#Mexican spin-off

[mexicanistnet]

Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal spearhead a Mexican spin-off of “The Boys,” injecting Hollywood brilliance into the superhero genre. Details remain elusive, but anticipation builds as the duo produces, stars, and unravels the dark secrets of superheroes in this culturally rich narrative.

[noisemachinedotcom]

sure! hooray!

[mywritersmind]

TELL ME IF YOU HATE ME - KA12

summary : kimi has a crush and a shit way of dealing with it, you think he hates you.

listen up : not proof read lolz! requests are open!!

word count : 1683

⋆｡‧˚⋆

The cars zoom past me as I press my finger down and a series of clicks sounds from my camera. I smile, holding my camera up and making sure I got the shot I wanted.

I did.

I see a flash of red by the garage which makes me breathe out, Ollie just crashed and I know it freaked him out. I put my eye to my camera again, zooming in so I can see if he’s okay.

He is.

I snap some far photos of the garages, passing Ferrari, then McLaren, and right as I'm about to skip over Mercedes, something catches my eye.

Lewis isn’t the one who gets out of his car, but a smaller boy with a mess of brown curls. He claps one of the pit crew members on the back and smiles. As he turns to face the track, I get a full view of his face.

Kimi Antonelli.

I had forgotten about the boy who’s driving with Mercedes next year. Ollie was talking my ear off about it last week but still… I guess I was so focused on shooting the cars that I didn’t realize who was in it.

I snap a photo of him, the light hitting his face perfectly as he takes a deep breath.

I’ve never met him, but I was forced to follow Prema by Ollie so I know he fits into Ollie’s odd life perfectly.

I walk back into the ferrari garage, smiling at my boss who takes my camera from me. I’m doing an internship, specifically with Ferrari's media team. Once they found out I like photography, they let me have a camera and media access.

I smile at Ollie who shoots me a thumbs up, letting me know he’s okay. I end up eating alone while scrolling on my phone, some people walk past but because free practice 2 is happened, most people are watching.

I take a bite of my salad and scroll once more. I get a weird feeling after my third bite, and when I look up, it’s the last thing I expect.

Kimis there.

He’s still in his race suit, his hair messy and a water bottle in his hand. His eyes get big when I turn to him. I’m about to raise my hand to wave but he spins around and bolts in the other direction.

I laugh out loud but when I look around, no one’s there to have seen it.

That was… weird.

⋆༺

“Hey, Y/n!” Ollie yells to me across the paddock, he’s standing with Kimi and Jack Doohan. I smile and wave, saying goodbye to who I was speaking with, and flipping my hair over my shoulder before making my way over to them.

“Hey! Happy Quali day!” I smile at them, especially Jack because I haven’t seen him all weekend.

“What are you up to today?” The australian asks me, his hands in his pockets.

“Taking pictures mostly, trying to get a bad one of Charles, and watching Quali. How about you guys?” I turn pointedly towards Ollie and Kimi but the Italian has his eyes pointed elsewhere and his mouth shut.

“Kimi and I.” Ollie grips Kimis shoulder and practically forces him to look at me, he smiles softly but looks back at Ollie as he talks, “are doing the same! Minus the photos and stuff. Wanna grab lunch with us later?”

I nod, pulling out my phone as I get a call, “Shit, i’m so late! See you guys later!”

⋆༺

Quali is fun and the Mexican fans are absolutely exhilarating. After getting caught up with photos, I finally met Ollie and Kimi in the Ferrari hospitality.

Except there’s no Kimi.

I raise a brow as we sit down, “Does Kimi not like me?”

Ollie moves his food around, “Uh… I don’t think so. Why?”

I shrug, “I just get the feeling he doesn’t really enjoy my company. Which hasn’t been much around him.”

Ollie frowns, “No! He just had to shoot something for Mercedes. He wanted to come.”

⋆༺

You know those times where you wish you could go back in time just five seconds? That’s how I feel right now.

“No!” I yell as Kimi turns the corner with four coffees in his hands and runs directly into me. “Fuck!” I back away from him, shaking off my hands instantly.

“Ah!” He does the same, looking up at me slowly, “I am so sorry…” This is the first time he speaks to me? Seriously!?

I take a breath, trying to gain control of my mind that’s screaming. I peel off my sweater, luckily my shirt underneath is untouched.

“I- Shit.” I groan and wipe my arms off with my sweater, “What are you, an errand boy!? I thought I was the one with an internship.” He laughs at this, then slaps his hand over his mouth.

“I’m genuinely so sorry.” He shakes his head, everything on me now smelling like coffee. I look at his shirt which is partly splashed.

“It’s not fine but It wasn’t on purpose.” I shrug, just staring down at the coffee cups.

“I’m such an idiot.” He groans, “Look, I’ll buy you a coffee to make it up to you.”

I smile slightly, crossing my arms, “Coffee in Ferrari hospitality is free. I’m assuming it’s the same for Mercedes.” He shakes his head, looking horrified.

“That shit is gross. I know a place.”

The ‘Place’ in question is in the general admission area. He pulls on my ferrari hat for extra security and grabs our coffees quickly.

“I actually can’t believe you’re wearing red.” We walk the back way, laughing. Maybe he doesn’t hate me? Or maybe he does and the coffee was all apart of some scheme.

He side eyes me, “Neither can I.” He pulls it off of his head, “Toto would kill me.”

Ollie finds us the second we step foot in the paddock, “Hey! Don’t tell me you became friends without me! Do not forget that I started this!”

“Yeah ok, Ol- I’ll give you friendship creds.” I pat his shoulder as he frowns.

⋆༺

It’s dark by the time I head out of the paddock, yawning, I notice Kimi on his phone. “Hey!” I say, smiling as he looks up at me.

Except his face does that weird thing again.

His cheeks go red and he looks like he’s forcing a smile. “Hi.” He says softly.

“Good day?” He nods, looking back at his phone and clearing his throat.

“Yeah.” He keeps it quick before walking away, “Bye.”

“Bye…?” Okay. So I don’t think I'm going crazy now because that was one weird ass conversation. If you can even call it that.

⋆༺

I wake up on race day and do my morning ritual, scrolling on instagram. I don’t go through all of my notifications often, but today something caught my eye.

Liked by Kimi Antonelli

The post is laughable, it’s from two years ago, Ollie and I were celebrating our birthdays since they fall on the same day.

Weird, Again.

I get ready and head out even though that stupid like is on my mind the whole time.

As if the universe is sending a message, I walk into the paddock at the same time as Kimi. He’s talking to his team member in fast italian and I ignore the fact that it’s 100% hot and focus on the fact that he 100% ignored me!

I call Ollie immediately, “Your friend hates me.”

I hear him laugh on the other side of the phone, “Kimi?”

“See! You already know who I'm talking about!” I groan as I enter Ferrari hospitality.

“Y/n. I think you just make him nervous.”

I stop dead in my tracks, “What?”

“Look, I absolutely love you. But you have a total resting bitch face!” I scoff at him even though I know it’s true, “He sees you taking photos a lot and even though I try to get him to talk to you, he’s like scared or some shit. I think he thinks you’re pretty too.”

I hang up.

⋆༺

I watch from the garage, spirits are high but I find myself distracted as Kimis face comes up on the screen.

Why is he so cute?

I bite my lip and think. I want him to like me. I want him to be friends with me like how he is with Ollie! So why can’t he see that? I mean, there’s a possibility he just doesn’t like me.

In that case, that’s fine! I just want to know.

My thoughts are how I find myself cornering him with my arms crossed and my actual bitch face on.

“Um… yes?” He looks scared.

“Do you not like me, or something?” He frowns, “I mean- If you don’t, that’s fine! But I don’t fuck with people who aren’t honest. Because I know i’m not completely likable to everyone and genuinely I don’t care if you don’t like me but I sorta hope you do because Ollie is my friend and Ollie is your friend and he wants us to be friends!” I take a breath.

Kimi just blinks, “I do like you.”

I roll my eyes.

“I just… felt embarrassed.” I raise a brow. Embarrassed? “I dumped coffee on you! And then I liked that post which had Ollie telling me to stop screaming into my pillow.” I laugh at that. “I just… I'm not good with pretty girls.”

That has me frozen.

“And you’re like scary pretty.”

I laugh, smiling, “You’re totally boosting my ego right now.” He just called me pretty.

He rolls his eyes, standing up straighter, “I’m sorry for being awkward.”

I sigh dramatically, “It’s fine.” I flip my hair over my shoulder, smirking, “My good looks just stuns people sometimes-”

He pushes my shoulder, “Oh fuck off!” I laugh with him, his cheeks red again, “Can I make it up to you?”

I bite my lip, hiding my smile, “Pick me up at 8.”

[mxstellatayte]

Hii could you write a smut one shot w sub Carlos and dom reader?

HOLY JEEZ MY FRIEND

I MOST CERTAINLY CAN HERE YOU GO

(you said one shot and i heard 1.5k words of PURE PORN)

nsfw under the cut <3 minors please do not interact!

warnings: very not beta read! carlos is a whimperer i don't make the rules, friends to fuck buddies to idiots in love, bro meets jesus, legal use of alcohol, making out, sex under the influence, creampie, hickeys, open ending, stupid fluffy vanilla bullshit

it started out with one too many shots of shitty tequila after mexico 2023 and a chayanne song.

gods damned mexican liquor.

max had, yet again, won, except this time, he had broken yet another record. so of course he invited everyone on the grid and their friends out to drinks.

