#She could have gotten the max from the public and did but it didn't do shit

[marciliedonato]

Wish I had pt moots so I could yell and rant abt the absolute CLOWNERY WITH A CAPITAL C that was the fdc (national finals for esc...) like legitimately no words

[cressidagrey]

The Queen of Romantasy and the Race Car Prince - Chapter 16

Pairing: Lando Norris x Elizabeth "Lizzie" Treshton (Original Character)

Summary:

Elizabeth Treshton—bestselling romantasy author, queen of fae heartbreak, and sworn devotee of a carefully structured routine—never expected her service dog to abandon protocol and diagnose a Formula 1 driver with something. But that’s exactly what happens when Mara the wonder-dog ditches Lizzie’s side to aggressively alert to none other than Lando Norris in the middle of a coffee shop.

Warnings and Notes: 

Mention of epilepsy and service animals. I don't myself suffer from epilepsy, so I asked my IRL friend, who thankfully was nice enough to let me ask her all the questions I could come up with. The rest I asked Reddit. So everything that's wrong...that's totally my fault and not on purpose. Also Discussion of toxic media/fandom/death threats

Me trying to put all the stuff I wanted in one chapter: exploding head emoji.

If you wonder why there are no cute little pictures in that: If I did that, this would have gotten way too long, it's already 3.5k. (which is also why I didn't add lots of the normal introspective thoughts I usually do lol) You are getting the full on media meltdown in the next chapter.

As always big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble

The morning of their Silverstone hard launch, Lando was a bundle of nervous energy.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, bouncing his knee, hands clasped together as he stared at the floor. Across the room, Lizzie was playing with Mara, completely unbothered.

“I just—” Lando ran a hand through his hair. “Last time I went public with a girlfriend, she got death threats.”

Lizzie turned, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. “Lando. Last time I killed off a fictional character, I got death threats.”

He blinked at her.

She sighed and moved to sit beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I know you’re worried. And I get it. But we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to.” His voice was firm, but his fingers fidgeted against his knee. “I just don’t want you to have to deal with all the bullshit.”

Lizzie smiled, reaching down to still his hand with her own. “I have been on the receiving end of unhinged internet people for years. Trust me, I’ll be fine.”

He exhaled, leaning into her warmth. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She squeezed his fingers. “Besides, we have Mara. No one can hate me when I have an adorable dog.”

Lando laughed despite himself, finally relaxing. “That’s your master plan? Weaponizing Mara?”

“Absolutely.” Lizzie grinned. “If anyone tries to be mean, I’ll just post a picture of her looking sad. Instant sympathy.”

He shook his head, pressing a kiss to the top of hers. “I love you, you know.”

“I love you too,” Lizzie hummed. “Which is why, I am not even putting a Ferrari Bandana on Mara.”

“Hahaha, you are so funny,” Lando snorted. 

“I got a surprise for you,” Lizzie said drily. She gave a soft command, and Mara obediently came over, sitting up proudly.

Lando blinked—and then his mouth actually fell open.

Mara was wearing a bandana that matched his Silverstone helmet design perfectly.

No detail had been missed—the same colors, the same patterns, even the subtle nods to the British flag. It was perfect.

Lizzie bit her lip, barely containing her excitement. "What do you think?"

Lando just stared. Then his gaze flicked from Mara to Lizzie, back to Mara, and finally back to Lizzie again. "Are you—? How—? When did you do this?!"

Lizzie beamed, looking entirely too pleased with herself. "I have my ways."

"You—" He ran a hand through his hair, completely speechless. "Max. It was Max, wasn’t it?"

She grinned wider. "Maybe."

Lando let out a stunned laugh, reaching out to gently adjust the bandana. "This is… sick." He looked up at her, eyes bright. "Like, actually so cool. You did this for me?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Obviously. Thought you’d like a little pre-race good luck charm."

Lando didn’t even hesitate before leaning over and crashing a kiss against her lips, his hand coming up to cradle her jaw. It was warm, soft, and grateful. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers, and he was still grinning.

"I love you," he said, voice full of fondness.

Lizzie hummed, her fingers playing with the hem of his hoodie. "I know."

Lando let out a small huff of laughter before dropping another kiss to her nose. "I’m actually obsessed with you."

"And Mara," she teased.

"And Mara." Lando turned to the dog, who was watching them patiently. "You, Miss Mara, are my new favorite teammate. Sorry, Oscar."

Lizzie laughed. "She’s definitely cuter."

Lando took another long look at the bandana, then back at Lizzie, his heart swelling. "You’re the best, you know that?"

Lizzie smirked. "Oh, I absolutely do."

And as Lando sat there, still grinning like an idiot, with Mara happily wagging her tail beside him, he knew this—this little moment, this quiet, perfect start to the day—was something he’d hold onto forever.

“Alright,” Lando said, standing up and tugging her with him. “Let’s go hard launch this thing.”

And just like that, he was back to himself. Confident. Ready.

Lizzie smirked. “Now there’s the Lando Norris I know.”

***

F1 TV Commentary

Commentator 1: “And here comes Lando Norris, arriving for Qualifying Day at Silverstone—home race, big weekend for him. And—wait a second, who’s that with him?”

Commentator 2: “Yeah, that’s—well, obviously, Lando’s brought a dog… That’s a brown Labrador, very well-behaved, wearing a bandana, might I add.”

Commentator 3: “Is that dog’s bandana matching his racing helmet?! I think it may!”

(There’s a pause as they process what they’re seeing.)

Commentator 1: “Okay, so Lando’s got company. But who—hang on, is that—? I think—could that be—? Oh, wow, I think we’ve just had a hard launch.”

Commentator 2: “I think you’re right! That’s Lando, hand in hand with a very pretty young lady…no word yet of who that may be…”

Commentator 3: “And if the internet and McLaren is to be believed, that would be Elizabeth Treshton with him, New York Times Bestselling author, and that dog is her service dog…Though we have not yet had confirmation of the dogs name…” 

Commentator 1: “Either way, this is big—Lando and Elizabeth arriving together, matching outfits, dog in tow, looking very comfortable. This is as official as it gets.”

Commentator 3: “Well, the internet is definitely going to explode over this one. And I have to say, I’m very here for it. Lando Norris, best-selling author girlfriend, adorable Labrador—what’s not to love?”

Commentator 1: “And you just know McLaren social media is absolutely thriving off this right now.”

****

Lizzie had been to big events before—book signings, conventions, industry panels—but nothing quite prepared her for this.

Silverstone was a beast of its own.

The crowd was deafening, a mix of cheers, chants, and the unmistakable hum of engines in the distance. The paddock was alive with cameras, journalists, team members, and fans who barely spared her a glance—until they did.

Because she wasn’t just anyone here.

She was Lando Norris’ girlfriend.

Lizzie adjusted the lanyard around her neck, the VIP pass bouncing against her chest as they walked through the McLaren hospitality area. Her hand was firmly tucked in Lando’s, an unspoken reassurance between them. His grip tightened slightly every time someone called his name, every time cameras flashed.

She wasn’t nervous—okay, maybe a little—but more than anything, she was hyper-aware of everything happening around them. The weight of eyes, the murmurs, the way some people did a double take when they realized who she was.

"Lizzie."

She blinked up at Lando, who was watching her carefully, his usual easy grin softened into something more sincere. "You good?"

"Yeah," she said, then corrected, "Mostly yeah."

His thumb brushed over her knuckles. "You tell me if it gets too much, yeah?"

Lizzie nodded, exhaling slowly. "Yeah."

They moved further in, and before she could fully take in her surroundings, she heard a high-pitched squeal.

"Lizzie!"

She barely had time to react before Lily all but launched at her, hugging her like they were lifelong best friends instead of people who had met once.

"Hi?" Lizzie laughed, hugging her back.

Lily pulled away, still buzzing with excitement. "I still can't believe you're here. And with Lando." She shot him a teasing look. "I mean, we knew, but still. Wild."

Lando groaned. "Why does everyone act like me having a girlfriend is the most shocking thing in the world?"

Oscar, standing next to Lily, smirked. "Because it is."

"Wow. Betrayed by my own teammate."

Lizzie snorted, shaking her head as she adjusted the sleeve of her McLaren jacket. “You’ll survive,” she said amusedly, patting his arm. 

Lando looked at Lizzie. “Ready to meet the team?”

Lizzie exhaled, then nodded. “Ready.”

With that, they stepped inside, the sound of the paddock buzzing behind them.

And just like that, Lizzie Treshton was officially part of the F1 world.

***

Lizzie wasn’t quite sure how she’d ended up here.

One moment, she and Lando had been in the McLaren garage, getting her settled in. The next, Lily had grabbed her arm, saying something about "Oh yeah, the WAGs wanna meet you,” and now she was in the pitlane, before the Ferrari Garage, standing in front of Charles Leclerc and Alexandra Saint Mleux.

And trying very hard not to embarrass herself.

Lando stood beside her, one hand casually resting on her waist, the other holding Mara’s leash as she sat at their feet, looking very professional in her bandana.

Charles, ever polite, offered a small smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Lizzie, who had definitely spent too many hours watching onboard footage of this man’s driving, managed a mostly composed, “Likewise.” Then she cleared her throat and gestured toward Mara, who sat obediently at her side. “Also—thank you. For the bandana. Mara loves it. We just thought she should match Lando for today.”

Charles smiled at her. “Oh you are welcome. It was very amusing when Carlos called me to ask for it. Lando will never hear the end of it.”

Lando just rolled his eyes at that. 

Charles, now looking amused, glanced between them. “You’re… surprisingly calm.”

Lizzie raised an eyebrow. “Should I not be?”

Charles chuckled. “Most people are a bit more… excitable when they meet me.”

Lizzie huffed a laugh. “Don’t get me wrong, internally, I’m screaming. But I have a dog to keep calm, and also, I do have some dignity.”

Alexandra snorted. “More than most.”

Lando, grinning, nudged her. “She’s lying. She definitely had a mini meltdown in the car this morning about meeting you.”

Lizzie gasped and smacked his arm. “You absolute traitor.”

Charles laughed. “I appreciate the honesty.”

Before Lizzie could respond, Alexandra grabbed her hands. “Okay, but actually—I need to say this before I combust—I love your books.”

Lizzie blinked. “You—you do?”

“Oh my god, yes.” Alexandra practically bounced on her feet. “Seasons of Fate is one of my favorite series of all time. I’ve read the first three books at least four times each.”

Lizzie stared. “No way.”

“Yes way.” Alexandra grinned. “I am absolutely dying for the last book. When you announced the release date, I screamed.”

Lizzie laughed, a little stunned. “That is… amazing. I had no idea you were a reader.”

“Are you kidding? I pre-ordered An Autumn of Fire and Stone the moment it was available.”

Charles, beside her, shook his head fondly. “She made me go with her to buy a physical copy too.”

Lando snorted. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Lizzie beamed. “That’s genuinely so cool.”

Alexandra sighed dramatically. “I can’t believe I get to meet you in real life. This is the best day ever.”

Charles raised an eyebrow. “You literally see world champion drivers every week.”

“Yes, but she writes romantasy.”

Lizzie cackled. “Priorities.”

Alexandra nodded seriously. “Exactly.”

She had been quite proud of mostly holding it together…and not embarrassing herself…

And then Lewis Hamilton came strolling over. 

And all sense of composure left her body.

“Oh my god.” The words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Lando, who had been standing beside her, immediately grinned. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”

Lizzie turned, wide-eyed, to look at him. Betrayed. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

“What, that Lewis was gonna be here?” He smirked. “I thought that would be obvious.”

“Lando.”

“Liz.”

But before she could argue further, Lewis spotted them. And then, to make matters worse, he walked straight over.

And smiled at her.

“Lizzie, right?” He extended a hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Lizzie swore her soul left her body.

Because Lewis Hamilton—the seven-time world champion, the F1 legend, the man whose career she’d followed for years—knew her name.

Knew who she was.

Knew enough about her to have ‘heard things.’

Lizzie, in all her eloquence, blurted out: “I—yes. Me. That’s me.”

Lewis chuckled. Clearly entertained. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” she managed, shaking his hand. Then, because her brain was short-circuiting, she added, “Big fan. Like, huge fan. Had a poster of you in my uni dorm.”

Lando immediately started laughing.

Lizzie, horrified, whipped around. “Don’t you dare.”

“Oh, this is amazing,” Lando grinned. “You were so calm meeting Charles, and now you’re—”

“Not a word.”

Lewis, ever the gentleman, just smiled. “That’s really sweet. And hey, I’m honored.”

Lizzie, still recovering from the interaction, forced herself to get it together. “Right. Yes. Anyway. This is Mara.”

At her name, Mara—who had been sitting patiently at her feet—perked up.

Lewis immediately crouched down, beaming. “And who’s this gorgeous girl?”

Mara, as if knowing exactly how famous the man in front of her was, wagged her tail enthusiastically.

“That’s Mara, my service dog,” Lizzie said, finally finding her footing again. “She’s a big fan of Roscoe.”

At that, Lewis lit up. “Oh, we should set up a playdate!”

Lizzie blinked. “Wait, really?”

“Of course.” Lewis nodded. “Roscoe loves meeting new friends. And they’d be adorable together.”

