#Liam tracks his tags

[fangirl-dot-com]

🥃Track 6 - Delicate

*oooooo y'all are in for a doozie, Logan finally breaks*

TAG LIST IS CLOSED

Logan watched you from the other side of the club. Currently, he was still on a high from the 1-2 a couple of hours earlier. But now, he could actually live in the feeling. He had a dopey-kind-of smile as your head leaned back when you laughed at something that Lewis had said. Under the pink and blue strobe likes, you were hypnotizing, and Logan was just another man under your spell. 

“You’re staring,” a voice sounded in a sing-song tune. Logan knew exactly who is was and rolled his eyes. He looked down at his drink. 

“I’m allowed to stare.” 

Charles just clapped him on the shoulder. “Sure mate. You kissed your teammate, but only watching her, it’s kind of creepy.” 

Logan hummed before turning to face the Monegasque. 

“So it’s not creepy when you get to stare at him?” 

Logan’s eyes flickered to Max, who was currently in a deep conversation with Liam Lawson. Charles’s head followed in that direction. 

Even under the strobe lights, the American could tell that there was definitely a blush rising on Charles’s face. He laughed as the man sputtered. 

“Non! It is different too.” 

The blond’s eyes held a teasing glint. 

“So you’ve never. . . ?” Logan trailed off as he swished his drink around and raised his eyebrows. Charles took the moment to return the glint and put his hand up to his mouth. 

“A man never kisses and tells Logan,” Charles said and ran his finger across his lips, as to zip them closed. 

Logan was about to retaliate, but then his lap was suddenly full. He quickly placed his drink down on the table and his hands found their home on your hips, where you had dramatically placed yourself. He looked up and saw a sheepish look on Lewis’s face. However, when he looked back down at you, you seemed totally fine. 

“Not drunk out of your mind I hope?” Logan asked. You quickly shook your head and glared up at the Briton. 

“Lewis tripped, fell into me, and then I fell into you.” 

A look of realization bloomed on his face and then he smiled. “Well, I don’t mind. Means I get to hold you closer.” 

Your face reeled back from where it was and you scoffed. 

“When did you become such a smooth talker Mr. Sargeant?” 

Logan leaned back into your face, lips dangerously close. “Always been sweetheart.” 

The two of you were so lost in yourselves that you completely missed the disgruntled looks of Lewis and Charles around you. When Charles looked back to the pair, he groaned out loud at the sight of your faces practically smashed together. 

“Lewis? Drinks?” 

The Mercedes man didn’t need to be asked twice as he swiftly turned around and headed back to the bar. The future teammates wasted no time to put space between them and the table. 

Logan’s hands had respectfully stayed in their place on your hips. You, on the other hand, had moved just a bit to be almost fully in his lap. The kiss was definitely more hungry than the one that was shared on the podium. 

This one had more teeth, spit, and tongue. 

The atmosphere felt electrifying with all the lights and what Logan deduced to be a smoke machine somewhere. 

You finally pulled back, out of breath, and leaned your head on your his shoulder. Your hand reached out and grabbed Logan’s drink, taking a quick sip. You felt his hand tighten on you hip as you teasingly played with the little straw it came with. 

Logan squawked when he saw that you had practically emptied his drink. 

“You couldn’t get your own?” he whined. “I was enjoying it.” 

You rolled your eyes. “Well, I enjoyed it more. You want to get another one? I also need pictures for Instagram. Your dark jeans and Nikes look really good, and make your eyes pop. Damn, never see that color blue.” 

Logan flushed at your compliment. 

“Is it cool that I said that?” you asked as you got out of the booth. 

He rolled his eyes. “It’s perfectly fine. Is it chill that you’re always in my head?” 

It was your turn to flush. Your only response was to grab his arm to drag him away. Logan went willingly. 

It didn’t take long before you two found yourself back at the bar, but thankfully still some ways away from everyone. Lamborghini had made sure that the club wasn’t too crowded and only allowed F1 personnel. However, that still meant that most of the teams could come, including Williams and McLaren. 

Logan saw you wince as you were watching the entrance. He felt the same once he saw familiar people waltz in like they owned the place. Which wasn’t true, but Logan didn’t know the owner. He quickly grabbed both drinks with one hand, and placed the other one on your lower back to guide you to the table that was now occupied with your little group, along with Liam. 

He made sure to place you on the inside instead of the end seat. 

Max, who had been facing George, could tell that something was off when someone sat beside him. Not wanting to cut his conversation, he quickly glanced at his left, now seeing the two younger drivers. The frowns on your face solidified his wrong feeling. Your faces were close to each other and he could tell that harsher whispers were filling the little space between. 

“Max?” 

His eyes whipped back to George, who was now frowning. He shook his head a bit. 

“Sorry mate. What were you saying?” 

“Lando, Oscar, and Alex just walked in.” 

Oh.  

That was probably the source of yours and Logan’s attitude change. When he glanced back, he was a bit happier to see that you two were now conversing with Liam. However, he could see you trying to wiggle a bit closer to Logan. 

It only made sense when a hand clapped his shoulder. It was the hand that was connected to Lando. 

“Hey mate!” the curly-haired Briton greeted. 

Max smiled as he greeted him back. He might not agree with how Lando treated Logan, but the McLaren driver was still one of his good friends. Over his shoulder, Max saw Oscar and Alex greeting the other drivers. Past them, Pato was awkwardly standing to the side. But Max could see right through him as the Mexican driver kept throwing glances at you. 

“Mind if we join?” Alex asked, but didn’t wait for an answer as he and the two McLaren drivers took the pull out chairs to sit on. Oscar looked as if he suddenly remembered someone and waved Pato over, telling him to join as well. 

Charles felt off about the whole thing. He could tell that you were uncomfortable, but kept a smile on your face to be polite. Logan, on the other hand, was not as good at schooling his expressions has his face had become rigid. 

The Monegasque tried to read your lips as you said something to Logan. He knew it was Italian, but the dark setting made it nearly impossible to do so. But when he saw that Logan was scooching to let you by, he stood up as well, making the table now look at him with questioning faces. He glanced at you before explaining. 

“I’m thirsty,” he said, ending with a small laugh. 

Logan made sure to tell you to stay with Charles as you now walked back over to the bar. Once there was a bit of distance, you sighed in relief. 

“All is good petite abeille?” the Monegasque asked as he tried to get the bartender’s attention. You couldn’t even offer an answer and just shook your head. 

“Is it Pato?” 

“No, it’s . . . yeah, it is.” 

“You want to talk about it?” 

Your hands cradled your face as you leaned against the bar. “My time at Arrow was nothing short of absolute hell.” 

Charles’s head tilted in confusion. “But you won races?” 

A scoff left your lips. “You’ve won races and still get hate. Except you’re Charles Leclerc. Ferrari adores you.” 

He crossed his arms. “What does that have anything to do with?” 

Maybe that last question was a bit harsh as you now looked at him with such a pitiful look. Charles could almost equate your sad eyes to those of a kicked puppy. 

“Would Ferrari tell you to lose close to 6 kilos even though you are already under the weight limit? Would Ferrari tell you that they don’t have enough money to get you a hotel, but can comfortably house everyone else? Would Ferrari purposefully not give you upgrades even though you won the last race? Would Ferrari never post you on any social media because you give the brand a bad look? Would Ferrari put you in a sweatsuit under your regular race suit, claiming that it’d be easier for the car to have weights instead of the driver be heavy?” 

Charles couldn’t answer.  

“The answer to that is all no, by the way. But that’s exactly what Arrow did to me. I lost closer to 8 kilos by summer break. Logan almost had a heart attack when he saw me. I’ve gained it back, but only because of Andretti’s schedule. I passed out after the sweat suit and they said that my body could have given out at any moment during the race and I could have died if I crashed. There wasn’t enough muscle or body fat to have kept me safe.” 

Charles wanted to cry. Logan had offhandedly mentioned that you had gone through a lot of things at Arrow, but not to this extent. He even wondered if you were he reason Logan immediately went home after the race before summer, claiming that there was a family emergency back home. 

You could see that he wanted to cry, but you didn’t want him. You gently placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“I’m fine now, truly. This opportunity has been the best thing to ever happen to me.” 

Charles got a bit closer. “I’m glad that you’re better. Really shows the men that you aren’t as delicate as they think.” 

“I’d only be delicate with one person.” 

You offhandedly glanced back at the table, seeing Logan looking down at his phone. He was probably on the weather app. 

Charles smiled fondly as you were lost in your own moment. You could feel Charles’s eyes on you as you turned to look back at him. 

“So, drinks?” 

Back at the table, Logan was indeed going through his weather app. There was nothing better to do until you would return. And he was hoping that you’d be back soon before he was dragged into a conversation that he didn’t want to be apart of. 

“So Logan, good job today mate.” 

The blond froze at the sound of his name escaping from Alex’s mouth. He closed his phone as his head raised slowly. Logan didn’t know why, but Alex talking to him jump started his fight or flight instincts. 

Too bad he was a flightless bird. 

He tried to give his ex-teammate a smile, but by everyone’s reactions, it probably came out more of a lopsided frown. 

“Thanks,” he muttered, eyes flickering, hoping to land on someone safe. Yet, his eyes shot back when he heard a scoff. 

“You could be a little more appreciative.” 

Logan sighed. Lando just had to say something. 

The American turned to the Briton. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he then turned to Alex, “Alex, thank you so much for your encouragement and praise. It really means a lot to me.” 

Lando rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. You think you’re too good for us now that you have a good car?” 

Logan’s phone was now on the table and his body was fully turned toward the McLaren driver. He vaguely saw Oscar elbow Lando’s side, but that didn’t deter the curly-headed boy. 

“Says the one who rammed into his teammate in the first corner today. Maybe you just aren’t cut out for F1 Lando.” 

Logan leaned back into the plush booth with a smirk. Max fought the urge to snort, but deep down he knew he had to deescalate the situation before he had a fist fight on his hands. He was willing that you and Charles would be back soon, but nothing indicated that you were on your way back. 

Lando was now leaning forward, almost across George who separated the two. There was fury in his hazel eyes. 

“It’s only one mistake compared to your innumerable. Face it. You had luck for one race. Next one, I’ll be passing you as you’ll get lapped.” 

“Lando, maybe we should go?” 

Max could hug Pato if he could. He knew that Lando could get snippy and say everything wrong if he wasn’t held back. 

It’s a shame that Max didn’t know that Logan also wasn’t one to hold back. The snarky smirk had yet to leave the American’s face. He took the opportunity to also lean in over George. The Briton’s hands were placed on both driver’s chests, trying to keep them apart. 

“You’re just jealous.” 

Lando raised his eyebrows. “Jealous? Of you? You make. me. laugh.” 

And to answer, a chuckle escaped Logan’s lips. The drivers at the table couldn’t tell if Logan was doing this out of spite or not. However, this snapping was just a long time coming. 

“Yeah, jealous,” Logan bit back. “Jealous because you’ve been here since 2019 and have no wins to your name. Beaten by your rookie teammate in 2023. Beaten by me, the guy who you said had no business being in Formula 1. Now looking at it, maybe you’re just trying to make up for something.” 

Lando had had enough and quickly rose to his feet. Everyone else followed. Max took this time to quickly grab the blond’s arm, gently pulling him back. For Lando, it took both Pato and Oscar to hold him back. 

“Logan, that’s unfair.” 

Logan’s head whipped to where Alex was standing. 

“Unfair? You want to talk about unfair Alex? Then let’s talk about how your car always got upgrades. How I was always ordered to let you pass. How Williams said they’d give me a chance, like the one you didn’t have with Red Bull, but they didn’t. How you botched your race and I had to give up my perfectly fine car for the good of the team.” 

The blond was seething and Alex was hunching in on himself. If he couldn’t take it, then he shouldn’t have said anything. 

“That’s enough Logan.” 

He rolled his shoulders as he glanced at his “childhood friend.”

“You have something to say Oscar? Hm?”

Oscar’s eyes fell to the floor. He knew that fighting with Logan was a lost cause. Because, everything he was saying was 100 percent correct. However, Lando now wasn’t having anything with Logan going after the Aussie. 

“Hey!” he got the attention back on himself. “Oscar has done nothing but be kind to you, even when you were undeserving.”  

Now, a scoff left Logan’s lips. 

“Kind?” 

Max could tell that this was the breaking point, as he could see the glint of tears in the younger man’s eyes. 

“Any of you were nothing but kind. Do you truly believe that the actions you showed me were you being ‘kind?’ If that’s what you think that word means, I feel sorry for your loved ones.” 

Logan’s voice was slowly raising, gaining more attention than that which was already on them. 

“Alex? Were you being kind when you left me places that I had no clue where I was? That was kind right? Letting me get back late to every meeting because I couldn’t find my way back?” 

Logan wanted to let the tears fall, but like he knew, this had been a long time coming. 

“Oscar? Was it kind when you let all of my messages and calls be read or go to voicemail? And then you blame me for not wanting to spend time with you anymore? Because the last time I checked, I had to beg you to even tell you things. That’s kind? I hope you treat your girlfriend better than that.” 

Oscar, although he didn’t look down this time, looked close to tears as he felt as though someone was ripping his soul apart. Or maybe, that he had done that and was now paying the consequences. 

What Logan or the other drivers missed was that you and Charles had finally come back from the bar and were awestruck with how things were going down. You two did not move, scared to set Logan off anymore. 

“Lando? You like to talk about being kind. Kind to yourself and fans and fellow drivers. Was it kind when you told me that I should quit because I simply didn’t belong? Or that I should change careers because maybe then people would like me? Or should I tell the group that you told me to disappear because you wanted Oscar to be more focused on the team and not some childhood friend that he was worried about?” 

Everyone looked directly at Lando. Under the strobe lights, people could tell that the Briton was flush red. From anger or embarrassment? No one knew. 

Max gently pulled on Logan’s arm, trying to get him away from the group. 

“I think they get the point Logan,” the Dutchman muttered. But that did the opposite of what he wanted because the American yanked his arm out from his hand. 

“The point? Max? The point is that everyone treated me like absolute shit! Even you. Even Charles. Even Lewis. You all want to be better, treat me like a friend but all the harsh words don’t just go away with a follow on Instagram or one paddle game mate.” 

From beside you, Charles had the decency to at least look ashamed. You didn’t say anything, and just bit your lip. 

Logan pointed at George, the tall Briton now ready for his turn. But it never came. 

“George was the only driver to actually give a shit about me. And, no offence, but he was doing the bare minimum. But that small bit meant the world to me.” 

You could tell that Logan was losing it. You didn’t look at Charles as you handed him your glass. Thankfully, he took it with no argument. 

Logan flinched when he felt your arm tug his. The blond’s head finally felt in exhaustion. 

He had bared his heart and soul to a group, who in reality, still didn’t care much for him. But what was done was done. 

“Time to go,” you whispered. With a nod from Logan, you reached over to grab your bag. On your way past Max, you quickly thanked him for the time before shit hit the fan. The Dutchman could only give a small nod as you kept Logan in front of you. 

You almost breathed a sigh of relief when you got past the drivers. But Lando had to run his mouth one more time. 

“Sargeant?”

Logan froze before slowly turning around to look at the McLaren driver. Deep down, he was hoping that some sort of apology would come tumbling out of his mouth. Yet, it was the opposite. 

“Stay out of my way.” 

The blond male, who had been exhausted, found a little more energy to respond. He faintly smirked as he looked over his shoulder to respond.  

“We can’t make any promises now,” he stated before looking down at you, “can we babe?” 

pheonix95 has posted

phoenix95 isn't it delicate?

liked by tswizzlef1, venus2, y/n.nation, vogue, and 1,204,094 others

bee_lamborghini ayo the club looks fire 🔥🔥

lambo_duo am I the only one nervous as to what went on during the part?

lambo_fanclub no, so am I . . . but they posted which means they're ok tho? 🤷‍♀️

venus2 only delicate with you baby 😙

pheonix95 is it chill that you're in my head?

venus2 should be cause you never leave mine 🥰

paddle_sixtet no likes from Charles, max, lewis, or George?? 😭

venus&pheonix you both deserve the party and everything else!

ferrari+lambo i am now a child of divorce

venus2 has posted

venus2 this ain't for the best, but my reputation's never been worse so...

liked by lambo_duo, Dior, formulala_delulu, and 1,940,294 others

f1_gridgang seems like y/n has one move for a party 🤣

swift_on_track the delicate lyrics this weekend >>>>>

lambof1 no likes from the usual 4 on Logan's post too

my_goat_logan WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY 🤨

phoenix95 gonna love you for you ❤️

venus2 aw, you're being nice ☺️

pheonix95 I can take it back....

venus2 NO - ahem - I'm good ❤️

loscar_no_more if I find out that something happened between some certain drivers, it's on sight 😤

sargeantgirlie I don't want to believe the twitter page, but the lack of comments with the other four makes me nervous

ferrari&lambo_crew God, please bring my family back plssss 🙏

logan.nation unapologetic Logan is everything to me

pheonix&venus THE SECOND PIC OH MY GOSH

TAG LIST: @fionaschicken @myxticmoon @cherry-piee @blueberry64857959 @glitterquadricorn @lizzypiastri @disneyprincemuke @sam-is-lost @spilled-coffee-cup @ilove-tswizzle @the-untamed-soul @allenajade-ite @starssfall @torchbearerkyle @judespoision @halfdeadsage @juniper-july19 @severewobblerlightdragon @thatgirlmj @gods-menace @ineedafictionalman @namgification @dark-night-sky-99 @samantha-chicago @2pagenumb @treehouse-mouse @fangirl125reader @megatrilss1885 @kagatinkita @itsjustkhaos @nikfigueiredo @awekbachira @vellicora @skepvids @sunrizef1 @stan-josie @fanficweasley @hiireadstuff @barcelonaloverf1life @c-losur3 @graciewrote @bruhhhhhhhhehhhhhhh @tallrock35 @ashy-kit @kat-s2 @minkyungseokie @lozzamez3 @leslieis-crying @adventuresofrose @lighttsoutlewis

[eraenaa]

The Prince and the Poet

Aemond Targaryen x Lannister Reader Tag List

Synopsis: It is established that Prince Aemond hates poems and sonnets; it was just a pity that you adored them. 

Warnings: Mature, 18+, Mutual Masturbation, Aemond Writes a Poem, Childhood Friends, Hidden Attraction, Not Proofread

Word Count: 2,900

Inspired by my Original Fic on AO3, The Den of Dragons and Lions

Aemond scoffed and rolled his eye as he watched you completely enthralled by the sonneteer who performed before you. It had been un-endless hours he had to suffer as the court was subjected to watching poets read their works for the day’s entertainment. It was all too boring, all too frivolous, it was an utter waste of time. Aemond could not understand why you would willingly subject yourself to these men's trite and untrue words— whose delusions and desires were projected in their works. Aemond strongly believed that those who write poems and epics are weaklings and cowards. They do not have the courage to go on great adventures and woo their loves, so they can only imagine and write them down on parchment. And you were the sweet, naive fool who brought into their words—declaring their works beautiful and unparalleled. Blinded by flowery verses and empty promises. 

You sigh longingly in your seat as the sonneteer before you recited your favorite sonnet of them all. Your lips silently move unconsciously as you recite your most favored work with him. Aemond, who sat by your side, sneered at the sigh that left your pillowy lips and the enchanted look in your eyes. His gaze traveled the court; every young maiden swooned by the words and looks of the sonnet who stood in the middle, reciting the work that you clung on to. When his torment finally ended, Aemond rolled his eye once more as you quickly stood and clapped your hands, an ovation for the young man who had finished his performance. Aemond did no such thing, only staring down the sonneteer who bowed and savored the praises given. 

“I hope he shall return soon— and with new material!” You exclaimed to Helaena as you two walked the halls, arms linked together, Aemond trailing behind you. It was an old scene, your actions instilled since childhood. You practically grew up in the Red Keep with the princes and princess, a lion fostered by dragons. 

You hear Aemond’s third scoff of the afternoon, making you glance behind only to see the consistent look of annoyance on his face. “I would take it you did not enjoy?” You say and face onward, feeling Aemond fasten his steps and now walking beside you and Helaena. “It is an utter waste of time; why must we spend hours on this frivolity when pressing matters could be attended to?” You roll your eyes at the Prince’s complaint. 

“Aemond, your attendance was not required. If you believe poetry is a waste of time, I do not understand why you came there.” You say simply, pausing in your tracks. Helaena, a silent audience as you and Aemond began your ceaseless squabbles once more. Aemond was silent for a moment; the truth of his actions may not be revealed. “We did not force you to sit there and listen to Sir Liam— if anything, I’d prefer if you did not come; your glares and scoffs were seen and heard, and are very much unappreciated,” Aemond clenched his jaw as he had no response that he’d like to share. His eye traveled to his sister, who had a knowing smirk on her lips whilst you waited for his response that would not come.“I’ll see you both at supper,” Aemond grumbled as his eye landed on you, who bit back her smirk, the prince stomping away as you finally let your smile slip your lips. 

“Must you really tease him? You perfectly know why he sat through the readings,” Helaena said as you and she sat in the gardens for tea. You picking at the candied lemons that you and Aemond would usually fight over. You smile as you lick your finger clean of the sugary syrup. “Yes, I know why he suffered through the readings. However, he is not aware that I am knowledgeable of his intent,” Helaena sighed, “How long will you make him suffer?” The princess asked, already impatient for the day her closest friend and brother would finally admit their attractions. 

“Suffer?” You ask in shock, “I do no such thing! He inflicts his suffering himself—“ Helaena shook her head and laughed. “You’ve known of Aemond’s attraction to you for years! Yet you still act so clueless with him!” She reasoned. “I am a lady! I am expected to act chase and reserve. I cannot just go up to Aemond and confront him with his secret attraction!” You exclaimed with a fake and exaggerated look of scandal on your face, making Helaena laugh. 

“If you are waiting for my brother to acknowledge and confess his attraction towards you, then you must wait— it might take him a lifetime.” Helaena mused, a hint of frustration and pity in her voice, for Aemond had wanted you since childhood; he was just afraid to let it be known. “Then I pity him… he could have had the golden beauty of the realm, but he chose to stay silent.” You say confidently— proud with the title bestowed upon you by lords and ladies, small and noble folk men who agreed that your beauty was as valuable and desirable as the gold your family was known for. Helaena hummed quietly and quickly prayed to the gods that her brother would soon admit his attraction, for Helaena knew that your pride would not subject you to confess your feelings first. 