"come on, lia, a couple of drinks won't hurt! plus, i can probably rope carlos into paying."

you and carlos had grown up together in madrid, and you'd always been his biggest supporter in the garage. it didn't matter who else he could've brought along, because when the two of you have a connection so deep that all you need to do to laugh is make eye contact after anyone says something even remotely sexual.

there was always an air of awkward tension between you since that time you accidentally walked past his bedroom door and heard him moan your name. you just pray that, with all the nights you've spent at each other's houses, he's never heard you moan his name while you fingered yourself across the thin walls.

and so here you find yourself, in the center of the dance floor in a club in the heart of mexico city following the grand prix weekend, your heart pounding, your confidence blooming, and your ass grinding up against carlos' crotch to the rhythm of mi gente by j balvin, his large hands resting on your hips.

you aren't sure how the idea springs into your mind, but you'll blame it on the liquid courage. as the next song comes on, you spin around in carlos' hold, your right leg slotting between his own, and that's when you realize it. he's hard. a smirk tugs at your lips and when you look up at his face, your eyes meet and that's when you know. if you don't get out of this stifling club and back to your hotel in the next ten minutes, you might just have to fuck him in one of the vip rooms. your hands come up to rest on his chest and you hinge forward, your lips directly next to his ear.

"you wanna get out of here?"

"please," he says, and the pure desperation in his voice makes your stomach erupt in butterflies.

"then let's go." you grab his hand off of your hip and immediately book it out of the club. thank god your hotel was less than one block down the street, because if you had to drive anywhere, you might've just sucked him off inside the car. your feet hurt from your heels, but with your level of arousal and in your drunken state, you couldn't care less. all that you care about is that this elevator is moving way too slow and that carlos' lips feel so good on your own. the kiss is hot, wet, and messy, a flurry of lips and tongue and teeth, hands scrambling to hold whatever they can.

the elevator reaches your floor, and you've never run faster in heels. you're holding carlos' hand, the two of you running down the hall like a pair of horny teenagers (which, being entirely honest, is the mental state you've been reduced to at the concept of finally fucking your best friend,) and laughing uncontrollably. you almost fall over laughing when he fumbles through his wallet for his keycard, drunken fingers lacking any sort of dexterity. the sound of the door finally unlocking is your favorite sound at the moment, and you throw the door open, push carlos against the nearest wall, and kiss him harder than you've kissed anyone before.

your right hand holds the side of his neck, the tips of your fingers barely weaving into his hair, while your left goes down to cup his incredibly hard cock through his jeans. palming over his erection pulls some of the greatest sounds you've ever heard from him. forget hearing him moan your name through the wall as you pass- instead, hearing his whimpers at your hand is the greatest thing you've ever heard in your whole life.

"are you okay with this?" you pant, your lips coated in a mixture of both of your salivas, carlos' eyes heavy with lust.

"i've been hoping and praying for this for years, amor. please. i need you." without hesitation, you pull him back to you and kiss him with no mercy. he pushes back, stepping forward and eventually gently laying you down on the bed. "need this off," he says, tugging at your dress as he undoes the clasps on your heels and throwing them across the room.

"zipper. back. fuck." his hands somehow regained the dexteriety he lacked five minutes ago as he expertly undoes the zipper of your crimson dress and helps you shimmy out of it.

"ay, diós, you're beautiful." you're left laying on the bed in just your strapless bra and black panties, carlos way too overdressed, and his eyes admiring your body. his lips continue kissing down your neck as his hands reach beneath you and unclasp your bra, hands immediately cupping your tits.

"mm, carlos, as amazing as this is, i need you inside of me in the next sixty seconds."

"as you wish." carlos strips as fast as he can as you pull your panties off, and when he slides into you slowly, you throw your head back and grasp at his upper arms, your breaths heavy and labored. "oh... oh, fuck." his forehead presses to yours when he finally bottoms out inside of you, your breaths mingling as you hold him as close as you can.

"carlos, please. move. i can take it." you emphasize your point with a clench around his girth, and your body heats up infinitely more when he whimpers.

"'m not gonna last long if you keep doing that," carlos groans, and you tease him once more with another flutter of your walls around him.

"i'm not either, but i need you to fuck me right now, baby." he responds by pulling his hips back, then pushing back into you. he maintains a steady pace, and your moans continue with every punching thrust. "feels so good, baby, just like that."

"keep... keep doing that. please?" from the way his dick twitched inside of you when you praised him, who would you be to deny him such a request when he asked so nicely?

"mmgh, carlos, so good. faster, baby, please, i'm close. i'm so close." his hips snap into you faster, and you moan loudly as your nails scrape at his broad back and shoulders, surely leaving marks that will raise and turn red with time. with the pain, carlos' volume matches your own, and you can't help but grin as he bites at your neck, leaving his own marks for you to admire later. you yell with his left thumb comes to play with your clit, finding the bundle of nerves after a moment of searching, and he rubs tight hard circles that have you cumming hard.

"oh, fuck, carlos, i'm cumming, i'm cumming, oh my god. just like that baby, so good, so so good." you're reduced to a babbling, mindless, moaning mess, and your eyes are held open as they focus on carlos' face, eyebrows creased in pleasure, lips hanging open, and eyes shining with pleasure.

"i'm gonna cum, amor. i'm... where? where do you want it?"

you don't hesitate for an instant before mumbling out an "inside. inside, baby," and carlos' hips stutter and he cums inside of you with a groan. the warmth of his cum inside of you turns you on more than you could ever imagine, but you're too exhausted and fucked out to even consider a second round at the moment. "just like that, baby. just like that. ah~" you moan one last time when he pulls out of you, both of you panting and gasping hard for breath. carlos flops down on his stomach next to you, completely boneless and fucked out, and drapes his right arm over your waist.

"thank you," he mumbles into your neck. "i've wanted to do that for years."

"so have i," you say, the post-orgasmic haze crawling over your body. your eyes are heavy, but they snap open when you hear what carlos says next.

"you aren't that quiet, and your walls are thin."

your head rises from the pillow to look down at him. "cabrón, are you telling me you heard me moan your name and you didn't tell me?!"

"yeah, i guess so. i wanted to tell you after we finished secondary school, but you were with that other guy... what was his name? manuel? mateo?"

"matías," you laugh, bringing your hand that isn't gently playing with his hair up to your face, giggling hysterically. "i only got with him in hopes that you'd get jealous or something!"

"en serio? we were that blind?"

"i guess we were." you both burst out in laughter at your dual idiocy, but as you calm down, sleep takes its grasp on both of you, and you eventually succumb to its hold, safe in each other's embrace.

[theonottsbxtch]

OSCAR PIASTRI | OP81

secret sister | norris!sister - smau

part one part two part three

professor piastri? | teacher!reader - smau

home race? | trilingual!reader - smau

chicago | single mum!reader - written part one | part two | part three | part four | completed

skyfall | spy!reader - written part one | part two | part three | completed

no time to die | spin off from skyfall - written part one | part two | part three | completed

amnesia | ex!reader - written

million dollar woman | ceo!reader - written

forgotten birthday | gf!reader - written

free now | author!reader - written

courage | bestfriend!reader - written

LANDO NORRIS | LN4

all my lando work is dedicated to @driverlando

cool for the summer | summer fling!reader - smau

english love affair | rockstar!reader - smau

it’s ok i’m ok | ex!reader - written

private | singer!reader - smau

casual | situationship!reader - written

set fire to the rain | toxic relationship - written

my kinda crazy | driver!reader - smau + written

two hands | bartender!reader - written

LOGAN SARGEANT | LS2

celebrity crush | singer!reader - smau

stay with me | ex!reader - smau + written

cookie | albon!reader - smau + written

FRANCO COLAPINTO | FC43

all my franco work is dedicated to @isaadore

the other guy | piastri!reader - smau + written part one | part two | part three | part four | part five | part six | bonus part completed

el coqueto | interviewer!reader - written

love-locked | sainz!reader - written

i loved you first | best friend!reader - written

part one | part two | part three | completed

MAX VERSTAPPEN | MV1

mi novio, max verstappen | mexican!reader - written

the princess and the driver | princess!reader - written part one | part two | part three | part four | completed

whats left behind | barrell racer!reader x bull rider!max - written part one | part two | part three | part four | part five | completed

miss you baby | gf!reader brazil race

preacher’s daughter au - written

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five | completed

99 problems - written part one | part two coming |

baby, baby | fiance!reader - written

LEWIS HAMILTON | LH44

water colour eyes | driver!reader - written

CHARLES LECLERC | LC16

all my charles work is dedicated to @iimplicitt

7 minutes | verstappen!reader - written

teacher's pet | student!reader - written part one | part two | part three | part four | completed

my muse | pianist!reader - written

love me baby | arthur's gf's best friend!reader - smau + written

for you, always | prince!charles - written

[emmafrostdefender]

crush | logan howlett x female reader

hi everyone! i wrote this for fun. it'll probably turn into a series of small chapters while i write my more hefty logan fic. i hope you guys enjoy!

warnings: reader's kinda horny i guess, sexy man, based on crush by ethel cain, 1.5k words (i wrote this in like an hour)

You’d seen him around town. 

At the laundromat with the blinking fluorescent lights. At the dingy bar around the corner from the laundromat. At the gas station, filling up the tank of his red truck.

You never thought to say hi, never to engage with him in any way. 

He created such a stir when he first arrived. No one moved to your town unless something was truly wrong with them. Most of the men had leering gazes and dangerous intentions, but not him. Never him. You were in his vicinity frequently, but never once did he attempt what many others had. All failures, of course.

You lived contently in your grandmother’s old home, moving there after her cancer took a turn for the worst a few months ago. When she passed away quickly after that, she left the house to you and you decided to keep it. It still smelled like cigarettes, the stench burned into the walls and carpet, but the smell reminded you of childhood trips to Kansas. Those trips were scorched to the back of your eyelids, forever being replayed. Everything was the same as when you were a child; the small Mexican restaurant, the old movie theater, the arcade that closed seven years ago.

 Now, you sat behind the counter at the small antique shop you spent most of your days in. It was quaint, filled to the brim with every kind of knick-knack you could think of. There were crates filled with records and CDs, most scratched or completely unplayable. There were pieces of furniture, dusty mirrors, moth-eaten upholstery, chipped paint jobs, and broken hinges. The bookshelves that lined the walls of the store were stacked with books. You’d taken a few home in the past, knowing that they wouldn’t be missed.