Lizzie, genuinely stunned, turned to Lando. “Did I just get invited to a playdate with Roscoe Hamilton?”

Lando smirked. “I believe you did.”

“Oh my god.” She looked back at Lewis. “Yes. A thousand times yes.”

Before Lizzie could spiral further, Charles, who had been watching this unfold, added:

“If we’re doing a playdate, then Leo should come too.”

Lizzie whipped around to face him. “Wait—really?”

Charles shrugged. “Why not? He loves meeting new dogs.”

Lizzie turned to Lando, shaking him. “Lando. My dog is about to have a playdate with Roscoe Hamilton and Leo Leclerc.”

Lando, grinning, kissed her forehead. “You’re welcome.”

Lewis, amused, looked at Charles. “You ready for this?”

Charles sighed. “Leo is going to be so excited.”

Lizzie, still reeling, grinned. “Mara is going to have the best day of her life.”

And honestly? So was she.

****

Lizzie had so many questions about how her life had led to this exact moment.

Her dog was currently having a dog playdate with Leo and Roscoe behind the McLaren Motorhome.

"Explain to me again how we got here?" Lizzie muttered as she watched Leo immediately claim the room like he owned it, golden tail wagging furiously.

"Just go with it," Lando said, wrapping an arm around her waist. Lizzie sighed. "Right."

Roscoe, ever the gentleman, plodded his way over to Mara, who sat neatly at Lizzie’s feet, ears flicking in uncertainty.

"She’s pretending she’s above this," Lizzie whispered, watching as Mara gave Roscoe a long, assessing stare.

"Mara is above everything," Lando muttered back.

Charles, meanwhile, was grinning as he knelt to ruffle Leo’s ears. "See? This is perfect! Now we can finally see if Mara is truly Ferrari at heart."

Lando groaned. "You have to stop saying things like that. The grid will run with it."

"It is not my fault that your dog has an excellent name," Charles said smugly.

Before Lizzie could protest, Leo—who had decided that he had found a new best friend—threw himself down beside Mara, excitedly yapping.

Mara, after what could only be described as a long, suffering sigh, simply accepted her fate.

Lewis chuckled. "See? It was meant to be."

Lando shook his head, watching as Roscoe settled down on Mara’s other side, effectively trapping her between two dogs, one of which one was a hyperactive dachshund. 

"So," Lewis smirked, crossing his arms, "when’s the next playdate?"

Lando groaned, Charles grinned, and Lizzie knew she was never going to live this down.

***

F1 TV Commentary – Silverstone Grand Prix (Race Day) 

Commentator 1: chuckling "Now, here’s something you don’t see every day—Ferrari hospitality is absolutely buzzing, and it’s not just because of their crowd support here at Silverstone!"

Commentator 2: laughing "Oh, absolutely. If we didn’t know better, we’d think Ferrari was hosting a VIP event of its own. I mean, look at that lineup…I think we got partners from drivers from Ferrari, Alpine, Mercedes, Williams and McLaren…—Alexandra Saint Mleu, Kika Gomes, Carmen Montero Mundt, Lily Muni He, Rebecca Donaldons, Lily Zneimer... And there, right in the middle of it all, Elizabeth Treshton."

Commentator 1: "Yes, and that’s particularly interesting because this is Elizabeth’s  very first Grand Prix as Lando Norris’ officially confirmed girlfriend. What a way to make a debut in the paddock!"

Commentator 2: grinning "And I have to say, she looks right at home. From what we know, Elizabeth is a lifelong F1 fan, and—controversially—she grew up supporting Ferrari! So, maybe she was always meant to be in their hospitality suite."

Commentator 1: "A childhood Ferrari fan dating McLaren’s golden boy—talk about a plot twist! But speaking of plot twists, Elizabeth’s not just any new WAG. She’s a bestselling fantasy author, her books are international hits, and one of them is about to be made into a movie. That’s a whole different kind of fame to bring into the F1 world!"

Commentator 2: "Absolutely! I mean, we talk about drivers balancing life in the public eye, but Elizabeth is already a major public figure in her own right. She has millions of readers, and from what I’ve seen online, her fans are just as obsessed with Lando as F1 fans are with her. It’s created this crossover event that I don’t think anyone saw coming!"

Commentator 1: laughing "And speaking of things no one saw coming—let’s talk about Mara."

Commentator 2: "Oh, we have to! For those who don’t know, Mara is Lizzie’s service dog, and she is currently stealing the show."

Commentator 1: "Not only is Mara sitting in Ferrari hospitality like she belongs there, but she’s also wearing a bandana that perfectly matches Lando’s special edition Silverstone helmet. Now that is commitment to the aesthetic!"

Commentator 2: laughing "I mean, Elizabeth Treshton is a writer. She clearly loves a well-executed theme. And honestly? Mara looks fantastic. I’m seeing more photos of that dog on social media than some of the drivers!"

Commentator 1: "As she should! I think it’s safe to say that between the Ferrari hospitality takeover, the bestselling author debut, and Mara becoming a fan favorite, Elizabeth Treshton has officially arrived in the F1 paddock."

Commentator 2: "And if Lando puts in a strong performance today? I have a feeling that Ferrari hospitality is going to be just as loud as the McLaren garage!"

***

Lizzie had to admit—she’d been nervous about spending the day in Ferrari hospitality.

Lando had his own obligations, and while Lily and Alexandra had already been so welcoming, she was still the newbie in the world of F1 WAGs.

But, as it turned out, Ferrari hospitality might as well have been a VIP social club for girlfriends and wives, and by midday, Lizzie was right at home.

She was currently sitting on a plush red couch with Kika, Rebecca, and Carmen, Mara curled up at her feet.

“So, first race weekend,” Kika said, giving her an amused look. “Overwhelmed yet?”

“Not as much as I expected to be,” Lizzie admitted, adjusting Mara’s bandana. “Though the garage yesterday was a lot.”

“You’re handling it well,” Carmen said warmly. “Some of us had a learning curve.”

Rebecca nodded in agreement. “Carlos tried explaining tire strategy to me the first weekend I came, and I made him stop after five minutes.”

Kika laughed. “I still don’t get half of it. I just nod and pretend I do.”

“Oh, same,” Lily said. “Oscar started talking about tire degradation once, and I was like, ‘That sounds like a youproblem.’”

Carmen snorted. “That’s the only correct response.”

Lizzie felt herself relax. This was… nice. She had spent so long on the outside of the sport, hearing about it through Lando, seeing snippets online—but this was different.

This was her being part of it.

“Also,” Kika said, giving her a knowing look, “I feel like we’ve been terrible hosts because we haven’t properly talked about the fact that you’re a bestselling author.”

Lizzie winced. “Oh, god.”

“No, no,” Rebecca said, grinning. “We have questions. So many questions.”

“Oh god,” Lizzie repeated.

“First of all,” Kika said, dramatically, “how dare you end An Autumn of Fire and Stone on a cliffhanger like that?”

Carmen, who had apparently also read it, groaned. “Yes! I need answers!”

Lizzie blinked. “Wait—you guys actually read my books?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Rebecca said. “We have a whole Season of Fate group chat.”

Lizzie stared. “I’m sorry—what?”

Carmen pulled out her phone. Showed her.

Sure enough—there was a group chat titled ‘Season of Fate Fangirls’ featuring all the WAGs.

“Oh my god,” Lizzie whispered.

“Lily Z. started it,” Kika said casually. “She’s obsessed.”

Lizzie turned to Carmen. “You guys have a group chat about my books?”

“Oh, yeah,” Carmen said, grinning. “We were losing our minds when you announced Book 4.”

Lizzie covered her face. “I don’t know whether to be honored or terrified.”

Kika laughed. “Both. Definitely both.”

Lizzie, feeling overwhelmed but in the best way, peeked out from behind her hands. “I—okay. I’m processing this.”

Rebecca patted her knee. “Take your time. But also—when are we getting the first movie trailer?”

Lizzie groaned. “You’re as bad as my readers.”

“We are your readers,” Kika pointed out.

Lizzie sighed. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”

Carmen smirked. “Yep.”

Lizzie shook her head. But despite the teasing, despite the fact that she was being interrogated about the release date of a movie she legally wasn’t allowed to talk about yet—she felt… good.

Maybe, just maybe, she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

[adventuringblind]

Hi, I noticed (mainly bc u read a lot of your work) that you write a lot of dark/ self harm based/themed fics so I was wondering if you would be comfortable with writing a lestappen x reader with an Ed. It’s totally fine if you don’t want to so ofc feel free to ignore

(Your work is always very well written and I look forward to reading what you post next)

One for you and One for me

Lestappen x Reader

Genre: Angst/hurt comfort

Summary: Nobody is immune to the toxicity of social media, Charles and Max help their girl through it

Warnings: HEAVY ED, toxic media, body dysmorphia, sexual acts are mentioned but nothing happens

Notes: You must be psychic because I you sent this while I'm struggling with my own ED. I hope this helps you as much as it did me! 😊

Masterlist

Social media is something that everyone seems to revolve around. In theory, it could be great. Getting to see photos of friends and family and updates from celebrities you wouldn't otherwise interact with.

But here's the catch: in practice, the entire thing falls apart. People are left with images of things that are unachievable. Photoshop and filters have become everyone's new best friends. People put only their best foot forward and try to look as perfect as possible.

And those who don't? The ones who are criticized? The ones who will never meet that expectation? They are left trying to swim to the surface of a never-ending ocean. Drowning under the weight never being enough.

So, they do what they can. Nothing can be that bad if it makes them feel better, right? What's one meal skipped every day to cut back on calories?

In her case, she'd cut it all out. The idea of perfection and control weigh heavy in the pit of her stomach. The one that is currently growling as she weighs herself for the fifth time that day alone.

It's addicting, really, the feeling she gets from having gone another hour without a meal. The elation of seeing the scale drop in number.

The media and fans had been all over her appearance after going public with Max and Charles. She'd tried to ignore, but there was a piece of her looking for an excuse to dive back into the habits of her teenage years.

Her mother said she never looked like she had an eating disorder. Her father only started compliment her on her appearance once she was significantly underweight.

Max and Charles had been there for the fall. Her habits finally catching up to her when she started working with Redbull. She didn't have the energy to keep up with the schedule and one day had simply collapsed.

She'd gotten better. Promised the two boys they would never be on the verge of losing her like that again.

Now here she is, breaking that promise over the triple header by not eating at all. She'd started slowly, but now she has a chance to speed things up before the two boys notice anything. Too busy to really pay attention to her weight.

Maybe it would've been better if they hadn't been caught eating together. The fans might have a little less leverage to use on her. Maybe if she wasn't wearing something more revealing to a party in Monaco then they wouldn't have noticed how she looks.

The number on the scale is far from perfect, but it'll do for now. She slips on her teamwear that is looser than it was a few days ago. A satisfied but tired smile plays on her lips as she walks out the door.

The paddock is busy prior to the race. cameras are everywhere and she does her best to avoid them. Thankful her job is away from the majority of people. The less the cameras see of her, the better. A small part of her wonders if it would simply be better to disappear or become invisible. Maybe if she's thin enough, she'll be invisible from the side.

The day seems to drag on. The race is good and ends with both Max and Charles on the podium. It's the last race of the triple header meaning they will want to celebrate properly tonight. Maybe they will compliment her more now that she's lost weight. There is a prominent gap in her thighs and maybe will even be light enough for them to carry. The though makes her swoon.

The cheery conversation in the car quickly turns to logistics. Plans for dinner are made and she claims to have eaten while finishing up her work. To hungry to wait any longer.

There is a hesitant pause. They like knowing she ate with visible proof. That being the reason they eat together or at least someone is there to tell she ate if asked. Even if it's a bite.

They don't mention it. Charles orders in while Max drags her out of ear shot. She assumes it's because he is pent up, nothing surprising after a race. But nothing happens and she is left mildly disappointed.

Max cups her face. "I'm sorry we've been so busy."

"That's not your fault."

"No, but-" Max looks hesitant. "We know you haven't been eating. You're exhausted and your clothes don't fit. We can feel your bones when we hold you at night." She looks at Max in horror. "We thought maybe if we just made sure you felt comfortable that you would come to us but it's bad again."

Charles puts hands on her hips. "We'll take it slow, like last time. But please, we love you too much to see you become a shell of yourself again."

They say in that embrace until there is a knock at the door. Max is quick to answer it. He comes back holding their dinner. An extra box sits on top. One she assumes is for her.

"We got you a small salad. Nothing massive, no dressing, just vegetables." Max sets it all out on the table. They keep up casual conversation, so she doesn't feel horribly uncomfortable. Until they notice she is just playing with her food.

"How about, we continue talking, but we take turns taking bites? If you manage three, we'll call it a night," suggests Charles. Goal setting was helpful last time around. One week she took one bite of every meal, the next was two, and so on.

She manages three bites. Each of her own followed by one of theirs.

They all clamber into bed afterwards. Exhaustion hits her hard.

No, it's not perfect or straightforward. Relapses happen but healing is full of ups and downs. But she has people who care and who love her for who she is, not what she looks like. They'd rather her be healthy then bringing herself to the brink of collapse. And she loves them enough to try her best which is all they can ask for.