“Just because you do not understand or care for poetry does not mean they are a waste!” You exclaimed as Aemond picked another fight with you. You were peacefully seated in Helaena’s chambers, stroking your cat's fur mindlessly as Aemond’s own pet lay beside you. You were in no mood to fight with him and battle his views of poetry. “They are! They’re pointless. If you must say something, then say it— why must they dance around the matter? Why must they go on and on about something that could be said in one sentence? Cowards, the likes of them are!” You let out an exasperated sigh, making Aemond smirk at your annoyance. 

He finds you quite endearing at the state, which is why he often takes time out of his day just to annoy you. Relishing at the roll of your enchanting eyes, the sighs that leave your plump, pink lips, and the furrow between your perfectly arched brows. If he were lucky and had annoyed you to quite an extent, you’d stomp your foot like a spoiled child. Or simply wave him off with your pampered hand because you no longer had a word of defense. 

“Because they are poets! They do not wish to come to the answer and their intentions all at once— they create beauty with their words. They are capable of making subjects so dire be of great interest that they, in turn, create spectacles upon it!” You defended but Aemond only rolled his eye and shook his head, the former action he had gotten from you. Ever since you two were young, you would always roll your eyes when you found something disagreeable; Aemond would mock you for it— would mimic your actions in hopes of getting more from you. However, in time, he managed to adopt the same mannerisms. 

“Archmaester Sisco believed that poetry is of great danger,” he said, taking a goblet to his lips. Your eyes followed the way the ball on his throat booed as you waited for him to continue his thought.  “He says they mislead and are obscure and false— that poets are seducers of the mind,” He finished, noting the way your eyes were on his throat. Guessing you’d want to strangle him out of annoyance, Aemond was amused with the thought of you thinking about strangling him. 

“The Archmaester’s proclamation and thinking is old— irrelevant in our times. Even his student, Archmaester Aristedes, disagrees with his views on poetry. He reasons that it is not harmful— it is a form of expression! Cathartic to those who read and write it!”Aemond let another scoff of derision slip his lips, pushing your annoyance into frustrated anger. 

“You would not understand the beauty of poetry because you keep everything you feel inside you! You do not know what great relief it is to say or even write what you desire and hope for!” You exclaimed, and Aemond tensed in his seat. Silence surrounded the room as Aemond could not work out a response. You saw him fisting the arm of his chair, the knuckles of slender fingers turning pink from his tight grip. 

You sighed heavily, “What I meant is… I understand that you do not like poetry and find it pointless and a waste— but I don’t. I am not forcing poetry onto you, nor am I trying to change your views upon it. I enjoy and adore poetry— I just wish you would stop discouraging me from enjoying it. 

“Why do you enjoy it?” Aemond asked after a short while. You try to hide your surprise at his question. “Because… I find it romantic. For someone to take time to depict you with such beautiful imagery and flattering words, to love and admire you enough to dedicate a work of literature to your name… for me, it is the best way to express to someone how much you truly love them.” You could not look at Aemond as you said the words. In truth, a part of you felt silly because your love for poetry was only solidified because you loved a boy who you knew would not subject himself to create such works. When you read your favorite epics and songs, you would humor yourself and imagine it was Aemond who wrote it for you, knowing he would never do such a thing. 

Days passed since your and Aemond’s interaction and you noticed that you had scarcely seen his presence. You would pass by him whilst in training and join him and his kin for supper— but other than that, you could not feel a trace of his presence. He would usually join you and Helaena for tea or would suddenly appear by your side as you walked along the keep. He didn’t even pick fights or tease you anymore. Him growing more silent and reserved. Now you regret speaking— wishing you had just held your tongue and let him continue to disparage the sacred thoughts of poems and songs. 

It was high night, and you sat silently in your chambers, staring at the fire, trying to find ways to approach Aemond. Already missing his teasing presence— the only presence you would muster the patience to endure. 

You furrowed your brows as you heard shuffling at your door. Your eyes catch the shadow of a figure outside. You cautiously and quietly stood, going to your door only to see a piece of parchment being slipped at the slit of the wooden door. Your confession only grew. You quickly took the parchment and opened the door, revealing its sender. Three eyes went wide as you were met with Aemond, who blended in the dark. However, his silver hair shined in the light of the moon. “What are you doing?” You ask and turn to the parchment he had slipped. 

“Nothing— I… this—“ Aemond fumbled for words; you had never seen him in such a state. He was usually composed and stoic. You thought seeing him bashful and embarrassed was a nice gift from the gods. “What is this?” You ask and unfold the parchment. “No! Don’t—“ Aemond bit his tongue as it was too late to hinder you. Your eyes already consuming what was written. 

I’ve known you for half of my life yet; you consume the whole of it I’ve had you near and close to me yet, I only gaze from afar

I do not know how to proclaim I’m not certain how to say it without blame, but you, my beauty, are the cause of my desire and, most of the time, my ire

I know I pick countless squabbles, but I do it because I love to hear you babble about things I have no care for but you just simply adore

We disagree for many reasons, but I’d rather fight you through the seasons You, my beauty, so lovely and carefree my heart could not help but love you, most ardently 

Aemond watched you bite your lip as a wide smile started to spread. Aemond felt heat all over his body— anticipation did not sit well with him. He was ready to meet your laughs at his attempt to make you a poem. Ready to face rejection, but instead of the pessimistic thoughts in his mind, he was met with your sweet, pillowy lips. You were so excited and thrilled that you could not help but kiss him. Show him how you adored him as well. 

What was supposed to be a short and chaste kiss turned deep with passion. Lips dancing and refusing to part. You and Aemond stumbled to your bed, uncaring and ignorant of the teachings of the gods, for you and him had long surpassed your desires, and they could no longer be denied. They were ready to claim without thought of consequences because both of you knew that you’d happily take all punishment that would be presented if it meant neither of you had to stop your actions. 

“Gods, I want you,” You uttered as his lips traveled to kiss your soft cheeks, then trailed downward to the side of your neck. His hands were on your waist and threading dangerously close to your bosom. “Say it again,” Aemond almost begged. Savoring your scent, delighting at the way you feel against him. “I want you, Aemond. I’ve wanted you for years— you, only you.” You sighed as he left marks on your necks, earning quiet moans from you at the new sensation.  

Aemond let a low moan rumble as his cock painfully strained against his trousers, throbbing at your admittance of want for him. It was all he wanted. He thought his deepest desire in life was to have a dragon, but that was wrong. He desired you more than claiming a dragon— his deepest desire was to claim a lioness.

Aemond tangled his hair in your hair, finally letting his other hand move from your waist and cup your breast. Your hand, in turn, went to palm him through his trousers, watching as his jaw clenched and the ball of throat bobbed once more. “We… we must not lay until we are married,” Aemond said, voice pained and filled with impatience. Yet, he still did not move atop you; he kept his hold, but you relinquished yours. “We don’t have to,” You said, trying to push away your need for him to touch you. Aemond sighed and hurried his face in your neck, his lips and breath tickling your skin. “Then how…” Aemond trailed, and a thought passed your mind. “We must not touch each other….yet. However, I do not recall teaching forbidding us to touch ourselves,” You whisper, Aemond’s lilac eye flying to you, dark and filled with lust, mirroring yours. 

Aemond moved to remove his weight from you. You keep your eyes locked as you back away to the back of your bed, resting yourself on the pillows as Aemond kneels by the edge of your feathered bed, watching each move you make with his glazed, lone eye. 

You bit your lip harshly as your hand threaded a path that it threaded plenty of times, the thought you had as you did the actions now watching you. You slipped your hands, and you resisted moaning as your fingers brushed over the pearl of your cunt. Aemond admired the way your breasts peaked and traced through your silk nightgown. The way your eyes were hooded and how your plump lips finally parted and moaned his name. 

Aemond could no longer resist. Slipping his hand into his trousers just like he did every night, the image of you no longer in his mind but now sitting before him, calling out his name.“A-Aemond,” You stuttered as you felt the familiar cold within you. How desperately you wanted it to be, him to make you feel such a way. Aemond groaned and tilted his head to the heavens as he felt his cock twitch; he was quick to reach his peak; just the way you called for his name was enough for him to spill so quickly. 

Aemond closed the space between the two of you, each of your hands still pleasuring yourselves while lips met and wanted to be together when both of you reached your peaks. “You will be mine soon, my heart… mine to pleasure and please, all mine,” Aemond swore against your lips. You nod your head as you fasten your pace. “I’ve always been yours, Aemond.” You said truthfully, the final push for Aemond to come undone; you quickly followed as his moans spurred your peak. Aemond kissed your lips once more and boldly prayed for patience, patience, and restraint to not take you that night.

It was not enough for Aemond; pleasuring himself as he watched you pleasure yourself was not enough, but it had to be for now. Because when morning comes, he’ll demand that you shall be his, just as it ought to be.

If you enjoyed the premise of this story, you might like the inspiration for it!

[kokorose]

Red Velvet- YT22

YukiTsunoda x foodie!reader

Faceclaim: Yeri(red velvet)

Summary: Tag along on Yuki’s girlfriends’ world tour of food!

Pics: Pinterest

Yn posted

📍: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Liked by YukiTsunoda, franciscacgomes, PierreGasly, DanielRicciardo, MaxVerstappen1, and 356,729 others

Yn: We’re back in the swing of things with some Fries, Stroopwafels, and Belgian Waffles ahead of Zandvoort!! 🇳🇱🧇🌷

Tagged: YukiTsunoda, franciscacgomes

See all 25,728 comments

YukiTsunoda: The fries and Stroopwafels were Yummy!🤤 sad I didn’t get to try the waffles!

Yn: next time baby!

User1: honestly the cutest relationship on the grid!

MaxVerstappen1: Thanks for bringing me some…not

Yn: um, excuse me Mr. World Champion but you didn’t give me any Stroopwafels at the track.

franciscacgomes: Had fun on our date!! Those waffles were soooo good!!

Yn: ❤️❤️

Pierre Gasly: wait, is that where you two went during Free Practice?

User2: I’m glad Yn & Kika’s friendship is still strong despite Pierre moving to Alpine!

YukiTsunoda posted

📍Monza, Italy

Liked by Yn, Pierre Gasly, LiamLawson, DanielRicciardo, MickSchumacher, and 678,729 others

YukiTsunoda: Race didn’t go as planned today but I am lucky to have someone to make “Pick-me-up Pizzas” with!

Tagged: Yn

See all 15,739 comments

Yn: Food makes a bad day better!

User3: awww this is actually so cute!!!

User4: PICK-ME-UP PIZZAS!! THAT’S SO CUTE!!

LiamLawson: I want a pizza!

YukiTsunoda: no.

LiamLawson: whyyy???

YukiTsunoda: bcus you actually got to the start line!

DanielRicciardo: can I have a pick-me-up pizza??

Yn: give Yuki your address, I will come make you one!!!

DanielRicciardo: aww, thanks Yn!

Yn posted

📍Singapore

Liked by YukiTsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Franciscacgomes, LiamLawson, LilyMuniHe, and 672,829 others

Yn: When attending the Singapore Grand Prix you eat Singapore noodles and have cold treats!

Tagged: YukiTsunoda

See all 17,829 comments

User5: omg that dress is adorable!!!

User6: Singapore noodles are the bestttttt!!!!

Pierre Gasly: 🍧🍧

LilyMuniHe: You are adorable!!! You are now my child!

Yn Hi mom!!

AlexAlbon: @LoganSargent meet your sister!

LoganSargent: I’ve always wanted a sister!!

User7: not Lily and Alex adopting Yn and Logan in the same breath!

User8: Logan is Alex’s son confirmed!!

YukiTsunoda posted

📍Tokyo, Japan

Liked by AlphaTauri, LiamLawson, Pierre Gasly, DanielRicciardo, MaxVerstappen1, AlexAlbon, NyckDeVries and 562,739 others

YukiTsunoda: Back in Japan! Quick trip to Disney Land!

Tagged: Yn

See all 10,729 comments

Yn: I love you 5000!!

YukiTsunoda: I love you 5000!

User9: They are so cute!

User10: !!! Stop that’s too cute!

LiamLawson: YOU GUYS WENT WITHOUT ME!!!

YukiTsunoda: you’re not my girlfriend Liam.

LiamLawson: 😮😮 how dare you!

Pierre Gasly: So that’s why you didn’t want to get sushi with me.

Yn posted

📍Austin, Texas

Liked by YukiTsunoda, Franciscacgomes, LilyMuniHe, DanielRicciardo, and 563,638 others

Yn: Everything’s bigger in Texas! Of course we had to get some Texas Barbecue! 🤠🤠

P.s. no we did not wear white to have bbq! We’re not dumb!

Tagged: YukiTsunoda

See all 15,782 comments

DanielRicciardo: That’s Texas baby!!!!

User11: honestly get you a boyfriend like Yuki. Just takes you around the world to find good food!

User12: OMG! They went to L’barbeque!!! That place is sooooo good!

User13: damn that Mac&cheese looks amazing 🤤

Yn: It was!

User14: I need a boyfriend who will take me to fun food joints so bad!!

LilyMuniHe: damn that food looks good!! But the girl looks even better!

Yn: ❤️❤️❤️

Yn posted

📍Mexico City, Mexico

Liked by YukiTsunoda, DanielRicciardo, Franciscacgomes, LilyMuniHe, AlexAlbon, LiamLawson, and 567,378 others

Yn: Taco Date Night! We had to try some amazing tacos while in Mexico!

Tagged: YukiTsunoda

See all 17,729 comments

LiamLawson: those are some strange looking tacos.

YukiTsunoda: they were good though

LiamLawson: you think everything tastes good!

Franciscacgomes: look at how cute you look!!

Yn: 😊😊

User15: Two very different friendships! lol!!

AlexAlbon: Lily says you have to bring her some! Mother’s orders are her exact words!

Yn: sure! 😂😂

YukiTsunoda posted

📍São Paolo, Brazil

Liked by Yn, Pierre Gasly, Franciscacgomes, LiamLawson, DanielRicciardo, MaxVerstappen1, NyckDeVries and 678,739 others

YukiTsunoda: Had some amazing Brazilian food while in Brazil! 🇧🇷

Tagged: Yn

See all 21,729 comments

Yn: It was soooo good!

User16: ughh!! Brazilian food is soooo good!

Pierre Gasly: that bbq we had after the race was good!

YukiTsunoda: yeah except your girlfriend was trying to steal mine!

Franciscacgomes: we’re gonna get married in Vegas!

Yn: totally! Sorry boys!

YukiTsunoda: 😨

Yn: I’m kidding babe! If I’m marrying anyone in Vegas it’s you!

User17: why are they like this????

User18: Kika “Miss. Steal-your-girl” Gomes

User19: IF IM MARRYINH ANYONE UTS YOU!?!

Yn posted

📍Paris, France

Liked by YukiTsunoda, Franciscacgomes, LilyMuniHe, LoganSargent, AlexAlbon, LiamLawson, and 675,697 others

Yn: He flew me to Paris for my birthday! I’m so in love with this man!❤️

Tagged: YukiTsunoda

See all 19,580 comments

YukiTsunoda: My girl deserves the best on her birthday!

Yn: I love you! 😘

YukiTsunoda: I love you too!!

User20: “my girl” 😭 when will it be my turn. Anyway Happy Birthday Yn!!!!

Pierre Gasly: Happy Birthday!

Franciscacgomes: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLINH 🥰🥰🥰

LilyMuniHe: OMG!! Happy birthday to my child!!

AlexAlbon: “our” child! Happy birthday Yn!!

LoganSargent: happy birthday to my “sister”!!

LiamLawson: Happy birthday I guess. Nah I’m kidding! Happy birthday Yn!!

User21: Happy birthday 🎉🎊

[pugh-bug]

No.42 Chapter 4

Art Donaldson x reader slow burn friends to lovers

Let me know if you wanna be added to the tag list 💕 thank you so much for the love on this series so far I’m really grateful !

Part 3

——————————————————————

‘You should see him after a few games, it’s a lot.’

With a mouth full of burrito, you still managed to laugh at the image Liam and Art were conjuring of Patrick’s sunburn turning him beetroot. The three of you were sat at a cute little place you’d somehow never seen before, probably because you didn’t know the area that well. Art’s choice.

‘So how’s living with this one?’ Liam asked, spitting hummus everywhere as he spoke. Neither you or Art had known who his question was for so you both yelped

‘Good!’

A little too enthusiastically for Liam.

Art’s hair had dried perfectly in the piercing sun rays and the smell of his mint shampoo kept wafting in your direction whenever the breeze turned. Shit. You were supposed to be listening to Liam. What was he saying?’

‘Fridays good.’ Art nodded at his friend, not looking at you for conformation. Clearly someone had been listening. You waited until Liam was texting his girlfriend to hiss at Art what he’d just agreed to - the answer ? - a party at Liam’s.

‘Are you sure it’s okay … if I come?’ Neither boy missed the slight sadness in your question. Your search for validation and fear of the wrong outcome. As Liam beamed at you, reassuring your brain that you were indeed very much wanted at his party and that ‘it won’t be the same without you’ Art’s eyes were locked on your face. You failed to notice.

‘So don’t worry about it okay? It’s not a tennis people thing, just a Liam friends thing.’ He smiled, very genuinely, and you smiled back. When Liam went to the bathroom he noticed Art was picking aggressively at the table, something he’d never seen him do before.

Without looking up from his task of picking through wood one mm at a time, Art asked coldly. ‘When did Patrick say he’d be back?’ Oh fuck it was Sunday! Better check your phone.

2 missed messages.

12:03pm - Text from Patrick

It’s not going well at all. She keeps starting shit with me for no reason she’s a lot to deal with if I’m being honest. Hope your day is better than mine so far

1:26pm - Text from Patrick

You’ve gotta pick me up Y/N I can’t stay here with these people until 9 I’ll catch arsehole disease

Just as you thought of a reply that was both supportive and concerned your phone lit up. Patrick was calling.

‘Pat hey! I didn’t expect to hear fro-‘

‘Pick me up.’

‘Jesus okay-‘

‘Pretty please Y/N I’ll send you my location right now just get here.’

He had a tendency to overreact to uncomfortable situations but you could hear the genuine panic and defeat in his voice. You had to help him.

‘Okay okay but … what’s wrong with Uber?’

‘I can’t afford it.’

You took a deep breath, gesturing to Art to stop mouthing ‘what’s happening?’ so you could concentrate.

‘Okay let me just tell Art-‘

‘Art’s there? Get him to come, he knows the way.’

‘Okay.’

Whilst you explained to Liam the rough situation, Art ran to your flat to fetch his car. With how little time it took him to return you wondered why he hadn’t become a runner instead? He must have done track, at-least.

——————————————————————

It was an hour drive to Patrick’s girls place. 45 minutes on Sundays. You waited until Art had gotten to the motorway before you asked the million dollar question.

‘So… Patrick said you knew the way. How? This is nowhere near anyone’s house that we know.’

Art chuckled, his delicate hand barely touching the wheel when he casually changed lanes at 70mph. His car smelt like him, you tried not to breathe heavier to encase yourself in his scent more intensely. It was growing difficult.

‘Well, I actually … dated Hannah before he did.’

He adjusted his mirror to watch the arsehole behind drive up his ass, for a moment you noticed him looking at the window. If Art ‘his mother could have knitted him’ Donaldson was about to roll the window down to flip someone off you were in for a treat.

‘How long for? Did Patrick even ask bef-‘

‘Does Patrick ever ask you for permission to do something?’

No. Not once.

‘It doesn’t bother me. We weren’t serious and it was a few years before he asked her out.’

You both envied and pitied this Hannah girl who Art seemed to care so little for.

‘Is it not a bit weird though? I wouldn’t want my exes fucking my friends.’

Art glanced over to you, he was driving at 60 again so you weren’t as inclined to grasp the door handle. He looked a little puzzled at your remarks or maybe it was amusement. ‘You thought we’d have different types?’

‘Yes, one hundred percent.’

‘We usually do. Hannah is probably more Patrick’s type.’

Your pity for Hannah grew once again.

‘But clearly, not more compatible.’

When you looked at Art he was frowning. He might have been looking at the road but you knew he was remembering something, something bitter.

You reread Patrick’s text: ‘She’s a lot to deal with.’ but that could mean anything from she takes too long getting ready to she needs to be kept away from others. Once Art said you were close you felt a little uneasy, like you needed to mentally prepare to deal with this girl. If she’d frightened Patrick she had to have something very wrong with her.

‘Art?’

He looked out of it.

‘Is there anything I should know, anything I should maybe avoid saying or doing with this… Hannah? Patrick sounded - I don’t wanna say scared bu-‘

‘Oh he’ll be scared,’ you felt genuine dread for a moment until you saw Art looked solemn not worried. He hid it behind a forced chuckle, as if what he was about to say was a funny anecdote he whipped out at parties to break the ice. ‘She can be a lot.’ There goes that word again. ‘She’s probably the only person I’ve ever met who puts tennis above - well - breathing and she thinks if you’re not playing tennis twelve hours a day everyday you’re letting yourself and her down.’

‘Sounds obsessive.’

‘I did warn him.’

As you pulled up to Hannah’s house you felt a twinge, or an aggressive increase, of guilt for your comment the night before. You should have saved your judgement for Hannah, clearly tennis was her entire life and Art had disagreed with her. Patrick certainly would.

He was sat on her doorstep, like a lost puppy waiting for its owner, but he still gave a quick wave before walking over.

‘Thank you!’ Patrick exclaimed once he was in the car. ‘You two just saved me, I was about to let her coach me just so she’d stop fucking yelling.’ He was sweating and slightly out of breath, poor thing.

‘Art, don’t you wanna go say hi?’

‘Funny…’

Chapter 5

Masterlist

Taglist: @gatorgirl007 @imblushingrn

[just-some-random-blogger]

So you know the Chinese saying that once you've saved a person's life, you're responsible for them forever? where after the reader saves Dream, Dream keeps appearing expecting the reader to take care of him and be responsible for him in a variety of situations and moments. Bonus Points: Dream doesn't exactly explain anything to the reader. Those are the old laws, the reader should be aware of what he was doing when he decided to reach out and save him and that was it.

ANOTHER BONUS: this is why no one rescued Dream— NO ONE WANTED THIS AN INFINITE LIMIT FOR THEM IN SUCH A WAY

Why Are You Here?