And the clothes. There were racks on racks of vintage clothes. Most were out of fashion (even for the time they were made) or damaged. Still, you liked to play dress-up every so often. 

The job was boring and mundane, but it paid the bills. The family who owned the store didn’t seem to have time to keep up with the place, so you managed the inner-workings of it.

Today, you watched cars go by, wondering when would be the best time to cut your losses and close for the day. Some days you managed to get more than a few browsers, but today was not one of those days. You had one person come in around lunch, but they looked for about five minutes before heading out.

Your mind wandered as you watched people walk by the storefront.

You thought of him. The man you saw everywhere. The man who never spoke to you, not even to say, “Excuse me.”

The man that just walked through the front door.

Eyes widening, you sat up straighter and calmed your heartbeat that suddenly thundered in your ears. “Welcome in! Everything with a blue tag is sixty percent off today,” you said with a bright smile.

He simply looked over at you and then continued his perusal. 

You deflated. Harsh.

As he walked around the store, you felt like a live-wire. Every creak of the floorboards sent your heart spinning in your chest. You hadn’t felt like this about a man since you still called men boys. Being in your late twenties, that meant a very long time.

You grabbed a box of donations from the back room and moved to the floor to start stocking items on the shelves. You rationalized your decision to suddenly start restocking items after having a full day to do so by telling yourself that if you looked busy, he might feel inclined to buy something. You could nearly feel your nose growing by the second at that thought.

Moving through the rows of shelves and assorted items was second nature to you at this point, knowing where everything went in this mess of a store. You conveniently moved to the side of a shelf that viewed his aisle through gaps in the many items strung about. As you placed a silver mirror on the shelf, your gaze moved to watch his face on the other side of the rack. He was stunning.

You hadn’t had much time to analyze him; it was only small glances here and there in the time he’d been around. Now, you took your time. He was looking at an old book, bound in red fabric. It looked as if it had seen the bottom of a sewer. Luckily, he seemed to be making a careful inspection of the text, giving you enough time to look him over.

He was beautiful in a rugged kind of way. He looked like he worked with his hands; they were large and rough, with calluses around the fingers. His knuckles were prominent with sharp edges. You wondered what he did for a living. Did he move here to get away from city life? Was he a runaway circus performer? You internally smacked yourself in the head for the stupid thought. 

He’d probably make the circus look sexy, though.

He had a large figure hidden by a flannel and white t-shirt. His attire pointed to him being a worker of the land. A farmer, maybe. That would check out with the truck you'd seen him driving around in. Always covered in mud with logs of wood piled high in the back. 

His hair was a rich brown and you wanted to dig your fingers into it. You wanted to feel his beard against your skin.

What the hell is wrong with me?

You don’t have sex for so long that your brain goes fuzzy at the idea of a stranger’s beard scratching your neck. God. Get a grip.

You straighten your back and continue restocking things. Play it cool.

Soon, you fell into the rhythm of it, nearly forgetting the other person in the room. You moved to the bookshelves, loading more books onto the already strained wood. People really needed to stop donating things to you and start actually buying things. You’d be out of business by next summer. 

As soon as you realized you needed to go back to the stock room to grab another box, you heard a grunt behind you. You nearly jumped out of your skin. You dropped the box you were holding and faced the man. Your mystery man.

He was so close, you could smell him. He smelled like smoke and sweat. You felt yourself salivate.

You looked him in the eyes for the first time. “Do you need help?” You asked quietly, scared that he’d run off if you spoke too loud, like a wounded animal. 

“How much for this?” He asked, keeping your gaze. His voice was smooth.

You looked down to his hands, which were holding the book he had been examining earlier. “It doesn’t have a price tag?”

He shook his head. 

Now you felt like you were being held under a microscope. The way his eyes ran over your face made you go red; you hadn’t felt this flustered because of a man in a long time. 

“Okay, I can check at the front,” you said, keeping your quiet tone.

He just grunted again and followed as you led him to the register. You had a book of all the prices for things so that you could properly mark them. If you didn’t have the vague feeling that you were going to explode at any moment, you’d know off the top of your head the price of that tiny book. It was about the size of his hand, making you bite the inside of your cheek. 

You opened the book and searched for the page with book prices. When you found the page, you ran your finger down the list.

Small = $1.99

When you looked up at him, you jumped a little. He was looking at you with such intensity, you’d thought he was going to have an aneurysm. It made your cheeks flush again, but you cleared your throat and said, “It’s $1.99. With tax, it’ll be $2.30.”

He nodded, putting the book down on the counter as he reached for his wallet. You read the book title: Frankenstein. “I love Mary Shelley,” you said as you reached for a brown paper bag. 

He looked at you, his expression not revealing anything.

For some reason, you decided to keep talking. “It’s such a perfect analysis of ‘how far is too far’ in science and experimentation. I loved reading it in high school, I think you’ll really enjoy it,” you said, not particularly needing a response. 

He placed the exact change due on the counter and looked you in the eyes as he said, “Thank you.”

Your heart fluttered. “You’re welcome…” You trailed off, hoping to God that he’d tell you his name.

He thought about it for a moment. “It’s Logan.”

You smiled. “I’m glad you stopped by, Logan.” You introduced yourself. It would be nice to have another person to say ‘hi’ to on the street. And you imagined he was thinking the same thing.

His face didn’t jump into a smile, but it didn’t look as harsh as it did when he first walked in. 

And so began your crush on the stoic man who moved to town.

[dancingtotuyo]

Sage (Marcus Pike Drabble)

Rating: PG

Summary: You and Marcus can't agree on anything.

Tags/Warnings: fluff, mentions of alcohol

Notes: The challenge: write a drabble in 30ish minutes with the assigned Pedro boy for the prompt "finally, something we can agree on." Thanks to @saradika-graphics for the lovely dividers! No beta we die like my soul working 40+ hours a week.

Words: 452

Author Master List | Marcus Pike Master List | Daily Clicks for Palestine

“We should go out sometime,” Marcus says, a charming smile painted on his face as he leans against your desk.

You move your eyes up toward him and then pull them back to the case file in front of you. “No.”

“It’ll be fun. I know this great Mexican place just around the corner-”

“I don’t date coworkers, Marcus.” You look through the case file like it’s the most riveting piece of literature you’ve ever read. 

“Oh, Bob was gonna come too.” He points to the desk right behind you. 

You spin around and Bob waves at you with a smile. Marcus returns the gesture to your coworker. “See you at 7? I’ll text you the address.”

He’s gone before you can protest.

You laugh at something Marcus says as you finish off your margarita. Bob left an hour ago, but you and Marcus haven’t moved. They kick you out at closing. 

“Wanna come to mine? It’s just around the corner.”

“I told you I don’t-”

“Who said anything about a date?” 

“You told your mom about me?” 

“No.” Marcus scratches the back of his neck. 

You cross your arms, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“Not intentionally,” He says weakly. “She really wants to meet you.”

“No,” You say as Marcus’s doorbell rings. 

“You want Pizza or Chicken for dinner?”

“Pasta.” You bite back a smile.

Marcus looks at you with a half-annoyed look. 

“I love you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Excuse me?”

“You just think you do. I have that effect on people.”

“You’re just being difficult. 

Marcus burrows his head into the crook of your neck, leaving soft kisses on your skin. Your legs stretch out under the covers as you blink away the sleep haze. 

“Good morning.” His voice is soft and husky. 

“Good morning.” You smile.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Never a good thing.”

“Why don’t you move in with me?”

“I like having my own space.”

“You can have the spare bedroom.”

“Beige or charcoal?” Marcus asks.

“Sage.”

“That wasn’t an option.”

“It’s a better one.”

“Silver or gold?’

“You should know the answer to that.”

“Humor me.”

“Figure it out, Mr. FBI.”

“Marry me?” He’s on his knee in front of you, a diamond ring set in the correct metal in a velvet box. 

You’re wide-eyed, not expecting it tonight. He’s looking at you with nothing but big heart eyes and a hopeful smile. It makes your heart melt. This is your man. He’s all yours. Your Marcus.

“Yes,” It falls from your lips as you meet him on the ground, pressing your lips to his. He laughs, arms wrapping around your waist 

“Had me worried you were gonna fight me on this too,” he teases. 

“Shut up.” 

[rommaru]

Fenro Week Day 3: Latin Culture Appreciation @fenroweek2024

This is my love letter to Pedro Peirano, Álvaro Díaz and all the staff behind the best kids TV show that ever came from Latin America: 31 minutos!

This drawing is an homenage to Season 2, Episode 11, the characters are trying to do not get fired by buying over the main character with apples. Gyro is Tulio Triviño, the egocentric but deeply insecure host, Fenton is Juan Carlos Bodoque, the green note reporter who is a gambler and the favorite of the fandom, Boyd is Juanín Juan Harry, the humble and hard worker producer who looks up to Tulio.

This Chilean puppet show, where the characters are part of the cast of a TV news show called 31 minutos, makes a lot of social criticism and smart comedy through its absurdity that is far away from being a role model, inviting kids (and even adults) to reflect about real life problems and make their own conclusions.

The show's impact in the Latin countries has been so big, it ran for 4 seasons from 2003 to 2014 but it continues to have presence in popular music festivals and live shows.

Its legacy also contains 4 studio albums, 1 live album and 1 tribute album made by Chilean and Mexican artists, theater presentations, museums exhibitions in Chile and Mexico (current), collaborations with other organizations and brands inside Chile, 13 books (activities, comics and literature), 1 board game, 2 small videogames, 1 movie and 2 spin-off.

If you feel like giving a chance to this TV show, their official YouTube channel has all the episodes with English subtitles (I have to warn you the first episodes are a little boring and others do not adjust to modern standards), and here's a more extensive video review about the show made by Melody Nosurname.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you 31 minutos for being a big part of my childhood. Thank you Pedro and Álvaro for making a quality show and always stand for what you believe in.

