, another dress worth thousands of dollars—perhaps only worn once—landed in your hands. You sighed as you looked at the elegant dress you were now holding, the Gucci label glinting under the light.

"Story of my life," you mumbled.

Working as a housekeeper in a millionaire's house was hard enough, but dealing with his spoiled and ill-tempered daughter was exhausting. Yet you were determined that it would soon be over. You could no longer endure this physical and psychological torture. With the money you had saved, you planned to open your own restaurant—fulfilling your dream. You just needed to save a little more and hang in there a bit longer.

Your boss was a decent, kind man, but his daughter was so unbearable that every housekeeper assigned left the next day.

How do you even tolerate her? 

Because you didn’t have the luxury of quitting and waiting for a new job. You were still young and trying to establish yourself in the business. The extra pay you received was simply to endure her antics. Your kind millionaire boss had even promised you all the support you needed, suggesting you could quit your day job and focus solely on managing his daughter’s affairs. But how could you have known it would be so challenging? Still, you managed to get through each day and believed you could endure this for just a little while longer. After all, you had survived three challenging years already, right?

The mansion was enormous, and everything inside was meticulously organized. Everyone—housekeepers, gardeners, cooks, and even the owners—followed a disciplined daily routine. 

Except for the young lady of the house.

You never knew when she would wake up or come downstairs to join her family at the dinner table. She was stubborn, mean, and unpredictable, and you had to manage her behavior just as you managed her dresses, her dates, and her friends. Because you were responsible for her, there were times when you wished you could handle all the housework yourself and let someone else take care of her demands. Despite being just an ordinary housekeeper, your name was the one that echoed the most throughout this vast mansion.

Why? 

Because the young lady constantly called on you to fulfill her never-ending requests. And it was one of those moments again. Since it was evening, you guessed she was probably getting ready for a night out at the club, and you felt a surge of annoyance as you rushed to her room.

"I can't believe I was a size 8 before starting this job; now I'm down to a size 6," you mumbled to yourself, quickly making your way up the stairs.

One of the cleaners dusting the vases in the hallway shot you a wink and let out a sigh. Man, you’d do just about anything to be in her shoes, just taking care of that vase!

As soon as you knocked on the door, the young lady Melanie opened it, pulled you inside by the arm, and slammed the door shut behind you. You were taken aback—had you made a mistake? It had only been two hours since you last saw her; you had picked up her clothes off the floor and taken them to the laundry room. She had seemed content, busy texting on her phone. What could have possibly happened in such a short time?

“Is something wrong?” you asked, your eyes wide. For some reason, she looked super tense and nervous.  

“You’ve gotta help me,” she said almost desperately, which caught you off guard; it was pretty rare for her to ask for help like this, very rare.  

“Of course, if I know what’s going on…” 

“Remember that thing we did with the senator's son? I need you to do something like that again.”

You froze for a moment. She was referring to something you had helped her with before—something you weren't very proud of.

“Oh, but—” you frowned. “You said I’d never have to do anything like that again.”

Years ago, you had done your best to disguise yourself as Melanie to turn off the senator's son and prevent him from marrying her. It had worked, but lying to someone was a real headache. Thankfully, Melanie's father hadn’t suspected a thing, but the thought of risking it again felt scarier than anything else.

“I know, I know, but I’m in a tough spot. My dad has been speaking with a matchmaker again to arrange a match for me. After the scandal at the club last time, he's determined to marry me off for sure. Please, I need your help.”

How could she still act so childish in her late twenties? As she looked at you with those pleading eyes, memories of all the times she’d yelled at you and scolded you flashed in your mind. It was fine when you were more like her special assistant instead of just a housekeeper, but now it feels like you’re just a toy to her. When she wants to have fun, she plays with you—almost like you’re her little slave or something.

“I’m not here for that,” you said firmly. “That is not my job.” Your patience was running thin, and this was just too much.  

“But you’re supposed to help me,” she shot back, stubborn as ever. “And it’ll be easier this time, I promise.” 

You narrowed your eyes and said, “We got caught last time when the guy found out and cursed both of us. Do you have any idea how hard that was for me? And if your father discovers what we’re up to this time…”

She replied with a grin, “We won’t get caught this time because I already sent them my photo instead of yours. Besides, you know how my father is strict about always having my picture removed from newspapers and magazines.”

“You did what?” you wailed.

“Chill, it’s all figured out. I’ve been working on this since last week. You’ll have dinner with the guy, pretend to be me, scare him off, and boom! He won’t want to hear my name again. Easy peasy!”  

You rolled your eyes. “But he’s surely seen your photo somewhere; he can’t be that clueless.”  

“No, he’s a very busy businessman. He has lived abroad for years and has just returned from France. He’s looking to set up his business here in New York,” she said as she opened her laptop and pulled up a webpage with information about the man. “It seems he’s also looking for a suitable match,” she continued, glancing at his photo and pursing her lips.

You froze when you looked at the photo; he wasn’t at all what you expected. He appeared to be a mature, charismatic, and intelligent man. But how could you sit opposite this man and pretend to be someone else? The thought made you shudder, raising the tiny hairs on the back of your neck.  

“As you can see, he’s much older than me. I don’t think he’ll tolerate disrespect. If you’re disrespectful to him, he might get annoyed and just leave the table,” she said with a chuckle.

You laughed too, but for a different reason. You were sure that if she went to the meeting herself, he would get up and leave when he saw her personality.  

“I think you should go; maybe he won’t like you,” you suggested.  

She narrowed her eyes at you like she'd just caught you saying something crazy. “He won’t like me? Seriously?” She flipped her hair over her shoulder with a cocky grin. “Anyway, I can’t risk it. I don’t want to marry him or anyone else, and I definitely don’t want to be stuck in the same room with that old man.” 

As if I want it so much, you thought.  

“Come on, please do this for me! I promise I’ll be good; I won’t make you work too hard. I’ll ask Dad to give you a nice raise,” she said, clasping her hands together and trying to look cute.  

Well, good raise would mean you could quit your job and bail out of here earlier, right? You crossed your arms and glanced back at the laptop screen, staring at the photo of that guy—Harry Castillo. You made a decision that you had no idea would change everything in both his life and yours.

“Fine. When’s dinner?” you said, feeling a bit anxious.  

“Oh, you’re the best! I knew you couldn’t say no!” she said excitedly. “This Saturday.”  

“But that’s only two days away,” you pointed out, feeling even more nervous.  

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you all set. Just make sure you displease him,” she grinned.  

You sighed deeply, already sure you’d regret this choice.

“Don’t you think this dress is a bit… exaggerated?” you muttered, looking at yourself in the mirror.  

It was an elegant burgundy dress—strappy, satin, and adorned with pearl details—the kind of designer item you could never afford, even if you worked your entire life.  

“Am I trying to make him hate me or make him fall for me?” you asked, frowning.  

Melanie rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry; he’ll never fall in love with you,” she said arrogantly. This was typical behavior for her, so you chose to ignore it. “As much as you want to annoy him, remember that you represent me. I don’t want anyone gossiping that Melanie Johanson is wearing a lame dress,” she continued while picking out a matching purse.  

“But everyone knows I’m not you, except that poor guy.”  

“I don’t suppose you were planning to wear one of your own skimpy outfits,” she remarked. “Do you want our game to be exposed?”  

That was too much—being scolded and being forced to do something so ridiculous for this spoiled girl.  

“Fine, go to that dinner yourself then,” you said, slipping off your heels.  

She grabbed your arms. “No, no, no, please. Okay, I’m sorry I was rude. But I need you; no one else would do something like this for me.”  

“It’s good that you realize that,” you muttered.  

“Here, take this; it’s time,” she said, giving you a smile.  

Honestly, putting up with Melanie’s constant demands, cleaning up after her, and covering for her felt like child’s play compared to what you were facing tonight. 

A nice raise, you keep telling yourself trying to soothe yourself. I’m doing this for my restaurant; I’ll get it started someday.

The restaurant was one of the most famous, expensive, and luxurious places in New York—somewhere you would never normally set foot in. But tonight, thanks to Melanie’s name, you could easily get in. You were overwhelmed by the incredibly polite behavior of the restaurant staff.  

Melanie may have been extravagant and reckless, but she had thought of almost everything for tonight—from the driver who brought you here to the all restaurant staff. 

All this effort was for one purpose: to rid herself of the matchmaker’s match.  

When they took your fur coat at the entrance and told you that Mr. Castillo was waiting for you, you took a deep breath. After one step inside, when you saw him, you nearly backed away. Harry was busy on his phone, scribbling notes in his small notebook. He looked really sharp and stylish—way more handsome and appealing than in the photo.

Damn.  

You wanted to escape; you wished to put an end to this nonsense before it even began. Without realizing it, your feet started to move backward. Just then, you turned around and accidentally bumped into the waiter behind you, causing him to drop the champagne glasses he was carrying on his tray. The glasses shattered, and champagne spilled all over his outfit. You cursed yourself for the mishap.

Before you could even respond, the waiter apologized. “No, it was my fault; I’m sorry,” you said nervously, trying to wipe off the champagne from his clothes.

The other waiter and the staff stared at you in shock. 

Yes, you were a wealthy lady now, but what harm was there in being polite?

"No, ma'am, I should have been more careful," he said before turning and walking away.

"Miss Johnson?" said a soft, deep voice. 

You turned around to meet him and felt almost breathless. There he was, few inches taller than you, with broad shoulders, curly hair, deep-set brown eyes, a sharp nose, and an attractive appearance. 

"Melanie, right?" 

"Y-yes," you stammered, batting your eyelashes. 

And that smile! For a moment, the world seemed to stop; all the sounds in the restaurant faded, and you almost forgot why you were there. 

"I'm Harry," he said, holding out his hand. It took you so long to look at his face that you nearly forgot to acknowledge his hand. He laughed again, that wonderful smile lighting up his face. "My hand has been waiting for a while," he said teasingly. 

You felt your cheeks flush as you realized what he meant. "I'm sorry," you replied, quickly reaching out to shake his waiting hand. His hand was big and warm. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," you mumbled, feeling embarrassed. You knew you needed to work up the courage. 

“Not really,” he said with a grin. “Shall we head to our table? Or do you want to stay here all night?” 

“S-sure,” you said sheepishly. 

Well, there wasn't much you could do about it. This wasn't just about him being wealthy or handsome. Even if it was a fake date, it had been years since you'd been on a date, and you didn’t know many men in your life. 

Dinner was harder than you expected. Even though you and Melanie had practiced what you should and shouldn't say, your fears came to light. Harry seemed kind and understanding, and it was difficult to lie to him, which made you hate every minute of it. It got worse when he started grilling you with questions, and you weren't sure how much longer you could keep up with this silly game.

When you excused yourself to go to the restroom, you called Melanie. 

"What do you mean he hasn't left the restaurant yet?" 

"I don't know; the conversation got a little long, and he kept asking questions about me, I mean you." 

"Do something to make him hate you already!" 

“But how? Throw wine at him? This is all ridiculous. I think we should just tell the truth.”

"Don't you dare!" she barked.

Her voice was so loud that you had to smile apologetically when the other women in the ladies room looked at you strangely, hearing your end of the conversation. 

"What am I supposed to do? Our plan isn't working." 

“What's up with this guy? He should’ve bailed by now.” Melanie grunted.

“He seems nice—I doubt he’d be rude like that.” 

“Rude! That’s the ticket; just be rude enough that he can’t stand it.” 

“What? Seriously?” 

“Yep, you heard me. Just be as rude as you can.” 

You let out a sigh, really wishing you could just bang your head against the wall right now.

“I said do it, or you'll ruin everything. Call me when you’re done.” 

“But what am I gonna— Hello? Darn it!” 

Beep… Beep… Beep… 

She hung up. 

You’ll have to be rude, how wonderful! But she was right; you needed to get rid of this man for the night to end and for you to return to your normal life. Why did he have to be so nice and kind? If he could ever act like a jerk, you would have done it by now, but he was just too sweet. As you looked in the mirror, you thought of all the rude things a lady wouldn’t normally do. Ah, that sounds familiar; it reminds you of Melanie herself. The very thought of her actions made you smile nervously. You took a deep breath and left the restroom.

Encouraging yourself, you gazed at Harry's handsome face from afar.

You can do it, you can do it...

Your first move: act indifferent.

You changed your facial expression as you approached the table and deliberately looked away from his face. He was smiling warmly at you. No, you couldn't look at him; it would only complicate everything. You were about to apologize for being late, but no, you can’t. Instead, you pulled your chair noisily on purpose, scraping its legs on the floor to create an annoying sound. You sat down and crossed your legs, positioning your body so it wasn't fully facing him. Harry seemed surprised by this sudden shift in your mood, but he didn’t comment.

A little later, as your desserts were served, he looked at you, “I like chocolate cake too, especially with pistachio sauce. We have similar tastes,” grinning at you.

You looked at him and then at the waiter. “I don’t want this,” you said angrily.

“But ma'am, you ordered it,” the poor man replied sheepishly.

“I’ve changed my mind,” you said. “I’ll go with the tiramisu,” you added after a quick look at the menu, making sure to glance away casually.

“Sure, I’ll change it right away,” he said, taking your plate and walking back.

“Are you all right?” Harry asked, concern creeping into his voice.

“I’m great,” you lied, forcing a fake grin.

He didn’t ask any further questions, but he seemed to suspect something had changed. When the waiter brought your dessert, you decided to eat it rudely. You were sure Harry would be disgusted as you devoured your dessert quickly and rather rudely as if you were starving. You didn’t look at him again until you finished your plate. When you finally glanced up, your stomach feeling a bit nauseous, the look on his face was not what you had expected. He was smiling at you admiringly.

What the hell was that? 

Shouldn’t he have shown disgust or displeasure, just like the people at the next table who were staring at you with disdain?

But not Harry, not him. Why, God, why? 

As if teasing you, he laughed and reached for a napkin on the table, wiping the remnants of dessert from the corner of your lips. “You’ve got quite the sweet tooth, don’t you, sweet girl?”

How could he be so nice, even after everything? 

“Want to eat mine too?” he joked again. Clearly, you were amusing him instead of grossing him out. Ugh, just what you needed. Why was this so hard? 

“It’s the cream in it,” you said, a bit defensive. If you were going to get into a battle of words, you might as well dive in. 

When he looked at you, confused, you thought you saw a glimmer of hope. Maybe you could annoy him with your gourmet knowledge. 

“The Marsala wine is in the cream; it’s a secret recipe,” you said, trying to sound smart. 

Harry paused eating his dessert, rested his elbow on the table, and gave you an admiring look. “Interesting. I didn’t know you were into cooking. That wasn’t in the info.” That familiar warm smile was back.

Crap. Another mess-up. 

“I get it—you’re keeping it under wraps from your dad. I want you to feel comfortable talking about your hobbies when you’re with me.” 

When you’re with him? Damn, that was supposed to be the first and last time you saw him. You started playing with your fingers in your hair out of nervousness. 

Think, think, think. All you had left was to use the only card you had.

“Look, Harry, I’ll be frank. I don’t plan to see you again.”

Suddenly, he stopped. “Didn’t you like me?” he asked softly.

Was it possible not to like this man? But damn it, you had to lie. You looked away; it was hard to read his expression.

“You’ve probably heard about me from the tabloids. I’m not the type of woman to get attached to just one man. My father put me up to this matchmaker thing; I didn’t intend to.” You admitted this indirectly. He deserved a little honesty, didn’t he? “I’ve had and will have many men in my life. I don’t plan to get married. I mean, you’re not special. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.” 

When you looked at his face timidly, you realized you got the reaction you had been waiting for since the beginning of the night. His smile vanished; his expression hardened, and the color of his eyes darkened. 

But why did your heart squeeze when you should have felt relieved?

When they brought your coat, you thanked them and turned to Harry for the last time. You would probably never see him again. You felt fortunate to have had the chance to meet and get to know this man, even briefly. He would probably forget you anyway; why would he remember you? 

“Can I give you a ride home so we can end things on a good note?” he asked, sounding a bit unsure.

You definitely didn’t see that coming. You paused, trying to figure out what to say. It would’ve been easier to just say no, but his eyes were so mesmerizing that if he’d asked you to spill all your secrets right then, you might have done it without even thinking.

“Sure,” you replied, feeling shy.

When the valet brought Harry's car around, your jaw dropped. This black, late-model Mercedes Benz S was probably worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Your interest in cars stemmed from your childhood; your mother always complained that you didn't like dresses and jewelry like other girls—rather, you liked cars. It was clear you were different, and you had always been that way.

Just like the situation you found yourself in now. Maybe there was something wrong with you.

The two of you were silent the entire ride. You didn’t look directly at him, but you could feel his gaze on you out of the corner of your eye. However, you were more captivated by the interior of the car. When would you ever get to ride in such a luxury vehicle again? It wouldn’t hurt to take a closer look. As you glanced towards his side to check out the control panel and see how much horsepower the car had, he caught your eye, causing you to quickly turn your head away. You had to suppress your curiosity.

"We’ll turn right here," you said as you approached the junction. Down the street, the giant mansion loomed, so close to your destination. You stole a quick glance at him, realizing this might be the only time you would see this man in person. You wanted to remember his handsome face. 

Suddenly, Harry slammed on the brakes, and the car screeched to a halt. Your eyes widened in surprise as you looked at him, startled that he had stopped so abruptly near the mansion. What had caused him to suddenly halt? He didn’t say a word, just stared at you, and his eyes seemed to communicate something intense. Was he angry and no longer wanting your company? 

You unbuckled your seatbelt and reached for the door handle, only to find it locked.

“Stay still,” he said as he unlocked the car doors. 

What was he implying? He walked around the front of the car, reached your side, and opened your door. 

Was this chivalry? If so, why did he stay away from the mansion?

“Aren’t you getting out?” His voice was kinda cold.

You didn’t know how to respond. You stepped out of the car without saying a word.

“Thanks for the ride—” 

Suddenly, he grabbed your arm—not roughly, but with a firm, questioning grip. His gaze was intense, but why did he look that way? Had he figured it all out? Maybe he was about to confront you for making a fool of yourself. After all, you had been willing to be open, and now you felt you deserved it. But you didn’t have the courage to meet his eyes, so you lowered your head. 

“You were lying, weren’t you?”

Shit. 

You swallowed hard; this was the moment you had dreaded.

“I-I…”

What were you going to say? How would you even say it?

You were fucked.

Suddenly, Harry pinched your chin with one hand, forcing you to look at him while his other hand rested on your waist. He tilted his head toward you, his hot breath brushing against your face, making your heart race. His lips were dangerously close to yours, and you could feel your throat going dry. What the hell was he going to do? Kissing you or scolding you? After what felt like an eternity, he pulled you closer by the arm around your waist and kissed you.

It had been a long time since you kissed someone, so you were almost shocked by his sudden kiss. No matter how hard you tried to stop yourself, you finally closed your eyes and surrendered to him completely. Your surrendering gave him courage and he deepened the kiss, his hot tongue licking your lips and forcing them apart. While his expert hand lingered on the swell of your breasts teasingly, you moaned and opened your mouth for him and when his tongue touched yours, you could still taste the chocolate from the dessert he had just eaten. 

But suddenly, Harry pulled his head back, breaking the kiss and all contact. Instinctively mesmerized, you leaned forward, eyes closed and mouth agape. When you finally opened your eyes, you caught him snickering, and as the embarrassment of the situation hit you, you wished you could disappear. You instinctively pressed your hand to your burning lips and pressed hem together. Harry licked his lips and grinned. "Just as I predicted. You lied to me. There's no way another man has touched you recently."

For a second, your mind went blank, and you just stared at him, blinking in confusion. What the heck did he mean by that? "Y-you... w-what..." Great, now you couldn't even put together a simple sentence.

What next?

Just then, your phone started ringing. When you opened your purse to get it, Harry reached for it before you could. Fortunately, you had saved Melanie in your phone under a special nickname, not her real name. Harry laughed, raising his eyebrows in surprise and amusement. "Trouble?"

Yes, you had saved her as trouble.

"Can you hand my phone back, please?" you said, holding out your hands, but he caught them with one hand and gently pushed them away. 

“Your trouble can wait,” he said, rejecting Melanie’s call. He dialed a number on your phone, but realized what he was doing when his own phone started ringing.

“There, now you have my number,” he said, handing your phone back to you.

You frowned and grabbed your phone angrily, "What makes you think I’d actually call you?" 

Harry shrugged, pursing his lips. “Shouldn't I call you before I come to pick you up for our next date? I guess I could just come by your house and honk the horn instead.” 

“What?” you exclaimed.

He grinned.

You took a deep breath to release some of your tension. “Harry, why are you doing this? There won’t be a next date; I told you that.”

“One chance,” he said firmly.

“A chance of what?” 

"I want you to give me a chance. A real date. If, at the end of the night, you still feel the same way, I promise you’ll never see me again."

You shook your head. "But why? You’re a man who can have any woman you want. You’re rich, handsome, and kind—why waste your time on someone who doesn’t want you?"

You saw something in his brown eyes, something you couldn’t quite identify, but it was intense. “Because you're different from others,” he said sharply. “True, women are not unattainable for me; they are always around. But what I want is someone special, and I feel that you are the one. There’s something about you that has ignited something in me I haven't felt in a long time. I must admit, I'm surprised; I never thought I’d be attracted to you after reading the news about you, but it seems I was wrong. Can you give me a chance? Please?”

Oh, Harry, there’s so much you don’t know, you thought. Your heart was fluttering at the thought of saying yes, but how could you? How dare you? You weren’t Melanie, the daughter of a wealthy businessman; you were just an ordinary girl.

“You know I won’t leave without hearing your answer, right?” He grunted.

Just then, you heard a car approaching, and you freaked out. That was Melanie’s dad’s car. Your heart nearly stopped.

“You have to go, like, now!” you yelled in a panic.

“First, say yes,” he replied, frowning.

"Si, yes, okay, alright! But please, go now!" you urged, pushing him toward the back of his car. He chuckled in response.

You crouched down to hide your face as the other car drove toward the mansion and pulled him down with you.

“I want you to know I’ve never done anything like this in my life,” he admitted, snickering.

“Is that so funny?” you snapped.

"Okay, I get that you don’t want your dad to see us like this, and I’m curious why, but since you said yes, I’ll be a good guy and leave."

“Yes you do that,” you said with a sigh.

Harry took his phone out of his pocket and waved it before getting into his car. “You’d better answer it when I call,” he said, getting inside. He winked at your puzzled expression and started the engine. His car quickly disappeared from sight along the road. You turned toward the mansion, exhaled deeply, and murmured to yourself.

“I'm so fucked.”

thanks for reading, likes, comments, reblogs are appreciated ❤️

[checkeredflagggs]

Scavenger Hunt

pairing: max verstappen x girlfriend!reader

summary: fans are baffled when they spot max verstappen running about Monaco on Valentine’s Day — what’s causing him such panic?

a/n: inspired by the upcoming baby verstappen and little Donut

a/n2: I know there’s a typo in one of the texts but I didn’t want to rewrite that so imagine there isn’t please

Masterlist | Taglist

Private Messages, Max and y/n

Bluesky

user1: it’s so early and on Valentine’s Day…are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?

↳user2: that he forgot to get y/n something and is now rushing around last minute?

↳user1: yup!

user3: it’s so fun to see celebrities act just like regular people

user4: just how early is it over there

↳user5: extremely. I honestly have no idea what he’s doing up right now

user6: early, rushing around, and he’s still kind enough to smile at people…

↳user7: I have no idea how people think he’s a villian

↳user8: right? He’s just a little pookie

Private Messages, Max and y/n

Private Messages, Lando and y/n

Bluesky

user9: another max spotting!

user10: he must have completely forgotten about Valentine’s Day…

user11: wild thoughts thrown into the universe but…are they even still dating??

↳user12: what??

↳user11: neither of them have posted anything about each other in months. By this point in winter break last year, there was like 100 photos of what they were doing and where they were going…

↳user12: omg don’t even say such thing again…

↳user13: ohhh you have a point. I don’t like it but you have a point…

user14: was he up at the crack of dawn or something??

↳user15: that’s what I was wondering…

user16: ok but where was he going in such a hurry??

↳user17: I saw him today! He was ducking into a local bakery and he came out empty handed about 2 minutes later

↳user16: he’s rushing about at the crack of dawn to go to bakeries???

Private Messages, Max and y/n

Private Messages, Charles (and Alex) and y/n

Private Messages, Max and y/n

Bluesky

user18: I saw him this time!

↳user19: well?

↳user18: another bakery and this time he came out with a bag from them. He was still in a rush

↳user19: interesting interesting 🤔

user20: he’s been spotted all over Monaco hasn’t he?

↳user21: At least 4 different locations now yes!

↳user20: have they all been bakeries?

↳user21: as far as we know yes

Private Messages, Max and y/n

Bluesky

user22: he looks so good!

↳user23: he always does… y/n is so lucky…

user24: was it another bakery?

↳user25: it was!

↳user19: hmmmm

user26: did he answer any questions while he was signing?

↳user27: he was chatting with us!

↳user28: did you get anything interesting from him?

↳user27: thankfully he’s still dating y/n — he was laughing because apparently she had ordered donuts from a bakery last night but forgot which one so he’s out and about trying to track them down

↳user28: awwww

↳user19: 📝📝📝

user19: I have a theory!

↳user29: is it completely crazy and out there?

↳user19: no! Well maybe! But I have some proof!

↳user29: oh no…

user19

liked by user, user, user, and 21,823 others

user19: I believe that y/n, Max Verstappen's girlfriend, is pregnant! Facts!

1 — these are the last photos she posted of herself before she went into a soft blackout (she’s only posted a couple of congratulations for Max and the McLaren boys near the end of the season). Those clothes and that pose? Classic for hiding pregnancy — and it even looks like she has a bump in that last one

2 — Max's store has a host of new baby items (cute af and I’ve already ordered some for my nieces and nephews). Why would he seemingly spontaneously start to carry baby stuff? Cause he’s got a kid on the way

3 — the last couple streams Max has done, he’s talked about legacy and the future. Not the strongest evidence but both Max and y/n have said in the past that they’d like to have a kid or 2 when they get more settled in their lives

4 — Max’s behavior today. Rushing all about various bakeries? That just screams pregnancy cravings — I bet that y/n sent him out to get something specific and he was trying to find it/them

In conclusion, y/n is pregnant and I think she’s pretty far along — and they’re trying to hide it

view all comments

user30: oh my god…

↳user31: baby verstappen incoming!

user32: holy shit…

↳user33: I don’t know what to say here

↳user32: I do! user19 you’re crazy

↳user19: just because I’m right doesn’t mean I’m crazy!!!

user34: I don’t think I’ve wanted anything to be more true in my life…

↳user35: big mood

user36: this is such a stretch but god do I want it to be true

Private Messages, Max and y/n

Private Messages, Lando and Charles and y/n

Private Messages, Max and y/n

maxverstappen1

liked by yourusername, charles_leclerc, landonorris, and 2,913,923 others

tagged: yourusername

maxverstappen1: our little family is growing — this is Donatello. Thank you yourusername for the wonderful Valentine’s Day surprise!