Dream of the Endless x Reader

Summary: You accidentally saved the King of Dreams from his century old prison, now he's your everyday nightmare (affectionate).

Word Count: >900

Warnings: Gender neutral!reader, clingy!Dream, jealous!dream, fluff, typos, etc.

A/N: I think I am now finally able to write requests again 🥲🫶 slay for me Tagging: @pinksirensong @aralezinspace @deniixlovezelda @shadow-pancake9 @sloanexx

I wiped my face as I looked at the clock at the bottom right of my computer screen. I huffed and leaned back on my office chair, twirling myself around as I waited for my file to upload.

One.

Two.

Three twirls in.

Suddenly, I stop in a panic when a dark figure manifests in front of me.

I cling onto the side of my desk and jump out of my chair, "Dream, what are you-"

"I was unable to procure the results we had last time we baked, and I came to tell-"

I grab his arms and frantically look around my office, "what did I tell you about manifesting yourself in inappropriate settings?"

Dream looks down at me with his eyes as I look past him on both sides of his arms. His brows faintly furrow, "this is not an inappropriate setting. You are fully dressed and I am-"

"That is not what-" I quip, pinching my fingers together. I sigh as I look at the befumbled entity, his galactic blue eyes glassed with an innocent incapacity to understand he was not meant to be suddenly in my place of work. I grab his biceps and push him back.

I begin to lead him to the bathroom with our linked arms, "I can't answer your baking questions right now," I look around the room, "also, didn't we establish you should only come to me if you were in actual trouble."

He mumbles, placing a hand on my arm that was linked with his, "my cake did not rise."

I turn to him, "Dream-"

"You told me baking could alleviate my sorrow. It has done nothing but frustrate further. I would think you should bare some responsibility for the fact."

I grunt as I stop in my tracks. I pull away to cross my arms, "did you follow the recipe you have?"

Dream looks back at me, "to the best of my capacity."

"Then I don't know what to tell you," I mutter, shrugging, "I can't really see what you did-"

"Precisely why," he takes my hand, "you should come to the Dreaming with me."

I look around the room and give him an incredulous expression. I whisper-yell, "I'm working right now."

Dream steps forward. His face solemn, "I will make sure no one will notice."

Shutter.

Dream and I snap to the side. Behold, there stood my nosy co-worker, Liam, one hand holding a smoothie, and another holding up a phone, camera pointed at us.

Fuck.

"Liam," I pull away from Dream.

"I didn't take a photo of you," he immediately says, "I took a selfie." He begins to pose and take a photo of himself.

"Liar," Dream retorts with an echo, not having to open his mouth.

I look around the room when the lights flicker because of this.

Liam reacts to it, extremely on edge as he too looks around the room.

I release a breath, thinking of an excuse as to explain why this unknown man dressed for a funeral and I were talking. I look at Dream. Maybe I could say he was going to a funreal?

"So," Liam starts, shaking his head, "who's this?"

"This is..." I start, turning to Liam, "Murphy."

"Murphy?" Liam squints at the Lord Morpheus, "you don't look like a Murphy."

Dream does not respond.

Liam sips on his smoothie before pulling it abruptly away, shaking his phone, "oh I know who this is!" He points repeatedly at me, "this is they guy that has been sending you flowers!"

"No."

"What?"

Dream and I said this at the same time.

Dream turns to me, as I grab his arm and push past Liam, "good talk, Liam. Murphy has to go now."

I sigh as I lead him to the exit, "I was going to make you disappear through the bathroom, but then Liam caught us together."

He makes a sound, "do you not want me to be seen by this person who sends you flowers?"

"What?" I turn to Dream, "that was a mistake in delivery. It was for Abigail. She recently got married-- but I mean you already know that."

"I do," he mutters.

I shake my head, "Liam made a big deal out of it, like he does everything."

"Would you like to do something about Liam?"

I exit our office and drag Dream towards the elevator, "I would like for you never to suddenly pop up here again."

I watch him pout and furrow his brows, "but you are my person," he replies. He stops us both in our tracks, "the old laws bind us together."

I sigh and nod as I walk off and repeatedly press on the elevator button, "I know! I know. The old laws that even you have to answer to."

Dream's face hardens, his posture falls, "is my presence such a nuisance to you?"

"Morpheus," I sigh, "It's not your presence," I reply, "it's the fact you're at my job," I mumble, "my job that I worked so hard to get and would make me spiral if I lost."

I turn from the elevator doors to Dream as he straightens up, "it was not my intention to cause you distress."

I nod, "I know," I place a hand on his arm, "and you're both kind of really cute for this, and super annoying."

The elevator doors open. I motion for Dream to enter. When he does, I smile at him and wave goodbye. He looks and raises his hand, "I will redo my cake in a manner in which will impress you."

I chuckle, "I look forward to trying it."

He presses his lips into a smile, "farewell."

[keelt9]

Chapter 3

Masterlist

After 5 minutes watching people come and go, I lost track of time. The steps I take forward are the half I walk back; the entrance was already further than the first time I stopped. I’ve told Liam I spent the weekend in the apartment, he needed to make a quick trip home to set a few things with the team, this is the kind of meetings he didn’t want to do in the distance.

“Come on dad! We are already late!” A small kid keeps pulling his father's hand as they run to the entrance. The noise inside confirms that everything is set for the opening ceremony. 

My hands tremble, as I hold the name tag, tapping the floor waiting for someone to answer the phone. “Y/N you better have a good reason.” I called a half-sleep Mia; she knows absolutely nothing about this, and I bet she will forgive me with the promise I tell her everything when I feel ready.

“Fuck! Are you really in Silverstone? Like right now?!” She is fully awake now, so she can easily distinguish the sounds she can hear in the background. “Wow, what are you waiting for?”

“What do you mean?” I hear her bluffs.

“Go, have fun. Go, watch the race when it finishes, go to a nice place, have lunch by the night you’ll be at the apartment, safe and sound.” Mia clearly thinks my problem is having fun, and she is right but not totally in this case.

“Y/N that shoulder won't get worse if you have fun, actually it could be helpful, you know relaxing the muscles, the br…” 

I laughed at her tendency of speaking without thinking first. “Mia you beat around the bush.”

“Yes, right, now go, and don't call me unless you are inside your apartment late at night, ok? Love you, bye.” 

So disrespectful to her older sister.

I take a deep breath and walk with the last persons arriving to the track, I show my name tag and one of the boys with a neon yellow jacket conducts me through hallways, rooms where a bunch of people are coming and go; someones with casual clothes another with clothes of each team; I startle for the screaming of people and the sound of the cars.

“Strident, right?” The boy smiles with fascination coming from his eyes. 

The last room we passed made me realize, it wasn't a simple pass like Max told me, I started to see the navy blue color, red and white all over the place.

“Here.” The boy gives me a quick tour around the room full of unknown people. “And here is where you can watch the race without problems, have fun!” Those were the last words he told me, until he apparently remembered something.

“Here.” He gives me the cap is been carrying all this time in his hand. “It should be illegal, you won't have anything on the team.” That makes me giggle, I take some air and start to calm.

The race passed without changes, Max won with 7 seconds ahead the second place; it's totally different to hear the commotion outside, the screams while you  see him jumping to his team, raising his hands in victory.

“Let's go, for the award ceremony.” A woman smiles at me and walks with me; as we get close to the track the noises become stronger. We reached a place where a lot of people were waiting at the other side of the fence, clearly people of the team and relevant people. Slowly the pilots enter to the higher platform where the ceremony will take place, Max enters at least, smiling big.

He looks out of this world with his race suit on, his blue eyes shining bright and that soft shade of pink in his face.

He listens carefully to his national anthem, celebrating getting wet in chapmange clearly loving every moment. After taking some photos he seemed to be looking for something on the ground but he was called one more time and conducted to the back of the stage.

Slowly people start dispersing all over the place. It’s time to leave, the phase two of Mia’s plan concluded, I start to thinking where I could go and have a nice lunch-dinner meal when I heard someone shouting my name

A blond girl clearly has a sight of what I look like, because when I slightly turn around her expression is a total relief.

“Oh thank god, you're still here.” The girl extends her hand and smiles at me. “Oh, I’m Violet, part of the team Red Bull. This way please.” 

Violet didn’t give me the chance to answer, just walked beside me explaining they looked for me before the race for I could be in the garage but they couldn’t find me. I told her what actually happened and smiled when she heard I actually watched all the post race ceremony. 

“Max will be relieved he almost went and looked for you by himself.” Violet dropped those words so casually that I almost let it pass. She guided me to different places until I reached the garage where cameramen, photographers and reporters came out, just people from each team there. 

“Have you seen Max?” Violet asks as we enter the garage. I felt out of place, maybe it was my anxiety running through my body but I feel the multiple eyes on me, doesn’t bring me good memories lately. “Thanks.”

Violet smiles at me apparently realizing my uncomfortably. “Don’t worry, no one of us bite.” I laughed, making me feel a little bit at ease. We start to walk one more time as she keeps me closer. “One more room and we’ll b…”

“THERE YOU ARE!” Max appears almost crashing with us, his suit stuck at the level of his waist, his hair tossed in different directions, dripping in what I bet is a mixture between Red Bull and champagne, still with a warm smile on his face. “Thanks Violet.” 

She nods and puts her hand over my arm. “A pleasure, nice to meet you Y/N, anything you need.” Leaving us in a less crowded room.

“You get a cap, nice.” Max lifts the visor a little bit. Probably he didn’t know but he makes me feel happier, more than I wish. “Still, wrong number.” 

I adjusted the cap one more time, still feeling shy. “What? 11 it’s a nice number.” He rolls his eyes.

“I can mend that.” He points with his head to the hallway behind him, as a sign that I should go after him; I choke my head, still he didn’t give me time to react because he grabs my left wrist and pulls me so I can follow him.

When Max left my wrist, we arrived at a more private room, no one inside, there were a couple of small couches, a small center table, on top a black bag. 

I grab my wrist feeling the comfy sensation he left. 

“Open it.” Max gives me the bag. First, the only thing I could see was a blue navy clothing, after pulling out I see, a T-shirt. However it wasn’t a Red Bull shirt, I actually recognized it when I lifted it in front of me.

“Is this?” My scoff didn’t leave me ending the sentence, smiling big at him. “You remember!” 

Two weeks ago we were talking about “uniforms” and the fact I don’t feel comfortable with the thousand of logos around and how lucky I feel when we used one, just three of them were all over our T- shirts, as the talked evolve I mention in a joking way I didn’t mind wearing one of his merchandising with the lion in the center, especially the blue one.

“That’s not all, see right sleeve.” I don’t know who is more excited, me or him. 

A target, with all right the colors, yellow, red, blue, black and white, a cute and small target. 

“NO WAY!” I scream and jump to hug him, a natural impulse from me but apparently leaving him frozen. “Sorry, sorry.” I split, grabbing the shirt tightly in my hands. “It’s amazing, thank you so much.” 

After I lift my face one more time, that shade of pink turns softly into a red one. 

A soft knock on the wall distracts us. “Max, last one, please.” A young woman appears and leaves as she comes with an apologetic smile. 

“Hey, give a couple of minutes and we leave all right?” Max starts to walk but stops when I open my mouth to ask what he means with “we.”

“What? Do you actually think I will invite you and then let you leave like that?” He giggles and shakes his head after my plain <Yes> “The brochures are for you to pick a restaurant, so we can go eat. I’m starving.” He rubs his belly a little bit.

“Max, wait…” I pursued him but already a couple of people were waiting for him.

“I’ll be with you, don’t worry.” Max just smirks softly and points at the shirt I’m squeezing tightly in my left hand. “You have a small me.” He refers to the Lion in the shirt.

The reference makes a slight smile on my face. After he left, I reached one of the couches; I lay down quickly, causing piddling pain in my shoulder, but my hand goes to my chest at the level of my heart.

<Boom, boom, boom> A crazy heart rate, surely not for the eccentric day. 

Leaving the paddock was easier than getting in; I waited for 25 minutes, then Max entered the room one more time fully changed, dry with casual clothes; as we walked to the exit he received the last instructions and I suspect he was barely listening because just nodded with a serious face. 

I chose “The Nook.” A cozy restaurant in a quiet street on the outskirts of the city, far away from the spotlights, hustle and prying eyes. We enjoy a calm dinner talking about our news in the weeks we haven't seen each other; he keeps bother me about how hard it is to get a message from me, the reason why he used rustic methods for inviting me. 

My wherefore is simple, I don’t want to bother him when he is probably on the other side of the world and it’s late at night.

“You never bother me, the opposite, you make me feel at ease.” A proud smile appears on my face as I take a bite of the brownie I order.

The buzzing in my purse interrupts us. <Liam> reads in the call ID. I apologize to him and stand for picking up, almost choking with my food.

“Hello, is everything all right?” Liam asked but his voice sounded uncertain, almost like he didn’t want to speak to me.

“That went wrong, huh?” I ask him, leaning my back against the wall. I hear him taking a deep breath and clearing his throat.

“It’s not bad, they are just as nervous as all of us.” I low my head.

After the competition where I came out with the injury, all the people who are responsible for me and the team I conformed talked to me. They met me when I was 9 years old and took me under his wings; but the first impressions after the injury didn’t promise good things. They sent me with Anton with the hopes I fully recovered, but their eyes told us a different thing.

“Liam…” I whisper, feeling a knot in my throat. 

“They will go in one month, want to see in person how you are, after that we will deliberate if you are still in or…” 

“Take me off another year.” I can perfectly picture the meeting, my team, the coaches and the tension that could surrender the office.

“We won’t let that happen, ok? We are advanced in your rehabilitation. Anton told us that, at this pace, big things will happen in one month.” This time Liam's voice is cheerful and optimistic. “Y/N we don’t surrender, we fight and we hit the ten, remember that.” 

I don’t realize a tear slips off my cheek; the truth is I’m afraid, I’m frightening actually.

“We’ll do it.” If I start to feel down I won't get anything so I clean my face and take a deep breath. 

“That’s the Y/N I know.” I can imagine his proud smile. “Are you all right?”

I turn around and see Max eating his fruit pie, and giggle. “I am, right now I am.”

“Great, I’ll be back tomorrow night and I’ll see you for the session on Tuesday, ok?” I laughed seeing Max stain his jacket with a grape that fell from his spoon.

“Say hi to my family, please.” Max turned around, looking side to side and caught me observing him with a wide open smile on my face, he hid his face between his hands, laughing.

“Oh count with that. Y/N, I don’t know what you are doing but whatever it’s lovely hear you like this.”

After I got back to the table we talked until the night started to fall over us. I'd better leave or Anton will kill me if I miss my session tomorrow.

“I’ll have to go.” I say to Max playing with the napkin between my fingers. “I had an incredible day Max, thank you.”

Max looks at me with those mischievous blue eyes. “Hm, what about if I drive you home?” He has gone crazy, even Milton Keynes, it's not that far, is still a long drive.

“No, I mean… You have to rest, it’s ok, I know how to get home.” Max stretches his arms.

“I have more than a day for that, I’ll promise, I will take my time to get you safe and sound.” 

[so-long-soldier-writes]

I Vowed I Would Always Be Yours ('Cause We Survived the Great War)

liam dunbar x theo raeken

summary: for weeks, scott’s been finding and adopting betas that’ve had their lives stolen from them by the hunters. but he seems to forget that theo, his old friend from childhood, had his own life stolen by an enemy they’ve faced and defeated.

what scott doesn't realize, is that by refusing to forgive theo, he's slowly losing his own beta's loyalty, perhaps for good.

tags: post-war / post season 6, homeless theo, full shift werewolves, banter, play fighting / roughhousing, not dating but it's complicated, they love each other (they just can't admit it out loud yet), they're also each other's anchors, liam's getting used to lying, protective theo, protective scott, caught, arguing, scott has a change of heart

word count: 12.2k

a/n: this took two days to write, and then two weeks to post, but i'm actually quite proud of it // title is from the great war by taylor swift; it is SUCH thiam song imo

Scott’s pack is growing by the second, every lone wolf inside every vulnerable teenager. He tracks them down with the skill of an Argent, Chris by his side, to reach them before the hunters do. It’s brave and admirable, and they need a place to go. Scott extending a hand to them proves how morally light he is. He’s been made fun of for being a pack of strays, but they need him as much as he feels drawn to help them. 

Liam’s always praised Scott for this. His ability to trust is unmatched and he’s always looking out for those around him. It’s not easy being an alpha, and it’s even harder being human. 

The human vocabulary has a lot of ways to ask for something, and Liam's tried just about every one. Despite his usual nature, Scott’s said no to every request. Liam had been taught by his mother to never challenge a no - that no means no and that is final - but in this instance, he pushes a little. 

The cause is important to him. He understands why Scott is hesitant - ish, but not enough to excuse the behavior of his constant rejection. Since Alec, Scott’s found two more werewolves hiding out from the hunters. They’re freshmen, and they all live together, and something about it makes Liam itch. 

One lost soul after another is pulled off the streets and into security by Scott and Chris. The Argents, it seems, have safe houses all over town, and can provide them at the drop of a hat. 

Liam hasn’t prodded Scott in a while. The answer is always the same. 

He climbs down the ladder into near complete darkness. 

___________________________________________

There are lights that guide the way set up by workers from long ago. The tunnels are still powered, in case anyone needs to go down, but no one frequents it enough for it to be called active. One resident and one visitor is all it ever sees. Once a year, one worker changes bulbs, but he hasn’t come around in a while. 

Liam, exhausted from a long school day, trails his hand along the wall to guide himself. The tunnel is damp, blocking many of the scents lingering about in it. He has a vague idea of where he’s going and relies on that. He just hopes his smell isn’t too beyond recognition.

He walks another couple hundred feet until coming to an intersection. Liam considers calling out, but clamps his mouth shut, a fear of the unknown raising the hairs on his neck. He’s been in the tunnels a hundred times before, though he can never remember the right trail. 

Liam bites a nail nervously while choosing where to go. A low growl suddenly sounds behind him, shooting his nerves with panic. “It’s me,” he says quickly, hoping he is him. 

A pair of eyes come into view and Liam can properly relax at the sight of the black wolf. He drops his hand from his mouth to its fur as it approaches. The wolf leans into his touch, eyes closing contentedly at the feeling. Liam pets for a moment, then sticks a finger out to lightly bop it on the nose. “Boop.”

Almost instantly, the wolf shifts into a human. Liam preparedly offers spare clothes from his bag, then chuckles at the look he’s receiving. 

“I’ve told you a thousand times not to do that.”

The empty threat makes him roll his eyes. Theo, knowing he’s never going to win that fight, rolls his own and guides them down the left turn.

The end of the path has surprising signs of life to anyone not expecting it. A gray comforter covers the floor with several blankets and pillows atop it. Canned food and bottled water sit in the corner beside an empty backpack, which leans against another backpack, full of more personal belongings. Someone obviously lives here, although that someone is clearly ready to pack up and go at a moment’s notice. 

Liam frowns as soon as he sees Theo’s set up. He settles down on the comforter and picks at a hole that goes through the soft material. 

“Don’t make that hole any bigger,” Theo jokingly chides. He’s grateful for the hole to be there at all. When Liam had initially found him down here, he was only sleeping on blankets. Liam had then intentionally ripped his own comforter so his mom would demand getting him a new one, just to give the other boy something thicker to sleep on. 

Liam offers a small smile at the remark, but Theo can tell he’s gearing up for an apology he doesn’t owe. “Your smell’s off,” he says to distract him.

“Scott found another kid.” His tone is sad, and Theo knows why. 

“How old?”

“Fifteen.”

“Good. He’s lucky; he’ll be safe.”

Liam’s eyes dart around the walls, and Theo sighs at the realization that he’s not out of the woods yet. “You should be too.”

“I’m fine. No one comes down here.”

“But you’re not fine! You live underground, again, when you should be in a bed somewhere. Not in your truck, nor on my old ripped up comforter-”

“I like your comforter, it smells like you.”

But Liam’s not listening, “-and you should be part of a pack, especially since it’s kinda my pack now, because Scott left it to me, but he keeps bringing in strays, and everytime I ask, he pushes me away, and-”

“Liam!” Strong hands on his shoulders pull him from his rant. Liam frowns, eyes dropping to the floor. “It’s okay.”

“I just think it’s unfair. He knows how much you helped us, and knows how much you need it. You’d be good in a pack, great, even. You deserve it. You deserve a family.”

To be honest, Theo’s not sure he deserves anything. But instead of getting into an argument with Liam that he’d surely lose, he lays down on the comforter beside him, hooks an arm around Liam’s upper body, and pulls him down, too. The boy lets out a yelp, earning a chuckle from Theo, but doesn’t fight him. They lie there for a second, but the look on Liam’s face quickly sours.

“This isn’t even comfortable.” He flicks the bedsheet in disgust.

“It’s more comfortable with fur.”

“So you’re telling me you shift most nights?”

“Most.”

“Why don’t you when I stay over?”

“Because it’s comfortable when you’re here.” As if to prove his point, Theo tangles their legs together and buries his face in Liam’s chest. Liam’s hand immediately finds the back of his neck and plays with the small hairs there. It’s not an uncommon position for them to be in, although Liam’s usually the one tucked in the other’s arms. 

For some time, they stay like that. Not sleeping, but resting in each other’s company. Listening to heartbeats and breathing, and letting it lull them into a deep state of relaxation. 

“I could leave,” Liam says suddenly. 

“What?” Theo tenses, unsure what he means, and quickly looking up at him. 

“Scott, I mean. I could leave Scott and we could start our own pack.”

It’s silent for a few heartbeats, then, “you’re not going to leave Scott.”

“I could.”

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“He’s a good alpha, Li. He cares for you.”

“You were an alpha before,” he tries to argue, biting his lip.

“I was not a good alpha. I bet Corey can vouch for that.”

“But Scott-”

“Just because Scott’s bringing in new betas doesn’t mean he doesn’t care for you.”

“That wasn’t what I was going to say. I was going to say if he cares for me, why doesn’t he listen to me?”

“It’s not because of you that he says no, it’s because of me. It’s nothing against you.”

“If I keep asking, maybe he’ll get so annoyed he’ll kick me out anyway.”

“How many times have you asked?”

Liam huffs but doesn’t reply. 

Theo gives a small smile. “You need to let it go.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Liam-”

“I want you in it. I want you to have that feeling of security, and family, and I want someone familiar, who I know I can trust, in the literal sea of freshmen.”