[valeriianz]

hi! in the spirit of Dreamling Week, here is an updated masterlist, now with clickable links to tags to follow along with a series :) welcome to my corner of the fandom, where it's predominantly human aus!

in time, all of my fics will be transferred to Ao3, so if you're interested in that, follow along here! this list will (finally) include (some) links to fics ive tagged on in reblogs that i usually ignore... but not this time! :'D Everything here is complete unless otherwise stated: (wip)

G - T Rated:

tepid - 1.3k canon, Dream can get sleepy, too

Stay - 1.7k hurt/comfort, vague mafia vibes

the date that never ended - 1.2k humor, established relationship

You Know How That Thrills Me - 2.2k The Devil Wears Prada AU, + blog tag which includes fanart, here!

savvy? - 1.2k pirate au! Hob rescues Dream

daydream - 1.1k fake dating, UST, fitting room pining

Exit Wounds - 2.1k hurt/no comfort, infidelity, angst

call me back for more - 2k NYE, strangers to lovers, sexual tension

scratch a little itch - 5.6k neighbors, pastry chef!Dream and professor!Hob

The magic of the mistletoe - xmas fic, canon

Hob grieves over Dream - canon, vague comic spoilers, angst

Cowboy AU (snippet) - aka Charro!Dream, Mexican rodeo vibes + blog tag with lots of art and collaborators :)

spin the bottle - highschool setting, friends to lovers

Reason in the Noise - 3k+ (wip) musician!Dream, companion piece to Bolt in the Blue (but can be read as a standalone)

Retired!Dream with facial hair along with part 2! - canon(ish), domestic, light spice

The Parent Trap AU and part 2! - loosely inspired by the film.

Hob walks in on Dream dancing - musician!Hob and Dream dancing to his music. marshmallow fluff.

Personal Chef!Hob, single dad Dream - what it says on the tin, part two here! and my 'chef Hob au' tag full of art and recipes!

NYE and slightly possessive Hob - another obligatory New Years Eve fic

The Proposal AU and also a part two! - a couple silly romcom things in collaboration with valiantstarlights here's the tag for it!

Bday fic for ambarden - the night before college graduation, pining,

Road Trip - the start of an idea...

ASMR youtuber!Dream - an add on... Hob is a fan. meet cute

Hard of Hearing Dream - pining, bittersweet, friends to lovers

Spicy/NSFW fics under the cut!

M - E Rated:

Bolt in the Blue - 102k+ (wip) the epic band au, slice of life, fluff, touring. see everything related to this fic in the tag fic: bolt in the blue

skipping breakfast - 667w domestic and a lil spicy

obsession - 1.6k canon, making out on the dancefloor

Fin de siècle - 3.2k vampire hunter!Hob and vampire!Dream

parked - 1.1k canon, car sex, PDA

tease - 1.3k Dream has a vulva, Hob fingers him in a car

ushy gushy pussy Dream - and he refuses to get off Hob's cock

Mr. Gadling's Bodyguard - 11.7k The Hitman's Bodyguard AU, action, humor... second chapter does not relate to the film at all and is just smut

Savory & Sweet - 6k+ (wip) restaurant au, unhinged behavior

Let Me Down Easy - 21k photographer!Hob and model!Dream but they're exes. angst with a happy ending

never enough - 7.3k friends to lovers, love confessions, mutual pining

turn the lights off - 3.3k phone sex, side fic inspired by by the minute by issylra

kiss me properly (and pull me apart) - 4.2k Hob wears a butt plug all day (lol) inspired by this incredible art by messmonte

Dream stepping on Hob - power imbalance, PWP

Bathtub shenanigans - a bit of relaxation ;)

Hob as Sexy Santa - and Dream can't handle it

Celebrity Dream and his normie bf Hob - inspired by that 3am photo of Ferdie looking all sweaty and disheveled

One of Your Girls AU - an ask fic/prompt i sent to Gabe and she added on <3

Let Me Down Easy [deleted scene] - they get frisky the morning after

Dream can feel Hob's lewd daydreams

Bi-curious Dream - basically a summary/headcanon of what i think Dream having his bi awakening with Hob would be like. and then hardly-an-escape went and wrote a full ass fic about it. but im counting this anyway lmao

#my writing

btw i am so sorry, yes i did give up on including the word count. i just... gave up. but everything without a word count is most likely under 1.5k.

[fuck-customers]

oh my GODDD hell is happening in this fucking mexican spin-off of the way of sub, I'm so fucking.

the field manager put our GM on probation RIGHT BEFORE AN 11 DAY VACATION OF THE GM's, probably in a direct attempt to sabotage, so 11 of the 30 days, the GM can't do SHIT to try and fix anything, and the FM is taking MORE HOURS FROM OUR STORE (already running on a fucking skeleton crew) so another store has more, cause that store is getting a visit from a big boss. but wait. we never get more hours when we get a visit from a big boss? in fact, most times, our hours get fucking cut more ?

im so tired. I hope that she fucking knows that if the GM is fired, half of this fucking store is walking with her. She has built this team from the ground fucking up, and most of this fucking store will WALK, me included. I'm not dealing with anyone else, especially someone who won't be nearly as accommodating to my autism as she is. i know it'll be hard to find a new job, but all I want is to be left alone to wash dishes.

Posted by admin Rodney

[oliversrarebooks]

Brainwashing Chair CYOA - Save Your Strength

Masterlist > Next

tw: pet whump, restraints, drugging, conditioning

you chose: save your strength

The handler is pushing an ominous black mask closer to your face, and you can't seem to think of a way that you're not entirely screwed. 

Perhaps it was a little too easy to confidently state that you're willing to risk your mind when you were safe and surrounded by your journalist group, eager to reveal the sordid secrets of pet processing. Now, confronted by the very real possibility that your mind is going to be permanently altered, you can't help but wonder if it's worth it.

You hope at the very least your group is getting good footage of this.

Overtly struggling seems pointless when you're restrained and surrounded, and they've threatened to do something worse to you if you fight them too much. You think that if you want to make it out of here intact, you're going to have to choose your battles. Still, you can't keep yourself from holding your breath as the mask seals firmly around your mouth and nose, not terribly eager to be drugged again.

"Just take a deep breath," the man says, as he straps the mask around the back of your head. "Count backwards from ten if you like. Soon, you won't be worrying about a thing."

"You can't hold your breath forever," says the woman, as your lungs start to burn. "Make it easy on yourself and breathe."

She is, unfortunately, right. You can't hold your breath forever. You eventually have to take a breath, choking down the artificial scent of flowers. Your head is spinning from it -- whatever they're drugging you with is potent, and there's no way you can avoid breathing for long. You're just going to have to try and keep yourself awake and aware as much as you can.

The handlers are hovering around the chair, their complete nonchalance adding to your humiliation. "Did you put in an order for lunch?" the woman says.

"Oh, I think I missed the group order. What was it?"

"Mexican. But I wish... cool local place..."

You realize that you're sinking into a kind of daze. It's hard to focus on their conversation. You try to shake off the feeling, but it's filling your head like cotton wool. The drugged gas is quickly getting to you -- you're starting to feel so drowsy and your eyelids are slowly drooping downwards.

But being sedated isn't really what's worrying you. The larger problem is that it's beginning to feel nice. There's a lovely warmth spreading all over your body, and a strange euphoria blossoming in your brain. It feels good. So good. 

Your terror at having your mind altered, your fear of being found out, your uncertainty about what you've gotten yourself into -- all of that is melting away, slipping through your grasp even as you try to hold onto it. It's becoming difficult to focus for long on any of those complex, scary thoughts. Not when you feel so amazing, like everything's going to be okay.

Maybe everything is going to be okay. You feel so warm and blissful and you're so sleepy. Maybe it's fine to just relax and let whatever's going to happen, happen.

...No! That's just the gas, not how you really feel about it. You can't stop yourself from being drugged, but you can fight against the effects.

...but it's a lot of effort compared to just laying back and breathing the nice gas that's making you feel so, so good...

"Looks like it's kicking in now." The woman is talking about you, startling you as you were starting to drift off. "I'll start the program."

"Great, then we can get lunch."

Lunch? How long are they going to leave you here under the effects of this gas? Isn't that dangerous? You're not sure what worries you more: the idea that they're going to be leaving you alone and drugged for god knows how long, or the fact that part of you is more than happy to melt into the chair and let the soothing sensations just wash over you.

The man dims the lights in the room as the woman slips a pair of headphones over your ears. You hear a sound that's like a cross between pouring rain and white noise, and beneath it, words that are difficult to make out. Subliminals? Those don't actually work, do they?

What are they saying? You strain to hear it.

At the sound of the door clicking, you shake yourself out of a daze once again. The handlers are gone. Maybe you can free yourself? Do... something...?

The darkened room is blurry and indistinct around you, and your limbs feel heavy. Your eyes are blinking slowly as you try to keep yourself awake. There has to be something you can do before you lose yourself completely...

Masterlist > Next

[d-targaryenshoe]

Asked And Answered - Luke Newton

Word count: 1237

Summary: When questions are being asked, the only thing left to do is answer, no?

"Hi, y/n! Thank you for having us here. Do you mind if we come in and ask a few questions?"

"Oh hi! No, not at all, come on in." you smiled, closing the door and leading Joe Sabia through the hallway of your house.

"How did you get into acting? Was it something you always wanted to do?" he asked, following you into your living room.

"Well, I have always loved performing. When I was a kid, I used to put on plays for my family in our living room. But it wasn't until high school that I got into acting." 

You took your cup of coffee from your coffee table, turning off your TV.

"Tell us about your journey to becoming an actress?"

"Well, it wasn't easy. I auditioned for countless roles and faced a lot of rejection. But I never gave up and finally got my big break in an amazing Netflix show called Bridgerton." 

You smiled at the male taking a sip from your coffee, opening your blinds, and inviting in the sunlight.

"How did you land the role of y/c/n in Bridgerton?" The man questioned.