[toast-tales]

Cursed Cravings, Chapter 18: Kill the Beast

In which Danny leads the mob to the home of a giant. Contains: 3.4k words | Chapter 1 | Read this story on A03!

For a man as loathsome and disgusting as Cyrus—at least, in Danny's eyes—it was surprisingly easy for him to get people on his side.

Cyrus left Nathan, Danny, and all the preparations for the trip ahead in the hands of the cronies he’d brought with him. Meanwhile, he left with only a couple of them and came back less than an hour later with what seemed to be most of the town's capable men and a few audacious women besides, armed with anything and everything from torches to axes to fireplace pokers, all shouting along behind Cyrus. There had to have been at least a hundred—maybe more.

“We can't have a monster threaten the village!”

“No one is safe!”

“Not until it's dead!”

Cyrus looked so incredibly pleased with himself as he walked on ahead of the crowd towards Danny, who had her hands tied behind her back as she sat in front of Max on the horse that she'd borrowed from Christopher. Maria whinnied nervously as the man approached, kicking up her hooves—though it seemed that she had submitted to complacency since Danny had gotten astride her. 

“It's such a comfort to know that I have the support of our village in this endeavor,” he sneered. “Who knew years of public relations would pay off like this?” 

Danny glared back at him. “We had a donkey that was just as loud as you, and still, somehow, less of an ass.” 

Cyrus shook his head as if he truly felt pity for Danny. “Such a shame what that monster did to your mind. Making you resent your savior like this.” 

It wasn't even a good act. Cyrus didn't believe a word he said about mind control. 

“What's this really about, Cyrus?” Danny snapped. “I know you. You're not some fucking hero. What exactly do you hope to gain from killing Christopher?” 

He couldn't, right? There's no way. Sam can stop them. Christopher could literally crush Cyrus under his foot. He doesn't stand a chance.

Cyrus's smile twitched, and his beady eyes darkened. “A world with one less man-eating giant in it.” 

Danny wanted to scream. “Even if there was a giant, you wouldn’t stand a fucking chance. How the hell did you convince these people they could take down a giant?” 

Cyrus leaned in close enough for her to smell the putrid scent of cigars on his breath. “I didn’t,” he sneered. “Turns out the threat of a magical, mind-controlling monster is enough to rile everyone up.” 

He only laughed loudly as he turned to walk away. Danny screamed in frustration, which prompted Max to throw one of his elbows into her side. “Shut up, bitch. You'd better cooperate, unless you want your friend to die in the cold.” 

There were times that anger could be useful, or at least, felt useful. When she'd had nothing to do but pace around a gilded cage, alone, anger had felt good. Even if it had been pointless, it made her feel like she was still fighting back, like she was doing something instead of just rolling over and giving up.

Her anger wouldn't do anything here—not when Nathan's life was on the line. Any risk she took would be a risk for Nathan, and any detour or distraction would only prolong the bitter cold he'd have to endure. And she had no doubt at all that Cyrus wouldn't hesitate to hurt him further, if she didn't comply.

It tasted like bile to swallow her anger now, but she did. She took a deep breath, stared straight ahead, and imagined herself strangling Max. She played over and over in her head the many different ways she could hurt him, and Cyrus, and every one of the people he'd brought with him. 

“Lead the way, Danny,” came Cyrus's arrogant voice from behind her. She tried to look to the side to see if she could get a glimpse of Nathan, but Max gave her a subtle, but still painful shove.

“Get moving,” he hissed.

First, I'll put my hands around his neck and squeeze until his face turns blue. She gestured towards the woods with her head, since her hands were still tied. “That way. Down the path.” Then I'll punch him right in the gut, right where it hurts. After that—

* * * * * * * * * *

Danny hoped that they would get as lost as Christopher seemed to think they would without the mirror—which she had managed to keep with her during all the commotion, though she kept it hidden beneath her dress. Maybe there was some sort of illusion Sam could pull off to hide the mansion from view, or turn them all around in the woods.

She had little choice but to lead Cyrus and his now much larger mob of people down the path she'd taken to Christopher's residence. To her dismay, the huge mansion came into view, with its dark spires rising up into the gray sky above.

“This is the place,” she snarled as they approached the iron gate that led to the mansion’s grounds. 

Max pulled the reins on Maria to stop her in her tracks, and the rest of the mob behind followed suit. Cyrus hopped off his own horse and sauntered up to the huge, wrought iron gate—shut and locked tight, with no lock or handle in sight. It was the only way in—the stone walls would have been too high to climb over easily.

She seemed to be the only one to notice one of the iron bars bending just slightly at the bottom, before it swiped under the feet of one of the people standing too close to the gate. 

“W-what the fuck?” The man’s head snapped side to side, trying to find the source of whatever had tripped him up. “What the fuck was that?” 

“Get the gate open!” Cyrus shouted, ignoring the man’s distress. After a few men threw their shoulders into the metal to try and make the gate give way, a group eventually used a large log nearby as a battering ram to try and force it open. A thunderous CLANG echoed with each attempt. 

Max dismounted and yanked Danny off the horse after. She fought against his hold on her, trying to at least find Nathan in all the commotion, and though she couldn’t see him, she heard him coughing further back. Fuck. He needs to get indoors. 

The screeching, horrible sound of metal giving way accompanied the sound of one of the attempts to break down the gate, and Danny saw the gates regretfully swing open, enough for the mob to begin pouring through. She was herded along with them all, pushed unceremoniously by Max, who still held her bound hands behind her. 

“LOOK OUT!” 

Something large whizzed over her head, and as it clattered against the walkway, she realized it was a paving stone that had been lobbed through the air. She tried to crane her neck to see ahead, and just as she did another paving stone came loose from the walkway, seemingly of its own accord, and aimed squarely at Cyrus’s head. 

The bastard dodged, but the brick managed to catch someone else on the side of their head before it dropped to the ground. A shocked clamor rose up from the people, with shouts of an invisible enemy beginning to emerge from the crowd.

“Is the place haunted?” one man cried out. 

A dark, familiar chuckle echoed from all around, as though the voice passed through every stone in the pavement beneath. “You bet your fucking ass it is.” 

More paving stones removed themselves from the ground, one at a time, flying towards the crowd with a vengeance. Some were able to find their mark, sending the odd person falling to their knees in pain. Others were able to be swatted away by the clubs and axes. The whole commotion was enough to send at least a few people running back towards the gates. 

“LeEeAaVE~” Sam wailed, as menacing as they could. Danny’s grin quirked up a bit. 

“Don’t be fooled by these tricks!” Cyrus bellows above the crowd. “Keep moving forward!” 

And so the crowd did, for the most part undeterred by the seemingly haunted grounds of the mansion as they pressed forward in a huge and increasingly furious wave towards the mansion’s front door. 

Before they could storm the door, Cyrus held up his hand. “Stay back!” The mob halted as Cyrus began to march up to the front door alone, though he made another gesture behind him. “Max. Bring her here.” 

Max shoved Danny forward through the crowd. The sea of people gave her mostly distrustful and disgusted glances as she passed, but she didn’t even bother acknowledging them. Max pushed her forward until she stood at the base of the stairs that led up to the elaborate front door.

As Cyrus stepped up to it, ready to knock, the door swung violently open and nearly hit Cyrus square on. 

And there, standing calmly on the threshold, was Christopher—looking by all accounts nothing more than a normal man.

Almost. Danny’s eyes couldn’t help but search for the dark horns atop his head, for any trace of his appearance that could give his true nature away. His horns were dark and short enough now to almost be unnoticeable, hidden by his hair. He looked nothing but refined and distinguished—whatever sadness had lingered about him before, Danny saw no traces of it now. It was effectively covered up—if she had seen it correctly to begin with. 

The giant’s eyes immediately went over Cyrus’s shoulder to Danny, but he looked away just as quickly, smoothing out his expression. 

“I’m afraid I’m not entertaining guests today,” he said curtly, as though he had simply misjudged the nature of the raucous crowd of angry villagers standing on his front lawn. “I’ll have to ask you all to leave.” 

There was a chorus of hushed whispers and gasps traveling through the crowd now. Danny thought she could hear fragments of what several of them were saying.

“That’s him.”

“I’ve…I’ve been here before. He—”

“Oh my god, he ate—”

“It’s the giant. How—”

A cold chill seeped into her bones as she realized that the mere sight of the giant was enough to bring back memory to those he’d taken it away from. How…how many of these people had Christopher…?

“You and I have some unfinished business, Penn,” Cyrus snarled, quiet enough for Danny and Max to be the only ones to hear. 

“I’m sorry…who are you?” Christopher asked blithely, his voice carrying an almost genuine ignorance. There was enough condescension, though, to make Cyrus growl back at him through gritted teeth.

Danny snorted. Max retaliated by driving his foot into the back of her heel, prompting her to wince sharply. 

She noticed that Christopher’s lips tightened slightly, but the giant did not otherwise react.

“You know damn well who I am,” Cyrus hissed in Christopher’s face. “You got your nose into business you shouldn’t have.” 

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” Christopher replied. His eyes kept darting back to Danny, his lips still set in a fine line. “Though I would ask that you refrain from hurting my friend there. She doesn’t seem very comfortable.” 

Cyrus chuckled darkly. “Friend?” He turned slightly so that his voice now projected out toward the crowd. “The way I hear it, you kidnapped this innocent young woman. Messed with her mind to the point she’d defend you, even now.” 

Danny strained against Max’s grip on her. “He’s lying!” she cried out, trying desperately to squirm from his hold. “I wasn’t kidnapped!” 

Max growled in frustration as he tried to keep her restrained. 

“Christopher’s not a monster!” Danny yelled. “Can’t you idiots see?” 

Cyrus whipped around and gave Danny a poisonous glare. “Max, shut her up.” 

Max sent a sharp elbow into Danny’s back, causing her to stumble on her feet. A sharp cry was forced out from her lungs. “You forget we have your OTHER friend here, too?” 

Her eyes on the ground, Danny almost didn’t see it—the instinctive step Christopher took forward, with his hand slightly outstretched, before he met with the invisible barrier of the doorframe, and hastily pulled back.

A sense of dread fell over her. Did Cyrus notice? The giant attempted to cover up his mistake and stand straight up again, as if nothing had happened. 

“I’m not sure I appreciate the way you’re treating my friend, Mr. Livingston.” Each word Christopher spoke was as sharp as ice. “You seem to have a problem with me, not her. Let her go.” 

“Oh?” Cyrus took a bold step closer to the doorframe, smirking maliciously. “And just what are you going to do about it, pretty boy? You’re not going to rush to her aid?” 

Christopher’s lip twitched, the beginning of a snarl that he repressed. “Perhaps you’d like to come inside to discuss this business you have with me?” Each word was pointed and clipped, propriety being stretched as thin as possible. 

Cyrus looked unfazed, studying Christopher for just a moment before his smile widened. He scratched his chin idly. “Max. Come here. Have someone else keep a hold on her.” 

Danny thought that she could hear Max’s heartbeat increase tenfold. “O-of course.” The man ushered another of Cyrus’s brutish thugs forward, who grabbed Danny’s arms and held her back with much more force than the weasely man had been able to. 

Max crept forward timidly until he stood by Cyrus’s side. Danny could see the way the man trembled like a leaf before Christopher, who only glared down at the man coldly. 

“Do you remember him?” Cyrus asked scornfully as he grasped Max’s arm, something like amusement dancing in his expression.

“No.” Christopher was, by Danny’s estimations, a remarkable liar. If she didn’t know better, she thought he could almost be telling the truth.

Cyrus sneered unkindly. “Well, he certainly remembers you.” 

Without a warning, Cyrus shoved Max over the doorframe towards Christopher—in such a way that it should have meant that Max would collide squarely with Christopher, and yet, from everyone’s perspective, it appeared that Max had suddenly disappeared into thin air.

Cyrus pulled his own hand back from the doorframe immediately, Max no longer held within it. 

The cries from the crowd became louder all of a sudden as they witnessed a man vanish before their eyes. 

Christopher snarled as he glanced down, like he’d noticed a bug near his feet, and bent down swiftly before returning to his standing height, something tiny held between his fingers. Only those standing close to the door—Cyrus, Danny, and the man who held her back—would be able to see that it was Max Christopher held between his fingers. 

“If you’d like him returned safely,” Christopher hissed, “I suggest you let my friend Danny go, and take your business elsewhere.”

Cyrus eyed Christopher up for a moment, his eyes landing on Max only briefly. “Well, why don’t you come and get her then, giant?” he taunted, his voice just barely above a whisper as he grinned devilishly. 

The fury in Christopher’s eyes was unmistakable—and his silence was damning. 

“Do what you like with him,” Cyrus laughed. “I’ve learned all I need to.” 

It sounded like Max yelled something undistinguishable to Danny’s ears—just the high-pitched squeak of a mouse—before Cyrus turned to address the crowd gathered before him. 

“Don’t be fooled by these illusions!” he shouted. “While he may seem like a normal man, he is little more than a monster in disguise.” 

“Yeah!” shouted a man from the crowd. “He’s a giant! He ate me—I remember!”

“He tricked me into coming here!” another voice cried out. “And then he made me forget!” 

“What’s going to stop him from doing it again!” 

