#Summer.. doesn't talk to me. We used to be best friends..

[yasministration]

do a flip! - harry potter

summary: harry tries to find out who your crush is, and you give him a negotiation: you'll tell him if he tells you his. you're confident he doesn't have one, having been dumped only three weeks ago. he proves you wrong. wc: 1.7k+ part of my wolfstar!daughter au :)

Your dad’s loud voice boomed in the entryway at the sight of his best friend. Crossing your arms over your chest, you leaned against the wall with an unimpressed look on your face, making brief eye contact with your aunt Lily, who held the same expression. Your dad and uncle James always had to act as though they didn’t leave next door to each other, both houses overlooking the same large lake.

Harry pushed past the two men to enter the house, rolling his eyes playfully at you, greeting you with a shove to your shoulder. You scoffed, turning around to make your way to the kitchen, where your second dad was already grabbing things from the fridge. Lily made her way to greet Remus with a hug, and you pushed yourself up to sit on the counter top, wearing nothing but shorts over your bikini.

James came into the room, announcing “Okay, so all the meat is in this cooler, drinks with Lily, and Harry’s got… What have you got again, love?”

“Quaffle.” Harry replied with a grin and you snorted, watching as he threw it up in the air once. A light tapping on the window caught your attention, and you hopped off the counter at the sight of a dark owl. You opened the window, your dad’s words muffled in the background. “Should we start getting things outside? James, I’ll leave the barbecue to you, mate, alright?”

Unhooking the letter from around the large owl’s clawed hand, you shuffled around the room to find it some treats, scratching its head. The owl’s wings fluttered and it leaned into your touch, hooting quietly. You giggled, shutting the window when it flew away and flipped the envelope over.

It was addressed to you.

The letter was from Theo, who you’d tutored this past year in charms, and he was raving about how his parents were finally going to let him on a trip abroad with his friends now that his grade had recovered. You grinned, chuckling quietly as you read over the crossed out curse words, eyes finally landing on the ‘You’re literally my hero, have a good summer Lupin’

“Letter from your boyfriend?” Your eyes flitted up at Harry’s teasing comment, and you noticed he had attracted the attention of your parents, who stood frozen in place. “Sorry, don’t you have your own relationship to worry about?”

“We both know she broke up with me.”

“Oh how could I forget; it’s all you’ve talked about for three weeks.” James chuckled at your retort, watching his son huff and put his hands on his hips.

“I just want to know why! She never told me!”

“It’s probably because of that haircut.” Harry’s hands shot to his hair in insecurity, but then he saw the way you laughed and immediately dropped them, glaring at you. He had only cut his hair last week.

“Love, you have a boyfriend?” Asked Remus, but you shook your head, snatching a cherry tomato from the vegetable platter he held, popping it into your mouth. “No. Harry’s just jealous there’s another man in my life.” Lily’s eyes lit up, and she smiled fondly as Harry’s face immediately flushed. He shook his head frantically, beginning to deny what you said instantly.

“I’m not! But you don’t meet up to tutor someone twice a week!” “Harry, he was failing. And besides, I got paid for it.”

“Paid for it how?” You gasped loudly at the insinuation behind his comment, ignoring the surprised looks on all the adults’ faces. Lily scolded her son with a loud call of his name, but your next comment was already tumbling out of your mouth before you could help it.

“Please, if either of us here are whores, we both know it’s you, Mr. lets the slytherins win a game in exchange for head.” Harry grimaced and you bit down on your bottom lip, aware that you had revealed too much in front of his parents.

“You did what!?” James cried, Lily stunned into silence. “It wasn’t an important game.” Harry defended weakly as his dad went on to rant about the importance of integrity and competition, and, well, quidditch. You shifted your weight from one foot to another, sending Harry an apologetic smile. “Should we all go take a dip in the lake?” You suggested in a poor attempt to change the topic of conversation.

“You guys go ahead,” Began Lily, placing a hand on her husband’s shoulder, “We’ll follow you in a bit.” Nodding eagerly, you grabbed Harry’s wrist, dragging him outside through the backdoor of the house.

“I’m gonna jump!” Harry cried dramatically in response to the situation you had just escaped, pulling his t-shirt over his head as he ran towards the small wooden dock leading into the lake. Shimmying out of your shorts, you giggled, increasing your pace as you cupped your hands around your mouth, yelling “Do a flip!”

The boy complied, twisting his torso to face you as he jumped off the dock, flipping back into the water. Breaking into a run, your feet separated from the wooden platform underneath you, and you tucked your legs into your chest to cannonball into the water, splashing water all over Harry as he resurfaced. He spluttered, shaking the water out of his hair when you broke out of the water’s surface with a proud grin. You lifted your hands up to protect your face from his attack, whining softly.

A silence settled over you, and you tilted your head to the side, trying to get water out of your ear. “You know,” You started when you heard a satisfying pop of water leaving your ear. “I didn’t mean that about your haircut. You look very handsome.” Harry nodded his head in thanks, shrugging his shoulders as he said “And I didn’t mean to insinuate that Nott was paying you with sex.”

You snorted, tilting your head back until the water coated all you hair. “You know, he does like you though.”

“Don’t be stupid.”

“I’m not! Trust me on this one, he likes you.” You shrugged, stretching your legs out in the water in front of you, staring at the nail polish on your toes, peeking out of the clear water. Glancing back at Harry, you swallowed thickly at the serious look on his face.

“Does it matter though? I mean, I have my eyes on someone else, so…” Harry’s head snapped towards you from where he was staring at your parents prepping the barbecue and setting a table outside. “Who?”

“I’m not gonna tell you, I’m not stupid.”

Harry swam towards you, water splattering around you at his sudden movements. “Pleaseee.” “I’ll only tell you in return for your crush.” You were proud at the negotiation, well aware that your best friend had just gotten out of a relationship three weeks ago. He didn’t have a crush, and therefore, you wouldn’t tell him yours.

“She doesn’t even like me, so it doesn’t matter.” Harry’s confession had you losing control over your limbs, waving your arms around in the water as you lost balance of your floating. “Wait, you like someone!? You were dating Ginny like two weeks ago!”

“I’ve liked her since before Ginny. Before all those other girls.” Pushing aside the pang in your chest, you forced a grin on your face as you stared at Harry with a teasing smile. “That’s so cute! Who is it?” But Harry stubbornly shook his head. Humming, you rolled your eyes in exaggeration as you floated to the water’s surface, laying on your back. “Fine. I won’t tell you who mine is either.”

“Well that’s just not fair.”

“It’s totally fair. I don’t know if he likes me, so if I’m following your logic, I shouldn’t say. What are you scared of anyway?”

“That she’ll reject me!”

“How is she going to reject you if you’re just telling me!?”

Harry went silent, his face flushing a dark red. You tilted your head to the side, jaw slacking as you took note of the way he avoided your gaze. “Harry Potter.”

“It’s nothing, it’s dumb.” “Harry Potter!” You giggled ecstatically, flipping onto your stomach and swimming over to him in three fluid strokes of your arms against the smooth water. He stared into the clear water, looking down at his feet, buried in the sand until he couldn’t possibly avoid looking at you; so close that he could see your feet kicking in the water below to keep you afloat.

He almost laughed at the sight.

“Am I your crush?” You pushed. Harry could almost hear the smile in your voice, but still, he refused to meet your eyes. “Don’t beat yourself up over it.” He huffed, on the verge of tears. But how could he cry when you seemed so happy over the revelation? It was either joy or mockery. He prayed it wouldn’t be the latter; he would never look you in the eyes ever again if that was the matter.

“Can you look at me now, so I can kiss you?” Harry’s head shot up to look at you with wide eyes, nearly bulging out of his face. But before you could kiss him, Harry put a hand up to stop you from coming any closer to him. “Why would you kiss me?”

Your shoulders slumped, and Harry could see you were putting more effort in keeping your neck above the water. He put both his hands on your hips to help lift you slightly above the surface. “Because you’re my crush too, stupid.” Harry nodded, grateful for the clarification, and mumbled shyly, “Okay, you can kiss me now.”

With a surge, you threw yourself forward, wrapping your arms over Harry’s shoulders as you slammed your lips onto his. He let out a nervous breath through his nose, his arms on your hips fully snaking around your torso to bring you as close to him as humanly possible.

A clatter of things echoed in the distance, and you heard a high pitched scream ring through the air. “It’s happening! Remus, get the camera!” The pulled away from the kiss at the obvious excitement coming from your parents, and you groaned, digging your face into the crook of Harry’s neck to hide from their humiliation, your cheeks hot with embarrassment. Harry spun the two of you around so you weren’t the one facing towards the house, and one of his hands left your waist to stick a thumbs up in the air towards both of your parents.

taglist: @c0ldstvff, @ravisinghs-wife, @starry-remus, @pain-in-the-ashe, @hiireadstuff, @treefairy-28, @superlegend216, @kitkatkl, @juliet-017, @boromoony, @fl0weryannie, @tiaajosephin

[allsadnshit]

Remembering people you've loved forever is such a blessing and a curse like I feel like my ex best friend would have so deeply loved and thrived in the upstate New York town I moved to with my husband at the end of summer and sometimes when I see something or go to a show around here it just really strikes me she would have enjoyed the scene and nature so much too and she will never know it and we will never talk again and also maybe she's changed and she doesn't like walking through the woods like we used to I don't actually know

[targaryenrealnessdarling]

Shut Me Up

Summary: years after falling out, her, Aemond and the friend group take a summer trip to their Dornish villa, where real intentions make themselves known | word count: 9.2k | warnings: smut, choking, hair pulling, spanking, enemies to lovers ish, swearing, mentions of marijuana use, fingering

A/N: didn't mean to post this on the Mitchelly man's birthday but here we are. A little smutty number in celebration of my seasonal depression cured. And for this fic let's pretend they're all not related, mmk

She thought it'd stay in the group chat, like most of their holiday plans.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for some, it had somehow materialised into a long weekend away on the white sand Dornish beaches. Her bank account was not particularly happy, but the promise of endless sun, cocktails, friends and fun, would just about make up for it, she supposed.

As the only one with a credit card that wasn't maxed out, she rented the hire van for the six hour road trip it would take to get to the villa. She tried, often, to persuade Baela or Helaena into driving. But the former insisted on doing her makeup in the passenger seat for the first leg of the journey, and the latter, well, she'd likely be handing out the space brownies in the back seat.

So it was decided, in the end, Baela would pick up the second half of the drive. She prayed, for the sake of her deposit, that the roads were clear.

The force at which Rhaena threw her overnight bag at her nearly knocked all the wind out of her, “fuck me, Rhae, the hell is in this thing?”

“What? I need to bring aftersun, painkillers, first aid kit, blister patches—”

Baela snorts, brushing past her anxious twin to stuff her bag in the boot of the van, “Rhaena’s brain doesn't know the difference between having a gun to her head and being unprepared.”

“At least you pack lightly,” she smirks, raising a brow, trying her best to shove the luggage aside to fit.

Jace was quick to follow out, his flip flops unabashedly falling to pieces, clad in khaki shorts and a white shirt. She'll never get her head around what Baela sees in him. Sure he's funny, attractive, but he dresses like he's done it in the dark and it's still the early 2000s.

She watches as Helaena and Aegon squabble for the house keys to lock up, having hosted Jace, Baela and Rhaena the night before in preparation for the trip. Luke and Daeron, as fun as they are to have around, are too young for a trip like this. And it's probably for the better anyway, knowing the history between Aemond and Luke. The incident that nobody really dares to talk about.

Helaena beamed, eyes tinged pink from either sun or something stronger as she clambered into the back of the van in a boho white dress. There was an easy air about everything. An excitement that cut through the humid air that billowed off the concrete pavements. The sort you only get from going on holiday.

And Aegon, well.

He's Aegon.

He winks, pulling his sunglasses over his eyes, “hey babe.”

“Absolutely fucking not, Aegon. Get in the van.”

He feigns disappointment, “you're breaking my fucking heart.”

“You'll live.”

Aegon snacks Helaena's arm to budge up a space and plonks himself right in the middle seat, stretching his legs out only to annoy Rhaena in the seat in front.

“Who's ready for a road trip!” Helaena squealed excitedly.

Baela laughed, glancing back over Jace’s arm that was around her shoulders, “are you high already?”

“Excuse you, I am perfectly sober.”

“She's high,” Rhaena added, barely looking up from her phone.

She bit back a laugh, and was about to ask where the last passenger was, always late but hey, reliably late. But he appeared before she had the chance to utter the words.

Aemond.

He walked towards the van with the usual effortless arrogance, duffel bag shoved over his shoulder, silver hair pulled into a lazy knot. He was dressed in all black because of course he was. Even if it was nearly 40 degrees Celsius and hot enough to fry an egg on the kerb.

To be fair, she'd not seen him in a while, so she looked him up and down, and he was, if not a little bit taller than the last time she saw him. And the scar that lined through his brow, through his eye and down his cheek was almost silvery in the midday sun.

Aside from that, he was still the most raging twat she'd ever met.

For the slightest second, their gazes met, but he was first to look away. No smirk. No greeting. Just the cold, unreadable calm. 

“Here he is, our favourite brooder,” Aegon laughed.

Aemond exhaled through his nose, sighing into the last seat at the very back and tucking his bag between his feet, “shut up, Aegon.”

Aegon grinned, clapping him on the shoulder, “Gods I missed this family dynamic. It's so fucking healthy.”

She pretended to instead be interested with how to turn the headlights on and off, even though she wouldn't need them on the six hour drive. Boot closed, engine roaring and everyone, well…nearly everyone, squealed ‘let’s go!’.

The inside of the car smelled like sun cream, salty crisps, and whatever questionable concoction Aegon had decided to mix into his oversized tumbler. The air-conditioning was on full blast, fighting against the relentless Dornish heat.

Helaena, currently high as hell of a ‘brownie’, was sprawled out like a sun-dazed lizard, arms stretched above her head, blinking lazily at the passing scenery.

Aegon chuckled, “how many did you eat, Hel?”

Helaena giggled, “like…one and a half. But they were big,” she raised her fingers like she was measuring something ridiculous.

She looked in the rear-view mirror as a car behind them overtook them on the dual carriageway, and caught eyes with Aemond, who had his noise cancelling headphones on. The blue of one eye and the misty grey of the other made her heart leap as they clocked on hers, however briefly. And Baela certainly noticed how hard she gripped the steering wheel.

Aemond looked largely the same, lean but built, sharp features, all arrogance albeit silent. And though his hair was tied back, a few strands were loose. And she hated that she noticed.

It had been years since the falling out.

It was a terrible mix. They were teenagers. Had a bit to drink, when the tolerance was horrific. Followed by a very public argument at one of his family gatherings that ended in her calling him a ‘pretentious, controlling asshole’. And well, the rest was history. They existed whenever the friend group got together, each too stubborn to force the friendship group to adjust to their spat, but she avoided him all the same.

For the record she still thought he was all of the above.

The drive was quiet but long. And between Helaena's spaced-out ramblings, Jace’s terrible choice in music and Rhaena complaining she needed to pee, Baela took it upon herself to find a service station to stop up. And as soon as the handbrake was up, the doors flew open and they all rushed out like a chaotic clown car act.

The station was nothing special, some off-brand fast food places and a tiny shop for snacks and drinks. But it would do. She hopped out the drivers side and down the side of the van, bristling when Aemond climbed out his side and they brushed shoulders.

He smirked, “relax, I'm not going to bite.”

All she could do was shake her head and throw a face of disgust that Baela certainly didn't miss, “are you two still at it?” she asked, amused, “this has been going on for years. Honestly impressive at this point.”

She rolled her eyes, watching as Aemond stalked off behind Aegon to the shop, “I don’t have the energy to argue with someone who thinks he’s better than everyone else just because he reads philosophy books and drives like he’s in a Fast and Furious movie.”

Aemond didn't go inside, he leaned on the wall, stoking up a cigarette, the lazy smoke dwindling from his lips into the hazy Dornish air. She hated the way he was just so effortlessly nonchalant, like he belonged in an black and white movie.

“You’re staring,” Baela said, voice laced with amusement.

She tore her gaze away, scowling, “I am not.”

Baela hummed knowingly, “suuuure. You know, if you just fucked it out, all this tension would be gone.”

She choked through a sip of water, “Baela—”

“What? I’m just saying,” she shrugged, smirking, “I mean, I don’t even think he hates you as much as you think he does.”

She scoffed, “please. We’ve been at each other’s throats since we were kids. Aemond thrives on making my life miserable.”

“Or,” Baela drawled, “he thrives on getting under your skin because he likes your reaction.”

She rolled her eyes, but her face felt hot, was she getting a sunburn? “We’re not having this conversation.”

“Fine, fine,” she relented, then, casually, she added, “by the way, I heard he and Alys broke up. Months ago.”

That made her freeze.

Baela watched her expression closely, like she was waiting for a reaction. She forced a neutral shrug, stuffing her hands into her pockets, “and?”

“And,” she smirked, “you’re pretending you don’t care.”

Did she care? Really?

“I'm going to pretend we didn't have this conversation.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Baela laughed without a care as Rhaena bounded back up to them with a handful of snacks. Aegon and the rest weren't far behind.

Aegon groaned, “thank the gods I was about to gnaw my own arm off.”

“I don’t know how you’re hungry,” she replied, eyeing him, “you inhaled half a bag of crisps like ten minutes ago.”

“I'm a growing boy,” he winked. Making the others gag.

Mercifully, nothing more was said on the matter. She simply graced the spot where Baela had been sat, had her snacks and let her drive the rest of the way. Rolling down her window, she let her hand rest out of it, the warm, dull air flowing through her fingers. Blissfully ignorant of her nemesis in the back seat.

She knew their dad was rich but Viserys’ obnoxiously sized villa was so endless it bordered on ridiculous. It was perched on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the endless blue stretch of sea, with a white, sandy beach sprawling at the foot of it.

The villa was no eyesore either. It's sunbleached patios, white stone walls and glass doors all reflected the shimmer of the sunlight on the water. And despite having the literal sea at your feet, the pool sat beneath the balcony, wide, deep and perfectly maintained.

Viserys Targaryen never did anything by halves.

Aegon whistled, “fuck me, I knew the old man had money, but taste?”

Helaena pushed by him, bag in tow, “I get the biggest room!”

“No you fucking don't—” Aegon called, running after her like a child.

She stretched her legs, hopping out of the van and inhaling the warm, salty sea air. The view was ridiculous, and a natural staircase made of stone led down the side towards the private beach.

Baela nudged her arm, “this is amazing.”

She nodded, “despite the company, this trip might be bearable.”

Aemond, audibly, trudged past with his duffel bag, lazily making his way into the villa with a smirk as if he'd heard.

Yep. Bearable.

Everyone was too exhausted to do anything but dump their bags in their rooms and laze around the pool. That, and raiding the kitchen for all the food.

By the time the sun had dipped below the horizon, everyone had found their spots and Jace and Aegon were already three beers deep and failing to pot anything at the pool table. She had found herself with the girls poolside, nursing a bottle as they dipped their feet in the cool water.

“We're all waking up early for the beach,” Rhaena declared, loud enough for Aegon to groan.

She laughs, the water rippling around her legs, “what are we doing swimsuit-wise? Practical or hot?”

“Hot.”

“Hot!”

Rhaena and Baela answered simultaneously.

“Hey I've seen you in the bikini, you'll give someone a heart attack,” Baela grinned.

“Shut up.”

Maybe it wasn't heart attack worthy, but the bikini certainly was something. It had honestly felt like she'd lived a lifetime since last seeing herself in swimwear, the seasonal depression had done no favours there. But now, looking at herself in the mirror, she nodded and pulled her hair away from her face, lathering herself with sun cream before attempting the blazing Dornish midday.

“Gods, if I were gay,” Baela whistled from where she sat on the bed, a dark blue translucent shawl tucked over her shoulders.

She rolled her eyes with a snort, “please, you'll be gushing in thirty seconds about how Jace looks in knee length shorts.”

“Hey. Knee length shorts gets some girls going, okay?”

Rhaena scoffs, white streaks of half-rubbed in sun cream glazing her cheeks, “just you, sis.”

Yep, definitely just you, she thinks.

She'd underestimated the beach. It was gorgeous, idyllic, in fact there weren't enough words. It was just secluded enough to feel private, and nobody wasted any time in making use of it. 

Some jumped head first into the waves, tackling and splashing. Aegon had brought with him a garish purple lilo, which Jace found great pleasure in flipping over occasionally, dunking Aegon and whatever drink he was holding into the turquoise water.

Even Aemond, who usually abstained from these sort of activities, had shed his shirt and waded lazily into the water, the sun somewhat reflecting off his sun-cream glistened skin.

She hated that she noticed.

Even more, she hated the way the water made his hair a shade darker, how the drops of water ran down his chest—

No. No. Nope.

She leaned back on the sun bed, pushing her hat over her eyes, willing the image out of her mind as quick as it had come. And the first day passed quickly. She'd dipped in the sea, yes, but not the boyish, rowdy behaviour that the boys and even Helaena were sporting. Most of it was spent lounging, relaxing.

Burning.

Gods, a lot of burning.

By the time night-time had rolled around, her shoulders were pink, mirrored with a dusty line across her cheeks and nose. The ticklish sensation hadn't kicked in yet. That was tomorrow her’s problem.

Right now, all she needed was a nice cold shower and peace.

And peace she found. The villa fell into an easy, relaxed quiet. Somewhere down the hall Aegon was giggling drunkenly, Baela was probably spooning Jace and she could fear the faint sound of TV through Helaena's bedroom.

She padded barefoot across the cool tiles, pushing open the balcony doors that graced one side of her room. The breeze crept in, welcome and warm on her skin, just enough to let in the salty scent in the air.

She mindlessly rubbed the back of her neck where the bikini top had made its tan line. Or what would eventually be a tan line anyway, right now it looked more scarlet. Staring out, the flickering lights of nearby villages blinked in the distance, sparkling along the peninsula where the villa sat atop.

The reflection of the lit pool below caught her eye, and she felt her throat tighten at the sight. Swimming, in the dark and illuminated only by the cool lights beneath the water, was Aemond, cutting through the water with lazy, practiced strokes.

He was alone. Quiet. And ashamed to say he looked good.

The thought came before it could be stopped, but once it was there it took root, and an immediate scowl crept to her face at her weakness. 

His bare shoulders gleamed under the tempered light, lean, toned frame moving through the water with a silent grace. The water had made his hair slicked back, revealing the cut of his jaw, and the sharp angles of his cheekbones.

Aemond ran his hands over his face, leaning back with a sigh to dip his hair back into the water. Her heart nearly leapt through her chest as his gaze lifted to her on the balcony, catching her watching him.

Shit.

Her stomach twisted, heat crept up her neck and it absolutely wasn't sunburn. She could do nothing more than just pretend she wasn't watching him, so she turned on her heel, and slid back inside her room, holding the balcony doors shut with her heart rate going a mile a minute.

She could feel his gaze as she shut the door. Could imagine his expression too, smug bastard. 

Mouth suddenly dry, she pulled her shawl around her tighter and made for the kitchen, needing something to take away this aftertaste. Grumbling and sighing, she scolded herself, barely even at the cupboard before she spotted him.

He was standing by the fridge, bottle of water in hand, in nothing more than the shorts he was wearing to swim resting low on his hips. His hair was still damp, but some bits curled around his face, and she hoped he hadn't seen the way she noticed the slightest ‘v’ that disappeared below the waistband.

He turned, perfectly calm, as if he hadn't just caught her staring for the second time in ten minutes.

“Can't sleep?”

She crossed her arms, looking off, “needed water.”

He laughed once, breathy, and threw the water he was holding to her, which she caught with her other hand as it slipped through her fingers. 

“Thanks.”

The moment stretched. 

She only watched from her periphery as Aemond grabbed another from the fridge, and twisted off the cap. She had luckily resisted the urge to watch him bring it to his lips and down half as if he was parched.

No sooner had she bought the bottle to her own lips.

“You keep looking at me like that.”

She nearly choked on her water.

Her fingers tightened around the bottle, crinkling under the pressure as she turned to glare at him. “Like what?”

His eye flickered, taking her in with slow, assessing amusement. “You tell me.”

Her breath hitched, and she hated that her body betrayed her, the way her thighs tensed slightly, the way her fingers curled. Aemond noticed. Of course he did.

She rolled her eyes, masking the heat creeping up her neck, “you’re delusional.”

He chuckled, taking a slow sip of his water, his smirk never fading.

“Sure,” he murmured.

Rolling her eyes came naturally, “I still don’t know why you even came on this trip.”

Aemond raised a brow. “Why wouldn’t I?”

She scoffed. “Because you hate me.”

He tilted his head, considering her, his smirk turning thoughtful. “And what gave you that idea?”

She drained the bottle and crushed it with her palm, annoyance brewing, and she saw the amused quirk of his brow, “oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that you’ve spent the last few years acting like I’m the most insufferable person in existence?”

“You're not insufferable,” he chuckled, “maybe a bit, actually.”

She blinked, “excuse me?”

He shrugged, “I never said I hated you.”

She let out a dry laugh, “right. So all those times you went out of your way to argue with me? That wasn’t hatred?”

“I think you’re confusing hatred with enjoyment.”

She stomach flipped. No. Nope. Absolutely not.

She pointed a finger at him, “don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“You know what.”

That tone. That fucking tone. The one that was both amused and knowing, the one that made her face heat up against her will.

Aemond tilted his head, his voice dropping just slightly. “If I hated you,” he said, “I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

She stared at him. The smirk had slipped from his lips. The teasing tone gone. Fuck. 

There was something in his gaze that was something else entirely and she wasn't sure she wanted the flip of her tummy to tell her what it was. She swallowed hard. And before she did or said something stupid, turned on her heel and left to the sanctuary of her room.

And he let her.

A lazy morning was needed for most to sleep off the sunburns and drinks, but for her, she needed the lie in just to avoid running into Aemond as much as possible.

So with the day ahead, they'd decided to go to Sunspear Old Village, a collection of independent restaurants, shops and bakeries. The drive was short, but the difference between the villa and the sprawling village side streets was immediate.

The atmosphere was exciting, sunny, citrus and salt, vendors calling out for customer's attention. Markets lined the stoned path, freshly baked goods, colourful fabrics and handcrafted jewellery.

She and Baela lagged behind, a large sunhat on both their heads to shield from the unyielding sun, taking their time weaving through the stalls, oo-ing and ah-ing at the various Dornish wares.

One particular stall was everything she liked. Handmade jewellery of all golden hues, one worker was moulding a ring into shape and another was placing stencils against thinly laid gold and striking it with a mallet.

The one she liked was a small, golden sun pendant. Dark gold. Delicate and yet striking despite its simple design. The metal was hammered in small indents, and she marvelled at the craftsmanship with her fingertip over the surface.

“You should get it,” Baela insisted.

She tilted her head, “hm, I could but…don't really need it, and I didn't exchange enough money.”

“Since when did you need an excuse to buy jewellery?”

She grinned at Baela, glancing back at Aemond and Helaena as they toddled behind. The taller man had his hands in his pockets, sighing as his sister dragged him into yet another stall. 

She swore she caught his gaze on her, for a split second.

Baela was too observant for her own good. “You are so fucking obvious.”

“What?”

“I heard you two talking last night.”

She nearly choked on air, “what the hell, Baela—”

She snorted a laugh, pulling her sunhat over her eyes, “I wasn't eavesdropping! I just wanted a glass of water when I heard—” she straightened her back, puffing out her chest, “you keep looking at me like that.”

She gasped, smacking her arm, “Baela!”

She laughed, dodging herr second hit. "Oh, come on! That was the most tension I’ve ever heard in my life. I thought you two were about to—"

"Don’t. Even. Finish. That. Sentence."

Baela just smirked, eyes twinkling. “You’re blushing.”

“I am not.”

“You so are.”

She huffed, opening her mouth to fire back–

A flash of white and gold hurtled between them, and Helaena, her dress swishing around her shins, beamed up, “look!” she exclaimed, vibrating with excitement as she presented a gold charm in her palm, “it’s a scorpion!”

Neither of them could hide their amusement. 

“Hel, of all the things to buy,” Baela smirked.

Helaena just grinned, unbothered, “scorpions are lucky,” she said matter-of-factly. 

She laughed a little, half in amusement and half because it must be nice to see the bright side of everything, “of course you’d find something weirdly meaningful.”

Hel clutched it happily, “I’m going to put it on my keychain.”

She exchanged looks with Baela, who simply shrugged. Helaena was Helaena.

And then, as if she could sense the conversation she had just interrupted, she tilted her head at her, blinking dreamily. “Are you flirting with Aemond?”

And all it took was Baela barking out into fits of laughter for her to roll her eyes, pretend those words hadn’t just come out of Helaena’s mouth and jog forwards to Rhaena instead, who mercifully was blissfully unaware of anything going on with the aforementioned Targaryen.

She and the girls had taken it upon themselves to bring down some food from the kitchen as well as the fire pit, nestling it into the sand and pulling their shawls over their shoulders to stay off the chill once the sun had dipped with the temperature.

Aegon, as expected, was putting on a show. The moment the flames came to life, he thumped his chest like a deranged caveman, grinning wildly, waiting for laughter that never came.

Baela, unimpressed but entertained, simply lifted her phone. Flash. Click. Post.

Aegon froze mid-motion, the colour draining from his face. “Baela. Delete that.”

She smirked, tucking her phone away. “Nope.”

“I will literally die if that’s on the internet.”

“It’s already on Instagram.”

With a loud groan, Aegon flopped backward into the sand, arms outstretched in defeat. Baela only grinned, her attention shifting to the half-empty bottle beside her. “Oh, fuck, we’re out of vodka.”

She nestled herself closer to Jace, clearly not intending to move.

From across the fire, she scoffed. “I’ll get some, you lazy fuckers.”