"It's quite a funny story. I was in the middle of filming for a different project when I received a call from Chris Van Dusen about an audition for a new period drama." You chuckled.

"At first, I was indecisive as I had never done a period piece before, but my agent convinced me to give it a go. So, I went for the audition, and the rest, as they say, is history." 

 "Speaking of Bridgerton, you act alongside your boyfriend, Luke Newton. Can you tell us more about that?" The interviewer followed you toward your kitchen.

"Yes, we're always together but we try our best to hold our distance on set, but we know each other so well, which made filming even more fun and natural." You answered, tearing off a piece of paper from the 

tear-off calendar.

"What was your favorite scene to film in Bridgerton?"

"That's a tough one as I genuinely enjoyed every scene. However, I think my favorite would have to be the ballroom scene where Colin and y/c/n share their first dance." You placed your cup of coffee in the sink and took a bottle of water from the fridge. 

 "Are you both supporters of each other's careers?" he asked, walking behind you towards the dining room.

"Absolutely. We both understand the demands of this industry and always support and motivate each other," you say, shoving one of the chairs under the table.

 "Can you tell us about your first date?" The male asked.

"Our first date was funny. We went to a Mexican restaurant, and I accidentally spilled my entire and very expensive margarita on his lap, but we look back on it and laugh now." You chuckled, leaning your arms on the chair.

"What is one thing that you're obsessed with at the moment?"

"Commenting on fans their fanart, they're incredibly talented." You said, opening the door towards your master bedroom. 

"If you had a podcast what would it be called?" Joe asked, stepping into the room.

"Dearest Listeners, as a wink to Lady Whistledown." You replied while adjusting the sheets on the bed. "And Nicola Coughlan."

 "what's your favorite playlist you have?"

"Romancing Mr. Newton, sorry not sorry." You laughed, leaving your master bedroom.

"what song have you had on repeat for the past few weeks?" The man asked.

"Spinning out, waiting for ya to pull me in" you softly sang, walking towards your bathroom before looking behind you. "Satellite by Harry Styles."

"what's the hardest thing you ever had to do for a role?"

"Learning how to dance a Quadrille without stepping on my dancing partner's toes." You snorted, closing the bathroom door that was still open.

"do you ever get nervous when being on set?"

"Of course, it means you care and you want to do it good." You shrugged at the man, walking to your walk-in closet.

"Who is your go-to person when you need to talk to someone?"

"Ruth Gemmell, Mother Bridgerton, really knows how to comfort you." You smiled, walking into the room that was filled with clothes and shoes.

"how many awards do you own?"

"One Academy Award for Best Actress, One Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, and an Oscar for Best Actress," you replied while inspecting your dresses.

"What is something that recently moved you?" Joe asked

"Last month, Luke and I had a chat with a fan in London and spoke about how essential Mental Health is, that truly touched me." You strode out of your walk-in closet and shut the door behind Joe. 

“Who is the most famous person on your phone?” 

"Meryl Streep? Taylor Swift? Both?" You slightly laughed, pushing the screen of the smart thermometer in the house.

“what's your favorite time of the day?”

"Nighttime, just silence and quality time, it's heaven." You opened the door to your home office.

“Vintage or new?” The male asked.

"Vintage," you answered as you sat down behind your desk.

“What are three things you can’t live without?”

"Acting, friends, and Luke." You leaned back in your chair, smiling at the man.

“When was the last time you were starstruck?”

"I'd say, the table read for Bridgerton, season 3." You said, getting up from the chair and getting out of the room. 

“Best gift you’ve ever received?���

"All of this, Bridgerton, everyone I got to know, the fans." You answered, adjusting a painting that hung in the hallway.

“Best advice you’d give your teenage self?” He asked`

"Dare to take the risk, no matter how scary it may seem." walking into your home theatre, you took a seat on one of the huge pillows.

“What’s your wakeup ritual?”

"Sunny weather, the smell of coffee, and a lot of food." You chuckled, running a hand through your hair.

“who’s someone you’d like to work with again on set?"

"There's no good answer to that, anyone from the Bridgerton family." you got up from the chair and walked towards the giant black screen.

“What’s your current TV obsession?”

"The Originals." You smiled, walking out of the room.

“Rate your met gala outfit 1 to 10.”

"A decent 9." You winked at the camera, coming to a halt in the hallway. "You will see."

“Do you have a favorite room in your house?” 

"I surely do! Let me show you." You walked up to the black-colored door, revealing your wine cellar.

“you have 4.2M followers on Instagram, is there something you'd like to say to them,”  Joe asked, while you were inspecting the dusty bottles of wine.

"Never think twice when you want to do something, take a leap of faith." You wiped off the dust from the bottle and placed it back.

“Have you ever googled yourself?”

"Multiple times, the first time was when Bridgerton was being released." You answered, getting closer to your garage.

“Diamonds or pearls?” Joe asked

"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" You winked at the camera, chuckling to yourself.

“Favorite accent to do?”

"British, everything just sounds better in British," you answered, opening your garage gate, and stepping outside in the sun.

"Then this was all we've wanted to ask you today, thank you for having us, Y/n."

"Thank you for being here today." you waved one last time at the man before closing your garage gate.

[exsqueezememacaroni]

ANSWERS ANSWERS ANSWERS

Preface: Mike's answers were received as an audio recording and I've transcribed them here to the best of my abilities - he reads the questions out loud, which i don't include. He's jovial and snarky AF in his answers, which might fall a little flat in text. "Source's" followup answers were in text and copy-pasted, they're a lot more sincere. I've decided to post all answers in full...you might be surprised by them and you can take them how you like, but don't shoot the delivery person (me) or the messenger (the Source).

Ok, here they are: question, Mike's answer, Source's answer [my commentary]

whens the mexico tour mike? do you hate mexicans mike?

(joking on that last one ofc xd)

There are a lot of tours happening. You're gonna have to be more specific. A better question is: when will my tacos be ready?

I'll expand on this one. He is very close to signing off on a small tour with one of his bands. He is also trying very hard to find a way to reschedule the one he had to cancel, but the logistics is making it hard. He is trying to keep his touring to 3 weeks out max and 2 months home. Which is hard to do with his bigger band.

do you still have toodles the baby doll, the one you had in 92'-93'? do have any other antique items similar to toodles? if so, what are your favorites?

Wait, we need a visual for this story, hold on [Mike and the Source giggle, I don't know what happens here edit: this probably when the toodles/hippo/pig video was recorded]...let's see, what's next...mmm...yeah....nope...pass

He has a few antique items. Like a shrunken skull and a medical amputation kit from the 1700s.

roddy, somewhat recently like a few months ago, in an instagram live did a qna and someone asked him what he thought about trey and he told a story about him having a ball of straight boogers that he collected his boogers in and i just wanna ask if that is true or not because that is a insane story if it actually did happen

....booger ball? HAHA ok...hmmm? Well where do you put your boogers in huh??? Do you eat them? put 'em in your stomach? [Source: "eww"] That ball sounds pretty good about now, right?hahahahh

Mike knows nothing about this. It doesn't sound to me like something Trey would do now. Who knows what he did when he was younger though.

What does Mike think about his fans?

What do i think about my fans....well...if I'm being honest? I question their mental health...HAHA...sorry...I didn't mean to! [Source: "MIKE!"] I kid, I kid....I'm very grateful...to all ten of them....[chuckle]

He is truly grateful for them. Some also scare him a little.

What was the best prank Mike pulled on tour??

....I would ask Crain or Pearson... [Source has a big laugh]

With Dead Cross. He had arranged for the police to pull over their van while touring in Texas. The officer was a fan and Mike had him "plant" drugs and a gun in the car. Dave knew what was happening but Justin and Mike were freaking out. They were handcuffed and laying in the dirt when they found out it was all a joke.

Who has a nicer butt? Mike or Trevor?

Again, you're gonna have to elaborate on that one....I mean, which Mike? I can't POSSIBLY be expected to answer the question without knowing...hahaha

Mike gets my vote. He has a great butt.

Is there a lyric to a song Mike wrote that was so unhinged that he thought it was better to keep to himself?

Ya, the answer is nope.

So many choices, but he doesn't do regrets. I will tell you that the bullshit he spins about his Faith No More lyrics being random and impersonal, is just that. Bullshit. A good number of those lyrics are highly personal. Furthermore, quite a few of these songs when woven together tell a very personal story. You will NEVER get him to admit this though.

What is Mike's sexual orientation?

Hehe - you wanna take that one [source]? [Source: eehhhuuummmmmmmmm....no...no I'm good]

I feel like if I answer this, there will be a lot of disappointed people. I'll just say he had a wife, he has a girlfriend. You do the math.

Were Mike and Trevor ever a thing?

Sure....in his fucking wet dreams....hahahahah

Yes, they were and are “friends” Seriously though, not that I am aware of, and I've known them both since 1989.

Did mike get a BJ from that groupie he talked about in the making of Angel Dust? Or was it all made up just to troll?

[Mike skips over this one]

I'll answer this one. That was a true story. All of it, including the fact that he did NOT take her up on her offer of giving him a BJ. *He would like to add that he often wonders if that was a mistake and he missed out on some "really good head." He is kidding, of course. When he said he doesn't like groupies, he was being sincere. It gives him the "ick”

since it's time to ask anything: how big is Mike's dick?

Shamefully small....you're like Dora the Explorer on the hunt for it. [Source laughs]

I have ZERO complaints [you might guess the Source's relationship to Mike here]

first and foremost, is mike doing ok? i mean, both mentally and physically.. i just hope he got over all the things that were troubling him and is in a good state right now😭

Wow, ya....um....that's really kind [he truly sounds taken aback by the question] I am doing well. And...um.... I thank you for the support, it's appreciated. Truly, I mean that....ok....I'm done....you do the rest, [source]. [recording ends]

He is doing well. He is taking the advice of his care team and limiting his work. Enjoying life. Moving forward you will find his tours are broken into multi-week sessions followed by some downtime, and projects will be less frequent, but hopefully more satisfying.

is mike currently working on some new music/projects/plans to revive some of the old ones? some upcoming collaborations maybe?