Cyrus had done little more than effectively light the match beneath the coals of the mob’s anger, standing and watching as it quickly caught fire and took off before him. The cries continued on and on—people shouting about how they’d been tricked, put in a cage, eaten. There was hardly any deceit necessary from Cyrus anymore—the people he’d gathered were assured now of the nature of the beast they needed to slay. 

And Christopher—Christopher did nothing but watch. Desperately, Danny tried to meet his eyes—but the giant could only stare out in horror at the sea of people, hearing his own victims shouting out his crimes. Something broke, then, in his countenance. His eyes swam with a desperate, hopeless sort of look to them, like a frightened animal caught in a trap.

Despite everything—despite the fact that her voice ought to have been among the people gathered here, and under different circumstances it very well might have—sympathy pierced her heart painfully. He has to face all these people that he ate. They’re all calling him a monster, but they don’t know—

Eventually, Cyrus seemed satisfied with the level of vitriol that had been stirred up in the crowd. He gestured behind him with an arrogant flick of his wrist. “Luckily, the monster is imprisoned in his own home. He can’t step over the threshold.” 

A rush of whispers, confused and shocked, flew through the crowd. Danny tried not to let anything show on her face to suggest that what Cyrus said was true, but panic clenched her heart. 

“Even if that was true, that means he wouldn���t be able to get out. He’s not a danger to anyone. Why are you all—”

She received a harsher jab in the back, enough to knock the wind out of her.

“How many of you have seen this monster’s true colors?” Cyrus’s voice boomed out, to a chorus of thundering assent. “How many has he already fooled? Bewitched? Consumed?” 

Cyrus turned around slowly to face Christopher again. “And by all means, if I do not speak the truth…” He waved his hand before him, as if to invite Christopher outside with him. “Feel free to prove me wrong, Penn. Join us out here, and prove your innocence. Save your friend.” 

Danny looked to Christopher, hoping for a miracle. Please, she begged silently. Say something. Do something. Please. 

Christopher didn’t move. He didn’t speak. His eyes hardly met with Cyrus at all, or any of the people standing in his front yard. 

The longer he remained still, the louder the cries of anger from the crowd became. It wasn’t hard to tell that they were all now eager for blood. Their shouts and cries became a distant buzz in Danny’s ears—all she could focus on was Christopher.

What could she do? 

What could he do?

Finally, the giant’s lips parted, and Danny had to strain to hear the words he muttered.

“Please, you can do whatever you want with me…” Christopher’s dark eyes finally went back to Danny, flowing over with emotion. “But don’t hurt her. She has nothing to do with this. Let her go.” 

“I don’t believe you’re in a position to bargain, monster,” Cyrus sneered. 

He faced the crowd once more—and the tension in the air felt on the verge of snapping then. “Against all of us, even a giant is powerless!” His voice boomed triumphantly, as though he meant to lead an army into battle. “It’s time to put an end to this madness once and for all!” 

A horrible, stomach-churning cheer erupted from the mob, and before Cyrus could even direct them to, they rushed forward towards the house in a mad dash to cross the threshold. Cyrus’s eyes widened as he realized they would not stop for him, and in the madness of it all he was pushed into the house by the swarm of people screaming bloody murder, wielding all the weapons they’d soon find to be rather inadequate. 

Danny, too, couldn’t resist as she was rather forcefully shoved along in the chaos, until she was faced with the only somewhat familiar feeling of vertigo as her feet stepped over the doorframe and onto the giant tile of the inside of Christopher’s mansion.

The giant himself only took a single step backward, caught in the horror and confusion of the moment as hundreds of people tried to force their way into his home, and became nothing but a small, confused assortment of tiny creatures scurrying at his feet. 

The change in perspective had certainly thrown more than a couple of people for a loop, and Danny could see that many were trying to force their way back, to get to the safety of the outside again, but the crowd just kept pushing forward as the mob streamed into the mansion. 

There was a loud THUD as the doors forced themselves shut, keeping what remained of the mob out—and locking the ones here in. 

“There! Fuck,” Danny heard Sam exclaim from the doors themselves, causing several people to jump and flip around, as though they expected another giant to appear. 

A voice cried out then, one of the many people who’d been unfortunate and delusional enough to force themselves in, who now saw that their enemy was not one that could be taken down by a simple fireplace poker, who was slightly more intimidating in stature than Cyrus’s rallying cries had suggested they were in any way capable of defeating. 

“RUN!”

* * * * * * * * * *

What kind of danger could a bunch of humans really pose to a giant?

It's certainly been a while, hasn't it? The good news is that I do believe I've gotten over the writing block snag of what comes next in this story! Will I be able to publish a new chapter every week? Eh, less likely, but I'd like to wrap this story up within the next few months at least!

Thank you for continuing along with this story with me, and I hope you enjoy the ending as much as I have enjoyed thinking about it for the past...oh gosh. Year?

Thanks for bearing with me, and as always, for reading. Until the next chapter!

[angelasscribbles]

One Night in Cordonia Chapter 9: Aftermath

Series: One Night in Cordonia, a @choicesprompts Round Robin Event.

Fandom: TRR with a little OH

Pairings: So many lol. Let's see,,, while Leo and Madeleine are about to be engaged that didn't stop Mads from being with Anton or trying to get with Liam. It also didn't stop Leo from fantasizing about Adelaide. Meanwhile we saw Bastien x Claudius, Bertrand x Drake, Olivia x Max, Olivia x Tobias, and in perhaps the only 'normal' pairing, Liam x Riley.

Word Count: 1,483

Rating: MA

Warnings: lots of mentions of sex

A/N: Thanks to @harleybeaumont for bouncing a couple of ideas with me.

This is the final "wrap-up" chapter. Thanks to the writers that participated in this little endeavor and thanks to all the readers that joined us on the journey! It's been fun and there will be more round robins in the future.

While this concludes our main series, I am hoping for the following one-shots:

Leo x Adelaide @karahalloway

Olivia x Max @alj4890

Olivia x Tobias @jerzwriter

I myself am thinking about doing a little follow-up with Liam x Riley to explore her backstory in this universe (American model, here during Leo's season, with a press secretary, how did that happen?)

Leo and Liam circulated through the crowd gathered on the front lawn of the Beaumont estate, handing out bottles of water and answering questions as vaguely as possible.

Bertrand stood in a small group asking questions and piecing together what had transpired the night before. The last thing he needed was another damn scandal. It was bad enough that Anna De Luca had published that story speculating that they were broke, all because Maxwell had freaked out over a canceled credit card.

Bertrand had canceled the card to teach his spendthrift brother a lesson, but after years of yelling at him that his extravagant habits were going to break them, Maxwell had assumed that was exactly what had happened. There had been a very public spectacle when his card had gotten declined at the Annual Cordonian Peafowl Convention.

And now his brother was being ridiculous trying to convince him that they possessed some kind of resistance to the shagging smog that had turned their party into an orgy. Preposterous!

“So, you and I and Liam and Leo are all immune!” Max told him.

“What do you mean immune?” He sneered, “That can’t be true!”

“Oh yes,” Constantine assured him, “Exposure makes you immune and that immunity gets passed down to your children! Your father and I attend this party one time…”

As Constantine prattled on, Bertrand’s eyes rose slowly, and reluctantly, to meet Drake’s expressionless gaze. He blanched and stumbled backward knocking over one of the tables full of water bottles.

“…oh, now that I think of it, that was the summer after you were born!” Constantine slapped him on the back with a chuckle, “Never mind! Guess you weren’t immune after all.”

“Oh, thank heavens!” Bertrand was so relieved that he didn’t even care he’d blurted that out loud.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me,” Constantine waved as he strode away, “I really have to be getting back to the palace now.”

“Sir, excuse me,” Maxwell chased after the king as he made his way toward his motorcade.

“Yes, son?”

“About the bash…”

“What about it?”

“Leo said you were going to ban them in the future, but since this wasn’t our fault…I mean…it was an attack and not anything that we did so-“

“Calm down boy!” Constantine guffawed, “I suppose, considering the circumstances, there’s no harm in continuing the bashes, just up the security next time!”

“Yes, sir!” Max almost passed out from relief, “We will, sir!”

Madeline sat in one of the lounge chairs that had been scattered around the lawn, examining her nails studiously as she considered the night before. Justin may have turned out to be a terrorist hell-bent on overthrowing the monarchy, but boy could he shag! Too bad Liam had refused her advances, she’d likely never get another chance at him. For one, she was about to be his sister-in-law, and for two, he seemed quite taken with that American strumpet, Riley Brooks. Dismissing that train of thought, her mind wandered back to Justin, or Anton, or whatever his name was, she wondered if the palace allowed conjugal visits.

Penelope barely remembered her actions, she had already been piss drunk before the shagging smog after all. Still, her question remained. How would they know that they weren’t lesbians unless they tried? She watched Kiara from across the lawn, wondering how to get her best friend to reconsider their relationship.

Oliva yawned as she watched the Cordonian upper crust freaking out about their night of lost inhibitions.

Amateurs.

What on earth was wrong with indulging your kinks now and then? Prudes, the lot of them.

Before the attack had happened, she had been about to sneak away with Trystan Thorne, the exiled prince of Drakovia for a little slap and tickle when Jin had appeared demanding to know what she was doing. Not him. She had trussed him up and indulged his little cock and ball torture kink one damn time and now she couldn’t get rid of him.

Thankfully he had already been escorted from the premises. As a former spy for the Auvernese government, he’d been taken in for questioning.

Her eyes lifted to take in Maxwell Beaumont giving her a surreptitious once over. She hated herself a little for the shiver of desire that ran through her. Looking away she decided that she would deal with the younger Lord Beaumont issue later. Right now she had a hot doctor waiting to be tied up.

She quietly slipped away from the group and headed for the armory.

Several days later….

“We have the men responsible in custody, sir,” the young guardsman told him, “Except one, we’re not sure  how he escaped.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Bastien Lykel turned toward the window overlooking the Beaumont’s vineyards, “Call off the search. We should be able to get what we need out of the prisoners currently in the palace cells. We have their leader, Anton Severus. We don’t need the escapee.”

“Sir?”

“You’re dismissed, Lieutenant!”

The young officer scurried out of the room that Bastien had turned into a makeshift office as they continued to comb the crime scene for clues.

Not that he needed any. He knew who was behind the attack. And he knew exactly how Claudius had escaped.

The two men stood in the cool night air on the same hill that Claudius had stood on just two nights earlier as he had received his orders from Anton.

Claudius eyed him with deep suspicion, “Why are you letting me go? What’s in it for you?”

“There’s nothing in it for me, other than knowing you’ll be safe from the death sentence this way.”

“Why do you care?”

Bastien grunted, “How can you ask me that? For the sake of what we once were to each other-“

“If you gave a shit about me, you wouldn’t have left the Sons of the Earth! You wouldn’t have joined the enemy!”

“Corondia is not your enemy, and the Sons of the Earth are misguided. Anton Severus is an egomaniac and a narcissist! I joined the King’s Guard to protect my country from people exactly like him!”

“People like me?”

Bastien stepped forward, taking the other man’s head in his hands as he stared into his eyes, “You’re nothing like him! And it’s not too late for you! No one knows you’re affiliated with the Sons! You could leave! You can still live a worthwhile life!”

Claudius knocked the other man’s hands away with a shake of his head, “I don’t believe you, and I don’t forgive you for leaving. This changes nothing!”

He had come for revenge, but he was leaving with renewed angst over his lost love. He gave Bastien one last desperate look before turning and melting into the night.

Every member of the Sons of the Earth that had fallen victim to the shagging smog would be tried and convicted of attempted murder, treason, and actual murder.

On the other side of Cordonia, the Cult of Dionysus had succumbed to the experimental gas that had been meant for the nobility. Their deaths would secure the maximum sentence for the collaborators.

Before he fled into the night, Claudius had willingly given up the distributor of the gas as revenge for giving them the wrong product.

With Anton in custody, Claudius was now the leader of the Sons of the Earth.

He wasn’t sure he was ready. His devotion to the cause wasn’t as strong as it used to be. He’d been focused for so many years on exacting his vengeance on Bastien Lykel for leaving the movement, and him. But after their night of passion, he was no longer sure that he could execute any plan that might hurt his former lover.

Teagan had already abandoned the group citing gross incompetence and mediocre leadership.

When he finally made it back to headquarters, he realized he was working with a third of the original group. One-third were sitting in the palace cells and one-third had walked away along with Teagan.

He was left with green recruits and men that should have retired years ago.

With mixed feelings, he sent them all home, telling them to disperse, lay low and wait to be recalled at some nebulous point in the future.

The Sons of the Earth was officially disbanded. Taken out by a video gamer and fucking shagging smog.

Claudius poured himself a generous helping of Anton’s best whiskey and settled into the plush leather executive chair in Anton’s office. He stared out the window as he wondered what he was supposed to do with his life now.

He pulled out his phone and typed Bastien’s name into Google then zoomed in on a photo of him at the last King’s Guard’s Annual Awards Banquet, looking handsome and distinguished in a well-fitting suit.

His fingers traced over his former lover’s face on the screen as he contemplated his next move.

[smiletimeisrunningout]

CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE !!