And baby Verstappen is coming Spring 2025

view all comments

user37: WHAT???

↳user38: it’s just like max to showcase his cats first…

↳user37: well baby Donatello came to the house before baby Verstappen liked by yourusername, maxverstappen1

yourusername: awww I’m glad you like little Donatello

↳yourusername: and that you didn’t mind me sending you all over the place this morning

↳user39: did you really send him on a goose chase today?

↳yourusername: well I had to get him out of the apartment somehow and pregnancy cravings are a good catch all 😂

↳maxverstappen1: schatje…

↳yourusername: you love me really

↳yourusername: and i had to come up with something when you heard me talking about Donut…

↳user39: awww is his nickname Donut?

↳yourusername: no

↳maxverstappen1: yes

↳charles_leclerc: yes 😊

↳yourusername: ugh

oscarpiastri: congrats on the new additions

↳yourusername: thanks Oscar!

charles_leclerc: you’re welcome for helping!

↳yourusername: thanks again Charles!

↳maxverstappen1: yes thank you

↳charles_leclerc: ☺️☺️

↳yourusername: oh yeah max he wants godfather liked by charles_leclerc

landonorris: and i don’t get any thanks for helping?

↳user40: threesome??

↳maxverstappen1: what

↳landonorris: no no no I helped hide the new cat

↳yourusername: ewww no. He hid some of the extra cat supplies for me in an effort to bag godfather

↳maxverstappen1: say goodbye to the potential godfather title

↳landonorris: FUCK

↳charles_leclerc: HA!

user19: I WAS RIGHT!! liked by user53

Taglist

@anamiad00msday @suns3treading @daniskywalkersolo @awritingtree @justheretoreadthxxs @coral7161 @lost4lyrics @mastermindbaby @freyathehuntress @angelluv16 @nichmeddar @mxm47max @Voidvannie @justaf1girl @a-beaverhausen @tallrock35 @elizamoe133 @imlonelydontsendhelp @jessica3478 @il0vereadingstuff

[lcriedlastnight]

five times lando takes the lead + the one time you do | lando norris

○ tw: swearing, lando being cute, someone might find this a little toxic but i don’t so shh○

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ : w/c: 5k of me projecting. it was my birthday today so here’s a present!

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

1.correcting your posture.

you had told lando way back at the start of the year that your new years resolution was to fix your posture. you didn't expect him to really take in what you were saying because he was swamped with work emails and all the other shit he had to do to get ready for pre-season. it was a simple passing comment, hell you guys weren't even official when you had told him about it. why would he remember something so insignificant about someone he was casually seeing?

well you just assumed that he wouldn't, maybe that was just because you can't really remember anything small thing he had said to you in the very early days of your relationship so it made you feel bad if he did.

it was safe to say you did not do well with your resolution and had almost completely forgotten that you had even made it a resolution in the first place but it seemed like lando hadn't.

it was a race week this week and you had the privilege of joining lando this. before jetting off halfway across the world both lando and oscar had been asked to join zak and andrea at mtc just to go over some things about the car and the upcoming race. to be honest you didn't really know why but lando had asked if you wanted to come and you didn't even think before you accepted.

it was very busy as lando drove you in towards the the car park in his flashy car, it always made you feel like a pop star when lando drove you around and lando did it because he knew you loved pretending the paps were following after you after they discovered you with your new man (lando). he found it cute.

"c'mon then, sweetheart. let's get this over and done so we can get on the plane." lando says as he holds a hand out to help you out of the car. you and lando were heading straight to the airport after this 'meeting' so you were both in clothes more on the comfortable side. both repping some sort of mclaren merch of course. yours was most likey stolen from the driver himself.

you both meet oscar as you walk in. he's by himself so you ask about his own girlfriend and if she was attending the race. oscar shakes his head sadly, telling you she's focusing on her studies and you can't help admire her for that. you have always had a soft spot for lily, just like lando has for oscar you're sure.

a member of staff heards the three of you into a meeting room where zak and andrea are already waiting. seeing them both next to each other always makes you a little nervous for some reason, you never know why and lando loves to make fun of you for it. they both greet the three of you with smiles and you feel lando move himself closer to you, not wanting to show basically any pda in front of his bosses but wanting you to know he was here and still thinking of you. he ends up so close to you that your arms are grazing against each other.

zak starts the meeting off and you can't lie, you aren't listening one bit but you hope to god lando is because oscar is asking questions and nodding his head like it's important. you worry though when his hand comes to the small of your back to rub there slowly. oh there is no way that boy is listening to a word that's being said. god help him.

you try to listen in for lando because he clearly cannot be trusted to do it himself. it's difficult to understand but you have a whole flight to ask your boyfriend what it all means as you catch him up.

you actually feel like you're on a roll and actually taking in what both men are talking about when lando throws you off completely. his hand that was resting on the small of your back comes to lay in the middle of your shoulder blades, ultimately straightening your posture. you already feel it at the bottom of your back and you feel the urge to sag back down again but lando's other hand is forcing you to stay in the position that he wants. it makes you feel warm but you try to push it to the back of your mind as you mentally take notes for the incapable boy.

the meeting wasn't too long, which now made sense in your mind as to why they didn't ask you all to take a seat but lando made you stand like that for the rest of the meeting. zak and andrea wish you both a safe flight before bidding everyone goodbye. oscar turning in his spot to exit the room and lando's hands forcing you to do the same. halfway down the corridor he removes both his hands and grabs your hand with one of his, now free ones. every time you drop your shoulders down you feel a little nudge and you are straightening up right away. lando squeezes your hand every time you do what he silently asks.

once you both are back in the car and lando is driving you both to the airport, that is when you ask him about it.

"what was all of that about?" you ponder, eyes flitting all over his pretty face as he drives like it's his second nature (it one hundred percent is).

"didn't you say you wanted to straighten your posture up?" lando questions, like he actually looks confused on why you would ask him that. he's acting like it was a common occurance but it doesn't piss you off, no instead you just smile. you just can't believe he remembered something so small and boring about you and tried to make it happen when you forgot about it.

the flight was filled with you trying to explain what it was exactly that zak and andrea had told you and oscar in the meeting room at mtc.

2. he keeps you feeling safe.

it was a really good race for lando today, he had begged you to come out clubbing with him which had made no sense to you whatsoever because wasn't going out clubbing a way to de-stress without your girlfriend? well it didn't matter what you thought because lando was literally on his knees in front of you in your hotel begging you to come. of course it was a joke and he was doing it get a laugh out of you so you would accept his offer but it really set you off balance seeing lando like that.

he was supposed to be the one that made you feel like getting to your knees and begging for something, joke or not. getting a taste of the roles being reversed made you wish for the way it usually was with the two of you. you didn't do too well with change.

"okay, okay, if i agree will you get up?" you ask him, the change clearly sends waves of discomfort through your body and because lando knows you too well, he knows this.

lando smirks up and you and replies with a simple, "yeah."

that's how you end up jumping into a quick shower to get yourself ready for the night ahead. lando is also in the hotel bathroom while you're showering. he makes sure to make his presence known as he clatters about, searching through his toiletry bag for his (your) favourite cologne. you love the homely feeling that rushes through you as lando makes conversation with you as a way of staying close to you when you're getting ready. he never fails to make you feel wanted.

you don't know how this is the first time since you had started dating lando that you were both going clubbing together because you were sure it was known worldwide that he loved a good night out. it made you feel special that he wanted you to come with him tonight. and to celebrate an amazing weekend, not just for lando but for the whole team. you hoped oscar and lily would be making an appearance, you had missed spending time the girl and you were both a little more introverted than some of the other wags, so you knew that if she was there you would have someone the entire night. not that you were expecting lando to leave you alone - you were just planning for a worst case senario.

lando walks over to you as you're standing in the bathroom trying to slip in a pair of earrings he had actually gotten you before you had even started dating, in front of the vanity mirror. you were struggling, you couldn't remember the last time you had a reason to wear earrings, never mind ones this fancy.

the brunette's arms snake around your waist as his chin sits on your shoulder, admiring you from the mirror. you looked beautiful to him everyday but in this dress? he remembers picking it out for you when he was at a boutique in japan earlier this year and just imagining you in it made his heart race. this had been the first time you had worn it besides the time you tried it on for him after he brought it home for you.

"look at you. don't know how i'm going to keep my hands off of you tonight, love." lando speaks into your shoulder, leaving soft, gentle kisses in his wake. his words make you flustered but you have no time to respond because lando is talking again.

"osc and lily are outside in a car waiting for us. i'm pretty sure max is coming out too." lando murmurs, a subtle demand for you to hurry up and get downstairs, which you blindly follow.

your eyes light up at the mention of your fellow mclaren wag tagging along. lily, like you, was never one for clubbing and to be honest neither was oscar but you knew how great of a weekend this was for mclaren and weren't too surprised the young australian wanted to join you and your boyfriend in the celebrations. you were surprised that his girlfriend was coming though. surprised and elated.

lando just smiles at the delight in your eyes before giving the back of your dress a light tug to get you moving. minutes later you're clinging to his arm as you are both exiting the fancy hotel lobby and out into the mild evening. you see the car waiting for you as soon as you leave the spinning doors.

the ride to the fancy club was filled with you chatting away to lily, the poor girl couldn't get a word in edgeways but she didn't seem to mind much, just listening to your work stories with a grin on her face, nodding when it was polite to do so. if you didn't know someone you were proper shy and never mustered up more than a simple sentence or two, but if you knew the person? god, let's just hope they brought earplugs because it was almost impossible to shut you up.

the night had been going perfectly and to your knowledge it still was. you were stood up at the bar with lando while you waited on your drinks and lando was talking to some guy, you didn't listen to his name because to be quite frank, you didn't really care what it was.

as much as lando was one for showing you off and wanting to constantly have his hands on you, he was never one for doing it in public, where he couldn't control who see what. it just never sat right with him so he just kept it as minimal as possible with hand holding. you knew this so of course you didn't try and force him to do anymore, even though you were a very clingy drunk.

so when lando comes to stand directly behind you and wrap his arms around you, just like back at the hotel in front of the mirror, it shocks you. you knew lando was barely drunk so you had no clue why he was getting so touchy with you, especially when he was mid conversation with someone. you don't want to interrupt his conversation by asking him why so you just lean into his touch and continue waiting. it isn't long before the bartender slides your drinks across the table, apologising for the wait. you shrug it off and spin in lando's hold to give him his drink.

"thank you, love." lando smiles and presses a quick kiss to the corner of your lips. in your intoxicated state it makes you all blushy and giggly. you're sure you hear lando make up some excuse about having to leave before he's leaving the man at the bar and moving you back to the booth, back to all your friends. as you sit down at the edge, lando stands in between your legs, looking down at you with what can only be described as heart eyes.

"what was all that about?" you ask him, gentle eyes peering up at his. lando's gaze darkens just as touch as you question him about his sudden urge to touch you and hold you close. he shrugs before putting your drink onto the table and pulling your head close to his stomach.

"he was staring at your arse." lando answers simply, voice filled with possessiveness. you don't even respond, just smile into his loose fitting t-shirt. you notice your makeup stains it but lando wears it proudly, wanting everyone to know you are his.

3. he tells you what to do (in a sweet way)

a lot of people thought that lando telling you what to do and basically bossing you about was weird. you didn't think so but apparently almost all of your friends thought so. it wasn't like lando was mean about it, he was so fucking sweet to you all the time it literally made you melt sometimes. the way that anyone thought that lando wasn't head over heels in love with you baffled you to no end.

to explain, lando knew you better than you knew yourself. he knew what you wanted to eat before you had even realised you were hungry. you were so easy to read to him, but that meant that the driver also knew how indecisive you were and how anytime you were faced with a decision that was even mildly difficult your brain, quite literally, short circuited. it was something that up until you met lando and he had gotten to know you, that had caused you major problems. but now with lando here, he made the decisions for you because he knew what you wanted even when you didn't.

neither of you really stopped to think about how it would look to someone outside of your relationship because, well why would you? to you and lando, anyone else's opinion on your relationship didn't matter. at the end of the day it was what made you and your boyfriend happy. and this way just worked for you both.

the first time you noticed other people maybe gave a second thought to what you and lando had was when you were invited to a close friend of your sister's baby shower. you both had grown up together and since your older sister couldn't make it due to being on holiday at the time, she had invited you and told you to bring someone along with you. you didn't really know that men weren't really that common at a baby shower so you, of course, asked lando to accompany you.

you had to ask nicely for lando to take the most normal looking car he had so you two didn't stand out too much, not wanting to be the talk of someone else's baby shower. that would make you feel horrible.

your sister's friend cheers your name as she opens the door after you give a few polite knocks. you stand hand in hand with lando and you will never forget the look on her face when she saw him standing with you. you knew it wasn't because she recognised lando, but because there was a literal man at her baby shower. a man she didn't even know, nonetheless.

"hi. uh come on in?" it's phrased as a question, it's how you know the poor girl is still puzzled. you feel a little bad no matter how funny it is.

she leads both you and lando to a beautifully decorated gazebo, filled with baby pink banners. well at least you now know she's having a girl. you feel bad for lando more and more as you sit down on the free seats by the entrance and realise there are no other males here at all. you had to make it up to him later, you supposed. you told him as much but he shook his head and said he was going to have fun. you doubted that but let him believe it anyway.

a few drinks in and the previous tension that was lingering from not really knowing anyone here had disappeared and you were now chatting away now you had some of that liquid courage.

just as you finish up your conversation with the girl on your right (you know it's horrible but for the life of you, you can't remember her name) lando turns to you and says, "go and get a glass of water." and if that didn't raise a few eyebrows then you doing so without any hesitation whatsoever, would've.

what everyone didn't know though, was that you didn't want to get drunk at a baby shower and although you felt just the appropriate amount of drunk for an event like this, lando knew that anymore would tip you over the edge, hence his instructions. and you follow because why would lando tell you to do something if it wasn't in your best interest? you did have to admit though it was funny watching everyone silently lose their shit when you two did this. you both agreed it would never get old.

4. he helps you through a crisis

it was clear to anyone who knew the both of you that in your relationship, although you were both prone to worrying and panicking, you trumped lando. he had even begun to suspect you had some sort of unknown anxiety disorder from the silly little things you worried about.

the thing that shocked him most though was that you thought it was normal to feel like that, normal to worry about silly little things that don't really matter that much in your day to day life. ever since you had started waking up on your own you had set at least ten alarms on your phone and it annoys the fuck out of lando but he has never mentioned it to you because he knows the reasons behind it and yelling at you will do nothing but make you worry more. why do you set so many alarms for the next morning? well, because you may sleep in of course! lando understands that, of course he does, even though he doesn't really get the whole being worried about being late thing, he understands. it's when you set ten alarms when you both don't have any plans the next day. and when you sleep through every single one of them because he tired you out the night before. it killed him.

so it was safe to say you were a worrier, much more than your other half. even though you worry an abnormal amount, lando knew how to keep a level head and even learned how to talk some sense into your more sillier worries. this one wasn't one of those though.

you were due to start your brand new college course and god if you hadn't gone through every single situation that could go wrong in your mind about a million times until you had made yourself mentally sick. lando, obviously, noticed this and took you out for a day of buying new clothes and supplies that you would need for your course. bless his heart for trying to distract your horrible mind.

"what about here? does this do cute clothes? i liked that outfit they had at the window." lando mentions as he gestures to some store you had never set foot in before.

"not sure." is all you reply with. lando's not quite sure exacly where you are in your mind but he knows your travelling down that horrible, panicking road quite quickly and he needs to find a way to get your mind off of it and onto something else.

unfortunately, he isn't quick enough and you're halfway to a panic attack and right in the middle of the shopping square is the last place you want to have it. lando's thumb is swiping across your hand trying to ground you but it's not enough, you can feel the heavy pressing on your chest, like cement is filling it up.

lando can always tell when you're about to go into a panic attack. you either get quite and shut him out, trying to push him away (for some reason unbeknown to him) or you get mean and say a lot of stuff that you don't meant at all and regret almost as soon as you say it. this time you were quiet so lando tries to lead you somewhere less busy, wanting you away from everyone's eyes.

almost as soon as you're alone your breathing picks up and you just let yourself panic. you sink to the floor as you heave in breaths but lando is quick to follow you down to hold your hands and try and will you back to him.

"hey, c'mon now love. you know what to do. give me five things you can see." lando says, voice all warm and syrupy. it makes your insides melt and weirdly makes you feel better already.

although this way is a lot less demanding and raises a lot less eyebrows it's one you appreciate a ton, maybe even more than the others. it made you feel seen, like he actually knew you and wanted to help you even when you were at your most vulnerable and needed a helping hand into getting back to your normal, bubbly self again.

5. he distracts you without even knowing (he knows)

it's been said by many people many different times throughout the course of yours and lando's realtionship that you both know each other inside and out. it's so easy for people, like his fans who only get a glimpse into your time spent together, to see that you know each other like the back of your hand.

there is one specific moment that goes very viral on tiktok that you have to admit, anytime one comes up on your for you page you give save it to your favourites to watch during those times when you miss lando just a little more than usual.

lando can tell when your mind isn't one hundred per cent focused on something, just like you can tell when he is letting his mind wander to what film he was going to force you to watch later on that evening. the tiktok that had went viral was a prime example of this. lando's best friend, max had went live at the flat you and lando shared. you were supposed to be studying for an assignment you had to complete at the end of the week but instead both boys had ended up distracting you from your studies. it didn't bother you at all, or else you wouldn't have sat in the same room as them. okay maybe you would've but it wasn't your fault you were obsessed with your boyfriend.

max was answering some of the questions that were popping up in the chat as lando sat alongside him, chiming in whenever he felt it necessary. his eyes were focused more on you and what you weren't doing. you could tell by the stern look in his eyes that he was trying to tell you to get back to studying or else he would kick you out of the room so you would actually work, and you didn't want that so you put your head back down and try to focus.

it doesn't last longer than five minutes because max is then making a funny joke about the amount of times lando had tried to fix his toaster and failed and it kept you fairly distracted, much to lando's chagrin.

a few more stern looks were thrown your way and every time you focus back on your work, only to get distracted again minutes later. lando had never seen you so easily distracted before, it was actually quite amusing if he wasn't so bothered about you actually studying so you could pass the class and the assignment.

the next time lando sends you a look over the camera you aren't even watching him, eyes pretending to read whatever was on your own computer as you smile and try to hold a laugh in at whatever max was saying. this pissed lando off to an extreme he knew he shouldn't be at. he was just worried for you, you had told him the night before about how tonight was the only night you could pack this much studying in. he knew he shouldn't have let max stream here tonight. he knew his friend would serve as a great distraction from something you didn't even want to do in the first place.

once max quietens to read the stream you hear three firm taps on the table and although you have never heard anything of the sort before in your life, you just know it's lando telling you silently to get on with your work without saying it in front of the stream and making you both look bad. you wanted to keep some parts of your relationship out of the limelight and this one was one of them.

you shuffle around in your college bag and find your headphones, slipping them on to let yourself fully concentrate. the sight pleases lando and not just because you picked up on his silent gesture and actually listened to him but because you were doing what you said you had to get done today. lando was a firm believer in setting small goals, like studying for an hour, and achieving them. you knew for a fact that once max left, lando would be showering you with praise and kisses.

+1 you tell him what to do

you knew the dynamic in the relationship and you were not big on change at all nor were your instincts anything like your boyfriends. you always wanted to listen and never tell others what to do. you used to do that and you were called bossy, so you vowed never again.

you were quite happy with lando and how your relationship was but there was some times where you had to put a foot down and actually make a decision because this was something that lando maybe had no clue about.

you had just gotten home from what seemed like one of the most gruelling shifts at work and all you wanted was to come home and crash in lando's arms. all the way home your brain kept repeating, thank fuck it's friday and i don't have to anything tomorrow.

once you finally arrive home, it feels like entering the gates of heaven. that is until you notice that lando isn't in any of his usual places when you return home and instead is in front of your vanity mirror, applying some moisturiser on his face. he only does that when he's going out. the thought of him leaving right now makes you want to flip out but instead you keep calm and enter the room.

"hi, love." lando greets as soon as you slump into the room and trape towards him. you quite easily fall into his embrace. it's then that you notice he's wearing his going out clothes and that he was almost definitely going to be leaving you tonight. you nearly tear up just thinking about laying alone in your bed tonight because were you fuck in the mood for joining him tonight, not after the shift you just had.

you mumble back something you're sure can be considered a greeting and you rest your head in the crook of his neck. lando's arms move around your back as he hums all soft and gentle like. it's almost like he's trying to lull you to sleep while you're standing with him. you also catch a whiff of his aftershave and it makes you want to cry, he smells so good and exactly like how lando is supposed to smell. you need him to stay with you tonight.

"you goin' out?" you mumble once more, it's a miracle he can even hear you, but he does as he responds just as nicely as he did before. it almost makes you forget that he is planning on leaving you.

"yeah, it won't be a late one." he tells you.

you don't respond just let yourself rest in his embrace and cling on tighter every time he tries to pull away, telling you that he's going to be late if he doesn't leave right now. as if you actually cared. once it gets to the point where lando is desperately trying to get you off of him, that's when you finally speak up.

"you're not leaving me tonight. i need you here." you don't ask, you demand it. if he left you right now you were so sure that you would cry so hard and not stop until he came home. you were also in no state of mind or just state in general to be taking care or a drunk or even a tipsy lando. as much as you loved that version of your boyfriend, all you wanted tonight was to fall asleep in his arms to some dumb film that was on comedy central.

"i'm not?" lando questions, amused. before he can even say anything more your hands are gripping him harder and in turn that pulls him closer to you.

as it turns out lando isn't too keen on leaving tonight either and you both end up ordering a takeout and getting some snacks to have a cute night in with one another. it was exactly what you needed after this hell of a week. you didn't think you were even being demanding but lando always joked that this night was the most demanding he had ever seen you and he knew for a fact he loved it and wanted to see more of it. one thing lando loved more than anything was learning knew things about you.

[ahsokaismyqueen]

Steve Harrington x HendersonSister!Reader Masterlist

Welcome to the Steve x HendersonSister! Universe! I have so many ideas for these two, and will probably never go through them all, but I wanted to keep them in one place! They will not be posted in chronological order, but I will list them here that way. Hope you enjoy!

Idiotic Decisions - Working on a project with douchebag Steve Harrington was not something you were looking forward to doing. However, you’re surprised to find that maybe he’s just a little less of a jerk than you thought. (Season 1)

Disappointed Revelations - After working on a school project together, you had actually started to believe that there was more to Steve Harrington than meets the eye. All of that changes after an interaction with Jonathan Byers. (Season 1)

The Evolution of Friendship - After Steve is attacked by Billy Hargrove, you’re shocked to find the guy still attempting to protect you as you two go into the hub to try and buy Eleven some more time. It makes you wonder. Are you and Steve Harrington actually … friends? (Season 2)

Hold Me Tight - Ever since Prom, Steve and you had been growing closer to crossing that line from friendship to something more. During a hot summer day, a little more of that line gets crossed. (Before Season 3)

Conversations On Top of an Elevator - Well, your brother has gotten you and Steve into another mess, this time on top of a Russian elevator. While Steve stresses out, you reassure him that you’ve gotten out of this shit before, you can do it again. (Season 3)

Saving Steve - Steve Harrington has already saved your life, so it’s time to return the favor. Little did you know that would feel a little less like an action movie and more like taking care of rowdy toddlers. (Season 3)

You Feel the Same? - The tension that’s been rising between you and Steve all summer has finally been set to boiling after spending time trapped in Russian elevators together and overhearing his confession to Robin about the new girl he likes who sounds suspiciously like you. After everything, you don’t care if it ends up burning you anymore. You just know you can’t waste another second not being with him. (Season 3)

Those Three Little Words - 18+ ONLY. Steve gets upset when he finds a letter on your table from Indiana University, and it forces the two of you to confess something you’ve been trying to say for a while now. (Before Season 4)

Reunions and Future Plans - For the first time in a long time, you and Steve haven’t seen each other in three weeks since you started college. So he decides to surprise you. (Before Season 4)

Holding You to That - Steve Request. You go to get your boyfriend Steve from Family Video when Robin tells you you’re a distraction, and of course you’re not! Okay, maybe a little. (Before Season 4)

A Not So Good Day - It’s Spring Break in Hawkins, and you can already tell that it’s going to be a great, relaxing time. Well, until you find out that your best friend might be dead and the gate to the Upside Down might not be as closed as you thought. (Season 4)

Finding Eddie - After a long day of trying to find Eddie, you, Steve, your brother, Robin and Max all find your way to Reefer Rick’s house where the time finally comes to tell the truth to your ex-best friend. (Season 4)

Watergate - Dustin has a theory that there’s a new gate, and Nancy has a suspicion of where it might be. The best swimmer needs to go to the bottom of Lover’s Lake and check it out. Unfortunately, much to Steve’s displeasure, that happens to be you. (Season 4)

Travelin' Man - Well, you didn’t love Eddie’s plan, but you also didn’t see many other options. (Season 4)

Saving the World or Not - Steve’s gone off to fight Vecna while you’ve stayed behind to distract the bats. What could possibly go wrong? (Season 4)

[winchestersisterimaginessss]

Request: John is being an abusive jerk as always, but can you set this in season 1 idk make up your own scenario but I imagine them being season 1.

Sam and Dean Winchester x Sister!Reader

Warnings: Abuse? Asthma Attack kinda?

A/N: Okay I think I actually hate what I did for this UGH. Please lmk if you guys like it. I also have asthma so I added that little part in there it just came to me when I was writing so I was like okay let’s make it even more angsty.

A hunt had gone wrong and your dad was currently driving you and your siblings to where you had left Dean’s car before the hunt. The tension in the car was thick and it felt as though you couldn’t breathe. You had your long sleeves pulled out and had your hands tucked inside of them as you bundled the ends of them. You had them tucked under your chin as you rested your head on them— something you’ve always done to comfort yourself. Your leg was bouncing rapidly— something you’ve always done when you’re anxious and you’re trying to self soothe.

“Would you fucking knock it off? You’re shaking the whole damn car.” John grumbled angrily. You immediately jumped at his harsh voice piercing through the quiet car and quickly stopped bouncing your leg.