Theo chuckles at that. “I thought you and Nolan-”

“Nolan and I are fine, but I wouldn’t trust him with my life, y’know? And he’s so distracted by the new ones, and he’s obsessed with Alec, crushing big time, and Alec’s so confused all the time, they’re like lost little puppies trying to find their mother. And then Scott comes back and they whine like he’s abandoned them for years, and…” he pauses his own whining to focus back on his original point. “When it’s my turn to watch the town for the night, I want to do it in your company, in your truck, with your finger prodding me awake - not Nolan’s - when I start to drift off. And I want to look up in boring pack meetings and see you raising a questioning eyebrow at me in response to Alec’s dumb plans. And when we’re in a new place, trying to find a rabid hunter or helpless kid, I want to focus on your scent to ground me and make me feel less afraid. And when we have pack bonding nights in Scott’s or Stiles’ house, and movies are rolling until three a.m. and one-by-one, everyone’s falling asleep, I want to curl up next to you there, on Stiles’ floor, instead of this cold, hard ground, and face repercussions later, when there’s a photoshopped picture of us circling the group chat.”

Theo isn’t sure what to say. Liam’s told him before that he wishes Scott would accept him into the pack, but never in so many words. His speech this time is almost like a confession, a proclamation of what he wants, from both Scott and Theo. A moment passes, and Liam moves to tuck his head under Theo’s chin in the way they normally sleep. Theo, heart heavy from the weight of all his words, sighs deeply, laced with a bit of pain. 

“You can’t leave Scott,” he says again.

“I would for you.”

___________________________________________

At seven thirty, Scott knocks on the door to the Dunbar-Geyer household, but receives no answer. Mr. Geyer’s already at the hospital, he knows this, and Mrs. Dunbar also leaves early for work, but Mason had texted that Liam’s not at school, so he must not even be awake. Scott sighs, then scans the house as best he can without looking like a robber, before finding the bathroom window open and climbing inside. He makes his way to Liam’s room, listening for any activity, but hears nothing. The boy’s room is even empty. His bed is perfectly made, his blinds are closed, and lights are off. His backpack is gone, one good sign, but there are no other signs as to where he could be. 

Scott: ask mr. yukimura if he’s seen him in the halls today

Mason: i have, he hasn’t

Scott: he isn’t home, either

And that’s when Scott sends a missing wolf alert out to the pack group chat. 

___________________________________________

Liam’s not sure when exactly during the night that he shifted, but when he wakes up, he does not expect to try and talk to Theo, only for his voice to come out as a single bark. He shies away instantly, realizing he’s in his wolf form, at the same time that Theo jolts awake and bites him on the muzzle. 

Now it’s on.

Liam was going to be apologetic for the sudden disruption, but that plan changes quickly as soon as he’s bitten. Retaliating, he pins his ears down and bites Theo’s cheek. The black wolf moves his head quickly, but not quick enough that Liam doesn’t get his bite in. He growls, then goes for his muzzle again. 

Every argument between them always turns into a fist fight. It seems to be no different with both of them shifted. As soon as Theo’s teeth clamp down onto his muzzle, Liam turns his head so the next bite pierces his neck. Liam’s careful not to hurt him, but the behavior does display a dominance that brings Theo up on his four paws. He brings one down onto Liam, pushing him towards the ground until he lets go, then nibbles on a patch of brown fur on his neck. Liam worms around in resistance. As soon as he breaks free, he body slams Theo off his balance and starts a playful wrestle. They nip at each other’s ears and paws, making a mess of the makeshift bed and kicking pillows all around. Liam riles up quickly, getting lost in the feeling of how comfortable he is with Theo, and indulging in how good it feels to be completely alone - completely himself - with him. He can be rough without the fear of hurting him; he can relax without the fear of getting hurt. 

Liam’s on top of Theo now, but it’ll only be a few more seconds before he gets thrown off. The black wolf always finds his way back on top, nipping at Liam’s most sensitive spots until he surrenders. Liam fights back, not wanting their play to come to an end, but secretly enjoys it. He likes the other’s dominance, and the more Liam eggs him on, the more assertive he gets. 

As predicted, Theo nips his elbow a second later. Liam moves his leg out of reach of Theo’s teeth, only for his teeth to find his other leg. The tawny wolf yelps and goes for the throat, only to get kicked off and end up underneath the wolf he previously held down. Theo pants above him, and if wolves could smirk, he definitely would be. One last fight from Liam earns him a bite to the ear. His mouth wets the tip, sending a shiver down his spine. Liam pauses to relish in the feeling, and Theo takes advantage of that to nip on his muzzle one more time, a bite that settles the younger wolf into submission. 

They stay like that, Theo hovering over him, as they both catch their breaths. They’re covered in each other’s scents now, and the scents will linger on their skin even after they shift. Neither mind, though; both find comfort in it. Theo only fears Scott finding out, though Liam doesn’t seem to care. 

His words from last night return to him. The last thing Liam said before falling asleep in his arms. I would for you.

Theo wonders if that’s true. If Liam would leave everything - everyone - he knows for a boy he brought back from hell. A lying, heart-stealing, Machiavellian boy like himself. On a whim, maybe he could, but he’d surely regret it eventually, Theo would think. 

“Let me up.” A hand grips a patch of Theo’s fur, and he looks down in confusion. Liam, human again, has one hand on him, and his other reaching for a pillow that’s too close for comfort. 

Using quick thinking, Theo bites Liam’s bare collarbone lightly, then bounces off of him, shifting as he moves.

“Ow!” Liam touches the bitten spot, but then grabs the pillow and tries to fling it at Theo. He misses, but if he grabbed it while Theo was still on top, it would’ve hit him square in the face. “You dick!”

“You’re too predictable.”

“You bit me!”

“You were gonna hit me!”

“With a pillow! Not with teeth!”

“I thought you like it when I bite you.”

“I do not!” Liam lies.

“So you exposing your chest to me every time I get the upper hand is just coincidence?”

“You push me over every time.”

“You’re easy to push over.” Liam’s mouth drops open. “You’re also easy to rile up,” Theo adds.

“You’re such an ass!”

“Hey, you started that whole fight.”

Liam stares, incredulous. “You bit me first!”

“You barked in my face!”

“I didn’t know I was shifted! I was going to say, ‘good morning’.”

Theo snorts. “We both did in the middle of the night, do you not remember that? You woke up saying you were uncomfortable and wanted to know if it was any more comfortable shifted?”

“Vaguely? I thought I said that when I got here.”

“You did, and then you said it again at three a.m.”

“Whatever.”

The boy chuckles, pissing Liam off that he finds it funny. 

“What?” Theo points out Liam’s sour face. 

“You’re so annoying.”

“And here I thought we were cuddle buddies.”

Liam glares at him and Theo has to stifle another laugh. “Just… put on a shirt.”

“You’re laying on my shirt.”

“What?” Liam moves, then mutters an “oh” when he finds he is, in fact, laying on Theo’s now-wrinkled shirt. He throws it at the boy, then puts on his own also-wrinkled shirt. 

“You messed up my bed,” Theo points out, eyeing the comforter that used to be exactly how he liked it, that is now completely frazzled. The blankets aren’t even in the vicinity of it. 

“You have all day to fix it.”

“Rude.”

Speaking of which, Liam pulls out his phone to check the time. He does technically have school today, but it doesn’t seem to be morning yet. Then again, he remembers he’s in the tunnels, far below underground. 

“Oh, shit!”

“What?” 

“It’s almost ten!”

“Uhh, don’t you have school today?”

“Yes, dumbass, that’s why I’m freaking out! Oh my god, Mason’s gonna be freaking out! He’s going to text Scott, and then they’re all gonna be mad at me!”

“Hey, hey, calm down.” Theo hurries to his side. “They won’t be mad, just worried. Just text them that you overslept.”

“If I oversleep, Scott visits my house. He won’t see me in bed.”

Theo startles for a minute at how creepy that is, but then realizes if Liam were his beta, he’d be overprotective, too. “Okay, just tell him you were running in the woods and lost track of time.”

“He doesn’t know I can fully shift yet.”

“Oh, ummm… tell him you got lost?” Theo tries, earning an eye roll. A bit of pride swells in his chest, but he tries to ignore it. Theo’s the one that taught him how to shift. To be honest, he’s not sure Scott can even do it, or if he’s ever tried. He knows, from conversations similar to a long game of telephone, that Derek, Scott’s previous alpha, can shift, but he’s never heard about Scott doing it himself. 

“I’m just going to have to come clean.”

“Liam, no.”

“I have to, there’s no other way!”

“There’s so many other things you can tell him. ‘None of your business’ is also an option.”

“Theo-”

“If he’s already off put about you asking me to be in the pack, he’s not going to like hearing that you were late to school because you were sleeping with me,” he pauses, thinking about the way he worded that, “he’s not going to like the fact that you came to see me, or that you’re late for school because you were down here with me,” he retries. “He’ll probably be super disgruntled to learn I’m even still in town at all.”

“But I don’t like lying to him, either. He’ll be able to tell, I know it.”

“Then you better get good at lying, like now.”

“Maybe if he knows I’m late to school because I was with you, he’ll finally realize how much I want you in the pack, and he’ll finally let you in.”

“Liam, something tells me that would not go down well. You’ll probably just get a strong reprimand for being anywhere near me.”

“I don’t understand what the problem is! I don’t know why he’s so adamant about this!”

“It’s because of what I’ve done, Li. To him, to Stiles, to both of their parents, to-”

“I know what you’ve done, fucker, but I don’t care! I’ve forgiven it all, and he should, too! The morally correct and all forgiving Scott McCall should be more-”

“Okay, Liam, settle down. Take a deep breath.”

Liam didn’t know his eyes were glowing, but as soon as Theo’s hands hold onto his, they turn back to their usual baby blue. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You have no reason to be sorry.”

“I just wish everyone could see the side of you that I see. The Theo that’s no longer being manipulated by those stupid plague doctors; that was just as much a victim to them as the rest of us; that risked his life for all of ours, especially mine; that now either has to live in his truck, or an elaborate tunnel system in which I get lost every night I try to find him. I wish you wouldn’t be so stubborn, and you’d just sneak in my window instead of me coming out here.”

The boy chuckles. “You just said that Scott comes into your room if you’re even the slightest bit late. He would smell me if I were to sleep there.”

“But I would also get to smell you every time I’d be in my room. I’ll lock the door so Scott can’t come in.”

“Liam…”

“I meant what I said last night. I know I was tired, but I remember what I said.”

“But you wouldn’t leave Mason and Corey. You could leave Nolan and the rest of them, but Mason and Corey don’t trust me, either.”

“I’ll still be friends with them.”

“You’re loyal, Liam. You talk a big game, but you’d never leave Scott. The guilt would consume you.”

“It’s consuming me now, not being able to help you.”

“You are helping me. You’re here now, aren’t you? You’re with me down here more nights than in your own bed. Which, by the way, makes me feel a little guilty that you aren’t getting a good night’s sleep.”

“I sleep better with you than alone in my bed.”

“My point is, you need to stay with Scott. That is your pack. That is where you are meant to be. I’m not a good alpha, and though we’re good together, we would not be good as a pack together.”

“But-”

“I mean, look at me right now, you’re late for school, and I’m not helping.”

Liam smiles, but it fades quickly. Theo can tell in his eyes he’s dropped the topic, but something still dances on his tongue. Theo urges him to share the thought with a gentle squeeze to the hand. 

“But you’d be a good beta.”

“Maybe.”

“I think you would be, given the chance.” He looks up to him and sees a woeful look before Theo can hide it. He knows he wants it just as much as Liam does. It’s all he’s wanted since returning to town, even if he was being manipulated before, by the doctors. 

Theo doesn’t reply - he doesn’t need to - but instead sighs. “You should get to school.”

“I know.”

“Mason has got to be worried.”

“I know.”

“Scott’s probably texted the group chat. In two minutes’ tops, there’ll be flyers around the whole town.” Liam laughs. “Pacing the floor, I bet, nervous like a mother who’s lost a pup.” The boy snorts. He used the same analogy last night.

“He’s overreacting. I’m perfectly safe here with you.”

“He doesn’t know that. If you were my beta, I’d overreact, too.”

“And you say you’d be a bad alpha.”

“I am, I promise. I have the protective gene, missed out on the leadership one. I’m clueless on how to run a pack, but I’d die a hundred times to save you.”

Liam’s not sure how to respond. Theo’s not often vulnerable, but if any conversation warrants vulnerability, this one would be it. Instead of talking, Liam looks up to him. A great blue sky meets a canopy of trees, and nothing’s needed to be said; the look conveys it all. 

“C’mon, let me drive you to school. You’ll get there faster, and we can make up an excuse along the way.”

___________________________________________

Liam manages to make it through the doors right as the bell rings. He isn’t sure which bell it is, but he rushes to class anyway, sincerely hoping it’s the first. When he gets to the room, it’s empty, but only a moment passes before it starts to fill. Liam takes a deep breath, fixes his hair, and pulls out a pen. 

“Dude!” Mason’s voice fills his ears. “Where have you been all day? It’s third period.” The boy has his arms up and Corey by his side. Both wear equally confused and concerned expressions, and Liam’s carefully concocted excuse he made with Theo blinks from his mind.

“Uhh, sleeping…”

“Sleeping? Really? Scott said you weren’t home.”

“I was… in the woods. Couldn’t sleep, actually, went for a run, but in the middle of the night, whoop! Finally got tired.”

“You’re serious?”

“With all the hunters out there and everything?” Corey asks, bouncing off his boyfriend.

“Yup. Y’know when the exhaustion just finally hits…?”

“What?” Mason shakes his head like an etch-a-sketch. “Dude.”

“I don’t know, man. Maybe I had a nightmare or something.”

“Well you better text Scott you’re okay. He’s been freaking out and asking around. He’s two seconds from texting your dad.”

“Shit.”

Quickly, he pulls out his phone to address the group chat. Sure enough, his phone is blown up from messages from his alpha, plus updates from his fellow betas on if they’ve seen him. Obviously, none of them have, putting Liam in a very tight spot. Carefully, he types out a response. 

Liam: sorry to freak you all out, i’m good, i just-

He pauses. The excuse he made with Theo is not what he just told Mason and Corey. He has to come up with something new.

-went out in the woods this morning and totally lost track of time

Liam doesn’t look at Mason nor Corey after pressing send. As soon as the bell rings, Scott’s response comes through, and it drops Liam’s stomach to his toes. 

Scott: locker room. now. 

Coach barrels through the door at the same time Liam stands to address his alpha. He looks to Liam, then to his class, then points to the boy.

“You, where are you going?”

“I need to get something from my locker. It’ll only take a minute.” The lie rolls off his tongue easily, but that’s not what sparks Corey’s attention. It’s the sickly smell of panic that follows. Liam is afraid to face Scott. Either he’s just really sorry for worrying his alpha, or he did something wrong. He shares a look with Mason as the beta leaves the room. Both wish they pressed him harder for an answer. 

Liam enters the locker room two minutes later to find Scott in the center of the two benches. His posture is rigid, although his demeanor isn’t exactly upset. He seems more concerned than anything else, which makes Liam feel both relieved and guilty. When he sees Liam, his shoulders visibly relax. 

“Liam,” he lets out a deep breath, “god, you had me freaking out.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re never late for school, what happened?”

“I was… outside,” he says instead of ‘in the woods’. He was, technically, outside. “Lost track of time.”

“How? Did you not have your phone? We’ve been texting…”

“I had it, but wasn’t checking it. I was working on getting in better shape for lacrosse because I couldn’t sleep last night.” It’s all partially true. He couldn’t sleep last night, so he went to find Theo. And wrestling with Theo can be counted as getting in shape, right? He had the older boy pinned for over a minute. 

“Okay…”

Worried that Scott’s not believing him, he cries out, “I didn’t mean to make you worry! It was totally random and unplanned. I’ll make sure to check my phone next time, I just needed to distract myself, and we haven’t had sightings of hunters in a while. I was careful, though, I promise!”

“It’s okay! I just want to make sure you’re safe, that’s all.”

“I was safe. I didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary, nor did I see anyone suspicious.”

Scott nods. “See anyone at all, or just anyone suspicious?���

“What?” The question catches Liam off guard.

“Were you alone, or was there just no one that looked suspicious?”

“Oh. Um, no, I mean. There was someone running, but we didn’t talk. He was over there, I was over here.” He points with his fingers where the two of them might have been. His gestures are quick. A wave of nervousness fills Scott’s senses. Along with another scent that he can’t place. “He was gone before I’d even be able to talk, actually. He just ran past me.” Liam’s still talking when Scott snaps back to reality. His inability to recall the other scent becomes like a scratch you can’t reach. 

“And what part of the woods was this?”

“Over near the clearing. Not by the Nemeton, but like…”

“Where Coach takes us running sometimes?”

“A little further,” Liam says, just in case Scott tries to track his scent and can’t find it.

“Oh.”

“Can I go back to class now? I have Coach.”

Scott chuckles. He knows how Coach can be when students miss his class. Unfortunately, Scott’s still unsure if Liam’s telling the whole truth, but what’s he going to do about it? He doesn’t want to lose his beta’s trust by grilling him, and he can’t pull him out of class, either. 

“Yeah. Be safe, okay?”

“Okay. Sorry for worrying you.”

“It’s alright, Liam.”

It was a close call and Liam knows it. 

What he doesn’t know, though, is that now Corey is just as suspicious as Scott is. 

___________________________________________

Guilt racks through Liam for three reasons now. 

One, he lied to his alpha about what he was doing.

Two, he lied to Mason and Corey about where he was. 

Three, he still remembers what he told Theo last night. 

I would leave for you.

Maybe he should just leave, considering how he’s now found himself in a big web of lies. How are any of his packmates going to trust him again? If they find out he was not only with Theo last night, but also lied to them about being with him, he’ll be screwed. Not only that, but Liam’s been with Theo for weeks now. Ever since the war ended and Theo retreated underground, Liam has found him and snuck out of his house to be with him. This is the first time that Liam’s slipped up and forgot to check his phone, forgot to set an alarm for school, forgot that he was supposed to forget about the boy living in the ground beneath them. For weeks, Scott’s been finding and adopting betas that’ve had their lives stolen from them by the hunters. But he seems to forget that Theo, his old friend from childhood, had his own life stolen by an enemy they’ve faced and defeated. Theo isn’t as innocent as the betas he’s taking in now, but he was still a victim, and still deserves the kindness Scott seems to show everyone else. Forget about an itch, the whole thing makes Liam’s blood boil. 

You’re loyal, Theo told him, the guilt would consume you. 

As angry as he is, he knows it’s true. Liam is Scott’s first and only bitten beta. As much as he cares for those that he adopts, he and Liam have a bond that cannot be matched. Scott would be heartbroken if Liam were to leave, and Liam would feel an insurmountable amount of guilt and sadness, too. And if Liam were to leave Scott for Theo, of all people, he imagines the pain would be ten times worse. 

But still…

If Scott knew it had crossed his mind, would he finally accept him as a beta? Or would Scott retaliate and send him away? Or send Theo away? Liam then decides Scott would do the former, but then he’d talk with Stiles and Malia and they’d opt for the latter. Malia would go as far as to kill him, and then Stiles would assure him it’s for the better, not being able to smell the heavy heartache wafting off the young wolf. 

Liam breathes deeply, trying to pull himself from the tornado of thoughts in his mind. He doesn’t like thinking like this. Doesn’t like pitting his pack against each other, thinking up scenarios that may or may not ever happen. Malia, Stiles, and Scott all care for him, they wouldn’t do that.

But they all hate Theo…

“Hey,” Corey taps Liam on the shoulder. He jumps. “Are you okay?”

“Theo was right,” he blurts out. 

Silence…

“What?” Mason asks slowly, a confused look on his face. Both of their faces. 

“Um, nothing.”

“Did you say, ‘Theo’?” 

Liam looks around, expecting to see his classmates, but instead seeing way more people. “When did we get to lunch?”

“Uh, ten minutes ago. Did you say, ‘Theo’? Did you see him?”

“I thought he skipped town,” Corey adds.

“No, he’s here.” Liam pauses. “Ack, no! I don’t know where he is! I assume he’s still here.”

“Hold up,” Mason chuckles, “why are we talking about Theo again?”

“I don’t know. It slipped out. I was thinking of that time that he said something about the… it- it doesn’t matter. What were we talking about again? Movies?”

“Uh, we decided on a movie. Now we’re talking about snacks. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine! Promise!”

“Did you have a nightmare?” Mason asks.

“About Theo, maybe?” Corey adds. “Did he rip your heart out, too?”

“What? No. No nightmares, nothing to do with Theo. I don’t even think I mentioned him,” Liam tries to laugh, “think I meant to say… Thor, because you guys were talking about watching Age of Ultron? Right?”

“We were, but…”

“See, I’m listening! And snacks, we’re getting Oreos, yeah?”

“Maybe?”

“Right again.” Liam stuffs a handful of potato chips in his mouth to shut himself up and does his best to ignore the wild looks from Mason and Corey. For better or for worse, Nolan and Alec join them a moment later. The mop-headed teen takes a seat next to Liam, while his smiley sidekick is to his right. Liam hopes desperately that they change the topic, and they do. Unfortunately, though, the next one isn’t much better. 

“Scott told me yesterday that Malia might be visiting for a couple days. She’s been traveling Europe, but drunkenly admitted over the phone that she misses us,” Nolan says.

“It was only a matter of time before the little ray of sunshine came clean,” Mason jokes, earning laughs from around the table. 

Liam, however, feels his heart stop. One more Theo-hating wolf is just what he needs in this town; his worst fears are becoming true, and just when he was about to re-ask his alpha the question he already asks so often. 

Theo told him to drop it, and he really wishes he could. But the constant reminder of his absence amplified by the presence of the sixteen year old beside him makes his heart hurt.

“You okay?” Corey asks, for maybe the fifth time this hour.

“Fine. Just remembered I didn’t do my math homework last night.”

“I didn’t either, if that’s any consolation,” Nolan supplies. It’s not. 

Liam offers a chuckle in reply, but doesn’t say anything else. The pack launches into their plans for movie night. 

___________________________________________

Getting out of movie night was only easy for one reason. 

One, Liam didn’t listen to what day they had planned it, so he came up with a lie lickity-split.

“Oh, that’s tonight?” 

“Liam, we discussed this at lunch.”