Tagged by: took it from the man Emma is apparently courting @johngravessimcoe

Tagging: anyone who wants to do it

✧･ﾟ 𝐃𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄.

doing the historical version

Name: Emma (of the White Kingdom)

Alias(es): Swan (derogatory), Princess Charming (affectionate)

Gender: female (she/her).

Orientation: Tragically straight.

Age: 28+

Date of birth: November 23th

Place of birth: White Kingdom, Mysthaven, Europe.

Spoken language(s): English, Italian, Greek, Spanish, French, bit of German (she has a thing for languages so I don't exclude her learning more at random)

Occupation(s): princess, potentially bounty-hunter/knight if she loses her throne. Wife. Heartbreaker.

★ ⸻ APPEARANCE

Eye colour: green. There is some golden in them apparently?

Hair colour: blonde.

Height: 5''44

Other: whatever she's wearing she's going to make it just a bit inappropriate to show off. LOTS of scars. The one along her spine forces her to cover her back at all times (maybe that's why she's so okay showing the front?), very appreciative of her own hair, it's always down and curled up. Freckles! Which she hides under her makeup because boys made her self-conscious about them.

★ ⸻ FAVORITE

Colour: red, golden (white for clothes only).

Song: she's a Disney princess, she'll love and sing anything like she's about to get the golden buzzer.

Food: food being her one true love, it's hard to peak, but steak with potatoes and chocolate go hand in hand.

Drink: at this point I think gin.

★ ⸻ HAVE THEY...

Passed university: let's say she's more of a jock type. Tutors may have cried. Either she can memorize insanely hard stuff because it's important to her or she will spend five days trying to read a chapter of King Liar and fall asleep every time.

Had sex: way too much.

Had sex in public: yes if by in public you mean where she could get caught because people were nearby.

Gotten pregnant/someone else pregnant: not in the historical verse, but some day she'd like a bunch of kids. She'll probably have one max two at this point.

Kissed a boy: hell yes.

Kissed a girl: nope.

Gotten tattoos: not yet.

Gotten piercings: no.

Been in love: yep once with a man who absolutely destroyed her in every possible way and now lives like 30 minutes away.

Stayed up 24+ hours: yes. she doesn't like it.

★ ⸻ ARE THEY...

A virgin: not only she's not but she initiated and controlled her first time with the same bastard who broke her and who wasn't actually ever going to try to go that far with her.

A cuddler: desperately so.

A kisser: could spend hours just doing that.

Scared easily: no and sometimes she SHOULD.

Jealous easily: not exactly. she's jealous of her role (she'd be terribly offended if someone who knows her asked another lady to punch someone), and she expects her relationships to be respected by others (meaning somebody is getting punched if they don't) but otherwise she's like 'yeah I know he's awesome, he's also mine :D '

Submissive: she was submissive ONCE in her life with the ex and it broke her, so never again. Terrified to going back to that, though.

Dominant: In the bedroom, yes. In her job, yes. In a relationship? She wants to agree on things.

In love: in teror of falling in love.

Relationship status: spinster

★ ⸻ RANDOM QUESTIONS

Have they harmed themselves: not purposefully, besides the time when she punches or kicks things that she shouldn't.

Thought of suicide/ideated: yes.

Attempted suicide: considered it from a place where she could and then didn't.

Wanted to kill someone: several people. Then in some cases did.

Have/had a job: same answer of above.

Fears: being in a romantic relationship. Being in love and getting heartbroken. Falling into depression again. Losing her kingdom because of depression. Being submissive and humiliating herself again. People staying with her out of pity again. Losing her loved ones.

Sibling(s): None.

Parent(s): King David (Charming) and Queen Mary Margaret, alive and disgustingly in love.

Children: none

Children in history: yes if by history we mean canon. Henry and Hope.

Significant other(s): considering arranging a marriage.

Pet(s): her evil murderous horse Apple. Whatever animals she finds and brings home. She only doesn't have a dog because she knows she'd stay by the dog's side from birth to death.

[plainsviemenace]

Max had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit his chest, one hand on her back protectively. It had been a long night but he was glad that Sabrina enjoyed herself. He had gotten more worked up then he expected but he hadn't lost control, the small scratch had bothered him but he liked her joking about it. Maybe he was a vampire and didn't know it. He felt a sensation through his body and his eyes fluttered open to see her mouth wrapped around his cock as she gave him a blow up. "Fuck, you're so good at that." Singing wasn't the only thing that her mouth was good for. His hand stoked her face and ran through her hair as she bobbed on his member. What a nice way to wake up and oddly no one else had ever woken him up like that before. He could get used to this. He had made sure to reciprocate in the shower before pinning her to the wall and fucking her. Her body was becoming a canvas for his mouth to leave marks on but she was free for awhile to just be her and enjoy their relationship so it didn't matter how much he marked her. As they got to the airport to board the jet, Max saw George smile at him and Max winked and gave him the thumbs up. He got sat down and happily wrapped his arms around her as she climbed into his lap. There was no need to hide their public affection since everyone on board knew about them, hell know the world did after her dedicating Juno to him. After waking up he watched as her extensions were removed making her more and more the normal girl that held his heart. He could handle the whole 'star thing', so he told himself but this was when she was her most beautiful to him and that said a lot since he thought the 'star version' was hot as fuck. They were different yet the same. Of course he was going to drive. Fancy car, but he expected that. "You just sit there and look beautiful, babydoll." He told her as he began to follow the directions. He watched as the houses got bigger and bigger then heard that they were coming up on their destination. His tongue moved to his cheek as he thought about what he might be coming up on. A gate? Okay a gate made sense. She needed protection from crazy fans. He didn't have a gate but he should have expected she would. He watched her typing away on her phone and so he drove up and punched in the code. As the gates opened, his mouth opened up and his eyes grew wide. "Holy shit." He hadn't meant for that to come out. He glanced quickly at his girlfriend not sure what he expected her to say then drove in and parked. He was processing it fast now in his head. Maybe a little too fast. He watched as she opened the house and proceeded to pull him room to room giving him a tour. "It's really...nice. Like ...amazing. Fuck." The first floor was huge and he was in awe of every room. He could tell how proud she was of it. She had worked hard for years and earned all this but it was a lot for him to take in. He didn't want to make her think he didn't like her house, he did. It was just huge and fancy and expensive but wow. He could only imagine what her bedroom looked like. "You sure do have everything. Damn girl." He looked at her and cupped her face. "It's beautiful like you. It's more than I'm used to but damn. I think it's very you." He told her before placing a kiss to her lips. So many questions, he was sure Barry had lived here with her. playing house and dreaming of a future together. He was also sure people thought he was with her for her money, and of course her gorgeous looks and killer body. She was the total package but he was with her for the woman she was inside. Sure, he would bang Sabrina Carpenter, like he told Alex but this girl standing in front of him was just Sabrina and he wanted more with her than just sex even though that was amazing.

She swallowed hard as the point of the blade pressed against her throat. She was waiting for the push, but was pleasantly surprised when he moved it away and down to her breast. She gasped as the blade teased her nipple. Okay, this wasn’t bad for her. As long as he kept it at this she might have found another thing she loved in the bedroom. Sabrina felt a slight tinge of pain on her breast, and her eyes moved down to Max. She watched as he ran his finger over the scratch on her breast, and then him sucking the blood off of his finger. A smirk tugged at her lips, he was a god at this. She was finding him even more attractive than before, and she didn’t think that was entirely possible. “Are you bloodthirsty, daddy? Do you like the taste of blood?”  As he made his way down her body, her breathing got heavier, and she was getting more antsy. Her hands slowly tugging at the handcuffs. “Please daddy. I need you…” She breathed out just before his mouth covered her pussy. She moaned, lifting her hips up as he devoured her. Her back arched as she felt her a small orgasm coming over her again. “I’m okay,” was all she could get out as she came down. Feeling the coldness against her, body stiffened slightly. The fear had gone away int he course of a few minutes was slowly peaking its way back into her. But it ended quickly once she felt his cock thrusting into her. She was almost regretting agreeing to being cuffed, but it was only because she was dying to touch him. She wanted grab onto him as he fucked her hard. She screamed as she hit her high again. Words weren’t a thing for her, she couldn’t talk. She was completely utterly torn. Her walls pulsating around him as she came down from the multiple orgasms that she had that night. She nodded as he talked, letting him unlock the handcuffs. When he went into the bathroom, her hands rubbed at her wrists, noticing the small rub marks on the back of her wrists. Once he cleaned them both up, she turned onto her side and cuddled into him, her head resting against his chest. Her hand rubbed against his chest until she eventually fell asleep.

The next morning, Sabrina woke up before MAx. She was sore and still tired. Checking the time and knowing they had about an hour before they had to leave, she moved the blankets and then woke Max up by giving him head before she dragged him into the shower with her. She wanted to get fucked at least once more, especially with the 12 hour plane ride they were about to get on. She was fine with public sex, but a jet full of her team and sister and friends? That was a hell no for her. Once they were cleaned up, their bags were packed up again and they were out to the car to get to the airport. She was still sore from the night activities, and mornings. But she wasn’t going to let it show, otherwise George was gonna tease the fuck out of them. So she walked the best she could onto the jet. Once the plane took off, she undid her seatbelt, grabbed her blanket and then climbed onto Max’s lap, snuggling into him to sleep. Telling him to move her if he wanted to get up at any point. She slept on and off for the first few hours. And then her hairstylist took her extensions out for her. And then she gossiped with Sarah and Paloma for the last few hours. Once they were in LA, Sabrina took Max’s hand and walked through the parking garage, looking for her car. Max had beat her into the driver side, so she settled into the passenger side. She wasn’t sure the last time she was the passenger in her own car. When she was with Barry, she had to drive everywhere she hated it. She preferred being the passenger princess. She typed in her address into the GPS so she didn’t have to tell him where to go. Once the navigator said that his destination was on the left, “just pull up into the driveway. The code to the gate is 1036. And then you can just pull up next to the stairs.” She told him, not looking up from her phone as she spoke. Her mom had texted her to confirm their dinner plans that night. Sabrina was wishing that they could just postpone, but she missed her cats and wanted to get them back as soon as possible. Once they were in the house, “alright. The ground tour!” She started pulling him around the first level the house, showing him the living room, where the downstairs bathrooms were, a little game room she had, and then kitchen. “And if you go through those doors, you get to the backyard. There’s a pool, hottub. The works.’ She said, finally turning around to look at Max.

[scuderiamh]

LATE NIGHT DEVIL || m.verstappen x reader

pairing: max verstappen x reader

request: yes / no

summary: in which he's her sworn rival and the only other driver she truly hates -- except when they're in eachother's beds. based on teeth by 5 seconds of summer.

word count: 2.1k

warnings: smut. lewis retiring, so sorry i hated to do it 😭

ever since lewis hamilton lost his chance at an eighth world championship and retired, the heaviest of weights have been placed on your shoulders. be the new lewis. but you could never be the new lewis and nobody outright said you should be, but the unspoken pressure was always there, haunting you in your weakest moments. you had to do one thing and one thing alone -- beat max verstappen. it'd been the silent expectation placed in your lap the second you'd signed with mercedes. 

but how could you up max verstappen when he played so fucking dirty? when he was the fia's goddamn golden boy? 

he was cutthroat. you knew this, always. but so were you. 

you had to be. in a male-dominated sport, you had to establish your hold over other drivers. everyone in formula one had to prove their worth and show they deserved their seat, but the skepticism with your driving only meant the pressure was tenfold with you. you didn't like to give yourself excuses, but it was true. so your driving style had to be harsh, rough -- but slicker than max. that's why you were better. you didn't cause the accidents he did.

not like you'd get away with it like he did. not in a million years. 

the back and forth in your position was constant. one race you'll be leading the championship, the next it'll bounce right back to max being on the top. the media ate it up. just as much as it ate up how neither of you tried to hide your intense dislike for one another from the cameras, much to both their pr manager's disdain. “don't be so scornful on camera,” they'd say, “bad publicity. people don't like it.” but tonight wasn't like others. tonight it wasn't the harsh criticism, the snapping, the glares that could kill. no, tonight was much, much more different.

because tonight he was unzipping your dress in the bar bathroom.

grasping onto the little clarity that remained after the alcohol you'd downed, you took a brief moment to recollect how the fuck you got into this position --

if you hadn't gotten slapped in the face with a penalty, you would've started p1. it was more than a hard pill to swallow.

down it with some drinks. that was the solution.

p-fucking-20. that's where you'd be.

a shot with the reminder.

max fucking verstappen on pole instead of you.

another shot downed.

he was ahead of you in the wdc at the moment.

you raised the shot glass to your lips before a voice, an oh-so familiar, oh-so infuriating voice, interrupted you.

“you're taking those about as quickly as you drove today.” 

although you couldn't see him, you knew it was max. you knew it right away and you were more than tempted to dump the shot on him. it was a dramatic thought undoubtedly influenced by your lack of complete sobriety, but you'd do just about anything to get him to leave your alone. that wasn't far off in comparison to your usual feelings toward him, but now more than ever. he was the last person you wanted to see here.

before you could say anything, he followed up his comment with a smirk and another one. “too bad the results are bad in both situations. p20 in one, a hangover in another...”