“Yes sir, I’m sorry.” You said quietly. Dean sent you a sympathetic glance through the rear view mirror knowing that’s how you comforted yourself. His first instinct was to protect you and stick up for you, but your pleading eyes shut him up. You bawled up the ends of your sleeves even tighter and subconsciously started wiggling your toes. Your anxiety was on high alert around your father and you hated that the most. You felt safe with your brothers, but when your dad was around you felt as though you could suffocate. Your thoughts of worry were interrupted when you felt a hand on your knee. You looked up and Sam sent you a sad smile. You knew that your dad was going to blow up any second about the hunt gone wrong and the future of that was terrifying you. You couldn’t handle more yelling and the dreadful feeling of your family falling apart in the aftermath. When you turned down the random dirt road you almost sighed out loud in relief. Dean’s car in your view made you feel calm. As soon as your dad stopped the car, you practically leaped out. It was like the weight lifted off of your chest and you could finally take a deep breath. Sam followed behind you and put his arm around your shoulder and you instantly felt better. Your brothers knew you better than you knew yourself.

“We’ll meet you at the motel.” You heard Dean say before you heard the car door shut. You got into the impala and as soon as all the doors shut, you spoke up.

“Dad’s mad.” You stated, quietly. Dean snorted and you snapped your head in his direction.

“What’s new.” He shrugged before turning to face you.

“Don’t let him get to you kiddo.” He said softly. He was concerned for you. He knew that their dad spiked your anxiety and he wanted to make sure you were okay. Your dad was always especially hard on you. Since Dean always had your back, it often led to even more problems and you didn’t want him to have to deal with that.

“Well- I just-“ You started, unsure of how you wanted to word it.

“I just hope he’s not going to blow up. I- I don’t know if I can handle that right now.” You finished weakly, knowing anything could set your father off.

“Everything’s going to be okay, bug. I will take you somewhere else no problem if you don’t feel comfortable going back to the motel. Just say the words.” Sam stated strongly, wanting nothing more than to protect you from your father’s wrath.

“Yeah kid. You can go with Sammy and I’ll go back to the motel and deal with dad.” Dean said, glancing back at you through the mirror.

“No, no it’s okay I didn’t mean to cause a problem. I’ll be fine, I promise.” You said, not sure if you’d be able to keep that promise, but you’d never let Dean deal with dad alone.

“We’ve got your back kid, always.” Dean reassured and just then you noticed you were bouncing your leg up and down. Your breath hitched and you immediately stopped.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t realize I was bouncing my leg. I’m sorry!” You said, panicking. The last thing you wanted to do was annoy your brothers. Before you had another second to even think, Sam spoke.

“Sweetheart, don’t apologize for that. Sometimes we just need to move a little when we’re anxious and it’s totally normal. It doesn’t bother us in the slightest okay?” Sam asked. His heart hurt at the thought that you were now hyper aware of your anxiety tic because your dad had yelled at you and called you annoying for it. It’s something you’ve always done and your brothers are fully aware of it. When they see your leg bouncing, they know there’s something bothering you and it helps them know where you’re at mentally.

“Oh okay. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t annoying you too.” You said quietly, now feeling embarrassed.

“We’re here for you bug alright? You know you can always be comfortable around us.” Sam said softly.

“Yeah I know.” You sighed. Your brothers hated how you became panicky and scared whenever your father was around. When it was just the three of you without your dad, you were a completely different kid. As the motel came into view you let out a loud gasp.

“What’s wrong?!” Dean asked panicked at your fearful outburst.

“I couldn’t find my inhaler before we left and dad was mad that I was taking so long so he left the room to go help load up the car with you two so I was rushing around and I ripped all my clothes out of my bag and I left the room a little bit of a mess and it’s going to set him off. He’s going to get so mad and he’s going to yell at me.” You explained as fast as you could, hoping you’d have enough time before your dad got back to clean up.

“Okay we’re a few minutes ahead of him so it’s okay. Just go inside and shove everything into your bag real quick. It’s alright.” Dean reassured you as he whipped into the parking lot. You didn’t even wait for him to fully put the car in park before you were running to the room. A few drawers were open and your bag was torn apart all over the floor. You were just starting to shove things into your bag when the door burst open. You looked up in panic and saw your dad. You turned back towards your clothes and tried to throw more into your bag before you set your dad off.

“What the hell is this fucking disaster?” Your dad barked, charging at your bag that was in the center of the room and kicking it at you. Before you had time to answer, Sam and Dean walked into the room. They immediately noticed your terrified expression, but you knew if you acknowledged them before your dad then you would get into even more trouble.

“I-I-I couldn’t f-find m-my inhaler. I-I’m sorry.” You said, scared. Dean started making his way toward the both of you, seeing the anger in his dad’s eyes and the terror in yours.

“I-I-I don’t give a shit! Clean this mess up!” He yelled, making fun of your nervous stutter. The only reason for even having one was because of him. You only ever had one around him. You were cowered on the floor with your dad getting closer to you. Dean immediately placed himself in front of you and put his hand on his Dad’s chest.

“Back up.” He said, firmly.

“No Dean, this is bullshit!” Your dad yelled back at him. Dean looked towards you and your eyes immediately shot to the ground.

“You need to frigging chill the hell out right now.” Dean warned. Your heart was pounding and you knew that it was only going to get worse. You scrambled to put your clothes back in your bag as tears stung your eyes, but you couldn’t let them fall. Crying would be a sign of weakness in your father’s eyes and another reason for him to berate you. You heard a pair of footsteps walking towards you and you looked up to see Sam. As he squatted down to help you pick up your clothes, you saw Dean walking your dad out of the room.

“Oh so you wanna play the role of daddy now?” Your dad asked, stopping in his tracks.

“Stop. Don’t you dare go there.” Dean warned once again.

“That hunt was a fucking disaster, this room is a fucking disaster, she’s a fucking disaster so have fun taking care of that.” He yelled before he stormed out of the motel room. You flinched as he slammed the heavy door shut, but you continued to force your eyes on the floor. You were fighting back a river of tears and were biting the inside of your lip so hard that you started to taste the metallic blood pool in your mouth.

“Y/N/N.” You heard Dean say.

“Hmmm?” You asked, still not looking up from the floor as you continued to shove your clothes in your bag.

“He didn’t mean that.” He said softly, knowing that you would never believe that he didn’t mean it and that the damage was already done.

“Oh I know, I’m okay.” You said unconvincingly and looked up at them for the first time to send them a quick smile that immediately faltered.

“Bug,” Sam trailed off before you burst into tears. Sam who was still on his knees from helping you put your clothes away, immediately scooted over to you and embraced you. You gripped onto his shirt and buried your head into his chest as sobs wracked through your body.

“Shhhh, shhh, I know, I know, I’m sorry sweetheart.” Sam said, knowing all too well.

You sobbed harder, gripping his shirt tighter, afraid that he’d somehow disappear from under you.

“I’m here, I’m here bug, I’m not going anywhere.” He said, feeling you grip his shirt tighter. Sam looked at Dean whose jaw was clenched at the scene before him.

“I-I’m trying my best!” You sobbed, your father’s words of him mocking you and calling you a disaster ringing in your ears. Dean couldn’t handle seeing you in this kind of distress any longer.

“Kiddo.” He said as he put a comforting hand on your back. You tearfully turned away from Sam’s chest and looked towards him.

“Don’t you ever let him make you feel less than you are, especially not when it comes from his own frustration and you certainly don’t deserve to carry that weight.” He said, his eyes piercing through you to make sure you understand.

“B-but De!” You sobbed. “Y-you don’t deserve it either! None of y-you do! I’m sorry, I-I’m just so s-sorry that I’m a-always causing problems with d-dad and y-you’re f-forced to fix it.” You cried, trying to catch your breath.

“Those problems aren’t because of you and they will never be because of you, kid.” Dean reassured, bringing your shaking body into his. You cried harder into his chest.

“I know, I know.” Dean said softly, knowing you needed to get these emotions out. With every cry, it got harder to catch your breath and Dean immediately caught on.

“Hey, hey, hey, breathe for me kiddo.” He said, rubbing your back, but you continued to gasp for air.

“Sam, grab her inhaler. She’s going to give herself an asthma attack.” Dean said calmly, supporting your weak body. Sam rushed to get your inhaler and puffed the medicine into your mouth. As your lungs opened up, you visibly relaxed into deans arms.

“Atta girl.” Dean said, sighing in relief. Your face was stained with tears and your eyes were bloodshot.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered, resting your head on his chest.

“Don’t be sorry. I’m always here for you, and I’ll always have your back, no matter what. You’ve got so much to offer kid. Sammy and I believe in you more than you can imagine. You’re not alone in this.” He said. You lifted your head up to look him in the eyes.

“Thank you.” You said before looking towards Sam.

“You two mean so much to me and I don’t know what I would do without the two of you. Thank you for always having my back. I love you both so much, more than you’ll ever know.” You finished.

“We love you too bug.” Sam said, coming over to you and kissing the side of your head.

“Grab your stuff, I’m getting us a different room from dad.” Dean said, walking towards the door.

“Okay.” You said, not arguing with that.

“We should probably get some candy too for our big movie night we’re going to have.” He said. You snapped your head in his direction with a big teary smile. He shot you a wink and walked out of the room. You smiled to yourself. No matter what your brothers would always be there for you and pull you out of the dark.

[ankababy]

A Home (part 3)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

Chishiya x reader x Niragi

How come you’re such an angel? Why would you worry about someone like Niragi? Why, sweet little Y/N?

It had become a pattern by now.

You walked in. They ignored each other. They ignored you.

And yet, they never seemed to leave the same room. Even now, you stepped into the living room and found them so painfully far apart—Niragi sprawled across one end of the couch, feet kicked up on the coffee table, while Chishiya leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed.

They should’ve moved.

They didn’t.

They liked to annoy each other too much.

You took it all in, the heavy, charged silence stretching between them, the way their postures were so casual.

God. They were exhausting.

Still, you smiled. “Good morning.”

Niragi didn’t look up.

Chishiya barely blinked.

So, business as usual.

You rolled your eyes, stepping further inside. “Wow, okay, guess we’re doing the silent treatment thing now. Real mature, guys.”

Nothing.

You ignored the urge to sigh.

Brats.

Instead, you made your way toward the kitchen, toward Chishiya—who didn’t move as you passed him, but you felt his gaze drift to you.

You were used to it now. He was always watching. Which was fine, because you were watching too. Chishiya, in all his distant, calculated ways, was easier to read than he liked to think. He never did anything without a reason.

So, when you stepped past him and reached for the pan, you glanced at him, eyes playful. “You never wake up this early.”

“Didn’t sleep much.”

“Mm.” you hummed, turning on the stove. “Thinking too hard?”

His silence was answer enough.

Meanwhile, Niragi groaned dramatically from the couch, stretching like a cat, clearly bored. “If I have to hear one more of your dry-ass conversations, I’m gonna hang myself with the toaster cord.”

You snorted. “So go somewhere else?”

Niragi scoffed, throwing an arm over his face. “You go somewhere else.”

You grabbed a few eggs, cracked them over the pan, and let the smell of breakfast start to fill the air. “What do you guys want?”

Silence.

Of course.

You smiled to yourself. Pricks. “Not answering? Great. I’ll just give you whatever I want, then.”

Niragi waved a lazy hand. “Sounds good, baby.”

Chishiya said nothing, but you knew he was watching. He always was.

You let the quiet settle over you, the warmth of the stove heating your skin, and despite their constant refusal to cooperate, despite their stubborn, endless silence—you liked them.

You really, really liked them.

And you really had no idea what these boys used to wake up to before you found them half-dead on the street, but you weresure it wasn’t the sound of a girl happily rambling while making them breakfast.

Oh well. They’d have to get used to it.

The eggs sizzled in the pan, the warm scent filling the kitchen, and you hummed as you flipped them over, tossing some seasoning in just to be cute. “I think I’m gonna redecorate.”

Neither of them responded. Which was fine. They weren’t exactly the morning chat over coffee types.

Did that stop you? No.

“It’s too boring in here. Everything’s all beige and gray. I think I wanna paint the walls.”

Still, nothing. So, naturally, you kept going. “Like, obviously, pink is the first choice, but I also thought about pastels, you know? Maybe a cute little lavender theme. Or warm tones! Peach, maybe? Ooh, or floral wallpaper!”

Silence.

Niragi had his head leaned back against the couch, arms stretched over the top, legs kicked up on the coffee table—so painfully uninterested. Chishiya, still leaning against the counter, hadn’t blinked in at least five minutes.

You stirred the eggs with a little more enthusiasm. “Maybe I’ll get some new furniture too. Imagine this place all soft and girly, and you two just sitting here looking all…” You gestured vaguely in their direction. “Like that.”

Niragi finally cracked an eye open. “Like what? You’ll live.”

You rolled your eyes, finishing up their plates. “Anyway,” you continued. “I think I’m gonna find some flowers too. Maybe a few paintings. It’s just too dead in here, you know?”

Again, no answer.

You turned around, plates in hand, eyes soft. “You guys have been in enough dead places.” You stepped over to Niragi first, handing him his plate. “Here. Don’t bitch about it.”

He scoffed, as you set it in front of him, your hand patted the top of his head softly. Not a big deal. Not to you, at least. (He froze. Blinked. Then clicked his tongue, muttering a sharp “Oi.” Like he was offended.)

You ignored him, moving toward Chishiya and handing him his plate. “And for you, doctor.”

He stared at you. Then, quietly, “Thank you.”

Oh. That was unexpected.

You smiled at him. “You’re welcome.”

Then, with a stretch and a yawn, you leaned against the counter, hands behind you, absolutely beaming.

There was something about watching you.

Not in a weird way. Well—maybe in a weird way. But neither of the boys really meant to do it. It just… happened.

You stood at the counter, humming some gentle little tune, moving effortlessly between the sink and the stove. Cleaning up, putting things away, wiping down the already-spotless counters—like taking care of things was just second nature to you.

It pissed Niragi off.

Not you, necessarily. Just… what you were. What you represented.

Because people like you weren’t supposed to exist anymore. The world should’ve chewed you up and spit you out like it did everyone else. It should’ve taken that soft voice and those gentle hands and crushed them into dust.

And yet, here you were. Still standing. Still breathing. Still smiling.

The worst part? It wasn’t fake. You weren’t pretending.

He’d seen it before—the fragile little acts people put on when they were terrified, when they thought kindness would keep them alive, when they thought smiling meant survival.

But you? You weren’t scared. You weren’t even cautious.

Even now, after whatever the fuck happened that night, after dragging yourself home with barely enough strength to open the fucking door—you were still like this.

That wasn’t normal. That wasn’t how people worked.

Niragi stabbed at his food with his fork, scowling.

And across the room, Chishiya… thought the same thing.

Only, he wasn’t angry. Just curious. Because he was sure—so sure—that you weren’t naive. You weren’t walking around with that sweetness because you were blind to what this world was. He’d seen it in your eyes from the moment he woke up on that couch.

You knew exactly what this place could do to people.

And yet, somehow, it hadn’t done it to you.

Why?

How?

He didn’t feel much, never had, probably never would—but something about you wasn’t normal.

Chishiya knew people. He could read them, predict them, manipulate them—but you? He hadn’t figured you out yet.

And that was unacceptable.

He let his gaze linger on you for a little longer. Then, slowly, he took another bite of food.

And Niragi—scowling, shifting in his seat, eyes burning into the back of your head—did the same.

You moved and sat down next to him, the couch dipping as you settled in. It wasn’t anything significant—you weren’t all over him, weren’t trying to get in his face, weren’t touching him—just sitting.

And that pissed him off.

Because why the fuck were you like this?

There wasn’t an ounce of fear in you, not when it came to him. Not when you should’ve been looking at him like a bomb set to go off, not when you should’ve been keeping your distance.

Instead, you were right there.

And that fucking smile.

“How do you feel?” you asked softly.

Like tearing someone apart. Like getting up and leaving this stupid fucking apartment and letting this city swallow him whole, because the walls were too close, and you were too fucking close, and—

“I feel great.”

Flat, clipped, sarcastic.

Because he didn’t want to talk to you.

Except he kind of did.

And that was just another thing to add to the list of shit he didn’t understand.

You hummed, tilting your head. “No pain? Nothing at all?”

Niragi smirked. “You think a couple bruises and stitches are gonna slow me down?”

“No, but they should.”

God, you were so sweet about it. Like you actually cared. Like it mattered to you.

And that pissed him off even more.

Because why the fuck would you care?

He’d met people like you before, people who said they were nice, people who acted like they gave a shit, but it was always fake. It had to be. Because nothing in this world was real, not kindness, not comfort, not warmth.

At least, that’s what he told himself.

But you? You weren’t fake.

And that… that was a problem.

Because if you were fake, it would be easy to ignore you. If you were fake, he wouldn’t be thinking about you.

If you were fake, he wouldn’t be here.

You let a small silence stretch before speaking again. “Don’t you have to play soon?”

“Tch. Yeah.”

“I can go with you.” Without hesitation. Oh, Y/N.

And something about that, something about your voice, the way you said it like it was nothing made him want to punch a hole in the wall.

And not because he didn’t want you there.

But because he did.

Because you were his favorite kind of person to watch suffer.

Soft. Good. Pure.

Someone who didn’t belong here, someone who shouldn’t be breathing the same air as people like him.

He should’ve said yes just to see you break. Just to see if that kindness could hold up against the kind of games he’d played before. To see you fucking cry and want to kill yourself, to want to escape and scream and screech just for him to get away from you to—

“I don’t need you there.”

Hm.

“Alright, then.” Your voice was soft. Accepting. Like you weren’t about to push him, like you weren’t going to fight him on it.

And that pissed him off even more. Because it would be so much easier if you did. If you whined, if you begged, if you pressed. If you just acted like everyone else.

But no, you were just… nice about it. Like you actually fucking cared if he was okay. Like it mattered to you if he made it back.

And then, to make things worse, you lifted a hand—gentle, slow, unthreatening—and touched his arm. Softly. Barely.

But he felt it.

“Don’t. Fucking. Touch me.”

It was harsh. Too harsh. A full-body recoil like you had just burned him.

You just smiled. Like you saw right through him. Like you knew exactly why he was reacting this way.

Like you knew that it wasn’t hate.

Like you knew that it wasn’t because he didn’t want you to touch him—but because he did.

Because no one had ever touched him like that.

No one had ever meant it.

And he couldn’t fucking handle it.

You let your fingers drag away from him, slow, careful, like you were backing off but still letting him feel it. And then, you stood up. Didn’t say another word. Just walked over to the kitchen, reaching for Chishiya’s plate without even looking at him.

Like you weren’t aware of the fact that he had been watching.

The entire time.

And Chishiya? Chishiya had been learning.

Because Niragi wasn’t hard to figure out. Not to him.

And this? This was fascinating.

Because Niragi was a dog. A violent, rabid thing that bit when he got too close, that snapped his teeth when things got uncomfortable.

And what did rabid dogs do when they were backed into a corner?

They attacked.

Not out of power.

Out of fear.

And Niragi was afraid.

Because he was feeling something he didn’t know what to do with. Something that didn’t fit into the world he had built for himself. Something that confused him, that scared him.

And you were the cause.

Chishiya already knew you were different. That you were too soft for this world. That you didn’t belong here.

But now? Now he knew why Niragi was really fighting you.

It wasn’t because he hated you.

It was because he didn’t.

And that was dangerous.

For all of you.

~

Niragi was gone.

You had seen him walk out that door. And now you were here, sitting on the couch, facing the front door like some housewife waiting for her husband to come home from work.

Except this wasn’t a normal world. And Niragi wasn’t a normal man.

And you weren’t sure he was coming back.

Oh, no—don’t think like that.

He was fine.

He had to be.

Because that’s what Niragi was, right? Fine.

A survivor. A violent, ruthless thing that didn’t just exist in this world but thrived in it. The type of person who didn’t need help, who didn’t need care, who would sooner die than admit he was vulnerable.

He’d be fine.

Wouldn’t he?

You exhaled slowly, pressing your hands against your knees, steadying yourself.

It wasn’t him you didn’t trust.

It was the world.

He was a fighter, yeah, but that wasn’t always a good thing.

Because fighters didn’t just survive. They got themselves killed. And Niragi? He had that particular kind of recklessness, the one that made you wonder if he even wanted to live at all.

That wasn’t the same thing as being fearless.

Oh, no.

Fearless people wanted to live.

Niragi? He wasn’t afraid to die.

Because he’d already lost.

Something. Everything.

You didn’t know what.

But you knew that look.

That almost dead, hollowed-out look in someone’s eyes when they had nothing left to lose.

That was dangerous.

Because what do people like that do?

They go too far. They throw themselves into death like they’re testing it, playing with it, seeing if today is the day it finally catches them.

And Niragi was the type to laugh at it. To take the most brutal, most fucked-up games just to feel something, anything.

The type to walk into battle knowing it might be the last time, and not caring.

And that? That scared you.

Because Niragi was already playing with death.

And you were afraid that one of these days, it was going to win.

You weren’t sure how much time had passed before Chishiya sat down next to you.

He was quiet, barely making a sound, like a cat slipping into a room unnoticed. You didn’t look at him, just glanced slightly from the corner of your eye as he leaned back against the couch, draping an arm over the back like he had nowhere better to be.

“How are you?”

You blinked. Turned your head to look at him. “What do you mean?”

He didn’t immediately respond, only tilted his head slightly, eyes flickering over you, down to the places where injuries were hidden under your clothes.

“Your body.” he clarified. “How is it?”

Ah.

You almost laughed.

He hadn’t asked out of care.

It wasn’t concern.

It was curiosity.

Because Chishiya wasn’t the kind of man who worried.

You exhaled softly, glancing down at your hands. “I’ll live.”

And he didn’t argue.

Didn’t press.

Because he knew it was true.

But he stayed.

He didn’t move.

And that was enough to know he wanted to talk.

So, you let the silence stretch for a moment, then finally asked, “You don’t talk much, huh?”

He let out a quiet huff, the closest thing to a laugh you’d ever heard from him. “You talk enough for the both of us.”

You smirked. “You’re lucky I do, then. Otherwise, we’d just sit here in silence.”

He didn’t argue with that, either. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, studying you. “You’re waiting for him.”

It wasn’t a question. You still answered anyway.

“I’d wait for you, too.”

“You shouldn’t.”

You raised a brow. “Why?”

Chishiya sighed softly, shifting in his seat. “Because Niragi is an idiot.”

You actually laughed this time. “That’s not really a reason.”

Chishiya smirked slightly, glancing toward the door. “He’s reckless. He doesn’t care if he dies.”

You frowned slightly. “Yeah, well… that doesn’t mean I don’t.”

Chishiya was silent for a moment. And then he looked at you again, pretty eyes scanning your face, as if searching for something.

And you wondered—what did he see when he looked at you? What did his brain, his cold, calculating, sociopathic brain think when it tried to figure you out?

Because you knew he was. You saw the way his fingers tapped against his knee, the way his eyes lingered, the way he tilted his head slightly when you spoke.

You weren’t just a person to him.

You were a puzzle.

And Chishiya loved puzzles. He liked people he could tear apart and put back together. But you? You were still a mystery. Still unsolved.

And that’s why he stayed.

That’s why he talked to you at all.

It wasn’t about care.

It was about understanding.

Because if there was one thing Chishiya hated, it was not knowing something.

And youu were something he didn’t know.

You let the silence settle for a moment. Let him watch you, let him try to figure you out like a puzzle with a missing piece. Then, with a soft voice, you asked, “And you? How are you feeling?”

Chishiya blinked, barely, like the question was unexpected. Because it probably was.

He was good at that—pretending. Pretending your question was no shit, that he didn’t care, that you were the one caring too much. He was just sitting there.

But you knew better.

Because you had been the one to find him bleeding out. You had been the one to carry him home. To clean his wounds, to wrap him up, to keep him alive when the world had done its best to kill him.

And now? Now he was here. On your couch. In your home. Sitting next to you.

So, you weren’t going to let him act like none of that happened.

He sighed, dragging his eyes away from you, toward the ceiling. “I’m alive.”

You smiled. “So am I. Doesn’t mean I feel good.”

That made him glance at you again. “You’re too smart for your own good.” he muttered.

“And you’re too good at avoiding questions.”

That actually got a smirk out of him. “Touché.”

You tilted your head, watching him closely. “Do you feel any pain?”

He shrugged slightly. “Less than before.”

You hummed, leaning back against the couch. “Good. I’d feel bad if I nursed you back to health just for you to drop dead in my living room.”

“What a tragedy that would be.”

You smiled. “I’d cry.”

Chishiya gave you a look. “You don’t even know me.”

You shrugged. “I don’t have to know you to be sad if you die.”

His smirk faded slightly. And you knew that had hit something.

Because Chishiya wasn’t used to that.

To people caring.

Not without a reason, not without something to gain in this world. Back in the normal world, sure. He saw crying mothers, fathers, friends and family. But here, it wasn’t people crying over someone they knew surviving, it was crying about themselves surviving.

And yet, here you were, telling him you’d cry if he died.

Not because he was useful. Not because he could offer you something in return.

Just because.

Because you were you. Because you cared, whether he understood it or not.

And he didn’t.

He didn’t understand you.

He didn’t understand why you were like this.

Why you took him in.

Why you let Niragi stay.

Why you were sitting next to a sociopath and a psychopath, making them breakfast, asking if they were okay, talking to them like they weren’t the worst kinds of people.

You were insane.

And yet he liked you.

He didn’t know why. Didn’t know what part of his brain, what tiny, irrational part of himself was keeping him here, making him engage, making him talk to you when he wouldn’t have bothered with anyone else.

But it didn’t matter.

Because here he was.

And here you were.

And you didn’t look away from him. Didn’t pull back, didn’t shy away, didn’t flinch at the fact that he was who he was.

No.

You just smiled. Like none of that scared you. Like you could see through every layer he had built and still thought he was worth saving.

The conversation naturally faded, dissolving into silence. Not an awkward one, not one that begged to be filled—just a quiet moment, a breather. You leaned back against the couch, staring at nothing in particular, lost in your own thoughts.

And he was doing the same.

You could feel it.

Chishiya was next to you, sitting just close enough for his presence to be tangible, but not enough to feel invasive. He wasn’t the type to invade unless it was for his own amusement. No, this was something else.

And, strangely, you liked it. You liked that something else. You liked sitting here, not talking, just thinking.

And that was rare. Most silences were filled with tension, with something left unsaid, with expectations. But this one? It was just that. A silence.

Your mind wandered. To everything and nothing. To him. To the fact that this man had seen your bare tits, had literally touched you, had wiped blood from your skin, and yet, you didn’t fucking care.

And that was strange.

You should care. Should feel embarrassed. Should have freaked out when he walked into the bathroom, should have pushed him away when he touched you.

But you hadn’t.

You had let him.

Because it had been nothing. Guy was a doctor, wasn’t he?

And yet—was that really it? Or was it because, deep down, you trusted him? Trusted a man you had barely known for three days.

You dragged your eyes over to him. He was thinking, you could tell. The way his fingers tapped lightly against his leg, the way his gaze was unfocused, not looking at anything in particular. His mind was probably running a mile a minute, analyzing, pulling apart every little thing that had happened.

What was he thinking about?

You?

Niragi?

The way you sat next to him, comfortable, unbothered, despite knowing what kind of person he was?