Aegon half-heartedly saluted, “brave of you. I wouldn’t make it up those stairs sober, let alone drunk.”

He wasn’t wrong. The private staircase leading up to the villa was steep and unforgiving, and this was, what, her fourth time climbing it today? With a resigned sigh, she pushed herself up, the warmth of the fire lingering against her skin as she stepped away from the group.

By the time she reached the top, she paused, catching her breath, turning toward the horizon.

The sea stretched out endlessly, dark and gleaming, with a sliver of gold and baby blue still clinging to the edge of the sky where the sun had disappeared.

I could get used to this.

Even if she had to endure him.

Shaking the thought away, she slipped through the villa doors, heading straight for the kitchen. It was dimly lit, the quiet hum of the night settling around her. She barely made it three steps before a voice cut through the silence.

“Thirsty?”

She jumped, nearly knocking over a glass. Her heart slammed against her ribs as she spun around, eyes landing on Aemond. He stood near the counter, arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable, except for the faintest trace of a smirk. But it wasn’t just the way he looked at her that made her pulse jump. It was how he looked.

His silver hair was damp, strands curling slightly at the ends, still clinging to the warmth of a recent shower. He hadn’t bothered with a shirt, just a pair of low-hanging black shorts, his skin catching the dim glow of the kitchen lights, casting shadows over the sharp lines of his stomach, the cut of his collarbone.

She swallowed, gripping the vodka bottle a little tighter than necessary.

He was insufferable.

He was annoying.

And yet–

“Didn’t take you for the helpful type,” she muttered, turning back to the cabinet, refusing to look at him for too long.

A quiet chuckle left his lips, “I wasn’t waiting for you, if that’s what you’re implying.”

Her jaw tightened. “Didn’t say you were. Just stop lurking around waiting to frighten me, would you.”

Aemond leaned against the counter, watching her with that same unreadable expression. She didn’t know what he was looking for, what he was waiting for, but it was irritating. She set the vodka bottle down on the counter with a dull thud, crossing her arms as she turned to face him fully. 

“I don’t know what you’re trying to get from this.”

“From what?”

“This,” she gestured vaguely, “you know exactly what. You’re acting like we never fell out. But we did, Aemond. You should hate my guts.”

Aemond resisted the urge to outright laugh. The truth was, they had never fallen out. Not in his mind. Oh, they had argued. Gods, had they argued. She had called him pretentious, insufferable, a controlling asshole. He had thrown words back just as easily, his own cutting remarks meant to frustrate her, rile her up, get her to fight him harder. 

He liked that she didn’t hold back, that she met him blow for blow, insult for insult. Still does.

Aemond exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly, “you’re still talking to me.”

She scoffed. “Like I have a choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

Something in her chest twisted at that, but she refused to let it show. She rolled her eyes, reaching for the vodka bottle and tucking it under her arm. “Whatever game you’re playing, Aemond, find someone else to play it with.”

She left the kitchen without another word, gripping the vodka bottle tighter than necessary as she made her way back down the endless stone steps to the beach. The sea breeze hit her as soon as she reached the bottom, cool and briny, doing little to chase away the strange heat in her chest.

You always have a choice.

She scowled, shoving the thought aside as she rejoined the group, dropping the bottle into Baela’s waiting hands. “There,” she muttered, sinking back onto the blanket, pulling her shawl tighter around herself. “Now stop making me do all the work.”

Baela grinned, already unscrewing the cap. “You’re a hero.”

The fire burned low, casting a warm glow against their sun-kissed faces, flickering against the edges of the waves. She barely noticed Aemond’s arrival until he was lowering himself onto the sand a few feet away, silent, as always, but technically, next to her.

Unlike earlier, he had thrown on a loose button-down, the top few buttons left undone, revealing a sliver of tanned skin and collarbone. His silver hair was still damp, stray strands falling over his sharp features. He looked completely at ease, like he belonged in the firelight, the shadows playing over the angles of his face.

Stop that.

Baela poured out shots, handing them around. “To questionable decisions and even worse hangovers.”

Jace groaned. “We are so fucked tomorrow.”

The alcohol burned, but she welcomed it, letting the warmth spread through her veins, dulling the tension in her shoulders. One shot became two. Then three.

And then, somewhere between Aegon trying to wrestle Jace into the sand and Rhaena doing drunken cartwheels again, the conversation took a sharp turn.

“Oh, I know what we should talk about,” Aegon declared suddenly, tossing an empty bottle into the sand.

Baela groaned. “If you say kinks, I swear to the gods—”

“Kinks.”

Jace put his face in his hands. “Fucking hell.”

Aegon smirked, completely unrepentant. “Come on. We’ve been drinking. There are no rules. Let’s make this interesting.”

Rhaena laughed, shaking her head. “This is already a terrible idea.”

Baela smirked. “Fine. But you go first, since you brought it up.”

Aegon leaned back on his hands, completely unbothered. “Easy. Hair pulling, spanking, and—”

“Enough.” Jace groaned. Helaena fake gagged, shaking her head.

One by one, everyone went around, rattling off their preferences with varying degrees of amusement or reluctance.

And then it was her turn.

She hesitated. “Pass.”

Baela raised a brow. “No passes.”

She exhaled, rolling her shoulders, acting unfazed. “It’s not even that interesting.”

“Then it should be easy to say,” Baela countered, smirking.

She took a sip of her drink, then, with a casual shrug, said, “Choking.”

It wouldn’t have gotten such a reaction if it were anyone else, but Aemond, fucking chuckled. She turned her head sharply, only to find him watching her, smirking slightly, his gaze dark with something unreadable.

“What?” she snapped, her voice sharper than intended.

“Nothing,” he grinned behind the bottle he was nursing.

“No, go on, what’s so funny?”

Aemond tilted his head, studying her, his smirk growing the slightest bit sharper. “I just don’t think you’d let someone get their hands on you like that,” he murmured.

Her pulse spiked.

Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the heat of the fire, maybe it was just him, but she felt it, the way the air shifted, the way the space between them suddenly felt far too small. Luckily, the others swiftly got bored of their verbal sparring. A small relief. But it made her feel at least like everyone wasn’t zeroed in on what they were talking about.

She scoffed, leaning back and burying her palms in the sand, “and you’re an expert.”

“I don’t think you’d let someone do it properly.”

Despite the crackle of…something, in the air. The alcohol had not only made her wavy, but braver. And she met his gaze with her chin up, “and you think you could?”

Aemond exhaled a quiet laugh, setting his drink down beside him. 

“I don’t think. I know.”

Her lips parted, something thrumming hot under her skin, crawling up her spine. She pushed it away quickly, her eyes lazy and challenging, “yeah right, as if–”

Her lips snapped shut when she felt it, unhurried, his hand curling around her neck. Not tight. Not rough. Just enough to feel it. Just enough to make her breath catch. Her entire body went rigid, heat pooling at the base of her spine, her pulse hammering against the cage of her ribs.

His fingers rested lightly over her throat, long and steady, the faintest pressure applied in a way that was taunting. Testing. Aemond watched her reaction carefully, his gaze dark and focused, thumb resting just below her jaw, brushing over the sensitive skin, feeling the thrum of her heart at her pulse point. She swallowed, and he felt it.

His lips curled slightly. "See?" His voice was low, smug, dangerous. "That's how you'd want it."

Her breath was shallow, a sharp contrast to the cool sea air around them. She willed herself to react, to do something, anything,  but her body wasn’t cooperating.

Aegon groaned loudly, “gods, just fuck already.”

The spell snapped.

Aemond pulled away, slow and deliberate, and she ripped her gaze from him, shaking herself back to reality. "Shut up, Aegon," she muttered, rolling her eyes, though her voice was noticeably weaker.

She glanced around, seeing that most were preoccupied. Thank the gods for vodka. But even as the conversation shifted, as Aegon moved on to some other stupid drunken tangent, her body still felt the ghost of Aemond's touch. Still burned with it.

She stole a glance at him beneath her lashes.

He was still watching her.

By the time they all stumbled back to the villa, buzzed from the alcohol, sunburnt from the day, and far too aware of the tension still crackling between her and Aemond, she knew she was in trouble.

Everyone was dispersing into their rooms, peeling off damp clothes and sand-covered swimsuits, muttering about showers and food. And her shower was swift and much needed, though the lukewarm water stung slightly at the red patch on her shoulder blades. She threw on a long shirt to sleep in to keep the sensitive skin off the sheets.

A soft knock though, froze her. In her gut, she already knew it was him. But it wasn’t gratifying in the least when she opened the door and confirmed she was correct. He leaned against the doorframe, as if he had all the time in the world, still wearing the loose linen button down shirt and shorts, though it was only now she noticed the chain sat at his throat.

She sighed, exasperated, but with a dull, needing ache she didn’t want to admit, “what do you want, Aemond.”

Aemond exhaled a quiet laugh. Then, without waiting for an invitation, he stepped inside, kicking the door closed. She stepped back automatically, breath hitching.

“Tell me to leave,” he murmured, his voice dark and even, like he already knew she wouldn’t.

The words balanced on her lips. But the heat between them was too thick, too heavy, and the ghost of his touch still lingered against her throat.

So she didn’t.

And the second she didn’t tell him to fuck off, she knew she was losing a game before it even started. Aemond crowded her as she backed up, almost casually, but there was nothing at all casual about the way he was looking at her. The way he was closing this distance as if he could predict how it would end. There was intent in every movement.

She echoed herself, “what do you want, Aemond.”

His smirk was expected but still made her stomach flip all the same, “I think we both know the answer to that.”

The air thickened, wrapping around her like smoke, suffocating. She should stop this. She should push him away. She should. But she didn’t. Instead, she stayed perfectly still as Aemond reached for her, tilting her chin up with two fingers.

"Say it," he murmured, and her eyes flickered to his mouth as he uttered the words.

She swallowed, throat dry. “Say what?”

His thumb dragged along her jawline, slow, teasing. "That you want me to touch you."

Her lips parted, a breath escaping. Humiliation and arousal tangled together, tightening in her chest, her stomach, lower.

She hated him. She wanted him.

And that was exactly why she finally whispered.

"Touch me."

His smirk disappeared, the fight leaving him. And then he did.

His lips crashed against hers, swallowing her gasp as his grip tightened around her jaw, backing her against the door. The force of it made her lips part, and Aemond wasted no time in taking advantage of it. He kissed her like he was claiming something, like he’d been waiting for this, waiting for her to give in. His tongue brushed against hers, demanding, teasing, and the moment she kissed him back with the same hunger, his hand wrapped around her throat. 

Not hard enough to cut off air, just enough to remind her that it was there.

A soft, desperate sound escaped her lips before she could stop it.

Aemond smirked against her mouth, pulling back just enough to murmur, "So you do like it."

She glared at him, breathless, dizzy with want. "Shut up."

His fingers tightened, just slightly. Her pulse jumped and she tugged him back to her by his shirt, back to her lips, Aemond groaned, deep and low, before pulling back and flipping her around, her front pressed against the door, his chest flush against her back. Even like this, she could feel him strained against her backside, and it only made her want to push her hips, see how far she could push him too.

His hand slipped up her shirt, on the bare skin of her stomach, and she froze and melted at the same time. She felt him exhale against her neck at the touch, before sliding the tips of his fingers against the waistband of her underwear. 

"Tell me you want it," he murmured against her ear.

Her breath came out shaky and she hated it, “Aemond—”

His fingers slipped lower, teasing, hovering exactly where she needed him. "Tell me," he repeated, dangerously patient.

She clenched her jaw, her body already thrumming. “I want it.”

Aemond’s chuckle was dark and satisfied. "Good girl."

His hand slipped beneath, past the barrier of her underwear, and the moment his fingers met her slick heat, his breath caught. Her lips parted, choking on air it seemed, her eyes slipping shut as he took his time.

"Fuck," he rasped, voice rough, "so fucking wet."

She bit her lip hard to stop herself from making a sound, but then he pressed his fingers against her clit, slow and deliberate, and she shuddered.

“Don’t be shy now,” Aemond murmured, lips grazing her neck, his other hand coming to her jaw to tilt her face towards him.

She nearly whimpered when he circled his fingers against her, slow, teasing, in complete control. The pressure was just enough to drive her insane, but not enough to push her over the edge. And then he did something dangerous. His hand tightened around her throat at the exact moment he slipped a finger inside her.

Her knees buckled.

"Aemond—"

Her body met him with infuriatingly little resistance, and Aemond seemed to revel in the warmth of her, how tight she seemed around one digit alone. And she just knew he was thinking about something else. How she might feel around him.

He groaned, pulling back just enough to look at her, his eye dark, jaw tight, lips parted like he was barely holding himself together. “You’re fucking perfect," he muttered.

Then, without warning, he added a second finger. She gasped, pressing back against him, his name slipping past her lips in a breathless, wrecked moan.

Aemond grinned, pressing his lips to her shoulder, her neck. "That’s it," he murmured. “Take it.”

Pressed between the door and Aemond was an unfortunate predicament. Unable to move, she could only stand there and take it, his long, deft fingers pressing up into her forcefully and crooking forwards, searching for her sweet spot with an almost obsessive attitude. But equally, so close to the door, to the hallway outside, she had no choice but to press her lips together and be quiet, despite his wish for her not to be.

He wanted people to hear.

She felt the slow, forceful grind of his fingers deep inside her, not thrusting in and out, but pressing, pushing, curling, rubbing against that spot that made her body tremble, made her breath hitch. Aemond moved his fingers in deep, slow circles, stretching her from the inside, coaxing out pleasure with cruel precision. Every shift of his hand sent shockwaves up her spine, her walls gripping around him tight, desperate, needy.

His thumb dragged against her clit, matching the pressure of his fingers inside her, not flicking or teasing, pressing down firmly, rubbing slow, torturous circles.

"Fuck—" the word tore from her throat, raw and uncontrolled, her hips jerking forward into his touch. And at the friction against his aching arousal, he almost whined.

But Aemond hummed, pleased. “Good girl.”

His voice sent heat licking down her spine, pooling low in her stomach. Her head fell back, her body tightening, burning, spiralling toward something devastatingly sharp.

"Aemond—" her voice was wrecked, breathless. He groaned, like hearing her like this did something to him, like it unravelled him, too.

His hand at her throat tightened slightly, tilting her head back as his lips grazed her jaw. “You’re gonna come for me, aren’t you?”

She could only nod, unable to think, unable to do anything but feel. The pleasure coiled tighter, deeper, spreading outward, her thighs trembling around his hand. Her body snapped, shattering apart as waves of pleasure crashed over her, raw and consuming, making her shake in his grasp.

Aemond groaned at the feel of it, his fingers working her through it, slow and deliberate as her walls fluttered around him, her body pulsing, clenching, trembling.

She barely had a second to catch her breath before he was moving. Grabbing her like a sack of potatoes and throwing her on the bed, wrenching her underwear down her legs, and forcefully flipping her over onto her stomach.

And then.

A sharp crack of heat across her backside.

Aemond must have felt her jolt, must have noticed the way her breath hitched, the way her thighs instinctively squeezed together. “Don’t be so surprised,” he mused, positioning her exactly how he wanted. 

He leaned down, lips ghosting over the shell of her ear, his voice dark with satisfaction.

“Girls who are into choking are into much more than that.”

Her stomach twisted, her breath catching both at his words and his manhandling. She glanced back, catching his hands as they worked his shorts open to free himself, rendering her mouth suddenly dry. It was all so quick, she barely got a good look at him. He tugged her hips up slightly, the fat head of his cock parting her sensitive folds and began to push inside, and then she forgot how to think entirely. A wrecked sound escaped her throat, muffled by the sheets, her body already soaked, stretched, ready for him after his ruthless teasing.

He filled her completely, every inch stretching her open, the burn of it making her eyes squeeze shut. Aemond groaned, his hands gripping her hips hard enough to bruise.

“Fuck, still so tight,” he rasped, pulling back before slamming into her again, rough and unforgiving. The force of it sent her forward onto her elbows, her breath punched from her lungs. Starting out in this position, she felt every bit, the way his cock bent inside her, as if sculpting her to the shape of him.

It was filthy. Brutal. Perfect.

His fingers dug into her flesh, his pace relentless, punishing, as if he wanted to ruin her for anyone else. She let out a desperate, breathy moan, her body giving in, taking everything he gave her, arching back into him. And when she did, Aemond let out a low groan, sliding a hand up her back, over every notch of her smooth spine, trailing along the nape of her neck, his fingers tangling into her hair and tugging.

A ragged gasp tore from her throat, her scalp burning in the most intoxicating way. She clenched around him, and he felt it. His grip tightened, pulling her head back just enough to make her spine arch beautifully, her mouth parting in a silent moan.

Aemond groaned at the way her body reacted to him, the way she clenched around his cock like she was trying to keep him buried inside her forever.

“Oh, you really do like that, don’t you?” his voice was low, rough, laced with something dark and possessive, her hair wrapped around his long fingers.

She barely managed to choke out a sound, something between a gasp and a whimper, but it only spurred him on. His grip in her hair didn’t falter as he snapped his hips forward, fucking into her harder, deeper, rough enough to make the headboard slam against the wall. She shook beneath him, unable to do anything but take it, absorb every brutal thrust, every sharp pull of her hair that sent electricity racing down her spine.

“You’re going to come again, aren’t you?” he murmured, his pace never slowing, his thrusts hitting deep, over and over, dragging her closer to that edge.

She could only nod, her fingers clutching desperately at the sheets, at nothing.

She whined as he released her hair, his arm sliding around her waist to pull her up to him, dragging her up onto her knees with her back flush against his chest. Her head lolled back against his shoulder as his hand slid over her stomach, pushing her back onto him with every deep, punishing thrust. 

“Aemond,” she gasped, barely able to form words, her voice breaking.

He groaned at the sound, at the way she tightened around him, pushing his hand lower, rubbing slow, firm circles over her clit.

And that was it.

Her body snapped, pleasure crashing over her in violent, uncontrollable waves, her moans raw and shattered as she came around him, clenching so tight it nearly sent him over the edge too.

“Fuck,” Aemond gritted out, his thrusts turning desperate, chasing his own high as her body milked him.

He buried himself deep, his jaw tight, breath ragged, before he finally let go, groaning her name as he came, spilling inside her, holding her still as he filled her completely.

For a long moment, the room was silent, nothing but the sound of their heavy breathing, the crackling of the sea breeze through the open window. Aemond’s grip eased, his hands sliding down to her waist as he pressed his forehead against her shoulder, his breath still unsteady.

Slowly, he pulled back, completely out of her, his hands sliding down her hips, making her shiver at the loss of him. He pressed a quick, lingering kiss to her shoulder before pushing himself up, reaching for his lowered shorts and pulling them back over his hips.

She lay there on her stomach, face pressed into the pillows, trying to process what the fuck had just happened.

And more than that , what it meant.

But before she could let her thoughts spiral, Aemond flopped onto the bed beside her, stretching his long limbs out, one arm tucked beneath his head.

It was almost too casual, too normal, like they hadn’t just spent the last hour fucking each other senseless. She turned her head, staring at him, trying to read the subtle curve of his lips, the way his gaze flickered to her like he was waiting for her reaction.

Finally, she spoke, voice hoarse from overuse.

“So…what now?”

Aemond let out a low chuckle, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from her face. “That depends. Are you going to keep pretending you hate me?”

“You should be the one pretending to hate me. I was convinced you despised me.”

“Hate you?” He glanced at her, sharp, amused. “I never hated you.”

She blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“You, though? You’ve been trying very hard to convince yourself that you do.”

Her stomach flipped, and she groaned, grabbing a pillow and smacking his arm with it. “You’re a dick.”

Aemond caught her wrist easily, his grip firm but playful, tugging her just enough to pull her closer. “Careful,” he murmured smugly, “you might make me think you actually like me.”

She rolled her eyes, but there was no real fight behind it.

Lying back down, she stretched, her body already sore, knowing she was going to get it in the neck from the others tomorrow.

“Oh gods, they’re going to be unbearable about this,” she muttered.

Aemond just grinned, clearly unbothered. “That’s tomorrow’s problem.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

He gave a lazy shrug, running a hand through his messy silver hair. “A little.”

For a second, Aemond propped up, fishing something out his pocket. 

“What are you–”

Her voice died on her lips the second she saw what laid in his palm. The sun shaped, gold pendant she had seen at Sunspear Market earlier that day stared back. The dark gold glinted against her eyes, and she tentatively reached out to touch it.

“You—”

Aemond shrugged. But she could see he was trying to play it a little cool, to stay off the embarrassed flush to his cheeks at such a sweet gesture, “I saw you looking at it.”

She hesitated, but she was more shocked. She hadn't honestly expected something so nice, especially from him, as hard to read as he was. Such as right now. He was so composed. As if he hadn't had it in his pocket all day, waiting to give it to her.

“You bought this for me?...”

A silly question in hindsight, but she was too floored to ask anything else. And she didn't even need his reply truthfully.

Still, Aemond smirked, propping up to watch as she ran her finger over the metal, “I did, but…”

She looked up, her heart constricting, “but?...”

Aemond bit back a nervous smile, “you can wear it…if we give this a chance,” he says, vaguely gesturing between them.

Her breath caught. Not because it was unexpected, he had been pushing her in this direction all night, all trip, maybe even longer than that. But hearing him say it so simply, so confidently, so Aemond, sent something warm and unsteady rippling through her chest.

She glanced away for a second, fingers brushing the pendant absentmindedly, before letting out a slow breath. “And what exactly is… ‘this’?” she asked, her voice softer than before.

Aemond tilted his head, “this,” he murmured, “is me saying I don’t want to pretend I don’t want you anymore.”

Gods, he was good with words when he wanted to be.

Her lips parted slightly, but before she could say anything, his expression shifted, turning just a little sharper, a little more amused.

“And also, I’m realising one of my kinks might be you calling me a pretentious asshole.”

Before she could stop herself, she burst out laughing. It was unexpected, light, breaking the thick tension in the air.

“Maybe you are a pretentious asshole,” she managed between giggles.

Aemond hummed, leaning closer to brush his lips against hers, “hm, you keep up, don't you.”

She couldn't stop smiling, her cheeks hurt. And Aemond's fingers brushed her skin, reaching for the chain of the necklace, “let me.”

Lifting her hair, she raised her chin so he could clasp the pendant around her neck, the gold sitting elegantly against her chest. He hummed in appreciation and she swallowed, a shiver running down her spine at the barely-there touch.

“Shall we celebrate.”

She raised a suspicious brow. Celebrate.

A bark of laughter threatened to break out.

“Celebrate how, exactly?”

The dark looks returned to his gaze, and she gasped as he maneuvered atop her, his hand bunching up her shirt around her hips. “With you, wearing nothing but that pretty little necklace I just bought you.”

Her stomach tightened. And her body responded before she did.

And judging by the smug look on Aemond's face. He noticed.

She woke up sore, in the best way possible.

The sheets were tangled around her legs, her body still buzzing from the night before, and when she shifted slightly, the cool press of gold against her skin reminded her of exactly how they’d celebrated.

Aemond had already left the bed when she woke up, thank the gods, which meant she had enough time to collect herself before inevitably facing the others.

Black bikini, sandals slipped on and she was out straight away, her hair still tousled from how rough Aemond had been with her the night before.

Helaena, Baela, and Rhaena sat sprawled out on their towels, sunglasses perched on their noses, drinks in hand. They looked far too entertained. And they knew. Oh, they fucking knew.

“So…” Baela drawled, adjusting her sunglasses as she turned toward her. “You had an eventful night.”

She rolled her eyes, dropping onto the sand beside them, already regretting coming down here. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Rhaena scoffed, hiding a smirk behind her drink. “Oh, come on.”

Helaena, as dreamy as ever, blinked up at her, tilting her head. “You’re glowing.”

Baela snorted, finally pushing her sunglasses onto her head so she could look at her properly. And then, her gaze zeroed in. She grinned. “Oh my gods, you’re wearing it.”

Her stomach dropped. Shit.

Baela pointed at the gold sun pendant resting delicately against her collarbone, shining in the morning light. “So, Aemond buys you jewellery now?”

She groaned, tipping her head back against the sand. “I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I?”

Rhaena smirked, twirling her straw between her fingers. “Not a chance.”

Helaena giggled, “I knew you didn’t hate each other.”

“Oh, I still hate him.”

Baela barked out a laugh, “so that was a hate fuck, was it?”

Rhaena snorted into her drink, nearly choking on it.

As if completely uninterested, Helaena excused herself, grabbing an empty tupperware as a beetle flew into the reeds by the stairs. Classic Hel.

Rhaena cleared her throat, “so…was it good?”

“I'm not talking about this.”

“Oh, so it was good,” Rhaena mused, eyes twinkling.

“I hate all of you.”

Baela leaned in. “You know what they say. The quiet ones are always the worst.”

Rhaena thoughtfully. “I bet he was really intense about it.”

“Oh, definitely. Control freak. Probably took his time—”

She groaned, “oh my gods, can we please change the subject?”

Helaena returned, beaming, a freshly caught beetle in her tub, “well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm happy for you.”

She peeked up at her through one squinted eye. “I don’t think you’re supposed to be happy about your brother getting laid.”

Helaena simply shrugged, smiling. “You make him less grumpy.”

Her only saving grace was that the guys were too far out in the water to hear any of this. Jace and Aegon were already trying to drown each other, waves crashing around them as they wrestled.

But Aemond stood farther out, water lapping at his waist, arms crossed, watching the spectacle with mild amusement.

She had no doubt Aemond suffered the same treatment this morning. Hounded with questions and easy ribbings. But unlike her, Aemond could silence any incessant question with a pointed glare and a well placed ‘fuck off’. 

As if sensing her eyes on him, he turned, his hair sticking to his face. She watched his gaze drift to the necklace that sat snug at her collarbone, and then back up to her eyes, the faintest smirk on his face.

Maybe the rest of this holiday wouldn't be so bad.

✨ Please note ✨ I no longer do taglists. If you would updates, please follow @targaryenrealnessdarlingfics and turn on notifications!

[norrisainz33]

that should be me || ln4

summary: lando has been in love with his sister's best friend for as long as he can remember but doesn't gain the confidence to tell her until shes seen with a certain other driver

pairing: lando norris x sisters!bestfriend!reader x esteban ocon

warnings: angsty, lots and lots of lando pining

a/n: based off of that should be me by justin bieber fr

word count: 2,419

masterlist

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ⠀

it starts with a photo.

just a stupid photo on instagram. one of those blurry candids that you were never quite sure how the gossip pages managed to get. it was a photo of you laughing with your head tilted back, eyes closed, hand on esteban's arm and he’s looking at you like you hung the stars.

lando doesn’t like the photo and he doesn’t even look at the caption. his stomach’s already in knots and his throat’s too tight for him to scroll any further.

you’ve always laughed like that. since you were kids, since the first time flo introduced him to her annoying little friend who beat him at mario kart and made better chicken wraps than anyone he’d ever met.

lando had always told himself it wasn’t like that. you were flo's best friend. his dear sisters best friend. off limits. but mostly… too good for someone like him.

and he’d thought he had time. time to figure it out. time to find the right moment. time to stop being scared of what would happen if he told you how he felt but maybe he waited too long.

“you okay, mate?”

lando blinks realizing he’s been staring at the same post on his phone for the last five minutes. max is across the hotel room, shoving snacks into the mini fridge like it personally offended him.

“yeah. fine.” he locks his phone and tosses it on the bed.

max eyes him suspiciously. “you’re sulking bud.”

“i’m not sulking.”

“you’ve got the same face you had when we kept losing in tarkov last night. you are sulking.”

lando huffs, “whatever.”

he doesn't want to talk about it. especially not with max who most definitely will give him massive shit for it. you and flo were like sisters to max - and lando knew he'd have something to say about it. he couldn't tell him, not when the only thing circling his brain was: y/n's dating esteban ocon and i think it might actually kill me.

he sees you later that week at a paddock event. you’re positively glowing and he hates that it makes his heart ache.

you light up when you spot him. “lando!”

it’s still his name on your lips. still your arms wrapping around him. still your familiar scent and the soft brush of your laugh against his neck.

for a second, he lets himself believe things haven’t changed. until he sees esteban who is not far behind you, talking to your friends like he belongs there. like lando used to.

you pull away, smiling. “i haven’t seen you in forever!”

he shrugs, forcing a grin. “been busy.”

you lean into him like you used to, teasing. “too busy to text me back?”

lando’s throat tightens. he hasn’t meant to drift. it just hurt too much.

“you seemed busy,” he says, eyes flicking to esteban. the words come out sharper than he means.

your smile falters, “yeah, I guess.”

he remembers the first time he thought maybe just maybe you felt something too. it was a late summer night. bonfire at a lake house he, you, flo and max had rented with a few friends. everyone had gone inside except you and him and you were wrapped in one of his hoodies, nursing a half-empty drink, feet tucked under you on a lawn chair.

“do you ever think about what you want your life to look like?” you’d asked suddenly, eyes on the stars and head in the clouds.

lando was looking at you instead, “yeah, sometimes.”

you turned to him, your gaze soft and curious. “what do you see?”

he opened his mouth and closed it. swallowed the truth. i see you and me and everything in between.

but he’d just smiled and said, “fast cars. good friends and a lot of trophies.”

you’d nudged his foot with yours, “that’s the safe answer.”

and he’d thought maybe you knew. maybe you were waiting for him to say it but he didn’t.

lando sees you again two days later. not at a race but at some fancy charity dinner he barely remembered agreeing to but mclaren pr had insisted he attend. you’re across the room in a black dress that clung to your figure like it was made just for you and it made his heart stutter and of course, you were laughing at something esteban said.

from where lando stands, it’s perfect. too perfect. except… you laugh but it doesn’t reach your eyes. not the way it used to when it was just him and you and a stupid inside joke about max’s haircut or one of flo's silly antics. and when esteban leans in to whisper something, you smile, but you also look away like you’re somewhere else entirely.

lando stares at his drink, jaw tight. maybe it doesn’t mean anything but maybe it does.

later that night, back at the hotel, max glances over at lando from the other bed. “you’ve been weird.”

lando blinks, “what?”