“fuck off, verstappen.” you snapped, ignoring him as he took a seat across from you. only that made your realize how pathetic you must've looked, downing drinks, all pissed off, sitting at a table alone. why didn't you just sit on one of the barstools instead? strike up a flirtatious conversation with someone around, maybe get lucky.

he raised his hands in a mock admission of guilt. “okay. okay. whatever you say, schatje.”

his presence alone inflamed you. he wasn't speaking, no. he was just there. by now he'd acquired his own drinks. why was he drinking with you? why wasn't he speaking? you wanted nothing more than to reach over and strangle him.

or fuck him. either would work.

you may hate his guts but you wouldn't deny your attraction to him. you wouldn't act on it -- definitely not. but he was handsome, to put it lightly. not even you would say otherwise.

“i think you just need your shit mood fucked out of you.” max stated finally, placing down an empty shot glass rather loudly.

you got over the initial shock at his words rather quickly, snorting in response. “and i'm sure you'd love to be the one to do it."

“i'm sure you'd love for me to be the one to do it.” he retorted, head tipping to the side. his gaze was intense, much like everything else about him.

“in your dreams.”

“you think i dream about you, schat?”

“i think you do.” you hummed. “think you dream about me a lot.”

the words meant nothing. they were empty. nothing more than meaningless banter with someone you could hardly stand.

“i think you want me to dream about you.” he leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “but i think you're the one who dreams about me. right? me fucking you stupid. you shaking under me. moaning my name. yeah?”

the words went straight to your core and you found yourself rubbed your thighs together. but you scoffed. “i'll bet anything you can't even find a woman's clit, verstappen.”

“let me prove you otherwise.”

you weren't above this. neither was he. a bar bathroom wasn't the most elegant of places to have sex, and it sure was no hotel bed -- but it'd make due. you were both too intoxicated to care. both with the drinks and with eachother.

“i still fucking hate you.” you reminded max, meeting his eyes as you finished removing the dress. 

it was a nice one. black, skintight. cut in a way that showcased your legs and revealed just enough of your chest on display to make him want to take it right off of your. the eye contact was only broken when the shirt he was taking off obscured his own vision.

“you are fucking me, that's for sure.” he said, undoing his belt buckle.

“i never said yes.” you shot back.

there was a temporary pause in the removal of his jeans. his fingers instead made their way to your hips, lightly latching on to the band of your panties. pulling down, but the tug didn't do more than move them ever so slightly.

fucking tease.

“so you mean to say you're saying no?” he asked, now tracing the path of the band, then going down. down to your clothed cunt, applying the slightest pressure to where wetness had started to accumulate. a quiet gasp escaped your lips before you could stop it.

“if so...” he drawled, hand slowly moving back to the band to tug downward. “your body's telling a little bit of a different story, i must say.”

“get on with it, verstappen. or i'll find another guy to.” you said, knowing the empty threat would rile him up. “and you know i could.”

he was more expressionless than you would've liked. he only maintained eye contact and stopped touching your entirely, his own pants finally coming off. though you'd wished he'd finished taking your underwear off. but on the other hand, you wasn't complaining about his increasing lack of clothing. “i'm sure you could, schat.” he hummed. “but do you think any other guy would fuck you like i could?”

oh, if your teams knew about this. the red bull golden boy and the mercedes crowned queen. half naked in a bar bathroom.

“i don't know.” you said, exaggerating a pout. “because you won't hurry up and fuck me. what was it you were saying? fucking me stupid, moaning your name? is that no more than a fantasy?”

“i'll show you fantasy.” he grunted, grabbing your hips suddenly. the yank of your panties was stark in comparison to how he toyed with them just minutes before. max manhandled you into the position he wanted you in -- bent over the sink, making sure you could see his reflection in the mirror. make you know it was him bringing you to pleasure and, more importantly, submission.

the coolness of the sink made you hiss. you didn't have the time to adjust to it before his forefinger was at your pussy and pushing inside. an immediate moan couldn't even be stopped when he started thrusting it in and out, quick to add a second finger.

“look at me.” he demanded as soon as he saw your eyes screw shut. when you didn't listen, he slowed his pace. “i said look at me.”

the sudden drop in speed caught your attention. your eyes were back open, meeting his in the reflection. you opened your mouth to say something, snap some witty remark, but he resumed his actions and a whimper was voiced before words could even be thought of. a third finger drove your right to the edge of your peak, but fucking max, he removed them all with a smirk plastered on his face. he knew with the way you was clenching you wouldn't have lasted longer. he knew he was snatching away your high right before you could ride it out. even in a sexual scene, he didn't miss the opportunity to take something good from you.

“don't complain, you brat.” he spat, a cool arrogance in his voice. you hated it. you hated him. “you'll get what you want soon enough.”

and you did. his hands were on your hips in an instant, positioning himself behind your. before he did anything, he didn't say anything, but the hesitation made the silent question obvious. you could've said yes, the simple way to consent, or perhaps you could've begged, he would've liked that quite a bit. but the way you inched backward with a slight wiggle to your hips, making contact with his rock hard cock was an answer enough.

without any further warning or communication, he pushed into you. you couldn't help but whine sharply at the feeling. you could've anticipated max being big, but you had your expectations set lower.

he'd only allowed brief seconds for adjustments before the snapping of his hips rivaled the speed of his own car. your moans filled the room, but he brought a hand to your mouth, slowly pushing a finger inside to muffle the noise you was making. you didn't need to be told to suck on them.

“don't want others to hear the little mercedes princess getting railed, now, do we?” 

taking your mouth off his fingers, it took great effort for you to speak. “fuck you, max.”

it was probably the first time you'd referred to him directly using his first name.

he'd die before admitting it, but he liked the way you said his name.

with clear desperation, wordlessly urging him to continue to rut into you. but the same proud undertone remained nonetheless, like you was still in charge. like they were behind the steering wheels of their opposing cars. and your moans...

god, he could listen to them on repeat.

while you two made every effort to stifle the sounds your mouths were making, they couldn't cover up the sound of skin slapping against skin rapidly. you didn't even try to.

his thrusts were precise, rough, and aggressive. his dominating nature seen on the track mirrored the dominance he held over you. and unlike on the track, you liked it.

if a peak of stimulation wasn't already approaching fast enough, the finger he brought to your clit made it speed up. max was rubbing the sensitive bud in ways that made your senses short circuit.

“what was it you were saying?” he asked tauntingly. “about me not finding the clit?”

“shut up.” you choked out.

your eyes rolled back at the consistency of his thrusts. never once did the pace or intensity falter. you had to gape at his stamina. when the coil snapped, your second orgasm hitting you like a train, max guided you through it. he became more sloppy, hands never leaving your body for a second.

you just had sex with the only person you swore you hated.

and you loved it.

shortly after, he slid out of you. he panted while he came all over your rear. marking you as his own.

as soon as he did, he knew the first time wouldn't be the last.

and that's a wrap! tag list below, ask to be added. feedback highly appreciated!

@hendersonsluvbot @sriusun @iamasimpingh0e @maxxiemoo @aaleksmorozova @alwayschoppedtaco @kyomihann @welcometomyworldwithoutrules @sugarmaxie @fictional-l0v3r @iamasimpingh0e

[yoongis-black-grilfriend]

Drama pt. 2

If you haven't done so yet, click here to read part 1

Warnings: Violence & Cursing

Summary: You and Jack are dating but your relationship isn't public and someone from his past starts drama between the two of you.

Oh wow.

After the night you had calmed yourself down and tried not to ruin Jack’s album release party this girl took it upon herself to post pictures of shit Jack bought her and let everybody know that they messed with each other? 

This had really pissed you off because she was disrespecting your relationship to the max. It's also the fact that she POSTED him. People didn't even know that you existed let alone the fact that you two were dating. Her posting this made it look like he was out here fucking and sucking and you were not okay with this. 

Your phone ringing had taken you out of your thinking but when you looked at your phone it was off indicating no one was trying to call you. It was Jack's phone and he was still sleeping noticing it wasn't going to stop ringing he turned to you. “Who is that?” you roll your eyes ``Why don't you answer and find out? Its your fucking phone.” Confused by your sudden attitude, he sat up and answered his phone. 

“What's up?...... You're not being serious….. What the hell?….. Why did you even think it was okay inviting her last night… I don’t really give a fuck if it was her friends fault you sould have made sure she wasnt going to come and do not werid shit now look what im going through… Yeah whatever man”  Listening to the conversation it sounded like he was just caught up on what Katie posted. 

He turned to you and sighed “I don't really know what to say but just know in going to fix all of this'' You wanted to applaud  him for his words you really did but you were so tired of being nice to these girls that thought they could just come up to you and threaten your relationship with Jack just because it wasn't public. She had taken it too far and now you are going to take it a step further. 

“Don't even worry about it. I'm not trippin.” Jack raised his eyebrows ``Your not?” “No this is what comes with the industry right?” He shook his head in shame “No its not and I dont want this to become a regular thing” you scoot closer to him and grab his face in your hands. “Baby dont worry about it im okay lets just let this blow over okay?” He nodded his head along with you and gave him a peck to his lips. 

“Now I know your going to be busy today so worry about that and i’ll make sure to have iur show on by the time you get home” He nodded agreeing with you again and gave you a kiss “Okay Princess i’ll try to make it quick.” 

You shook you head “Take all of the time you need.” After the little talk you guys had Jack had gotten up and left because he had a couple interviews he had to get ready for. You had gotten dressed and put on some pink shorts with a matching cropped tang top with some white shoes. You had out your knottless braides in a pony tail and had made your way to your friends house. 

When you get there you saw that she had simuklar attire on as she made her way to your car. Annie put her seatbelt on and turned to you “You ready to kick some ass” you laugh as you start driving to your destination “You already know I am!” 

Finally you guys had made it walking out of the car you guys walk into the house some party was being held in (you didnt care whos ouse this was you came here for one thing) and as soon as you walked in you spotted Ms. Katie and wasted no time walking up to her. 

You had no words to say to her as you grabbed her hair and started throwing punches to her face. People had started recording and and trying to get close but Annie made sure no one got to close and she also made sure no one jumped in. Katie was weak she as trying to fight back she had no upper hand and you were on a mission. You get down to the ground as you throw a few kicks to her face before you decided you were done with her. 

“NEXXT TIME YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO CLAIM MY MAN MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE HANDS TO BACK IT UP BITCH!!” You said with a petty laugh and walked out with your friend. It felt good to finally take up for yourself because you had a lot of pent up anger from this happening time and time again you hoped that this would be a lesson to the girls that kept trying you. 

You didnt get home until late. Annie and you had went out to eat and then after you guys had been talking about what had been going on in yalls lives. Opening the door you had expected to see it empty but you were completely wrong. 

Jack was sitting on the couch and he looked PISSED. He turned to you with a glare in his eye. “You must get off to embrassing me huh?” 

You were done for.

Let me know how this is. Please send in request!

[anothersylvia]

Baby Don't Pretend Like You Don't Want This : PART 3

Info: Jack Harlow x Reader x fictional UK rapper / side piece inspired/NSFW/angst

[scroll to the bottom for the first two parts of the series if you haven't read them]

"I don't know man , are you even sure of what you saw ?" Urban reacted skeptically to Jack's story about seeing Jason get in a room with a girl back at the video set /party they just left.

"Can I keep it real with you ? I just feel like you shouldn't be getting involved " Urban advised.

"She was fine as hell you really think Jason went in there just to talk ?" Jack persisted.

"Either way what's it to you bro ? It's not your relationship " Urban remained adamant that Jack should stay out of it.

"Y/n could lash out and not even believe you " Urban expressed growing just a little annoyed.

"But atleast I would have done my part Urban "

"Jack be for real here , would you be doing this for her or for you and also how would you have felt if someone you were cool with went spilling the beans about you fucking y/n when you had a girlfriend "

Jack did in fact have to take into consideration that him and Jason were cool friends, not the closest but still , they had just developed a working relationship that was serving them both and Jack didn't want to even imagine the fall out that would ensue and cause controversy just before releasing a single. Jack was not a fan of using bad publicity or beefs to gain traction , he needed to stay on good terms with Jason , he had to consider the work both his and Jason's teams put into the coming release.

Urban at the end of the day had Jack's best interest at heart and just wanted him to stop and think about if implicating himself in this kind of drama was really worth it. In the end Jack went with Urban's advice and decided he would not involve himself.

If Jason was cheating he would eventually get caught. Jack would know given the fashion in which his previous relationship ended. Having to maintain a career at the top while living a double life was not easy and he believed that the longer he tried the more sloppy he'd get. Perhaps for Jason it was just a once off where he couldn't resist the girl but in the case of having an affair on the side Jack had experience on just how consuming it could get.

It had gotten to the point where you felt so good to Jack that he wouldn't even feel bad about coming home to his girl after he had just been with you.Sex was so good that he would be laid up next to his sleeping girlfriend reliving moments with you in his head anticipating what he would do to you the next time he would see you. At times if it made him horny enough he would have no choice but to initiate sex with his girl to silence that hunger that came with thinking about you.

When watching his girlfriend get dressed and see her naked that would somehow trigger Jack to think about you and visualise your figure. Jack would always smirk when a notification from you came in knowing his eyes were in for a treat.