You almost wanted to ask.

But you didn’t. Instead, you sat there, your mind drifting again.

You thought about Niragi, about his reaction, about how he had been so mad that Chishiya knew something he didn’t.

Because Niragi felt too much.

He didn’t know what to do with his emotions, didn’t know how to process them, so he turned them into rage.

Chishiya, on the other hand? He didn’t feel enough.

Didn’t get attached.

Didn’t care.

Yet, he was still here.

Still sitting next to you.

Still waiting for something.

But what?

You let out a quiet breath and turned your gaze back toward the ceiling.

Maybe you’d never know.

Maybe you didn’t need to.

Because, at the end of the day, all three of you were just trying to survive.

“Why do you wait for him?”

You blinked, turning your head slightly to look at him as his voice broke the silence. He was already watching you.

There was no judgment in his tone, but you could tell he had already formed his own theory. He always did.

You let out a small breath, turning your gaze back toward the front door. “I don’t know.” you admitted softly. “I just… want to.”

Chishiya hummed, as if considering your words, but you could tell he wasn’t satisfied. He tilted his head slightly, watching you, his fingers drumming lightly against his leg. “I thought, for a second, that maybe you had some dumb little crush on him. But you’re too mature for that. Too smart. You wouldn’t let yourself fall for someone like him.”

You didn’t say anything.

Because he was right.

You weren’t stupid. You weren’t reckless. You knew exactly who Niragi was.

And so did Chishiya. Which was why, after a moment, he looked at you, and said, “You know what he’s done, don’t you?”

It wasn’t a question.

It was a statement.

You swallowed, pressing your lips together. “I know he’s done things.” you admitted carefully. “But I don’t know the details.”

Chishiya’s eyes gleamed at that. Like he had been waiting for you to say that. Like he had been waiting for an excuse.

“I’ve seen Niragi burn people alive.” His voice was calm, as always, detached, like he was talking about some random animal he had studied, not an actual person.

The words hit like a gut punch. You didn’t react, not externally, but you felt it.

He continued. “He doesn’t kill because he has to. He kills because he wants to. Because it amuses him. Because it gives him something to do.”

Your fingers curled slightly against your lap.

Chishiya leaned back, still watching you. “I watched him shoot a man in the leg once, just to see how long he could crawl before bleeding out. Didn’t even bother killing him. Just left him there.”

A pause.

“He likes power.”

Another pause.

“He likes knowing he’s the worst thing someone has ever encountered.”

Your stomach felt tight.

“You think I’m cruel?” he asked.

You frowned slightly at the sudden shift. “What?”

“You think I’m cruel,” he repeated, slower this time. “but you don’t think he’s cruel.”

“I never said that.”

“No,” Chishiya said. “but I can tell. You think Niragi is lost.” His lips curled slightly. “You think he’s a hurt little boy who just never learned how to deal with his emotions.”

He was mocking you.

But there was truth in his words.

You did think that.

Because it was true.

“You think he can be saved.” His voice was quieter now. Calm. “You’re wrong.”

The words hung in the air, heavy, absolute. Chishiya meant them.

You didn’t know if he was right.

Because Niragi was fucked up, that was clear. He was dangerous, psychotic, violent.

But was he beyond saving?

Chishiya seemed to think so.

You weren’t sure if you did.

You looked at Chishiya, at the way he sat so still, so composed, so utterly sure of his own assessment.

And yetdespite everything, despite all the hatred in his voice when he spoke of Niragi, you could tell.

How similar they were.

How much he hated Niragi not just because of what he did, but because he saw something of himself in him.

And he hated that.

You exhaled, looking down for a moment, gathering your thoughts. Chishiya had spoken his piece, and he had spoken it with certainty—like it was fact, not opinion. That was the way he operated. He observed, calculated, concluded. And he did it all like a machine processing information, stripping away everything unnecessary—like emotions.

But you weren’t like that. You worked differently. You didn’t just observe, you understood. You saw people for more than their actions. You looked past the behaviors, the surface-level brutality, and into the why.

“I think people like this,” you started, choosing your words carefully. “usually have a reason.”

Chishiya made a soft noise—something between a hmm and a scoff, but you continued before he could interrupt.

“Not an excuse.” you clarified. “Not a justification. Just… a reason. Something that turned them into this. Something that made them feel like this is the only way to exist.”

Chishiya tilted his head slightly, listening.

You kept going. “I don’t judge people until I know what’s underneath. Until I know why they are the way they are.”

Chishiya exhaled softly, a quiet hmph “That’s a dangerous mindset. Could get you killed.”

“It’s gotten me this far.” you said simply.

He didn’t argue with that.

You studied him for a moment. The way he sat, relaxed, the way his eyes stayed on you—not in a confrontational way, but in a way that told you he was interested.

And that was the thing about Chishiya. You knew he wasn’t a good person. He admitted it himself, in the way he spoke, in the way he carried himself, the way he distanced himself from the world. But he was intelligent, analytical, always multiple steps ahead.

And this—this type of conversation?

This, he liked.

“You said he enjoys killing.” you said. “That he likes power. That he likes knowing he’s the worst thing someone has ever encountered.”

Chishiya gave a small nod.

“But people don’t just wake up like that.” you said, your voice thoughtful, careful. “Nobody is born like that. It’s something that’s shaped. Something that’s forced into a person.”

Chishiya’s expression didn’t change, but you saw the flicker of something in his eyes.

He knew you weren’t just talking about Niragi anymore.

You were talking about him, too.

And he let you.

“People who hurt like that,” you continued“are usually people who have been hurt just as badly. Or worse. People who had no control. People who were victims, so they make sure they never are again.”

Chishiya hummed. “So you think Niragi’s a victim?”

You gave a small shrug. “I think there’s something there.” you admitted. “Something that made him the way he is.”

“And me?”

The question wasn’t playful. It wasn’t sarcastic. It was curious.

You tilted your head slightly, giving him a small smile. “You already know what I think about you.”

His lips curled, just slightly.

He didn’t argue.

Because he did know.

He knew you saw through him.

He knew you saw the walls, the detachment, the way he kept himself above everything.

Now, he knew that you didn’t just see it.

You understood it.

He didn’t hate that.

~

You were tired. Your body ached, your mind weighed down from the long hours of waiting, of worrying—though you wouldn’t admit the latter out loud.

But you stayed.

And so did he.

Chishiya hadn’t gotten up, hadn’t made any move to retreat to his room, even though he had no reason to be here. He wasn’t waiting for Niragi. He wasn’t the type to wait for anyone.

But he was entertained by you.

And maybe—just maybe—he stayed because, in his mind, it was fair.

You had waited for him once, too.

You shifted slightly, pulling your legs up onto the couch, hugging them to your chest. Chishiya remained as he was, his arms resting lazily against the couch, gaze half-lidded.

The silence stretched on.

Until the front door creaked open.

You straightened instantly, exhaustion forgotten. Chishiya simply flicked his eyes toward the door, unimpressed.

And there he was.

Niragi.

He stepped inside, his clothes dirtied but intact, and his face—his face was fine. No blood. No bruises. No sign that anything had gone wrong.

You exhaled.

“Oh.” you breathed, a smile forming. “You’re back.”

Niragi smirked. “Obviously.”

You stood up, stepping toward him, your expression warm. “How was it?” you asked, voice gentle, like you hadn’t just spent hours waiting in quiet anxiety. “Everything go okay?”

Niragi clicked his tongue, stepping further inside, kicking the door shut behind him.

“Easy.” he said.

“Good.” You nodded, your shoulders loosening. “Come sit.”

He raised a brow. “Bossing me around now?”

You rolled your eyes, but it was light, affectionate. “Sit.” you repeated, softer this time.

And he did.

Not because you told him to. Not because he had to.

But because he wanted to.

And the moment he sat down, you—god, you were an angel. You were all over him, leaning in, your gaze scanning him for any sign of injury, your hands hovering like you wanted to reach out but were waiting for some unspoken permission.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” you asked.

He ate it up.

Every bit of it.

The way your voice softened, the way you cared, the way your whole attention was on him.

Fuck, he loved it.

He leaned back into the couch, stretching his arms over the back, grinning.

“I told you.” he said, all smug. “Easy.”

You gave him a look. The kind that said you weren’t entirely convinced, but you weren’t about to push.

“Good job.” you murmured, and it sounded so genuine that Niragi nearly laughed.

“Good job?” he repeated, amusement in his tone. “What am I, a dog?”

You tilted your head. “I mean… do you want a treat?”

Chishiya snorted. Niragi shot him a glare.

You smiled, shaking your head.

“Well,” you said, placing a hand lightly on his arm, warm. “I’m glad you’re back.”

And Niragi—oh, he was swimming in it.

In you.

The way you touched him—not like he was dangerous, not like you were scared, not like he was some rabid animal. No.

You touched him like he was human.

And maybe that was why he let you do it this time.

Because you were the only person who ever had.

And maybe—just maybe—he didn’t mind that.

Niragi shifted, leaning back into the couch with a slow exhale, his body stretching out like a lazy cat, but—oh. He winced. There was the flicker of his eyelids, the barely-there grimace, just enough to be noticeable.

And of course—of course—you noticed.

You were too good, too caring, too fucking soft to miss something like that.

“Niragi?” Your voice came gentle, your brows furrowing just slightly as you tilted your head.

He hummed, like he barely heard you, like he was too busy dealing with the oh-so-terrible pain.

“You okay?”

And just like that, his plan was already working.

He sighed, rolling his shoulders, wincing again, deepening it this time, his smirk barely hidden.

“Dunno.” he muttered. “Think I might’ve overdone it.”

You immediately leaned in, concern flashing across your features.

“What? Where?” Your hands hovered, just inches from him, unsure where he hurt.

Niragi almost grinned, but he kept it just right. Just subtle enough to sell it.

“Shoulder.” he said, rolling it again, letting another small wince slip out. “Think I pulled somethin’.”

And there you were. Your brows knit together, your lips pressing into a small frown as you actually worried. “Do you want me to look at it?”

Oh, fuck. He could have fun with this.

He let a low hum rumble in his throat, acting like he was debating it, like he wasn’t just thriving off your attention.

“I mean…” He let his head tip back against the couch, turning to you with a lopsided grin, eyes lazy, voice deepening, taking his time. “If you insist, babe.”

Chishiya, from the other end of the couch, snorted.

Niragi ignored him.

You didn’t. Your gaze flickered toward Chishiya, as if realizing something, but then back to Niragi, your fingers already lightly touching his arm.

God, you were so fucking easy.

You pressed gently against his shoulder, frowning in concentration. “Here?”

He hummed again, lower this time, just enough to make it something else.

Your fingers twitched.

Oh, you caught that. You weren’t dumb, not at all, and Niragi knew it—but that’s what made this so fucking fun.

He watched you, the way you hesitated, the way you thought about it, the way you realized exactly what he was doing.

And still—you kept touching him.

Fucking perfect.

Chishiya exhaled through his nose, arms crossed, watching. He leaned back, shaking his head slightly. “Pathetic.”

Niragi shot him a lazy smirk. “Jealous?”

Chishiya barely reacted, but that was the fun of it.

He just knew. He saw Niragi’s game the moment he stepped through the door, saw the exact angle, the exact play—all of it. And he also knew why.

Niragi was a fucking sadist, yeah. But that wasn’t the only reason.

Oh, no.

Because if Niragi was really just fucking with you, if it was really just some sick joke to get you flustered, he wouldn’t be leaning into your warmth like that.

He wouldn’t be letting you touch him this long.

He wouldn’t be drinking it in like a dying man crawling toward water.

Chishiya’s eyes flicked to you. Did you know that?

Did you realize that Niragi was so fucking love starved, so touch deprived, so fucking desperate for even an ounce of warmth that he had to manipulate his way into getting it?

Probably.

You probably knew.

And you were still giving it to him.

Fucking idiot.

But then again, Chishiya supposed—so was he.

Because he was still sitting here, too.

You stood up, rolling your shoulders as you stretched slightly. “I’ll make food.” you said, already heading toward the kitchen.

Neither of them answered. Of course. Fucking brats.

“You look like shit.” Niragi turned to Chishiya, slouching deeper into the couch, arms spreading out.

Chishiya, who had been completely unbothered until then, slowly turned his head. “And yet, I look better than you.”

Niragi’s smirk twitched, but he kept it, baring his teeth slightly. “You always talk like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like you got a whole fucking dictionary shoved up your ass.”

Chishiya blinked once. Slowly. “Strange. I thought you’d like that sort of thing.”

Your soft laughnearly startled them. They both looked toward the kitchen, watching as you, still prepping food.

Niragi barely hesitated before turning back to Chishiya.

“Trying to flirt with me, doc?” His voice dripped with amusement, his grin widening. “I get it. I’m irresistible.”

Chishiya’s face remained perfectly neutral, as if he were speaking about the weather. “I’d rather throw myself off the roof.”

“Oh, c’mon.” Niragi grinned wider, leaning in slightly. “I bet you—”

“Shut up.”

It was said with so little effort. So flat. So completely uninterested that Niragi actually stopped mid-sentence.

You heard the silence from the kitchen and had to bite back a laugh.

Niragi? Silenced?

That was fucking rare.

But of course, only for a second.

“You’re a real dick, y’know that?”

Chishiya turned away, completely ignoring him now.

Niragi hated that.

You, meanwhile, were enjoying every second of it.

“You two should start a podcast.” you commented, voice way too sweet as you focused on cooking. “So much chemistry.”

Chishiya just sighed.

Niragi threw his head back in laughter. Loud. Sharp. “Shit, baby, you’re funny.”

You smiled to yourself. “I know.”

Chishiya did not smile.

He simply existed, in pure, eternal suffering.

With both plates in hand, you made your way toward them. Niragi stretched out his legs, watching you, while Chishiya remained as he was—arms draped over the back of the couch, relaxed, but his gaze following you like he was analyzing every move you made.

You set Niragi’s plate down first.

“There you go.” you murmured, voice sickeningly sweet as you gently placed it in front of him. “Eat up, bad boy.”

“Ooh, you wanna feed me, too, baby?”

You patted his head.

Like a fucking dog.

So fast that Niragi barely had time to react before you were already stepping past him, placing Chishiya’s plate down as well.

“And for you.” Your voice was just as sweet, gentle, as if the two men before you weren’t literally some of the most dangerous people in this entire city.

Chishiya simply blinked up at you, unreadable as always, but he noticed it.

Something off.

Something in the way you walked.

At first, he wasn’t even sure what it was, but as you stepped away, heading back toward the kitchen, his eyes narrowed slightly.

The way your weight shifted just a little bit wrong. How your steps weren’t as smooth as usual.

It was subtle.

So subtle that even you didn’t seem to notice.

Chishiya knew you by now. You were too perceptive, too aware of yourself, of others. For you to not notice meant that either you were ignoring it or too distracted to care.

Too busy drowning these two absolute nightmares in affection to pay attention to yourself.

His eyes flicked toward your leg, then to your back, then back—analyzing, calculating, breaking it down piece by piece.

Something hurt.

Small, but definitely there.

Chishiya tilted his head slightly.

Hm.

You hummed softly to yourself as you moved around the kitchen, tidying things up, like this house wasn’t occupied by two of the worst people to ever walk the earth. Plates stacked neatly, crumbs wiped away, the soft clinking of dishes filling the air while they ate.

Or at least, Niragi did. Chishiya ate slow. Niragi, on the other hand, ate like he hadn’t had a meal in weeks, shoveling food into his mouth without shame.

You finished wiping down the counter, then stepped around the couch, moving behind them.

“Are you two okay?” Your voice was light, gentle, full of something neither of them deserved.

Chishiya didn’t answer. He simply let his head tip back over the couch, glancing at you upside down. He looked painfully cute doing that. Niragi barely lifted his head, only letting out a hum that could’ve meant anything.

“Good.” you murmured. “Good night.”

You walked away, disappearing down the hall, your door closing behind you.

And Chishiya blinked.

You didn’t eat.

Not one bite.

Not while cooking, not after, not even while cleaning up.

His eyes flicked toward Niragi.

And the pieces clicked together.

Niragi, who had devoured the attention you gave him. Niragi, who made a show of being in pain, drawing you in, demanding your focus, stealing your warmth just because he could.

Chishiya knew people. And Niragi was so easy to read it was almost funny.

Every single touch. Every soft-spoken word. Niragi ate it all up like a starved animal.

He might as well have been sitting there wagging his tail.

Chishiya watched him, tearing apart the situation piece by piece in his head, breaking down the sheer fucking need in Niragi’s body language.

And finally, Niragi noticed.

His chewing slowed. He turned his head, eyes narrowing slightly.

“The fuck are you looking at?”

Chishiya barely lifted a shoulder.

“You.”

“Getting jealous? Don’t worry, she can touch you too, you just gotta cry for it a little.”

Chishiya only raised his hands.

~

Your body ached the next morning. Not in the usual way. This was something deeper, sharper—a dull, throbbing pain along your side that had you wincing the second you stretched your arms.

You inhaled slowly, trying to push past it as you moved around the kitchen. You’d dealt with worse. You’d gotten through worse. This? This was fine. You were fine.

The sound of footsteps reached your ears before you saw him. Niragi.

You didn’t even have to look. His walk was loud, uneven, slightly off-balance—but still full of arrogance. You knew he had to be hurting, but he carried himself like he wasn’t.

You understood that. You did the same.

He stopped next to you at the counter, peering over at what you were doing. You could feel his presence before anything else—his heat, his height, the way he took up space without even trying.

“You’re up early.” you said, glancing at him.

He didn’t answer, but he sstayed next to you, close. Close enough that his arm brushed yours when you moved, close enough that when he leaned in—pretending to check what you were making—you could feel the warmth of his breath near your neck. He bumped your shoulder, even. An accident. Maybe.

You glanced at him again, raising an eyebrow.

He didn’t even look at you, just continued watching your hands, close enough now that you could feel his body heat.

Something about it made you smile.

Niragi was shameless. The way his gaze dropped to your tits as you leaned forward slightly, the way he lingered at your side, subtly drinking in your warmth like he didn’t know how to ask for it.

And maybe he didn’t.

You just let him.

After all, you liked company. And you liked him.

“If I told you to wake Chishiya up, you’d say no, wouldn’t you?” You asked him.

He let out a low hum, tilting his head slightly. “Obviously.”

“Of course.”

Not that it mattered. Because Chishiya was already awake. You heard his footsteps before you saw him.

“Good morning.” you greeted, your voice gentle, warm. You smiled at him, not expecting a response but offering it anyway.

Chishiya didn’t react at first, only letting his gaze flick between you and Niragi.

Ah.

He noticed.

He saw the way Niragi was standing too close, his shoulder brushing yours, his body subtly angled toward you like he was drawn in without realizing it.

And he understood it immediately.

A dog. Niragi was a fucking dog. One that had been kept on a chain for too long, starved of any real affection, biting at anyone who got too close—until someone finally offered him something.

But a dog that had been kicked too many times wouldn’t trust its owner, would it?

No, Niragi didn’t trust you. Not really.

He trusted the fact that you were harmless.

That he could use you without consequence. That you’d let him.

Chishiya could see it so clearly, the way Niragi ate up your attention, the way he leaned into you like he wanted more, testing how much you’d allow.

Pathetic. So predictable.

But then again—if Niragi was a dog, Chishiya was a cat.

Distant. Observing. Keeping his claws hidden until necessary.

And while he didn’t give a shit about you, he cared about being right.

And he was. Again.

Because as he watched you, he saw the subtle shift in your body, the barely-there wince when you moved a certain way, the slight favoring of one side over the other.

You were hurt.

You turned back to the counter, continuing to make breakfast like nothing was out of place, like you hadn’t spent last night holding your side in silence. Like you weren’t hurt at all. Because maybe, if you ignored it, it would go away.

You were always like that, weren’t you? Pushing forward, brushing off your own pain like it didn’t matter. Because there were people to take care of.

Because you were an angel, and they didn’t appreciate you enough.

Niragi was still standing close, watching over your shoulder as you worked, occasionally bumping against you like he wasn’t doing it on purpose. He absolutely was.

His shoulder hit yours again, a slow, lazy nudge that made you glance up at him. You raised an eyebrow, but your voice was nothing but light. “Are you gonna help, or are you just here to make my job harder?”

“I think you like it.”

You let out a small laugh, shaking your head. “You’re annoying.”

“And you’re a fucking idiot.” he replied, watching the way your hands moved, how carefully you handled everything—like you actually gave a shit about doing things right.

Chishiya was still quiet, watching.

You were too sweet to Niragi. He had already figured that much out, but seeing it like this, watching the way you let him get away with so much, was interesting.

It wasn’t because you were stupid. No, you were too smart for that.

It was because you chose to be kind.

And that was something Chishiya would never understand.

Why?

Why did you care so much?

What did you think you were going to change?

You set the plates down in front of them, soft words, gentle hands, just giving and giving and giving, and neither of them deserved it.

Not even a little.

Chishiya watched the way Niragi ate it up, the smug little glances he shot you when you leaned too close, the way he kept testing how much you’d let him take.

And you just let him.

Maybe you liked it, too.

Chishiya could see how you softened around people. It didn’t matter if they deserved it, you still did it.

And something about that annoyed him.

Because it wasn’t sustainable.

At some point, you’d run out.

And then what?

Chishiya ate slowly, watching the way you moved. The way you held yourself. It wasn’t obvious. You were good at hiding it. But he was better at seeing it.

Your side hurt.

He noticed the way you favored it, how your body instinctively protected itself—shifting slightly when you leaned, never putting too much pressure on one side. You never let yourself stiffen completely, but he could see the small moments, the subtle corrections. You weren’t paying attention to yourself, but he was.

Because he was always five steps ahead.

And you were going to come to him eventually, weren’t you?

You had to.

Because you weren’t stupid. You weren’t dumb enough to think you could hide it forever. At some point, you’d need him. You’d realize he already knew, and you’d sit down next to him and ask.

“What’s wrong with me?”

And he would tell you.

Because you deserved that.

You weren’t like Niragi. You weren’t some rabid fucking dog who couldn’t control himself, biting at anything that got too close. You weren’t a slave to your emotions, ruled by instinct and nothing else.

You were logical. You thought about things.

And you would think about this.

The question was how long would it take?How long before you realized?

He dragged his spoon through his food, twirling it idly, watching the way Niragi leaned into your space, so fucking obvious it was painful.

What a joke.

Like a dog getting scraps for the first time, like he didn’t even know what to do with it.

You were indulging him.

Why?

Why did you do this?

Why did you let him eat it up like that?

Like he was starved for it.

Like he was owed it.

He wasn’t. Neither of them were.

And yet you still gave.

And gave.

And gave.

Chishiya tilted his head slightly, tapping his spoon against his plate.

You’d run out eventually. That’s just how things worked. At some point, you would have nothing left to give. And then what?

Would you break?

Would you snap?

Or would you just fade?

He thought about that, about all the different possibilities.

You were more interesting than he expected.

A different kind of game.

And he always liked to win.

~

You absolutely didn’t come to him for help.

No, of course not. That would be too easy. Too logical. Too expected.

Instead, here you were. Sitting on the couch, fidgeting with something small between your fingers, taking it apart piece by piece.

Chishiya stilled in the doorway, eyeing you for a moment before stepping into the room.

No Niragi.

Finally.

He walked over, dropping onto the couch next to you without a word. His presence didn’t seem to startle you—you didn’t even look up, just continued working on whatever you were dismantling.

It was quiet for a few moments.

Then, like always, you started talking. “Hey, you finally got bored of your room, huh?”

He didn’t answer, just rested his elbow on the arm of the couch, head tipping lazily against his knuckles. He watched the way your fingers worked, turning the tiny object over, pulling at different parts. You weren’t just fidgeting, you were actually picking it apart.

“What’s this?” he asked.

You glanced at him, then back down. “I don’t know.”

“Then why are you taking it apart?”

You shrugged. “Why not?”

He didn’t have a response to that. Not because it was a good answer, but because it was just… so you.

You always had to be doing something. Always had to be moving, like a shark that couldn’t sit still or it would die.

It was strange.

You were the calmest person in this room at any given time, and yet you never fucking stopped.

Maybe that’s why Niragi liked you.

Chishiya watched your fingers work for another moment before speaking again. “Where’s the dog?”

You huffed a small laugh at that, but didn’t look up. “Taking a nap, probably. I don’t know, I didn’t ask.”

He hummed. Good.

That meant he could have this conversation without the extra noise.

Not that this was really a conversation. It was mostly just you talking.

And talking.

And talking.

You asked him things. Small things.

What he’d been doing all day.

“Nothing.”

If he was feeling okay.

“Fine.”

If he was bored yet.

“Not really.”

Your lips twitched slightly, like you wanted to tease him for the short answers, but you didn’t. You just kept going. Talking about whatever came to mind. The apartment. How you’d love to decorate it if you could.

“Pink.” you had said with so much certainty.

He had snorted at that. Pink.

“Not, like, a lot.” you had clarified. “Just a little.”

It didn’t matter, he had told you, because this wasn’t a home. But that didn’t seem to phase you.

You just kept going.

Talking, talking, talking.

Like you didn’t even notice how his gaze kept flicking to the way you moved. The way you leaned. The way your body naturally protected itself.

Your side hurt.

He knew it.

But you didn’t say it.

So he did.

“Your side hurts.”

Your fingers paused on the small device, body going unnaturally still. Then, just as quickly, you were moving again, brushing it off. “No, it doesn’t.”

He exhaled through his nose, tilting his head slightly. You were not a good liar. That much, he already knew.

“You’re protecting it.” His voice was flat. No emotion. No concern. Just observation. “The way you lean, the way you sit, the way you move. You haven’t even noticed it yourself, have you?”

You sighed, fingers tightening around the object in your hands before you set it down on the table.

He was right. Again.

Chishiya watched as you chewed your lip, like you were debating whether or not to keep pretending.

“Even if it does, it’s not that bad.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“Let me look at it.”

Your head snapped toward him, blinking once. “What?”

“Let me look at it.”

Now you were staring at him, brows furrowing. “…Why?”

He shrugged. “Because I can.”

That wasn’t a real answer.

But you weren’t dumb.

He could see the thoughts turning behind your eyes, could practically hear your brain piecing together the facts.

That he was a doctor.

That he knew what he was talking about.

And, most importantly, that if not for you, he might’ve been left to rot on that street.

And Chishiya wasn’t the type to owe people favors.

But this? This was fair.

He saw the moment you realized it too. Your shoulders dropped, and you exhaled slowly, looking off toward the wall.

“Fine.”

Finally.

Without another word, Chishiya sat up properly, gesturing for you to shift toward him. You hesitated, then turned slightly, letting him face your injured side.

“Lift your shirt.” he said simply.

You shot him a look.

He stared back. Unamused.

With a sigh, you reached for the hem of your shirt, pulling it up just enough to expose the skin of your ribs.

And there it was. The light bruising. The subtle swelling. Nothing serious. But it was there.