“My mom is hosting people for dinner and wants me there.”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?”

“I didn’t know the plans were for tonight, I thought you guys were talking about tomorrow night.”

“Right.”

“Sorry.”

“That’s okay!” Mason says quickly. “We can reschedule-”

“Noooo,” a groan erupts from Nolan, “we’ve already planned the whole thing out, guys. Liam, just cancel.”

“I can’t, it’s my mom.”

“Tell her your pack needs you.”

“She doesn’t know I’m a werewolf.”

“Ugh!”

“It’s fine, just do it without me, okay? I’ll be at the next one, no problem.”

“Mason?” Nolan turns to him, knowing he’ll be reluctant to follow through without his best friend.

“Yeah, I guess. Liam, you will be missed, but have fun at your dinner party.”

“Hah.”

After school, everyone retreats to their houses to pack and regroup at Scott’s. Liam, however, stays behind. He makes sure to get the obligatory “wish you were here” text from every pack member, announcing their arrival at the sleepover, before turning on the kitchen lights and leaving out the window. It wasn’t a total lie that he told them. His parents really would be eating dinner sometime that night. Maybe just not around the table, not with a friend, nor with him, and maybe not even at home. But dinner was still going to be had by his family, so he didn’t completely lie, he just spared a lot of truth. 

On his way to the tunnels, Liam considers shifting to reduce the risk of being seen by his pack by chance, but then remembers the ladder he’d have to take to get into the tunnels, and can already envision the headache it would be to put his clothes on in the near darkness at the bottom, so he doesn’t. Instead, he slinks around like a cat until he reaches the woods, making extra sure not to be seen since he’s technically never visited Theo before nine o’clock. The sun is still partially out, making his sneak attempt more risky than it usually is. If he’s caught, he has no clue what he’d say to Scott. 

In ten minutes’ time, Liam finds the tunnels’ entrance and climbs down the ladder, sighing in relief at his mission’s success. He starts in the direction he typically goes, a little on edge due to the slight disruption in his own routine. His heart must be racing, because sooner than later, he hears a familiar growl from behind him. Liam turns, and his heart jumps at the sight of the black wolf.

“Don’t growl at me,” he says coolly, trying to hide his excitement. 

Theo growls again anyway, then stalks up to him to nuzzle into his legs. 

“Hi,” Liam pets, letting the feeling of his soft fur wash away the worries of the day. “Boop.” He pokes his nose. 

Theo reacts quickly with a gentle bite to his knee - earning an “ow!” from Liam - and trots off to his corner. 

“Hey, wait, hold up. I’m sorry!” Liam is not sorry, but follows him anyway.

When he finally catches up to Theo, he’s shifted back and throwing a shirt over himself. Liam looks around his space, avoiding eye contact with his body, and nods. 

“You cleaned it up.”

“I had all day.” Liam holds back a chuckle, but fails and can’t help the grin that spreads across his face. “You’re here early.”

“Is that okay?”

“I’m lucky. Is something wrong?”

“No,” he shakes his head. A blush rises in his cheeks at Theo’s comment, but then his face falls as he remembers the lies he told to get here. “My parents are working.”

“Aren’t they usually working? Why do you look like you feel guilty?”

“I told the guys that they’re off today. That they’re having a big dinner I’m supposed to attend.”

“So?”

“They scheduled a movie night for tonight, out of routine. Like, they usually do them on the fifth of every month, but this one was random, and I told them I couldn’t go because my parents were having a dinner party.”

“I take it, your parents are not having a dinner party.”

“No.”

“Ah. But that’s okay, it’s out of your typical routine anyway. They can’t schedule something out of the blue and expect you to follow along.”

“Which is what I probably should’ve told them, instead of lying about my parents’ fake dinner party.”

Theo shrugs. “Knowing them, they’d probably push you into agreeing. But let me guess, you left the kitchen lights on just in case they’d check?”

“How’d you know that?”

“Because I know you, Liam,” he chuckles. Theo settles down onto his comforter and pats the spot beside him. “So why let yourself be so guilty if the reason for your lack of attendance is so reasonable?”

The boy sighs, sitting down next to him. “Because it’s not the only reason.”

“Which would be?”

“I hate doing pack shit with all these scrawny freshmen and not having you there with me.”

“You used to be the scrawny freshman, don’t you forget.”

“I’m serious! The same thing happens at every single one. Scott oversees like some overlord; Mason and Corey are on the couch making out, acting like they’re not making out; Alec and Nolan are bickering or arm wrestling; the movie goes unwatched for hours, and then everyone huddles around it in the last twenty minutes, and there’s always some Inevitable Panic that ensures when someone knocks over a drink or Ms. McCall comes home early.”

“Sounds kinda fun to me,” Theo admits.

“Well it’d be a lot more fun if you could be there with me. Maybe I wouldn’t start to resent them so much if Scott would offer the same forgiveness he gives everyone else.”

“Okay,” Theo sighs, understanding the root of Liam’s problem. “Come here.” He grabs the boy by his upper body, just as he had done the night before.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Liam questions, but then, again, lets himself be pulled down. 

“Let’s just not think about it, okay? Stay here with me.”

“Are we napping?”

“I don’t know. If you want.” But Theo yawns a moment later, and Liam nuzzles into his chest. 

“Can we shift?”

So they do. Theo stretches out across the comforter and rests his back against one of the pillows. He watches Liam circle around and around as he tries to get comfortable. Finally, Theo reaches out and bites his tail as if to say, “hurry up and lay down!” and at last, he does, pressing his body up against the black wolf. Within minutes, they’re asleep. 

___________________________________________

Theo wakes up what must be hours later to the sound of a rock being kicked down the pathway. He lifts his head immediately, wondering if it’s Liam, but then remembers Liam had come to him much earlier in the day, and is in fact, curled up beside him. Nervously, he lets out a low growl, wondering if the intruder is a threat, or possibly just a lost mouse. He hopes it’s the latter; he’s really not in the mood for a fight. 

Beside him, Liam stirs, probably from the vibration of his growl. He doesn’t wake, but Theo wonders if he should. Not only is the wolf a valuable asset in a fight, but he’s much easier to protect when he’s on his feet. Theo leans over to lick him awake, then pauses at the sound of voices. Definitely not a mouse, and instead someone who’s either stupid, or not perturbed by the low growl. He grows anxious. 

“I can’t believe they’re making us do this. It’s way too dark down here.”

“Chill out, they said these tunnels have been abandoned for, like, forever.”

“How long is forever?”

“Couple months, I don’t know?”

“A couple months?!”

Theo growls again as the voices get closer. The shuffling of feet pauses. 

“What was that?”

“I don’t know.”

Stupid kids. Probably some high schoolers on a dare. 

Theo nudges Liam with his nose before languidly licking across his muzzle. He doesn’t want to shock him awake and cause a panic, especially if it’s a threat he can easily scare away himself. Still, he wants Liam aware that they’re not alone anymore. And besides, if he were to get up, the younger wolf would probably wake in the absence of his body against his. 

“What was the dare again?”

Whoop, there it is.

“Walk five hundred feet into the stupid tunnel, take a selfie, and get out. Don’t go too far in it or we’ll get lost.”

“Great. Corey’s a dick.”

Theo stops his tongue mid-lick. Corey?

Of course, that’s when Liam finally raises his head and gives Theo a pointed look, questioning him for both the unexpected wake up and the means of doing it. When Theo doesn’t shift nor respond, Liam moves his head in a way that Theo’s learned means he’s about to bark. Immediately, he wrinkles his lip, demanding silence. Liam puts his head back down submissively. 

“So five hundred feet is how far?”

“I can’t even see the button to turn on my phone.”

“How long do you think these tunnels are? Was he joking when he said we could get lost?”

“Probably bluffing.”

Liam suddenly understands the reason for being awoken. His eyes widen in fear at the sound of the familiar voices in the distance. He tries to gesture to Theo that he recognizes them, but Theo seems to already have some idea of that. He stands, stretches lightly, then creeps to the edge of his makeshift den. Liam follows, nipping his heel slightly in a way to ask what he’s doing, but receives his answer when Theo announces his presence with a louder growl, this one, certainly heard by the boys. 

“Did you hear it that time?”

The smell of fear wafts in the air. “Yeah.”

“Wolf?”

“Well, werewolf, hopefully. Normal wolf,” Nolan pauses, “we’re fucked.”

“What do we do?”

“Give me your phone.”

“Are you gonna call Corey?”

“We’re gonna finish this dare-” Theo growls again, “-and get the fuck out of here.”

“Are you serious?! Nolan-”

“C’mon, I won’t let anything happen to you! There’s probably no service down here anyway.”

“But-”

“Smile!”

The boys both smile for the picture. Liam watches, unsure what to do, and goes to nip at Theo, but then realizes he’s no longer standing beside him. The black wolf is now crouched behind the boys, eyes glaring up into the camera, too close for their comfort if they’d turn around and realize. 

“Alright, make sure we got it and let’s go.”

Nolan clicks the photo, leading to both of them screaming as they see the wolf behind them. They waste no time rushing out of the tunnels and up the ladder. Theo and Liam can hear the clutching of the metal as they pull themselves up. Their screams are muffled out as the top goes back over the entrance, and only then, once they know they’re safe, do the two retreat back to the comforter. 

They don’t bother shifting back, but are laughing their asses off in the most wolfish way possible. Liam nips Theo’s heels, egging him on, until he engages in rougher play. They wrestle on the sheets once more, pulling at each other’s ears and loose fur, one kicking at the other when the upper hand is won. 

___________________________________________

Up on the ground, a laughing Mason and Corey are quickly faced with a very much so not-laughing Alec and Nolan, and it takes each pair a second to recognize the other’s emotions. 

“Wait, you’re not laughing?” Mason asks, pointing back and forth between the two. “But those screams were-”

“Those screams were from terror!” Nolan cuts off. “There was a wolf down there! An actual fucking wolf! We could’ve died!”

“But those tunnels are abandoned,” Scott insists, “once the Dread Doctors left, no one was living down there anymore.”

“Well clearly someone is!”

“But there’s a ladder, so it couldn’t have been a wolf,” Corey argues.

“Not unless it’s a werewolf,” Scott mutters, thinking of Derek. “I’ve never tried it, but some werewolves can shift into their entire wolf forms.”

Corey snaps his fingers. “Wait, I’ve heard of that.”

“Yeah, your guy Derek used to do it, right?” Mason fingerguns Scott, who nods. 

“Yeah.”

“So there’s another werewolf in Beacon Hills?”

“I guess?”

“Wait, we got it in the picture Alec and I took.” Nolan says, still out of breath. “Alec, show him the picture.”

The boy, also panting, pulls up the picture. “One, proof we did your dumb dare. Two, proof of wolf, in tunnels. Never going back.”

Nolan gives him a congratulatory pat on the back as the three older boys inspect the photo. Mason and Scott stare questioningly, but Corey’s heartbeat quickens after a moment’s look. 

“Holy shit.”

“What?”

“I think that’s Theo.”

___________________________________________

It takes ten minutes for Liam and Theo to settle back down. Their play ended similarly to how it always does - Liam pushes Theo past his patience until the latter gets dominant, and when he’s satisfied with the rise he’s gotten out of him, Liam submits. Now, Liam lays across the black wolf’s front paws, chest exposed, while Theo licks around his mouth and neck. 

Neither is sure when they grew so comfortable with intimacy, but in their wolf forms, it’s like second nature. They cuddle as humans, and aren’t afraid to admit when they need each other’s company, but as much as they both desire it, they’ve never taken it any further. Maybe it’s the bond they’ve formed with Theo being the one to teach him how to shift, or maybe it’s just easier to be close when they can’t speak with real words. Regardless of what it is, they find themselves shifting more and more just to be closer without acknowledging that it’s what they both want. 

So caught up in each other, neither hear the sound of the heavy slate being moved away from the entrance, nor the ladder squeaking slightly as someone climbs down, nor the nearly inaudible voice asking which way to go. 

Theo was taught to always be alert and on guard, no matter the instance. He’d never know who was secretly hunting him, so he should be prepared for anything. Not only was that an innate trait brought on by being turned, but it was something the doctors grilled into him. Never get caught. Never let us be found out. 

Well clearly he failed at that. And now, he was failing at this, too. 

He can’t help it, though. Not when Liam is between his paws, chewing on his jaw like that. His paws pushed up against Theo’s fur, pads soft and barely used. He’d only learned how to shift about a month ago, much unlike Theo, whose are rough from years of running. 

He senses him before he sees him, but both are two seconds too late. Red glowing eyes duck into Theo’s den. A growl erupts from the intruder’s throat. Liam rolls immediately, rising to his feet, then tucking tail behind Theo in the presence of his alpha. Theo stands, heart racing, and returns a growl of his own. 

“Theo?” Scott asks. Theo’s ears perk up; he didn’t know Scott could recognize him in this form. “What are you doing down here?”

Theo plays dumb and tilts his head, refusing to shift to answer his questions.

“Who is that?” Scott nods to the tawny wolf behind him. 

He bares his teeth at the alpha, warning him to leave. Scott doesn’t budge.

“Theo, I’m not gonna ask you twice.”

He growls more, standing up to Scott. 

“Okay. What about this? If I duck out for a moment, would you shift back so we can talk? We don’t have to fight, I just want to talk.” Scott receives a wrinkled lip. “Please. Your friend, too.” When Theo takes another step towards him, Scott shakes his head. “Or just you, that’s fine.”

Theo bows his head, seemingly willing to comply. Scott raises his hands and disappears for a moment, but listens just in case. Out of sight, he hears a small whine that’s quickly corrected by a gentle bite. One of the wolves shakes, then retreats and lies down on something soft. Scott didn’t get a good look inside the den. He saw the black wolf and his cowering friend. 

A moment later, the sound of a belt fastening makes its way to Scott’s ears. Fabrics are thrown around as the shifted chimera dons on his clothes, and a moment later, Theo’s poking his head out with an irritated look. 

“What do you want?”

“So it is you.”

“What do you want?” Theo repeats. 

“I want to know who scared my pack out of the tunnels. Thought these tunnels were abandoned after the doctors left.”

“They were.”

“You’re here.”

“Well then they’re not anymore.”

Scott rolls his eyes. “Theo-”

“Look, I don’t know what the problem is with me staying here. I’m not in your way. I haven’t seen you in weeks. You didn’t even know I was still in Beacon Hills. The only reason I scared your betas is because they came too close to my space, okay? And since I don’t have a pack, or anywhere to actually live, I’m down here, so I’m a bit protective of my space.”

“Fine. But who’s that other wolf in there?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Is it another chimera? Is it a lone wolf that found the tunnels that you took in?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Theo-”

“Is it so bad that I’m not entirely alone down here? Huh? My whole life, I was alone, with no one but the Dread Doctors for company. I know they were bad to you all, but they were bad to me, too. So now that I’m finally free of them and minding my own business, why do you think it’s okay to barge in here asking questions, when I know you don’t care about me?”

Scott sighs. “You know what? Fine. I don’t care about you. But I do care about that other wolf in there, because anyone alone with you is someone possibly in a great deal of danger. So if you’d just-”

“Scott!”

Scott’s and Theo’s stomachs both drop at the sound of Liam’s voice coming from the den entrance. Slowly, they both turn. Theo mouths a “what are you doing”, while Scott’s jaw drops open in speechless surprise. 

“Leave him alone,” Liam continues, eyes on the verge of tears. 

“Liam, what the hell are you doing down here?”

“Nothing,” Theo says quickly, “he got lost and is leaving.” He makes quick steps towards the boy, using his back to block him from Scott, and asks his question again at a volume only Liam can hear. Without replying, Liam looks up at him. Storm clouds threaten rain over the dark, oak trees, and Theo takes a deep sigh before stepping away so Liam can face his alpha. 

“Liam…”

“I’m safe,” he assures, “I’m always safe when I’m down here.”

“How often are you down here?”

“More than you’d want to know.”

Scott sighs and slumps his weight against the tunnel wall. “Just… why?”

“Why what?”

“Why… everything? Why Theo? Why are you in the tunnels? Why did you skip pack night to hide in the tunnels with Theo? And why did you look like a fully shifted wolf just a second ago, when I don’t even know how to do that?!”

“Theo taught me,” he says quickly, proud of himself, but then remembers he’s talking to his alpha and slumps his shoulders. “I mean, it’s really easy. Once you… know how.”

“Why are you with him, of all people?”

“Because I trust him,” Liam answers honestly, picking at the skin around his fingernails. 

Scott laughs at that. Actually laughs, and Liam tries not to burst into tears. “You can’t trust him, Liam! When has he given us a reason to trust him?!”

“During the war, do you not remember?! He saved my life, pulling me into the elevator, and then pushed me out of the way of a hundred incoming bullets. He fought for us, Nolan included, even after he learned what he did to me. And at the zoo, when we were paired together against the hunters, he kept me safe again and prevented me from hurting Nolan, when in the moment, I really, really wanted to. I know he did some bad things before, but he’s paid for them. He’s trying to be better. He is doing better.”

“But Liam-”

“No, I’m not finished. You didn’t give up on me when I had trouble on full moons. You were patient, and helped me through it, and I don’t have trouble with them anymore. And then with all these new betas, you’ve opened your pack up to them and given them a safe place to be, and a home. All these former lone wolves who were all victims of something. And here, Theo is both of those things, he is trying to be better, and he’s suffered just as much as your new betas, yet every time I ask if you can forgive him and just let him try to integrate into the pack, you reject me. So yeah, I don’t really feel like doing pack bonding shit when Theo’s down here by himself in silence and complete darkness. And maybe I’m in the tunnels because I’m here more nights than I’m not, because the nightmares never really went away, but when I’m with him, I feel safe. And yeah, why Theo, maybe because when I’m overwhelmed and on the verge of an episode, he’s the only one that can calm me down. Not you, not Derek’s mantra, not anyone or anything else, but Theo.”

“Liam, you can’t trust him-”

“I can’t, or you can’t?”

“-you’re my beta!”

“Who has never felt less like your beta in these last few weeks. Look, I stumbled upon Theo by accident. It really did start off with nightmares, because I could never sleep, but I didn’t feel safe in the woods because of the hunters” - Scott immediately picks out a lie. Liam had told him he was late to school because he was working out for lacrosse in the woods. - “so I went down into the tunnels and ran into him there. He’s never come close to hurting me in all the times I’ve been down here.”

“You told me this morning you were practicing in the woods.”

Liam visibly gulps. “I knew you wouldn’t take it well if I said where I actually was.”

“You lied to me,” Scott says, tone harsh. He thinks about his own words.

One, his beta worked long enough on a lie that he could pass it by Scott undetected. 

Two, he was afraid to tell his alpha the truth of where he’d been. 

Scott swallows hard. 

“I didn’t want to.”

“Did Theo make you?”

Technically, yes, but it was to protect him. All Theo’s ever done is protect Liam. 

“I knew that I needed to,” he replies instead. 

Scott listens to his heartbeat. No irregularities. He eyes the pair again. 

“I thought your smell was off earlier. I couldn’t place it.”

“The tunnels are damp,” Liam offers, “even though I smelled like him, it was faint.”

“And why would you smell like him?”

Liam shrugs, seemingly unbothered by the question. “The den is small.”

Scott nods that he wants to see it, so Theo begrudgingly lets him in. Scott ducks inside to find the same set-up that’s been there for weeks now, except the comforter is all messed up from them playing. “I was wondering where the gray one went.”

“He ripped it on purpose after he found me down here.”

Liam nods in agreement. “It’s cold down here, and the ground is hard. Luckily, it was getting worn anyway so my mom didn’t ask questions.”

“So what, do you lay on this thing together? Is that why it’s so messed up right now?”

“Well, yeah,” Liam replies, sending a shudder through Scott at the thought of them being so close. “But we were fighting earlier, that’s why it’s a mess.”

“Fighting?”

“Rough-housing,” Theo corrects.

Scott narrows his eyes. “As wolves?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you sleep like that, too?”

“Sometimes. It’s more comfortable that way,” Liam admits with a shrug. 

Scott stares vacantly at the comforter, a thousand thoughts in his mind but none rolling off his tongue. Liam grows more anxious with every moment his alpha doesn’t speak, while Theo gets irritated with the older boy’s silence, smelling the fear emitting from the beta. 

“Are you mad at me?” Liam finally blurts out.

“What? Um, no. I don’t know. I’m… disappointed.”

“That’s almost worse,” he mutters. Theo wants to comfort him, nuzzle into his neck, but doubts Scott would appreciate that much. 

“Does the pack know? Mason? Corey?”

“What? No! I haven’t told anyone, because I know you’d all have the same response.”

“If you know we’d react that way, why’d you do it anyway? If something inside you knows it’s wrong, why continue to do it and hide it from us?”

“Because I don’t think it is wrong! If anything, I think it’s more wrong that you all refuse to give him a second chance.”

“But Liam-”

“Don’t ‘but Liam’ me, I already know what you’re going to say; you’re going to repeat the same dumb shit you’ve told me a thousand times before: he can’t be trusted, he’s done too many bad things, blah blah blah, I thought Stiles was the one that held grudges, not you!”

Scott sighs, realizing the truth to his words. Stiles would always push people away, while Scott always tried to see the good in them. 

“Y’know how sick I’ve been over this these last couple weeks? How apart from the pack I’ve felt? You’re gone most of the time, but have left me in charge, and I don’t feel any kind of bond to these new betas. You’re the alpha, you’re the one with the connection. I’m barely keeping my head above water. I choose to be down here, because lately, he seems to be the only person actually interested in listening, instead of judging!”

Scott doesn’t reply. He doesn’t know how, yet. He thinks back to all the times Liam calmly asked about Theo. He’d slip it into casual conversation, asking if he’d heard from him, or if he’d ever consider letting him join. Sometimes, during pack meetings, he’d come up with a crucial detail in a plan, and when Scott complimented him on it, he’d mutter a small, “that’s what Theo would do.” Other times, though, he would outright ask that if the chimera ever returned to town, if he’d be allowed in. Liam rarely mentioned him around his fellow betas, but he spoke of him enough to Scott that he knew he was on his mind. Scott’s kicking himself now for not realizing it sooner, that Theo never really left town, and Liam never got over him. 

“Liam, I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I-”

“If this is going to be another bullshit rejection, save it.”