“you’re being weird especially around y/n.”

lando shifted in his seat, “i’m not.”

max raises an eyebrow at his friend. “you barely talked to her at the dinner annd when esteban showed up, you looked like you wanted to throw him into a wall.”

“dunno what you’re talking about.”

max sighs, tossing a chip in his mouth. “whatever, man. just don’t be a dick about it, yeah? she’s happy.” lando doesn’t respond because maybe that’s the problem. he’s not so sure you are.

lando can’t stop thinking about the way esteban's hand fit on the small of your back.

that should be me. that should be him making you laugh like that. listening to you talk about your day. walking you to your car, kissing you goodnight. making a grand entrance in the paddock with you on his arm.

he’s seen every version of you, messy hair, post-crying eyes, birthday party smiles, sleepy morning grins and he loved all of them. still very much does. but you don’t know that because he never told you. and now esteban's stepping into a role lando always thought would be his if he ever got brave enough to claim it.

the tipping point is a stupid video that someone tagged him in on instagram. you and esteban again. at some little café, laughing over coffee, his fingers brushing yours. you don’t even notice the camera.

lando watches it once. twice. and on the third time, he presses pause and stares at your face and before he can stop himself he dials your number.

you answer on the second ring. “hi lando!”

god, he’s missed your voice. missed you. “hey,” he says quietly. “can we talk?”

you pause, clearly picking up on his tone. “yeah, of course lan. is everything okay with you?”

“no,” he says, honest this time. “not really.”

you meet him that night at the same spot as always, the quiet overlook just outside the city where you used to sneak off to watch the stars. he’s already there when you pull up, leaning against his mcalren, hands stuffed in his pockets.

you walk over slowly, a little guarded, a little confused. “lando?"

“why didn’t you tell me?” he asks, voice barely above a whisper.

you blink, “tell you what lan?”

“that you were seeing him.”

you shift your weight, taken aback by his words. “i didn’t think I had to? it wasn’t serious at first and then.... i don’t know. i figured you knew.”

he laughs but there’s no humor in it. “everyone knew but me huh?”

you look at him and your expression softens. “why does it matter?”

he looks up from his shoes and meets your gaze. “because I wanted it to be me.”

the words hang between you, heavy in the night air.

you blink, almost stunned into silence. “what?”

lando takes a step closer, heart pounding almost out of his chest. “i’ve loved you for a long time, y/n/n and i was stupid. i thought I had more time. thought I could wait for the right moment but I kept waiting and waiting and now i’m watching someone else live the life I used to picture with you.”

you don’t speak, too stunned by his confession that you aren't even sure what to say.

“and maybe it’s too late,” he says quietly. “maybe he’s already the guy but I couldn’t keep pretending it didn’t hurt. i had to tell you.”

silence.

“you’re an idiot,” you whisper.

“yeah, i know.” lando sighed.

you take a shaky step toward him. “i waited too, you know. for you to say something, anything.”

his heart nearly stops. “you did?”

you nod, “but then you got distant. i thought maybe I made it all up in my head. so when esteban asked me out, I figured maybe it was time to stop waiting.”

he closes the gap between you, barely daring to breathe. “i’m sorry.”

you look up at him. "what are you going to do about it?"

he brushes a strand of hair behind your ear. “i'm going to stop being an idiot.”

and when he leans in, you meet him halfway. your lips meet his like a question — soft, searching, full of all the words neither of you ever said.

lando lets out a shaky breath, forehead resting against yours. “i’ve been wanting to do that for years.”

you don’t smile, not quite. “same.”

you take several steps back, arms wrapping around yourself. “but this doesn’t fix everything.”

lando’s chest tightens. “i know.”

“i’m still with esteban,” you say, eyes darting away. “and he’s… he’s good to me.”

he nods slowly, the words hurt, but he understood. “i’m not asking you to drop everything. i just needed you to know what you mean to me.”

“i don’t want to hurt him.”

“I know,” he repeats.

“and i don’t want to hurt you, either.”

lando takes a small step toward you. “then don’t lie to yourself.”

you stare at him for a moment and then you whisper, “i need time.”

his nod is immediate. “take it! take all the time you need.”

a faint smile touches your lips. “you sure about that?”

“i've waited this long,” he says. “what’s a little longer?”

you walk back to your car in silence and when you glance over your shoulder before getting in, he’s still standing there under the stars waiting. not for an answer - just for you.

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ⠀

a/n: thanks for reading!! likes and reblogs are always appreciated

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ⠀

disclaimer: pictures are not mine and everything i write is fiction

© norrisainz33 || please do not rewrite, translate, or copy any of my works posted here on to any other platform

[kenniesf1]

people we meet on vacation (pt. 4) | OP81

masterlist

pairing: oscar piastri x singer!reader (smau!)

summary: oscar and his childhood best friend, whose families always vacationed together, haven't seen each other in forever. maybe the f1 2025 season summer break is the time for them to rekindle?

tropes: friends to lovers, fluff, angst, social media + written, based loosely off of people we meet on vacation by emily henry

oscarpiastri

liked by lando, mclaren, and 1,043,918 others

oscarpiastri Kicking things off with the Belgian Grand Prix! Glad to be back, fully focused and rested.

view all comments

user75 YN IS NOT IN THE LIKES

user76 and he's lost all sense of aesthetic (*this post is a mess*) so ya something happened

user77 I don't think Oscar appreciates you guys talking about that girl if he doesn't like her ???

user78 what is with psychos like this who act like they know the drivers and hate on the women in their lives 💀

lando oscar piastri default emote

oscarpiastri 🙂

user79 he's soooo cuteeeee i want to squish him

mclaren Please don't, he's leading the WDC for us

charles_leclerc Can't wait to see you on the track 👍 liked by author

ediepiastri answer my texts hoe

oscarpiastri you're being annoying

georgerussell63 is yn coming to the race?

user80 NOTICE HOW OSCAR DIDN'T EVEN LIKE THE MESSAGE, EVEN THO HE LIKED EVERY COMMENT OTHER DRIVERS SENT

rolemodel nah dafuq

user81 something totally happened

quadlock Like a winner!

logansargeant Paddock pass 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

oscarpiastri ... girl i sent you one A WEEK AGO

logansargeant i feel so appreciated rn

yn.jpg

liked by rolemodel, mclaren, and 824,711 others

yn.jpg i'm so excited to announce i've returned to the studio!!! not only do i have an album coming out soon (will announce properly shortly), but i've also had the opportunity to make a cover of one of my favorite songs of all time with one of my closest friends. thank you, tuck, for recording with me and putting up with all my annoying, heart-eyes ranting. i've always liked to cover music, but i've never recorded those covers--you guys, as my lovely fans, have at concerts! so this cover of "everything has changed" is dedicated to you. it was mine (or, i guess, ours oscarpiastri) and now it's yours <3

view all comments

user81 GUYS I THINK IT'S HAPPENING

user82 IM TWEAKING OUT, I LITERALLY WAS SO CONVINCED THEY WERE OVER

user1 so nice to see mclaren back in the likes

lizzymcalpine AHHH I LOVE IT!!!

yn.jpg you've heard it already 😭

user83 guys am i the only one that clocked the ALBUM ANNOUNCEMENT????

rolemodel i did not consent to that photo oh hell nah the fuck

yn.jpg actually in that contract we signed, you gave away your right to photo dump approval

lando will listen!

user84 who thought yn would make lando into a swiftie

taylorswift Amazing!

yn.jpg i literally love you

user85 GIVE US THE ALBUM, LN

gracieabrams no crumbs. no notes.

yn.jpg take me on tour with youuuu

user86 where is the oscar comment?

user87 yeah, or the like. why is bro acting nonchalant, she basically just soft launched?

oscarpiastri playing everything has changed - yn ln, role model

liked by yn.jpg, nicolepiastri, and 1,432,009 others

oscarpiastri i love my girlfriend.

in other words...

yn, i've known you since we were little kids, fighting over rubber ducks and splashing in strong sea waves. everything you do amazes me and teaches me and inspires me. but it's not what you do that has made you so impossible to NOT be in love with (although it definitely helps), it's who you are. i can't believe it took me this long. sorry, love.

view all comments

yn.jpg i love you osc ❤️

user1 girl we've been SAYING

user88 slide 2 🥵

nicolepiastri Finally, you two got your shit together.

oscarpiastri mum 😭

lando nah, mrs. piastri, facts. stand on business queen.

hattiepiastri i deserve the credit, i did all the work

user89 yk what i see that. thank you hattie for your devotion to the ynoscar fandom 🙏

hattiepiastri i basically started it 💀

mclaren So cute!

alexandrasaintmleux don't mess this up piastri

oscarpiastri don't plan to 🫡

alex_albon i guess this makes sense... liked by author

kimiantonelli bro took my girl

oscarpiastri blocked.

user90 he does not PLAYYYYY

charles_leclerc when will i get to meet her, son?

yn.jpg you have ...

carlossainz55 ate down (is that what the kids say)

lando sure

user1 THIS IS MY ROMAN EMPIREEEEEEE

yukitsunoda you guys scared me there for a second

user23 you and me both

user8 glad i jumped ship

user1 🫶

logansargeant HE USED HER COVER OF A FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS SONG GUYS

user91 um logan?

ynoscarfan1 sorry, forgot to switch accounts

user1 HELPPPP-

yn.jpg posted a story!

flashback -> july 23rd, 2025 - 00:02

Somehow, they made it back to the hotel with their hands off of each other. The second the thick door to the room closed, Yn and Oscar grabbed each other, as if the mere centimeters between them had been too much distance. Maybe it was making up for the years they'd spent, living under the guise of "friendship". Kissing Oscar was everything Yn had dreamed of, but somehow, even her dreams weren't as good as the reality. Her hands in his soft hair, him pressing her gently against the wall. The slight curve of his lips, hinting at a smile--he was fucking perfect.

Oscar's hands felt steady on her hips, occasionally going up to brush a loose strand out of her face, lingering on her neck. He, too, had spent the last few nights imagining this, playing it over and over again in his head. He'd begun to feel like a mad man. Hence, him, too, being in awe of how much better it was to have her there, to hold her, rather than to imagine it in the edges of his closed eyes.

But it couldn't last all that long. "Stop," he said, directing the statement at himself rather than at Yn. "We should stop. Yn, please." She pulled away slowly, clearly struggling to stop, just as he was. Her beautiful eyes, the ones Oscar had gazed into a million times over, looked so confused and hurt. He made it quick. "We need to talk about this."

She pulled him in once more, ending the kiss right before thoughts of communication fled Oscar's love-ridden brain. "I know," she confessed, holding his hands and refusing to look away from the sight.

"I'm so scared," he admitted with the hope that that small big of raw honesty was enough to get her to look him in the face. It was. "I'm so scared, Yn. I've gone over it a million times over. This"--he gestured so tenderly between the two of them--"never ends well. I don't want to risk what we have--because we have so fucking much--for something that might not work."

Her head tilted naturally, as if getting a new angle would help her figure out just what to say. "Oscar," she finally stated, brushing her thumb against the side of his hand, "I like you. As a friend, I like you. And I get why you're scared. Up until tonight, I was so, so scared. I mean, do you think I want to lose you? No, of course I don't. Just the fucking idea of that had me keeping this you-and-me together thing hidden for years.

But I'm in love with you. I'm not afraid to say that now. I don't know for how long it has lasted or how long it will last, but I am. I've been trying to cope with the possibility of us not working out for my whole life, when really I should've been figuring out how to deal with the high fucking probability of us ending quickly. Because that's what'll happen if I don't tell you this right now. I can't just be friends with you. I don't think I was built for it.

I can't go on fucking vacation with you, sleep next to you, and be okay with having your hand brush against mine instead of hold it. I can't be friends with you. It fucking sucks and it's scary. But it's the truth. Don't we deserve to try, after all these years, instead of be bitter and repressed and die out fucking slowly?" No one had looked at him the way Yn was looking at him now.

"Yeah," he breathed out, his shoulders relaxing. "We do."

"Let's try," she said, more as a question than a decision. "Let's just say fuck it and try. I'm in love with you, Osc, I can't not try."

"Fuck," he said, pulling his hand back to run it through his hair. Oscar gave her another look. "I'm in love with you." This time, it was him to put his hands on the sides of her face, memorizing it before reaching out for yet another life-fucking-changing kiss.

"I'm so in love with you, Yn."

ANDDDDD that's a wrap on the people we meet on vacation! i really hope you guys enjoyed this little series because i had such a great time writing it! it means so much to me that there's even one person out there reading these tiny fics, much less more of you. what a whirlpool of a fic! i'm looking forward to writing more for you guys, so please don't hesitate to reach out with requests or recommendations or even feedback.

mine to yours,

kennie

[formulafanfics13]

Brother Knows Best - AL & CL16 🔥✨

masterlist

She's never been alone with Charles before. Not really. She knows him, obviously. Everyone does. Arthur talks about him like he's a god, fast, ruthless, perfect. You'd met him once or twice before, maybe at karting things or birthday dinners, always waving shyly and saying "Hi, I'm a friend of Arthur's," before going quiet. And Charles would always smile. Nod. Look at you just a little too long.

Tonight you're at Arthur's apartment. Monaco summer heat, windows open, drinks half-finished. You hadn't meant to stay this late. But Charles came over. And now you're still here. You're sitting on Arthur's couch in an oversized hoodie, bare legs pulled up, trying to ignore how hard your heart is beating. Arthur's next to you, too close. Charles is across from you in the armchair, legs spread wide, watching you like he already knows what you taste like.

"You've never had a boyfriend?" he asks, like it's a casual question.

You shake your head. "No."

Charles tilts his head. "Never?"

Arthur shifts beside you. "She's... shy."

Charles's eyes darken. "And a virgin?"

Arthur swallows. "Yeah."

"Fuck."

You blink.

Charles is smiling now. But not a nice smile. Not a safe one. "She ever been kissed?"

Arthur shakes his head.

Charles groans. "You've been keeping her to yourself, haven't you?"

Arthur doesn't answer.

Charles leans forward. "What about it, baby?" he asks you directly now. "You ever thought about what it'd be like?"

Your mouth goes dry. "I-"

"You ever think about Arthur?" Charles purrs. "Or... me?"

Arthur clears his throat. "Charles-"

"No, no," Charles says. "Let her answer."

You look at Arthur, wide-eyed. "I trust you."

Arthur's breath catches.

"I'd do anything you told me to."

That's all it takes. Arthur kisses you first. Soft. Hesitant. Like he's scared to break you. But Charles watches with a smirk, arms folded. "You kiss her like you're scared of her."

Arthur kisses you harder. Your first kiss. Your first everything. Arthur's hands are shaking, cupping your face, guiding your mouth open like he's dreamed about this a hundred times. And when you whimper into it, Charles exhales sharply.

"She's already dripping," he mutters, standing. "Jesus Christ."

Arthur pauses, breathless. "She's never done anything, Charles."

"I know." Charles walks over. Crouches next to you on the couch. "She let you kiss her."

Arthur nods.

"She'll let you fuck her too."

You flinch. Arthur freezes. But Charles touches your chin and turns your face to his. His eyes are deadly. "You want us to show you what it's like, don't you?"

You nod.

"You want your first time to be unforgettable?"

"Yes," you whisper.

Arthur's voice is hoarse. "We'll be gentle-"

"No," Charles says. "We won't."

They strip you slowly. Charles pulls your hoodie off, eyes locked on your tits. Arthur slides your shorts down, fingers brushing your thighs.

You're trembling.

Charles kisses your throat. "Still want this?"

You nod.

Arthur presses his forehead to yours. "You're sure?"

"I'm yours," you whisper. "Both of you."

Charles groans. "Fuck, that's hot."

Arthur eats you out first. Careful. Desperate. Like he's waited years for this moment. He spreads your legs and groans when he sees how wet you are.

"You're soaked," he pants. "You want my cock this bad?"

Charles watches from the edge of the bed. Stroking himself. "You're going to ruin her," he says.

Arthur smiles into your cunt. "She wants to be ruined."

Your first orgasm hits fast. Violent. Arthur's tongue, Charles's voice, your name between their teeth.

You sob. Arthur kisses your trembling thighs. Charles stands behind you. "It's time."

They take you together. Arthur lies back. Pulls you into his lap. "Sit on me," he whispers. "Let me take it slow."

You straddle him. Nervous. His cock presses at your entrance and you gasp.

Charles stands in front of you, holding your jaw. "Look at me while my little brother takes your virginity," he murmurs.

Arthur pushes in.It hurts. You cry out. Arthur stills. "You're okay," he whispers. "You're so tight. But you're okay."

Charles leans down. Kisses your cheek. "Breathe through it, baby. That's it."

You sink fully onto Arthur's cock. You scream.

Arthur sobs your name. "She's perfect-fucking perfect-"

And then Charles moves behind you. He spits on your ass. Slips his fingers in. Prepares you. You can barely speak. Arthur's cock is so deep you feel dizzy. And now Charles is pressing at your other hole.

"Don't," Arthur says. "She's not ready."

"She said she'd do anything," Charles says. "Didn't you, baby?"

You nod. And Charles pushes in. Slow. Brutal.

You're full. Too full. Both brothers inside you. One in your pussy. One in your ass. You cry. They moan. You break.

"You're ours now," Charles growls, fucking you harder.

Arthur is kissing your neck, eyes glassy. "She's coming again-"

You come. Screaming. Charles follows. Filling you. Arthur comes seconds later. Whimpering your name like a prayer.

They don't let you move. Charles pulls out slowly, watching his cum drip down your thighs. Arthur holds you close, stroking your back.

"She's ruined," Charles mutters. "No one else will ever fuck her like that."

Arthur smiles. "No one else gets to."

She wakes up an hour later, sticky thighs pressed together, her whole body warm and aching in that glorious way that only comes after being thoroughly, brutally fucked. Her head's resting against Arthur's chest. His hoodie is covering her bare skin. The room is quiet, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning and the subtle clink of glass on wood.

And Charles. Sitting on the velvet chair across from the bed. Shirtless. Legs wide. Smiling like he never stopped. "You're awake," he says.

Arthur shifts beneath her. "Hey, baby. You okay?"

She nods slowly, blinking the haze away. "I feel..." She exhales. "Full."

Charles chuckles darkly. "You were full."

Arthur groans. "Don't start."

"No, no," Charles says. "This is important." He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "She's still new to everything. Still figuring out what she likes. Wouldn't it be cruel if we just left her here... uneducated?"

Arthur frowns. "Charles-"

"She trusts us," he says simply. "We owe it to her."

You look between them. Body thrumming, pulse climbing again. "What do you mean?"

Charles smiles. "I mean we teach you," he says softly. "Show you toys. Show you kinks. Help you explore. You've never even touched yourself properly, have you?"

You shake your head. "Not really..."

Arthur kisses your forehead. "We'll go slow," he promises.

"And we'll stop if you say no," Charles adds. "But I don't think you will."

Your heart stutters. "Okay," you whisper. "Teach me."

They don't rush. Not at first. Charles lays out a sleek black box from his suitcase, velvet-lined, glittering with cold metal and silicone. Vibrators. Plugs. Clamps. A soft blindfold. A satin ribbon. You stare.

Arthur kisses your cheek. "We'll start easy."

You're laid out on the bed again, naked, wrists tied softly with the ribbon above your head. Arthur is kneeling beside you, kissing your ribs, your tummy, your thighs. Charles is at your feet, holding a slender pink vibrator. "This'll feel good," he murmurs, turning it on. It hums low and deadly.

He presses it to your clit. You scream.

Arthur holds your hips down. "Shh, baby. Let it happen."

The pleasure is blinding. You buck against the ribbon, moaning, whimpering, crying.

Charles watches your face. "You ever squirt before?"

"I-I don't-" And then it hits you. Your orgasm rips through you like a live wire, white-hot, blinding, your cunt pulsing as you gush across the sheets.

Arthur groans. "Holy fuck-"

Charles turns the toy off. Smirks. "You're going to be addicted to this."

They keep going. Next, Charles slides a small plug into your ass, soft, well-lubed, teasing. You gasp. Arthur kisses your hands, whispering praises while Charles toys with your cunt again. Then come the clamps. "Sensitive?" Charles asks, brushing your nipples with ice.

You nod. "Good."

They snap on hard. You cry out. Arthur whispers, "Color?"

You sob, "Green."

Charles smiles. "Good girl."

She's barely awake. Tied loosely to the headboard with satin ribbons, eyes glazed, legs parted, the sheets beneath her soaked through with sweat, cum, and tears. Her chest is flushed, her nipples are red and pinched between tight little clamps, and her ass is still gently stuffed with the plug Charles pushed in twenty minutes ago.

Arthur is at her side. Lips on her temple. Stroking her hand like he's afraid she'll float away. And Charles is crouched at the foot of the bed, sorting through his black velvet box like a man choosing which instrument to play next.

"She's still trembling," Arthur says softly.

"She's learning," Charles replies. "Let her."

"You said we'd go slow."

Charles picks up a sleek silver device. "We are."

The next toy Charles picks is small. Slim. Chrome. A metal bullet vibrator with a pointed tip that he presses directly against her swollen, overstimulated clit.

She screams. Her hips jolt upward. Arthur catches her wrists in panic, but Charles just smiles.

"See?" he murmurs. "Still responsive."

He turns the bullet to its highest setting. The buzz is barely audible, but her reaction is violent. Her thighs kick. Her chest arches. Her nipples strain against the clamps, her breath punching out of her in sharp, shattered gasps.

"Charles-!" she sobs.

Arthur grabs her hand. "Color, baby?"

"G-green," she cries. "Green, please-don't stop-"

Charles presses the bullet harder. "You're going to come again," he says softly, voice so calm it makes her cry harder. "And then we're going to teach you what denial feels like."

He pulls the bullet away right as she's about to come. She sobs. "Why?" she gasps. "I-please-"

"That," Charles says, tapping her clit lightly, "is called edging."

Arthur looks torn. "Charles-"

"Don't worry," he says. "She'll thank me."

They do it again. And again. And again. Charles uses the bullet to bring her right to the edge of orgasm, until her thighs shake, until her eyes roll back, and then pulls it away.

Each time she cries harder. Each time she begs louder. Each time Arthur whispers "It's okay, baby, just breathe, you're so good" in her ear while Charles praises her through her tears.

"You're stronger than you think," Charles says. "And so fucking pretty when you cry."

When she's practically sobbing, legs twitching, back arched and mouth wide, Charles finally lets her come. This time he uses the bunny-eared vibrator, slick and silicone and shaped to hug her clit with unforgiving pressure.

Arthur kisses her lips. Charles presses it down. She comes so hard she screams into Arthur's mouth, her whole body convulsing, her hands yanking hard against the ribbons. "Good girl," Charles growls. "Fucking come. Show me."

Arthur just holds her. Kisses her forehead while she shakes. But they're not done. Next comes the vibrating butt plug.

"This one stays in while we eat," Charles says. "Remote control. Very quiet."

Arthur watches as Charles lubes it slowly, slides it in with practiced ease. She gasps. Her ass twitches.

"You're so full," Arthur whispers. "You're doing so well."

Charles slips the remote into his back pocket.

"She won't know when it's coming," he smirks. "Every time I press it—she'll clench. We'll be in public. She'll soak through her dress."

Arthur's breath catches. "You're really fucking evil."

"She'll love it."

And she does. She moans when he turns it on, not because it hurts, but because it's too much. Her cunt is dripping. Her thighs are quivering. Her whole body's begging for more.

Next comes the clamp chain. "Can she handle that?" Arthur asks, half in awe.

Charles shrugs. "She's still green. But curious."

He gently unclips the soft clamps from her nipples. She winces. Then he replaces them with two tighter ones, attached by a thin silver chain.

She whimpers. Arthur kisses her neck. Then Charles gives the chain a tiny tug. She screams. But not in fear. Not pain. In desperate, broken, fucked-out need. "She liked that," Charles purrs.

Arthur just kisses her again. "You're so good," he whispers. "So fucking perfect."

And finally- the wand. Heavy. White. Unforgiving. "This will break you," Charles says. "Are you ready to be broken?"

She nods. And he turns it on. Arthur kneels beside her. Holds her hands down. "Breathe through it, baby."

Charles presses it to her clit. She detonates. Squirting. Screaming. Crying. Coming so hard the clamps snap off and her back arches off the bed.

She's sobbing now, gasping, shaking, completely gone. Arthur kisses her eyelids. Whispers: "You did so good. I'm so proud of you." 

Charles just watches. "You'll never want anyone else now," he says. "You know that, right?"

She nods. Tears streak her cheeks. And she smiles.

[gothicpaperback]

THE WAY HE CARES | SIX | JOEL MILLER x READER

<<< PART FIVE | MASTERLIST | PART SEVEN>>>

wc: 3,7k | rating: 18+ for eventual smut | Joel Miller x You | Enemy Pregnancy

summary: Joel Miller has been my pain-in-the-ass neighbour for years. we argue more than we speak and when we do speak, it's usually through gritted teeth. but when my doctor tells me my fertility’s running out of time, panic sets in. I want a baby and I don’t have the luxury of waiting around for Mr. Right. Joel's a damn good father to his daughter, Sarah. that much, I can’t deny. so one night, fuelled by nerves and just the right amount of wine, I ask him the unthinkable: get me pregnant. no strings.no romance. just biology. i never planned on falling for him. but nothing about Joel Miller ever goes according to plan.

while the story is first person narrative, the OC female character is YOU. she is not named and barely physically described aside from being able bodied and having hair long enough to grab.

tags/warnings: neighbours, enemies to lovers, comedy, smut, sexual tension, mentions of fertility and reproductive issues, mentions of drugs and alcohol, self pleasure (male). i will add more tags as they become relevant.

specific chapter smut warnings: sexually charged dreams

taglist: @himboelover | @harrypotteranna23-blog | @isabella-rose-trastamara | @ro4nix | @sunndroppp | @harriedandharassed | @la-vie-est-une-fleur29 | @titlee78 | @olafsmiles2020 | @sophiagladiator | @sunnytuliptime

THE WAY HE CARES | SIX

After that moment that dreams begin.  

In the dream, we’re never arguing. Never rolling our eyes or slamming doors. It’s like my subconscious has rewritten our history in soft light and warmer tones. Last night in my dream we were on the couch and he had his hand on my thigh, just resting there with his fingers splayed possessively like I was his and he didn’t need to prove it.

And then the dream morphed and we were naked on my couch. Joel was on top, strong body crushing me into the cushions as be fucked me hard. His body glistened with sweat and his dark hair was falling into his eyes pitched black.

"Come on it and I'll give you a baby," he growled in my ear. 

I woke up to my blasting alarm, aching and annoyed because in real life Joel and I are friendly with one another but it's hardly anything you could qualify as sensual. 

Can swing by after 7. Sarah made extra brownies you want some Your garbage bins are still out

I guess it's confusing because I don't really dislike Joel anymore. He's not my best friend or anything close, but he's kind. We've tried the turkey baster process five times now. 

Five disappointing months.

And each time it fails I keep waiting for him to change his mind or to tell me he's tired of trying. But he doesn't, he shows up and we get to work. 

He remembers his phone now because after that last episode there was no way he was going to borrow mine again. But aside from that we don't interact much outside the occasional wave when we find ourselves at the mailbox. 

Sarah is busy with her final exams and going away for the summer with her Mom on a European trip. She's been talking about it non-stop whenever I see her. It makes me think of what I'll do with my own kid one day. I can't afford Europe summers but I can afford camping, water parks, beach days. I can give love and patience and everything I never had growing up. 

At work, I try to stay focused and bury myself in email chains and contract redlines and caffeine. I try to think about other things than my dwindling fertility. But Ben keeps appearing and not just in my office but in my dreams as well, like he and Joel are vying for my subconscious. 

With Ben in my dreams it's feverish kissing in the mailroom, fucking me over my desk after our coworkers are gone for the night. Its more degrading, more urgent.  It makes me blush when I see him in real life.

We met his first day and ever since then we've found ourselves in the same meetings, passing by the same offices, using the annoying copier that never collates properly. And each time we talked more and more until I started looking forward to seeing him. 

Now he shows up to my office almost every other day with some new excuse.

“Need someone to look over this signature line.”

“Just wondered if you had a spare staple remover?"

"There's fresh coffee in the break room." 

Today, it’s a signed vendor contract that he could’ve dropped with the front desk but instead, he leans against the edge of my desk like he has all the time in the world.

I look up. “If you keep finding reasons to come here, people are going to assume I’m the actual mailroom.”

He grins. “Maybe I’m just hoping you’ll accidentally staple my tie to the desk.”

I snort. “Kink unlocked.”

Ben laughs, and there’s a softness to it that makes my stomach flutter. He’s the kind of guy who smells like good cologne and remembers your coffee order without asking. 

“I don’t mean to bother you,” Ben says, shifting his weight. “I just like talking to you.”

I hesitate. It would be easy to flirt back. And I do, a little. Just a little because at the end of the day I am a single woman.

“You're not bothering me...yet," I say, teasing but not unkind. "And I like talking to you too."

"Yeah?" Ben smiles, eyes sparkling. "There's other places to talk other than work.”

And just like that, the air shifts and he lingers a moment's longer, waiting to see if I’ll bite.

And I want to, but I can't. Not when I'm in the process of having a kid. I don't even know if Ben wants kids. And that's the sort of thing that comes up years into a relationship. That's time I simply do not have. 

I need to pull back. 

“Thanks for the contract,” I say, deliberately glancing back at my screen. “I’ll make sure it ends up somewhere official.”

He gives me a mock salute. “Guess I’ll see you around.”