Chishiya pressed his fingers against the side of your ribs, watching the way your body reacted. Your muscles tensed, a small, involuntary twitch pulling through your stomach.

“Tell me when it hurts.” he murmured.

You nodded.

He started at the lowest ribs, pressing lightly, testing the reaction.

Nothing.

He moved higher, fingers working with precision.

Still nothing.

It wasn’t until he pressed closer to your side, near the center of the bruising, that he saw you flinch. Barely. But he caught it.

“Here?”

You hesitated. Then nodded.

He pressed a little firmer, feeling for any deeper injuries, any unnatural movement under the skin. Your breath hitched, and his eyes flicked up toward your face.

Still, you didn’t pull away.

Tough little thing.

He almost smirked.

“It’s not bad.” he told you, pulling his hands away. “No breaks. Probably just a deep bruise. Soft tissue injury. It’ll heal.”

You sighed, dropping your shirt back down.

“Told you.”

Chishiya sat back, watching as you flexed your fingers against your knee, still not looking at him.

This whole thing had been weird.

You let him check you over, eventually. But not because you wanted to.

Because you knew it was fair.

And maybe that was why Chishiya had let you take him in that night, too.

Not because he wanted to.

Because it was fair.

You pulled your shirt back down and exhaled, rolling your shoulders slightly, testing the soreness. Then, softly—so softly you almost didn’t say it—“…Thanks.”

Chishiya tilted his head slightly, watching you. “You don’t have to thank me.”

Your lips pulled into a small, lopsided smile as you leaned back against the couch, crossing your arms over your stomach. “Yeah, I do.”

He studied you for a moment longer before shifting back as well, resting one arm along the back of the couch, fingers tapping lightly against the fabric.

“You hate being taken care of, don’t you?” he murmured.

Your eyebrows raised slightly at the observation, and you let out a small huff. “Says the guy who nearly bled out on the street because he’s too good at mind games to ask for help.”

“You’re right.” he said simply. “I don’t like it either.”

You smiled, though it was more tired than anything. “We have that in common, then.”

He hummed, noncommittal.

You both sat there in silence for a moment, processing in your own separate little worlds, the way you often did.

“…I didn’t even notice it hurt.” you said. “Not really. I guess I was just too busy making sure you and Niragi were okay.”

Chishiya gave you a look.

Not mean. Not mocking.

But something close.

“You do that too much.”

You huffed out another soft laugh. “What, care?”

“Yes.”

You turned your head toward him, arching an eyebrow. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

He tilted his head, considering.

Was it?

To him, it was.

To you, it wasn’t.

And that’s what made this so interesting.

“It’s an exhausting thing.”

You sighed. “Yeah, well. Someone’s gotta do it.”

Chishiya leaned his head against the couch, still watching you. Studying you.

And you let him.

“You don’t think it’s exhausting?” he asked.

You blinked at him. Then you gave him a look. “I never said that.”

Chishiya’s lips pulled into something a little too knowing.

Because there it was.

That crack.

That moment of honesty. The one that told him that despite all your softness, despite all your warmth, despite everything that made you so different from him—you were tired.

But he already knew that, didn’t he?

Because you had a habit of pouring yourself out for people who didn’t give anything back.

And that was something Chishiya would never let himself do. And maybe…that was why he found you so exhausting, too.

~

You were humming softly, standing by the stove, focused.

Dinner was already planned.

You figured if they didn’t come on their own, you’d go knock on their doors—Niragi first, because he’d act like a brat about it, but he’d come. Chishiya after, because he’d hesitate, but you’d convince him.

You were already plating the food in your head. A little more on Chishiya’s plate. He deserved it after checking you out earlier, even if he acted like it was nothing. He was a good doctor, and you owed him.

The front door opened.

You froze.

You turned, and it was Chishiya. Coming back, from somewhere. What?

Your fingers twitched on the edge of the counter. “…Where were you?”

He glanced up at you as he shut the door, hands stuffed in his pockets. “I had to play.”

Oh.

Your shoulders stiffened before you could stop them.

You hadn’t even realized he’d left.

When did he leave? How long ago?

Your eyes scanned him. He looked… fine. There was no blood. No limp. No obvious injury.

Still.

“…You should’ve told me.”

Chishiya blinked. His head tilted slightly, almost as if he didn’t understand why you were saying that.

“It’s nothing.” you murmured, turning back to the stove, stirring the food. “I just… got scared for a second. That you left, or something.”

That made him pause. Not because he felt bad, but because it was interesting.

Why would you assume that?

He never gave you any reason to think he’d just leave.

And yet, the fact that you thought it—the fact that you were scared of it—that told him something about you.

“…I had no reason to tell you.”

You nodded.

Yeah.

You knew that.

You knew he didn’t owe you anything.

But you cared.

And he didn’t.

And maybe that’s why you were standing here, stirring food for them, thinking about their plates, making sure they ate, while Chishiya was standing by the door, looking at you like you were some strange creature.

“You get attached too easily.” His voice was flat. Matter-of-fact. Cold in a way that wasn’t intended to be cruel—it was just true.

Your hand slowed over the food, breath catching for just a second.

That was…

Well.

That was a thing to say.

You swallowed, staring down at the pan, feeling his eyes on you.

The worst part was that he wasn’t wrong.

You did get attached easily.

You let people in too quickly, gave them warmth even when they didn’t deserve it—even when they didn’t want it.

And here you were, worried about him, cooking for him, watching the door like a puppy because you didn’t even notice he was gone.

Maybe he had a point.

But that didn’t mean you had to like it.

You turned to him, leaning against the counter, arms crossed.

“Then why do you stay?”

Chishiya’s expression didn’t change, but you saw it—the way his fingers flexed in his pockets, the faintest twitch of his jaw.

He didn’t expect you to ask that.

Niragi had a reason to stay. He was healing, recovering from the absolute beating he took. He was too injured to play yet, too injured to run, and deep down—you knew he liked it here.

But Chishiya?

Chishiya looked fine.

If he had any injuries, he was good at hiding them.

So if he really didn’t care, if none of this mattered to him—why was he still here?

“…Because it’s entertaining.”

Your breath left you slowly.

Of course.

Of course that’s what he’d say.

Because what else would he say?

That he felt intertwined to you for dragging his half-dead body out of the street? No. That would imply he felt something like gratitude.

That he felt bad for you, after the way you came home covered in blood? No. That would mean he felt something like guilt.

That he actually liked it here? That he liked you?

No.

That would make him human.

So instead, he stayed because it was entertaining.

That was easier. That was the kind of answer Chishiya gave.

You exhaled, pressing your lips together, nodding slowly.

Right.

You turned back to the food.

“You should wash up.” you murmured. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

And just like that, the conversation was over.

Like a breath that hadn’t been exhaled yet.

Like something was still left unsaid.

Chishiya watched you for a few moments longer, lingering in the doorway.

BANG.

A door down the hall swung open so violently that it rattled the walls.

“Louder, please.” Niragi’s voice. Flat. Dry. Sarcastic as fuck.

You sighed, closing your eyes briefly before opening them again, watching Niragi step into view.

He was shirtless, looking wrecked. Like he had just woken up—probably hadn’t meant to in the first place, but his ears were too sensitive for Chishiya’s bullshit.

His hair was a mess, face still lined from his pillow, a half-lidded glare pointed in both of your directions.

The moment he locked onto Chishiya, his expression darkened further.

Like he knew.

He didn’t know what exactly—he wasn’t there. But he knew something had just happened, something between you two, something he was left out of.

And fuck that.

Niragi was already on edge. He always had been.

He couldn’t stand Chishiya. Not just because he was an arrogant, smug bastard who thought he was above everyone—but because he was.

He was smarter. Five steps ahead. Always in control.

And Niragi hated that.

Hated that Chishiya was cold while he was burning alive.

Hated that Chishiya could switch it all off while Niragi felt too much.

Hated that you—you—spoke to him like he was a person.

Like he was worth it.

Like he was more than what he had become.

And Chishiya didn’t deserve that.

So yeah. He woke up to this bullshit and wasn’t happy about it.

Niragi groaned, raking a hand through his hair, rolling his eyes before turning back around, dragging himself down the hall.

SLAM.

You blinked.

Chishiya barely reacted.

You let out a slow breath, glancing over at him, but he wasn’t looking at you anymore.

He had already figured it out.

How Niragi felt everything too much. How it swallowed him alive. How you, somehow, had become a lifeline. How he clung to you like a starving animal.

How dangerous that was.

But Chishiya didn’t tell you.

Because he knew, one way or another… you’d figure it out.

❤︎︎ @fiction-fantasy-folks @monkey4lifer @cherryheairt @psychicyouthfox @so-dramatic1 @mypsychoticlove @unhinged-sorcerer @rattymess @lizntstoptalking @hellscagee

[sweetdispatch]

its my first time requesting so idk if im doing it right but may i please get, 1 piece of Cinnamon Bun with Honey and Marshmallows 🥰

Retrospections - L. Hughes

v' bakery pairing: Luke Hughes x fem!reader summary: Memories of moments between you and Luke, from helping in school to his first NHL game warning: none note: thank you love for requesting, hope you enjoy it❤️

You and Luke were growing up on the same street. Often, you were playing with him and his brothers since the four of you were the only kids there. But the closest you had been with Luke because you were the same age. You always had a soft spot for him and he had for you. His brothers were laughing at the two of you but you never cared.

In school, you were helping Luke with his homework. He didn’t like studying because his head was always wrapped around hockey. That’s why you tried your best to help him even when it meant that you’ll be behind with the material. 

“This is stupid. I don’t need this in my life” Luke scoffed when he got a wrong result in math exercise. 

“I know but you need this for the exam” You sighed. 

“Why? I’m gonna be a hockey player. I don’t need math” Luke said, offended. 

“But you can’t fail this class if you want to be a hockey player. Please do this for me and put more attention to remembering. I can stay here the whole night if it means that you’ll finally understand” You told him and gave him a small smile. 

“Fine” Luke groaned and started listening to you over and over again, trying to understand.

By pure coincidence, you and Luke got accepted to the same university. You were excited but also knew that you needed to open up for new people. He couldn’t be around you all the time like in the past because he put his focus on hockey and representing the team. Thankfully for you, the people you had in your classes were nice and quickly you became friends with them. 

You weren’t spending that much time with Luke like you used to but you were always showing up in his games. You loved seeing him on the ice. It was a way different version of him. You knew him as a sweet and shy guy but out there he was ruthless and confident. You could clearly remember the first game in Michigan.

“You did it Luke” You jumped into his arms. 

“I did it” Luke hugged you.

“I’m so proud of you. You were amazing out there” You told him. 

“Thank you. Thank you for showing up and being there” Luke said to you. 

“I couldn’t miss your debut” You giggled.

“I have something for you” Luke said and gave you a puck. “It’s my puck for the first game played there but I want you to have it” 

“I can’t take it. It’s your achievement and not mine” You told him with cheeks burning red. 

“It’s our achievement. If you wouldn’t help me with my homework back then, I wouldn’t be here. Please take it” Luke begged you. You took the puck from his hands and hugged him.

The puck was laying on your nightstand. You were always smiling at the memory of this. During university, you’ve been going to a lot of parties with Luke but one party was stuck with you. His team was celebrating the end of the season and rookies were responsible for hosting it. 

“Thanks for the help with the party” Luke told you and took a sip of a beer. 

“Anytime” You smiled at him. 

“You’re too good for me. I swear, you’re the best thing that happened to me” You felt your heart racing faster when Luke said it. 

“That’s what friends are for right?” You joked and saw that Luke’ expression changed. 

“I don’t wanna be friends with you” Before you could process Luke's words, he pulled you into a kiss. “I want you as my girlfriend” He said when he pulled away from you.

You didn’t say anything back, just kissed him again. 

After that party, you and Luke started dating. He felt proud to call you his girlfriend and in every opportunity, he needed to mention this. Everyone around you knew that you were gonna end up as a couple. You were a perfect match to each other. You could swear that he’s the best guy to be in a relationship with. 

When Luke had his debut game in the NHL, you went to see him. You wanted to witness this. Tears were spilling from your eyes when you were watching his rookie lap. You couldn’t believe that he actually made it. Luke was aware that you were in this game and right after the final whistle, he ran to see you. 

“You made it” You told him with tears in your eyes. 

“I love you” Luke hugged you tightly. He didn’t care that you’ll leave mascara stamps on his jersey and you didn’t care that he’s all sweaty. 

“I got something for you” Luke handed you a puck. “I’ve been seeing the puck from my first game in Michigan on your nightstand and this reminded me of you. I want you to have this one too” 

“Thank you baby” You kissed him but Jack broke the moment between you two. 

“Luke, let's go. You can kiss her later all you want” Jack said and you and Luke looked at each other and laughed. 

After graduation, you moved to New Jersey to live with Luke. Everything was perfect between the two of you and you were stronger than ever. Luke was fulfilling in hockey and you were working in your dream work. You never missed his game and he was always there for you in tough moments. Life was perfect with Luke by your side.

[backtothefanfiction]

No One Like You | Manny Alvarez Imagine

Summary: He always just wanted to be a good soldier and survive… until he met you.

Warnings: 16+, show typical violence, angst, fluff, reader insert, complicated relationship, a little trauma, spoilers for Season 2 Episode 2 if you still haven’t watched it

Word Count: 3.3k+

A/N: I’m still not fully sure I’m happy with where I’ve ended this but I wanted to keep the ending ambiguous. Do they stay together? Don’t they? Maybe one day I’ll decide and write more but for now, that’s entirely up to you.

Be a good soldier. Follow orders. Be a part of the team- and you might just survive. Those were the only things that had been drilled into his head since this all started. And it was going well for him too. The only thing that ever made him contemplate straying from those three easy steps was you.

You were a great shot, easy on eyes (even in your 3 day old uniform all dirty and sweaty from hunting down infected) and you always had his back.

His heart rate would always pick up when he found you were out on rotation with each other. He should have reported it to his superiors. Told them he struggled to look out for the whole team evenly when you were around. That it made him a liability. But he didn’t.

It was just a crush, nothing serious. It’d pass within a month, he told himself. But it didn’t.

“Yo Manny?” You said getting his attention, “You okay there?” You asked. He had been staring off into space again.

You were both on break, taking a moment to chill out on the top floor of the training building.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said coldly, trying to get you off his back. You knew it was an act. The ‘I’m a tough guy, I don’t have feelings’ act. But you knew there was more to him than that. Seen the few times he’d hesitated on mission. Seen the way he stared at you when he thought you weren’t looking.

“You sure you don’t wanna talk about it?” you asked him.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he affirmed, but you knew from the way he shuffled in his seat there was something eating away at him.

“Okay then,” you sassed him lightly as you moved your attention back out to the view, but you could sense him bristling out the corner of your eye- he was clearly stewing about something.

“Do you ever question it?” he suddenly asked, his voice low so no one else would hear you, but the only other Fireflies that were up here were way on the other side of the room to you both.

“What?” You asked, turning to him intrigued.

“All this,” he said, faintly gesturing to your surroundings and the other people in the room. “What we do?”

“Having second thoughts about what side you chose?” You asked him.

“No!” he said adamantly. “I just…” his voice faltered as he struggled to put his thoughts into the world. “I know this is better than being in the QZ,” he said.

“But?” You asked him, dragging out the word as you encouraged him to continue.

“What if there’s another way of living? Away from all this,” he said as your eyes narrowed on him.

You never would have put him down as a thinker like this. He had always been so assured of himself as a soldier. A survivor.

“A way to actually live?” he questioned hopefully.

“Isn’t that what we’re fighting for?” you asked him.

He looked around at the fellow rebels that surrounded us. Fellow soldiers just following orders for self elected higher ups with a vision that was still fully unclear. “I think I’m just fighting for the sake of fighting,” he finally replied. “Because it’s all I’ve ever done. I was just a kid when all this started. My parents didn’t even survive day 1. I was all on my own. I was 8 years old. I learnt pretty quickly how to fight and fend for myself. I don’t think I’ve ever really stopped,” he confessed.

“Do you want to?” You asked, intrigued by this new vulnerable side he was showing you.

“I don’t know,” he replied before he hesitated, his eyes raking up and down the full length of your body, from your pulled back hair all the way down to your boots as he seemed to be making a decision. “But it would be nice to have the option to decide,” he finally said and you sighed.

“Y/N,” a rookie called out to you as you were both leaving the room to go back out on patrol. “Doc wants you downstairs for some tests,” she said.

“What sort of tests?” Manny asked for you, a hint of defensiveness in his voice.

“I don’t know, just routine ones I guess. All the women are getting tests done,” she informed.

“You too?” he asked.

“I guess so,” she replied. “I mean I haven’t been asked yet but I’m new so my name’s probably near the bottom of the roster.”

“Okay,” you agreed steadily, but you couldn’t deny the small dose of fear that flooded your veins. Tests usually meant needles- and you fucking hated needles. “Tell them I’ll be down in a minute,” you said and the younger recruit nodded before beginning her descent back down to the labs.

“What do you think it’s for?” Manny asked as you both began to slowly follow the recruit down at your own pace.

“Who knows? Probably just some routine health check,” you said optimistically.

“Then why isn’t everyone getting called in?” Manny asked skeptically.

“Maybe they will. Maybe they’re doing it this way to spice it up. They’ll probably go through all the men next week or something,” you replied.

“You want me to wait for you?” he asked when you both landed on the floor that held the labs.

“Nah, who knows how long this is gonna take. You guys go without me,” you said, encouraging him to go back down to the barracks without you.

“I’ll see you later though, yeah?” he said, already two steps down the next flight of stairs.

“Dinner at 7?” you joked as if it wasn’t at the same time every day. “Wouldn’t miss it,” you said, shooting him a smile and he quickly shot you one back before he hit the bottom step and pivoted to move down the next ones.

Little did he know, he wouldn’t see you again at 7. He wouldn’t see you at all. After that afternoon you just disappeared like you hadn’t existed at all.

When he asked his superiors about you, they pretended like they didn’t know. Maybe they had found part of the cordyceps in your system and had to put you down. Maybe they transferred you out to another branch of the rebellion. Maybe you had heard his words and just run off. Who knew? He certainly didn’t. And he doubted he’d ever get an answer either.

Without you around he became jaded. You were the only person who made him feel hope for something more. So when that Joel guy came along a few days later and massacred the majority of the fireflies in the building, he had nothing left to lose when Abby asked him to go with her to track him down. After all, it’s what he did best right. Working as a team. Following orders. Killing things. That’s all this life could ever be if he wanted to survive. And he wanted to survive.

It was a long journey. For ages they felt like they were going in circles, looking for any sign or evidence of where this Joel guy went. It felt like the blind leading the blind. They searched and they hunted. They took down infected and did anything and everything to find this Joel guy.

It took years, but eventually they did.

Abby was mostly mad by the time they all found him. She was so lucky he just fell into her lap the way he did. There was something twisted knowing he had just saved her life for her to take his, but at the end of the day, that was the mission and Manny was a good soldier if nothing else.

They left before anyone else could find them, headed back west towards Seattle. They had found a new group of rebels that way, a new group to join. After all, there was strength in numbers.

It wasn’t too long a journey, but with the snow storm they needed to find a place to rest again until it all blew over. They thought the town was deserted. There was no one on the streets. That’s because they were all bunkered down together in the old school.

He wasn’t sure who had started to fire first, all he knew was that he’d already killed three people. It was just instinct at this point, shoot first and ask questions later. Protect your team, no matter the cost.

It was a fire fight through the halls, the group of them slowly pushing the civilians back- but one of them stood out amongst the rest. He couldn’t get a good look at her, but she was clearly a good shot and was taking point on their defence. He could just about make out her voice over the sounds of gun fire. It seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.

“I’m going after the leader,” he informed Nora who was taking cover in a doorway across from him. She gave him a brief nod, providing him a small amount of cover as he quickly began to move down the hall.

“STOP SHOOTING!” the familiar woman’s voice suddenly shouted. “STOP SHOOTING!” she cried again before she boldly stepped forward from her hiding place.

“DON’T SHOOT!” she called out as she walked out with her hands raised into the middle of the hall and Manny froze. He felt like he was seeing a ghost.

“Y/N?” he asked tentatively, his weapon still aimed at you defensively but you didn’t show fear.

You both heard the clicking sound of a bullet being moved into the chamber of a gun behind him.

“DON’T SHOOT!” he quickly turned and shouted as he spotted both Abby and Nora stood a few paces behind him with their weapons raised. “Don’t shoot,” he said again, his weapon lowering as he turned back to take you in.

It had been so long. He thought you were dead.

“Who is this man? Who are they?” A gruff older voice came from behind you as a man in a red flannel and braces stepped into the hallway behind you.

“They’re okay,” you quickly told him, “I know him. He’s an old friend,” you said, your eyes turning back to Manny fondly. “I mean, we are okay right? We can talk this out like adults,” you almost pleaded as you searched his eyes for just a hint of the man you knew he had been deep down.

He knew the rest of his team wouldn’t understand. Knew he would have to do all he could to keep them from doing any more damage, but you were here- standing right in front of him- alive and well and thriving and he had to know. Needed to know what had happened to you. How you had ended up here? Why you left him without even a word.

“Yes,” he said with a nod.

“Give us your weapons as assurance,” the older guy said and Manny willingly dropped his weapon for the first time in 20 years.

Reluctantly the others at his back did the same, sliding their weapons across the floor with their feet so the old guy could collects them.

“Can we take shelter from the the storm with you?” Manny asked you as you stepped closer to him.

You gave him a nod, “But your friends have to mind their manners,” you informed him.

He gave you a small nod before turning back to the rest of his team, ushering them forward to follow the other guys at your back towards the gymnasium where everyone else was hunkered down with food and blankets.

You could feel him hesitate in the doorway at your back before he reached out his hand for your arm.

“We need to talk,” he said lowly into your ear, his eyes scanning the full length and width of the room behind you. You quickly did the same before you gave him a silent nod and began to guide him back in the other direction towards one of the open science labs.

When you were both inside you closed the door, not wanting anyone else to be privy to this particular conversation.

“What happened to you?” he immediately asked racing forward to crowd your space. He was still as good looking as ever- even if his curls had grown out a bit more and were now getting into his eyes where they’d been on the road so long. “I tried to ask, I was so worried. They made me think that you were dead,” he said frantically.

You hesitated, unsure of how to tell him what had happened that day. What had happened to you in the days after. You had been relegated from loyal soldier to prime test subject in a matter of hours. They knew that girl was headed there. Knew there was a living human being who was immune.

“It wasn’t just a routine check up,” you told him, your eyes growing sad at the memory. “They were looking for prime candidates to test their little vaccine on when it came in,”

“What vaccine?” he asked, his brow furrowing.

“There was a girl. She was found by one of the fireflies out in Boston. She was immune Manny. That guy who came and killed everyone. He did it because of her.”

Manny continued to frown as he processed that information. Usually when he thought like this he liked to pace a little, it helped him focus, but he didn’t want to stop looking at you for even a single second now he knew you were here and alive.

“Manny, they injected me with some of her blood,” you said earnestly, holding his gaze. He was the first person you had ever told this. It had been eating you alive for years keeping it a secret, but you knew you had to.

“They didn’t know what they were doing,” you said, your words coming quickly now, like breaking a hole in a damn and now everything was spilling out. But he was the only person who would understand. The only person who had known you before. “But it worked,” you whispered to him, so afraid that anyone would listen in and hear you.

“What?” he asked confused.

“It worked,” you said again, fighting to quickly lift your shirt and push down your trousers to show him the bite mark on your hip.

“Wait, you got bitten?” he urgently said in a hushed tone, his body quickly moving forward to crowd you further and hide you even though there was no one else around.

“But nothing happened,” you insisted, quickly trying to cover yourself up again, but you froze at the feeling of his thumb moving over your skin.

“When?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as he traced his thumb backwards and forwards over the raised scar.

“Nearly five years ago,” you said shakily, your breathing becoming shallow at the feeling of his touch and the closeness of his body. “I thought everybody was dead. I thought…” you hesitated as you tried to confess to him the thing that had broken you the most. “I thought you were dead,” you said to him bravely. “I just- ran.” you told him as his thumb came to a stop, but he didn’t pull his hand away.

“I remembered what you said over lunch that day. Figured there had to be something more. So I ran. Moved across the country and back again until I landed here.”

“Does anyone know about…?” His voice hesitated, not wanting to say the words out loud just in case.

“No.” You shook your head.

“Why are you telling me?” he asked curiously.

“Because you were my best friend,” you confided. “Despite everything we went through, there’s no one I trust more,” you said and he finally stepped back, his hands rubbing at his eyes in what you feared was frustration.

“And what do you expect me to do now?” he asked.

“I don’t know, but- Manny please,” you said stepping forward, your hands reaching out for him. He froze. “I thought you were dead. Had I known I would have come back for you.”

“What does that mean?” he frowned, irritated and defensive.

“This place, here. You don’t have to fight anymore. We could live- together,” you insisted.

“What?” He said confused, feeling like this whole conversation was spiralling off the rails, before he’d had a chance to grasp it.

“Manny, I’ve found a place here where I can truly live, not just fight and survive all the time. I can relax. Do other things. Be a part of an actual community. We- we could-“ You didn’t know how to say it. “We could have a life together!” You finally spat out. “Oh come on,” you said confidently when he looked at you perplexed. “I know you liked me. I saw the way you looked at me back then. I wasn’t an idiot. I just never said anything because I didn’t see the point. We were soldiers, not just people back then. But now- here- we could live. We could be something.”

“I can’t just abandon my friends!” He said enraged. “And after everything that just went on out there, I doubt we’d be very welcome here in the long run.”

“Okay, then let’s go to Jackson. I hear there’s a large colony of people there.”

“We’ve just come from Jackson,” he said dejectedly and suddenly he couldn’t seeem to meet your eyes.

“What were you guys doing in Jackson?” You tentatively asked him, unsure if you wanted to hear the answer.

“We were hunting down that Joel guy.”

“And did you… find him?” you asked. He nodded. “And?” you presssd.

“Abby killed him.”

There was something about that statement that didn’t sit well with you. You weren’t sure why. I mean, they had been well in their own right to get revenge for what happened to the Fireflies- to your friends- but there was a feeling in your gut, that stemmed from the look on Manny’s face, that told you there was something more.

“What is it?” You asked him. There was clearly something eating him up about the whole thing.

“There was this girl. She gave me this,” he said shifting his hair out the way to show off the cut on his head that had scabbed over. “She seemed to be very stressed about the fact that Abby tracked him down and killed him.”

“You think she’ll come after you all in revenge?” you asked.

“All the more reason for us to get back to the group we found in Seattle. Strength in numbers and all.”

“So that’s it then?” You said to him. “You’re just gonna live the rest of your life as a soldier?” You asked him as he settled himself back on the edge of the desk in front of you.

“It’s all I know.”