“It’s not.” Scott holds up his hands. He’s a little shocked by the curse word used by his beta, but tries to not let it show on his face. “I haven’t been listening, not really. I have been caught up in tracking down the hunters and new betas, and in doing so, I’ve been completely neglecting the pack-”

“I don’t care about myself, I just wish you’d realize that he’s changed. A lot. And I think he’d do well in a pack. He’d make a good beta, given the chance.”

“I know you can see it. I just… I struggle with trusting him because he almost killed me,” Scott says the last few words a little softer, but both still hear him. He quiets more out of disapproval from himself than judgment from them. 

“But I almost killed you, too…”

“But you’re my beta,” he repeats. 

Liam says nothing, and in that moment, Scott realizes how close he is to actually losing his beta over this. Liam loves Theo - whether he chooses to confess that emotion or not - and is willing to sacrifice his place in the pack to be with him. In fact, the only reason the impulsive boy hasn’t yet, must be because of the one who’s seemingly become his anchor, reminding him why he can’t. 

Scott remembers how badly Theo wanted to be a part of his pack. Stiles refused, no matter how much Scott wanted to trust him. In retaliation, he tried to build his own, only for a hunger for power to knock it down. Theo knows he wasn’t a good alpha, but Scott does think he might have the potential to be a good beta, if he could prove himself. 

Maybe if Liam trusts him, Scott can learn to trust him, too. 

“Liam?”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember that time Garrett tried to get the upper hand on us by trapping you in that well?” Scott doesn’t miss the way Theo’s heart skips with sudden rage. 

“Yes.”

“Or that time you and Hayden got taken and we couldn’t find you anywhere?”

“Yeah?”

“What about when Gerard threatened that the best way to break up the pack was to kill you? Because the bitten betas are always the ones with the closest bonds to their alphas?”

“Mhm.”

“All these incidents are times where someone’s threatened to hurt you, and it took an indescribable amount of self control for me not to hurt them back. I know I haven’t been showing it lately, but I still care for you the same as I have these past years. Not to be selfish, but it would wreck me to lose you. I can’t lose you, Liam.”

“I know,” he replies, tone choking as if he could cry at any minute. He tries to say more - about how he doesn’t really want to, how his heart is torn in two different ways - but he can’t spit out more than a stutter on the first word. “Do-” he looks to Theo, then to Scott, “do you remember what happened after you saved me from the well?”

Scott narrows his eyes. “Yeah, we went to the clinic to get the wolfsbane out of your chest.”

“It was the first time I truly started to trust you,” he admits. “You reached me just in time and pulled me out. I had been skeptical of the supernatural world, and weary of trusting you, until that night. I felt safe around you after that.” Scott blinks, unsure where he’s going with this. “I still trust you, Scott, with my life. I want Theo to experience that same security. That feeling of knowing someone has your back. I know he can be a good beta, I’ll guide him.”

Scott’s still hesitant, but Liam’s pleading face tugs at his heartstrings. He can’t lose his beta over this, not to Theo, not to anyone. And besides, he has a point. Scott has always been the one to give second chances, even if they’re not always deserving of it. 

“He’s not going to change his mind, Li,” Theo mutters, sitting down on the comforter. Scott makes a mental note of it; it’s almost a submission to the alpha in the room, to sit down while the other stands. A subtle yield, despite the challenge in his words. “You heard him, he doesn’t care for me.”

A mix of sadness and nervousness floods Liam’s body. He looks down at Theo as if he wants to join him, but fears Scott’s judgment.

“It’s not that I don’t care, Theo, I shouldn’t have used those words. I just… I need to put my pack first. When I bring new betas in, they need to be accepted by everyone.” Scott pauses, figuring out the best way to word this. “Liam, I should’ve listened to you better. You’ve asked me about Theo many times, and while I partly thought he had left, I should’ve known, especially from your persistence, that he hadn’t.”

“Told you to drop it, Liam,” Theo mutters again. Scott catches it, mouth twitching in slight amusement. 

“I didn’t realize how it would affect you for me to bring in new betas while ignoring your requests. I was blinded by what happened in the past and wrongfully held it against him, even though I can recognize how he helped us in the war.”

“So what’s that mean?” Liam says, finally sitting criss-cross beside Theo. Their knees just barely touch, but neither seem to mind. 

“Well first it means I’m sorry, to both of you, for not giving second chances where they were due, and not looking out for your needs. I hope you can both forgive me for that, and that it’s enough for you to stay.” He looks straight at Liam, who’s eyes dart to the ground. 

The beta nods, but his voice trembles as he replies, “I can’t stay unless…”

“I know. If Theo can forgive me, I’d like to invite him to stay, too.”

Liam’s eyes carefully meet Scott’s. “You mean…?”

“I do, as long as he can prove to be a good beta. Gain the pack’s trust as he’s gained yours.”

“Theo?” Liam nudges him with his knee.

The chimera’s heartbeat quickens with excitement, yet he keeps his tone steady. “What if I can’t gain their trust? What if they start to distrust Liam for bringing me in? Or you?”

“I think you’ll find them a lot more forgiving now than they were during the war. Tensions are much lower. They’re a good group, and they trust Liam and I to make good decisions.”

“What about Stiles, then?”

“I’ll talk to him,” Scott promises. “We can keep him in the dark for now, until you get settled, but I’ll assure him you’ve changed.”

“So you believe it? That I have?”

“I’ll be honest, while I can see it, it might take me a little more time to gain your full trust. Though, I do trust Liam, so if he does, I know I can, too. As long as you remain loyal, trust will grow. That goes for everyone in the pack.”

The chimera eyes Scott for any waiverance. He listens to his heart for an irregular beat. Finding nothing in him but sincerity, he nods. “Okay.”

Liam smiles immediately, bringing a smile to Scott’s own face. Scott then nods back to Theo. “Okay. I’m going to go back to the pack and let them know. We’re actually all together tonight, so if you want, it’s the perfect time to introduce you. And we can establish a fresh start between some of you guys.” The pair agree. “Alright, well would you like to meet us at my house in an hour or so? Give both of you time to, y’know, prepare.”

“Yeah, sounds good. Liam?”

“Mhm!”

“Okay.”

“And Theo?”

“Yeah?”

“Pack up your stuff. We’ll find you somewhere more safe and secure to live, even if that means staying in the spare bedroom at my house, okay?”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ll talk to my mom. She’ll understand.”

“I can talk to mine,” Liam suggests. He wears a look of pride that makes Theo roll his eyes. A thousand times, Liam’s begged Theo to stay at his, but the boy’s always refused. Now, he might finally get his way. 

“Yeah,” Scott agrees, “my mom can talk to her, too, or your dad.”

“Fine,” he says to Liam, sharp tone confusing Scott just a little, “you win.”

“Ha!” Scott then watches his beta catch Theo completely off guard, pushing his shoulder so hard he falls to the side. Theo reacts immediately, rolling back up to grab the wolf’s arms and hold them still. “Let go!”

“You started it!” Liam leans forward to bite his knuckles, bringing Theo to let go of one hand and smack him gently on the nose. “Ah, no biting.”

“Fucker-”

“One condition,” Scott says suddenly, noticing the way their play so closely resembles that of wolves. Both take their hands off each other and look at him, curious. “You have got to teach me how to fully shift.”

Theo smiles - a genuinely happy smile - and nods. “Deal.”

Scott gives a thumbs up before leaving the boys’ makeshift den, then prepares the best way to deliver the news. Despite his hesitancy, he’s glad things worked out the way they have tonight. Liam looks the happiest he’s been in a while, and after seeing how he and Theo are together, he does think the latter could do well in a pack. Convincing the others might take some time, but it’s necessary, and in the long run, it may have been well worth it. 

Scott looks back for one second before the two leave his line of vision. Instead of packing, both have fully shifted again and are wrestling on the comforter. 

“Fighting?” He had asked. 

“Rough-housing,” Theo corrected. 

Liam - the tawny wolf slightly bigger than Theo - nips behind the black wolf’s ear and forces him into submission. Scott’s eyes widen at not only his dominance, but also at how Theo lets him. He holds him down and chews on his neck affectionately. A moment later, Theo finally bites back, targeting his paws, until he’s towering over Liam, and now, Liam lets him, without any fight. Scott watches for a little longer, stunned by the sight of the long, gentle licks wetting the fur on Liam’s face. Their heartbeats slow as they both relax, previously thumping only due to excitement.

Well worth it, Scott thinks again, heading towards the ladder.

[press-f1-to-grieve]

Liam telling stories about him and Yuki on the Red Flags Podcast

Source: Red Flags Podcast - WE INTERVIEWED F1'S LIAM LAWSON!!! (edited down and transcribed by @press-f1-to-grieve)

to @2bluetwo85: i read your tags from that yuki and liam post. thank you for letting me know this exists (and for reading my long tags). i hope i got the right podcast you were talking about.

---

full transcription underneath beware, it's long. and i'm not familiar with the podcast (my newbie is showing) so i'm not sure which voice belongs to who. please excuse me if i got them mixed up. i listened to the episode on a podcast app and only found out they have a youtube channel later, after i had already finished everything bar hit the "post" button. the visual would have helped greatly with knowing who's speaking but alas...

---

Matt: Ye so, I wanna talk about another teammate of yours, Yuki Tsunoda. So we've read that you and Yuki go back. He lived with your parents in New Zealand?

Brian: (laughs) No! He didn't live- He didn't live with- Liam: He came to- So this is a series called the "Toyota Racing Series" in New Zealand, used to be like, really really big, especially before Covid. And basically we were both competing in it as teammates, and so he came to New Zealand. And we've been teammates a year before that in F3 and Euro Formula, so I've spent a lot of time with him already. So when he came to New Zealand, he basically just hung out with us. A lot. Like, I basically just drive around with him. Matt: So like step-brothers a little bit? Liam: Honestly, ye. (laughs)

Matt: What was your favorite thing to do with him, growing up?

Liam: It was always away from the track. Cause away from the track, he's a really funny, genuine dude. So, obviously, it's harder. When you are competing, with Yuki, (...) competing for the same seat. So, it's like, at the track, it's real intense. And then, away from that, it's real cool.

Matt: How're you able to maintain a friendship when it's just like, you know, blood sport out there for these few seats?

Liam: At points, over the year, (stammers) you know, it's not a friendship. And then he- Like, obviously, his journey was pushed a lot earlier than mine. He went to F1 quite early so, then I was- I wasn't really in competition with him anymore so- Matt: Right. Does that help your friendship? Liam: Then we are like, pretty chill again. And then we are put in competition again.

---

Brian: I think in one of the earlier seasons of Drive to Survive, you were in his room, and his room was like, all messy, and he was annoyed that they put it in.

Matt: Did you catch him on a bad day or is that just is? Brian: Is his room just a mess always? Liam: That's literally- I don't know now. Oh actually, I went to his house recently and it was a lot better. Both Hosts: (relieved) Okay! Liam: He has improved. (stammers) I remember, well, it wasn't really- (vocally winces) It was fierce because you shouldn't live like that anyway. BUT!- Both Hosts: (crying laughing emojis in audio form) Liam: But I remember, he had just moved into this apartment at the start of, I think it was the start of that year, and I- Oh no, it was the year before! But same thing, Covid, here, basically. I went to New Zealand because I was about to be locked out of the country. There was no racing. And Yuki stayed, in Milton Keynes for months. Just on (his own), he didn't go back to Japan. Like he just stayed in this apartment. Brian: Like Cast Away Liam: But I had to move into this brand new apartment and it was sick! And I went to New Zealand and I came back 3 months later. Matt: He has got a beard. Liam: And I walked into this place and it was just like DUUDE. It was bad, like it was real bad. Brian: (hums of understanding) Like takeouts and- (all three make noises of agreement) Liam: It was just food everywhere. Like, the laundry basket was just like, overflowing. Matt: Yuki was basically all of us during Covid. Brian: (enthusiastic YE's)

---

Matt: So, what are you most competitive with Yuki off the track? Like what do you guys like to-

Liam: Awe, dude, everything. Both Hosts: Ye? Liam: No, like, everything. We're like- At the moment, we've been playing table tennis. Just little disc. Matt: Oh you'll just make- Liam: M-make one! Ye, just make it. (...) not a proper one. Matt: Who is up? Liam: He plays a lot more, to be fair, but- Matt: So he crushes you. Liam: (cute babbles) No no- Both Hosts: (laugh) Liam: So, we played in Japan. I think I had him in Japan. And then we played last week and he beat me. Matt: You don't keep a serious tally? Are you better on certain surfaces? Like if it's a dinner table, you got him. Liam: On a smaller table, I have him. But on a slightly bigger table- Like depends on what table we get during race weekend.

---

Liam: But one thing with Yuki that was real funny that we did back when we were in New Zealand.

Liam: I don't know how this is a thing but you can rent a boat, at like 15 or 16 years old. And just take it out, to Lake Taupo. And so me and Yuki were like- I was probably 17 or 18 and he was like 19 or 20, and we just rented this boat, and got like, you know, biscuit, or tube? What do you call them? (...) And we just took it out and basically- It started off like real fun. Like we were just towing each other around. But then it just got like, who could throw the other person off like, the biggest. We just like, tried to kill each other on this little tube, in the middle of this lake. Matt: Just the two of you? Liam: Just the two of us. Just out there in the middle of a lake. Brian: Just the two of you tried to kill each other. Matt: It's like a fucking thriller. Liam: Honestly! I've got videos of like, him and me, like, in the air. Like, meters in the air. Matt: Who won or lost that game? Brian: "We both lost that game." Liam: Actually, I lost pretty hard on that one, to be fair. Matt: He threw you- Liam: I went off like, big time, ye. Brian: It seems like, that's the common experience of tubing, is that. It's like, it's fun and then you're like, am I gonna die? (...)

Matt: So Yuki was a master at flinging you?

Liam: Well, he would like- Sometimes I feel like it's on accident. He would like, get a lot of slack and it will just build up real fast- Both Hosts: Sure, he said it was on accident.

---

Liam: We're drivers. Everything turns into a competition.

Liam: We had a rental car, again in New Zealand with Yuki, that we like, basically would like, make a little track and just set time trials off the side of the road. Matt: Like with a Camry or something? Liam: No, Yuki had this little Mitsubishi ASX. I don't know if you know what it is, it's like a boxed car. And we, with like a couple of drivers, basically made like, a little track, and, basically goes until somebody- until Yuki crashed it. (...) The funniest thing, it wasn't even in the- He had finished his lap. It was afterward, he tried to be cool and do like a flick spin, and just totally sent it into a bank. We had to go to a store to get one of those plungers to try and plunge out the dent in the front of the- Because we had to get the car back. Brian: Right, of course. Matt: Renters insurance, man. If I see you or Yuki walk into an enterprise or something, I'll just like, go somewhere else.

[onthewaytosomewhere]

the wip-iest of days

so after a bit of delay - i.e. distraction in the another wip variety i'm back in my southern philanthropy words.

thanks ever so much (dr, alex) @theprinceandagcd & @typicalopposite for the early wednesday tag! 💚

words and lots of tags under the cut

“I have it on good authority that anyone from Texas can be a cowboy with the right attire, though that drawl of yours makes me think you wouldn’t need the clothes for it.”

“I have a friend that used to say that every Texan was one cowboy hat or flannel away from singing ‘Home on the Range.’” Percy cocks his head, and Liam elaborates, “It’s an old song we all had to learn to sing in grade school and all about ‘that cowboy life’”

“Yeah, I’m somewhat familiar with the song …” Percy trails off, and Liam seizes the opportunity to get them back on track; after all, he was promised to be allowed to play the part of the broncing buck. His fingers make quick work of undoing Percy’s fly, and he follows as Percy stands back on the floor at the side of the bed and assists Lian in pushing the not-quite-leather pants to the floor.

Liam is curious about how they can be both leather but also something else he can’t place, and he is about to ask when he realizes Pez is standing in front of him in nothing but a thong. They leave nothing to the imagination, clinging to his uncut cock, and Liam slides his finger along them, sliding one under the waistband and exposing the tip of Percy’s cock. He leans in and licks at the exposed tip, tonguing the foreskin still clinging to the head. He watches as it slides down to rest just under the tip and tongues at the frenulum there on the underside of what might be the prettiest cock he’s ever seen, and he hasn’t even seen it all. He hooks a finger in the silky thong, tugging it down to expose the rest of the cock, he really wants to get his mouth around.

💚💚no-presssure, tag ur it to @adreamareads @agame-writes @anincompletelist @bitbybitwrites @blueeyedgrlwrites

@dragonflylady77 @duchessdepolignaca03 @england-would-fall @firenati0n @firstsprinces

@forever-fixating @getmehighonmagic @henryspearl @heysweetheart-writes @hgejfmw-hgejhsf

@inell @inexplicablymine @itsmaybitheway @jellibuns @jmagnabo92

@junebugclaremontdiaz @kiwiana-writes @littlemisskittentoes @lizzie-bennetdarcy @mikibwrites

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[fangirl-dot-com]

🌑Track 3 - Big Reputations

guys, I was so proud of this chapter and then the instagram post. I always try to make them look cohesive and that the pictures were taken all together - and I think I was able to do that really well this time!

TAG LIST IS CLOSED

Oscar huffed while looking at the notification from the WhatsApp. Apparently two new numbers had been added in the past hour. However, no one has said anything. He opened the app and began to type, before he pressed the delete button. 

What was he supposed to say? 

Liam and Theo had been added weeks ago. The atmosphere of the group chat was a bit lighter with the two new additions. Despite what he had said in an interview a couple of months ago, the group chat did have a random meme or quirky text thrown around from time to time. The two new drivers had made themselves known immediately. Yet, these two “drivers” had yet to say anything. 

Oscar’s eyebrows scrunched at the two unknowns invading the safe space. His apartment was quite empty. Lily wasn’t able to join him for the last few days of break. He was technically supposed to be packing to head to Bahrain in the morning, but he couldn’t find the want or energy to actually start. 

He would have called Lando, but the Briton was already busy with Quadrant things. He thought about texting Logan, but immediately shut the idea down. The American had probably gotten a new number, since Oscar’s messages weren’t even delivered. And the sight of Logan’s Instagram being deactivated also meant that he didn’t want to be found in the first place. 

Oscar’s heart clenched weirdly at the thought. How had they gone from being best friends to not even talking anymore. 

To Oscar, it hurt. The Aussie was trying to justify his own acts against the American. If Logan had been just a bit more extroverted, or had done a better job at driving, or had actually tried to reach out, then maybe Oscar wouldn’t have distanced himself. 

But then again, he had multiple unanswered texts and missed calls from Logan that he ignored. 

Another notification had him glancing back down at his phone. 

This time, George had taken the initiative to welcome to two, still unknown, rookies. The “hi, welcome to the grid” text was a standard for everyone who joined. His fingers itched to also welcome them, but he stopped himself and looked closer at the two contacts. 

Racer #2 and Racer #95. 

Oscar sighed at the sight of the familiar number. He guessed that someone had been wanting to take that number since Logan was no longer racing. 

However, he just wondered who they were and why they didn’t use their real names. The answer came from the #95. 

“What?” Oscar whispered to himself as he read over the text. Lamborghini didn’t want them using their names until they showed up at testing. How ridiculous it was in Oscar’s mind. He watched as Liam tried to make conversation with #95, asking if their number was a nod to the famous Cars movie. 

Liam didn’t get a reply. 

The Aussie had a bad gut feeling. Maybe this was all a joke. They could try to be civil, and maybe freaking answer? Oscar did not like the vibes he was getting from the two. 

He didn’t even know if they were both males. 

He had heard rumors that Lamborghini was looking at a possible female candidate. But that what they were supposed to be: just rumors. He cleared the app and opened the messages icon on his iPhone. George’s contact is what he pressed and immediately opened a call. 

His phone rang for a moment before the Briton picked up. 

“Hello mate,” George’s voice sounded from the phone. 

“Hi George. I just wanted to ask about the two new numbers.” 

“Ah the new drivers for Lamborghini?” 

Oscar nodded before he realized that George was not on Facetime. “Yes.” 

George sighed. “From what I got, they’re legit drivers. However, I got an email directly from Michael saying that Tonino wanted his drivers’ identities to not be compromised before testing.” 

“Ah, well, I just didn’t want to say anything to them before I knew they were legitimate. It’s kind of weird.” 

“I understand. It’s weird to see that someone else is going to use Logan’s old number.” 

Oscar could hear, what was it, a touch of sadness in George’s voice? Why would he be sad? 

“I meant that it’s weird that they don’t want their names to be known. I mean, it’s just a number George, I’m not upset about that.” 

The Mercedes driver made noise. 

“But it’s Logan’s number.” 

Oscar rolled his eyes. “Well, if Logan wanted to keep it, he should have been a better driver.” 

The line went silent, and Oscar really thought that George might have hung up. A quick glance to the screen told him otherwise. 

“You don’t truly believe that, do you? Logan tried to hard.” 

Oscar bit out, “Well, it wasn’t enough. He should have done better, been better. Maybe then I could still stand him. Thanks for your help George.”  

With that, the Aussie hung up before George could even answer. He was furious. If Logan truly wanted to stay in F1, he should have done better and that was that. No need to be butthurt over someone who wasn’t going to be in his life anymore. 

On the other side of London, George was still looking at his phone screen after Oscar hung up. But, the Briton was staring at the Driver #2’s WhatsApp number. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to memorize the digits. 

“What are you staring at?” Lewis sounded as he sat on George’s couch. 

Oh, George kind of forgot that he was there. 

The tall Briton didn’t answer as he opened his own messaging app and went directly to Logan’s new contact. The last message had been read but went unanswered. And that was almost a month ago. 

But, as he stared at the info tab and the number he had down for Logan and then at the number for Driver #2, the digits matched up. 

George’s eyes widened before he looked up at Lewis and smirked. 

“How do you feel about the two new drivers?” 

Lewis shrugged. “A bit stand-off-ish. But I understand, they were only added today.” 

The brunet took a seat across from his older teammate and faux sighed. 

“I’m just worried that the rookies are going to not be included. Ya know, like what happened with Logan.” 

Lewis put a hand on George’s shoulder. 

The man looked at him with big brown eyes. “It wasn’t your fault George. Williams had this planned for a long time. There was nothing you could do.” 

George stood up immediately and threw his hands. 

“But I could have been a better friend. He was struggling Lewis and no one did anything. Oscar was too busy making eye-babies with Lando to notice that his friend was falling. Alex was being an asshole. And no one else took the time to even get to know him, and now he’s gone.” 