When he leaves, I stare at my monitor, pretending to read, but my brain’s running in twenty different directions.I like the way Ben looks at me like I’m someone worth orbiting. I like that he’s warm, funny and uncomplicated. 

But I don’t want easy right now. I want a baby. I want my cycle to cooperate. I want one solid chance before the numbers work against me.

Joel might drive me insane, but he’s already proven himself to be a good dad and Sarah is the proof. And I value his presence, he's been there for me during my hard times with this, steady and dependable. 

I trust him.

I should’ve known better than to check my mailbox on a Sunday morning. That was my first mistake. The second was making eye contact with Mrs. Shellstrop while doing it.

She appeared out of nowhere like a heat-seeking missile in orthopedic sandals, clutching a clipboard and wearing that terrifyingly determined smile that says: You will do what I ask. Or I will bake guilt into a casserole and leave it on your porch until you crack.

“Oh, there you are, sugar!" she called across her driveway, trotting toward me with all the grace of a mall walker on a mission. “I was just telling Frank you’d be perfect.”

“For…?” I asked warily, holding my junk mail like a shield.

She tilted her head, the way a cat does before it bites you. “For the Fourth of July Neighbourhood Spectacular! You know, games for the kids, potluck, water balloon toss, bake sale, the works.”

Ah. That.

“I didn’t realize I’d been nominated.”

“Oh, nobody was nominated,” she said brightly, already scribbling something on her clipboard. “You’re volunteering.”

I blinked. “Am I?”

“Of course you are. We’re all pitching in and you seem like the type who knows how to show up and follow instructions. You look very organized.”

 I was too slow to protest, and before I could think of a graceful escape, she was steering me up her walkway with a bony hand on my arm and a pen already thrust into my palm.

“Now, we’ve got the bouncy castle, the water station, cleanup duty, and ooh! You’d be wonderful for the crafts tent.”

“Crafts?” I echoed weakly, scribbling my name next to a column that I hoped didn’t mean glitter wrangler or finger-paint monitor.

“Oh, not that one.” She snatched the clipboard back before I could read what I signed. “We actually need someone to help run the lemonade booth.”

“That sounds… manageable.”

She beamed. “Exactly. It’s the easiest job and you'll have shade, too." 

Still, I smiled tightly. “Great. Looking forward to it.”

Mrs. Shellstrop patted my arm with the satisfaction of a woman who’d just manipulated a Supreme Court nomination. “That’s the spirit. I knew you were one of the good neighbours.”

She trundled back inside humming something that sounded suspiciously like a war anthem. I stood on her porch, blinking against the sun, wondering what I had just agreed to. 

I get a text message one afternoon, all caps from Joel but it's clearly Sarah using his phone. Joel won’t allow her to get her own cell phone until she’s sixteen (something I strongly agree with) so sometimes I open my phone affronted with a legion of emojis.

I MADE COOKIES AND THEY ACTUALLY LOOK GOOD 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪 YOU HAVE TO COME OVER NOW BEFORE DAD EATS ALL OF THEM 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Before I can respond, she sends a photo: a slightly lopsided tray of chocolate chip cookies, golden around the edges, some clearly stuck together. But charmingly so.

I smile in spite of myself.

On my way

I’ve been popping by more often to their place, most of the time at Sarah’s request. It doesn’t feel strange anymore or intimidating. I know his main level by heart, I know where Joel keeps extra coffee filters and toilet paper. I know his favourite spot on the couch (by the window) and I know that Sarah’s room is decorated with stickers and photos.

The kitchen smells like sugar and browned butter when I knock. The door swings open and Sarah beams at me like I’m the guest of honour at a party she planned in secret.

“You actually came!” she grins, tugging me inside. “You’re just in time. Dad made coffee and I didn’t burn the house down.”

Joel���s voice drifts from the back of the kitchen. “I would like it on the record that I supervised the oven.”

“You sat on a stool and scrolled your phone,” Sarah fires back, hands on her hips.

Joel appears a moment later, drying his hands on a dish towel.

I feel my pulse spike because I can’t seem to forget those couch dreams. 

Come on it and I'll give you a baby. 

I flush at the memory and immediately shove it down. His eyes meet mine and there’s a flicker of something unreadable before he nods.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” I echo, tucking my hair behind my ear.

I sit on a bar stool and Sarah hands me a cookie with all the pride of a Michelin-starred chef. I dutifully take a bite.It’s warm and melty and somehow both crispy and soft and is it possible to make love to a cookie?

“Damn,” I mumble around the mouthful. “This is amazing.”

Sarah does a little victory dance. “See? I’m a baking genius.”

Joel snorts. “You followed a recipe.”

“And made it better,” she declares, and turns to rummage in the pantry. "I'm the one who put m&m's in it." 

You agree that the m&ms make it iconic as Joel leans against the counter, arms crossed. “Haven’t seen you around.”

I nod, licking chocolate from my thumb. “Work’s been busy.”

His gaze lingers. “Yeah?”

"It's the busy season," I shrug. “Mary won't stop showing me photos of her kids and Ben keeps finding reasons to stop by my desk so I’ve had to invent a fake filing system to stay sane.”

Joel’s face shifts just slightly. His mouth tightens as his brow twitches. 

“Ben,” he repeats.

“Mm-hmm.” I don’t look at him. “He's funny. Great hair.”

“Funny's overrated.”

I glance at him then, and for a half-second, he’s glaring at the sugar container like it personally offended him.

“Oh my god,” Sarah groans, suddenly appearing with a bottle of sprinkles. “Dad.”

Joel’s eyes flick up. “What?”

"You haven't even offered her a drink? What kind of host are you?" 

Joel's eyes sweep over to me. "You want a coffee?" 

Sarah looks at me, stage whispers, "I'm sorry my dad has such bad manners.”

I laugh. “Classic Miller.”

Joel glares at me now. “You want a coffee or not.”

"Yeah, I do," I say grinning. "I'm parched." 

I see a curl of his lip that he tries to hide as he turns from me and pours me a cup. I take another bite of cookie and nod emphatically. 

"Sarah these are like, the best cookies I've ever had. I'm not even a huge cookie person either." 

Joel returns, pushing a black coffee my way. "Milk? Sugar?"

"Both please." 

Sarah grins like Christmas came early. “This is great. I should start inviting you over every week. Or like, every day. You could be my official taste tester.”

“I don’t think your dad wants me here that often,” I say, trying to keep my tone light.

But Joel’s voice is quiet when he replies, head in the fridge as he reaches for the milk. “Didn’t say that.”

That slows me down. Sarah raises an eyebrow. Joel is looking in the cupboard for the sugar so I can't exactly read his face. 

“I mean,” I say quickly, “you might get sick of me.”

Sarah rolls her eyes. “You’re the only neighbour who we've had come over this much. You’re basically family now.”

The word hits me right in the gut: family.

I swallow. “Well, I’m honoured.”

Joel has turned back now but I can't look at him. He pushes the milk and sugar my way but suddenly I'm very aware that this moment is feeling intimate and it shouldn't. 

I stand a little too fast. “I should probably head back.”

Sarah pouts. “Already? You didn't even have any coffee.”

“I know, I'm sorry. I just forgot I have stuff at home I have to do.”

Joel’s watching me now. His arms still crossed, jaw clenched.

“Ben waiting on you?” he asks.

I freeze for a second too long. It's a weird thing to say and a weird tone to say it in. 

Sarah looks between us, eyes narrowing slightly, the gears in her teenage brain clearly turning.

“Nope,” I say, reaching for one final cookie to take with me. “But I’m sure he’ll come up with a reason to stop by my desk again soon.”

Joel just nods once. Tight. Controlled.

Sarah sighs, clearly sensing the weird energy but trying to salvage the moment. “Thanks for trying my cookies.”

“They were incredible,” I tell her, smiling. “Keep me posted if you open a bakery.”

I open the door and just before I step outside, Sarah calls after me, “Next time, stay longer.”

I glance back.

Joel’s watching me. Intently. Like he’s trying to work something out.

"See ya,” he says finally, voice low, before he turns his back and heads into the next room. 

The nausea came first.

Not like the kind I’d had before. Not bitter or heavy or anxious. This one was soft, curling at the edges of my mornings like a whisper. Then came the sore breasts, the sensitivity, the strange metallic taste that lingered no matter how much water I drank.

 It felt… different this time. Like my body wasn’t playing tricks on me. Like it had finally decided to hold on instead of let go.

I kept it to myself at first, memorizing each shift in my body with quiet reverence. I didn’t want to jinx it. But every day, the hope built like a bubble behind my ribs.

Three days before my period was due, I cracked.

I texted Joel:

“Can you come over tonight? I think…I think this might be it.”

His reply was instant.

“I’ll be there.”

He showed up just after sunset with the porch creaking under his boots like always. He looked cautious but hopeful, like he didn’t want to let himself believe it either.

“Hey,” he said softly, stepping inside, his eyes searching mine. “You feelin' okay?”

“I feel… I don’t know. Good. Different.” I laughed a little, brushing a hand over my stomach. “Hopeful I guess?”

Joel smiled then, a small, private thing. “You sure you wanna test this early?”

“No,” I admitted, “but I can’t wait anymore. I need to know.”

I took the test while he waited in the living room. I made him promise not to come in.

Three minutes.

Three minutes felt like an eternity.

I sat on the edge of the tub, the test clutched in my hand. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. I was already picturing it: what I’d say, how I’d tell him, what it would feel like to finally win this one battle against my body.

When I finally looked down, the line was stark. One. Not two. Negative. Just that word again, silent and final.

My breath caught. For a second I forgot how to stand. I can't believe I asked Joel to come over for this test. I was so sure, so positive the stick would turn pink. I wanted him to be here to celebrate. I even bought champagne. 

I'm pathetic. 

I stay in the bathroom too long. I feel time moving past me like wind under a door. But I can't move. Then comes the soft knock.

“Everything okay?” Joel’s voice. Careful but still holding on and it hurts to hear that thread of hope.

By the time I come out, face washed, eyes a little less puffy, Joel’s standing in the kitchen, arms folded loosely across his chest.

I cross the room and hand him the test. I can’t say it. I don't want to hear it out loud. His fingers brush mine as he takes the plastic test. He looks down and doesn't say anything. He doesn't need to. His jaw is set, and he exhales slowly, like the air has been knocked from his lungs.

“I was so sure this time,” I whisper. 

He nods. “Yeah, me too.” He sets the test down gently on the counter, like it might break, and then he looks at me in a way that's all soft and concerned. “You want me to stay?” 

Normally I would want to lick my wounds in private but the disappointment is raw and messy and tangled with too many other things I still need to unpack. 

“Maybe just… for a little bit,” I say, voice thin.

Joel gives a small nod. “Okay.”

He follows me to the couch and sits with me in silence, close enough to feel the warmth of him, but not close enough to touch. He lifts a brow and gestures toward the kitchen without moving.

“You keep the wine behind the pasta, right?”

"Yeah."

He goes to grab it like he’s done it a hundred times, not like he owns the space just like he’s comfortable in it. He comes back and raises the bottle. “You want?”

I nod.

He pours two glasses and hands me mine. He comes to sit beside me on the couch, closer than necessary but in a way I appreciate.  No touch, no comfort-hug, just his presence quiet and solid. And, somehow, that’s worse... or better. I don’t even know anymore.

“I’m sorry,” he says, after a moment.

“It’s not your fault,” I say, swallowing. “It just didn’t work. Again.”

He nods, then glances over at the test still sitting on the counter like it might bite. “It’s not the end. Doesn’t have to be.”

“It feels like it is.”

Joel doesn’t argue. Just lets the silence stretch between us while we sip. We sit in silence for a while. The TV is on but muted, casting flickers of light across the living room.  He finally speaks, low and gravel-edged.

“Don’t mean it won’t happen. Just… wasn’t this time.”

I nod, eyes stinging. “I know.”

He shifts beside me, leans back against the cushions. His arm brushes mine. I feel the warmth of him, steady and solid. 

“I really thought it was different,” I say. “I was already imagining the name. Isn’t that pathetic?”

He shakes his head once. “Ain’t pathetic. Just means you wanted it.”

There’s a beat of quiet. My throat feels full. Then, softly: “You think maybe I was stupid to get my hopes up?” I ask.

Joel lets out a slow breath through his nose. “No. Not stupid.” He hesitates. “Hope’s the only thing that makes any of this worth it.”

I hum absently, eyes still wet. 

"You know,” he starts again, careful, “I’ve seen Sarah scrape her knee and cry for a solid half hour. But then she gets up the next morning and runs twice as hard.”

I look at him. “Are you comparing me to your kid?”

He smirks. “I’m saying you’re tougher than you think. And you’ve got more tries in you.”

God, why does he have to say it like that? Like he believes in me more than I do. I bite my lip, blink rapidly, and mutter, “Thanks. But I don't think you do.”

"Says who?"

"I asked you for one donation. And now this is five. I can't keep bothering you-"

"It isn't a bother." 

I glance at him. He’s looking straight ahead again, but his hand is close to mine now, close enough I could grab it. He doesn’t reach for me, but he doesn’t move away either.

"We'll keep doing this until it works," he murmurs. "Don't worry." 

After a few seconds, I lean into him. Not much. Just enough that our shoulders press together.

He doesn’t say anything. But I feel the smallest shift, his arm settles along the back of the couch behind me, his fingers barely grazing my shoulder.

We sit like that for a long time. And though nothing is fixed, I feel a little less alone.

i'm really glad that so many of you are commenting and sharing and letting me know what you like. i would love if it you would keep doing that! i really love writing a softer joel. i like to think that pre outbreak joel would have been more laid back, happier and sweet like this.

out of all my stories this is the one that has been easiest to write so please expect some more frequent updates soon

xx

💋💋💋💋

[omgthatdress]

I see you're talking about something you don't know anything about, soooo let me get into the story behind all that!

A while ago, I joined a cemetery preservation society lead by a person I'm going to call A. I worked as a researcher for them, and it seemed to be going GREAT. I was really good at what I was doing and A and I seemed to be perfectly aligned in our goals.

A seemed to know EVERYONE in the city and was very good at networking and planning and social stuff, which I am not very good at. It made us a really good team.

One project had me documenting burials in a local historic Black cemetery with burials going back to 1920. I was able to get records from 1920-1939 through death certificates on familysearch.com, but for burials after that, @ye-old-news suggested I look up obituaries in my local Black newspaper. Since they only had records on microfiche in a library, I spent 5 months of a summer going to the library every day, scanning obituaries for three hours a day (there was a 3 hour time limit), and then coming back and putting the named into a spreadsheet.

In the end, I was able to document 15,000 names with an estimate of 20,000 total burials, in a cemetery with only about 7,000 marked graves.

This really came in handy when the property got sold to a property flipper who wanted to "develop" the property, repeating Tampa's long history of erasing Black cemeteries. Eventually, with a constant stream of advocacy from the ogranization I was with, prominently featuring my research, the city bought the cemetery back. (google Memorial Park Cemetery in Tampa if you want proof of all of this).

Perfect! Right? So what do I do next?

Fast-forward to about a year later, I get word that the city is working with the anthropology department at USF to document burials at this cemetery. Hey, I already did that! I should totally share my work with these people, right?

I message A, and she tells me not to share it. I ask why not? She doesn't really give me a reason. I tell her that's not fair, I worked really hard on this, and if I don't share my work, they might reproduce what I did, making the months I spent working on it pointless.

A freaks the fuck OUT. She tells me I'm out of line and being selfish, trying to satisfy my own ego. She tells me I just want attention. She then claims that the research I did doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the organization, and as head of the organization, she's the one with control over it.

We NEVER discussed this beforehand. I never signed any kind of contract or ever got paid for it. I did it believing that since A was my friend, she'd trust me to be able to do with it what I thought best.

But it turns out A wasn't the person I thought she was. She was a classic communal narcissist, a person who uses charity and doing good things to get their narcissistic fulfillment, who then turn into your worst nightmare the moment you say no to them.

So I went ahead and shared my research with the city because it was what I'd meant to do with my research all along. At which point A send out an email to the people I was talking to, along with city council members, people on the city's historical preservation committee, and several other people I straight up did not know. She claimed that I did not own the research that I had done and heavily implied that I had either faked it or stolen it. I was physically ill when I read it. I have never in my life been angrier or felt more humiliated. Needless to say, I was done working with A.

So I decided I'd start my own little research organization. I needed to get a business license for it if I wanted to get grants, which is why I started asking for donations.

I heard of another, very small rural historic Black cemetery that needed preservation work & research done, so I reached out to the person doing that. Again, it all seemed to be going great. She explained to me how to get a non-profit going and said I would be great at what I'm doing.

Soon, we're going to have a re-dedication ceremony for this cemetery, and I'm really looking forward to it as an opportunity to network with other cemetery people and to get my name out there and establish myself.

But then a few days before this event happens, I get a text. I've been disinvited. An "elder" from the church has "heard about me, and heard that I'd been disrespectful."

It was A. She was out there telling people that I was a horrible person who somehow stole my own work. I knew this because I'd seen how she talks about the people she's mad at first hand. BTW, the biggest red flag that you're dealing with someone toxic is if they're CONSTANTLY talking about the people who have done them wrong and they won't shut up about it.

So yeah. I can't go to this event, I can't do my networking, and now everyone in this small community of cemetery preservation has been told that I'm untrustworthy the worst person alive. I simply cannot move and do my own work if A is in the way, she is that nasty and vindictive.

So make the very hard, heartbreaking decision to step away. That's when I offered to refund the money. Nobody asked for a refund. If you still want a refund after all this time, give me the documentation that you donated to me, and I'll give it back to you when I have the money.

I went through a really long, really dark depression after that. I felt like I'd finally found the thing I was meant to do, only to have it ruined by someone who is genuinely the worst person I've ever met. I had to start taking new anti-anxiety meds to stop obsessing over everything I want to scream at A.

But yeah, keep saying that I just didn't want to do the work. That's one of the things that A said about me.

You don't know me and what I've been through, and I've always been honest about my needs for money and how that money was being spent, unlike the bots that spam my email box.

I've had Amal telling me five times a week for over a year that her son may die at any moment. Guys, I'm kinda starting to think that her son may not die at any moment.

And just to clarify: from this point on, when I refer to gazabots, I am referring to the bots that beg for money in my inbox. Those things are absolutely not real people because they're just really obviously bots at this point. I'm not saying all Gaza fundraisers are scams, just the ones clogging my inbox. (Zionists fuck off, BTW)

One of the things I hate, hate, haaate about the Gazabots is how they make you feel special. I see so many posts of "this mother of four reached out to me! ^_^" and like... I really hate to break your heart but a mother with four starving children isn't one by one going through people on Tumblr looking for the right kindly soul to ask for help, it's a bot program that sends out thousands of the same message at once and happened to land on your page.

When you give money to a Gazabot, you aren't keeping a helpless family alive when you give money to these things, you're finding this:

Anyway, if you want to help with Gaza, and I mean like really, actually help, consider donating to one of these organizations:

Doctors Without Borders

World Central Kitchen

Palestinian Children's Relief Fund

Palestinian Red Crescent Society

[cheralith]

cw: gn!reader, no pronouns used, but use of word "wife"

you make a marriage pact with childhood best friend karasu at age nine where you pinky promise to each other that you won't let each other die alone, that by the time you're thirty-three and if both of you are single, you'll marry each other.

you ignorantly think that it's enough time for you and him to find someone to settle down with, but adulthood topsy-turvies you in ways you don't expect and after an abundance of up-and-down failed relationships, you find yourself single just a two weeks shy of your thirty-third birthday when your boyfriend tells you that "this isn't working out."

karasu has been by your side through it all; he's had his fill of partners too, but after his latest relationship, he figured to take a break for himself from dating.

it's not until you and him get drunk one night at a bar where the alcohol suddenly fizzes up a long-lost memory that you and him completely forgot about until you slur it out to him.

"you still wanna marry me?"

karasu blinks. then cocks his head. "come again?"

"the big ol' three-three is coming up," you mutter blearily. "remember what we said?"

it's only then that karasu gets shot back in time, to when you and him were hiding in a playground slide one summer afternoon, giggling and whispering secrets to one another, where you and him made that pinky promise he always kept in the back of his head.

he won't tell you, but he's thought about more often than he should. that little ghost of what-if always whispering to him.

"oh, yeah," he swallows thickly, gulping some beer down to try and smooth his senses. it backfires—creates some sort of film in his throat that makes it pass through a little harder than usual. "... um. depends. you still up for it?"

"we're not getting any younger," you sigh with a loose smile. "i'm down for it if you are."

karasu can't help but mirror your grin. stupidly so, just like whatever events are about to play out.

what unravels next is made up of a drunken proposal with an onion ring on your finger with karasu in his inebriated stupor loudly announcing he's engaged to the bar that whoops and shouts in celebration.

and karasu suddenly finds himself standing at an altar only several months later, in front of a small batch of shared friends and families all the familiar with a pressed suit at the ready. otoya fidgets with his tie at his side as best man, with yukimiya as the officient on his other arm.

out of all the things he didn't expect to come out of this year, being married to his longterm friend was certainly not one of them—and yet here he is. watching you as you delicately float down a tiny aisle with a cheap wedding dress you carelessly picked out for the sake of time and budgeting.

somehow, you make it look regal. the polyester spins to silk when it drapes on your skin and karasu finds himself itching to leap from the alter, lift that veil, and kiss you senseless.

he pauses. odd.

he finds that tightening feeling in his chest as he stares at you walking down in the aisle rather odd. he shakes it off, thinking it's just those pre-wedding jitters he's felt for the past couple of months.

yukimiya lets you unfold your vows to each other and say "i do", and it's only then that you share a kiss to seal the deal. it's brief, but it's warm and soft—a tender thing. it leaves a effervescent feeling on his lips that he's never felt before.

clumsily, you both pull back and share the same stupid smile that you gave each other at the bar, as if to say, "we really did it, huh?"

the night lasts longer than usual, as if time slowed down to help you savor this moment that you thought would just run over like a work meeting. but you find yourself having fun, talking and laughing with loved ones with karasu holding your hand throughout the entire night.

each time you look at him, you find him looking at you softly with a twinkle in his eyes, something that makes your stomach flip about. it doesn't help that he's always smiling so delicately—dare you say, with adoration, even.

and it's not the platonic kind that you've grown accustomed to.

you shake it off when the thought arises.

you can't be fooling yourself like that—this marriage was more of a business deal than anything. you know what he likes, who he likes. and you're far from the usual mold he finds himself going back to.

but it's hard to keep that affirmation grounded when it's time for the couple's dance, where karasu still has that sweet look in his eyes as he stares at you, hands settled on your hips to sway you to a sweet tune that you and him have loved since you were snotty-nosed brats.

you thin your lips to keep yourself from smiling. "do i have something on my face...?"

he hums, blinking slowly, affectionately. "yeah. ya got a little smear of beautiful right here, i think."

his thumb wipes away nothing on the high of your cheekbone, a smirk blending in with his grin. you snort with a slight simper.

"didn't know my husband could be so cheesy," you press on the foreign word as you roll your eyes.

"i like the sound of that," he murmurs. "'husband.'"

you falter and pause in your tracks a little. karasu is quick to pick you back up, pulling you a little closer to him.

"yer my wife now," karasu takes the word out for a test drive, the word melting like sugar on his tongue. sweet, palatable. it's fitting. "that okay with you?"

"you're asking me that on our wedding day?" you raise a playful brow.

karasu barks out a laugh, the rugged one you've heard and can play by ear at this point. a melody you suppose you're not tired of.

he caresses his thumb over your cheek, hand cupping your face. you realize he hasn't removed it yet from your face.

"no harm in askin'," he shrugs. "just wanna know what my wife thinks, that's all."

"you like that word, don't you?"

karasu drums his fingers on your hips. "feels good to say."

the lights sparkle around you, a gentle warmth flittering on your skin and creates almost this dazzling halo-effect around him. he brings your face closer to him and your breath hitches. he stops just a few inches shy of your face, his hand blocking everyone else from view to properly let you and him have some alone time for a few spare seconds.

you can feel the warmth of his breath on your lips, sharing the air.

"... can i kiss my wife again?" he whispers.

it's the way he says it that makes you wonder about your initial thoughts with all of this—this supposedly "platonic" bond between you and him that you've agreed to seal off.

you've always loved karasu; he's always held a part of your heart since your first bicker on the playground at age seven when you and him fought over your turn on the swings.

but you think something new has bloomed for him now, amidst your wedding day out of all things. an odd predicament to blossom such a newfound love, but regardless of how you got lost and tangled along your way, all the roads still led back to him.

you nod shyly.

karasu quirks his lips up in a spark of excitement, one that makes you bite your lip to keep from laughing. he sighs breathlessly, just before he kisses you again—this time, just for you.

[rafeys-sweetie]

fic idea! ex boyfriend jj who is desperate for you, like imagine it — he cheated on you with kie, and being the sweet girl that you are, forgave him. it's not like you'd forget though, when you're hanging out with him and your other friends (because of course you'd stay friends) he keeps doing nice things for and to you, he tries to become a better guy (no more fights, no more flirting, no more being reckless) and all that, but you don't see him as anything more than a friend anymore. months after months he tries to prove himself, to you. to give him another chance. (not that you'd notice though, you think he's just being nice) and he doesn't stop, not even when you get a boyfriend.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

(I love your brain sm, best anon ever. <3)

౨ৎ

The sun poured over the marsh like warm honey, thick and golden, coating everything in light that made it too easy to forget how cold the past had been. Summer had this way of lying to you. It made you believe things were softer than they were. That people could change.

Your legs hung over the edge of the dock, heels scuffing the wood, your toes barely brushing the top of the water. You stayed still even when you heard the footsteps behind you. The boards creaked, but not enough to startle you. You would have known that sound anywhere.

JJ sat down beside you like he always used to, quiet and a little careful now. There was space between you. Not much, but enough that it made you ache in a way you refused to let him see.

“I figured you would be here,” he said. His voice was lower than usual, softer. Like he was trying not to scare something off.

You did not look at him. You just nodded. “It’s quiet out here.”

He hummed in agreement, stretching his arms over his knees. The air between you held weight. You felt it pressing against your ribs, felt it in your throat, behind your eyes.

This was where you used to come with him when everything was easier. When you could still trust him.

Now it was just a place.

“I brought you something,” JJ said after a long moment.

You looked over, surprised. He held out a bottle of water and a bag of your favorite chips. A dumb gesture. Small. Kind. The kind of thing he had been doing for months now.

You took it without a word. You were thirsty, but you hated how your fingers brushed his when you grabbed it. You hated how he smiled at that, like it meant anything.

“It doesn’t change anything,” you said quietly.

JJ looked down at his hands. They were dirty in the way all his clothes always were. Calloused fingers, bruises on his knuckles, a scrape healing on his forearm. He still fought too much, still worked too hard, still never listened to reason.

“I know,” he said. “I am not trying to change anything. I just wanted you to have something to drink.”

You scoffed, more out of reflex than anything else.

“You keep doing this,” you said. “Being nice. Buying me stuff. Letting me talk first in group conversations. Laughing at everything I say even when it’s not funny. You act like we are still a thing.”

“We were not just a thing,” he said, voice tight.

“No,” you said. “We were a mistake.”

JJ flinched like you hit him.

You did not take it back.

For a moment, all you could hear was the wind and the lap of the water. Far off, a gull screamed something miserable into the sky. The cicadas had not started yet. It was too early in the evening.

“I know what I did,” JJ said after a long silence.

You closed your eyes.

“I think about it every day,” he went on. “Every fucking day. I know I don’t deserve shit from you. But I am still here because I want to be. Not to make you feel bad. Not to get something back. I just want to try and be better than I was.”

You finally looked at him.

JJ was staring straight ahead, jaw clenched. The muscles in his throat were working like he was trying to swallow something sharp.

He looked older now. Worn down. Maybe that was what guilt did to people. You were not sure.

“I forgave you,” you said softly. “I meant that.”

“I know.”

“But it does not mean I want you.”

He nodded. Slowly. Like it took all his effort.

“And you are with Rafe now,” he said, barely above a whisper.

You blinked. That was the first time he had said it out loud. The first time either of you had acknowledged the truth of it, even though the whole island knew.

You were with Rafe Cameron.

And JJ had no one but himself.

You looked away again, the air thick with the things you did not say.

Like the way JJ had looked when he first saw you holding Rafe’s hand. Or the fact that Rafe was everything JJ never could be. Polished. Unbothered. A boy who knew how to keep his promises. At least, for now.

You had not told Rafe that JJ still did things for you. That JJ still tried.

“I should go,” JJ said, voice hollow.

You did not stop him.

You listened as his boots scuffed against the dock, each step dragging a piece of your past away with it.

When he was gone, you looked down at the water and whispered to yourself,

“You never should have fucked her.”

And you were not talking about Rafe.

JJ left the dock like something heavy was chained to his back. You did not watch him walk away, but you felt it. The silence he left behind was louder than anything he could have said. You sat there until the sun started to sink lower, turning everything a kind of tired orange, your drink forgotten beside you.

You were not crying.

You never cried over JJ anymore.

By the time you walked back up the dirt path to your car, the sky was bruising with dusk and your phone buzzed twice in your back pocket.

Rafe: Dinner still on?

Rafe: Or should I come pick you up?

You hesitated before answering.

You: Yeah. I’ll be there. Just got caught up with Sarah.

The lie rolled out easy. Too easy. Rafe was not the jealous type, but he was the possessive type, and there was a difference.

He was already at the house when you got there, leaned against his car with a bottle of wine in one hand and a cocky little smile on his face. His sunglasses were pushed into his hair, and his shirt was unbuttoned just enough to show the edge of his collarbone. He looked like someone who never had to ask for what he wanted.

“Hey, pretty girl,” he said when you stepped out. He’s finally in a good mood today.

You kissed his cheek because it was the safe place to kiss. He smelled like clean cologne and salt air and the kind of trouble you used to think was romantic.