“But it doesn’t have to be,” you said to him earnestly, stepping forward and he hesitantly placed his hands on your hips. Slowly he lowered his head until his forehead was nearly resting against yours.

“I missed you,” he confided.

“I’ve thought about you everyday,” you said breathing slow. “I would imagine you were at my side, talking to me. Protecting me. Having my back like you always did. When I got bit, it was your voice in my head telling me to get up. To keep going. I thought you led me here. Because you wanted me to live,” you confessed with tears in your eyes. “You were all I ever wanted. There was no one else like you.”

Suddenly his lips were on yours. They were chapped from days trekking through the cold, but they still set you on fire. You had dreamt of this so many times, but nothing could have prepared you for the real thing.

“You were the only thing I have EVER wanted,” he stressed, your breaths mingling with your closeness. “You were the only person who made me want more in this life.”

“Then stay,” you insisted, your eyes searching his desperately now you finally had him in your arms once again. “Please... Stay.”

[fuctacles]

Time!

for @steddiemicrofic "time" | 485 | T | cw: mention of blood and broken bone | College AU, commentator Eddie, team captain Steve | Ao3 | part 1

The Tigers are one throw from winning the game. For the friends and family looking, it's just a friendly match between two colleges, but they don't know about the potential sponsors sitting among them. The sports department has been hoping to buy a new coach, so different teams wouldn't have to rock-paper-scissor who goes to the away games during the season.

Eddie's been hearing about it a lot, against his own will.

"DESERVED!" he yells into the microphone as Jason Carver trips and falls on the court. "I mean, foul! Somebody give that guy a yellow card!" he changes tracks as one of the professors glares at him through the glass. With a smile, he gives her a friendly wave.

"See, that's why I say there's no shame in wearing velcro shoes. There is so much blood, you guys. I think I see a bone? This is brutal, dear adventurers, be grateful you don't get the visual, only the kid-frie— well, the version that won't make you faint, filtered by yours truly."

There's a slam on his glass, so he waves again at the teacher. 

"Oh! The coach is calling for time! Yes, I already know they are not playing charades, thank you. But you know what, I think it would be great entertainment between sets. Uh-oh, the Tiger's captain is glaring at me. He's walking up the bleachers. This may be the end of our adventure, dear listeners, the journey was magical and—"

"Eddie!"

He squeaks, slamming the mute button in panic. 

"Captain!" he grins, turning around to greet the sweaty and flushed—and gorgeous—face of Steve Harrington. 

"Coach is pissed," he states, pushing damp hair out of his face. Eddie has yet to make him wear his bandana on the court, but he will make it happen. At some point. 

"Why?" He blinks his eyes innocently. "I'm just doing my job."

Steve puts his hands on his hips and raises an eyebrow.

"Blood? Broken bone?" he reminds him. 

Eddie crosses his arms defiantly.

"People don't want boring sports commentary, Steve. They want blood and circuses!"

"Uh-uh. I know for a fact this is not how it goes." Steve gives him an unimpressed look. "Correct it before his family starts freaking out."

"Fine," Eddie huffs. "Did you come here just to piss on my fun?"

Steve shakes his head, dropping his arms to come closer and lean on Eddie's chair.

"I came for a good luck kiss. Daddy really wants that bus."

Eddie snorts and uncrosses his arms. 

"Okay, Daddy, then come here," he pulls him in for a quick peck, and then two more, lips catching hungrily but knowing they don't have time for more. They pull away and smile at each other. 

"Get that goal for the team!" Eddie pushes him away and slaps his butt for extra luck.

"Still the wrong sport, baby," Steve laughs before leaving the commentator's booth.

beloveds: @blasvemous @wheneverfeasible @phantomcat94

[rafes-juno]

My Brother's Best Friends; Slim Pickins

Pairing: Brother's Best Friend! Rafe x Brat! Female Oc

Summary: What happens when Rafe returns from college and turns Isla's life upside down? Will Isla be able to handle her brother's best friends? Are Rafe and Isla overcoming their rivalry this summer, or are their feelings brewing ready to explode? Secrets will come out testing Isla and her brother's relationship.

Contains: Enemies to Lovers, Brother's Best Friend, Harsh Language, Sexual Content, Drinking, Harassment, Mentions Of Blood. (18+ ,minors do not interact!)

WC: 3.905

Previous Chapter: 1

“So… you never kissed?” Rosie asks as she sips her drink, her eyes drifting between me and our best friend, Sunny.

I shake my head, just as disappointed as them. “No. Rafe came in and ruined it all, too. He talked about how I needed to stay away from Alex and said he was just looking out for me. " My eyes roll as I sip on my straw, watching the girls share a knowing glance.

Rosie and Sunny have been my best friends since elementary school. I don’t think there’s been a full day in my life where I haven’t seen at least one of them. We’re inseparable.

“Maybe we need to ask the cards?” Rosie suggests as Sunny digs through her bag to find her tarot deck.

When she drops the deck onto the table, I slump back. “Guys, I don’t want to do it if the cards are going to tell me something I don’t want to know.”

Truthfully, I think I’ve started to develop a crush on Alex. He’s been here a day, and I already can’t stop thinking about him like I’m a teenager again. Rafe’s words keep swirling around in my head, though. I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes and ruin any friendships– but at the same time, Theo and Alex don’t seem that close.

“Maybe they’ll confirm that he wants you–”

I laugh, reaching for my drink. “I don’t need the cards to confirm that.”

Sunny starts to shuffle the deck, and I sit up straight, watching how quickly her hands move. Cards fly out of the deck and land on the table; some even land on the ground, but Rosie quickly picks them up and hands them back to the witch. Sunny hums and turns over the cards, her eyes full of mischief.

I notice the time on my phone and sigh, “I only have five minutes before Rafe is coming to pick me up–”

“Oh, Rafe, again?” Rosie teases, her eyebrows raised.

“Yes, Rafe again,” I mumble. “We’re shopping to pick up some stuff for Theo’s birthday party tonight. Only me and him seem to give a shit. I don’t see you two offering–”

Sunny cuts me off, “Okay, so you have the fool card first. New beginnings– a new chapter in your life.”

I smirk, “Does the new chapter begin with an ‘A’ and end in ‘lex’?”

Sunny ignores my words and stares back down at the cards. “Death card. Is Alex a Scorpio?”

I shrug, “No. I don’t think so. I don’t know. I don’t think I know any Scorpio’s either.”

Sunny hums as she taps her long nails against the card. “Okay, so, a transformation of some kind. It could be during Scorpio season… or maybe he is a Scorpio.”

I open my mouth to reply, but she cuts me off and moves on to the next card. “The lovers. Self-explanatory.”

When we were fourteen, we entered a new store on the island. They sold all kinds of things, one of them being tarot cards. Sunny bought them and taught herself how to read them. Ever since we’ve relied on the cards for advice and guidance. Only recently has she started reading astrology, too. I rely on her to tell me when to invest in something new is a bad time. I swear, it feels like there's always something in retrograde or whatever.

“These are good cards,” Rosie comments. “Sounds like things could happen between you and Alex.”

Sunny pulls back her bottom lip, her head tilted. “Well– yeah. Maybe. I have a feeling it isn’t Alex, though.”

I laugh, lifting my drink to my mouth. “Well, who else could it be?”

Sunny shrugs. “I don’t know. We’ll see, I guess.”

She taps her finger against the next card. “Two of cups. Partnerships, relationships. Someone is coming in. I don’t know who, though. We need to find out Alex’s star sign.”

“I’ll ask at the party,” I say, sliding my chair out from the table and grabbing my phone. My screen lights up, and I see Rafe's missed texts telling me to hurry up and that I’m late. When I glance over my shoulder, I can see his car in the parking lot and his pissed-off face glaring through the open window.

We all watch as he opens his car door and climbs out. He rounds the car and crosses his arms, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Wow, has he been working out?” Rosie asks, her straw hanging loose in her mouth as she leans back in her seat.

I shrug, taking my time to grab all of my stuff as I keep my eyes on his. “I think so.”

It’s evident that he has been because of his black shirt. The material is clinging to his arms, chest, and toned stomach, and with the sweat dotted across his forehead, it looks as though he’s just got back from the gym.

“Hurry up, Isla! I don’t have all fucking day!” he yells over at me as I sling my bag over my shoulder.

“Calm down, Rafe. It’s not that serious.” I roll my eyes and turn to the girls, “I’ve never seen someone so eager to pick up a birthday cake.”

“I can hear you,” he says, opening the passenger side door as I wave goodbye to the girls and hop down the steps to the parking lot. I walk over to him with a cheesy grin.

I climb into his car, watching him slam my door shut with a low grunt. He walks around to the driver's side and clambers in, slamming his door as loud as he did mine. He merely glances in my direction as I pull the seatbelt over my body and click it into place.

He pulls out of the parking lot quickly, making me fall forward before falling back into my seat harshly. “Shit, Rafe. What’s the rush?”

“I have shit to do. Not that you’d give a fuck anyway, you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

I scoff, my eyes widening as I stare over at him. “What’s your problem?”

“It’s too hot, and I don’t want to go to the store and–”

“Maybe you wouldn’t feel so hot if you weren’t wearing all black. It’s like a million degrees outside.”

“Don’t be a smartass, Isla.”

“Don’t be a dick, Rafe,” I bite back with a smile on my lips. “Let’s just go to the store, and then you can drop me off at home.”

“Home?” he asks. “I thought you were helping me put up all the party stuff on the druthers?”

I sigh, throwing my arms down to my sides in defeat. “Fine! If you want to hang out with me that bad, all you have to do is ask, Rafe.”

He doesn’t say a word; he keeps his eyes on the road, and his jaw clenches. I settle into my seat with a satisfied smile, knowing I won this time.

He never used to be so mean and hostile toward me. I’ll never understand what changed.

He used to be kind. He would talk to me with respect.

I don’t think he’ll ever tell me what changed. I don’t think I want to know, either. If he hates me, then so be it. I’m not here to have a friendship with him, and I certainly don’t want any validation from him.

If he’s happy for us to act like this, fine.

I couldn't care less.

“Oh my god, Rafe! Look!” I exclaimed, pulling a string of fairy lights with plastic strawberries from the self. “Strawberry lights!”

He snatches the box from me and stares at the picture on the front. “I don’t get it.”

I snatch them back and throw them into the shopping cart, “They’re just cute.”

“They’re a waste of money. That’s what they are.”

I grab another three and throw them into the cart with a thud. “Fine, I’ll buy them with my money.”

He pushes the cart slowly up the aisle with his veiny forearms resting on the handlebars. His shoulders are slumped, and I can tell he’s bored out of his mind, so I plan to spend as much time here as possible.

“Do you think we need party hats?” I ask, picking up a plastic box full of them. “I think we do.” he looks at me from the side, his eyes rolling.

“No, we don’t. There are just a couple of us on the boat. All we need is cake, balloons, and two banners,” he says, taking the box from my hands and throwing it back onto the shelf.

I cross my arms in defiance before reaching for the same box and throwing it into the cart. “You aren’t the only one using your daddy’s money today, Rafe. He paid me a hundred dollars just for tutoring your sister for an hour yesterday. We’re getting the hats.”

I spot a pack of party whistles and pick them up with a grin, “Oh, and these. We definitely need these.”

He sighs, standing up straight as he rolls his broad shoulders back. “Whatever. I don’t care anymore.”

I throw the whistles in and eye the fully stocked shelves for something that would really piss him off. I thought the whistles would send him over the edge, but apparently not. Although, I can’t imagine him using the whistle at the party.

His attitude is starting to piss me off. I understand he doesn’t want to be here; he only told me that four times on the way here. I knew I should’ve asked Alex to tag along. At least then, I’d have someone fun to talk to.

I watch him pull his phone out from his black shorts, and his fingers scroll on the screen for a few seconds before he clears his throat. “Okay, so we need–”

“Can we get these feather boas?”

“No.”

“Oh, come on, Rafe!” I sing, pulling the hot pink boa from the rack. “It’s fluffy.” I step toward him and drape it around his neck.

He tries to pull it off, but I hold my hand, keeping the material in place. “Wow, pink is your color. It brings out your eyes.”

“Oh, yeah?” he steps closer to me, pulling a yellow-colored boa from the rack. He drapes it around my neck and flicks up the side so it’s danging over my eyes, obscuring my vision. “This compliments your outfit.” For the first time today, there’s a hint of playfulness in his eyes as he reaches onto the shelf and hands me a pair of oversized sunflower glasses. “These will complete the ensemble.”

I hum, pushing the glasses onto my face. “Wow, is that a smile I can see, Rafe? Are you finally having fun?”

He scoffs, throwing his feather boa into the cart as his faint smile fades. “No.”

“Liar,” I sing, using the end of my feather boa to tickle his sun-kissed face. “You’re having so much fun with me.” He swats my hand and the feather away with a low growl.

I notice the pink pinata on the top shelf, shaped like a unicorn, and my eyes light up like a kid at a candy store. “Okay, we have to get that.” I tap Rafe’s shoulder and motion to the thing I need most. “Pick me up, I wanna grab it,”

“Pick you up?” his eyebrows are furrowed, and his forehead creased.

I nod, “You won’t be able to reach the one at the very back that’s probably in the best condition. Pick me up so I can grab it.”

He sighs, moving the cart out of the way as I stand before him. He hesitates briefly before grasping the curve of my waist with his big hands, causing my already-cropped t-shirt to rise. I feel the warmth of his touch bleed through my skin as he lifts me effortlessly.

He really has been working out.

“I can’t see,” I complain. “I need to get up higher!”

He groans in annoyance and hoists me onto his broad shoulder, holding me up there as I peer over the shelf to the pinata at the back, the most perfect unicorn calling my name. I feel one of his hands settle onto my thigh while the other grips my waist tighter, being sure I don’t fall as I reach across to grab my newest prized possession– which will be smashed to pieces by the end of the night.

“Got it,” I tell him as he pulls me back. I look at him with a smile as he carefully lowers me back to the ground, his hands still on my waist. “You're so helpful,” I coo, reaching up to place a kiss on his cheek.

Just as I pull my lips back with a smile plastered on my face, an elderly lady passes by us, her head tilted as she smiles at us. “Oh, aren’t you two just so sweet.”

The look on Rafe’s face says it all as he steps away from me, his head shaking. Before he can say anything, I slip my arm through his and smile at the lady. “Oh, thank you so much,” I look up at Rafe and drape the end of my feathered boa around his neck, pulling him closer to me.

“We’re just buying party supplies for our… son.”

The lady’s eyes widen, “Son? You two look awfully young–”

I grip my fingers around his upper arm, feeling his muscles tense under the fabric of his shirt as I rest my head on his chest. “I know, but age doesn’t matter when you’re in love. Isn’t that right, Rafey?” I look up at him, flashing a knowing look as he glimpses down at me.

He eventually lifts his gaze back to the lady and forces a smile. “That’s right.”

The lady presses her hand to her heart and pouts. “How sweet. You remind me of my husband and I when we were kids.” she takes a moment, releasing a deep sigh before facing us again, her smile gentle. “I hope your son–”

“Tiger,” I tell her the name of our imaginary son with a sheepish grin. “Well, his name is Prince Tiger, but we usually just call him Tiger.”

Rafe nods, pulling me closer to his side as he lifts his arm and wraps it around me, pulling me into him. I try to ignore the fact that I can feel his strong arms tightening around me and the fact that his cologne is intoxicating.

“Oh, that’s a… lovely name,” the lady says, clearly uncomfortable now.

Rafe’s lips curve into a half-smile. “Thanks. It’s just a shame that I recently found out I'm not his biological father,” he looks at me with a challenge in his eyes. “Turns out my girlfriend likes to fuck other guys behind my back.”

The lady is pale now, her eyebrows raised and her mouth open. I’m mirroring her expression as I turn to face her once more. I clear my throat as I rush to find something to say to make Rafe seem like the bad guy.

I know it's over when my mind goes blank, and the lady scurries off down the aisle with her cart full of supplies, her feet moving faster than the cart.

I untangle myself from Rafe’s arm and shake my head. “You’re evil! You scared that woman away!”

He shrugs, grabbing the cart again, “I think you scared her away when you told her our imaginary son was named Prince Tiger.”

“Would you have rathered him be named after his daddy?”

Rafe turns the corner and the wheels of the cart screech against the hard ground. “I’m not his Dad, remember.”

“I hope you’re happy with yourself, Rafe.”

He smiles at me, the first genuine smile I’ve seen in months. “I’m happy, thank you.”

I follow him around the store for the rest of the shopping trip before we go to the register to pay. Even when I try to pull out my phone to pay for the items, Rafe beats me to it and puts it all on his card. I scoff, “I thought all this was a waste of money.”

He ignores me and hands me the heaviest bag with a smile. “This is all the stuff you picked up. I hope it isn’t too heavy for you,” he flashes the cashier a smile before picking up the cake and a few lighter bags. “Come on, we gotta start decorating.”

I sigh, feeling the bag's weight pull me down as I follow behind him, my fingers aching and my arms falling weak. It’s too hot outside to be carrying a bag as heavy as this.

“It’s heavy,” I complain as we walk through the parking lot toward his car.

“Not my problem,” he replies, walking faster.

I groan, my head falling back as I pick up my pace to catch up with him. When I reach him and the car, my arms feel like jello. I drop the bag to the ground and let out a heavy sigh as I watch Rafe load the bags into the car.

I reach down, searching the top of the bag for the water bottle Rafe so generously bought me. As I bend over, I hear a car honk behind me, startling me to stand straight again. I turn around, watching a guy I don’t recognize wolf-whistle at me. There’s a cigarette hanging from his lips. He laughs, “Give me a twirl, sweetheart.” There’s a sleazy smile on his lips when he says, “Want me to give you a ride?”

I ignore him, turning my back to him and his truck as Rafe lifts his head from the trunk of the car, his eyes darting between me and the truck.

“Fucking bitch,” the guy calls from the truck, throwing the remainder of his cigarette in my direction.

I turn to face the truck again, ready to tell him what I think, but as I do, I see Rafe storming with his fists at his sides. I watch wide eyes as Rafe grabs the guy from inside the car by his collar, pulling him from his seat. “What did you call her?”

I release a breath, my stomach churning from anticipation. “Jesus, Rafe–”

“Say it to me. Say it to my fucking face,” Rafe urges the guy, who’s now a sickly pale color. His mouth moves, but no words come out when Rafe aggressively throws him back into his seat. “Call me a bitch, do it.”

“I didn’t realize she was your girl, man. I’m sorry–”

Rafe takes a step back from the guy's truck, and I think it’s all over when he walks back to me. “Rafe–” he cuts me off by reaching into his vehicle and grabbing one of his golf clubs. My eyes are bulging at this point, and there isn’t a thing I can do to stop him because before I can fathom what’s happening, he’s knocking the guy’s brake lights out with the club.

“What the fuck!” the guy yells as Rafe rounds the front of the car, knocking off the side mirrors. There’s glass everywhere, and I notice how shards hit Rafe’s bare legs, grazing his skin.

People are watching with wide eyes, and the elderly lady from early is on the verge of a heart attack as she watches Rafe wreck the guy’s car.

Rafe walks around to the guy’s open window and points the club at him with his head tilted. “If you fucking look at her again, I’ll do a lot worse, alright.”

The guy nods profusely as Rafe pulls the club out and gives the car door one harsh hit, denting the metal with the club. Rafe walks away, his hands white around the club as he approaches me. “Get in the car.”

I do as I’m told and climb into my seat, my hands shaking as he throws the club into the trunk and climbs in after me, barely giving me a chance to put my seatbelt on as he vaults out of the parking lot.

“Are you okay?” he asks me, his crazed eyes darting between me and the road ahead of us as he picks up the speed.

“I’m fine,” my voice is shaky as I buckle into my seat and lean back, resting my head on the headrest. “Are you okay?” I ask him, noticing the blood dripping from his knee. “You’re bleeding.”

He nods, but his fingers are pale white, and he grips the steering wheel. “I’m fine. We just need to get to the druthers and set up. That’s all. It’s fine. Everything is fine.”

“Are we going to get arrested?” I ask, gulping harshly. “My dad will kill me–”

Rafe faces me, his hands shaking as sweat builds on his forehead. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“But–”

“Nothing will happen. It’s fine. I’ll figure this out. That guy–” he points to the store that’s probably miles behind us now, “All of that was his fault. He shouldn’t have talked to you like that.”

I exhale a shaky breath, nodding in agreement. “I agree, but that was extreme, Rafe.”

He laughs manically, his head falling back against his seat. “It could have been worse.”

“Could it?!” I exclaim. “You nearly blinded him with the glass shards!”

Rafe glances over to me, a smile on his face as he laughs harder. “Okay, well, at least our son– Tiger, wasn’t in the car. The therapy would be crazy expensive.”

“Are you serious right now?” I hide my laugh by facing the half-opened window, feeling the cool airflow through the car.

I feel the sudden warmth of his hand meet my exposed thigh, and it’s like a bolt of electricity runs through me. I turn to face him, and the feeling runs straight to my heart, suffocating me as it takes all the air from my lungs. His eyes are on mine when I feel his fingers tighten on my skin, “It’ll be okay.”

There’s a quiet moment between us where nothing needs to be said. His palm is still on my leg, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was warming up to me again. Of course, when I think about it, his phone rings, and Theo’s name pops up on the car screen. It’s a searing reminder of what we’re actually doing here and why we’re working together. We’re not here to be friends. We’re here to set up for my brother’s birthday. His best friend’s birthday.

Rafe pulls away from me quickly and hits the answer button as Theo’s booming voice sounds through the car’s speakers. “Hey, man. Where are you?”

“Uh, I’m just– out.”

“Out? Where? Are you with Sofia?”

Ah.

Rafe shakes his head as if Theo can see him before replying, “Uh, no,” he clears his throat and shifts in his seat as I sink into mine, wishing for this car journey to be over so I can go home and get ready for the night. To see Alex.

Rafe changes the subject, “Are you still coming tonight? On the boat?”

“Yeah. Can I invite some people?” I know my brother well enough to know ‘some people’ actually means a dozen.

Rafe nods, “Sure. Just not too many, alright?”

I can hear the smirk in Theo’s voice when he answers, “Alright.”

🪽 Chapter Two of Brother's Best Friends as promised! Like, Comment & Reblogs are highly appreciated !!

🪽 Author: Matilda , Theme: Evelyn

🪽 Credits for dividers ( here & here )

[morgana-larkin]

The more Melissa schemmenti fics the better . Could you please please please write one were Melissa does the leaning on the wall with the arm thing . Like the jock /cheerleader pose in the hallway . But with reader . I love that Melissa is bad girl with milf vibes .

So sorry that this took way longer than I thought it would. And I agree with you, the more Mel fics the better. I also put some inspiration from a fan art of Mel eating reader out with her glasses on and hair up and the creator asks for a fic about it and I honestly forgot their name. If you can let me know in the comment section so I can tag them in this then it would be appreciated! Not edited in the slightest and I hope you like it!

On another note: I can’t believe that season 4 starts tomorrow and there’s a new episode of Agatha All Along! #spoiled

Another note: it was @dashbag-art that made the fan art of Mel eating someone out.

What She Wants

Warnings: bad girl Mel, smut, small praise kink

Words: 2.8k

You’re walking down the hallway, collecting late book returns from students. You’re on your second year of being the school librarian and you’re loving it so far. You just collected a few books from Janine’s kids and now you’re on to Melissa’s.

“Alright my little eagles, who can tell me wh-” Melissa says and then you knock on her wide open door. Melissa looks and sees you and she instantly smiles. “Hello Y/n.” She says and you blush slightly.

“Hi Ms. Schemmenti, I need to talk to a few students in your class.” You tell her and she nods.

“By all means, who do you need?” She asks.

“Let’s see.” You say and look at your list. “Milly, Dominic and Avery.” You say and the 3 students sit up and walk out the door.

Melissa watches you for a second before she goes back to her lesson. She watched you while you did your first year here and she’s been watching you more closely since you came back and started your second year a couple months ago. You talk to the 3 students and then they return to their desks while Melissa continues the lesson. Melissa gives you a smile that you return before you go to the 3rd graders.

The next period starts and you have to go back to the library to see who is where this period and return the books that you were able to get, back to their place. About 20 minutes into the new period, you’re walking to a 4th grade classroom when someone stops you.

“Hey hon.” You see Melissa say and she traps you against the wall and she’s leaning on her arm that’s on the wall.

“Oh h-hi Melissa.” You stutter out and she smiles at you, you’re holding the couple books you have close to your chest.

“Do I make you nervous?” She says and leans in closer to you.

“A-a little bit.” You say to her and she smirks.

“And why is that?” She asks, a little cocky.

You have to admit that you didn’t think this is where the day would go. You’ve been attracted to Melissa since day 1 but never went for it from the things some other teachers have told you. They warned you to stay away from her as she doesn’t always tolerate people and knows what to do to get what she wants. They also told you that she knows several guys all around the city in various fields of work so be cautious. Now she’s close to you and asking why you’re nervous around her and you don’t know what to say.

On Melissa’s end is a bit different, she can probably guess that other teachers told you a few things about her. She found you cute since you started but she kept her distance since you were new. Now you came back for another year and she knows she wants you. She’s having fun watching you squirm a bit right now for an answer. She tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear and you freeze.

“Why do I make you nervous hon?” She asks again and you look up and catch her eyes and you freeze again. She had beautiful green eyes that go perfect with her beautiful face and gorgeous ginger locks.

You start looking for a way out and notice that she’s trapped you pretty good as she’s gotten closer and there’s no one in the halls to help you.

“I-I…um.” You stutter and Melissa tilts her head a bit, still smiling.

“You’re adorable when you don’t know what to say. I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that the other teachers warned you about me when you started?” She asks and you nod slightly. She hums as she thinks of what to say next now that she’s got you trapped. You take a second to look at her and see that she’s wearing the leather jacket you love on her as well as a pink low cut top and see a good amount of her cleavage. Melissa of course notices you staring at her chest and smirks. “My eyes are up here hon.” She tells you as she tilts your chin up with her free hand. She sees your eyes widen as you got caught and smiles at you. “I don’t mind you looking but not at school, we have to stay professional.” She tells you as she leans into your ear. “Come to my place after school and you can look all you want.” She tells you and then pulls back. You’re looking at her like a deer in the headlights and frozen in place. “Is that ok with you hon?” She asks and you nod your head, unable to form words. Melissa tucks another loose strand of your hair behind your ear. “Good girl.” She says and then leaves.

You hear her heels clicking against the floor and you take a few breaths. What the fuck just happened and what did you agree too? You think and you look at Melissa’s retreating form. You see a slight sway in her hips and can’t help but look at her ass. The other teachers warned you about her and now you agreed to go to her house after school today. Are you very fucked right now? You continue to collect the books and talk to students about late books right until the end of the day. When you’re packing up to go home you get a text from an unknown number.

Unknown number: Hey hon, it’s Melissa. Here’s my address

You read and then get another text with an address.