On the inside, George was congratulating himself on the performance that he was putting on. Of course he knew that driver #2 was Logan. And, he was guessing that driver #95 was possible that best friend that Logan spoke so highly of, the female ex-driver or Arrow. 

Lewis stayed seated. “I know you’re upset George, but it won’t change anything in the past. All we can focus on is the future. I know for one that I will do my best to get to know the rookies so we don’t have another issue like last year. I know you’re not focusing on the chat but it looks like Max and Charles have been able to get a few answers out of them.” 

George looked back down at his phone to see multiple notifications from WhatsApp. It looks like Lewis was telling the truth. 

Multiple messages had been exchanged between the two rivals and the unknown numbers, well, unknown to everyone but him. George smirked. 

“Looks like the rivals can get along.” 

Lewis snorted. “I guess they also want to try to be a bit more welcoming. We can all learn from our mistakes last season.” 

The shorter Briton looked down, slightly getting emotional. Lewis knew first-hand how detrimental Formula 1 was to childhood best friends. His own heart still hurt to see Nico on the weekends that he was there. He felt guilty that he let Brocedes happen once again with Logan and Oscar. 

For a short time, George had been irate with Lewis about the switch to Ferrari. But now, seeing what happened with Logan last season, George didn’t want to miss precious moments with his friend. 

George never responded to what Lewis said. He only sat down again, across from the couch, and sent a simple text to Logan. 

Back in Milan, you and Logan were cackling over messing with the other drivers. You could tell that no one knew what to do with the secrecy of identities. But now that you were in a banter with Charles over ice cream flavors and Logan was having a deep conversation about air pollution with Max, the group chat seemed a little less daunting. 

A ping from Logan’s phone had the two of you looking at it. Logan hadn’t expected a text from George after leaving him on read months ago. But now, the new messaged seemed to stare back at them. 

All the message said was “Glad to see you back. Let me know when you get to Bahrain for testing.” 

Logan winced as he forgot he had the same number for both iMessages and WhatsApp. You could definitely tell that he was spiraling. You placed a hand on his arm. 

“Hey, Michael isn’t going to be upset. He knows that you and George are friends.” 

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. 

“I’m just so scared of messing up again.” 

You rolled your eyes. “Logan, you didn’t mess up the first time. It wasn’t your fault.” 

Your body leaned back, expecting Logan to retaliate. Except, the American only smiled at you, taking in your words. 

“You’re right.” 

You pushed his shoulder. “Like always.” 

Instagram was pulled up on your phone. You refreshed the page to show that Lamborghini had posted something about the two of you. Your fingers quickly scrolled through the comments while you smirked at all the fan theories. 

You pipped up as Logan sipped on a smoothie. 

“Looks like everyone is talking about us.” 

The man across from you smirked back. “But they don’t even know it’s us. I kind of like it. No one knows and can’t say anything. They just know that something big is happening. Also, George wants to meet up when we get to Bahrain.” 

“You texted him back?” You never looked up from your phone, now scrolling through twitter. 

“Yeah. George was actually the only one that was nice to me on a regular basis. I miss him.” 

“Sounds like fun. I’m glad you had George last season. Are we going to play paddle?” 

The typing sounds came from Logan’s phone as he texted George. A ping signaled that he answered. 

“Yeah. Looks like Lewis, Max, and Charles might join.” 

You raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like peculiar bunch?” 

Logan shrugged. “I mean, Lewis is going to be Charles’s teammate next year. And then anywhere Charles goes, Max isn’t too behind.” 

“Makes sense. Kind of like us?” 

Logan sent you a lopsided smile. “Like us, except we aren’t childhood rivals.” 

“Of course. Only because we never karted together.” 

A sigh left Logan’s lips. He always wished you could have karted with him, but you were off in the Italian divisions while Logan stuck in the British divisions. However, the summers the two of you spent together in Florida would always trump the times apart. 

Logan got lost in thought before he spoke again. 

“Do you even know how to play paddle?” 

A snort left your lips. “Of course. Maybe I’ll bring the one you sent me with your face on it.” 

Red flushed Logan’s face. “Please don’t.” 

“What would you do about it Mr. Sargeant?” 

Logan just picks up one of the decorative pillows from the couch and chucks it at your head. You do not have time to react and it ends up hitting you square in the face. Your mouth lets out a squawk before you pick the pillow back up. You rise from the plush chair and stalk toward Logan, who has put his hands up to deter you. 

“Please have mercy! I didn’t mean it.” 

You stopped for a bit, giving Logan some false hope and enough time for him to put his hands down before you swing the pillow, hitting the side of his head. Logan splutters before reaching out and pulling you down on top of him. 

The two of you tussle for a bit before Marissa walks into the room. She chuckles as she watched the two of you roll on the floor, both tugging on the pillow. 

“I don’t even want to ask.” 

The sound of her voice makes the two of you freeze. Your heads slowly turn toward her, before the two of you scramble to get up. You mock dust yourself off as Logan awkwardly chuckles. 

Marissa cocks an eyebrow. “If the two of you are done, it’s time for the suit and helmet promo pictures along with some circuit testing.” 

You and Logan have giant grins on your face as the two of you follow her out. Logan elbows you before walking quickly to Marissa’s side. You gawk at him before shaking your head. 

Logan was going to be the death of you. But you’d let him. 

At the test track, you were smiling behind your helmet as you watched Logan go lap after lap. The helmet was just a standard black one with multiple different sponsor logos on it, as well as the Lambo one being the biggest. You and Logan had worn them while walking into the circuit, just in case there were any cameras or paparazzi around. The last thing you wanted was to be outed before testing. 

You watched as Logan finally pulled in, the car looking fast. 

Logan’s hands automatically went to take his helmet off as a force of habit, but he quickly put them down. Like you, he also didn’t want to outed. 

Marissa beckoned the two of you over. 

“All right, that looks good for Logan. Y/n you’ll run 15 laps and then you’re done for today. I’ve already talked to Michael and he’s fine with the two of you playing paddle. He’s rented out a building for the day, just in case, but he wants the two of you to have fun. The flight you need to catch is early at 5 am. Please be on time.” 

As you and Logan were running to the gate the next morning, you should have headed Marissa’s warnings a bit more. The two of you were huffing and puffing by the time you got to the lounge, with only 15 minutes to spare. Many older, fancy-looking people gave you weird looks. You tried to smile at them, but it came out as more as a grimace. 

You were able to catch a few hours of sleep while Logan went over some more data. He was always the one to go over things like that, trying to find the sweet spot of the car. Logan had done the same at Williams, but it rarely made a difference. He had just found the perfect balance of the car in Austin last year, and then they made him switch with Alex. And then he didn’t even get his car back. The rebuilt chassis was terrible. 

Logan smiled to himself as he felt the familiar weight of your head on his shoulder. He barely turned and kissed the top of your head. A blush ran through his face as you leaned more into him, trying to snuggle closer. 

Benny was watching with a small smile as he saw Logan place his head on top of yours. The older man had sworn that he wouldn’t be returning. But the moment Michael had reached out with an offer than he couldn’t refuse, he accepted it without hesitation. He would do anything for Logan. His wife was also very understanding and was thankful for the compensation that Lamborghini was going to provide for her family. Logan was like their eldest son, and they couldn’t, wouldn’t, let him down again. 

You were still pretty tired on the way to the hotel, but were now buzzing with energy as Logan drove you to the paddle courts. He was driving one of the company’s Lamborghini Urus since your Aventador and his Huracan hadn’t been able to be shipped in time. They were done and ready to be driven when they shipped them to Jeddah. 

Logan had given you the DJ privileges for this ride, but he claimed it on the way back. You were going through his phone, letting George know that the two of you would be the first to arrive. He texted back that him, Lewis, Max, and Charles would all arrive together. You thumbed up the text, after telling him to give him Logan’s last name at the counter so that they could be let in. 

George was smirking in the Mercedes that Lewis was currently driving. Charles and Max were banned to the back seat (yet they claimed they wanted to be back there because they couldn’t afford to be caught riding in a Mercedes). 

Once they parked, he turned his body to face the group. 

“Now, I’m going to give the front a last name so that we can get in, but do not overreact, ok?” 

The lanky-Briton didn’t wait for an answer before he got out of the car. He could feel the presence of the three drivers and held the door open. The lady at the front stared at them weirdly. George watched as she opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her. 

“We’re a part of the group that’s playing today.” 

“Name please?” 

The lady typed something on her computer. 

George smiled. “Sargeant.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw heads whip toward him, but he decided to ignore the shocked looks as well. 

Typing resumed as he tapped the desk, a bit impatient to see his friend after a while. A grin grew on her face as she finally looked up at him. 

“Court 3. Extra paddles are in the small boxes if you don’t have any. Enjoy your time.” 

George took the initiative and led the group around the corner. Lewis tugged on his sleeve, but he didn’t stop, not when he heard the familiar laugh. 

The door squeaked as he opened it, letting the figure in the room notice the arrival of the group of four. George’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of Logan. 

To him, the American had filled out a lot. He often looked too skinny during race weekends, especially after Benny left. The Briton wanted to ask him about his nutrition but had always been nervous to. He was also more tan that he had been. His hair looked fluffy and there were no more purple eyebags under his eyes. Overall, he just looked so much better than end of the 2023 season Logan. Where had the sick child gone and who was this man in front of George? The brunet thought for a moment that he had been played, until Logan started walking toward him. 

“Mate, are you going to ogle or are you going to say something?” Logan asked as he stepped toward George, arm stretched out. 

He clasped George’s hand and pulled him into a hug. Once the bro-moment was done, George still kept looking at Logan.

“You look good mate.” 

Logan’s head leaned back as he laughed. 

“Thanks.” 

It was then he noticed that the other three drivers had yet to move from the door. Their eyes were still wide and looking at the duo. Logan smirked as he saw you sneak up behind them. 

“Hi guys!” you semi-yelled, making them jump. Your giggle sounded in the big court. That was the icebreaker that they needed as they finally walked into the room. You immediately stood next to Logan as he introduced you. 

You rolled your eyes and elbowed Logan. “I know their names. We had good conversations about how chocolate is the best ice cream flavor. Isn’t that right Charles?” 

Charles had a pout on his lips. “I said no such thing. I believe we agreed that vanilla was the best non?” 

You rolled your eyes. “Sure.” 

Max raised his hand. “You are both wrong. The best flavor is clearly mint chocolate chip.”

You all just deadpanned at him. 

“It’s true.” 

“No it isn’t.” 

“Logan, you don’t have an opinion when your favorite is literally the Superman flavor.”

“Shut up Y/n.” 

“Are we going to play paddle now?” 

“Yes Lewis, we’ll play paddle.” 

It was quiet for a moment until you yelled, “I call Charles as a teammate.” 

Logan and Max whipped toward you. 

“That’s just unfair.” 

“I’m leading, he pushed me, I pushed him back, and after, he pushed me off the track. It’s just unfair.” 

Logan followed your lead. “Charles, what happened with Max?” 

“Nothing just an inchident on the race.” 

“That’s it. Lewis is my teammate.” 

“Back off Leclerc. You have him for next year, he’s mine.” 

“What if I wanted Lewis?” 

“Max, you win every race. You can lose at paddle.” 

“Ok, but I still get Charles right?” 

georgerussell63 has posted

tagged: charles_leclerc, maxverstappen1, lewishamilton, venus2, and phoenix95

georgerussell63 going into the season strong 💪 (max lost)

liked by phoenix&venus, y/n.nation, venus2, and 3,204,184 others

russellgeorge oh we are so back (I'm delusional)

mercganggang WRITE IT DOWN WRITE IT DOWN

lambof1 hold on - GEORGE KNOWS WHO THEY ARE??

lamborghini_duo we've been known 🙃

phoenix95 glad to see verstappen on his knees - I'm taking his emotional support rival tho

maxverstappen1 uh, exCUSE me 🤨 get your own emotional support rival

venus2 do I mean nothing to you?

charles_leclerc you don't like vanilla so I refuse

maxverstappen1 Charlie I like vanilla

lewishamilton this is so pitiful to watch 🤦🏾

russell63 George really said "I'm getting the band back together"

sargeantgirlie ok - I think I have everything figured out

TAG LIST: @fionaschicken @myxticmoon @cherry-piee @blueberry64857959 @glitterquadricorn @lizzypiastri @disneyprincemuke @sam-is-lost @spilled-coffee-cup @ilove-tswizzle @the-untamed-soul @allenajade-ite @starssfall @torchbearerkyle @judespoision @halfdeadsage @juniper-july19 @severewobblerlightdragon @thatgirlmj @gods-menace @ineedafictionalman @namgification @dark-night-sky-99 @samantha-chicago @2pagenumb @treehouse-mouse @fangirl125reader @megatrilss1885 @kagatinkita @itsjustkhaos @nikfigueiredo @awekbachira @vellicora @skepvids @sunrizef1 @stan-josie @fanficweasley @hiireadstuff @barcelonaloverf1life @c-losur3 @graciewrote @bruhhhhhhhhehhhhhhh @tallrock35 @ashy-kit @kat-s2 @minkyungseokie @lozzamez3 @leslieis-crying @adventuresofrose @lighttsoutlewis

[beyourownanchor6]

—more than 7 sentences bc i haven’t posted anything in forever. also sorry no buddie, but these two have taken over my brain 🤪

thanks for the tags beloveds @hippolotamus @daffi-990 @wikiangela @disasterbuckdiaz @wildlife4life @elvensorceress 🩵

“Are you ok?”

Theo looked up at Liam’s words, concern written across the betas face. Theo was too freaked out to even come up with a smartass response, something about Liam always leaving him feeling more vulnerable.

He swallowed thickly before answering, his eyes wandering down to the ground where the bloody scalpel still laid. The spider had disappeared into thin air, but Theo could still feel it there, crawling beneath his skin and invading his space.

“Not really.”

Liam nodded, no judgment in his response.

“I um, I heard you’ve been…staying in your truck.”

It was Theo who shrugged that time, neither confirming nor denying. He knew Liam could’ve just as easily have asked about the dirtied scalpel and Theo’s current state.

Liam knotted his fingers together, Theo tracking the movement.

“I kinda freaked out at my lacrosse game the other day.”

Theo looked away from Liam’s fingers and back up at the betas face, Liam seeming lost in thought.

“Yea, you go all wolfy on the other team?” Theo asked, trying to lighten both his and Liam’s mood.

Liam gave a slight annoyed roll of his eyes, one Theo was all too familiar with.

“Sort of.” Liam trailed off, Theo unsure what to say in response. It was probably the longest conversation they’d had without throwing any punches.

Theo huffed out a weighted breath. It was obvious they both had something on their mind, Theo deciding to take pity on Liam.

“Well we can talk about your temper tantrums later. I just had a fucking spider crawl inside my skin.”

Liam frowned at that. “Well, I guess that explains the scalpel and why I smelt blood when I came in.”

Theo followed Liam’s gaze down toward the ground, the sight of the scalpel making him twitch. He unfolded his arms, rubbing absently at the spot the spider had dove into him.

tagging: @loserdiaz @redlightsandicedtea @monsterrae1 @honestlydarkprincess @spotsandsocks @buddierights @eddiebabygirldiaz @eddiescowboy @thewolvesof1998 @jacksadventuresinwriting @wh0re-behavi0r @spaceprincessem @watchyourbuck @giddyupbuck

[acesofspadess]

The Lead Up

summary: the band grows closer together during their first few months at the X-factor

Worth The Risk Masterlist

Living with the boys was truly the best. They didn’t treat you any differently because you were a girl, it seemed like they tried a little harder to rough you up because you were a girl, and you always met their match.

There was around a month from boot camp- where the band was formed- from the first episode of the season, and another month after that where the episode that showed you forming would air.

During those months Simon had become a quick father to the group. He had a soft spot for you and everyone could tell. Through the time you were there you had some ups and downs. Your performance at Simon’s house was rough as Louis had arrived only 5 minutes prior and all of you were nervous that he wouldn't make it, or scared, as he was in hospital. You were both. Louis and you had become very close in the short time, it wasn’t like siblings, you didn’t know what it was, but you and Louis liked it so it didn’t matter.  You and all the boys had really grown together. You, Harry, and Niall seemed to gravitate towards each other simply because you had all met prior to formation. 

“My head is saying it's a risk,” Simon paused looking at you all. “But my heart is saying you deserve a shot, and that’s why it’s been difficult. So I’ve made a decision.” You all stood there arms wrapped around each other, waiting anxiously. “I’ve gone with my heart, you’re through.” It hit you all immediately as you jumped up and hugged each other before sprinting to Simon who was laughing softly. The boys followed you as you turned it into a group hug. No one could see through their tears of pure joy. You held Harry as he cried into his arm knowing exactly how he felt.

A day after the bootcamp episode aired you Louis and Harry decided to do a twitcam video. You had to admit Harry looked awfully cute with his beanie on. You sat on the opposite end of the bed of Louis before he was squishing your cheeks making you come over to him. The stream was filled with prank calls, Louis yelling and singing, and lots of laughing. 

A few weeks later you had moved into the X-factor house. You had Beverly come and help move your stuff from the house into the new one- her college courses wouldn’t start for another month-. One thing you loved was that the boys wanted you to bunk with them, and you gladly agreed. There were three sets of bunk beds for you to sleep on. You opted for a bottom bunk and Beverly bought you a ‘privacy’ cover that would block out the view into your bunk, and you actually appreciated that.

Bentley was back at college so you didn’t see a lot of him, but you made sure to talk all the time. Nan and Pap ended up opening the bakery they always wanted and you were beyond estactic to see the photo - among with many others of you guys- in the letter they sent you.

Bentley did keep his promise and got your tag number tattooed across his left collar bone. He mailed some polaroids of you and him and you and Beverly to put up wherever you could. Of course there was insistent teasing from Liam and Louis about you and Bentley’s relationship, but it was truly platonic. He was your best friend.

It was crazy how much time had passed between the start of the show and now you guys were headed into the live shows. You had all decided to do some Video Diaries to let the fans in on how you guys were doing on show.

“Hi, we're One Direction.” Louis started the video sitting next to you. “This is our video diary.” you said after him. “You can come back here every week to find out what we’ve been up to, how we're feeling and everything that's going on.” Somehow during Harry's speech Niall and Louis started messing with his hair and you couldn't help but join. You were all essing sound until Liam got back on track.

“Alright what's happening this week? We've moved into the x-factor house which is really exciting and I’ve been waiting a long time for this." Everyone smiled at Liam as he had been through this before. “We've got a decent room in the house. It's not the biggest-” it seemed with that that everyone voiced their opinion on how bad the room was. “It's okay because we're all enjoying ourselves and all having a laugh.” You looked up to Zayn as he spoke, resting your head on his knees. “Sharing a room with 5 of your best friends.” Harry jokingly sapped and the rest of you joined in on mockery. 

“We’ve been practising hard, uh, it's a good song. You lot like it?” they all voiced their opinions to you and you continued. “Yeah it's a good song, we really like the song.”

“I think we’ve had a lot of preparation now, the times ticking by and we just can't wait to get on the stage. Show everyone what we can do as a group.” you watched louis as he spoke with a small smile. “If you’ve got any questions to ask us just leave them down below and we'll get back to yah.” Liam closed out with all you pointing to the imaginary border below you. “See you guys.” Harry waved and you all waved shouting goodbyes.

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

Worth The Risk Masterlist

tags:

@youcan-nolonger-run @ravenclawdirectioner

@luxiorchive @maeflowers653  @purple9950 @forkmeniall @nathalielovesonedirection @hopsydaisy @shortie-niya 

[amethystskeleton]

hi! re: the ask thing, i saw (and bookmarked!) your thiam fic and was wondering if you had any other thiam ideas that you plan to/want to get to after? also the tags alone on "to be led by a liar" are great, so it's on my list to get to :)

Hi!!! Thanks for the ask!!! 💜

Yes I definitely do have some other ideas that I want to get to. I have two in particular. One of them is more Theo specific than Thiam but the other is Thiam.

The first idea that I had was about a fic centered around Theo’s childhood. I had the idea to explore Theo’s parents having been hunters as well and had come to Beacon Hills to sell weapons illegally. The fic would go into Theo’s relationship with Scott and Stiles seeing as their parents are respectively the County Sheriff and an FBI Agent for Beacon County. The fic would focus on Theo’s parents making him use Scott and Stiles to get information on if the Police and FBI were tracking their gun sales. It would also lead to part of the reason that the Dread Doctors decided to take him in the first place. This would most likely be a longer fic if I were to do it.

The other idea that I had was a shorter (probably one-shot) fic idea. The plot would be that during a pack fight with a witch or Druid of some sort Theo and Malia or Scott got cursed. The idea works with either Scott or Malia getting cursed so I would just need to pick one lol. The curse would cause them to switch animals. So Theo would end up with just a single wolf or coyote in his head. And Scott or Malia would have to deal with having both a wolf and coyote in their heads.

This would be during like a spring break or something so the whole pack would be back in town and would have just found out about Theo and Liam being together. Which many of the older pack members would be concerned about. However with the events of this curse and seeing Liam and Theo together, they would eventually come to understand a little more. Maybe not fully accept, but understanding at the least.

I tend to get fanfic ideas that come and go as well. It really depends on my writing mood so I might get more ideas in the future. But these two are the main ones I keep coming back to.

Thanks again for the ask!!!!! I really appreciate it!!!! Hope you enjoy ‘To be Led by a Liar’!!!!

💜 - amethystskeleton

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

OC most likely

Thanks @willtheweaver here and here, @the-golden-comet here, @paeliae-occasionally here, @happypup-kitcat24 here, @urnumber1star here,

@sleepywriter00 here, and @leahnardo-da-veggie here!

Rules: explain which of your OCs is most likely to do each prompt, then tag people with three new prompts!

This accidentally built up whoops!

Most likely to embarrass their friends in public

Parker. Runner up is Jazlyn, but Parker relishes in it just a bit more, where Jazlyn has a stronger sense of when to stop. Parker has no sugh thing. He will embarrass Wade and Teo all the time, and if he goes out of his way to embarrass you, that probably means he likes you.

Most likely to get drunk/hungover

Let's narrow this down to only 18+ at the start of Part One, since everyone who is 18+ is in an area where that's the legal age.

So that's Liam, George, Carmen, and Jedi. (Carla is a complicated case so I'm just gonna leave her out of this.) Carmen hates getting drunk, so she's definitely out for most likely.