Yes. However he told me I could only give you a very basic answer. He is working on something new, but his priority and focus is on fulfilling the tours he had to postpone or cancel over the past few years. Starting with his “slutty” group. [the slutty group is Tomahawk ;) ]

now for the more personal ones… [the previous two and the next two questions were all from the same anon]

those weren't personal?😂oh boy!

Yeah he isn't going to answer these. But I will try.

what is mike's current relationship with trevor? are they on good terms? do they talk/spend time together still? i think we can all agree that there is kind of an elephant in the room right now regarding their recent interactions (i'm very much looking at you trev)

Things are probably the best they've been since high school. They do live on different coasts and both tend to keep busy, so they don't have time to really "hang" out, but that hasn't really been something that they do since high school. They see each other enough over work and yes, they really do enjoy working together. Especially now that they have both matured some.

is mike still… married?? i need to hear the most elaborate answer for this one because his marriage in particular is a real twilight zone haha

Bless you for asking this! Personally, this subject irks me a bit. So I am glad someone asked, as I would love to set the record straight. Yes, he is still technically married, but only for legal reasons. I cannot give you more details as it would violate someones privacy. However; he and Cristina are not together. He likes to be vague about this, as it

is somewhat of a security blanket for him. Now that he has gone public about his demons, you can probably understand why he likes to keep people at an arms length distance. Especially women. Yes they separated and then reconciled. It didn't work out. Having a significant other that is never around can lead to loneliness and other issues, and they just couldn't make it work. Even so, they still remain friends and live a few blocks away from each other. Romantically, that relationship is dead AF. That does not mean that he is "available" though. He isn't. I promise you he is happy. At least he says he is. He is the love of my life.

[I asked about my gifts for Mike from the Southern US Bungle tour, they DID end up on the bus, the anal hook got passed around and somehow ended up with Dave?!??! Mutherfuckr....anyways, I gave the Source the link to where I got it in case she wanted to get another one for Mike. And as for the socks...]

That was very kind of you and he definitely appreciates the thought and creativity put into these gifts. I have definitely seen the socks with blood dripping. I'll look for the ones with the skull. He did mention to me that he's loves all the socks that fans have given

him. So I am sure he has them. As for the anal hook. Thank you for the link. I'm not sure that man needs any more "gadgets" if you catch my drift.

[I apologized for the "is he still married' question...you all know how I feel about that topic...]

It's okay. Like I said, I honestly don't mind answering that one at all.

I don't mind answering any of these. Look, I think he is hot too. I would be a total hypocrite if I didn't understand the fascination. Which is why I encouraged him to answer these. Plus he is so damn guarded. It's good for him to open up. Baby steps. Answering a few questions won't hurt him or change his life.

What turns him on about a woman or man?

I did try to get him to answer this question seriously… I tried. Instead he started describing me. Except for the end when he added and "Big sweaty hairy balls." Obviously I can't answer this for him, but I can tell you what he has told me what he likes about me… at least the PG version. He always tells me his favorite thing about me is my

kindness and big heart and that I accept him unconditionally. I know, probably not what you were expecting. He also tends to be attracted to women who are creative and successful. That is my own observation from the women he has dated. He also loves dark haired and dark eyed women, with a wicked sense or humor. He is also definitely an "ass" man. As for men, I have never heard him honestly mention being attracted to one, other than when he was joking around.

[to me, and I decided to include...] I know you all like to fantasize that he has gay tendencies. So if you prefer to keep this answer quiet I completely understand. But I can assure you, he is not keeping his gay side closeted or anything. We are very open minded as a couple and believe me, if he wanted to experiment. He could have.

What's his favourite fragrance?

Currently it's Burberry Touch. He also likes Montblanc Legend.

[I interject: *me again - actually there's a lot of chat around what fragrance mike wears….people really like

it….if he wants to share the internet would be forever grateful]

I understand. He smells amazing. Scents are a big thing with him.

Is Mike really into the BDSM community or is it all stage acting?

I did say we are a very open minded couple. Plus the man is an Aquarius.

That's that on that, folks. There were a couple of questions that have come in since these, I haven't sent them in yet, hoping to get a few more in so I can send a block of 'em. The Source says we're still welcome to ask, but she can't promise anything more from Mike. I personally want you all to know the interactions I've had with the Source have all been very sweet. It really does sound like she wants Mike to start be more comfortable out there in the world again, and so I want you all to love and support them both with all your bits.

FIN

[lostintransist]

Liaison | Part 7 | Shots, Shots, Shots

Check out part one here. Up to chapter 36/38 on AO3.

A knock on your desk pulled your attention from work. Gaz stood at your desk. You hadn’t seen him in months.

“Gaz!” You leap up from your chair and throw your arms around the man. He sported a goatee now, it looked good on him.

He hugged you back tight. “Hey there, I missed you.”

“I missed you too! I scheduled you to be back here at least three times since I saw you last but nooo you had to go and play hero with KorTac,” you rolled your eyes as you stepped back from the hug.

All eyes in the office were on you two but you ignored them. Gaz, without argument, had to be your best friend. He matched your level of crazy and understood your side-eye communication without explanation.

Gaz reached up and tugged lightly on your dangling earring.

“Fuck you Liaison I am a hero! At least to a couple of women who wanted to say thank you if you know what I mean.” He waggled his brows.

Slapping your hands to your ears you loudly drown him out with a la-la-la-la. His booming laugh could be heard above your panicked off-key chanting. Gaz settles into the chair at the edge of your desk, hand digging into the fidget basket you set up originally for him. Everyone used it when they came to chat.

Trusting he would not tell you any more about his escapades you settled into your chair, folding your legs into the seat. You had used the company card to buy a new office chair the second you got your hands on it. The one you had bought last year at Costco with Harold and Gaz wouldn’t stay upright and getting dumped onto your head was not a great way to start any day.

“How late do you work today?” Gaz spins a small chain around one finger.

“I only have maybe an hour left of work?” Filling one cheek with air you force it back and forth in your cheeks before blowing it out. “Unless someone accidentally shoots a diplomat again.”

“That was not my fault!” Gaz halts his spinning chain to point angrily at you. “You know it wasn’t my fault. We cleared all civilians but that fucker pulled his diplomatic passport and some rookie didn’t toss him out on his ass anyway.”

You grin, a light laugh showing you aren’t serious. It wasn’t Gaz’s fault, but the mess it caused you to clean up gave you the right to tease him about it.

“Any idea what you want to do tonight?” Gaz changes the subject.

“Wanna go shooting?”

At the opportunity to fire a gun Gaz brightens significantly.

“Shooting sounds great, dinner after?”

“Sure but you are not allowed to choose. The last place was not Mexican food and you cannot convince me it wasn’t a horror masquerading as a restaurant.”

“Deal.”

❈❈❈

“What the hell is this?” Gaz gestured to the large room with long open rooms lined up.

The bow and arrows decorating the space should have given it away.

“A shooting range,” you reply as if he couldn’t see that himself.

“I thought we were going to shoot guns, not bows?”

The half-smirk you give him causes him to squint at you.

“One would think by now you would remember to confirm before agreeing to an activity with me,” you fight down a smile.

Gaz shoves you, laughter spilling between your bodies.

“You are unbelievable, I have to stop agreeing to do things with you.”

“Actually you just need to stop trusting me to tell you the whole truth,” you wipe at the tears in your eyes from laughing.

Seeing someone come out of a back room you make your way over.

“Hi, can I get two lanes for 30 minutes?”

“Will you need to rent the bow and arrows as well?” The teenager asks already tapping away at the screen in front of him.

“Yes, please. Can I have a 40-pound draw and,” looking back at Gaz you make a decision, “a 30-pound draw?”

“Sure, have you both been here before?”

“I have, but my friend hasn’t.”

The teenager nods, tapping the screen a few more times. He quotes the total due and you tap your card before Gaz has a chance to pull out his wallet. The first time the two of you had gone out to dinner had been a battle to pay the bill. He would do his best now to cover dinner but you had called and prepaid.

“Okay sir, please fill out this waiver while I get everything together for you.” The paper and pen are placed on the counter.

Gaz reviews each line before he signs.

“Why give me a lower draw weight?” He taps the end of the pen against the counter.

“Because while you might work out I know this will be new for you and I don’t need you bitching at me in the morning because you can’t lift your arms.”

The teen comes back passing over both bows and a quiver of arrows.

“You guys will be on number 7, go down to the right and it will be near the middle.” The young worker disappeared back into a room beyond sight.

“Ready to see what you can do?”

Having been here several times you know where you are going. Setting the arrows point down in the provided container you pull out a single one. Notching the arrow you draw and let it fly.

“We will fire all of them and then collect so no one accidentally gets shot,” turning, you watch Gaz test the string of the bow.

He pulls and relaxes the string twice before he notches an arrow and misses so badly. He glares at your sputtered laughter.

“Couple things, you want full extension of your bow arm and to pull the arrow back to at least your face. Aim slightly higher than you think since gravity affects arrows faster than bullets and commit. When you let it fly don’t hesitate.”

You draw up another arrow, watching as it sinks into the target. Nowhere near the bullseye but not on the ground. Gaz takes his turn next until the arrows are all spent and none of his has touched the target. Confirming with Gaz you both move down the range to collect your arrows. He does not appreciate your rendition of “Shots” by Lil John. The laughter and Lil John remains the soundtrack of the night.

Before your time is up Gaz asks to try drawing on your bow. You pass it off.

“Holy fuck Liaison, I didn’t think you were serious.”

“Why would I joke about being stronger than you? This is probably the only time I can do it.” You stepped behind him and tapped both shoulder blades. “Draw again but try and make these touch.”

Gaz does as instructed, a light manly grunt coming out of him.

When your half hour is up you collect everything and return it to the teen working the counter. Bounding up the stairs you catch sight of a flash of white on black disappear as you approach the door to leave. Gaz is waiting outside for you, smoking a cigarette.