You: How did you get my number?

Melissa: I know a guy

It’s all she says and then a wave of nerves hits you. In truth, Melissa went to Ava for your number and Ava gave it to her without much thought.

You pull up the driveway of Melissa’s house and walk up to the door. You’re about to knock when you glance down and see the ‘go away’ welcome mat and you hesitate. You then decide to fuck it and knock. Melissa opens the door a few seconds later and smiles when she sees you.

“Hey hon, come on in.” She tells you and steps aside to let you in. “Dinner is in the oven and it’ll be ready in about 10 minutes.” She says as she begins to lead you to her kitchen. “Want some wine while we wait?” She asks you and looks back and sees you looking at her pictures. “Those are just some family pictures.” She tells you a little smile makes its way to your face.

“You have a beautiful family.” You say and she smiles. “Some wine would be nice.” You tell her as she leads you into her kitchen. She pours a glass for you and hands it to you before she pours one for herself. She can see you still nervous even after a few sips of wine so she walks up behind you, spins you around and traps you between her and her counter.

“There’s no need to be nervous around me hon. I’m not going to do anything to you.” She tells you as your eyes are wide and looking directly at her. You don’t answer so she talks again. “What has been said about me that’s got you so nervous?” She asks you and you gulp. “Come on, be a good girl and tell me.” She says and you have to admit that those words affected you and you tell her.

“They warned me to-to be cautious around you as you know several guys in various fields and you know how to get what you want.” You tell her and she hums.

“Well like I said before.” She starts and starts trailing a finger on your wrist up to your shoulder. “I’m not going to do anything to you.” She tells you. “Unless you want me too.” She adds and you glance down and see her outfit better. She changed into a green tank top with a jean sweater, with her hair up, and that tank top doesn’t leave much to the imagination. “You can look all you want.” She tells you as she catches you looking at her chest again. She then places a hand on your hip and moves it up your side, making you squirm a bit. “I know you have a crush on me, and I do want you as well.” She says and your jaw drops. She then leans over to your ear. “I want to claim you as my own.” She whispers in your ear and pulls back to see your eyes turn black. She smiles and leans to your lips until hers meet yours and she starts kissing you and you don’t stop her, in fact you kiss her back.

She smiles into the kiss, knowing she got you. She wanted you and like always she got what she wanted. The other teachers were right about that, she gets what she wants and knows several guys who can help make it happen. She thought it would take longer to get you but then she realised that you already have a crush on her.

She trails her fingers to the hem of your shirt and pulls it up when you don’t stop her. She takes your shirt off and then puts her hands on your bra while still kissing you. She then goes to your back and unclips your bra before yanking it off. She immediately attaches her mouth to a nipple and you gasp and put your hands in her hair. She brings her hands to your thighs and wraps her arms around them before hoisting you up onto the counter. She goes and kisses your neck and starts sucking on it, marking what’s hers. While kissing your neck, she brings her hand over to your centre and starts circling it over your underwear. You’re a moaning mess at this point and all you want is for Melissa to fuck you.

“Me-Melissa, p-please.” You say and Melissa pulls your pants down and off, as well as your panties. She stares at you completely naked for a second before separating your legs and then bends down to where your clit is. Before she dives in, the oven timer goes off, startling both of you.

“Stay just as you are, baby, this will just take a second.” She says and then goes and turns the oven off but keeps the food inside to keep warm. She returns back and goes back in between your legs. “Now where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?” She tells you with a smirk and then bends down again.

“Wait.” You say and she stops and looks up at you. “Do you mind, um…” You start but then get nervous.

“What is it, baby?”

“Do you mind, putting your glasses on?” You ask her and she tilts her head before smiling.

“Have you imagined me eating you out before with my glasses on?” She asks and you nod. “Naughty girl.” She says with a smirk before she puts her glasses on. She then doesn’t wait any longer and dives down to your pussy. You gasp out as her hot tongue finally connects with your centre. You put your hands in her hair and grab her ponytail. You’ve imagined this scenario many times before but never thought it would come true. But now here she is, eating you out with her glasses on and hair in a ponytail just like you imagined. Melissa then moves to your clit and starts licking and sucking as you moan out. She then inserts a finger inside of you and all thoughts leave your head besides thoughts of her.

“Mel-Melissa.” You moan out and you feel her smile as she continues sucking on your clit. You feel your orgasm approaching and you tighten your hold on her hair. She then inserts a second finger in you and she replaces her tongue with her palm and straightens herself so she’s face to face with you.

“I want to watch as you come undone by me.” She says seductively and you wrap an arm around her and dig your nails into her back. She can tell you’re close at that point and she starts going faster. Your mouth is hanging open and you dig your nails deeper in her back and she can feel you squeeze around her fingers. “Come for me, baby.” She says and then you come around her fingers. She slows down inside of you before removing her fingers. She then brings her fingers to your mouth and you waste no time in opening her mouth and licking her fingers clean of your juices. “Now how about we eat dinner and then I take you to my bed and fuck you with a dildo.” You hum and lean your head on her chest as you’re coming down from your high. She strokes your head and wraps an arm around your back and presses a kiss to the top of your head.

She gave you her jean jacket to wear as she thought you getting dressed was a waste of time as she’ll just take all your clothes off again. All through dinner you stare at her and her arms. You had no idea she had muscles as she usually wears sweaters and long sleeve shirts.

“What are you staring at?” She asks you.

“You.” You simply say, not embarrassed to admit it now that she’s fucked you. “Mostly your arms. Had no idea you have muscles.”

“Most people don’t.” She simply says and gives you a smile. After dinner she brings you straight to the bedroom, she takes off the sweater she gave you and then pushes you down onto the bed. “Since you like staring at my chest so much, you’ll like what you see without anything on.” She tells you before she removes her shirt and bra. As soon as she removes her bra, your jaw drops. There they were, the objects of your gaze and they’re perfect.

“Wow.” You breathe out and she smirks before getting you on your back. She then takes her pants and underwear off as you lean on your forearms to watch her undress. She goes to her closet and puts a strap on with an average size dildo and then walks back to the bed. She goes on top of you and starts circling your clit. Once she feels that you’re wet enough, she puts some lube on the dildo and then slowly slides in you. Once she’s fully inside you, she gives you a second before she starts moving and you start gasping and moaning.

“Your pussy looks so good, just sucking this dildo right up.” Melissa tells you. After a couple minutes, as your orgasm approaches, Melissa suddenly pulls out of you and you look at her in shock. “I want you on all fours, so I can pound into you.” She says seductively in your ear and you shiver. You then get on your hands and knees and Melissa aligns the dildo with your entrance and inserts it into you. She then starts pounding into you and you fall a bit and Melissa takes advantage of that and keeps your ass lifted, giving a better angle. Once you get close again, she lifts you up so your back is pressed against her chest and she starts circling your clit while still moving the dildo inside of you. “This pussy is amazing and it’s all mine.” She says in your ear and you reach behind you and grab a hold of her hair. You come a few seconds later and your sounds get her to come as well since the dildo was rubbing her clit. You both catch your breath and lay down on the bed after Melissa takes the strap on off.

“Melissa?” You say as you look at her and she looks at you. “Was this a one time thing?” You ask her and she looks at you and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Do you want this to be a one time thing?” She asks you and you shake your head. “I thought you were scared of me and now you want to see me more?” She asks you.

“You’ve given me no reason to be scared of you.” You tell her. “You did tell me that you’re not going to do anything to me.” You add and she smiles at you.

“This wasn’t a one time thing, I would like to do it again. As well as take you out on a date.” She says and you smile at her.

“I would like that.” You say and she pulls you closer to her.

Taglist: @esposadejoyhuerta

@imaginesmultifandoms

@idonothingalldays-blog

@sexysapphicshopowner

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Let me know if you want to be added!

[willowsnook]

Can I get a Carlos one where they lowkey hate each other bc they constantly fight on track but there’s a bunch of tension between them. Maybe something happens on track and afterwards she goes to bitch him out and then he just kisses her or something ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

yesss just a little different

carlos sainz x williams driver reader

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

You had been nervous when you joined the grid a year ago as the first female driver but everyone had been pretty welcoming and treated you the same as the rest of the competition. You honestly were glad to join Williams because it was a lot less pressure on you than it was for your friends Oscar and Kimi at McLaren and Mercedes. Last season you had finished 12th in the drivers standings which was pretty good in your opinion. This year had been a lot different thanks to the new arrival of Carlos Sainz.

He didn't want to be here, that was very clear. Honestly you didn't blame him, with his record he should have been in a top car but when the 8 time world champion comes knocking...what can ya do?

It seemed like he definitely expected to easily be driver #1 and to be treated as such. Most people probably shared that same opinion but you didn't. You weren't going to be a supporting actor in this kind of cut throat sport. Things had started cordial in the offseason with the two of you doing a lot of PR together but you just didn't really have that same bond that you did with your former teammate Alex. It only got worse from there.

First race of the 2025 season, you had out-qualified Carlos heading into race number one sitting P8 while he was behind at P12. He was not pleased. While everyone congratulated you after your run, he stood in the garage with his arms crossed, anger radiating off of him. This escalated the next day to him trying to overtake you resulting in both of you spinning out into the barriers. Instead of jumping out of the car and heading back to the paddock like a good girl, you stormed over to him as he was getting out of his car.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" You yelled, pulling off your helmet.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" He yelled back glaring up at you. "You are supposed to let me pass?" You scoffed.

"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot who I was talking to," you retorted. "I'm so sorry Mr. Sainz I forgot that I have to let you win even though I'm faster and you're washed."

He stomped over from his car putting his finger in your face.

"Watch your fucking tone," he said angrily.

"Or what?" You spit back. The two of you spun around and barged back towards the garage.

As you headed into summer break, the two of you had crashed into each other three more times with probably equal blame in total. It was a disaster for team points and a PR nightmare. At this point they couldn't even get the two of you in the same room without it ending up in you trying to bite each others heads off. You had fun with it though, because by now you knew all the Spainard's tells. Like how he clenched his jaw when he was starting to get annoyed, or fisting his hands when you were close to pushing him over the edge. It's like the two of you were magnets, you'd always find each other no matter how hard the team tried to keep you separate.

---------- Last week of summer break------------

You were lounging by the pool with Oscar and his gf Lily at an airbnb in Australia trying to enjoy your last couple of days of freedom before having to be back.

"Have you talked to Carlos at all this break?" Oscar asked nonchalantly and you saw Lily shoot him a look.

"Why would I waste my precious breath?" You replied not even looking up from your book. Oscar sighed.

"Don't you think you guys should fix whatever this thing is that's going on?

"He's the one that fucking started it," you hissed shooting him a glare. He put his hands up in surrender.

"It's just like I've gotten to know him, and he's a great guy," he said. "I feel like you guys could be friends if you just sat and talked like normal people."

"I think that is literally impossible," you said. "We can't go longer than 2 minutes without him swiping at me."

"Hmm, and do you think he's unprovoked?" Oscar asked and Lily laughed. You flipped both of them off.

"Look, I tried to be nice at first but it's kind of hard when he came in and just expected me to roll over because he's been racing longer," you admitted. "It was offensive and things just went from there."

"I know how he came in was wrong," he said. "But I think you should give him some grace looking at it from his perspective. He should be in a faster car, we both know that. So it was insulting for him to have to come to Williams but that has nothing to do with you." You sighed, knowing he was half right.

"I don't know how to fix it Oscar, I really don't."

---------Dutch Grand Prix--------------

Things had been going well in Zandort so far, you and Carlos had been mostly avoiding each other and when you were together you kept it civil. You'd had good free practices and now were gearing up for qualifying.

You'd easily sped into Q2 and then jut inched by Fernando to make it into the top ten. The car felt good and you were feeling pretty confident you could get even faster in the last session. You were flying on your fast lap, on track to make it to P5 but heading into the corner you could see another car not getting out of the way. Of course it was none other than your teammate. He moved away but it was a little too late as you already had to slow down to swerve around him, losing time.

"What the fuck is he doing?" you screamed into the radio.

"Uhh he said he didn't see you coming, sorry y/n." Your engineer replied to you and you slammed your fist into the steering wheel. You managed to get one more lap in but the loss of focus put you in P9.

You didn't say a word to anyone getting out of the car and the garage was tense, a lot of engineers shooting you sympathetic looks. You stormed off towards your driver room and were a step away before you heard him call your name.

"Y/n," Carlos called out and you turned to see him walking towards yo you down the hallway. Instead of your rage boiling over you felt your eyes fill up with tears as you just felt defeated. You put your hand up to stop him from getting any closer.

"I just don't understand why you hate me so much," you yelled, your voice breaking. "Do you know how hard it was for me to get here? How hard it is to listen to the media constantly tell me I'm here because having a female driver is good PR? I have worked so hard for everything just for you to try time and time again to take it all away."

Tears were starting to leak from your eyes as you shouted and Carlos's eyes were wide with panic. He tried to take another step towards you but you moved back.

"No, I don't want to see you and I don't want to talk to you," you got out before turning and slamming your driver's door in his face. You sunk down to the floor crying and heard a loud bang, as if someone had punched a wall.

You laid in your driver's room for what felt like forever just staring at your ceiling before changing into a pair of sweats and a tank top. As you were collecting your stuff you heard someone knock on your door and open it. You looked over to see Kimi's sympathetic face which caused your eyes to water again. He opened his arms and you walked into them burying your head in his shoulder.

"Come on, let's go get dinner," he said leading you out of the garage.

You spent the rest of the night hanging out with him and his friends before heading back to the hotel to get a good night rest. You stepped out of the elevator onto your floor and saw someone standing by your hotel room. As you got closer you could see it was Carlos. He had changed too into a pair of Williams sweats and a tight fitted tshirt. His right hand was wrapped up with gauze, explaining the noise you heard earlier.

"Here to rub more salt in the wound?" You joked weakly as you came closer to him. His head snapped up and his raked over you getting sadder.

"No, I came to apologize," he said and you rolled your eyes motioning for him to move so you could unlock your door.

"What did PR promise you in order to get you here?" You bit back as you stepped inside, him following close behind.

"Nothing y/n, we need to talk," he said his tone more firm.

"Well I don't really feel like talking," you said turning to him, throwing your hands up. "Now why don't you go back to James and figure out how to get me off the team, I'm sure whatever plan you have will work."

His jaw clenched and you knew that one landed. You should have stopped there but something about him brought out the fight in you.

"I'm sorry that you're washed and the only way for you to beat me is by taking me out," you started, not even believing what you were saying, just wanting to hurt him like he did you. "That's the only apology I want to hear from you." Carlos took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair.

"Or maybe you should go back begging to Mercedes to get a seat to get away from me."

"Do you ever shut the fuck up?" He asked glaring at me and I crossed my arms.

"Make me," you replied daring him.

Within two seconds your back was against the wall and his lips were on yours. When your brain turned back on you found yourself wrapping a hand around his neck pulling you closer. Your lips fought for dominance but you both were clinging together like you could never let go. Your other hand was tangled in his hair as you slightly pulled causing him to groan into you. He pulled away, resting his forehead on yours and you brought your fingers up to touch your swollen lips.

"If I knew that was how I could get you to stop talking I would have done that a long time ago," he said smirking and you shoved him off.

"You caught me in a moment of weakness," you grumbled before flopping onto the bed. He came over to where you were and pulled you up so that you were facing him as he towered over you. His eyes softened as he looked down at you.

"You are a good driver, one of the best I've ever raced again," he started and you stayed quiet. "I should have came in as a leader to make the both of us better and this a competitive team. Instead I was too wrapped up in how I got burned and acted like an ass. It should have never gotten this far and I'm sorry."

You didn't know what to say as you'd never really seen this side of him. He pushed a piece of your hair behind your ear as he met your eyes again, waiting for a response.

"Was that a real answer or a PR one?" You joked with a small smile causing him to relax.

"A PR one cariño, the real answer is that you're too hot when you're mad at me so I couldn't stop," he said and you laughed. He pulled you off the bed and you wrapped your arms around him.

"This is so weird," you said. "I'm so used to hating you."

"I know, but we got to go be seen in public as friends," he said. "That's an actual request from the PR team."

"Yeah yeah, you can buy me ice cream and I'll forgive you for today," you said heading to the door.

"And then we can start over?" He said hopefully.

"If you let me pass tomorrow too," you said smirking at him. He kissed your forehead as he passed you holding his hand out.

"Not a chance."

[circeyoru]

Agajajkalobesbsj love the 2 part for unwanted soul but will we have part 3 for it ? Like meeting the other guys and them reactions when they found the reader is Alastor soul owner ?

Haha. Good question. There could be a part 3 about meeting the others. But I doubt they'll be learning that Reader has Alastor's soul. Despite everything, the canon stuff did all happen, namely Alastor threatening Husk when he said Alastor was also on a leash.

Here's the kicker. Alastor saw the word 'leash' as an insult to his love and devotion for Reader, hence why he's mad and snapped at Husk. What 'you don't know/understand anything about me' type of play here.

Another point is Alastor might see the fact as his soul not being his to own as a weakness to you, like he's not strong enough when we all know he is. It's others' reaction that he doesn't like. An example is someone reacting negatively to Alastor's soul not being his or like how Husk phases it as 'leash' just doesn't have a nice ring to it.

So that's why Alastor wouldn't let others know. Plus it's a secret only for the two of you, yeah?

Now for Reader. Reader definitely wouldn't announce to people that they have an Overlord's soul to push around, especially when that Overlord is Alastor. Even more so when Alastor is that possessive and obsessive toward Reader. Red flags as far as the eye can see. This Reader, Page Demon, loves simplistic and telling people about owning Alastor's soul is just an invitation to trouble from all directions. Reader here collects knowledge and information, so Reader is also well aware of what this information can bring.

Briefly, here's your scenes in the pilot and Season 1:

Pilot: You watched the advertisement of Charlie's hotel and send Alastor over to the hotel. (behind the scenes: Alastor settled in and contacted you via the radio and you two chatted for a while) Episode 1: (near the end) You saw the news that the exterminations are happening again in 6 months and questioned Alastor what happened, to which he told you it happened after Charlie went to the meeting in place of Lucifer Episode 2: You contacted Lucifer and asked if he knew about the exterminations, he had no idea. When you returned home, the radio and TV was playing Alastor and Vox's little spat. Afterwards, Alastor contacted you to brag and you listened while reading Episode 3: Alastor told you Carmilla's secret that she killed an angel. You allowed Alastor to see you this one time as a form of 'reward' Episode 4: Alastor comes over and you two enjoy your time together. While you also try to figure out how angels can be killed Episode 5: Lucifer comes over to complain to you about Alastor and Charlie's over-reliance on Alastor, but he leaves just as Alastor starts to contact you through the radio. Alastor gets pissy about Husk using the word 'leash' to describe his relationship with you while you said there's nothing going on. Alastor whines even more that you can't watch your newest show Episode 6: Alastor tells you the extermination will target the hotel first and asks what you want to do. Your order's the same: keep the hotel up and running, aid in the princess' wishes Episode 7: Rosie nearly reveals you to Charlie but shut up about it when Alastor shook his head before Charlie can see. (behind the scenes: Rosie asks about you and Alastor happily says that he's working on the romantic relationship, Rosie gives more advice) Episode 8: You basically showed up to show the battle take place, but ended up joinning. Read part 2

Note: I think that's all. Any questions?

{Unwanted Soul} = Requested

[Yandere!Alastor x Owner of his Soul!Reader] Part 1 — Poll — Part 2

Masterlist

[stevie-petey]

episode one: MADMAX

Steve is looking at Nancy so tenderly, and when he removes his sunglasses you see how much his eyes light up when she hits his shoulder and leans in close to him.  “I missed you,” Steve tells her, his voice soft and sensual.  It’s the way he says it that makes you want to run your hands through his hair, be the one in his arms as he kisses your neck and whispers how often he’s thought of you since you’ve been gone. You’ve felt his arms around you before, once. You know how securely he holds on, how his cologne lingers on your clothes long after he’s gone. You miss him, you miss everything. 

Summary: what does steve fear more ? you or the plague ? currently it's you, some guy with an awful mullet stares you down in the parking lot (gross), nancy invites you to a party from your nightmares, and you become an official unlicensed therapist for will. yay for junior year !

Rating: general, slight cursing

Warnings: fem!reader, use of y/n, descriptions of PTSD (slightly), swearing, and general angst and exhaustion

Words: 5.2k

Before you swing in: hello ! welcome back to the rewrite, hope yall are well :) heres chapter 1 of season 2 !!! so so so excited and ready to dive into this new season. things get a bit darker, feelings get even MORE complicated, and poor reader just really needs to take a fat nap and maybe some reassuring words. shes more angsty this season, so buckle up

-

October 29th, 1984

You originally gave Dustin the phone number to Bookstrordinary in case of any emergencies.

Now, you’re really starting to regret it.

For the fifth time this week, Dustin calls you at work to beg for money. Him and the boys recently started going to an arcade that’s opened up in town and have spent practically every day after school there this year. Sure, you don’t mind loaning your brother a few quarters, but at the rate he’s going he’s gonna drain your next paycheck.

Just as you’re thinking this, the phone rings.

Right on cue.

Alex, your coworker, smirks. “How much do you think he’ll ask for this time?”

“If I’m lucky, only a dollar.”

“Will asked me for three tonight, so I wouldn’t jinx anything.”

You gape at Jonathan, who has started hanging around your job after school just to have something to do. “No fucking way.”

“Way,” he laughs, pointing towards the phone on the counter. “Answer before Dustin sends a drone our way.”

You sigh and pick up the phone, which is on its second round of calling, and put on your best customer service voice. “You’ve reached Bookstrordinary, may I ask who is calling?”

“Don’t play dumb, Y/N.”

“Aw, I’m doing well tonight. Thanks for asking, Dustin.”

“I need five dollars.”

“Ya know, ‘please’ has such a nice ring to it.”

“... if I say please, will you give me the money?”

“No.”

Silence fills the other end. Alex and Jonathan are hunched together, trying to stifle their laughs. You send them a thumbs up, and they give you one back.

“You’re a horrible sister.”

“What!” You scoff at Dustin. “I think you owe me like, at least ten bucks now. Yet you don’t see me complaining.”

A loud groan, then an obnoxious scream. “I promise I’ll clean Mews’ litter box for a week straight if you just give me the money.”

“Tempting, and honestly I’d take you up on that offer, but I already spent my last paycheck on my Halloween costume. You’re outta luck.”

Dustin gasps. “You were gonna say no this whole time? You just wasted like, at least five minutes of my time! I could’ve been digging through the couch for coins by now!”

“Jesus,” you pull the phone away from your face as Dustin continues to shout. Jonathan lets out a loud cackle and Alex just shakes his head. “I can give you some money next week–”

The line cuts off. Dustin has hung up.

What a little shit.

“You remind me why I’m grateful I’m an only child.” Alex says, now walking from behind the counter to begin stacking some books. Technically your shift ended almost thirty minutes ago, but you and Jonathan prefer to hang around for a while. It’s rare to have some time with just the two of you (even if Alex is there as an unfortunate third wheel).

“Glad I can help.” You respond. Once he’s gone, you turn to Jonathan. “And you were right, Dustin indeed wanted more than Will’s measly three bucks.”

He laughs. “Figured as much. The look on your face was genuine disbelief when he asked.”

“Mhm, I’m scared these boys will turn into horrendous teens. The lack of gentlemen in Hawkins these days is astounding.”

“C’mon, I’d say I’m a gentleman. I mean, I’m riding on your bike pegs tonight to keep you safe.” Jonathan says, waving an arm in front of his body as if to present all his gentleman-ness to you.

“Sure, bee.” Although, he has a point. Joyce has the car tonight so she can drive Will to the arcade and Jonathan doesn’t like you biking home in the dark. After what happened last year, none of the Byers are particularly keen on letting their loved ones go off alone at night. So, to ensure your safety, Jonathan has started riding on your bike pegs all the way home.

It’s endearing really, wholly unnecessary, but endearing.

Jonathan flicks your nose. “Who else would be such a gentleman to you? Steve?”

Hearing Steve’s name sends a wave of varying emotions through you. Guilt, shame, remorse, longing. You miss him. You really, really miss him.

“I thought we agreed to stop talking about Steve.” You mumble, now busying yourself with a piece of paper on the counter.

After Will was found last year, you and Steve had gotten really close. He’d spend hours bugging you at work, he’d gotten you such a lovely Christmas gift that still hangs on your wall, and you’d grown close with him in a way you haven’t before with anyone else. He would’ve done anything for you, he cared about you with such genuineness, and you couldn’t handle it.

Summer came and the heat that came with it scared you.

You’d pushed Steve away, severed any connection you had to him. It was easier when you didn’t have to see him every day at school, but ever since junior year started, you’ve been in your own personal hell.

Steve walks past you in the halls without batting an eye. He doesn’t look your way, like the months you spent learning every inch of his wonderfully unique brain and the moles scattered along his face never happened; he doesn’t give you that smile that makes your knees weak. He’s avoided you like the fucking plague, which you can’t blame him for, but it’s only made things more awkward between him, Jonathan, Nancy, and you.

Jonathan sighs. “I’m sorry, bug. I just… he seemed good for you, ya know? I was actually starting to like the guy before you suddenly stopped hanging around him.”

You play with the piece of paper, hoping that if you don’t respond then Jonathan will just drop the subject, but a thought seems to cross his mind.

“Wait a minute. Steve didn’t like, hurt you or anything, right?” You don’t respond again and now he’s starting to get worried. “Y/N, I’m serious. Did he do something to you?”

The irony of the situation is so comical you want to laugh. Here Jonathan is, demanding to know if Steve hurt you and if that’s why you’ve stopped being his friend, when in reality it’d been Jonathan who hurt you. Jonathan, your oldest and dearest friend, is the reason you’re so fucking terrified of letting Steve in. Of falling in love with him.

You’re already in love with Jonathan, you can’t put yourself through any more hurt.

But fuck, you miss Steve. You’d come to rely on him and his obnoxious sense of humor that never failed to make you laugh. The way he so effortlessly filled the room with warmth.

“Relax, bee. He didn’t do anything. I just wanted to focus on Will and the boys more.” You lie through your teeth.

He gives you a funny look. “I know you care about the boys, but you know they’d want you to have some other friends.”

“I have you, that’s all I need.”

It’s all I can afford.

“Bug, I’m worried about you. You’ve all but thrown yourself into school, you work non stop here, and when you finally have some free time you’re spending it researching child psych for Will–”

“Just drop it, Jonathan!” You finally snap at your friend.

He stops, surprised by your outburst. He can see the angry flush in your cheeks now and the slight heavy breathing you do to try and calm yourself down. Jonathan drops his shoulders, defeated. He’s been worried about you ever since junior year started. You’re more withdrawn, you look like you haven’t slept at all, and now you don’t even feel comfortable telling him what’s been bothering you.