I think it's Liam. He's the kind of person to become the life of the party when drunk.

Most likely to get kicked out of summer camp

Parker. Reckless and stupid.

Most likely to order the spiciest meal on the menu

Ash. She will just push herself through it. She wants the risk.

Most likely to fall asleep at the most inconvenient time

Robbie. If he was sleep deprived for one reason or another, I feel like he would collapse right when he was needed.

Most likely to lie on their resume

Atsila. Yeah, she's dead, but I have plenty of flashbacks with her later. And she would do that to make herself look better so she can meet her goals.

Most likely to burn something while cooking

If it's not a meal he's confident in, it's Robbie because he may forget. But also cooking is, like, the only thing Niri is not talented in, at least according to most people. So, Niri.

Most likely to stop a robbery if they see it taking place.

Wade. Too much of a do-gooder. And he's capable.

Most likely to not tell people they’re sick until they really need the help.

Lexi. She'll insist that she's fine.

Most likely to arrive ridiculously early

Lexi again. She wants to show how much she cares by arriving super early!! She'll even help set up!!!

Most likely to be in a relationship for less than a week

Parker. Before he found out he was aromantic, I believe he dated and immediately broke up with someone at least twice. Partially because the romantic attraction wasn't there, partially because he's impulsive.

Most likely to secretly be really good at music, but just not tell anyone

Carla. I feel like she'd be good at, like, a woodwind. She has had a lot of free time. But she's so reserved and quiet, it just wouldn't come up.

I almost said Ewan cause he's the best at music and would downplay his accomplishments, but if you mention music in front of him his special interest kicks on and he won't stop talking.

Who's most likely to pull an accidental all nighter?

This is tricky. Robbie may lose track of time but I think he'd pass out. And I feel like Carmen's all nighter would be very intentional. Jedi has insomnia, so maybe him, but Teo is a good candidate to not be paying attention to the time and suddenly it's morning.

Who's most likely to get stranded on an island and thrive?

I'll go with Jazlyn. I think she can do it. She's super intelligent and resourceful, as well as being able to think on the fly. Close runner ups would be Parker again, but I think Jazlyn would think more things through, and Parker is more likely to get himself into trouble. Liam would be highly knowledgeable, I just don't know if he can put that into practice. Same with Wendy.

Most likely to get bullied by a random child?

Carmen and Jedi are super easy to make fun of, but I feel like Jedi is an easier target because Carmen can be scary.

Who's most likely to trip over nothing while walking?

Robbie.

Who's most likely to call their mom when they get scared?

Well, Ash does call her (step)mom when she gets scared. Also Noelle over-relies on her mom. Every other candidate either has a bad mom, their mom is dead, or they don't want to bother her.

Who's most likely to get drunk first at a party?

Well, Liam's most likely to get a hangover, but I feel like Jedi would get pretty tipsy early on, and if Carmen decided to fuck it and drink something then her low tolerance would make her go first.

Most likely to trip over themselves

Already said Robbie.

Most likely to forget their keys in the lock

.... I'm so sorry, Robbie....

Most likely to fall asleep on the bus

If it counts as an inconvenient spot, Robbie, but honestly I'll go with Tyler, who I think could completely ignore the noises of the road, and likely stayed up too late reading.

That was a lot!

Tagging @mk-writes-stuff @melpomene-grey @mysticstarlightduck @winterandwords @elsie-writes

+ ANYONE ELSE

Y'all's prompts: 1) Most likely to lick something during a pandemic. 2) Most likely to try to fit a lightbulb in their mouth. 3) Most likely to cry during Titanic.

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy @honeybewrites @the-golden-comet

[biancastoaster]

A Lily By Any Other Name (Is Still a Lily)

Category: Gen

Fandom: Psych (TV 2006)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Author Decided Not to Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Carlton Lassiter & OC

Characters: Lily M. Lassiter (OC), Carlton Lassiter, Carlton Lassiter's father, Shawn Spencer

Additional Tags: character death, misgendering, deadnaming, all that fun stuff, OC insert, sad Lassiter, flashbacks, homophobia, transphobia, little brother Lassiter, no beta we die like yin

Summary: Carlton visits his older sister. 

Author’s Notes: Lassiter needed an older sibling, I think it would’ve been good for him. 

I hope you guys like this, it took me a month to write. 

~~~~~~

At his desk, Carlton checked the time. Not yet. 

5 minutes went by before he checked again, and slumped back in his chair in disappointment when he saw it hadn’t been long since he last looked. 

This repeated until it finally was time. He quickly got ready to go. But just before he stood up to leave, Carlton grabbed a small file and put it inside his briefcase. He snapped the clasps shut and briskly began his way from his new office to his car. 

Halfway through the corridor, he’s stopped by an all too familiar voice. 

“Lassie! Where you going?” 

Carlton heaved a deep, exasperated sigh. Without even looking to see who it was, he kept walking away. “Not that it’s any of your business Spencer, but I’m visiting a family member.” 

Shawn caught up, ambling alongside Carlton. “Ooo, who? Is it Lauren? No wait, I got it: it’s your mother…s.”

He rolled his eyes. “None of them. I’m visiting my older sister, Lily.”

Shawn gave a look of surprise. “I didn’t know you had an older sister! Hold on, does she know you named your kid after her?”

Lassiter briskly walked out the door, Shawn still on his tail. “No, that’s why I’m visiting her today.”

“Doooes Marlowe know?”

“Yes, in fact she was the one who encouraged the name.”

“No no no, not that. Well, actually, yeah that too. But, does she know you’re visiting your sister without her?”

“Yes, she’s well aware I’m- you know what, I’m not entertaining this anymore. I need to leave now, I don’t want to be late.”

~~~

1974

It was dark out, the pitch black of night covering the neighborhood in a blanket, the sky dotted with little pinpricks of stars.  

Carlton Lassiter was in his bed, and he was tossing and turning in his sleep, mumbling nonsensical words to himself. 

He eventually woke up with a gasp. He was shaking, and he reached up to feel tear tracks on his face. He could’ve sworn that… 

But no. He was here, at home, safe in his bed. 

He wiped the remaining tears from his face, and tried to go back to sleep. But the adrenaline still lingered, keeping him awake and scared. Shadows seemed to loom from the corners, taking the form of monsters and blank figures. 

Eventually, he couldn’t take being alone in his room anymore. Grabbing his blanket, he gently hopped off his bed and onto the floor, and began making his way to his parents room. 

But right before Carlton even touched the doorknob, he hesitated. He didn’t want to bother them with something like this. His dad would probably just send him back to his room. And besides, their light was turned off, meaning his parents were fast asleep. 

So he kept going down the hall, and up the stairs. 

Carlton crept past the dining room and kitchen, and made his way to his brother Liam’s room. There was a tiny bit of light shining from under the door, nearly invisible to the untrained eye. 

He grabbed the doorknob, and as it made a small jiggling sound the light quickly turned off.

Carlton gently opened the door. “Liam?”

From the bed in the corner of the room, a head belonging to his 12 year old brother popped up from underneath the covers. “CJ? What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

He found himself unable to answer, his face screwing up and tears falling once more. 

Liam sat up, immediately concerned for his little brother. “Hey, hey, it’s alright, it’s alright. Come here.”

Carlton complied, clambering onto the bed and sinking into his older brother’s arms.

“It’s okay, just let it out.”

And he did, slowly hiccuping his way through telling Liam about the whole bad dream. 

The whole time, Liam sat there, rubbing Carlton’s back periodically to try and soothe him, like he had seen people on tv do. 

After sitting for a minute, Carlton sniffled, looking up at Liam. “What were you doing before I came in?”

“Ohh, just rereading The Hobbit.” 

“Can you- can you read it to me?” 

Liam smiled. “Of course. Did you want me to start at the beginning, or where I’m at?”

“Where you left off.”

“Alright then. Get comfy, come on, CJ.”

As Carlton snuggled under the covers, Liam reached under the first pillow and grabbed the book and pen light he had hidden just before Carlton came in. 

He cleared his throat, reading out loud, “As they sang the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by hands and by cunning and by magic moving through him, a fierce and a jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves…”

Carlton slowly began to become more and more drowsy as the gentle timbre of his brother’s voice lulled him to sleep. 

“He looked out of the window. The stars were out in a dark sky above the trees. He thought of the jewels of the dwarves shining in dark caverns…”

Right when he was about succumb completely to sleep, he felt Liam gently put away the book and turn out the light once more. 

~~~

present

Carlton carefully pulled into a small strip mall, right in front of a store called ‘The Flower Corner’. 

He walked in, and stood at the desk, clearing his throat to catch the attention of the lady behind the desk. 

She looked up and saw him, and quickly stood up. “Oh hello, sir! How can I help you today?”

“I’m here to pickup a bouquet. It should be under Lassiter.”

“Of course, just one second.” She tapped a few keys on her keyboard, clicking a bit with her mouse as well. “Alright then, I’ll go ahead and grab it from the back.”

Carlton began awkwardly drumming his fingers on the counter as he waited for the employee to get back. 

“Alright, here they are!” 

He looked up and saw a beautiful bunch of flowers, a mix of pink lilies and carnations, all expertly wrapped in decorative plastic to hold it all together. 

As he paid, the cashier asked, “Who are the flowers for?” 

“My sister, Lily.” 

“Awww! Well, I can definitely see why you chose the lilies, then. I’m sure she’ll love them.”

Carlton nodded stiffly. The whole interaction felt awkward to him, and he hated awkward situations. So once he had gotten the bouquet paid for, he tried his best not to run out the door. 

~~~

1976

Carlton was riding in the back of his father’s car, on the way to pick up Liam from his friend’s house. 

He couldn’t remember his name, but he was pretty sure Liam’s friend was on the football team along with Liam himself. 

Looking out the window as they pulled up to the curb next to the house, he saw figures moving around behind the windows, presumably his brother and his friend saying goodbye.  

To his surprise, Carlton watched as his older brother walked out with a girl he didn’t recognize, instead of another guy. Maybe it was Liam’s friend’s sister? 

They had stopped at the entryway to continue a conversation, talking very animatedly, using dramatic hand gestures and exaggerated expressions. 

The two — along with Carlton — were startled when his dad honked the horn. 

Liam gave an apologetic look to the girl, and she burst into laughter. They exchanged a few more words before she gave him an energetic hug, which he equally returned. 

In the rearview mirror, Carlton saw a grin forming on his father. It was very clear what he thought the hug between the two had meant. But Carlton could just tell it wasn’t that kind of hug. He’d seen his parents hug, and girls and boys — couples — hug each other public. However, he had also seen girls hugging girls — their best friends — as well. That’s what kind of hug his brother and the girl had reminded him of.

As Liam climbed into the car, his dad gave him a look. “So, who was that?” 

Liam buckled in. “Just Chuck’s sister, she’s really nice.”

“Really nice, huh?” 

Carlton caught the suggestive look on his dad at the same time Liam did. “No, dad, it’s not- she’s just nice, I barely even know her.” 

His dad laughed. “That’s how it always starts. Soon enough you’ll be all over each other.”

It was then that Carlton noticed his brother’s face. It was red. The same shade of red his mother had at the end of the day when she finally took off her makeup. 

Not red in embarrassment from his father’s comments. He looked as if he’d been rubbing it continuously to get something off.

‘Was that what Liam had been doing? Wearing makeup?’

Later that day, Carlton confronted him, demanding to know the truth. Eventually, Liam caved. 

“Okay, okay, fine. Chuck wasn’t actually there, he had something come up. But Linda was, and… she uh… needed someone to model some of her makeup for her, and she asked me since we have really close skin tones.” Liam twisted his hands. “Her words, not mine.”

Carlton was young, only 8, but he knew when his brother was lying. However, he also knew when he should and shouldn’t pressure Liam with more questions, and decided to leave it alone. 

~~~

present

Carlton pulled out of the flower shop, and onto the road once more. 

He’d been driving for at least another 5 minutes when he hit a pothole that he heard a particularly loud bump from the back. He thought it was his briefcase for a minute, but a quick glance at the passenger seat told him that wasn’t true. There was something — or someone — in the trunk. 

Carlton pulled over to the side of the road, and grabbed his gun from his holster and cocked it. 

He pointed it at the trunk door, and quickly opened it. “Freeze!”

Light flossed the trunk, and a very familiar high pitched girlish scream emerged from inside. “Nonono don’t shoot!” 

“Spencer? What the hell are you doing here?”

Shawn clumsily clambered out of the trunk, tripping momentarily before regaining his balance. “I just wanted to meet your mystery sister, man. I’ve known you for what, 8 years? And I’ve never heard you talk about you ‘big sister Lily’.”

Carlton took a deep breath. “Spencer…” he briefly thought about ditching him on the side of the road. But a quick look told him that would be inhumane. And probably illegal. He ran a hand down his face exhaustedly. “Fine. You can come.” Shawn pumped a fist. “But you’re sitting in the back.”

“Tch.” Shawn made a dissapointed face, but got in the backseat anyway. 

~~~

1978

Carlton was hiding in his room, trying his best to drown out Liam and his father’s argument they were having just down the hall. 

Liam had been caught underneath the bleachers at the track, locking lips with the captain of the football team. Chuck, Liam’s so-called best friend, was the one to catch them, snitching on the couple to Carlton’s father. 

Which was what the current argument between the two was about.  

Everything was mostly muffled, thanks to Carlton shoving a pillow over his head to drown out the noise, but he definitely heard his father say something along the lines of ‘not raising his son to be a faggot’. 

At this, Liam raised his voice even more, becoming sou loud it permeated through the pillow. “I’m not gay, Dad!”

“Oh really? And how’s that, huh?”

“Because I’m a girl!”

There was a tense silence, shortly broken by the sound of a sharp slap, followed by quick footsteps running down the hall and up the stairs. Carlton could practically feel the slam of his brother’s- no, not brother, his sister’s bedroom door reverberating through the house. 

He waited for the sound of his father following after, but there was nothing.

Quietly, he opened his door. Carlton silently tiptoed upstairs, making sure he didn’t make too much sound. After a short trip, he made it upstairs, gently knocking on the door to his sister’s bedroom.   

“Are you alright-” he opens the door, and stops. So does Liam, who’s in the middle of shoving a t-shirt into a slowly overflowing backpack. “Liam? What are you doing?” 

Carlton sees her wince at the name. “I just… need some space from dad. I’m gonna stay at a friend’s house for a bit, wait for him to cool down a bit.”

“But, why is he mad at you for being a girl?”

She sighed. “I don’t know, buddy. Some people just, I can’t- they’re not really-” Her face started to scrunch up, eyes filling with tears. “But don’t worry, I won’t be gone for long, okay?”

He didn’t understand, but he nodded anyway. “Okay…”

She slung her backpack over her shoulder, and slid the window leading outside open. Just before slipping out, she paused and turned around. “Hey Carlton, can I ask you a favor?”

He perked up a little. “What is it?”

She scooted to the edge of the window, prepping to jump down. “Remember how you asked all of us to stop calling you CJ?” 

At least Carlton was able to understand this. “Yeah. It felt like a girly name to me.”

She smiled. “That’s kind of what I’m doing. ‘Liam’ doesn’t feel right.”

“Well, what do you want me to call you?”

“Lily. Just call me Lily instead.”

“Lily.” He tested it out “Okay. Bye Lily.”

“Bye Carlton. I’ll see you soon.” And with that, she jumped from the windowsill and landed nimbly on the soft grass far below. Lily wasted no time in booking it down the road, her figure quickly fading from sight as the night swallowed her. 

~~~

Present

Carlton’s hands subconsciously gripped the steering wheel as he remembered that night. He did get to see her again after that. Very soon, in fact. Just not in the way he had hoped. 

It had been a hit and run. There was only one bystander, and they hadn’t been close enough to see the car’s details in the pitch black of night. 

Carlton remembered sitting in the hospital waiting room with his parents and Lauren, the latter of whom was napping in her baby carrier, anxiously anticipating any news of Lily’s condition. 

He remembered someone coming out and whispering to his parents solemnly, something about Liam’sconditions, and how he wasn’t going to make it. 

He remembered going to her room and being told to say his goodbyes to Liam, seeing her broken and damaged body lying limply on the hospital bed. 

He remembered begging her still unmoving body to come back, to not leave him alone. 

He remembered being dragged away, tears flowing like a river as her heart monitor flatlined. 

He remembered his father reprimanding him, telling him he was tarnishing Liam’s memory by calling her Lily. 

He remembered that was the night that the last shred of respect he had for his dad crumbled away. 

It was as though he had just gotten to know his big sister, and then she was yanked away from him. 

As much as he hated it, it was the final push he needed in finalizing his decision of pursuing a career as a police officer, then head detective, then his current position as Chief of police. 

“Wait, Lassie this is-” Shawn cut himself off, immediately realized where they were going. “Oh man. I- I’m sorry, I had-”

“It’s fine, Spencer. You didn’t know.” Carlton said, his tone uncharacteristically soft.  

He pulled his car onto a gravelly path, bumping slightly along as he searched for-

There. He could see it from here. It wasn’t like it could be moved, but he almost always lost it in the sea of granite and marble, and would have to go on a search. 

He parked, and reached into the passenger seat where his briefcase and the bouquet still sat. 

“I’ll just- just wait here, Lassie. Me and dead people… it’s really depressing.”

“I wasn’t going to ask you to come anyway, Spencer.” Just before he closed the door, he pointed a threatening finger at Shawn. “You touch anything in here and I will not hesitate to shoot you. Copy?” 

Shawn said nothing, simply giving him a mock salute. Carlton rolled his eyes and shut the door. 

He walked up to a gray marble tombstone. The area had been mowed recently, so there was still some grass clippings scattered on the base of it. 

Liam Lily Mark Lassiter 

1962-1978

son daughter, brother sister, friend

Carlton smiled a bit to himself. Normally, he was opposed to defacement of property, but this was an exception in his eyes. Lily deserved to have her true name on the stone that marked her final resting place. 

He kneeled down and, after brushing away the grass clippings, gently set the bouquet in front of the tombstone, making sure none of the words were obscured. He’d already taken the plastic wrapping off. The world didn’t need more trash littered everywhere. 

“Hey Lily. I know it’s been a while. A few months, actually.” 

Carlton shifted a bit, trying to get comfortable. “I got promoted. I’m Chief of police now, like I’ve always worked for.” 

The tombstone sat silently.

“Uhmm, Marlowe gave birth, too. In the back of a food truck, of all places. Of course, it was all Spencer’s and Guster’s fault. I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you, huh?” 

Silence.

He continued. “It’s a girl, and god she is so beautiful. She has your eyes. We named her after you.” 

Still silence. 

“I have something else.” He reached beside him for his briefcase, and pulled out the file from earlier. “I managed to get your name legally changed. It was one hell of a legal battle, but Mom and Althea and I managed it. You’ll be getting a new tombstone soon, one with your real name.”

Taking a deep breath, he went on. “I miss you, Lily. But, not as much as I used to. I hope you don’t mind.”

A gentle breeze brushed by him, ruffling his hair. 

Carlton cleared his throat. “I’m… not good at saying goodbye. Even after all these visits. You’d think I’d get the hang of it by now.” 

Somewhere in a nearby tree, a bird tittered. 

“Okay, I’ll try to come back sooner next time. I know you don’t like waiting.” He packed up his briefcase once more, and turned away, heading back to his car. 

~~~

Bonus: 

Lily watched as he left, swinging her feet from the tombstone, a soft smile playing on her lips. She looked exactly how she had when she died, but somehow emulated an air of femininity she would never have been able to achieve while alive. 

She waved, even though she knew her little brother wouldn’t see it. “Bye, Carlton.”

[sanjuwrites]

wip wednesday

and she's back with a bang! sorry y'all, finals and chronic illness are kicking my ass, but i am offering up everything i have managed to write in apology <3

thanks to @welcometololaland, @honeybee-taskforce, @sznofthesticks, @paperstorm, @alrightbuckaroo, @carlos-in-glasses, and @theghostofashton for tagging me!

now that i have you - tarlos

His eyes close involuntarily, and he’s thrown back to that night three years ago. 

The press of Carlos’s mouth against his inner thigh makes TK moan, arm thrown over his eyes. “Jesus, Carlos, are you trying to kill me?”

Carlos kisses a path up TK’s chest, pressing a kiss to his neck, “Just the opposite, actually. I’ve never felt more alive, TK, maybe it’s time you get with the program.”

TK melts into the mattress, letting the arousal and heat crawling up his spine take over. 

They’ll discuss this in the morning. 

TK woke up to a cold mattress, an empty apartment, and a broken heart. 

Carlos never brought up that night, and TK never pushed. 

It was easier to have this part of Carlos, rather than none of him. That’s what he told himself every time he saw Carlos with another man.

[redacted] - firstprince

And Alex – his beautiful, bright, sunshine Alex – wraps his hand around the mic, pulling it out of the stand and walking to the end of the stage, leaning into the crowd at the front of the pit. “Good evening, Los Angeles! Are we having fun tonight?” 

The crowd screams uproariously, and Alex laughs, throwing his head back. Henry’s lost to the magic of it all, watching magnetically as he tracks every movement Alex makes. Alex folds down onto the edge of the stage gracefully, swinging his legs back and forth, “Okay, so as most of you know, it’s usually this part of the set that I usually sing a song or two from [EP name] but I’m doing something a little different tonight!” 

Right on cue, Liam hits the opening notes of a song on his guitar, and Spencer follows on his drums. It takes Henry, as well as everyone else, a moment, but quickly, the crowd starts screaming again. 

My friends call me a loser

'Cause I'm still hanging around

Henry knows that no one, save for Bea, June, Nora and Pez know about the two of them, but Henry feels like he might as well skywrite the fact that they’re hooking up across LA. 

You said, "Baby, no attachment"

But we're

Knee deep in the passenger seat and you're eating me out

Is it casual now?

And Henry’s thrown back to that time where the two of them, quite recklessly, blew each other in the backseat of his town car as Henry took Alex back to the airstrip to send him off to his next tour stop. He thought it was just sex to Alex, didn’t – couldn’t – dare hope it was anything more. 

But, Henry thinks faintly as he watches June and Nora swap looks across him, they’re well past casual now. Alex is basically screaming it at him.

i'm not sure who's done this yet, so i'm going to tag @bonheur-cafe, @heartstringsduet, @liminalmemories21, @fallout-mars, and @lightningboltreader!