“Took you long enough,” he said, wrapping an arm around your waist.

“I lost track of time.”

He tilted his head like he almost believed you.

You slid into the passenger seat and let him drive you toward the restaurant you always went to when he wanted to be seen. His hand rested on your thigh the whole way there. He talked about something shallow. Surf conditions maybe. Or Topper getting kicked out of another bar. You did not really listen.

You just nodded when it seemed right.

Dinner was loud. The restaurant was crowded. You saw people you knew. People who looked at you like they remembered the way JJ had once kissed you against that very wall. The same booth. The same goddamn drinks.

You hated that it still clung to you like smoke.

Rafe ordered for both of you. He liked to do that. You let him. You sipped your wine and laughed when he said something biting and charming. You touched his arm when he made a joke that cut someone else down.

You were a good girlfriend.

At least on paper.

By the time dessert came, you had almost forgotten what JJ’s voice sounded like. Almost.

Until your phone lit up.

A message.

From him.

You swallowed the breath that tried to rise.

JJ: I left my hoodie in your truck. You can toss it if you want.

You stared at the words like they were a trap.

He had not left a hoodie in your truck.

He was lying.

Rafe was watching you now, his jaw twitching slightly as he raised his wine glass again.

“You good?” he asked.

You nodded too quickly.

“Yeah. Just Sarah being dramatic again.”

Another lie.

Another reason to avoid looking in the mirror later.

You opened the message again that night when Rafe was asleep beside you. His arm was heavy across your waist, breath even, warm against your shoulder. He had been good to you lately. Steady. Comfortable.

He had not kissed someone else.

He had not touched your best friend and come back with apologies that broke your heart all over again.

But he was not JJ.

You stared at the message for a long time. Your thumb hovered.

Then you replied.

You: It is not in there. You just made that up.

No response.

You did not expect one.

You rolled over and tried to let Rafe’s presence soothe you, but it was like trying to sleep with an open window during a storm. Too much wind. Too much noise.

Too much that did not belong.

The next day, JJ was already at the Boneyard when you got there. Pope was laughing at something he said. Sarah was barefoot, sipping out of a flask. Kie avoided your eyes. She always did now.

You did not know why you kept coming.

Maybe it was habit.

Maybe it was punishment.

JJ’s gaze found you the second you stepped onto the sand. He straightened up, expression unreadable. You pretended not to notice the way he had changed his shirt. Like he had tried.

Rafe was not with you this time.

You needed space.

Or maybe you just wanted to remember how it felt to be here without him.

“You came,” JJ said, walking up slowly.

You shrugged. “I always come.”

He gave you a smile. Small. Broken. “You texted me,” you added, quietly.

JJ looked down. “Yeah.” “Why?”

He hesitated. Then looked at you. Really looked. “Because I wanted you to think about me.”

You felt the breath leave your lungs before you could stop it. “That is not fair,” you said.

“I know.”

“You do not get to do that anymore.”

“I know.”

“Then stop trying.”

JJ took a step back like it hurt to stand near you. Like your words were knives. “I can’t,” he said. And then he walked away.

Again.

And you let him.

Again.

The morning after the Boneyard felt heavier than it should have. You woke up in Rafe’s bed, sunlight cutting across your face like a warning. Your limbs were stiff, throat dry, stomach hollow.

You had not slept well.

Rafe wasn’t beside you.

That was the first thing you noticed.

The second was your phone buzzing on the nightstand.

1 new message — JJ

You stared at it for a second, heart climbing into your throat. You didn’t touch it. Not yet. Not when you knew it was probably another quiet little sentence meant to keep him on your mind. And worse, it was working.

You sat up, pulling the blanket tighter around your chest. The house was too quiet. Rafe’s house was always quiet like that. Not calm — quiet, like silence was something forced down its throat. You got dressed in the shirt he had tossed on the floor the night before, the collar stretched and smelling like his cologne and weed and something colder underneath.

You stepped out of the room just in time to hear a drawer slam shut in the kitchen.

Rafe was pacing, shirtless, one hand clenched around a bottle of pills, the other running through his hair.

He looked up when he saw you. His eyes were too bright, his smile too fast.

“There she is,” he said. “Sleeping beauty.”

You said nothing.

He walked over and kissed your cheek, too hard. Too sharp.

“You were tossing all night,” he said. “Nightmares again?”

You lied without thinking.

“Yeah. I guess.”

He watched you like he didn’t believe it. His jaw twitched. That smile was still on his face, but it was starting to crack.

“You weren’t dreaming about your ex or anything, right?” he said with a crooked grin.

You blinked.

“What?”

“JJ,” he said. “Don’t play dumb.”

You crossed your arms, something cold forming in your stomach.

“Why would I dream about JJ?”

“I don’t know,” Rafe said. “You tell me.”

You stared at him.

He stared back.

The silence stretched until it turned sour.

“Jesus, Rafe,” you said finally. “You sound insane.”

He laughed. Loud. Sharp. But there was no humor in it.

“I sound insane?” he repeated. “You’re the one who can’t stop looking at him every time we’re in the same fucking room.”

“That is not true.”

“Bullshit.”

You looked down, voice quiet.

“He cheated on me.”

“Yeah, and yet you keep orbiting him like some sad little moon hoping he turns into the sun.”

You winced.

He was right. And he was wrong. And he knew exactly how to cut you open with the things that lived in your chest.

Rafe grabbed your chin suddenly, fingers too tight.

“Don’t lie to me,” he said. “You know how much I hate liars.”

You swallowed, heart crawling up your throat.

“I’m not lying.”

His grip stayed there for another second before he let go, stepping back like he hadn’t just squeezed your jaw hard enough to leave a mark.

“Good,” he said, voice too smooth now. “Because I really fucking like you, baby. You know that. Right?”

You nodded.

“I need to hear it,” he said.

You forced the words out.

“I know.”

He smiled again. Bigger this time. As if your fear was something he could drink.

“Good girl,” he said.

Later that day, you did not go home. You drove. Nowhere in particular. Windows down, radio off. The wind whipped through your hair and it felt like something trying to pull you back into yourself.

You stopped at the convenience store on the edge of the island. The one no one really went to except kids skipping school and guys looking to score without being seen.

JJ was there.

He was leaning against the vending machine, hood up, jaw bruised from something that probably happened last night. He had a cigarette in his fingers and a look on his face that went soft when he saw you.

You froze.

He stood straighter.

“I didn’t think you’d come here,” he said.

“I wasn’t planning to.”

You stepped closer. Close enough to smell the smoke on him. Close enough to see the little cut above his eyebrow, probably from another fight he said he was done with.

“Is that from Rafe?” he asked suddenly, voice low.

Your stomach twisted.

“What?”

He pointed gently at your jaw.

The bruise. Faint. Small. But visible now in the daylight.

You reached up before you could stop yourself, fingertips brushing it like maybe you could erase it with enough pressure.

“No,” you said quickly. “No, he didn’t— it’s not—”

JJ’s face changed.

He took a slow step forward.

“I swear to God,” he whispered, “if he’s putting his fucking hands on you—”

“He’s not,” you said again, firmer. “JJ, it’s not what you think.”

He stared at you.

You stared back.

Neither of you said anything.

Then you looked away.

“He’s just… intense,” you said. “He’s not like you.”

“Yeah,” JJ said. “I know.”

He put out the cigarette on the metal edge of the vending machine. The sound was small. Final.

“I was a shitty boyfriend,” he said. “But I never hurt you.”

Your eyes burned.

You hated that he was right.

“I let you down,” he said. “I fucked up in every way a person can. But I never laid a hand on you.”

You nodded, throat closing.

JJ looked at you like he still knew your every thought. Like he still cared. Like he would still give up everything to go back to that night and make a different choice.

And part of you the part that still woke up cold wanted to believe that meant something.

“I should go,” you whispered.

JJ stepped back.

“Yeah,” he said. “Me too.”

But neither of you moved. Not for a long time…

HjjThe bruise on your jaw had darkened overnight. You stood in front of your bathroom mirror, light washing over your skin, exposing the ugly truth you had tried to smother under layers of makeup. The discoloration was deeper now, edged with the yellow of healing but still angry beneath the surface. You reached up, fingertips grazing it without pressure, as if the touch alone might convince it to disappear. It didn’t.

You had not cried. You would not cry. Not over this. Not over him. Not anymore.

Your phone buzzed again from the sink. Third time in five minutes.

JJ.

You let it ring once more, staring at the name on the screen, then answered. His voice hit you before you could brace for it.

“Are you okay?”

There was a pause. You swallowed, eyes flicking back up to your reflection. Your voice, when it came, was quieter than you meant it to be.

“I don’t know.”

He didn’t say anything at first. Just breathed. You could hear the tension behind it, the things he was holding back. When he finally spoke again, his voice was careful, firm.

“I saw your face yesterday. The bruise.”

“I told you it wasn’t—”

“I do not believe you.”

You didn’t answer. A bird cried out somewhere beyond the house. The silence around you stretched until it felt like something would snap. And then he spoke again.

“Come outside.”

Your stomach sank. “What?”

“I’m outside your house.”

You blinked, heart kicking against your ribs. With slow steps, you moved toward your bedroom window and pulled the curtain just enough to peek through.

There he was.

JJ stood by his dirtbike, hoodie zipped up to his chin, hair tousled like he had ridden here fast and without thinking. He was staring at your front door, his shoulders rigid with whatever emotion he couldn’t say out loud.

You didn’t speak. You just ended the call and walked outside.

The air was thick with early morning heat and something worse something that clung to your skin. JJ met you halfway down the driveway. He didn’t touch you. He just looked at you like you were something he had lost and kept trying to find again.

“I had to see you,” he said. “I couldn’t let it sit.”

You nodded, arms folded tightly across your chest, unsure if it was to guard against him or yourself.

“I do not care if you hate me,” JJ said, his voice rough. “I do not care if you never want to be with me again. But I’m not going to sit back while that guy puts his fucking hands on you.”

Your throat clenched. You opened your mouth and forced the words out like they were rusted shut. “He loves me.”

JJ’s eyes darkened. “No,” he said, voice flat. “No, he doesn’t. Not if he’s hurting you.”

“He didn’t mean to,” you whispered. “He was upset.”

“Upset does not mean violent.”

You looked away, blinking hard. You didn’t want this. You didn’t want to be the girl with the bruise and the excuses.

“You think I don’t see what this is?” JJ’s voice cracked slightly now, that old desperation creeping in. “I fucked up, yeah. I ruined us. I’ll never stop hating myself for that. But I never made you feel scared. I never left marks on you.”

You closed your eyes, chest tight. “Stop.”

“I can’t,” he said. “I won’t.”

A car pulled up fast. The tires ground against gravel.

You both turned.

Rafe’s car skidded to a stop at the curb, engine humming like something alive and furious. The door swung open before it fully parked. Rafe stepped out, shirt clinging to his chest, eyes already locked on JJ.

He looked wild.

Like he had seen enough to decide how this story was going to end.

JJ took a step in front of you without thinking. His hand hovered, not touching, but close enough to make a point.

Rafe’s voice cut across the space between you.

“What the fuck is this?”

You stepped forward. “Rafe, just—”

“Get in the house,” he snapped.

JJ didn’t move. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”

Rafe’s hand slid behind his back. You froze.

It was not a gesture. It was instinct. It was muscle memory from a boy who carried too many threats in his pockets.

And JJ saw it too.

You saw his jaw tighten. He stood his ground.

“I swear to God,” Rafe said, eyes burning, “I will put you in the ground if you touch what’s mine again.”

JJ stepped forward.

“I am not afraid of you.”

Rafe pulled something from behind his waistband.

You gasped.

It was not a bluff.

Not this time.

[chilling-seavey]

Dreamland (ln4) - Part Two

↳ A/N Thank you to my girl @grandprixwinnerlandonorris for delivering me like 5000 pictures of Lando in a button up at my request and, as always, being the proofreader for this universe hehe

↳ [Loosely] Inspired By: 'Don't Wake Me Up' by Why Don't We

↳ Summary: With a freshly purchased copy of your most recent book in hand, Lando is one of the first in line for your book signing when your tour brings you to Bristol. Having dreamt about you for months, he’s more than nervous to actually speak to you in person but he certainly gets more than he bargained for

↳ Pairings: Fanboy Lando Norris x Famous!Author!Fem!Reader (NO use of y/n), University Student Lando x Internet Friend George x Internet Friend Alex

↳ Word Count: 20.7k

↳ Warnings: 18+, NSFW, not elaborating on details here for the sake of spoilers!, dirty talk gets nasty, Lando's so incredibly down bad for a girl who doesn't know he exists

PART ONE

Lando stared at his reflection in the mirror as he tucked his button-up shirt into his black slacks, eyeing up each inch of himself for the uncountable time that morning. He tugged at the fabric of his shirt that was bordering on a size too small, hugging his torso just a little more than he'd like, silently willing it to not make him look absolutely ridiculous. He tried to take a few deep breaths as he fed his black belt into the loops on his pants and fastened the buckle at the front but even his hands were feeling a little shaky with nerves. 

As spring melted into summer, Lando’s semester was coming to an end just when your newest book tour was to begin. He had his eye out for any England dates the moment the tour was announced and much to his relief, there was a local date on the schedule. Much to his absolute horror, however, he had a final exam assigned that very same morning. With the help of his two closest internet friends, Alex and George, Lando planned that day down to the minute in order to attend his exam while still making the book signing in good enough time to get a good spot in line.

His 11:00 class was across campus and for the first time almost ever, Lando was the first one there. He looked far too dressed up for someone about to take a practical exam but he had some very important things to do right after class and thus was prepared to wear his best clothes no matter what. He had someone to impress, after all. 

By 2:00 on the dot, the exam was complete and Lando - who had been waiting impatiently at his desk with a finished exam in front of him - nearly ran out the door the moment they were dismissed and he threw his papers on the professor’s desk on the way past. The university hallways were annoyingly crowded and Lando was pushing past people to make it to the transit station down the street to catch the 2:16 bus, his backpack slung over one shoulder in his haste. 

It was a stunning day in comparison to England’s usually drizzly weather and the sun was tucked behind picturesque white clouds that made Lando feel like this entire day was a dream. He figured the weather cleared up into beautiful skies for the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He was anxious to see you in person after so many long months of distant adoration. 

The bus was still at the stop when Lando ran across the street without a second glance to catch it, pulling his wallet out of his pocket as he did so and flashed the driver his transit pass as he hopped inside. Lando breathed out a soft ‘thank you’ to the driver for waiting for him and then he went to find a seat. The bus lurched forward and he caught himself on one of the poles before swinging himself into an empty aisle right by the large window to catch his breath. 

It was a bit of a drive into the city so Lando pulled out his phone and turned on his data to refresh his messages on Instagram. The group chat was waiting for him.

alex_albon: Good luck, mister accountant!  georgerussell63: Good luck mate! Get this shit out of the way and you’ll get the best reward later 😏 alex_albon: Hahahaha alex_albon: Mate are you done yet?? alex_albon: Did you make the bus?? georgerussell63: RUN LANDO RUN georgerussell63: Love how we don’t care about how his exam went, just that he catches this bus alex_albon: We have great priorities  georgerussell63: Yeah I don’t want this wedding suit I bought to go to waste y’know  alex_albon: Mate I’m literally so sad that we couldn’t go with him georgerussell63: I know georgerussell63: We look like shitty wingmen now alex_albon: Never! landonorris: MADE THE BUS!! landonorris: I don’t even remember what the fuck my exam was even about I was rushing but I made it landonorris: Waterstones, here I come!!!! alex_albon: YESSS!!! georgerussell63: LETS GOOOOO alex_albon: Fit pic?? What did you go with??

Lando glanced around him to make sure no one on the bus was looking as he snapped a picture of his chest and lap to show his outfit to his two friends. 

landonorris: *sent an image* georgerussell63: Yesss mans looks dashing alex_albon: If she doesn’t jump at you across that table, there is something wrong with her landonorris: Oh my god there’s nothing wrong with her landonorris: Just wanna make sure I look my best landonorris: And she said once she likes guys in dress pants so… georgerussell63: You wore dress pants landonorris: Lol yep alex_albon: You’re a complete simp, Lan alex_albon: Love you for that landonorris: I just hope I don’t freeze up or embarrass myself landonorris: I’m going in all alone here lol alex_albon: You literally have all the backup from us through your phone georgerussell63: Definitely!  georgerussell63: What’s your game plan anyway?? landonorris: Idk really landonorris: I don’t want to come across too fan-y landonorris: Tell her she’s a literal genius  landonorris: Tell her that she’s stunning landonorris: That her books are the only ones that I actually read alex_albon: And that you want her to mother your children georgerussell63: HAHA landonorris: If it moulds smoothly into conversation, sure LMAO landonorris: I’m just trying to not get my hopes up for earth shattering conversation or anything but it’s hard georgerussell63: Just be confident and be you georgerussell63: You’re literally a great guy so she’s bound to see that

Lando glanced up from his phone for a moment as the warmth of the afternoon sun hit his face and he peered out the window at the busy city traffic that had slowed the bus to a near stop. 

landonorris: Bruh we just hit traffic alex_albon: Oh shit how far are you georgerussell63: Can you walk it? landonorris: No way still too far

Lando pressed his face against the glass to attempt to see farther down the street if the traffic would clear but it wasn’t showing much at his angle. 

landonorris: Shit I’m literally panicking landonorris: I need to see her today like I can’t miss this georgerussell63: Panicking won’t help just take some breaths alex_albon: I’m putting so many positive vibes into the universe right now georgerussell63: You’ll get there, don’t worry landonorris: The signing is over at 4 and it’s already pushing 3 landonorris: Oh my God I’m going to cry alex_albon: Noooo! No crying no crying alex_albon: Traffic always feels like it takes longer than it actually does georgerussell63: Yeah! Just go over your gameplan a bit! Distract yourself alex_albon: You have the book with you already right landonorris: Yeah ofc landonorris: Bought hardcover off her amazon site last week landonorris: Honestly this was her best one yet georgerussell63: You say that about every book she releases lol landonorris: Mate no this time I mean it landonorris: There was this chapter that was so fucking hot I had to take a cold shower after georgerussell63: PFFF omfg  alex_albon: No spoilers!! I haven’t read it yet landonorris: Haha okok sorry landonorris: Hurry up though because I want to talk about it with someone georgerussell63: Mate I graduate in a week and then I’ll read it I swear alex_albon: We didn’t have to rush to read it because we’re not the ones about to MEET HER georgerussell63: AYYYY landonorris: 🥰🥰

The next stop that was called through the bus speakers was Lando’s - much to his relief - and in quick surprise he reached up to pull the cord to request the stop. He slid his phone back in his pocket and stood up with a secure hand on the bar as he walked towards the doors before the bus had even stopped, already far past impatient to get to his destination already. When the doors slid open, he called his thank you to the bus driver and hopped out onto the busy Bristol sidewalks in the afternoon sun.

landonorris: brb finally on foot now

Since living outside the city for most of his life, Lando was familiar with his way around and he barely even needed the directions from his phone to help guide him towards the nearest Waterstones bookstore. Well, also partially due to the fact that he had gone over his route almost every day since the book tour dates and locations were announced. 

Lando reached the book store just after 3:00 and there was still an insanely long line looping from the front doors of the store and down the sidewalk. Lando paused in place for a moment, his heart sinking at the time in comparison to the number of people still waiting, and it wasn’t until a stranger bumped him out of the way that he snapped back into place. With a shaky breath, Lando hurried down the line and took spot at the end behind two girls who were about his age as well. They each held copies of the new release and were flipping through it together and talking between them about the plot. 

Lando cleared his throat nervously and leaned slightly towards them, “Excuse me, this is the line for the singing, right?”

They both looked back at him with smiles suddenly flat as if his interruption was distasteful, and they gave him a look up and down, lingering on his scuffed up white Vans on his feet. 

“Yeah.” one answered finally. 

Lando pulled a tight smile and nodded once, “Great. Thanks.”

He felt a little stupid standing in a line of teenage and young adult women as the only few males were so clearly only there to accompany their girlfriends. But the momentary out-of-place feeling was soon replaced easily by nervous excitement as Lando caught a glimpse of the sign on the front window of the store that showed your most recent professional headshot and the announcement of the book release and signing; “TODAY ONLY!” it read. 

Lando was nearly silently begging to make it inside, to at least get a glimpse of you in the flesh, although a small part of him was rising with so much nervousness that he kind of hoped he wouldn’t have to face you. He didn’t want to run away now, not when he came so far. 

landonorris: *sent an image* landonorris: In line now!! Look how fucking long this thing is alex_albon: She’s going to be saying that about you someday! georgerussell63: ALEX LMAO  landonorris: Pfjfjf stop omg landonorris: I’m literally the only guy here though georgerussell63: That’s good georgerussell63: Makes you stand out! alex_albon: More those stunning good looks already do georgerussell63: You are damn right, Albono 😌🔥 landonorris: I’m so fucking nervous boys georgerussell63: Blimey you know he’s serious when our jokes don’t make him laugh alex_albon: Focus on that confidence!! You got this mate

The line was moving slowly but surely and Lando was soon stepping into the front vestibule of the store. He swung his backpack around to unzip it and pull out his hardcover copy of the recent release and then zipped his bag back up again. His was one of the only few hardcovers in line - he noted that the girls directly in front of him and behind him had paperbacks - and that fact brought a strange sense of pride to his consciousness. There weren’t too many people in line behind him as time was drawing closer to closing but the distance that Lando still had to the signing table was vast and his nervousness of meeting you was starting to mould into nervousness that he wouldn’t meet you. 

He was too anxious to even check his group chat messages and he tried to stay as in the moment as possible, rising up on his tiptoes to see if he could get a glimpse of the table where you had been sitting for the last three hours. Other fans rushed past him on their way out the door, bearing signed copies of books and over-the-table selfies on their phone screens and Lando tried not to let the jealousy overcome him. Impatient jealousy wasn’t a good look and Lando tugged anxiously at the front of his collared shirt a little to get some air across his body, hoping he wasn’t about to nervous-sweat through his shirt. That would have been embarrassing.

The line inched up some more and as Lando’s spot moved into the store completely and past the main aisle towards the lounge, he was able to spot you in the distance. It was almost like he scared himself at the fact that he saw you and he dropped back down onto his flat feet from his tiptoes with a soft gasp, eyes wide, heart racing. The two girls in front of him gave him a weird look before turning back to their conversation. After his initial shock, he rose up onto his tiptoes again to see over the shelves of books he would never read across the store and let his eyes find your table at the head of the line. 

You were in a black blazer and an emerald green buttoned blouse and your hair fell in natural waves over your shoulders and Lando swore to himself that you looked even more beautiful in person than on Instagram. He clutched your novel to his chest and rested back on his feet again, biting his smitten grin to the carpeted floor of the bookstore. He didn’t want to look away from you as if he had to soak up each second like it was precious. He didn’t have long and who knew when he was going to see you again. 

As quarter to four approached, the line felt no shorter and Lando was getting antsy and his feet were getting sore from waiting around for so long. He was about at the spot where he didn’t have to lean to get a good look at you and his eyes stared right at you almost without blinking like the simple sight of you put him in a trance. It almost felt like he was dreaming. 

You were so happy, smiling at every person who passed over their copy of your book for a signature and talking to them graciously and modestly accepting compliments. Lando swore your polite little laugh was the sweetest sound and he was completely yearning to just get to the front of the line already. 

But then another woman approached you at your table and leaned down to whisper something to you as you smiled in parting with the girl who just received her book back. You nodded to the woman who Lando recognised as your assistant from a few of your Instagram stories and then you stood up from your chair to address the crowd. 

“Sorry, guys, I know you’ve been waiting a while but I have to take a call really quickly. Give me a few minutes…I’ll be right back!” 

Lando swore his heart nearly stopped in the momentary fear that your initial apology was about to be followed with a ‘times up’ but he took a deep breath and checked the time. It was 3:53 but he would wait for you for as long as you needed, he didn’t mind one bit. 

He opened Instagram again for the first time in a little bit and checked the messages from his friends,

alex_albon: Any updates for us?? georgerussell63: Yeah how close are you? alex_albon: Lando?? georgerussell63: Omg he’s probably talking to her right now alex_albon: He probably is  alex_albon: I’m literally so excited for him georgerussell63: This is insane!!!! landonorris: She’s so beautiful landonorris: Not at the front yet but close alex_albon: Jeez that’s a long line georgerussell63: It’s almost 4…are they going to cut you off?? landonorris: Idk idk idk landonorris: 

Lando’s attention was pulled from his messages to the conversation of the girls who stood in front of him in line. 

“We’ve literally been waiting for an hour and she just blows us off for a fucking phone call.”

“What a bitch.”

“Everyone with a blue check on Instagram is the fucking same.”

“So entitled, honestly, she takes our money and then dips.”

Lando spoke up before he could even think, jumping strongly in protectiveness, “Hey. Don’t say that.” 

The girls turned to him with mirrored expressions of annoyance and surprise at his sudden interruption. 

Lando continued, “She literally just had to take a call. Can you give her a few minutes? She’s been sitting here all day for us.” 

One of the girls snorted in sarcastic amusement at Lando’s defence, “Okay, whatever.”

The other added, “Do what you want, but I’m not waiting here like a fucking lameass follower for her to take a phone call like she’s entitled to make us stand around like sheep.” 

They both didn’t give Lando a second look before they were stepping out of line and walking right out of the store. A few more people did the same as 4:00 came and went and it honestly shocked Lando that they weren’t ready and willing to sit by and wait a few more minutes for her…shocked that a few people thought it was a ruse that she played off to leave early. But Lando waited even as the line thinned. He would wait until store closing if he had to. 

By the time you returned to the table, there were only six more people in front of him and one behind him and Lando was trying so hard not to grin ear to ear at simply the sight of you. As if nothing was different and the line wasn’t measly now, you still looked just as content there at your table with a sharpie in hand, offering casual conversation to each person who approached. 

It was nearly 4:30 by the time Lando was next in line and as if reality hit him all at once, his feet wouldn’t move the moment your eyes locked with his. 

“Hey.” you said sweetly. 

Lando’s left foot scuffed over the carpet in an attempt to walk and then he forced himself towards you, “Hey.” 

Despite his racing heart, he was grinning so wide and his obvious excitement had you smiling right back from your chair as you held out your hand to take his book. 

“How are you?” he asked nervously and passed over his copy of the novel. 

“I am doing well, thanks so much for asking.” you replied easily. 

He watched you carefully as you set the novel down so gently on the wooden table top, perfectly square with the edge. 

“A hardcover. They’re my favourite too.” you said with a smile and brushed your hand over the crisp clean cover and then opened it to the first blanket page. “Haven’t seen many of these today.”

“I noticed.” Lando said. “I don’t know why because your hardcover designs are just so fucking stunning. I don’t know who’d choose a paperback.”

You chuckled softly, “Exactly. Glad to know someone has taste.” 

“It’s hard not to when you are literally a genius.”

His copy of your novel left open to the inside cover in front of you, you shared casual conversation for a moment - something he noticed about you was that you never rushed anyone when they were at the table with you. Lando didn’t want to take up too much of your time either, you were already over your time limit. But you listened politely to him, sharpie tucked between your fingers and wrist resting on the open book as he spoke. 

“I don’t read, like, ever…but the moment I skimmed the first page of your first novel I was completely hooked. I couldn’t tell you a single thing about any other book in this entire store. You just write in a way that completely speaks to me like nothing else ever has.”

Lando didn’t even know what he was saying as his words tumbled from his lips for him. 

“That is so kind.” you smiled bashfully. “I’m glad I could offer you some kind of entertainment in a style that you don’t normally turn to.”

“Entertainment? God, you offer me entire worlds. I wish I had an outlet as strong and promising as yours.” 

“What do you do as your outlet?”

Lando hadn’t expected to talk about himself but of course he was going to answer your question,

“Oh, uh…golf, I guess? Racing? Video games…”

It sounded so stupid coming out of his mouth as he said it - how incredibly lame and boring. 

“Racing? Like, cars?”

Lando’s smile brightened, staring right back at your pretty face, “Yeah, something like that.”

“That’s impressive…and it could make for an interesting plot. Maybe I should write a book about that…you might have just inspired me.” you wagged the end of your sharpie at him with a mischievous grin. 

Lando’s cheeks turned a fierce pink and he scoffed bashfully, “Nah.”

“I mean it! If I ever need any race-related questions answered for research purposes, I know who to call.”

Lando laughed lightly, “Yeah, for sure.”

You glanced back down to the book and tapped the blank page awaiting your pen, “Who am I making this out to?”

“Lando.” 

“Lando.” you repeated in the most gentle tone that it nearly made his knees weak. He had dreamt about how his name would sound coming from your lips for so long but hearing it directed at him so softly, so tenderly, he had to refrain from clutching his hand to his heart in sheer adoration. He also had to refrain from imagining you breathing it into the air just like that in bed but that was a bit more dramatic. 

“How’s your day been? I got so excited about the hardcover I forgot to ask.” you chuckled as he watched you sign his name in silver sharpie on the dark inside page and scribbled a little message before signing it yourself at the bottom. 

“Oh, my day is amazing now.” Lando said easily, “Bristol is usually so disgustingly dreary but I’m glad it’s sunny for you.”

“I’ve heard it’s usually quite rainy. Guess it’s a bit of luck then.” you smiled up at him. 

You closed the cover of his copy of your novel and held it back out to him. 

“Thank you so much.” he rushed out as he took it back. “I’m sorry you had to stay after your time.”

“Oh my gosh,” you waved your hand like it was no big deal, “there’s nothing I love more than this so it’s my pleasure. Plus staying around longer means I got to meet you, so…”

Lando literally blushed pink so obviously that you could see the hint of colour across his cheeks and his little bashful smile had you grinning up at him. It wasn’t often you had boys come out to see you and certainly not the likes of interested and attractive young men who actually read your content. It nearly made you feel just as pink in the cheeks too. 