All Jonathan knows is that one day you were glowing while telling him a story about Steve and his stupid jokes, then the next day you looked frail and sickly as you told him that Steve was no longer visiting you at work.

Something happened between you two, he’s just not sure what or how to even help.

For once, Jonathan is at a loss.

–

“And then she chased Mike all the way down the street for her money! He got away!” Jonathan finishes his story with a grand flourish, laughing and hitting his steering wheel as if it’s the funniest thing in the world.

You let out a weak laugh, exhausted from the night before. It’s early morning and you’re in the school parking lot, hanging in Jonathan’s car as always, and you feel like utter shit. You stayed up late last night reading this journal you’d found in the school library about acute trauma in children. It had been fascinating and there were some things you thought could apply to Will. Before you knew it, it had been three in the morning and you needed to be up soon for school.

Which leads you to now: slouched in the passenger seat, sunglasses over your eyes to block out the annoying sun, tiredly listening to Jonathan’s recounting of his phone call with Nancy from last night. Apparently they’ve progressed to nightly phone calls now.

Lovely.

Without meaning to, your eyes start to drift shut. The car is the perfect cozy kind of warm and the late October air wraps around you as if to lull you to sleep. Jonathan notices you’ve gone quiet and pokes your cheek.

“If you fell asleep I’ll tell your mom and she’ll put you back on house arrest.”

You slap his hand away. “Don’t do that, then she’ll just ban me from your house.”

“You were up all night researching again, weren’t you.”

“If you have to ask, then that’s probably your answer.”

“Y/N–”

You put a finger up, using your other hand to rub at your temples. A headache is forming and you’re three seconds away from just skipping first period to nap in the car. “We aren’t doing this again. Drop it.”

Jonathan rolls his eyes. “I’m your best friend, it’s my job to worry about you–”

“And it’s my job to tell you to fuck off whenever you’re getting on my nerves–”

Suddenly a loud blue Camaro comes speeding into the school parking lot, effectively drowning out whatever you’d been saying to Jonathan. The car revs its engine and almost hits a few students as it jerks its tires and then screeches to a halt, parking right next to you guys.

You and Jonathan look at each other.

“What the fuck?” You look out your window and are greeted with the sight of an attractive blond guy staring at you. His music is blasting so loud you can hear it through Jonathan’s windows.

“Jonathan,” you whisper, getting his attention. “Am I really tired or is there a guy with a god awful mullet staring at me right now?”

“He’s real.”

“Cool.” You continue to stare at the guy, unsure what to do. You’ve never seen him before, there’s no way you’d forget a face like that in Hawkins. He’s attractive, almost unappealingly attractive, and there’s a coldness to his beauty that makes you uncomfortable. He looks dangerous, like he knows how much power his beauty brings him.

The boy winks at you, a lit cigarette dangling from his mouth, and then gets out of the car, slamming his door rather harshly. It’s then that you notice the redhead girl, much younger than him, possibly around Dustin’s age, getting out of the car as well. She slams her own door and doesn’t even spare the guy a glance as she drops her skateboard down and rides towards the middle school across the parking lot.

Meanwhile the boy saunters inside, a lazy pace in his step that also holds immense confidence. He’s cocky, cool and collected, and he takes one last look around, as if to survey his new claimed battleground. You notice a few of your classmates gazing at him with interest, which you don’t really understand. He’s hot, but his attitude alone tells you everything you need to know about him.

Once he’s gone, Jonathan finally speaks. “Who was that guy?”

“No clue,” your eyes linger on the doors he’s just walked through. There’s something off about him. “But I don’t think we want to know… C’mon, if we don’t head in now we’ll be late for our first class.”

–

During your lunch period everyone’s buzzing about some upcoming Halloween party. As you’re walking towards your locker with Jonathan, you notice a few pieces of orange paper being passed around. You don’t pay much attention to them, but when Nancy joins you two she eagerly takes a few from the girl passing them out.

Nancy playfully shoves the papers at you and Jonathan. “You guys are totally coming to this.”

“We are?” You ask, eyeing the flyer wearily. You have nothing against parties, but the thought of being surrounded by a bunch of drunk teenagers in horrible costumes is frankly terrifying to you.

“You sure are, Y/N.”

“But Nancy–”

“‘Come and get sheet faced’.” Jonathan reads aloud. “Yeah, Nance. I think we’ll pass.”

Nancy groans. “I can’t let you guys sit all alone on Halloween. That’s just not acceptable.”

“Actually,” you correct her, annoyed by the assumption, “we have a tradition with the boys. We take them out every year to trick or treat and it’s always been fun. We won’t be ‘alone’.”

“No offense, Y/N, but spending Halloween with a bunch of middle schoolers isn’t much better.”

You make a face and look over at Jonathan for help, but he shrugs. “You gotta admit, it is kinda lame.”

“I can’t believe you’d betray me like this–”

Nancy smiles at this. “See? Plus, I doubt trick or treating with the boys will take all night. You’ll be home by 8:00, and Jonathan will be listening to the Talking Heads and reading Vonnegut or something, while you, my dear Y/N, will be baking a fresh batch of cookies and throwing away all the candy corn you find.”

“Sounds like a nice night.” Jonathan responds, and you nudge your shoulder with his. It does sound like a nice night, one you’re looking forward to.

“I forgive you for your earlier betrayal.”

“Guys!” Nancy stops at her locker now, slight frustration in her voice. “Just… Come on! I mean, who knows? You guys might meet someone and–”

Her words are cut off with a squeal as she’s suddenly lifted in the air and spun around, Steve having snuck up behind her. Nancy now puts all her attention on him, he has his arms wrapped low on her waist and he’s wearing sunglasses inside like some idiot, and your heart hurts. He looks good, too good.

Steve is looking at Nancy so tenderly, and when he removes his sunglasses you see how much his eyes light up when she hits his shoulder and leans in close to him.

“I missed you,” Steve tells her, his voice soft and sensual.

It’s the way he says it that makes you want to run your hands through his hair, be the one in his arms as he kisses your neck and whispers how often he’s thought of you since you’ve been gone. You’ve felt his arms around you before, once. You know how securely he holds on, how his cologne lingers on your clothes long after he’s gone. You miss him, you miss everything.

Steve, as if sensing what you’re thinking, risks a look at you. Your eyes meet his and for a brief second no one else exists anymore. It’s just you and him in the small Hawkins high school hallway, where he’s yours again in a way that’s clouded with “almost” and “not enough”, and you want to tell him how lovely he is and how horrible you feel for hurting him, but then he diverts his gaze and focuses back on Nancy and you’re thrown back into reality.

He isn’t yours. Hell, he isn’t even your friend anymore, and you’re the one to blame.

Once Nancy and Steve start kissing, you share a disgusted look with Jonathan and silently agree to leave.

“Young love, huh?” Jonathan jokes bitterly when you’ve left them behind.

“I hate it.”

And you do.

You’re really starting to hate this whole “love” thing.

–

The only highlight so far this school year has been you and Will growing even closer. When Jonathan told you that Will started seeing the Hawkins Lab people for treatment and to see how he’s been recovering, you pulled Joyce aside later that night to ask if it’d be okay if you spoke with Will yourself. Since everything that happened last year, you’ve only become more interested in psychology, and you’d be lying if you said Will wasn’t an interesting case study.

You told Joyce that you’d been doing your own research, reading journals upon journals, and she made you a deal. You could help Will as long as you also took care of yourself, that you wouldn’t place an even heavier burden upon yourself. Of course you agreed, promising her you wouldn’t, and that’s how your weekly chats with Will began.

Jonathan had been against it at first, telling you that you didn’t have to worry about Will because you already do everything else for the kids. You told him you could handle it, and secretly you liked helping Will because you were able to pour all your anxiety and complex feelings for Steve into research and studying. It was a win-win in your eyes.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Waters had been extremely understanding when you asked for Wednesdays off. After all, you’d been working at Bookstrordinary for almost three years now, so she was quick to make the accommodation.

Now here you are, another Wednesday spent at the Byers’ home. You’re sitting with Will in his bed, the both of you quietly scribbling with his crayons. You’ve learned that he’s more receptive if you draw with him, if you take your time.

“How was Dr. Owens today?”

Will pauses mid-scribble. “Fine.”

“Just ‘fine’? Nothing else?” Your head is down so he doesn’t think you’re studying his reactions, but you keep an eye on him anyways.

“Yeah. I told him about my latest episode.”

“You had another one? Would you like to tell me when?”

Will thinks for a moment, and you tell him that he of course doesn’t have to say anything if he doesn’t want to.

“Last night. I was back in the Upside Down… and there was this… this thing.”

Now you stop drawing. “Like the monster we killed last year?”

“Different,” he shakes his head. “This thing was evil.”

Will’s eyes are darting everywhere around the room, and you can see his growing unease, so you decide to put the topic to rest for now. Clearly the episodes are getting worse, scaring him more, so you shift gears.

“Okay, I believe you. I’m sorry for the episodes, but besides them how have you been feeling? Is school getting any better?” Earlier this month Will had confessed to you about the kids in school calling him “zombie boy” and treating him like a freak. You did your best to comfort him, and once you finished your chat with the boy you’d gone to Joyce to let her know.

Will sighs. “School is… school.”

You reach out and move some hair out of Will’s face. “I’m sorry, little bee. Middle schoolers are idiots, they’ll never understand how much you went through. I mean, I had to face that monster for only about twenty minutes. You had to hide from it for days, so you’re honestly incredibly braver than me.”

This gets a smile out of Will, which you’re relieved by. He’s been quiet lately, more closed off, and you’re worried that with the one year anniversary coming up, his episodes will only get worse.

A knock on the door, and then Jonathan pokes his head in. “Hey, guys. Mind if I join?”

“Actually, I think I should go. Bob’s been begging me for my cookie recipe, so I’ll leave you two alone.” You send a look Will’s way, a you better talk to your brother about this look, and he weakly nods his head.

As you walk past Jonathan out the door, you lean in close to Jonathan and whisper, “he’s struggling at school. Be gentle, kids can be fucking awful.”

He nods and squeezes your hand, silently thanking you, and you close the door behind you. While you want to help Will, make sure he’s adapting well, you also recognize your limits. He’s not your brother, Jonathan is, and you know he’ll be more open with him.

Joyce is in the kitchen with Bob, making some popcorn over the stove. He’s filming her with his ridiculously large camera and you can’t help but smile as you watch them. Joyce looks so happy around the guy, laughing more than she’s laughed in the last five or so years you’ve known her. She deserves this, she deserves a guy like Bob. Sweet, slightly silly, but good.

When Joyce sees you lingering in the doorway, she waves you in. “Hey, honey. Any luck with Will tonight?”

“A bit, he told me some of what’s happening at school. He still seems… off, but at least he was opening up. It’s a good sign.”

Joyce hums, but you can sense that there’s more on her mind. You look around to make sure Bob isn’t near, he’s busy digging through a cabinet to find a clean bowl, so you move closer to the woman and lower your voice. “What did Dr. Owens say this time?”

“Claims we need to just pretend everything is okay, despite the fact that it’s getting worse.”

There’s an edge in Joyce’s voice, so you’re careful with your words. “Well… I think he’s right.”

“You do?” Joyce turns to you, her voice loud with surprise, before she quickly remembers Bob is near and lowers it again. “Why do you think that?”

“I was up late reading a new journal I found about acute trauma in children. It’s been almost a year since Will disappeared, he spent days in complete fear, almost died… I mean, it makes sense that his body is remembering those traumatic effects.”

“So you think we should just leave Will alone, let him suffer through his episodes without any help?” There’s more confusion and fear than anger in Joyce’s voice, and you rest your hand against her arm.

“I know it seems counterintuitive, but the best studies we have all show that we have to let those who suffer from post-traumatic stress adapt at their own pace, through their own ways. They hate feeling pitied, and I have a feeling Will is starting to as well.”

Joyce turns the stove off and shakes her head at you. “You sound like Hop. I thought you hated the guy.”

“I don’t hate him,” you chuckle, now helping the woman peel off the foil and sprinkle some salt onto the popcorn. “He just reminds me too much of my dad, and we all know how that ends.”

“Well if you ask me, I think it’s because you two are so similar.”

You gasp. “How dare you!”

Joyce laughs and the seriousness from the previous conversation dissipates. Bob finds a clean bowl and together you and him pour the fresh popcorn in as Joyce prepares the drinks. They’re having a movie night together, and you want to cry because of how adorable it all is. Joyce deserves this.

“You know you’re welcome to join us tonight, Y/N. It’s Will’s turn to choose the movie.” Joyce tells you, but you politely decline.

“Normally I’d love to, but I should get going. I have some homework and I promised Dustin I’d bake him some Halloween treats.”

“Oh!” Bob turns to you. “Speaking of, you promised you’d give me that recipe of yours!”

You and Joyce share an amused look. “You caught me, I did. I’ll write it down right now and you have to swear that no one else will look at this. Deal?”

Bob nods, ecstatic, and you grab a piece of paper and quickly scribble down all the ingredients he’ll need and how to make the cookies. Joyce watches fondly, and you fill with warmth having pleased her. When you’re done, you hand the paper over to Bob and make him cross his heart, just to be extra sure he won’t reveal all your secrets.

“Scout’s honor!”

“Very good then, soldier.” You salute him, and then pull Joyce into a hug. “I really gotta go now. Can you tell Jonathan I said goodbye?”

“Of course, bike home safe, alright?”

You wink at her. “Scout’s honor.”

Bob lets out a loud cackle and you can’t believe that this guy is real, but Joyce is laughing along with him and you’re pleased she’s found someone as endearing and kind as him.

–

As soon as you get home you throw down your backpack and bunker down at the kitchen table. Your mom isn’t back from work yet and Dustin seems to be off somewhere doing god knows what, so it’s just you and Mews for now.

Mews plops herself on the table next to an essay you’ve been working on and you scratch her head as you work. You get lost in your writing, humming softly to yourself, enjoying this small moment of peace.

You won’t admit this to Jonathan, but he’s right. You’ve been overworking yourself, your body aches and your eyes droop with exhaustion almost every day now. But keeping yourself busy is what’s helping you stay afloat. The more you pile onto yourself, the less time you have to think about Steve and his stupid smile and stupid hair and stupid face.

In the middle of one of your sentences, Dustin flings the front door open and scares you. “Jesus, dude!”

He doesn’t spare you a glance, but when he sees Mews on the table with you he suddenly looks a bit alarmed. “Mews is here?”

“Yeah…? She’s helping me with this English essay.” You respond, confused.

“Huh,” Dustin thinks for a second, but seems to shrug it off. “Anyways, I’m home.”

“I can see that.”

“Are you gonna ask about my day?”

“How was your day, my dear brother.”

Dustin hops onto the table and shimmies his shoulders. “I met a girl.”

“What?” You drop your pencil in shock and Mews scatters, your exclaim having frightened her.

“Don’t act too surprised, geesh.” Your brother rolls his eyes, but then he frowns. “Actually, technically speaking I haven’t met her yet, but–”

“You have a crush?” You’re in shock. In your eyes, Dustin is still a baby, no older than six years old. And yet here is he, thirteen and talking to you about a girl.

“Yes, Y/N. Her name is Max, she has red hair and is new, and she’s totally awesome.”

Red hair? You remember seeing that girl in the parking lot earlier today. “Was she with that weird new guy, the one with a mullet?”

Dustin nods, so you poke him in the stomach and ooh at him. “I saw her this morning, she was prettyyyy.”

He shoves your finger away and blushes, which you find adorable. Dustin’s first ever crush, you can’t believe how old he is now.

“Yeah, she’s pretty, but she’s also just awesome. I think she’s the one with the new high score on Dig Dug.”

“Dig Dug?”

Your brother scoffs. “The arcade game the party always plays? Honestly, do you not listen when I tell you about my days?”

“Alright, fine. If you can remember what I told you I did yesterday, then I’ll apologize for not listening better.”

Dustin closes his mouth, unable to recall a thing.

“Mhm, that’s what I thought.” You flick his hat. “Anyways, since you officially like girls now, I’ve been dying to give you some girl advice.”

“Y/N–” Dustin groans, but you shush him.

“First things first, always be a gentleman. Max does indeed seem cool, but I’m sure she’d appreciate a nice and polite young man like yourself.”

Dustin nods. “Okay, be kind. Got it.”

“Good. Now secondly, we Hendersons are charming people, so just be yourself.”

“Duh,”

“Lastly, if she shows interest, tell her how you feel. Better you’re honest and true about how you feel rather than hide it and sulk.”

Dustin snorts. “Says you.”

You look away from him, slightly hurt. “I don’t know what you mean by that.”

“C’mon, Y/N. When are you gonna tell Jonathan you love him? I mean, everyone knows you do, it’s about time you confess.” Dustin drones on, unaware of your hurt feelings. “And he’s obviously in love with you, you guys are disgusting to be around–”

“He doesn’t love me back.” You whisper, looking down at your paper. You feel pathetic, confessing this to your little brother.

Dustin freezes, now realizing you’ve gone quiet. He can feel your mood darken and he feels like shit for not noticing it sooner. He’s upset you. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I thought he did, I mean the party and I all assumed…”

His words fade off, and you want to crawl into a hole and never come out. It’s embarrassing, you shouldn’t be pitied like this by your brother. “It’s okay, I know what you meant.”

“Y/N–”

You get up from the table and gather your things, shoving them into your backpack. “I’m gonna finish up this essay in my room, then I promise I’ll start baking those marshmallow puffs you like–”

Dustin jumps down from the table and blocks you from leaving the kitchen. “Jonathan is an ass–”

“Language–”

He doesn’t let you interrupt. “You’re cool, he’s stupid, and I’m here for you. Alright? Don’t make me pull a code blue on you.”

You wrap your brother into your arms, something he hadn’t been expecting, and allow yourself a small laugh. “No need for a code blue, I promise. Just, give me like an hour to sulk and then I’ll be as good as new. Okay?”

When you pull away, Dustin eyes you, but understands he won’t win this argument. The two of you handle your emotions the same way: alone, in solitude, away from prying eyes. He knows you just need some time to yourself, but he still feels like a jerk for upsetting you in the first place. “Fine, but if you’re sulking later I’ll flick your nose.”

You flick his nose and then quickly flee to your room, Dustin not far behind you. “Flicked you first!”

“Not fair!”

You slam your bedroom door and giggle as you lock it. Dustin bangs on the door, but you can hear the amusement in his voice. You tell him you’ll be out as soon as you’re done with your essay, and then go and sit down at your desk. Sighing, you dig into your bag and pull out what you need. Without meaning to, you look up and see your Spider-Man poster, your wonderful Christmas gift from Steve, hanging in front of you.

The small joy you’d been feeling vanishes.

The poster stares back at you, you can almost hear it calling you a pathetic coward, and you feel guilt claw at your throat. You close your eyes, remembering the cold from that winter day, and you can almost smell the cologne Steve had been wearing when you’d thrown yourself into his warmth. Sometimes, if you sit still enough, you think you can feel the ghost of his embrace.

You open your eyes.

Steve isn’t here.

Of course he isn’t here.

You exhale, feeling the familiar ache and exhaustion within you; junior year is looking quite grim.

-

⌑ series masterlist

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⌑ thank you for reading ! feel free to like, comment, reblog, or send in an ask so we can chat <3

[amirasainz]

hey! do you think you could write something where charles starts dating baby sainz after alex, and for a change she really doesn’t like baby sainz, or even a random oc ex gf of charlie and he gets annoyed whenever anyone says anything bad about baby sainz, and just wants her to himself? Thank you! ❤️

Ok so first things first. This is just a fic and not supposed to be hate towards Alexandra.

Now please enjoy reading and don't hesitate to send requests.

-XoXo

The better Girlfriend

The breakup between Charles Leclerc and Alexandra Saint Mleux was far from friendly. Their relationship had been plagued by cheating rumors, and the truth eventually came to light. Alexandra, a 21-year-old art history student, had kissed another guy during a girls’ night out. When this news reached Charles, their relationship came to an end

But Alexandra’s behavior during their relationship had already caused friction. She openly expressed disdain for Charles’s job in Formula 1, even going so far as to claim it wasn’t a real sport on live TV. Her rudeness toward fans and unreasonable demands put her in an unfavorable light. Charles endured his worst F1 season while they were together, and the media and fans didn’t hesitate to express their disapproval of her.

When Charles finally broke up with Alexandra, he received overwhelming support from the F1 paddock. His fellow drivers rallied around him during this difficult time:

Lando played games with him to keep his spirits up.

Pierre offered a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.

Max made sure Charles ate proper meals.

Carlos helped him navigate the PR drama.

And his “Grid Dads”—Sebastian, Lewis and Fernando offered invaluable advice.

In the midst of the drama, Charles found solace in the camaraderie of his fellow racers, proving that the racing world extends beyond the track and into the bonds of friendship and support

But there was one person, that helped him the most. Amira Sainz, the unsung hero in Charles’s life. While others lent their support, it was Amira who stood by him, often without uttering a single word. During Charles’s tumultuous relationship with Alexandra, Amira remained an enigma—a girl he wasn’t allowed to befriend due to Alexandra’s jealousy. But now, free from those constraints, their paths converged.

From strangers to friends, and then lovers—their connection felt destined. The media dubbed them the “it-couple,” and fans followed their story with respectful fascination. Initially, Carlos wasn’t thrilled, but time softened his heart. With Amira, Charles discovered a happiness he’d never known before—a beautiful girl who became his world.

And Charles reciprocated her love in every possible way. Each morning, breakfast in bed; after races, flowers to brighten her day. He listened to her fears and troubles, making her feel cherished and protected. But Amira wasn’t just a passive recipient; she left post-it notes in his luggage, their apartment, and even his car. She comforted him after bad races, helping him navigate his emotions. Together, they shared a dog—a symbol of their bond.

Their love wasn’t hidden; they proudly displayed it online. Fans embraced them as the “it-couple,” and Charles and Amira reveled in their shared journey. In a world of engines and speed, their love story unfolded.

Alexandra, Charles Leclerc’s ex girlfriend, stumbled upon one of their date posts. What she saw ignited a fire within her—a seething rage that drove her to spend the next five hours stalking the couple and dissecting their relationship. But Alexandra’s fury didn’t stop there; oh no, she took it a step further. In a desperate attempt to reclaim her own narrative, she created not one, not two, but seventeen fake “Alexandra and Charles forever” accounts on Instagram.

The internet, however, is a merciless place. Within minutes, eagle-eyed users ridiculed her fabricated accounts, exposing the charade for what it was. Alexandra’s attempt to rewrite history crumbled under the weight of public scrutiny. Perhaps it was a desperate cry for attention or a futile bid to regain control, but either way, the digital world had spoken: “Fake news!”

And so, as the engines cooled down and the F1 tracks took a breather during the summer break, Alexandra found herself caught in a whirlwind of her own making. Meanwhile, Charles and his new love interest, Amira Sainz, continued their blissful journey, oblivious to the storm brewing behind the screens

The pitlane buzzed with anticipation as Alexandra, fueled by anger and resentment, strode toward the Ferrari garage. Her eyes blazed with determination, and the photographers snapped away, capturing her every move. Lando and Max exchanged shocked glances—what was she doing here?

The Ferrari team, despite Carlos impending departure, held a special place in their hearts for the Sainz siblings. Their camaraderie and dedication had left an indelible mark. But now, Alexandra—the wicked witch, as some whispered—had infiltrated their sanctuary.

As she stepped into the garage, the once-happy atmosphere vanished. The air crackled with tension. Alexandra’s gaze swept over the familiar red cars, the tools, the mechanics—all part of the world that had embraced Charles and Amira. She clenched her fists, vowing to tear apart the relationship that had blossomed in this very space.

If it was the last thing she ever did.

And so, the pitlane witnessed a battle of emotions—a collision of love and hate, fueled by jealousy and wounded pride. The engines roared, but the real drama unfolded in the hearts of those who watched.

She looked around at the quiet garage and immediately spottet Charles and his plaything. The tensions were high as she strutted towards them. "Charles" she tried to say in a seductive voice. When she went to hug him and kiss his cheek, he stepped away. "Alexandra, what are you doing here?" he questioned sternly. "What? Can't I see my favorite athlete" she harshly asked. "Does the stupid bitch not allow you to talk to other women?" She turned to Amira. "No wonder she doesn't, I mean look at her. I truly don't see what you see in her. She dresses like a slut. I'm sure she also sucks your dick like one and-"

“Enough!” Charles’s voice boomed, cutting through the tension. “Don’t you DARE disrespect my girlfriend. You destroyed our relationship. You used me.”He stepped closer to her, eyes blazing with anger. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll never step a foot in the paddock.” With that, he turned away, leaving Alexandra standing humiliated in the middle of the room.

The air crackled with the aftermath of his words—a collision of emotions, hurt, and the finality of a chapter closing.

[ganxiously]

If there's going to be a reconciliation (which I think will happen for reasons I am going to elucidate below), I am completely certain that it's going to be in 15 or at the latest, by 16 because logistically, it wouldn't make sense otherwise. If Ryan Guzman is not leaving the show then Eddie and Chris have to come back by the new season, especially since wdym one of your main firefighters is not a firefighter anymore. And since things are now okay between them, it is not wrong to expect that they'll be back before Chris' school year starts.

This brings us to the other point (which I have talked about in another post) that is the housing situation. I think it'd be completely absurd for them to find a whole another house for Eddie especially since he has lived in that house since his first appearance. And as much as those people might want it, it is ridiculous to think Eddie and Chris are going to share with Buck. I mean what about their stuff? Where is Eddie going to sleep? If he takes the main bedroom, then where is Buck going? Back on the couch? And if Buck is not sharing the house, where is he living? Back to his loft that has been somehow sitting empty for months waiting for his return? I don't think even 911 would push our suspension of disbelief to that particular limit. Plus it would completely negate the narrative significance of him changing his life and moving out of his bachelor pad because what was even the point of it all if he's right back to where he started from? Similarly, giving Buck a new apartment which would be a complete waste of money don't you think? Like do you really think they would break down one set, move all his furniture into a house and then build up a whole another set that serves the exact same function to the story just so that Buck can start over from step 1?? When they could have simply bypassed all of those redundant expenses just by having Buck not move in the first place?

So the most logical option? Buck and Tommy get back together now which gives them a few months to get their footing as a couple so that when the end of season comes around, Eddie can drop the bomb about his return, have Buck panic a bit about his living situation and then have Tommy finally end the conflict with a suggestion for them to move in together with a call back to the line 'why be alone when we could be together?'. This not only ties up Buck's arc this season with a nice little bow but also gives them the whole hiatus to prepare a new set so that when s9 begins, it can do so with Eddie back to where he belongs and Buck starting the new phase of his life at Tommy's place.

I don't know about you guys but I genuinely believe that the plan all along was to get Buck from point A to point B in the most dramatic way possible. I think I've said it somewhere else but the plot honestly feels like they had had it in bullet points from the beginning. It's just the story that is getting written the day before.