Waving a hand in front of your nose you tell him that you are going to go wait over by the alley until he is done. Cigarette smoke coated your mouth and tasted disgusting. Your back to the alley you address your stalker.

“Thought stalking was below your pay grade Gengar.”

“You’re too friendly with Gaz.”

“Right,” you drag the word out, “I’m too friendly with one of my only friends on this half of the planet. That makes absolute sense.”

The silence behind you raises the hair on the back of your neck, a puppeteer in fear.

Gaz wanders up, a lingering tang of smoke heralding his arrival.

“Ready for dinner?”

“Yep, we are hitting an Ethiopian restaurant. I’ve already been once, and the family that runs it is from Ethiopia. I can’t handle any of this bland British nonsense.”

Gaz sputters in defense of his country. He finds none being as well-traveled as he is. Knowing the darkness still stalks you you fire off a bird toward the man who has decided you are too friendly.

@nicroyal02

Part 6

Masterlist

[solitablvd]

Se Nos Acabó El Ratito

**Minors DNI**

Pairing: Javier Escuella x Female Reader

Parte 2 & Parte 3

Summary: “I came to America because I killed a man in México. A powerful man. I knew if I stayed, everyone I love would die. I ran, not for my life, but for theirs." ** In 1894, you are the wife of General Velasco, a powerful figure in the Mexican Army. One fateful night in Punta Orgullo, you cross paths with Javier Escuella.

Warnings: pre-video game, eventual smut, headcannon asf, more tags to come, romantic Javier idc, female reader

Word Count: 4k

AO3 Link

Parte 1:

Punta Orgullo, Nuevo Paraíso, México 1894

El amor, como una rosa, tiene espinas.

That’s what you always said— love, like a rose, has thorns.

Until you met him. Javier. The name alone could make your head spin.

You met him under the stars, amidst the sound of joyous music. You had snuck off into the night, hoping to catch a glimpse of normalcy.

Far away from the agave fields and into the deep night, you found life. Your very own treasure awaited just down the hill from your home, at the heart of Punta Orgullo — a small pueblo by the name of Escalera.

You kept your head down and veiled by a long mantilla. The music filled the small plaza, and you marveled at the resilience of a community that could face so much hardship in the day, but still find moments of joy in the night.

With your back against a wall, you watched the people dance. That’s when he approached you.

His eyes were knowing. He wore a well-maintained baby blue charro suit with golden accents that reminded you of the clear sky on a sunny day. His hair, though mostly concealed by his matching sombrero, peeked through, framing his elegant features and neatly tied in a small ponytail.

"Excuse me," he said, a hand resting on his belt and the other holding a lit cigarette. He put it out with a flick, letting it fall to the ground before snuffing it out under his boot as he drew nearer. Removing his sombrero, he held it to his chest and gave a short bow as a sign of respect before continuing, "I noticed you from across the plaza. I haven’t seen you here before."

“Ah, yes.” You kept your head down, your mantilla shining brightly under the pale moonlight, “This is my first time in the plaza,” you admitted softly.

“Well,” He began, a gentle smile forming on his lips, “would you care for a dance?”

You looked at him with contemplation. The faint scars on his face told stories; a man with a history. His eyes held truth, but more importantly virtue. Would he be asking if he knew you were General Velasco’s wife? The trophy wife of a powerful man so disgustingly corrupt that the mere thought of it sent a stabbing pang through your stomach.

Noticing you were stuck in thought, Javier bent over, using his sombrero to pretend to sweep the sandy floor at your feet. A playful glint danced in his eyes as he then extended his hand in invitation, “One dance. Just one.”

You couldn’t hold back from smiling sincerely at his charming gesture. Unsure of what was to come, you took a leap of faith and accepted. With your hand placed delicately in his, he led you to the swirling crowd of dancing bodies at the center of the plaza.

As you danced slowly, he whispered sweet lyrics of the boleros into your ear. He held you close and tenderly. The two of you danced as if you had known each other forever. In his arms you felt alive.

When the night drew to a close, Javier, in his ever so gentlemanly fashion, insisted he walk you home. His persistence was admirable, but it was then, under the blanket of stars, that you confessed you didn’t reside at the lower levels of the small pueblo. Rather, you lived in the grand villa at the top of the hill, surrounded by other haciendas where only the grossly powerful and corrupt resided.

You feared he might feel betrayed, but he looked at you silently and thoughtfully before gently taking your hand and walking you home anyway. You told him everything about your arranged, loveless marriage. He told you about his mother, sister, and even about his life as a bounty hunter. Under the night sky your fingers remained interlocked as you snuck up the trail to your home.

He helped lift you atop the white stone wall that surrounded the villa. As you sat on the wall looking down at him, he removed his sombrero once more, this time taking out a singular red rose.

“This is for you.” He whispered, extending the rose up to you. You took it delicately, the rose was unarmed, as if he carefully snipped each thorn off one by one.

Just like his love for you from that point on, sin espinas.

You saw him twice a month after that. As ironic as it was, you’d pray just to find a chance to sneak off from your home and find him. You found solace in his presence.

It had been months since that fateful day, yet here you were, still in the confines of the villa.

In the courtyard you continued to tend to the plants, using the large clay pitcher to carefully water the greenery as you overheard your husband— General Alejandro Velasco’s — conversation. He was standing beside the large center courtyard fountain with whom you recognized to be Capitán González.

They ignored you, but you preferred it that way, it gave you the opportunity to listen in.

"Then find them, drag them out there and make them work. They don’t get to make demands." Velasco's voice was filled with fire. He had been growing more and more frustrated with the lack of complete obedience from the people of Punta Orgullo.

"They need to feel our presence. I want patrols doubled in the village. No one walks alone. Any whispers of revolt must be silenced immediately.” He demanded.

Your breathing hitched with his words, but you remained composed. As demands for fair wages and better treatment among the workers and general public intensified, military presence in all of Punta Orgullo had only grown heavier. As word of revolution began, Velasco’s iron fist seemed to grow heavier as he tried to ‘maintain order’ as he put it.

“I can have Cabo Diego and a few others find out who’s starting these whispers.” González replied dutifully.

“Yes. Find them.” Velasco approved, “It’ll be an example for the rest.”

González nodded firmly before turning to depart the gate of the villa and head out into Escalera.

Velasco turned to you, knowing you had been listening in, and cleared his throat to get your attention, “I know what you’re thinking.”

“What am I thinking?” You prompted casually not taking your eyes off the foliage before you.

He sighed heavily, the medals on his suit jingled lightly as he stepped closer, “Look, they’re going to get more aggressive. These are not people we can have conversations with. Rebellion is a disease. I have to put an end to it early.” He placed an arm on your shoulder, willing you to understand. You looked back at him with contempt before subtly shrugging off his touch.

“I’m going to tend to the horses,” was your terse reply before you turned and walked towards the main headquarters of your home. Velasco made no move to follow; this conversation had become all too familiar.

You changed your dress into one more suitable to blend in with the outside world and draped your long mantilla over your head before heading out towards the stables. As you arrived you scanned the area, ensuring no one would be the wiser as you took a detour towards pueblo.

Entering the lower levels of Escalera, you kept your gaze low, luckily the soldiers seemed preoccupied with other matters. Down the white, sandy road you could see two men being grabbed by soldiers and thrown onto the ground. They wore the garments of those who worked in the agave fields, but typically they would be working until the sunset.

Maneuvering expertly through the alleys, you made your way to the pulga.

The pulga was unique in that it was almost a sanctuary free from military surveillance. The gatherings in the plaza that were once joyous events free from soldiers, were rare now that the military had begun to focus on “maintaining order” as they called it. However, they never bothered to stop the pulga as it was the means for a lot of people to live.

The instant aroma of baked bread and leather goods hit you as you entered. Colorful textiles hung from the different vendor stalls. Bodies brushed past each other as people walked around the market with the intent to buy, sell, or trade. This afternoon the pulga seemed unusually crowded, as it was just buzzing with activity.

You heard his smoky laugh before you even saw him. It was a sound you’d come to recognize anywhere. With his back turned all you could see was his guitar strapped to his back and his sombrero hanging low on his head. He stood in front of Doña Lupe’s stall, where she sold handmade jewelry as well as any other miscellaneous items she could get her hands on.

You approached the stall, the older woman greeted you first. Doña Lupe was one of the few people that knew about the whole ‘married to the general’ situation, but Javier trusted her and that was enough for you to trust her too. She was a kind older woman; she couldn’t do much physical labor anymore, so the pulga was her means of getting by.

As Javier heard the woman’s sweet greeting towards you, he turned with a beaming smile, “Hey! You’re here.” He took your hand and pressed his lips gently to its top, kissing your skin dearly and making everything else in the world seem to fade away with his touch.

“I just saw you last week, didn’t think I’d see you again this soon,” His slanted smile reappeared as he returned his cigarette to hang from his lips, “Not that I’m complaining.” He added with a playful wink.

“I needed to get away.” You admitted. His smile faltered and his eyebrows filled with concern for half a second before Doña Lupe interrupted.

“Well, we are glad to have you,” She smiled, her eyes shifted towards Javier. “Javier was just getting something detailed.”

Javier cleared his throat, “Ah yes. Well, after pleading with the workers all morning, I had some free time.” Javier chuckled at your puzzled look as you wondered if that had anything to do with the amount of people at the pulga today.

“I finally convinced them. None of the jimadores are working until they get the fair wages they deserve.” He explained, you nodded in understanding, though a pang of worry stirred within you as you remembered the conversation you overheard this morning.

“I heard them today,” You began in a hushed tone, “Said they’re going to double the patrols… They want to find the people organizing the revolts and make an example of them.”

Doña Lupe gasped and quickly looked at Javier with concern. His eyebrows raised at your words, then he clicked his tongue with displeasure.

“We’ll all be okay.” He reassured the both of you. “Nothing to worry about. They already gathered some people who were still in their work clothes, if one of them talked we’d know by now.”