“Did you want a selfie or something?” you asked. 

Lando stumbled over words for a moment as he had completely forgotten that he could ask that and he pulled out his phone, “Yeah, sure.” 

He carefully hid the fact that you were his wallpaper from your sight as he opened his camera app and turned to have his back to you. You leaned up to rest slightly over the table and smiled to the camera as he clicked a few pictures. 

“Oh, I look…like shit.” he mumbled to himself as he turned back around to face you once more and you sat down. 

He hadn’t expected you to hear but you did so you offered an honest polite, “You don’t look like shit at all, I think you look really good.” 

Lando literally breathed out a shocked, “Oh my gosh.” 

You giggled softly at his surprised expression. 

“Th-Thank you.” he stumbled out and petted a habitual hand over his hair-sprayed curls as he looked down at his outfit. 

“I love the slacks.” you gestured across the table. 

Lando nearly lost it at the fact that you were basically staring at his dick and he held the hardcover book in front of himself casually, and answered with a passé, “Thought I’d actually dress a little nice for your event.”

“Yeah? Well you look very nice.” you complimented, “A very successful choice.” 

“Thanks.”

You held up your index finger to him, “One sec.”

The one person behind him was still waiting close by and you held out your hand welcoming them to come over. Lando shifted to the side a little and tried to control the heat of his cheeks as you took the next person’s name. It was a mother waiting for the signing as a gift for her daughter so she didn't really need to stick around long after simply getting a signature and after a few shared pleasantries, the lady was off and Lando was the only one left. 

“Sorry, I just thought I’d get that poor mother on her way.” you chuckled. 

“For sure.” Lando smiled tightly. 

“Looks like that’s my day then.” you sighed, stretching your arms above your head for a moment, and then leaned under the table to pull out an empty cardboard box. You started to load your leftover copies into it - only a few remaining - and Lando jumped at his opportunity. 

“Do you need help packing up?”

Surprised at his offer, you glanced back up at him with a little laugh, “I’m not going to make you do my work.”

“I really don't mind. I don’t have anywhere else to be.”

You thought for a moment and Lando nearly held his breath in anticipation for your answer. 

Finally, “Alright…if you’re sure.” 

He honestly grinned and tucked his book and his backpack on the ground carefully beside one of the table legs and started to stack up the remaining few novels as you tidied your pamphlets and extra sharpies. Your hired assistant took the half filled box across the store to return it to the cashier for re-stocking, finally giving you and Lando a moment just the two of you on opposite sides of the now empty table. 

You stood from your chair and tucked it back under while you checked your phone habitually and Lando picked up his things from the ground. He tucked his book in front of his slacks again coolly. 

“Where are you headed now? More publicity meetings?” Lando asked. 

You glanced up at him as you slid your phone into your purse with a sigh, “Nope. Dinner and then hotel. Quiet evening for one tonight.”

“Your assistant doesn’t join you?”

You chuckled softly and picked up your tote bag to sling it over your arm, “No she’s kinda older than me so she does her own thing. I don’t mind. Means I can explore the city as I wish.” 

“Do you…want some pointers on the best places in Bristol? I’m kind of an expert.” Lando offered. 

“You want to be my food tour guide?” you chuckled, “I was just going to eat at the McDonalds down the street. I’m not much of an extensive-palette kind of eater.”

“Oh, neither am I.” Lando agreed quickly, passing off the fact that he already knew that about you quickly, “But if you’re in Bristol, you gotta do it the right way. You like Italian?” 

Your eyes narrowed at him in thought and you cocked your head to the side slightly, a smile teasing at your lips, “My favourite.” 

“Then you have to try Giovanni’s. It’s not far from here. Like a kilometre north or so. Their pizza is, like, incredible.” 

You contemplated his offer with a casual, “Just a kilometre from here?”

“Yeah. You can’t miss it. Any taxi driver will know if you just give them the name.”

“Yeah?”

“Yep.” Lando swayed onto the balls of his feet and then back, his nervous eyes lingering on your unreadable expression of amusement as you stared back at him. He pressed his luck, “I can…show you if you want.”

You smiled at him softly as you looked at him down the bridge of your nose, “I dunno…I don’t really know you.” 

“You know my name. What else is there to know?”

You laughed lightly, “You could be a murderer.” 

“So could you.”

“Touché.” 

Lando figured he was grasping for straws with his offer and hardly even took himself seriously until suddenly you were sitting across from him at a table for two at Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant. He hardly remembered the taxi ride from the bookstore or even you agreeing to have dinner with him honestly and part of him felt so hazy like this was some sort of cruel realistic dream. His phone was the last thing on his mind but he managed to send a quick update to the group chat as the hostess led you to your table. 

landonorris: Giovanni’s  landonorris: dinner landonorris: ttyl

With his phone on silent, he was ignorant to his best friends’ spam of confused messages as they knew he should have been finished with the signing by then and they had yet to receive proper updates of how it went. Usually Lando messaged them while he was eating his meals so his sudden disappearance was certainly odd. 

But how could he even think about looking at his phone when he had you sitting across from him in the warm light of the cozy Italian restaurant to look at. It was no fancy venue but it was better than a McDonalds and Lando had to constantly remind himself that this wasn’t a date but this also wasn’t a dream. 

You looked so casual skimming the menu, tucking your hair behind your ear before resting the side of your finger against your lips in thought. They were little habits that social media didn’t permit him to see and now he just couldn’t get enough of you, sitting right in front of him in your business casual outfit and free flowing hair. He felt greedy for wanting you closer. 

The waiter approached the table to take drink orders and you glanced up to place yours first, “Whatever your house wine is…I’ll have a glass of that, please and thank you.”

“May I see your ID?”

“Of course.” you fished it out of your purse and passed it to the waiter to double check. 

When he handed it back to you and turned to Lando, Lando shifted nervously. 

“Just…a water, thanks.” he asked. Playing it safe. 

You tucked your ID back into your purse and offered a casual conversation, “Maybe I should have had water too but after a full day of work, I think I deserve a drink.”

“You do.” Lando chuckled, “You deserve to celebrate.”

“If I used that excuse anything like this signing happened, I may be considered to have a drinking problem.” 

Lando chuckled lightly, sharing in your smile, and when you turned back to your menu, he kept staring at you. 

“You said the pizza is good here, right?”

He hummed in agreement as he rested his elbows on the table and his chin in his hand and shamelessly kept his eyes on your entire being. The warm light looked so good on you and it took a lot out of him to not think about salacious thoughts that often rose to the surface when he stared at a picture of you for too long. He was just lucky that the table covered enough of his lap.

You glanced over at him with your offer, “Do you want to share one?” 

As if in kindergarten again, the concept of sharing brought a flutter to his heart, “Yeah, sure. That sounds great.”

The waiter soon returned and you let Lando choose the pizza to order and with that placed, you were left with your drinks and a moment of silence. You sipped your wine and he sipped his water, keeping his eyes on the table. 

“Did you not want something better than water?” you asked. 

Lando shifted in his chair and chuckled awkwardly, “Uh, no, that’s okay. I’m not much of a drinker…don’t really know what to order that won’t taste like shit.”

Your eyes widened, “Shit, oh my God, wait, you are of age, aren’t you?”

“I’m twenty.” Lando assured you quickly.

You set your hand to your chest, “Jesus, okay, good, I almost had a heart attack there…I saw the frightful headlines already.” 

“Like what?” Lando laughed, “Calling you a cougar?”

“Oh, gross.” you shuttered, “Yeah, prying on the youth of my following.”

Lando rested his chin in his hand again and he smiled over at you, “Nope, I’m perfectly legal.”

“Good.” you chuckled. You glanced around and then slid your glass across the table to him, “Try some if you want.”

Lando’s eyes went wide and he sat up a bit straighter, “You sure?” 

“Yeah.”

Lando sent you a small smile across the table and he lifted the wine glass from the table and took a sip. He licked his lips as he set it back down and you left it between you to share. 

You smiled warmly over at him. He wanted to look back at you but your lingering stare made him nervous and he sat with his hands folded on his lap with his gaze downcast to the tabletop. The restaurant bustled around you with other patrons talking and cutlery clinking against plates but Lando felt like the two of you were in your own little bubble. 

Breaking the silence between you, you spoke, “Do you perm your hair?”

Lando’s head snapped up to look over at you in surprise, “What?”

You gestured across the table to him, “The curls? Is that your natural hair? It’s a really nice style on you.”

Lando was speechless for a moment, mouth literally parted slightly in shock, and when he regained himself, he spoke his honest confession to you, “Yeah. Yeah, this is my natural hair. I’m surprised you like it.”

You raised your eyebrows, “Why surprised?”

“I dunno,” Lando mumbled, tracing the rim of his water glass with his finger, “I figured you were, like, not really into the messy curls kinda look.”

“Why?” a smirk tugged at your lips, “Because of my boyfriend?”

Lando looked to his plate without a word as his heart clenched with that awful tightness that came with the heartache of the mention of your relationship. He was hoping you wouldn’t bring him up - guess it was too good to be true.

“Wanna know a secret?” you rested your forearms on the table to lean towards him, “I trust you.”

He glanced back up at you curiously and nodded lightly, hazel eyes wide with wonder of what you were going to admit to him. 

“He’s not actually my boyfriend. It’s a PR relationship.” 

Lando could have fucking rejoiced out loud in that moment and he audible sighed in near relief as he slouched back in his chair, “Oh my gosh, I knew something was fishy.” 

“We were dating for real but when it kind of fell off, our managers kind of just said we should keep it going because the followers shipped us or whatever the hell. I’m never around him if we can help it. It’s just awkward now.” 

Lando, surged with a strange feeling of protectiveness, leaned over the table himself too, “Why would they make you do that if it makes you uncomfortable?”

“I dunno. It’s fine though. My readership goes up from overlap with his fans and whatever so the selfish part of me benefits.” you chuckled with a shrug. 

“But you can’t publicly date then? Since the world thinks you’re taken?” 

“No, but that’s okay.” you waved your hand casually as if to brush it off, “I’m kinda too busy for all that right now with my book tour and stuff.”

You both reached for the glass of wine at the same time and shared nervous giggles when your hands brushed. You offered him the next sip and he ignored the warm reminisce of your touch as he lifted the glass to his lips and sipped the bitter woodsy red wine before passing it over to you. He couldn’t tell if his cheeks were red from simply being around you or if they were red from the bit of alcohol but you were no different. There was something so intriguing to you about Lando, this random young man who lined up for your book signing and seemed to care far too strongly about you and your work for his own good. It flattered you greatly and you didn’t want to see him go. 

By the time your pizza had arrived and you were well into casual dinner conversation, any hints of shyness had disappeared as you were both falling into comfort in each other’s presence…maybe the wine helped a little with that, just enough to take the edge off. Lando was talking about his degree he was working towards and life at college while you shared the best stories of how many times you were declined trying to get published for the first time. With only just less than a year between you, you had quite a bit in common from growing up and although life took you in different paths, it was interesting to hear the other side of things. You had to admit it was a nice change from the common whiny influencers you had gotten too used to sharing conversations with. 

Lando could draw you in with just his voice, soft yet just perfectly deep, he was only enticing you more and more with each sentence. Not to mention the way he spoke about your writing like he was just as proud of it as you were, rambling on for so long about each book, each character, each deeper meaning, and you went back and forth about your writing until the pizza was gone and the shared glass of wine was empty and the sun had gone down over Bristol. 

The waiter set the bill on the table between you, tucked neatly in a leather pouch. You reached for your purse but Lando was already grabbing the bill and giving it a skim over. 

“I got it.” you offered. 

“No, it’s okay.” Lando reached into his backpack that was resting at the foot of the table beside him and he pulled out his wallet with his credit card. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, I can pay for dinner.” you chuckled. 

Lando smiled boastfully over at you, “Nope. My city, you’re a guest. I’m paying.”

“Well then I wouldn’t have ordered such an expensive glass of wine!” you tisked. 

“Then it was very good that we shared it!” Lando whispered across the table at you as the waiter returned with the debit machine. 

You only smiled at him and shook your head in defeat as Lando paid the bill on his student income and he did so proudly, without hesitation. When the waiter left once again and wished you both a pleasant night, you thanked him and then looked across the table to each other. 

Lando’s heart ached slightly at the thought of having to say goodbye as the night came to an early conclusion but he smiled softly at you, ignorant to how you were thinking the exact same thing. 

“I’m just going to sneak off to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” you said. 

Lando nodded you off and watched you walk across the still busy restaurant to the washrooms. He finally pulled his phone from his pocket for the first time all evening, having missed an unreadable amount of pestering messages from his two best friends. He only took the time to read the most recent two,

alex_albon: Lando what the fuck mate where are you?? It’s almost 7 georgerussell63: Holding back the updates is one thing but let us know if you are at least back at your dorm landonorris: I took her for dinner landonorris: Can’t really talk but I swear I’ll tell you everything the second I leave georgerussell63: WHAT alex_albon: ARE YOU JOKING?? landonorris: IM LITERALLY NOT JOKING landonorris: WE SHARED WINE AND EVERYTHING alex_albon: HOLY SHIT LAN georgerussell63: WAIT IM LITERALLY FREAKING OUT georgerussell63: How did that happen??? Oh my GOD MATE your plan literally WORKED alex_albon: Get her number!! Or at least her follow on ig! landonorris: I'm gonna try

When he saw you emerging from the bathroom again he typed a quick reply to his friends before locking his phone again and tucked it into his pocket. 

landonorris: Gtg talk later

You returned to the table and sat back down, sending him a polite smile as you did so. Always one to take notice of every little thing about you, Lando silently noted your tidied up hair and re-applied lipstick and his heart did a little jump at the concept that maybe you tried to look good for him. 

“What’s your plan for the rest of the night?” you asked casually. 

Lando shrugged, “Nothing. I was just going to go back to my dorm and make dinner by myself and eat it by myself and watch Netflix by myself.”

“Wow, our plans sounded really similar then.” you teased. 

“Yeah, apparently.” Lando chuckled. 

You both hesitated a moment, glancing out towards the front windows of the restaurant that looked out over the darkening city streets of Bristol. Lando felt at a loss for words, nervous suddenly, and he was thankful to still have his water on the table as he took a long drink. He was just so handsome to you and only seemed more so as the night went on from being the hesitant fanboy at your book signing to the young man you shared a glass of wine with at dinner. 

Lando looked back at you and you shared tight, slightly awkward smiles as if neither of you wanted to say goodbye first. You weren’t someone to often go out with strangers so this was uncharted territory for you and Lando seemed just as uncertain of himself in a similar sense. You just kind of wanted to see how far you could push it without crossing boundaries. 

“Listen,” you cleared your throat bravely, looking right at him with a hopeful smile, “I dunno if you’re comfortable with this but…if you want, you can come back to my hotel with me. Maybe we could stick with our individual ‘watch Netflix’ plans but…together.” 

“Really?” Lando’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

“If you want to.”

“Yes. Absolutely.” he assured you almost quickly. 

“Okay.” you bit back a smile. “I’ll call an Uber.” 

“Sweet.” Lando grinned, although he had to turn away from smiling too wide. 

Maybe this was his chance, he thought, to actually make a bit of a move; why else would you be inviting him to your private hotel room after all? This was the last thing he had prepared for that morning and he had no clue what he was going to do with himself if anything went any farther than even a kiss. He didn’t want to absolutely embarrass himself in any way, certainly not around you. His inexperience was apparent and he was just hoping he could play it off enough to not look like a clumsy idiot. 

Waiting at the curb for your Uber, Lando was standing right at your side. He intentionally stood close to you until he could almost convince himself to reach out and brush his fingers over yours if he really wanted to. He had his backpack slung over one shoulder and your purse and tote were on your opposite arm from him, your gaze looking back and forth down the street for the arrival of your Uber. Lando kept staring at you in the city light, disbelieving that he was really standing right there with you and about to go back to your hotel after a dinner for two. Life was unreal in that moment. 

His eyes drifted down your side to where your hand rested casually at your side and he just had to reach out and brush his pinky against yours. You glanced over at him with a small smile and nudged him in return. 

“You probably hear this a lot,” Lando mumbled, “but you’re so beautiful.” 

His gentle words left an unmissable flutter in your heart and you bit your lip as you stared right back at him. Sure, you had been privy to bountiful comments on social media or haphazard compliments in passing over the last while you had been in the media spotlight, but none that sounded as genuine as Lando’s just did. 

It was out of your mouth before you could think, “Do you mean it?”

Lando was taken back by your confirmation as if he couldn’t imagine you or anyone not knowing, “Yeah. Of course, I mean it. You’re literally the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Your Instagram does not do you enough justice because holy shit…” 

He faded out when he caught himself rambling but you just smiled in near adoration at his sweet complimenting words that went straight to your heart and the flutter that warmed deep within your body. You didn’t want to admit that a near stranger was turning you on but he was so polite and genuine and handsome and you couldn’t help it. 

“Can I kiss you, Lando?” 

His breath nearly shuttered in his chest with the suddenness of his gasp, and he stumbled out a promised, “Y-Yeah-”

On the nearly empty quiet city street, you reached your hand up to link your finger in the collar of his shirt and you pulled him even closer. Lando wasn’t a stranger to kissing but he certainly hadn’t overhyped a kiss as much as he had in his thoughts about his first kiss with you. When your lips met for a moment, you both stood perfectly still as if to savour it, as if to not cross any unspoken lines between you. You were still strangers after all. 

Lando’s fingers ghosted hesitantly over your waist as his lips locked with yours for a few long seconds and then pulled back just long enough to go in for one more together. The plushness of his sweet lips had your stomach in eager knots but you forced yourself into restraint as you broke your kiss after only a few seconds and rested your hand down against his chest, feeling his heavy heartbeat under your palm. 

“Wow….” Lando breathed out of your kiss. 

His eyes found yours under the streetlights and he licked his lips free of the taste of you left behind, lingering with the bitter reminisce of rich wine. He was thankful you were focused on his face because he no longer had your book in his hand to cover the front of his slacks that were now feeling much tighter around the crotch. It was pathetic really, how he got hard so fast and from so little, but to be fair he had been dreaming about that very moment for months. 

You took your hand from his chest with a cheeky little smile of your own and turned back to the road as your Uber approached. Driven by greed, Lando reached out and linked his pinky in yours, just to keep you close as long as he could. You glanced back at him with a small smile before getting into the Uber and he followed behind you eagerly. 

You knew to be discreet in public since your image was only growing with passing days so you had to let go of his hand when you got into the Uber, being extra cautious as the driver kept glancing in the rear view mirror at you. Lando clutched his backpack to his lap, arms wrapped around it, and his gaze focused all on you, not even bothering to be discreet about it. He was in complete awe of you but so innocent and ignorant to the tightrope walk it was to be in the public eye. To him, he could have said or done anything right there in the back of the car but you were silently praying he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. 

Lando liked to think he could read you well and your obvious tension the moment you stepped in the Uber had him on high alert. It was as if a switch had flipped in your persona and although you made sure to send him a small reassuring smile, you were clearly putting up a divider between you two. It made him nervous, treading in uncertain waters. 

It was a fifteen minute drive to your hotel, crossing over the river that ran through the city and past the bookstore that only three hours before he was lining up cluelessly for your book signing. Lando swore this was a dream and his lips tingled with desire to kiss you again, to get his hands on you properly like he had always imagined. You looked so pretty in the passing city lights and he was so fucking hard. 

When the Uber pulled up to the front of the hotel, you thanked the driver politely and you both climbed out of the backseat. You hopped up onto the curb with him and led the way towards the front doors of the Marriott guided by the red outdoor carpet. Lando felt like a true vip…even though he was embarrassingly trying to hide the obvious bulge in his slacks that he was surprised you were yet to notice. Gladly surprised, however. 

At his side when you walked through the sliding glass doors, you whispered, “Don’t make it obvious.”

Lando nearly stumbled over the front carpet in surprise, “Make what obvious?”

“That we’re anything apart from, like, business partners.” you mumbled. “Don’t do anything to give anyone ideas.”

Lando shook his head quickly, his heart racing in his chest that maybe you thought you had something to hide with him, “Of course. Of course.”

The man behind the front desk glanced up as you walked in and he greeted you both politely. You offered him a just as pleasant greeting before walking as casually as you could towards the elevator bay. Lando couldn’t hide behind his backpack and still make himself look passé and it wasn’t until you were both safely alone in the elevator that he felt like he could breathe. 

“To the outside world I have a boyfriend, y’know.” you explained, pressing the button for the sixth floor, “So bringing some random guy back to my hotel room can be seen as a little suspicious.”

“Yeah.” Lando agreed coolly as the door slid shut behind you and he looked up to the small screen that counted each floor passing by. He was desperate to figure out a way to tame his little situation before you noticed and it got embarrassing. The only bad thing about wearing dress slacks was that it made it so obvious. 

You glanced over at him, a good few inches of space lingering between you, “You okay?”

Lando met your gaze cluelessly, that haze over his face as if he were in disbelief that this was real but then looked away again, “Yeah.”

“You got quiet on me.” you pointed out. “You can dip out whenever you want…if you’re uncomfortable or just wanting to go. I won’t be upset.”

Lando looked back at you quickly, “No, I don’t want to leave at all.” 

“Okay.” you nodded gently, almost fearing that he was lying to you. 

He could see that you were overthinking his answer so he told himself to suck it up and confess his truth, “I just really want to kiss you again…and I didn’t know if I should.”

“You can.” you offered as casually as you could muster despite the heavy beating of your heart. 

You both looked at each other again, meeting gazes before dropping your eyes to each other’s lips as if out of habit. Lando didn’t need much more persuasive consent from you than that and he reached up to take your chin in his hand - like he had always dreamt of - and met you halfway for another soft kiss. You hummed gently against his lips, both of you lingering still for a moment before pulling back just quickly enough to move in for another, lips slotting together ever so slightly. His lips were pillow soft and nearly sweet, you swore, and you raised your hand up to slide over his chest and around the back of his neck. 

Lando was nearly dizzy with shock as he kissed you more, parting your lips with his own to deepen it, sharing slow open mouthed kisses that had you nearly breathing into each other’s mouths. He had spent so long imagining your lips that the real thing was nearly sending him into cardiac arrest. It was everything he wanted and more and he cradled your jaw in his hand, caressing his thumb over your cheek tenderly as you stepped a little closer to him in the elevator. 

Lando opened his eyes a little, as if having to double check that you were still really truly there with him, and he just smiled into your kiss at the sight of your pretty lashes resting on sweet cheeks. The elevator doors dinged as they slid open and you both pulled away from your kiss quickly, both grinning like fools, and you swiped the corner of your mouth with your pinky to make sure your lipstick wasn’t too smudged. Lando had a little bit of the reminisce of your re-application on his own mouth and he wiped it with the pad of his thumb just to see the warm pink colour that was smudged across his skin as if to prove his reality. 

Your hand fell into his lazily and you linked your fingers together as you pulled him out of the elevator and onto your floor. Lando traipsed behind you with a lovestick grin all over his face, rubbing his thumb over your fingers that were tucked casually around his and he felt like a million dollars just from a single thirty second kiss. 

As you fished out your room key from your purse - a task requiring two hands free - Lando greedily let his fingers trace the sinch of the blazer at your waist and down the black fabric to the slight curve of your hips. He made sure that no one else was in the hallway with you before he bravely swiped your hair over your shoulder and leaned in to kiss your neck. 

“Oh fuck.” you giggled in surprise, squirming away from him a little. 

“Sorry.” Lando hurried out, eyes wide. 

“No, it’s okay.” you assured him as you swiped your key and pushed open the hotel room door for you both, “I’m just not used to someone trying to turn me on in the middle of a hallway.”

Lando’s cheeks flushed a brilliant red at your cheeky statement and he was literally at a loss for words, his mouth opening but nothing coming out. He was turning you on? His sudden speechlessness had you laughing breathily and you linked your fingers with his once more, swinging your joined hands between you for a moment in the open doorway.

When you looked at your hands, your eyes were drawn to the bulge in the front of his slacks that was more than obvious. You bit your eager lip and looked back at his face, “Wanna come in?”

“Fuck yes.” Lando blurted out, only making you laugh again as you pulled him into the room and let the door shut behind you. 

The moment you were closed in the hotel room, you both moved in for more kisses, your hands sliding around the back of his neck and his wrapping around your waist. Once cautious and gentle, your kisses were moulding into impatient and hungry and you couldn’t help but lick your way into his mouth teasingly. Lando moaned softly into your kiss, raising a hand up to cradle your jaw again, and he gladly pushed his tongue against yours to meet you halfway. 

He didn’t feel like a stranger to you anymore - to Lando, you never felt like a stranger - and driven by the lust that grew within you, you only seemed to crave him in ways you never would have expected when you met him only three hours earlier. He physically pushed you back against the wall just inside the door and at impact you were groaning pleasantly against his lips and tongue with his body pressed to yours. You seemed to fall into some sort of rhythm together with your heads tilted ever so slightly to the left to let your lips lock between messy tongue filled kisses, bodies almost moving ever so slightly against each other in time with your lips. 

You tangled one hand in the back of his hair with ease and dropped your other to his waist to tug his body closer against yours until you could feel his erection poking against your thigh. Lando ground into you habitually, moaning into your kiss that was led equally between the two of you and his fingers pressed greedily into your hips under the material of your open blazer, his backpack still slung over his one shoulder. 

You slid your hand down his neck to his chest and pushed him back from your lips for a moment to ask breathlessly, “Just checking that you are actually over eighteen, right?”

Lando was already moving his clumsy kisses down your neck, “Almost twenty-one. On Saturday.”

“Fuck, okay,” you breathed, tilting your head back to give him room to kiss your neck and he nibbled right up under your ear, making your knees nearly go weak. You tried to play off your question despite the arousing overwhelm that was growing inside of you, “Not that you look like a teenager…I just…gotta check.”

Lando didn’t even have time to laugh at that because he was so damn focused on what was going on and he could only mumble out an “I know” before pressing his fingers to your jaw to turn your lips back to his. 

You both moaned into each other’s mouths, breathing in steady time, and you arched into him hungrily as your hand grabbed at the side of his neck. Lando’s arm snaked around your waist to hold you close just like that and his lips smacked wetly with yours, pulling more pleading moans from your throat with each tongue-led kiss. Your hips rubbed against his front slightly and his breath shuttered between kisses for a moment, fingers pressing tighter into your waist and he looked down between you to watch how close you stood together, still fully clothed. 

“You got hard so fast.” you whispered. 

Lando restrained himself from explaining that he had been growing hard from simply the sight of you since he first stepped foot in the bookstore that afternoon if not for simply looking at your pictures on Instagram over the last while. His eyes just focused on your lips, swollen from his kiss and smudged with your thin application of lipstick, and he spoke softly, “You’re just so fucking gorgeous…difficult not to get hard when you’re looking at me like that.”

He had so many smooth lines from his plentiful fantasies that involved you and of course he had to put them to the test before he got too in his head to remember any of them. That one seemed to work because you were giggling breathily and pulling him close by the side of his neck to lock your lips again. Lando swore you could take over every inch of his body and soul with ease but in that moment, he wanted nothing more than your mouth on his, kissing him like you were honestly meant to be there with your tongue working right up against his. 

It was such a rush into the hotel room that you both still had your bags slung over your shoulders and Lando slid his backpack down without taking his lips from yours, discarding it to the other side of the hallway. You followed his lead and dropped your tote bag and your purse to the tile floor too without breaking your kiss, keeping your one hand around the back of his neck to prevent his lips from leaving yours for anything longer than a second. 

Within his fit of determination, Lando guided you away from the wall and started to walk you farther into the room carefully to avoid tripping with his attention so distracted by your lips. His hands pushed your blazer from your shoulders and you gladly let him toss it across the carpeted bedroom floor before you were unbuttoning your blouse. You desperately tried to keep kissing as you undressed and Lando pulled his shirt off and dropped it to the floor before your blouse was joining it within seconds. 

“Holy shit.” he literally whined into your kiss as his eyes stayed open to try and get a good look at you. Shamelessly, your breasts were always a bit of a weak spot for him in most of your Instagram pictures so seeing them really, truly in front of him was unbelievable. You kept kissing him no matter how much he was trying to look at you, your hands sliding down his bare chest and to his faint abs that you gently scratched your fingers over to make him shiver. 

“You’re so sexy.” you whispered into his mouth before grabbing his waist to pull his body against yours again as your teeth nipped at his bottom lip, “Touch me.” 

Lando exhaled sharply at your order and you let his lips go so he could properly look at you, wide eyes staring down at your chest pushed up in your black bra. His hands glided up the curve of your waist, over your warm soft skin, and his fingertips ghosted over the lace of your bra as if afraid to touch. It pushed your breasts up so addictingly full and he literally licked his lips as he stared at you and cupped his hands over your chest. His wide eyed wonder had your gaze lingering on him for a moment, trying to read his expression as more than the male desire to look at breasts and instead thinking if maybe this was the first time he had seen any. 

“Sit down.” you instructed gently, taking hold of his wrists to steer him against the side of the neatly made king size bed. 

He sat. His eyes stayed on your chest and his hands reached for you once more. 

You let him touch and squeeze your breasts in your bra as much as he pleased because you were taking to his belt right after. Lando’s quick gasp was obvious and you looked him right in the eyes as you unpinned the buckle and then popped the button on his slacks. 

“You tell me to stop at any point if you want.” you whispered. 

Lando nodded and leaned in to kiss your lips again, playing his inexperience off with a casual, “You too.”

You just giggled softly and unzipped his slacks and tugged open the front before kneeling on either side of his lap. As your kiss broke, Lando’s hands slid around your waist to your back and his wide eyed stare locked on your chest that was nearly in his face. When you lowered down onto his lap, he bit down on his bottom lip in anticipation and when you started grinding on him a little, his hands gripped tighter to your waist. 