At the time the thought of you being with other men would actually bother Jack and that's why he would make sure to slut you out to the max for you to always crave him over anyone else , for you to have him on your mind even as you'd fuck other men. Jack also loved the rush of balancing the vibe of taking each other down anytime and anyplace but being secretive and moving with caution.

Jack fondly looked back at all the heated moments , playing them out like a montage in his head , reliving the splendor. When he'd come over and could tell you were fresh out the shower wearing nothing but an oversized T shirt with your lotion fragrant in the air , your skin glowing under soft warm light and your toes looking pretty while tucked into some fuzzy slides. Having you look so delicate but knowing he would proceed to rough you up in bed.

There was the one instance between the two of you where after meeting and fucking when he was in the studio you needed a ride and Jack offered to get you home with his driver in his SUV.

"Spread your legs and let me play with it" Jack reached across from his seat stroking your sensitive parts under your skirt. You hesitated not only because your session at the studio already left you fucked out and aching but you felt shy about having a third person in the vehicle. Jack lifted your thigh up so that it rested on the car seat arm. All initial resistance instantly melted away the wider Jack pushed your leg open and stroked on your wetness. Your arm reached out for your hands to dig into Jack's curls while your eyes enjoyed the sight of veins appearing up Jack's arm while his hand was buried under the material of your mini skirt , maticulously pumping 2 fingers in and out of you.

The pleasure was immense and further elevated by you and Jack locking eyes. Jack knew just what to do to turn the heat up leaning over to suckle on your neck and use his free hand to massage on your breast while twirling your hardened nipple between his thumb and index finger. The multi tasking, the confined space , the stimulation and soft moans.

"See what happens when you let me play with it , see how good that feels ?" Jack was merciless while taking tiny bites on your neck.

"I love it when you play with me Jack" You tilted your head to meet Jack's tongue while talking and He responded by biting and sucking on your bottom lip.

"Jack!!" Urban snapped Jack back into reality trying to alert him of the fact that they'd made it home. He had zoned so far into the memory that it actually left him erect.

Meanwhile a drunk Jason returned to your apartment stumbling and falling flat on the couch. It didn't upset you much but as you took care of him , helping to take off his shoes and somehow get him into bed you couldn't help but detect a feminine scent that wasn't your own on your boyfriend's clothing.

You talked yourself down from your suspicions for the rest of night convinced that it was just the environment he was in all day while shooting. It didn't serve as any proof of infidelity or misconduct. All your time with Jason he had never given you a reason to doubt him so you brushed it off and settled into bed. You were startled at Jack's caller ID appearing on your phone , Jason was passed out next to you so you climbed out of bed to talk in the hallway hoping you wouldn't make noise.

"Jack?"

"Y/n I don't mean to bother you this late , hope I didn't wake you but Jason was pretty hammered when I left him , did he make it home alright?"

"Passed the fuck out as we speak" You chuckled lightly looking at Jason through the small crack of open bedroom door. "But he'll live"

"And you y/n ? You alright?" Jack proceeded to ask after a few seconds of silence brewed. You furrowed your brows a bit before answering unsure of the intention behind Jack's question.

"I'm alright thanks , are You alright there Jack ?"

"I'm alright" the two of you fell into light hearted laughter. A giddy aura fell upon you. You had no business letting another man make you smile this hard with your boyfriend few feet from you.

"Alright then " You further pushed on the alright word play

"Alright , night y/n" .

On both ends you and Jack were left with child like grins on your faces. In your dazed state you felt like you were floating back into bed just utterly consumed by knowing that no matter what your chemistry with Jack would never die and would always have an affect on you. There was no denying it

You spent two more weeks having Jason around before he was headed back to the UK and in those two weeks it was clear there was an obvious shift in energy between you and Jason. You were mostly responsible for the strange new aura and dark cloud that roamed over your heads. This was mainly because you couldn't shake the doubt that smelling someone else on Jason planted in your mind. With your past of endorsing Jack's cheating and seeing how picture perfect he made his relationship seem you started to question if Jason too was a master at lies and manipulation. Was your own relationship also just an illusion. The insecurity of being cheated on was heightened by the long distant aspect of your relationship. Jason could cheat on you in the UK as freely as he wanted.

"I hope you know how to multitask"

It was the morning Jason would be returning to the UK and you thought to give yourself a light beat before leaving for the airport. That is until Jason entered the bathroom initiating sex and positioning himself behind you in the middle of you lining your lips with lip liner. Jason wasn't naive , he could read the room and could tell you had been avoiding sex with him and opted to get some before leaving.

"Want to leave good pipe on my baby's mind" Jason's hands groped at your breasts as he grinded his erection into your lower back . You gave into his advances letting him give you a good railing. The way he left you it was going to be a few days before you could walk properly again. Luckily by the time you were set to spend a night out with a few friends the afterache in your thighs and lady parts subsided leaving room for you to enjoy your night out at the club. So much of your time was spent on the arm of Jason accompanying him everywhere that you couldn't remember the last time you got to spend time with your friends and go out without an entourage or bodyguards or people stopping to ask for pictures. You learnt via social media posts Jack was set to perform at the club you were attending and you subconsciously outdid yourself to look like the baddest chick ever. You would have probably not gotten away with such a revealing outfit if Jason was around but good thing he wasn't. You couldn't help but feel a little smug as you took a few snaps uploading them to your IG story.

"Eye liner sharp enough to cut a bitch" You flaunted your flawless make up look and straightened hair.

You and your girls were set up pretty well due to the clout of you being Jason's girlfriend. Men were eager to approach you but kept their distance aware that you were dating someone famous. It had its pros , you got VIP access and you were being well taken care of and could avoid crowded situations and move and dance freely.

By the time Jack arrived and was set to perform you had a balcony view of the performance watching from the top as Jack commanded the attention of the room under changing LED lights.

"I need to squirt on him omg" Your wild friend was throwing ass like the many other girls in the club. She was completely unaware of your sexual history with Jack which made the comment so much more funny for you because...... Same girl , same.

You chocked on your drink laughing but as the set went on and the liquor creeped in your friend's sentiments were starting to mirror your own. Your mind was slowly beginning to become littered with the dirtiest scenarios and ways you'd love to have jumped Jack's bones in that second. The place was filled with screams and adoration for Jack while your body was screaming within for a different reason. Your back was arching at Jack's every move and you could be certain if you were to check right now you were soaked. It was a battle between your conscious and desires and so far desire and temptation had you in the strongest chokehold. It didn't help when Jack's set was over and he and his mates were located in the same VIP area not far from you. At first he didn't notice you were there but your friend was eager to get a picture with him and begged you to accompany her. She knew your connection to Jason would allow for the interaction to feel less groupy esque and more casual.

"Fine let's go , but I'll keep it real with you , asking him for a picture is exactly what a groupy would do " You warned her. Bless her soul , she was just like any girl that was taken with the allure and charm of Jack Harlow and would give anything for a crumb of him , give anything to breathe his air. You couldn't even blame her. He was looking all kinds of scrumptious

"Shit y/n look at you ! " Jack embraced you and your friend failing to mask his lingering eyes.

"This is my girl , we out for a vibe tonight , she enjoyed your set"

"You already know how I feel about pretty best friend duos"

"I'll take that as a compliment" Your friend beamed nudging you a bit from her excitement. You could tell it was a major thrill for her. You acknowledged that you had more friends with you and were just passing by to say hi but Jack finessed you into having you and your girls join his section for the rest of the night. Normally because it was a VIP section you wouldn't have to worry about having bystander eyes on the situation and causing fuss over you hanging out with another man's crew and it seemed to be an idea that really thrilled and pleased your girls so you took the bait. The rest of the night went smoothly with your friends freely socializing and cozying up to Jack's friends. You and Jack kept a safe distance but the tension was undeniable. It was you pretending you couldn't see him undressing you with his eyes but wondering if you were just as much of an open book. Could he tell that if it were up to you you'd be on your knees letting him fuck your throat. While entangled in this web of temptation you didn't realise your friend was reading the situation and picking up on it. What you didn't realise is that in her mind she had potential to pull Jack. Without the knowledge that you'd been screwing him she saw this as her opportunity to also bag a well known hot rapper but her ambitions were slowly dying down as the night progressed and it was becoming painfully clear no girl would successfully hold Jack's attention as long as you had been managing to. She couldn't help but question what it was about you that drew these men in and resorted to constantly bringing Jason up so Jack would be reminded you were in a relationship and hopefully shift his attention to someone else , preferably her. You picked up on this and tried your best to mask your annoyance but your patience was slowly running out. You didn't realise just how much your friend's behaviour ticked you off until you were outside away from her and felt a sense of exileration and relief. The wind howled in the empty private parking area where you stood by watching Jack dig in the backseat of his Jeep for a jacket to give you. He noticed you constantly rubbing your arms to keep warm while inside and offered to fetch the jacket as a way to finally get you alone. You couldn't help but suck in your bottom lip as Jack's back muscles flexed under his shirt. He eventually located the jacket , it was a black leather Givenchy puffer styled Jacket that elevated the already chic bad and boujee vibe of your outfit . You were looking up at Jack with longing while strands of hair blew across your face and he towered over you draping the jacket onto your shoulders. The longing in your eyes matched Jack's and his eyes zeroed in on your lips he wanted so badly to reach down and kiss you but didn't want to misread the situation.

"We're both thinking it aren't we" You took the lead. Your hand reached up to stroke the hairs of Jack's beard with your thumb. Jack had to be 100% comfortable with a person in order to let them touch his face. Feeling your nails brush across his cheeks and neck while you cupped him and angled his head down to look at you served to weaken him. It was a reverse of how a year earlier he held you the same way that day he came to apologize to you at your place

"To be fair I'm always thinking it"

"If there was nothing stopping you right now , what would you do?"

"Fuck you in this parking lot"

You were taken back by Jack's answer. The only way you felt you could one up or match his energy was to push him back till his back was pressed against his car door and pulled him down by his chain so your lips could crash into each other. All the longing and build up couldn't have prepared you for how soul stirring this kiss with Jack was. If he didn't have a death grip around your waist chances are the rush would have knocked you off your feet , like literally. The Jacket draped over your shoulders fell to the ground once Jack lifted you up securing his large hands firm on your ass and setting you down on the hood of his car with your legs spread apart wide enough to accommodate him and give his crotch space to grind into you.Anybody could have walked right into this compromising scene but both your minds were far from concerned with the risks. This hunger for each other had played out for so long that in this moment nothing was going to eclipse the reward of this high. Jack was pleased to find that when you had your back pressed flat against the hood of his car and your dress was riding up and bunching up at your waist you were bare.

"No panties huh" Jack eyed you before spitting in your pussy and massaging the spit in first using his fingers then whipping out his dick without fully dropping his pants and using the tip to mix the fluids all up and down your folds. You sucked on Jack's finger that he first used on you , humming while he teased you. Jack was relishing in the visual of his precum being drowned out by your pulsing wetness but couldn't waste anymore time teasing you. He needed to lose himself in you

"I've been thinking about your sweet pussy all night "

Your entrance adjusted to Jack perfectly tightening around him as he lead himself into you. Jack replaced his finger with his palm over your mouth thrusting into you at a rapid pace. The force of each thrust pushed your breasts out from their covering and Jack was blessed with the sight of your free nipples dropping back and forth , up and down your chest with his hand over your mouth. Wind blew over the scene reminding you that you were in fact outside getting fucked on the hood of a car a reality that kept passing over your head because of how lost in the moment you were. It did thrill you that the stars you were seeing were real and adding to the magic . Jack was doing no better at staying in touch with reality. How could he when you felt so good. He was in you but still felt like he needed more of you. If there was a question on whether Jack could possibly go in any deeper than he already was that was answered once you had switched into Jack pounding into you from behind. Jack had lowered you from the high hood of the Jeep and bent you over slamming aggressively into you and feeling himself reach that sweet finish.

Jack's hand reached forward to stimulate your clit while he was penetrating you and he suppressed his noises by biting down on your shoulder.

"FUCK" you exclaimed with your eyes sealed shut. Desperate to have something to hold onto and bending your arm over your shoulder to grip strands of Jack's hair. You arched your back to meet Jack's rapid thursts wanting the feeling of how good Jack was hurting you to never stop. Your eyes stayed shut as your legs gave in. Every bone in your body felt like it went to jelly and you couldn't form a single thought. Jack left a trail of open mouth kisses down your shoulder and back before pulling out to bust on your bare ass cheeks and lower back. You lifted your head from your dazed and intoxicating state eyeing your surroundings.

"So .... You know how we gonna clean that up?" You asked referring to Jack's nut leaving your lower back and ass wet aswell as your own cum dripping down from your thighs. You were still bent over the hood with your back arched and ass propped up

"No fucking clue" You both proceeded to laugh at the comedic timing of your question. Jack spinning you around and pulling your dress back down.

"Jack ?"

"Get in the car , we'll take care of that in the shower". From the moment you and Jack touched no decision you made after that was exactly wise or thought through. You couldn't just call your friend's saying you left but it's exactly what you did while in the passenger seat of Jack's car. You and Jack felt like you were rebelious teenagers running away together and living on the edge. You busted through the door of his place kissing and giggling in between. Jack lifted your dress over your head and admired your nude figure. Eyes combing over you with adoration.