You nodded in understanding, hoping he was right. It was no secret that Javier was one of the people spearheading what Velasco would call rebellious acts and revolution-driven conversations. Many respected him for it, many expressed their gratitude for his courage, but you couldn’t help but worry for his safety.

“We should leave,” You suggested, “We can go by the river.”

His gaze met yours before happily agreeing, which you were grateful for as you didn’t want to stay here and wait for him to get caught. The two of you gave Doña Lupe an earnest goodbye before moving to the other stalls to buy bread, then heading North towards the river.

You had to move quickly and quietly to leave the pueblo. Javier took the lead, holding your hand and leading you down the labyrinth of white alleys to avoid patrolling soldiers.

“Aguas!” He whispered urgently, “Hold on.”

He halted, pressing against you firmly to have your back against a wall and both his hands braced on either side of you. You could feel the warmth of his body as he peered around the corner of the building cautiously.

“Is someone there?” You asked, your voice barely more than a whisper.

“No,” he replied with a playful grin, turning his attention back to you, “I just realized I hadn’t done this yet.”

He brought a hand down to gently cup your face. He leaned in, pressing his lips softly against yours. You melted into the kiss, having missed the sensation since the last time you saw him. You both stood there against the building, lips passionately connected. Your smile grew against his lips, wishing to cherish every moment with him. He let out a happy sigh as he pulled back, taking your hand to continue leaving the area.

The San Luis River was desolate and surprisingly calming. It was like a mirror of stillness, reminding you of all the times Javier and you sought moments of peace here. The gravel crunched beneath your feet as the two of you stepped closer, finding a spot to sit in the sun along the cool water.

You removed your mantilla, glad you didn’t need to hide now that you were away from the village. You sat shoulder to shoulder, your head rested against his shoulder as you stared out into the flowing river. Javier didn’t bother looking at the water as his eyes were solely focused on you.

“So,” He began, breaking the comfortable silence, “about earlier — you said you had to get away, what’d he do this time?” Javier asked, ripping a piece of bread to hand to you before popping a piece in his own mouth.

You took the bread from his hand, fiddling with it as your gaze averted to the gravel beside you, “It’s just what I told you before.”

He hummed and nodded in understanding, thinking quietly before continuing, “I’ll be fine.”

Your heart tensed with a wave of melancholy, his words sounding like he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince you.

Your sorrowful gaze met his, and he chuckled quietly, “Mi dama perfecta, mi diosa,” He murmured between the kisses he was planting around your cheek, “Preciosa, you have nothing to worry about.”

A warm smile crept across your face at his affectionate words. Despite your lingering doubts, you chose to let the matter rest. “I was thinking about you earlier,” you said softly, “about how we met.”

Javier began to laugh heartily, “Qué buena suerte that I changed to that suit last minute, no? I almost showed up in this.” He gestured to his very worn, black pants and brown blazer, making you laugh along with him.

“I always think of you,” He winked as he kissed the top of your hand once more, “Sueño de tu belleza.”

You smiled, leaning your head against his shoulder again before looking out into the water with a contented sigh. You felt true joy in these stolen moments with Javier. Away from the relentless demands and pressure from your daily life.

“To think, there’s a whole other country out there, just across that river.” Javier gestured his head to the land on the other side of the San Luis River. You could see the red rocks and cacti of New Austin shimmering on the horizon.

“We could go,” You muttered barely audibly. Part of you knew it would be impossible, but the other part of you wished it to be true. A sense of longing swelled in your heart. If only it were that easy to leave. Your stomach began to sink. His silence was deafening.

Javier shifted beside you and gulped lightly before letting out a short chuckle, “I– um… I have a lot of work to do here,” was all he could muster to say.

You glanced at him, and he to you. You caught each other’s gaze for only a split second before he turned back to the water, picking up a stone and chucking it into the river. But in that split second you saw the weight of duty in his eyes. You understood. He had a responsibility, he felt, to the people of Punta Orgullo. He had purpose and a place here, and most importantly he was a man of virtue. It was one of the things you appreciated most about him— his commitment to his community— but when you looked out into the horizon, you couldn’t help but feel a longing for a life with just the two of you.

You continued to sit beside each other in a comfortable silence, both seemingly thinking of what could be.

Javier shifted to bring his guitar in front of him before beginning to quietly strum. Your eyes were fixated on the glowing horizon. You wondered what life could be across that water as he hummed along to the boleros he played, muttering a few words here and there.

A few minutes passed and as the sun began to kiss the horizon you knew you should be heading home. Though Velasco was never one to question your whereabouts, considering he would often disappear into the guest chambers with strangers, you felt a nagging responsibility to be there for when he decided to eventually call it a night in your shared bed.

You walked back carefully together, keeping any conversations lighthearted as if to avoid the weight of the conversation from earlier. On the way back you both decided to stop by Javier’s shared home to drop off the extra bread you bought them from the market.

His home was rather humble; a small building made of white stone. Though it appeared only a quarter the size of the villa you called home, the inside radiated a warmth far surpassing anything your own home could offer.

As you stepped inside you were immediately greeted by the voices of his family members. His mother rose from her kneeling space in front of their altar to greet you warmly with a tight hug. She was a kind woman, Dolores. She spent most of her days in front of the altar, though you could never tell if she was praying for the present or for the past. You just know that every so often she’d mutter the name Emiliano, the name of Javier’s late father.

“You’re home,” she turned to Javier, giving a warm smile as he set his belongings near the door. “I was starting to think you’d gone off bounty hunting,” she joked, nodding toward you, clearly noting that he had chosen to spend the day with you.

Javier chuckled, greeting his mother with a kind hug before shaking his head, “Not today. I told you I had to speak with the jimadores this morning. I think the demands are going to work.” He finished with a hopeful tone.

His mother let out a stiff sigh, but Javier ignored her discontent, “Then I got distracted.” He smiled cheekily at you.

“Javier…” His mother replied, ignoring his cheeky comment, clearly concerned, “They beat multiple men today. You’re lucky no one was killed because of what you did.” You winced slightly at the words.

“Ya basta amá,” Javier replied, trying to deflect her concern.

“There were more soldiers walking around today than ever before.” She admitted, “I just don’t want things to get out of control.”

“They’re already out of control.” Javier replied tiredly, this conversation seemingly a common one between the pair.

You retreated into the kitchen, dropping off the bread at their table where his younger sister, Carmen, was seated.

“They came looking for him.” She stated nonchalantly, ripping off a piece of bread before popping it into her mouth, similar to the way Javier had done earlier.

You froze at her words, a cold shiver sneaking down your spine, “What?”

“One of the Cabos,” She explained, “Him and two soldiers knocked on our door looking for Javier. That’s why amá is mad. He’s lucky he wasn’t here.”

“Did they say what they wanted?” You asked, anxiety threading through your voice. Your mind had already begun to race with the unsettling possibilities: What if someone had spotted your excursion and informed Velasco? What if a worker had revealed that it was Javier who convinced them to halt work until fair wages were met? What would they do with him? Would they try him with treason?

“No,” Carmen shook her head, “They didn’t say.”

You nodded and turned on your heel back into the main room. Javier’s eyes darted towards you, knowingly. He had just been given the same news, albeit much harsher, from his mother.

Javier nervously ran a hand through his hair, “I think…” He hesitated, searching for the right words, “I think it’s nothing to worry about. It could be anything.”

Dolores gave a judgemental hum before retreating to the altar, murmuring a prayer.

You bit your lip nervously, “I think I should walk home. Alone.”

“No,” He shook his head immediately, “There’s more soldiers now.”

“I’ll be fine,” You reassured him. He gave in, knowing there was not much else he could do. He pulled you into a hug before planting a tender kiss against your forehead as he bid you goodbye.

Under the night’s shadow, you made your way sneakily through the rows of houses as you climbed up the hill, avoiding the staircases as they were more likely to be populated. You eventually lifted yourself over the white stone wall and into the villa with a small thump.

You dusted off your dress and took off your mantilla. To calm yourself you took deep breaths, making your way into the main headquarters. Nothing seemed particularly out of order. Matter of fact, everything seemed eerily normal. You grabbed a cup of water, trying to calm your nerves before heading into your shared room.

When you opened the door, you let out a sigh of relief seeing that Velasco hadn’t made his way there yet. You swiftly changed into your nightgown, readying for bed, hoping you could fall asleep before he arrived.

As fate would have it though, the door creaked open as you covered yourself with the blanket.

“Ah, here you are.” He announced as he entered, closing the door behind him. “I was looking for you earlier.”

You silently nodded, “We must’ve missed each other.” You lied easily, this wasn’t the first time you had to deceive him.

He entered the restroom to change into his night clothes and prepare for bed, still calling out to you. “Look, I know earlier you were… upset. I thought about it, talked it over with some of the other men and I think a conversation with the rebels might be beneficial.”

You were thankful he was in another room, as the look on your face was filled with confusion, this is not what you expected the conversation to be.

“Oh,” was all you could say, cautious of what he would say next.

“I had Cabo Diego find the men who are at the root of these discussions of revolt.” He continued, now re-entering the bedroom. You were holding yourself up with your arms to meet his gaze, hoping your eyes weren’t giving anything away.

“And?” You prompted.

“And I invited a few of them for dinner— well the ones I could find.” He shrugged, sliding himself into bed beside you. You shifted over, uncomfortable with his proximity, a feeling you had come to accept but could never fully reconcile with.

“There was one the men couldn’t find, but I will send him an invitation first thing in the morning. They must all be here for us to come to an agreement on where things are headed.” He explained matter-of-factly. Your stomach twisted, knowing exactly who they were looking for.

You nodded in understanding, slowly sliding your arms to lay yourself in bed properly, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

He looked at you puzzled, “Of course. I thought you of all people would prefer it this way.” He blew out the candles beside your bed, turning himself over to sleep, “Well, it’s settled now; they'll be here tomorrow.”