“Holy…” he groaned out softly, gaze unwavering from your breasts in his face. 

You moaned softly at the feeling of his clothed erection pressing up against your dress pants, right over your clit, and the friction was unbearably addicting. Greedy slow rocks of your hips back and forth had Lando trying to restrain himself from smothering his face in your chest, his eyes wide with lust. He couldn’t tell which one to look at, licking his lips, and his large hands followed the motions of your hips lazily. 

“Do whatever you want to me.” you whispered to him. “You can touch my tits if you want.” 

Lando’s big hazel eyes blinked up at you like a sweet little puppy and his teeth sunk down into his bottom lip as his mouth formed an eager smile, his hands sliding down the back of your pants to grab your ass with your given permission. 

“That’s it.” you breathed, still grinding down on his lap.

He pulled you into your motions harder and he groaned softly as he leaned in towards your chest. Tongue first, he licked testingly between your breasts and with your soft exhale, he tried again over one of them before sucking gently on your skin as he moved back. You raised your hand up behind you and unclipped your bra and Lando’s breath nearly froze in his chest as the lace fabric fell away to expose you to his eager eyes. 

“God, you’re so fucking beautiful.” he breathed, taking his hands from your ass to grab your chest. 

“You like my tits?” you asked sweetly. 

“Yeah.” Lando groaned, squishing them together before leaning in and nuzzled his face between them. He absolutely showered you in kisses as you laughed lightly at his eagerness and ran your hand through the back of his hair, still grinding down on his lap slowly, watching as he licked and kissed and suckled at your skin. But when he finally wrapped his lips around one of your nipples and sucked on it roughly, you audibly withered, your head falling back for a moment at the sensation. 

Lando’s eyes raised to yours as his teeth tugged at your nipple teasingly and you met his gaze again, “Does it feel good when I do that?”

“Mhm.” 

“Yeah?” he moved back in to suck on the other one, mimicking his same actions and pulling back with a little bite. “You have such pretty tits.”

You giggled lightly, “Thank you.”

Lando dropped his hands back down to your bum as you kept grinding on him back and forth, and he kissed wetly at your breasts a bit more before peering down between your bodies. You both still had your pants on although his were unzipped and resting open tauntingly and he moaned softly as he bit his bottom lip, watching you rub yourself down on his aching boner with almost four layers between you. 

“Mm, that feels so good.” he whispered. “Can I take my pants off?”

You nodded him on and leaned up on your knees to give him room to shuffle his slacks down his legs and he kicked them across the floor. It was only then that he noticed the full length framed mirror on the wall across from him over your shoulder and he mouthed ‘oh my God’ to himself as he watched you drop back down onto his lap. His hands gripped your ass and pulled you into your motions stronger and with your arms wrapped around his shoulders you dipped down to kiss his lips. You shared pleasant moans, tongues welcome into each other’s mouths as the sloppy sound of your kisses filled the hotel room with your heavy breaths. 

“Fuck, baby.” Lando groaned out of your kiss as his head tilted back for a moment to breathe. 

You kissed down his neck and his thumbs bravely tucked themselves in the back of your dress pants and started to pull them down over your ass. 

“Can I leave hickies?” you asked against his ear. 

“Fuck, yes.” Lando answered easily, honestly excited for you to leave your mark on him. 

You licked over a spot on the side of his neck and tangled your finger in the back of his hair to pull his head to the opposite side to give yourself more room. Lando just watched through the mirror over your shoulder as his hands rested on the curve of your bare ass, greedy eyes exposed to the burgundy lace of your panties that was as rich red as the wine you shared with dinner. His nose scrunched up at your first gentle suction and you tugged at his skin a little more and he withered slightly, hands gripping your flesh a bit tighter. 

“Ohh, my God.” he groaned. 

You pulled back from his neck with a soft slurp of spit and left one last lick over the forming bruise before blowing a gentle puff of air across it just to make him shiver. You both shared almost eager little grins as you moved back in to kiss him and when your lips locked, Lando couldn’t help himself but wind his hand back and slap it back down against your ass. The small yelp you let out had him rubbing his hand over the spot soothingly but you just whispered a ‘harder’ into his mouth instead. 

“You’re so fucking dirty.” Lando mumbled, staring you right in the eyes as he spanked you harder. 

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah, I love it.” Lando bit back his grin. 

He went to lean in to kiss you again but you slid off his lap and shuffled off your pants all the way before sinking to your knees between his legs. Lando’s eyes only widened more and you kept his gaze as you placed a careful hand over the front of his black briefs, only giving him the smallest pressure against his aching hard cock hidden underneath. 

“This okay?” you asked. 

“Mhm.” he nodded, resting his hands on the bed behind him to watch your hand rub slowly over the tent in his underwear. His eyebrows were furrowed in disbelieving concentration as if trying to sear into his memory the sight of you touching him just like that, his hips rising slightly from the bed to nudge up into your touch habitually. 

Your fingers ghosted across the taut fabric of his underwear up to the top of the bulge formed underneath and then you wrapped gentle fingers around it. Lando’s mouth fell open silently, still staring down at you as you rubbed him over his briefs with a secure grip around the girth of his clothed cock. 

“You’re so hard.” you whispered up to him, leaning in to press a careful kiss over the black fabric, “You feel big.” 

“You can take it out.” Lando offered, trying to play it cool while on the inside his heart was nearly racing out of his chest. 

“Yeah?” you bit your lip up at him, stringing him along a little longer, “And then what? Want me to put it in my mouth?”

“Fuck.” Lando choked out, “Yes.” 

His obvious eagerness had you smiling and you slid your warm palms up his stomach and leaned in to press slow open mouthed kisses down his abs and right to the fabric of his underwear, pausing to lick teasingly at the little line of hair that disappeared into the waistband. He shuttered under your touch and you just bit back your own excited grin as you slowly started to pull his underwear down. It rested around his thighs for a moment as you let yourself take in the sight of him, how his dick stood tall in front of your face, angled up so perfectly it nearly made you moan out loud. 

Lando was slowly shying under your silent stare and he reached a hand out to cover himself but before he could you were dropping out your tongue and licking at the tip. 

“O-Oh my God.” Lando choked out, his thighs flinching slightly. 

“You have a gorgeous dick.” you whispered up at him, wrapping your hand around the base greedily to hold him still as you dragged your tongue right up the underside. 

Lando was almost scared to touch you as if it would somehow make you stop and his right hand was held clumsily in mid air as his gaping mouth stared down at you in his lap. Your eyes met his as your lips wrapped around the head of his cock and you sucked on it lazily, gently, teasing him a little more. When you pulled back again, you let a string of spit dribble from your lips and down the shaft of his dick to meet your hand as you started stroking it slowly. 

“Oh my fucking God.” Lando breathed shakily. 

Your hand was so much better than his own, so soft and gentle, simply yours, and he stared at your motions as if in complete disbelief. You gave him slow twisting strokes up and back down, letting your eyes take up every inch of him as you licked your lips at the sheer size of him.

“You’re huge.” you complimented as you dragged his underwear down his legs completely and he helped to kick them off his ankles and across the floor. 

Lando never really thought to compare himself to others so he never really knew where he stood but honestly you could have been completely lying to him and he would have believed you. Your voice was a drug to him. Your touch was addicting. Your mouth was even better. 

The moment you took him in your mouth, Lando was whimpering shakily and his hand that was once hovering in mid air raked through his hair to grab a tight fistful to restrain himself. You kept yourself slow, pushing down on him carefully and easing back up with a snug hollow of your cheeks that was gentle for him. He had tried to play it cool but his obvious inexperience was oozing out of him and you saw that well. You didn’t want to call him out and embarrass him so you just took it slowly and made sure he was comfortable. 

With a soft moan, you kept your mouth and hand working together and Lando audibly withered as if his eyes were physically going to roll back in his head. 

“Is this a dream?” he whispered, mostly to himself. 

You giggled as you pulled back from his cock, letting your hand take up the motions that your mouth once was, “Not a dream, baby.”

Lando swore there was no better sight than you between his legs and he hesitantly slid his hand through your hair as if to make sure you were really there. You smiled up at him and then lowered down again, keeping your hand stroking his dick as you sucked gently on his balls one at a time. 

“Oh my God.” Lando gasped out. “Shit.” 

“Feel good?” you asked after licking back up the underside of his dick. 

“Yes.” 

You smeared the tip of his cock over your pursed lips, bubbling out a bit more spit to slick him up some more and then you pressed your tongue right under the head just to see how his nose scrunched up in pleasure. He whimpered so prettily and you nearly grinned as you fed his dick back into your mouth, shaking your head to get him to hit the back of your throat. When you gagged, Lando’s hand gripped tighter at your hair and his head fell back with a lingering groan, only breathing harder in steady time with you as you started bobbing your head again. 

As his moans got louder, you moved slower before finally pulling back from his lap with a deep inhale, leaving him sighing shakily. 

“Why’d you stop?” Lando asked quietly. 

“Because I don’t want you to cum yet.” you answered easily and reached up to grab him by the back of his neck and pull his lips to yours. 

He moaned into your kiss as his tongue fought against yours with fierce desire and both of his hands cradled your cheeks to hold you close. Without breaking your kiss, you stood up between his legs while still stroking him off lazily and he shuffled back farther onto the bed to let you join him. You placed yourself on his outstretched thighs, arms wrapped around his shoulders, and his hands pulled you closer by your ass until his cock was pressed up right against your clothed clit. 

Lando’s hands groped your ass strongly and he moaned hungrily into your mouth as if chasing your breath for more. He was desperate for your touch and to feel every inch of you but the gentleman in him just had to speak up before his inexperienced brain could really process his offer. 

“Want me to eat you out?” 

The offer nearly started himself as much as it took you by surprise, his instant regret pouring through his veins at the sudden remembrance that he would have no clue what the hell to do down there on you. The last thing he wanted to do was make a fool of himself and prove to you that he was a measly virgin. He had no clue you suspected it. 

“That’s okay.” you brushed it off coolly between passionate kisses. 

“Mm,” Lando kept pushing no matter how much he was fearing a ‘yes’, protesting weakly into your mouth, “but you went down on me…”

“So what?” you mumbled, grinding up against his cock. 

“Mph-” Lando groaned, voice strained, “it’s gotta be fair-” 

“Who says this isn’t fair?” you tangled your fingers in the back of his hair to gently tug his head back so he was looking up at you. 

Lando only whimpered, “Me.”

You dipped in closer to bite at his bottom lip once, twice, and then gave it a little tug on the third time, making his breath shutter in his chest when you pulled back. His wide eyes were focused in on yours, swollen lips parted sweetly in awe, and when you slid your hand around to his throat, his eyelashes fluttered with a shaky inhale. 

You spoke to him lowly, voice dripping in lust, and Lando could have came right then and there as you told him seriously, “I just want you to fuck me already.” 

“Oh my God.” Lando withered, sliding his hands up your waist to roll your both over gently. 

Still laying perpendicular to the pillows, his lips magnetized to yours almost right away. He situated himself between your legs that you wrapped around his waist and as his dick rutted up against your panties, he could nearly feel how wet you were, soaking through the fabric. You shared impatient moans into each other’s mouths, hung up on each other’s lips, and your fingers tangled in the back of his hair. 

“Do you have a condom in your bag?” you breathed into his mouth, words muffled slightly by his lips. 

Lando leaned back from your kiss just enough for your noses to brush, “No. Do you not have any?” 

“Wasn’t really planning on taking a stranger from my signing back to my hotel.” you chuckled. 

Lando could have nearly cried with frustration as he sat back from you, resting on his knees between your spread legs. You leaned up on your elbows against the neatly made sheets and you could have smiled at his adorable pout that he was trying so hard to suppress as his hands ghosted down your torso and over your thighs. 

“Lando,” you giggled, brushing your foot over his waist to bring his attention back to your face, “Do you wanna fuck me raw?”

His eyes could not have opened wider in shock, “What?”

“If you wanna. I can just stop to grab a Plan B tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?” Lando questioned. Was it concerning that he didn't even fear an accidental pregnancy? To be fair, he had been dreaming about knocking you up for months so the risk was more to his desires than he’d have liked to admit. 

You bit your lip and nodded, “If you’re comfortable.” 

He couldn’t nod faster if he tried. 

“Okay,” you smiled sweetly and held out one hand towards him, “C’mere then.” 

Lando leaned back over you, holding himself up on the bed beside you as his other hand cradled your face to keep your lips on his for more lingering kisses. You couldn’t get enough of his lips, moaning softly into his mouth as they moulded together like perfection. 

“Fuck, I’m so wet.” you whimpered into his mouth, chasing his mouth for one more sloppy kiss as he tried to pull away, “Mm, I want you so bad.” 

Lando stared down at you as he sat back on his knees again and let his hands travel down your body, over your breasts and hips and to the thin lace of your rich red panties. You draped your arms over your head and rose your legs towards your chest for a moment so he could easily pull your underwear off you and then let them fall to the ground, leaving you both completely naked. In the quiet of the hotel room, Lando nudged your thighs open again and got his first real look at the part of you that he swore he was only going to see in his dreams. 

You were glistening wet and Lando stared in wonder at the effect he had on you. Only egging him on more, you dropped a hand down and spread your lips open with two slender fingers so he could see all of you before gliding your fingers between them to smear around your sticky arousal that nearly dripped from your pussy. 

“Holy…fuck.” Lando licked his lips and then took a deep breath. “You are a fucking dream.”

“All reality.” you assured him with a giggle.

He rubbed his hands over your thighs for a moment, contemplating his next move, and you let him take his time. With a soft call of your name and a hum of acknowledgement from you, Lando had one request, “Can you call me ‘sir’?”

You were surprised by the slightly kinky suggestion, something you hadn’t even thought about at all, “You want me to call you ‘sir’?”

“You don’t have to.” Lando assured you quickly, his cheeks flushing pink.

“No…that’s…really fucking hot.” you admitted with a smile.

Lando’s lips perked up at the corners, “Yeah?”

You nodded with a sultry, “Yes, sir.” 

“Ohh fuck.” Lando chuckled through a low groan and he leaned back down over you to kiss you again. 

You moaned contentedly against his lips, swallowing up his tongue against yours, and then let him go with a smile when he sat back again between your spread legs. He shuffled closer to your body and you pulled your legs back a bit more to give him room, watching carefully as he let a thick string of spit fall from his lips onto his dick and he rubbed it in with his hand. 

“How much dirty talk do you want?” you asked softly. 

Lando answered with ease, “Write me a novel worth.” 

“Oh my God.” you giggled, draping yourself back down against the sheets, “I can do that.” 

Lando nudged the tip of his dick against your dripping pussy and the simple action made both of you gasp lightly. He was honestly a little nervous to get inside you, fearing that he’d cum within seconds and truth embarrass himself, so he teased you a little more by dragging his dick between your legs. 

“Shit,” you sighed out, eyes focused on his face as he watched the head of his cock glide between your wet folds, soaking himself in your arousal, “I just need you to fuck me with your big dick.” 

Lando nearly shuttered at your words and his eyes rose to meet your face. 

You reached down your body and gently stroked the head of his dick with your fingertips, tracing the smooth shape and stroking it right at his most sensitive spots. His hips naturally pushed into your touch and he groaned tightly. 

“Yeah, you’ve got such a pretty cock…gonna fucking ruin me with it. Just want it buried in my tight little wet pussy, sir.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Lando groaned softly, keeping a tight fist around the shaft of his dick as you nearly petted the swollen pink tip so tenderly. 

“Do you want that, sir?” you asked him sweetly, staring right up at his face as you wrapped your hand around his and brushed the tip of his dick strongly between your folds, “You wanna fuck me into my bed? Watch me take every inch of you?”

“Oh my- yeah-” he stumbled out. Lando could hardly think of words, all his smooth one-liners completely disappeared from his mind as he watched you rub his dick between your legs. You felt so warm and he wasn’t even inside you yet.

“How do you want to fuck me?” you asked softly. 

Lando swallowed thickly, “This is…fine. This is good.” 

“Okay.” you giggled. You took your hand back from over his to spread yourself open for him, urging him in with no words spoken. 

Lando shuffled forward on his knees again and held a cautious hand down against your stomach as he angled his dick between your legs and started to push inside you. You reached down to help guide him a little, making sure he got the right angle with the gentle re-direction of your fingers.

“Yeah, right there.” you breathed shakily, “Keep going.” 

The moment the head of his cock slipped snugly into your pussy, you both gasped softly at the feeling and Lando moved both his hands to grab your spread thighs as he watched himself ease deeper into you ever so slowly. You felt like heaven and Lando had to blink a few times to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming, far too good to be true. It was a feeling his hand could never recreate and he wondered how the hell he could go back to using his imagination after this, after being blessed with how tight and warm you were squeezing around him. 

“Oh my God, you’re so big.” you moaned quietly as you shifted onto your forearms behind you again to give yourself a better angle to watch behind a bitten lip as he slid in farther. 

Lando couldn’t even form words as he bottomed out and his hips pressed snugly against yours, his cock buried as deep as it could inside you. He was scared to move, worried that the moment he started to fuck you that he’d cum in seconds. 

You reached up a hand to wrap around the back of his neck and he raised his eyes to yours as you asked him softly, “You okay?”

“Mhm.” he nodded and leaned in to kiss you. 

His slight movement had his hips nudging against yours and your muscles fluttered around him at the shift and you both moaned into your messy kiss. 

“Fuck, you feel so good.” Lando rushed out in one hurried breath as he pulled back from your kiss and slowly rolled his hips into yours. 

“Slow.” you whispered, sliding your hands around the back of his neck. “Nice and slow.”

Lando’s eyes locked on yours as he eased deep into you again, resting his hands flat on either side of your head, and your mouths fell open together at the feeling. 

“That’s it.” you breathed. 

Lando moaned tightly into his next achingly slow thrust, slipping inside you so easily. You took his face in your hands and pulled him down for more kisses, sharing soft breaths and moans between you for a moment. 

“Can I ride you?” you asked against his lips. 

Part of him was sort of relieved to have you offer to start for him and he pushed a final kiss to your lips before pulling out of you again. You shifted him over onto his back, moving around so he was resting back against the down filled pillows and you tossed a leg over his lap. Lando’s wide eyes soaked you up eagerly and his hands found your hips to pull you closer before he was taking hold of his dick and helped you to angle it right again. 

It was a bit easier to slide into you now that he had already been fully inside you once and you sank right down until your ass met his thighs. His little grunt as you bottomed out had you smiling down at him and he just grinned right back, a dopey little pleasured grin, and his large hands slid up your waist to grab at your breasts. You rose back up just a bit and then lowered back down on him, starting slowly to start him off. 

“Fuck.” Lando squeaked out, eyes focused down his body to watch how you took him all every time you dropped down. He was just getting slicked up in your liquids to the point that every time you took him inside you, it made the filthiest wettest sound that made his mouth drop open. 

“Can I go faster, sir?” you asked breathily. 

“Uh huh.” he nodded. 

He wanted to take you over so badly but his mind was absolutely racing and he could hardly figure out how to form words. You bounced on his lap a little faster but still pretty slowly, grounding yourself with your hands on his chest as the bliss washed over you easily. 

“Mm, fuck, you feel so good inside me.” you moaned. 

Lando couldn’t help but naturally stumble out, “Good girl.” 

You blushed pink at his deep voice praising you so honestly and you squared your shoulders again and held his hands over your chest as you swirled your hips in impactful circles, “You think I’m a good girl, sir?”

The lust that raced through Lando’s veins had him staring up at you with so much he wanted to say and your taunting dirty talk only pulled it from where he had kept it suppressed with his initial shock of pleasure. He groped your breasts stronger and nearly pulled you into your motions by them, “Yeah, you’re a good girl, baby.” 

His protective walls were falling away as he fell into comfort and you bit back your smile down at him as you moved back into bounces, “God, I love riding you. You look so fucking good.” 

Lando audibly groaned, pulling his hands from your chest to grab your hips again and tried to slow you down desperately. But you fell to your knees on either side of his body and tossed your hair over one shoulder to lean down and kiss him, bouncing your hips back on him as you did so. 

“Mm, fuck.” Lando muffled into your mouth, desperately trying to keep kissing you back but it was growing increasingly difficult. He spanked you once before grabbing your ass and tried to buck up into you with a whine. 

You had only been on top of him for not even a minute and he was already about to burst. He was embarrassingly close and if he didn’t stop you and the way you were riding him he was going to cum embarrassingly fast. 

“Stop, baby, st-stop.” he stumbled out, trying not to show how strained his voice was.

You did, stalling your motions as you pulled back from his lips to look at him, “You okay?”

Lando played it off coolly, “Yeah. Just wanna…”

You let him lead you off of him and he got up to take his spot behind you, naturally urging you onto hands and knees. His direction had you biting back a grin and you looked at him over your shoulder as you spread your legs a little wider and he brushed his dick between your folds again. 

“Put it in.” you whispered. 

Lando took a deep silent breath that he held in his chest as he pushed back inside your sinfully tight body. He groaned lowly and grabbed your waist tightly as he couldn’t help but start to thrust into you slowly as if driven by some sort of natural instinct. 

“Oh fuck-” you gasped, hands instinctively gripping the sheets beneath you. “Yes.”

He slapped a hand down across your ass and you giggled blissfully into the pillows as you slouched down to arch your back for him. Taking it from the back, he could hit so deep that his balls smacked against your clit every time he thrusted into you and the slick sound of wet skin filled the hotel room. 

“Oh my God.” Lando groaned through his teeth. “Good girl…take it.” 

“Fuck, sir.” you moaned pleasantly, unable to hide the honest smile from your face. “Don’t stop.”

Lando’s head literally fell back and he mouthed an “oh my God” to the ceiling as if literally speaking to heaven - it nearly felt like he was in heaven in that moment. You…were heaven to him. His hands gripped tighter onto your waist and he pulled you into his every thrust as he tried to hold himself back. He wanted to cum so badly but it was still so soon and he was trying everything in his power to not think too hard about how good you felt and how pretty you sounded. 

“Fuck me faster.” you whimpered, glancing back at him over your shoulder. 

Lando physically clenched his jaw and forced himself faster, shoving into you messily just to make you moan louder into your arm. 

“Yes, yes, yes!” 

“Feel good, baby?” he asked, unsure of his own capabilities.

“So good!” you cried softly, “Don’t stop!” 

Lando could feel himself growing close again and the filthy wet and warm squelch of your pussy taking him all certainly wasn’t helping him last any longer. He honestly tried to think of his exam he had taken earlier that day, his failing GPA, his current assignments, desperate for any thought that would keep him from finishing too quickly. But you were louder than his thoughts and your jagged fucked out moans and whimpers and chants of “yes” were making it increasingly difficult to hold back. 

So he pulled out again. 

“Ohhh.” you whined in protest. 

Lando tried to steady his breathing, his cock aching with need to cum, and he took his time nudging you onto your back and pulled your right leg over your left so your hips were rotated ninety degrees and left your pussy on perfect display for him. It only took a few seconds to get you situated but by then the knot inside him was diminishing and only leaving behind that unfulfilled throbbing. 

“Okay, okay, okay, okay-” Lando breathed, spanking your ass once more before he was grabbing it in his tight grip and then sliding his dick back inside you strongly. “That’s it.”

“Holy shit, you’re so big!” you cried. 

Lando just started fucking you again, holding you down by waist and chest and your head tossed back against the pillows with a loud cry of pleasure. He couldn’t get enough of you, the feeling he had never been blessed with before, and he stared down at you behind a bitten lip and stormy determined eyes that had your mouth dropping open. 

“Oh my fucking God, yes!” you shrieked, tossing a hand up behind you to grab onto the headboard. “Right there!”

Lando had a one handed vice like grip on your breast but the sting of his grip didn’t phase you as you were too hung up on the way he fucked you. His strokes weren’t completely graceful and were certainly infused with an unmissable desperation but they felt so good regardless and the angle he had you at had him hitting your g-spot straight on. Whether he knew that or not was beyond you but he literally had you going quiet as only the sharpest little gasps were fucked from your throat. 

“F-Fuck-“ Lando whimpered, staring right into your eyes. 

The expression you held was driving him crazy, nothing but euphoria spread all over your face with your mouth fallen open and eyes nearly rolling back in your head thanks to him and him alone. You reached one hand down to grab his thigh, fingers pressing into his flesh as if to pull him closer, deeper, to urge him to give you more. He shifted to grab your ass and waist with both hands, biting hard on his bottom lip as he stared down at how you took him all so deep inside you, drenching him each time he pulled back out just to shove back in, dizzy on the wet squish of your body. 

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, sir-” you rushed out, fingernails digging into the back of his thigh from where you held him and your other arm was draped above your head and gripping onto the pillow beneath you, your moans only growing louder and more desperate, “Fuck, I’m gonna cum! Don’t stop!” 

As your pussy started to grip down around him, Lando physically stopped in surprise, his hips stuttering, and he pulled right out of you again with a startled gasp. Your disappointed groan had his wide eyes raising back to your face again. 

“Wanna cum for you.” you whined, reaching down to rub pleadingly at your sensitive pussy, “Please let me cum on your cock.” 

Lando couldn’t say no to that. He shoved your legs apart again to get you flat on your back once more and you grinned sweetly up at him as he proudly angled his dick between your legs and dragged it through your pooling wetness and pressed it against your gaping hole, already fucked out by him. He eased it inside you slowly, so slowly so he could watch how your body stretched around him and took him all, how each inch made your breath shutter in your chest. 

He knew he really wasn’t going to last long anymore - he had already done literally all he could to hold himself back - and he leaned right over you with his forearms pressed to the pillows on either side of your head as he filled you completely once more. You leaned up to kiss him, lips smacking wetly and sloppily with your passion and heat, and when he rolled his hips into yours, you broke your kiss with a lingering moan. 

Lando stared at your face right in front of him as you wrapped your legs around his waist and your arms around his shoulders and neck and he pushed into you slowly again. Your sweet moans were nothing less than beautiful to him and he thrusted into you a bit stronger to have you making more of those pretty sounds. 

“Please,” you whimpered, cut off by his lips finding yours again as he thrusted into you a little faster. You squeaked against his kiss and smacked your hand down against his shoulder blades in surprise at his change, nails sinking into his skin. 

“This okay?” Lando asked softly, his breath falling against your cheek. 

“Uh huh! Gimme more.” you nodded. 

Lando couldn’t get enough of your filthy words so he egged you on - testing the waters - with a little, “Beg.” 

“Fuck me harder!” you pleaded, “I wanna cum all over your huge cock. Want you to make me cum, sir. Want you to make me scream, sir.” 

“Oh fuck.” Lando groaned quietly, slumping down on top of you a little more as he let his hips take their natural desperation out on you, pounding into you faster. 

“Shit!” you gasped sharply, head tossing back against the pillows, “Yes! Keep going!” 

“Good girl.” Lando breathed, so quiet as if he were nervous to say it out loud but you still heard and it still made your stomach twist. 

Your ankles linked behind his back to keep him as close as possible and you welcomed his lips back on yours to share a few more sloppy kisses and hungry moans before he was pulling back to breathe again. Lando had to tuck his face into your neck because looking at you felt like far too much to handle as he stayed nice and deep and fucked you quicker. 

“Yes.” you squeaked out, digging your nails into his back. “Yes, yes, yes-” 

Lando moaned shakily against your skin, already feeling himself needing to cum again. He desperately thought of his exam again, trying to think about anything to make it last just even a little bit longer. He was getting so close so fast and as you did the same, the squeeze of your muscles only drew him dangerously closer to finishing. 

The sound of his panted, strained breaths against your ear was invigorating and the tight reverberations of his soft groans had you biting his neck to keep yourself composed, to keep from getting too loud between the thin hotel walls. But you still moaned for him, pleading sweet little moans that he felt in every inch of his body and his balls fucking ached to cum after so much edging. It nearly brought tears to his eyes. 

You could tell he was close as he shuffled closer to you on his knees and his thrusts were turning sloppy and his groans were turning into strained little whimpers, his cock pulsing strongly deep inside of you. Just to help it along, you dropped a hand down between your snug bodies to rub at your clit, already so sensitive that the slightest touch had you shuttering with overwhelm. The way it made your pussy clench up had Lando gasping and you held him by the back of his neck to keep his cheek pressed to yours. 

“Do you want to cum inside me?” you asked softly, voice dripping like honey. 

He nodded quickly. 

“Yeah? Good because I want it. I want you to cum so fucking deep inside me, sir. Please, gimme it.” 

Your voice was strained as you were getting yourself close too by the extra help of your hand and Lando’s fists were tightening on the pillows on either side of your head as he fucked you right down into the bedsheets. Your words certainly weren’t helping him hold himself back but thankfully he didn’t have to hold it much longer because in seconds he was privy to the perfection that was your orgasm. 

He could hardly get a good look at your face with how close your heads were but he got the best of it; how your nose scrunched up and head fell back and how you sobbed out his name to the ceiling with a trail of the sweetest moans and whimpers he had heard all night. But the best part was how it felt, how fucking tight you got around him, because the moment your orgasm washed over you, the vice like grip of your muscles sent him to his own rapid conclusion. 

Lando literally tensed so hard he trembled, eyes scrunched closed as he grunted out a whimpery, “Y-Yes…yes- f-fuck-” 

He held onto you so tightly that he couldn’t get any deeper inside you if he tried and he savoured the feeling of coming in something that wasn’t his hand. It was hard to wrap his mind around the fact that it was you. 

Your heels pressed into his ass to grind his hips against yours to make sure he let it all out, your shared breathy moans lingering in the warm air of the hotel room. Lando bucked into you a few more times and you kissed at his neck as he came down from his most incredible orgasm to date. His hands loosened on the pillows and he leaned back just enough to look at your face properly. 