"I'm going to say something to you y/n"

You looked up eagerly. Ready to hear the words

"I fucking love you"

You lifted Jack's shirt over his head and placed a sweet kiss to his chest.

"And I've always loved you Jack. I don't think I've ever stopped or ever can"

From there the rushed and rough nature of how your link up had initially started took a way more soft and intimate turn. In the shower Jack was behind you rubbing circles and handfuls of shower gel all over your body while kissing your neck. The hot water trickling down your body paled in comfort to the warmth of Jack's embrace. He was touching your body delicately and really showing you his words from moments earlier were real to him. You decided to show Jack affection of your own by going down on him in the shower. You took Jack into your mouth bopping your head up and down his length with your eyes focused on seeing him pleased. You wanted him to feel like a king in your care. It pleased you to submit to him like this.

If anyone had told you you'd end your day back in Jack's arms confessing your love for him you wouldn't have believed them. Also if anyone had told you your friend watched the whole thing play out in the parking lot and captured it on video well ....

Author's note:

Okay I realise a lot is going on and we don't even know if Jason cheated on y/n

Now we got a snake friend on board ...yikes I know but at the end of the day this is a series so hope you enjoyed.

Part 3:

[sillyrabbit81]

Her Heavy Cross

Summary: Three years after tragedy hits, Lana she decides to start dating again. She meets Will through a dating app and they begin an online romance. After months of constant requests, Lana relents and agrees to meet and go on an irl date with Will. But is Will who he says he is? Lana is quickly pulled into an intense relationship forcing her to confront her tragic past. Will Lana face it or will she close her heart forever?

Pairing: OMC x OFC

Word Count: approx 2.5k

Warnings: Smut, swearing

Authors Note: The story started as a Henry Cavill fanfiction but I changed it to be an original character, but shades of Henry are still there. Hope you enjoy the story and thanks for reading.

Part 6 Part 8

Part 7

Liam's phone rang. He ignored it and let it go to voicemail. When it rang again, he made a noise of disgust and took his phone out of his pocket to look at it. "It's my publicist. I had better take this."

Liam answered the phone and went outside to talk. I turned the oven on and started to unpack the groceries. Then I got the roast, put it in a baking tray, poured olive oil over the top and seasoned it with salt and some pepper. I got out some onions and garlic and started to cut them up to place around the roast to give it some added flavour.

"That looks great," Liam said when he came back in.

"Thanks," I said, and I gave him a grin. I took the tray and put it in the oven. I got my phone and put an alarm on, giving myself time to cook the veggies before they finished. A thought came to me, and before I could bite my tongue, I said, "They do say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"Really?" Liam licked his lips, looked down at his pants and said, "I'd say they were aiming too high."

It took me a minute to work out what the joke was. When I finally did, I couldn't help but laugh and hide my face in my hands.

"You've gone so red!" Liam appeared to be having fun with my inability to control my blushes.

"Oh, my God!" I said, still hiding my face and laughing. "Alright, that was funny."

It took me a while to stop laughing. When I did, Liam said sombrely, "Sweetheart, I have to tell you something."

"Uh, oh, it doesn't sound good."

"It's not bad. I don't know how you will feel about it." Liam then told me that his publicist had called to let him know there were pictures put on Instagram and Twitter of the two of us kissing at the pub last night. "Your name hasn't been mentioned, and the photos look to be shot from pretty far away on a mobile, so someone in the pub took the pictures. Sarah says they probably aren't going to tell who you are by the pictures unless someone who knows you well comes forward."

I think if my eyes bulged out of my head any further, they would have fallen out and rolled on the floor. "That quick?" It was all I could think to say.

"Yeah. It's hard to know what will come out and when. A lot of times I go out, and no one notices me, but other times I have paps or members of the public following me for hours."

"Who's Sarah?"

"My publicist." Liam reached across the bench and took my hand in his. "Are you ok?"

"You say they don't know who I am?" Liam nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't happy but what was I going to do about it? I picked at my nails. I needed to paint them; the pale pink polish was starting to chip.

"You ok?" Liam asked again

I shrugged. "Your life is weird."

Liam chucked. "You keep telling me that."

"So, what happens now?"

"Well, usually Sarah would say to private all social media, but she had a look and said she could only find a Facebook profile for you which was already private. Do you have any others? Instagram? Twitter? Snapchat?"

"No. I have a YouTube account that I use to watch videos, but that isn't linked to my real name or email. Also, a Tumblr account, again not associated with my name. And no pictures of me."

"Tumblr?" He raised an eyebrow. His fucking lip twitched.

"I was a confused 22-year-old ok?" I said a bit defensively. "I haven't used it in years," I remembered then the dating site we met on. I quickly logged on and selected the options to hide the account.

"Ok, well, there's not much else right now. A few rags called Sarah for comment. She said the standard no comment and asked for my privacy to be respected. The rest is up to you."

"Up to me?" I asked, confused. "What's up to me?"

"When you want to confirm the relationship and release your name."

"Liam, I met you less than 24 hours ago and have known you only a few months. I'm not ready for that. I like you a lot, but maybe you pick your nose and eat it, and I'll have to dump your arse tomorrow and then it's been a big song and dance over nothing." I joked. The mood had gotten too heavy for me. I wanted to talk about something else.

"Sweetheart, I'd never do that." He smiled sweetly, "I'd make you eat it."

"Ewww!" I screamed.

"Get over here." He chased me around the bench, and after a few evasions and some more squeals, he caught me. Perrin came in through the doggy door and barked at Liam a few times. Our behaviour obviously scandalised him. "Perrin," I called. "Come here, boy."

"You think your dog can save you?"

"Of course, he's very protective of my honour."

"We will see about that." Liam bent over, and I thought he was going to tackle me. Instead of flying backwards, I was hoisted forward and found myself over his shoulder. I screamed as I heard a loud crack, my hands flying to my bum.

"Did you just smack my arse?" I must admit I was finding all the manhandling arousing. I wasn't going to let him know that, though.

"Yes, I did. Want another?" Liam was heading down the hallway, taking me to the bedroom.

I giggled. "No!"

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks," Liam quoted. Shakespeare sounded good with his accent. I giggled some more, and I got another one. Yes, very arousing.

Liam hummed. "I quite like the view here." He rubbed my bottom and took me into my bedroom.

I was very close to his round bum. "This view is not so bad either," I said and smacked his arse. Unfortunately, it probably hurt me more than it hurt him. His butt was tight!

Liam dropped me onto the bed at that point, and the look on his face was hysterical. I couldn't stop laughing, and tears were rolling down my face. Then I did the most embarrassing thing: I snorted.

That was it. Both of us couldn't stop. Every time I calmed enough to think I could speak, one look at Liam's face, and I'd be off again.

Eventually, we stopped, and I was able to say, "Oh my God, your face! That was so bloody funny." I wiped my eyes.

"I think that may have been the first time someone's done that to me."

"Really? Didn't you go to an all-boys school?"

"Yes, but it wasn't the US." Liam tried suppressing a grin as he said, "we got ball taps."

I tried not to laugh. I really did. "Oh, my God!" I was off again.

We watched the original Mad Max before I had to go and finish dinner. I was horrified when Liam said he hadn't seen it before. I immediately made him watch it. He said it was ok, the concept was great, but he didn't love it. I told him he needed a brain scan.

When I went to make dinner, Liam offered to help, but I told him not to be silly.

Liam sat at the kitchen bench chatting to me while I chopped and blanched the vegetables. After a while, he said he had to call Sarah and his assistant Ryan to make sure he had organised the dog walker to take Cole for a walk and play.

"Any update from Sarah?" I asked Liam when he returned. I feigned disinterest while I finished slicing the roast.

"All the same right now. Some sites have posted the pictures, saying I was spotted drinking with an "unknown female companion." The pictures have circulated a bit on Twitter, but it's mostly just by fans. They haven't hit the mainstream yet. It's all fairly standard, and it will go away by tomorrow by the looks of it."

"Good," I said. A look I couldn't interpret passed over Liam's face. He masked it pretty quickly. I opened my mouth to ask if he was ok but shut it again. I said, instead, "dinner's ready." I passed Liam his plate.

"Thank you," Liam said, leaning over to kiss me before eating. I watched as he cut up some beef and started chewing. "Pretty good. Almost as good as Mum's," he teased with a wink.

I elbowed him, and God bless him; he pretended it hurt.

We ate in silence for a while. I gave a few pieces to Perrin. He was so old, and I couldn't help but spoil him occasionally. He won't be around forever.

After dinner, Liam insisted on helping me clean up, and we stacked the dishwasher. Watching him bend over, his jeans straining as he put the plates in, stirred some feelings. Erotic feelings.

"Want to watch another movie?" He asked.

"Not really," I said. "I'm in the mood for some dessert."

"Ice-cream? I can't have any, but you can."

"Not ice-cream," I said, shaking my head. I looked at him with my very best bedroom eyes.

"What do you want then? Want me to go to the shops?" He said, not catching on. I put my arms around his waist. "If you let me borrow your car, I'll go. I can just go on my own."

"No, you wombat." I met his hips with mine, his eyes widened. "What I want is right here." I wriggled against him. Liam grinned widely, his cheeks creasing in such a sexy way.

"I thought you were shy."

"I am getting used to you," I said. "The real me is coming out." The truth of my words took me by surprise. I looked away, second-guessing myself. Why did I do that?

"I like her," Liam said hoarsely. If he hadn't spoken then, I think I would have stopped. But when his hands went into my hair, and he pulled, stretching my throat, I knew I wasn't going to stop. He kissed me there, and his teeth grazed my skin. My fingers reached under his shirt, and they gripped his back. My nails dug into his skin.

"Bedroom?" I whispered.

"Bedroom," he agreed and walked me backwards to my room.

"You promised me something earlier today," Liam said in between kisses. We were close to my bed.

"What's that?"

He stopped kissing me and cupped my face with his hands. "You said I could undress you."

Liam took hold of my t-shirt and waited. I nodded. He slowly lifted my shirt up and over my head before dropping it to the ground. He tilted his head as if contemplating and gently turned me around.

I felt Liam gather my hair and put it over my shoulder. He caressed my back with his fingertips, making me shiver with pleasure. I heard him give a satisfied hum before undoing my bra. He turned me around again and took hold of my bra straps, pulling them down my arms.

When I dropped my bra beside my shirt, Liam took a step back. He looked me up and down, his eyes hungry. I wanted to cover myself under his intense gaze, my earlier courage wavering under his scrutiny.

My arms started to move, and he gave me a stern look. "You're not thinking of hiding now, are you?"

I shook my head and forced my arms back by my sides. "Good, because I want to look. You're quite the sight." As if to emphasise his point, he adjusted himself through his pants. I felt a thrill of excitement flow through me and felt the familiar throbbing between my legs.

Liam got down on his knees and kissed my belly. His rough stubble tickled. "Your skin is so soft," he said in a low voice. He undid my jeans and kissed a trail down as he unzipped me. His breath was warm, and I felt it through the cotton of my briefs, his last kiss placed just above my slit.

It was almost agony. I moaned at his teasing breath and lips. Then Liam pulled down my underwear and kissed my mound. I felt his tongue part my lips, and when he found what he was looking for, he flattened his tongue and moaned into me.

I didn't know what to do. For a moment, I wanted to stop Liam, but it felt too good. I could feel my resolve waning. I didn't want to wait. Why should we wait? What was I waiting for? I had to stop thinking and go with it, enjoy him, enjoy the experience. I put my fingers in his hair as he licked and sucked at me. He seemed to remember what I liked, and soon I was close to my peak.

One of his fingers played at my entrance. I silently begged for Liam to put it in. My core was desperate to be filled. His finger slowly entered me, and I was lost. I needed him. At that moment, all I wanted was to feel more of him inside me, have him fill me.

I felt like this was the moment. If I don't ask Liam now, I probably never would. If I didn't want him now, why am I even allowing this to happen? I wanted him. He excited me like no one had done since Andy. He had knocked down the defences I'd built to keep myself alone. Keep me in my grief and guilt. I didn't want to be alone anymore. I wanted to feel desired again.

"Fuck me?" I asked. The words just tumbled out. I knew at that moment I would beg if I had to. "Please, Liam, I want you to fuck me."

I wasn't sure if Liam heard me. He increased his attention, and I felt the pressure building. His hand gripped my arse, his fingers digging into my cheeks as he pulled me closer to him. The short rough hair on his cheeks and chin tickled against my thighs. My legs buckled. I couldn't stand up anymore. He held me there while I panted and moaned, seeking release.

I felt my climax arrive like a bolt of lightning. It was sudden and intense. My body contracted as waves of pleasure exploded over me. Short, wordless shouts came from my mouth until it was over. I collapsed onto the bed.

I laid there a while, eyes closed, trying to catch my breath. Liam was shuffling around and heard his belt come undone. I felt the bed dip, and I opened my eyes to find Liam naked, climbing up the bed until his face was above mine.

Liam supported some of his weight with one hand and laid on me, our whole bodies skin to skin. He was warm to touch, and he almost felt hot to my now cooled skin.

"Ask me again," Liam said.

Part 8