His cheeks were dusted pink and he was blinking away the pleasurable tears that had brimmed in his eyes, parted lips staring down at you in near awe. You brushed your hand through his messy hair and you both leaned in for a quick kiss or two before you were guiding him back by his biceps as he sat back on his knees between your spread legs. 

Lando’s chest nearly hurt with how fast his heart was beating and he pulled out of you slowly, watching the trickle of cum that dripped out in his wake. He licked his lips and raised his eyes up to yours as if asking for permission to touch you as he reached his hand out and smeared his fingers through it greedily. 

“That’s so fucking hot.” he breathed. 

“Feels so good too.” you giggled. 

Lando shifted out from between your legs and fell onto the bed at your side, both of you resting back against the pillows and staring at the ceiling as your breathing steadied. You grabbed his wrist of the hand that had just been in the mess you made and you pulled it up to your mouth to suck off his fingers. Lando exhaled shakily as he watched you lick him clean - nearly deepthroating his fingers as you did so - and then you shoved his hand away with a little blissful laugh and a lick of your lips to linger on the taste of him. 

In the silence that fell for the initial moment after everything, Lando started to wonder if he should be saying something…bringing you something…thanking you? He felt like a fool, not knowing what he was supposed to be doing and he turned his head to look at you again, speaking your name into the warm air between you. 

“Lando.” you replied right back with a little smile, lolling your head to the side to look right back at him. 

“I have to tell you something.” he whispered. 

You shifted your body onto your side to give him your full attention, face falling into slight concern, “What is it?”

He bit at his lip nervously before confessing to you, “I’m a virgin…I was a virgin...”

Your lips pricked up into a tiny smile at the corners and you stroked your thumb across his cheek, “Yeah, sweetheart, I could kinda tell when you kept having to stop to keep from cumming too fast.”

Lando’s cheeks went red, “Oh.” 

“Was that okay though? You didn’t mind losing it to me? I should have asked but I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything.”

Lando propped himself up on his side too with a quick shake of his head, “Absolutely. I wanted nothing more than to lose it to you, honestly. It was like a fucking dream.” 

You shared light laughter and he leaned in - hesitating for a split second - and kissed your lips. You raised your hand up to the side of his neck to keep him there a moment longer, smiling into his mouth as your breathlessly moulded into messy little kisses. 

“Was it okay for you?” Lando pulled back to ask, “I wasn’t…too clueless, right?”

You bit back your smile at his courtesy and shook your head, “No, you were amazing. Pleasantly surprised you could actually make me cum.”

He let out a little sigh of relief and you both leaned in for a few more quick kisses between light blissful giggles. Lando felt a surge of pride for himself, like he was unbeatable, and when you pushed him back by his chest, he flopped back onto the sheets with a smiling sigh. 

“I’m gonna go clean up.” you said, scratching your fingers gently over his abs, “You’ll be here when I come out?”

Lando nodded, sharing in your smiles, and he watched you climb off the bed and retrieve a clean pair of underwear and a t-shirt from your suitcase by the wall before disappearing around the corner into the bathroom. When he heard the door close behind you, Lando permitted himself a deep exhale, raking his fingers through his hair as he stared up at the ceiling with shocked disbelief all over his face. He had been playing it cool for hours and suddenly, with the wash of reality overcoming him, he was stunned to silence by what just happened. 

He mouthed a “what the fuck” to the ceiling and then sat up on the king size bed to locate his underwear from where they had been earlier tossed across the floor. He got up and tugged them on before tiptoeing past the bathroom door to where his backpack was left in your rush of entry. With his phone in hand, Lando returned to the side of the bed and sat down as he unlocked his phone with your birthdate as his passcode and swiped across his home screen that was wallpapered with a picture of you, and opened Instagram. 

His two best friends were chatting to pass the time in the groupchat,

georgerussell63: It’s literally 11:00 right now and I’m going to be so tired for my exam tomorrow but I can’t go to sleep until we know wtf is going on alex_albon: I know alex_albon: I’m so wide awake alex_albon: I can’t even lock my phone I’m scared we’ll miss something georgerussell63: Do you think anything happened? alex_albon: Ahh idk- georgerussell63: Omg wait Lando just opened the messages georgerussell63: Hello?? alex_albon: Lan?? You alive?? georgerussell63: Mate don’t just leave us on SEEN  alex_albon: What happened? We are dying here! landonorris: Guys landonorris: Oh my God georgerussell63: LANDO alex_albon: WHAT HAPPENED landonorris: I fucked her alex_albon: WAIT WHAT georgerussell63: WHAT THE FUCK?? georgerussell63: REALLY? landonorris: Ahherghbj omfg yes really alex_albon: Proof plz omg we need proof georgerussell63: Wtf kind of proof Alex? The used condom? Nasty landonorris: Yeah that’d be difficult since we didn’t use a condom- alex_albon: LANDO NORRIS georgerussell63: WTF georgerussell63: WHY NOT alex_albon: BECAUSE WE WANT THOSE BABIES LES GOO landonorris: HAHA landonorris: Idk she just said she’d take plan b tomorrow and idc pffhf landonorris: I’m fucking buzzing holy shit georgerussell63: Where are you rn?? alex_albon: Give us all the details mate landonorris: In her hotel room landonorris: She’s just in the bathroom so I probably can’t chat for long but landonorris: Yeah I had to tell you guys right awayyy georgerussell63: Hear that Albono? georgerussell63: Our boy isnt a virgin anymore 🥲 alex_albon: I’m literally speechless omg alex_albon: Did you get her follow yet?? georgerussell63: ALEX georgerussell63: Mate georgerussell63: Who cares about a follow right now georgerussell63: The boy just shagged the girl of his dreams 🥵 alex_albon: I'm just ASKING if its a one time thing or what landonorris: Idk it literally just happened so we haven’t even really talked landonorris: I still can’t believe it really georgerussell63: Was she good? 👀 alex_albon: 👀👀👀 landonorris: YES landonorris: She was so fucking loud too landonorris: And her dirty talkkkkk holy shittttttt georgerussell63: YEEESH alex_albon: Oh my GODD

Grinning from ear to ear at how boastful he felt, Lando glanced at the bathroom door to make sure it was still closed before he went over to the full length mirror and opened his camera. He tilted his head back a little to show off the bruising hickey on his neck and the faint reminisce of teeth marks just below it and he snapped a picture for his friends.

landonorris: *sent an image* georgerussell63: Ohhhh you got BRANDED alex_albon: LANDO alex_albon: Fucking get it mate omfg

Lando took a second to look at himself in the mirror as if he were a whole new person. He felt new…improved…absolutely buzzing. He turned around in the reflection just to see the pretty red scratches down his back and across his shoulder blades. With a disbelieving giggle to himself, Lando raised his phone up over his shoulder and took a picture through the mirror.

landonorris: *sent an image* alex_albon: LANDO georgerussell63: SHIT alex_albon: You must have had serious game to be scratched up like that holy shit georgerussell63: You really did it omg landonorris: YEAH I REALLY DID IT landonorris: Four positions landonorris: Not including her getting on her knees first landonorris: The whole time she was basically screaming for it landonorris: Hottest thing I’ve ever fucking done landonorris: She was so fucking incredible  landonorris: Even better than I could ever imagine  landonorris: It felt so good I’ve never come so fucking hard before lol georgerussell63: Geeeeez it’s getting hot in here alex_albon: I’m dying to know what this means for you two alex_albon: If she liked it that much this better not be a one time thing alex_albon: She better have fallen in love with you rn georgerussell63: Our boy’s got such good stroke game he wins girls hearts alex_albon: Hell yeah landonorris: Seriously guys it was unreal georgerussell63: I’m so obsessively happy for you rn it’s probably unhealthy 

Right then, the bathroom door opened and you stepped out, only giving Lando a few seconds to say goodbye to his friends. 

landonorris: gtg talk tomorrow

“You okay?” you asked cautiously.

Dressed in only a t-shirt and panties, makeup washed off and hair brushed away from your face, you were still a vision to him and Lando smiled at you softly as you walked over to him.

“Mhm, my roommate was just asking where I was.” he lied casually, still not wanting to be seen as too much of a cringey fanboy as he locked his phone in his hand. 

You walked into his outstretched arm and slid your hands over his bare chest and around his shoulders, “Do you need to go?”

Lando shook his head, his breath sweet and shallow as his heart rate sped up by just having you in arms reach and he bumped his nose gently against your cheek, “Not unless you want me to go.” 

Lingering just in front of his lips you whispered your response, “I wouldn’t mind some company tonight.”

“Yeah?” he smiled. 

You nodded with a smile of your own and guided him closer by the side of his neck to kiss his lips. He hummed softly into it and raised his hand up to cradle your cheek in return, letting his lips lock so effortlessly with yours. After a few seconds, you pulled him back towards the bed and you both climbed under the sheets together. 

“Did you wanna watch Netflix or something?” you asked. “It’s still a little early.” 

Lando hesitated for a moment at your side, “Is it weird if I ask you to read to me? I missed your reading today after all.” 

You laughed lightly but leaned right in and swallowed his lips up with eager kisses, “Mm, no, that’s so fucking sweet. Get your book.” 

Lando grinned and shuffled back out of bed to unzip his backpack and pull out his hardcover that only a few hours earlier he was waiting in line for you to sign. Now, he was taking it into your bed and passing it to you once more while holding his arm up to permit you to cuddle up against his chest. You rested back against him, both of you propped up slightly against the pillows, and he snaked his arms around your waist and pressed a kiss to your cheek as you flipped to the first chapter. 

“You sure this isn’t weird?” he asked softly. 

You leaned your head back against his shoulder and smiled up at him, petting your hand through the side of his messy hair, “Promise. I love it.” 

Lando smiled back and leaned down to kiss your lips and then your temple as you turned back to your book. You read the first few chapters out loud - only stopping once to order room service for a late night snack and refreshments - and shared kisses between each chapter that only had Lando’s stomach fluttering with butterflies at how sweet your voice sounded reading the words that spoke wonders to him. He made you skip over the smut - whispering that he didn’t think he could handle getting hard again - and you did with a shy little laugh as he admitted that your filthy written words always had such an effect on him. 

When you were both fading, the half read novel was tucked onto the bedside table and the lights were turned off in exchange for the presence of each other’s bodies. He was a stranger to you but somehow he made you feel so warm inside like you had known him much longer than a few measly hours. His fingers twirled through the roots of your hair at the nape of your neck and you were put to sleep in mere moments after such a tiring day. 

As Lando held your slumbering body to your chest, his heart was soaring. He wondered if you could hear it racing for you, all his mind taken up by every last bit of you. 

Lando’s alarm went off at 8am, ringing loudly from the dresser across the hotel room. You stirred first and your shifting woke Lando as he had been clinging onto you like a koala all night. His tired eyes blinked open, trying to piece together where he was for a second and why his dorm room bed suddenly felt so comfortable and why his pillow he was clutching felt so warm. 

He had almost entirely forgotten that the previous day wasn’t a dream. 

When he blinked himself into consciousness, he shifted away from you at the annoying ringing of his alarm, “Sorry.”

“S’okay.” you yawned as he climbed out of the king size bed and traipsed across the clothing strewn floor to retrieve his phone and turned off the noise. 

He had class at 9:00 but he certainly wasn’t going to make it across the city in time if he took his time with you. In the mayhem of the previous night, he had completely forgotten about his class. 

“Shit.” 

“Everything okay?” you asked, rolling over to face him under the sheets with your hands tucked under your head. 

Lando glanced up at you, in awe of how angelic you looked in the morning, and then looked back down at his phone to pull up the bus schedule, “Yeah…just…forgot I had class this morning.”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry.” you sighed, “I shouldn’t have kept you.”

“God, no, don’t be sorry.” Lando assured you quickly. “No regrets here.” 

You smiled up at him as he came over to the side of the bed and leaned down to kiss your lips. 

“I had a great night.”

You reached up to hold him by the back of his neck to keep his lips on yours a moment longer, “Me too.” 

Both of you pulled back from your kiss smiling and Lando nearly stumbled over his feet as he turned to retrieve his clothes from across the floor. You giggled at his clumsiness and sat up against the headboard to watch him pull his shirt on and button his slacks up. He looked as passé as one could be but in his mind, he was stewing about saying goodbye to you. He didn’t want to say goodbye to you. He didn’t want to never speak to you again. 

“Lando.” you called. 

He looked up at you from his belt, blue eyes wide, “Yeah?”

“You look good.” 

He cracked a small smile and looked back down to the buckle on his belt, “I feel good.”

“Wonder why.” you teased. 

He returned to the side of the bed and sat down to lean back with one hand propping himself up on the other side of your lap. You stared at each other for a moment, eyes moving between eyes and lips. He needed to ask. He felt stupid asking. 

He forced it out of his mouth, “Can I…can you…maybe follow me on Instagram? So we can maybe keep talking?”

You smiled cockily at him, “I was wondering when you were going to ask. Was starting to think you just saw me as a booty call.” 

Lando laughed awkwardly, relieved, “God, no.”��

“Pass me my phone?” you gestured to your purse sitting against the wall and he got up to reach into it and pull it out for you. When he returned to the side of the bed and you unlocked your phone, he leaned forward a little to peek at your background out of pure curiosity. The aesthetic picture of notebook paper and pen was almost expected. You opened Instagram, right away being notified of dozens of likes, comments and a few follows but you ignored them and selected the search bar. “What’s your user?”

“landonorris.” he said, leaning forward a little more as he spelt it for you, “l-a-n-d-o-n-o-r-r-i-s. All one word.” 

The sight of his profile appearing on your screen was almost more surreal than the sight of him inside you the night before and he bit back his smile as you requested to follow his private account. His follower count looked miniscule compared to yours but you didn’t seem to bat an eyelash at it. 

“There,” you said proudly, “Accept me and then send me a message. I wanna look at all your sexy pictures.” 

“They’re hardly sexy.” Lando scoffed. 

“You’re sexy so they will be too.” you giggled, leaning towards him slightly.

Lando laughed shyly under your strong compliments and he let his eyes flutter closed as your lips met. You both stayed still for a moment, letting your kiss linger between you before moving back in for a few more little ones. 

“You have a bus to catch.” you whispered as you pulled back. 

“Mhm.” Lando pouted. 

“Don’t forget your book.” you gestured to where the hardcover was left on the nightstand. 

He grabbed it quickly as he stood up again, “Right. Thanks.”

“Thank you for dinner, by the way.” you said, “And for a truly unforgettable night.”

Lando smiled bashfully, “Yeah. Right back at you.” 

He dipped down to kiss the corner of your mouth and then he started for the door of the hotel room. As it closed behind him and he was suddenly alone in the long hallway, he slouched back against the wall and let out a deep breath before taking another one in nice and slowly. He opened his instagram requests as he waited for the elevators and he couldn’t help but screenshot the sight of your verified account in his pending follower requests. 

With you now in his followers, he slid into your dms with a casual, 

landonorris: Hey 😉 Don’t forget to stop by the drug store today

The whole way back to campus, Lando was grinning out the window and holding your signed copy of your book to his chest. He felt as light as air and as if he had been living the most perfect dream the last 24 hours. The only thing he realized he had yet to do was read your note you left him in the inside cover of his book. In the light of the morning sun across the streets of Bristol, Lando carefully opened the hardcover novel and admired the crisp silver sharpie inked across the dark inside page in your careful handwriting, 

“Lando,

Thank you for being so thoughtful and genuine.”

Signed with your curling signature and a little heart. 

Tag List: @black-fireproofs @k3nmakyan @m4rt10ne @strawberryy-kiwii @herebereblogs

♡ None of the original writing on this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

[onlyangel4]

healing a heart i didn't break. LH44. MV1. SMAU. part one.

cheater! lewis hamilton x reader. max verstappen x reader.

when your boyfriend of three years fumbles, his rival is there to put the pieces of your heart back together bit by bit.

warnings: 14 year age gap with lewis. cursing. cheating. mentions of the anniversary of a family member's death.

author's note: in this reader is 25 years old. lewis is a jerk but just for the plot. this first chapter is just the cheating. max will show up in the next chapters.

part two

faceclaim: camilla morrone

y/ninsta

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, lewishamilton, y/bffinsta and 678,901 others

tagged lewishamilton and y/bffinsta

y/ninsta: the best summer break with my favourite people

view all 19,028 comments

alexandrasaintmleux: looking forward to seeing you all in the netherlands

y/ninsta: i can't wait to see you alex !

lewishamilton: i think this was the best summer break out of them all

y/ninsta: we keep bettering ourselves every single year

y/bffinsta: thank you for letting me tag along

y/ninsta: wdym he was obviously third wheeling us

user 12: i love the friendship between lewis, y/n and y/bff it is so wholesome

lewishamilton posted a story tagging y/ninsta

written: last beach day with y/n before back to work

y/ninsta posted a story

written: back at it

y/ninsta

liked by lewishamilton, carmenmundt, y/bffinsta and 560,982 others

written: forever the proudest girlfriend. last slide is me and y/bff hardly working while my boyfriend secures p2.

tagged lewishamilton and y/bffinsta

view all 12,348 comments

lewishamilton: the luckiest of lucky charms

y/ninsta: that was all skill baby

y/bffinsta: we do our best

y/ninsta: that we do

carmenmundt: gonna miss you in the merc garage next week honey

user19: i'm new to the y/n fandom. how come she won't be there next week.

y/nfan: her father died on the 31st of august five years ago. she has a family tradition to go home and let go of balloons, so she is never at the race that week.

y/bffinsta posted a story

y/ninsta replied to your story: i didn't know you were going

y/bffinsta: yeah lew had a paddock ticket reserved and as you are busy he gave to me

y/ninsta: oh. have a good time, wish him good luck from me

y/ninsta

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, carmenmundt, max verstappen and 320,982 others

y/ninsta: oh dad, i have a love hate relationship with day. i love it because i get to sit down with everyone and talk about my favourite memories of you. but i hate it because it reminds me that you are really gone. i hope you are proud of me and the woman that i have become. i know you are looking down on us.

view all 6,902 comments

carmenmundt: thinking of you darling

y/ninsta: thank you carmen

mercedesamgf1: we love you y/n

y/ninsta: i love you admin

alexandrasaintmleux: forever in my thoughts

user32: guys wtf is going on. every year y/n posts a similar thing and lewis and y/bff are always the first people to like and comment on it. this has been up all day and all the other wags have liked it and even max fucking verstappen has but not a peep from y/bff or lewis. something is going on.

user12: shit open twitter

f1updates

liked by user23, f1fan12, user22 and 120,987 others

f1updates: the internet is in shambles after pictures of lewis hamilton and y/bff were posted by papparazzi. y/bff is best friends with lewis' long term girlfriend y/n. y/n was not in italy this weekend as she was at home honoring her late father. admin doesn't tend to like to take sides but this is awful behaviour from lewis and y/bff and we hope that y/n is okay.

view all 22,398 comments

user23: this is awful. y/n is grieving her father and her two favourite people betray her.

f1fan12: lewis hamilton i am in your walls

user22: there is no innocent explanation to this. this is cheating.

y/ninsta posted a close friends story

written: and they both blocked me with no explanation. like i'm in the wrong

alexandrasaintmleux replied to your story: where are you

y/ninsta: my childhood home

alexandrasaintmleux: i'm coming

[rosesareredrosa]

You Don't Know Me Anymore but that Can Change

Theo x fem reader

Summary: Where Theo neglects his relationship with Y/N due to spending too much time with his friends. Realizing his mistake, Theodore promises to change and starts making efforts to reconnect.

Authors note: I have no clue what to write please send in requests

Word Count: 988

The dim light of the Leaky Cauldron flickered as Y/N sat at the corner table, swirling their drink absentmindedly. The place was bustling, but it felt like they were in a world of their own. They glanced at their watch, sighing as the minute hand inched closer to 8:00 PM. Theodore was late. Again.

Just as Y/N was about to give up, the door creaked open and Theodore Nott slipped inside, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Y/N. A guilty smile tugged at his lips as he hurried over, planting a quick kiss on their cheek before sitting down.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. Blaise needed help with something," he said, running a hand through his dark hair.

Y/N forced a smile. "It's fine, Theo."

Theodore studied the menu briefly, then closed it with a satisfied nod. "I already know what I want. How about you? You like this place, right?"

Y/N bit their lip, looking away. "I used to."

Theodore's brow furrowed. "What do you mean 'used to'?"

Y/N took a deep breath, finally meeting his gaze. "You don't even know me anymore, Theo. You're always with Blaise or your other friends. We barely spend any time together."

His eyes widened in surprise. "That's not true, Y/N. We're here now, aren't we?"

Y/N shook their head. "One dinner doesn't make up for all the times you've been absent. Do you even know what my favorite drink is? Or how my day went?"

Theodore opened his mouth to respond but closed it again, a look of realization dawning on his face. "I... I guess I haven't been around much, have I?"

"No, you haven't," Y/N replied, their voice tinged with sadness. "You used to be my best friend, Theo. Now I feel like I'm just an afterthought."

He reached across the table, taking Y/N's hand in his. "I'm sorry. I never meant to make you feel that way. I've been so caught up with everything else that I didn't realize how distant I've become."

Y/N's eyes softened, but they didn't pull their hand away. "I miss you, Theo. The real you. Not the one who's always busy with everyone else."

Theodore squeezed their hand gently. "I'll make it up to you. I promise. Let's start over, right here, right now. No more distractions. Just you and me."

Y/N felt a glimmer of hope at his words. "You can change if you mean your word no empty promises."

He nodded earnestly. "I do and I will change, Y/N. Every little detail."

A small smile tugged at Y/N's lips as they finally felt the walls around their heart begin to crumble. "Okay, Theo. Let's start over."

The evening carried on, but this time, it was different. Theodore listened intently as Y/N talked, and for the first time in a long time, they felt truly seen. It wasn't a perfect fix, but it was a start. And that was enough for now.

Days turned into weeks, and Theodore kept his promise. He showed up on time for their dates, texted more often, and made an effort to be present. He started paying attention to the little things, like Y/N’s favorite flowers or the way they liked their coffee.

One Saturday afternoon, Theodore surprised Y/N with a picnic in a secluded part of the Hogwarts grounds. The summer sun bathed the landscape in a warm glow as they settled on a checkered blanket. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves overhead, and the sound of the Black Lake's gentle waves created a soothing backdrop.

Y/N looked around, taking in the thoughtful details. "You remembered I love picnics."

Theodore grinned, a bit of pride shining in his eyes. "Of course. I’ve been paying attention."

They unpacked the basket, laying out sandwiches, fruit, and Y/N’s favorite chocolate-covered strawberries. As they ate, the conversation flowed easily, filled with laughter and shared memories. It felt like old times, and Y/N’s heart swelled with a mixture of relief and happiness.

After they finished eating, Theodore leaned back on his elbows, gazing up at the sky. "I've missed this," he admitted. "Just being with you, no distractions."

Y/N looked at him, their heart aching with a mix of emotions. "I’ve missed it too. But I need to know this isn’t just temporary. I need to know you’re really here for me."

Theodore sat up, taking Y/N’s hand in his. His expression was serious, sincere. "I know I’ve messed up, Y/N. I let my friendships and other things get in the way of what’s really important. You. Us. I’m not perfect, and I’ll probably mess up again, but I promise to always try to make it right."

Y/N studied his face, searching for any hint of doubt or insincerity. All they saw was the boy they fell in love with, the one who made them feel special and cherished. "Okay, Theo. I believe you."

His smile was radiant, filled with relief and joy. "Thank you. I won’t let you down."

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a blissful haze, talking about everything and nothing, simply enjoying each other’s company. As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Theodore wrapped an arm around Y/N’s shoulders, pulling them close.

"This is just the beginning," he murmured. "I want to make new memories with you, ones we can look back on and smile."

Y/N nestled into his side, feeling a warmth spread through them that had been absent for too long. "I’d like that."

And as the stars began to twinkle overhead, they knew that this time, things would be different. They were both ready to put in the effort, to make their relationship stronger than ever. Together, they would navigate the challenges and celebrate the joys, side by side.

[fuctacles]

someone (thank you) has paid for my bday cake before i could share the link, but if you want, you can pitch in for new headphones for me as a gift ofc no pressure, you being here is a gift enough <3

<< ten | 😺 | twelve >>

To say Eddie is nervous would be an understatement of the century. His soul is one bump in the road away from skipping out of his body, leaving him alone to deal with whatever is happening inside his brain. Which is a lot on a regular day, but today, all his synapses and wires and whatever the fuck are screaming at him, you kissed Steph oh my gods, this is real, this is happening, oh no, Wayne is gonna be so smug about this!!!

No party hook up or any of his short-term girlfriends has made him this nervous. Because no offense to them, but they were young and simple and easy to understand. Steph, he might get to some extent—trans woman rejected by her family, feeling alone despite having a group of devoted friends, all of them scattered through states—but what she wants from life is surely different from finishing college and going on a summer trip. Right?

"Would you want to do it again?" he asks, hands shifting on the wheel. It's a good place to start.

"Your hair?" She gives him a fleeting glance. "Of course, it's nice to work with."

Eddie purses his lips. 

"Kiss. I meant the kiss," he clarifies. "Well, and anything that... might come with it." He winces at his own wording.

Steph murmurs something that sounds like "oh god" under her breath.

"Listen..." She drums her fingers against the bag in her lap. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Anything that involved you has been a good idea so far," he counters lightly. When she turns to look at him, he gives her a soft smile.

She nods slowly. 

"Okay, and how do you imagine that? You fuck me and then we awkwardly pass each other on the stairs? How do I look Wayne in the eye?"

Eddie winces. In his ideal fantasy, Wayne doesn't know until the wedding invitations get send out. 

"Well, unless I do something mortally embarrassing, I can't imagine an outcome where I wouldn't want to at least stay friendly and talk to you." He finally turns into their parking lot and goes silent as he looks for an empty space. Once parked, he kills the engine and turns to properly look at Steph. "What are you really worried about?"

She sighs, and when she looks up, her eyes are big and open, striking him right into his heart. 

"So many things," she admits.

"Tell me one of them," Eddie prompts. 

Steph quickly opens her mouth, almost aggressively, but clamps it shut just as fast. Her thoughtful frown tells him she's looking for something different to share. 

"I don't want to be a conquest, a one night stand. I don't do that, I don't do hook ups, to be honest I haven't had—" she cuts herself off abruptly, and her cheeks turn pink. 

Eddie tries to push down the sympathy from showing on his face, but it's hard to do. In his perfect world, he'd give her all the orgasms she deserves and then some. 

"And I don't want to be someone you can fuck whenever you visit Hawkins," she adds abruptly, rushing it out of her mouth like another forbidden thought. 

Eddie raises his eyebrows in surprise. 

"Do you think I'm so swarmed with opportunities in Indy that I can't pause my libido for a week?" he asks, almost amused by the idea.

"I don't know, Eddie!" She throws her hands up angrily. "I don't know you! And you don't know me."

"I know some of you," he insists. "I know your cats are Garfield, Dart, and Arwen. Your best friend is a lesbian named Robin, I know you're still friends with nerds you used to babysit, and that you like Star Wars. I know what kind of beer you buy, and that your couch is ridiculously soft. I know that you want to give your salon to Joyce and open a new one in Indy," he lists off. "And I'd like to know more." 

"No you don't."

Eddie holds himself back from throwing hands up in frustration as well. Maybe he didn't kiss her hard enough. 

"Well, you don't know me, so how would you know?" He never means to get irritated by her, but she's just so—ugh.

Steph presses her mouth into a thin line. 

"Let's just go in," she says, opening her door to leave the van.

Eddie curses under his breath, scrambling to gather his things and follow her. They don't talk, ruminating in their conversation (argument?), but she walks the stairs slowly, so his smoker lungs and barely used joints can keep up. It gives him hope that she's not really mad, and he could kiss her again in the near future. 

She stops on his floor, where they are meant to part.

"Do you want that conditioner?" she asks. 

For a second, his brain struggles to catch up, but he's nodding before it even clicks. Anything to keep her coming back. 

"Yeah, that would be great, thank you." He smiles, only slightly embarrassed by how out of breath he sounds. 

Steph nods, turning to the next flight of stairs, leading up towards her floor. 

"I'll call you when I find it. Thank you for today." And she smiles, finally, even if it's not as joyful as he'd like. 

"Thank you." He smiles more freely, fighting the instinct to nonchalantly lean against the handrail. It's not an ending of a date, after all. "And I was being serious, earlier. With—"

"I know," she interrupts him. "I know." She puts her feet on the first step, not looking at him. "I'll see you later."

"Will you think about it?" he asks before she can disappear, her pace much faster now that she doesn't have an Eddie-shaped ball chained to her ankle. Damn jock blood. 

Steph stops mid-way, turning to him with a slightly pitying smile that makes his insides churn. 

"Oh, Eddie," she sighs. "I think about it all the time."

For a while longer, he stays rooted to the spot, in the middle of his landing. Hopeful, turned on, but most of all, confused, listening to her steps fade out. 

When he finally turns back into their apartment, Wayne must sense something, because for once he doesn't bother him with questions and teasing remarks. Instead, he does something much, much worse, while he's pulling on the soft ends of Eddie's conditioned hair.

"You're going back next week, right?"

Because Eddie kind of forgot about that. That it's not some liminal time vacuum when he's just his uncle's kid again, driving through familiar streets, seeing faces that have known him since he was a young teen. He tends to do that, whenever visiting Wayne. Life in Indianapolis is great, but it's fast, loud and busy, so the contrast always make him feel like he's in a hazy dream. Like his life is on pause. 

Wayne is heartless in reminding him about the, so called, real life. Eddie sighs. 

"When is the appointment again? Wednesday?" He looks at the calendar on the fridge.

"Thursday," Wayne corrects him. "At 11." 

Eddie nods slowly, humming to himself. 

"We should stock up on the way back. So you don't have to strain your leg while I'm not here." He pats his uncle's knee, swiftly avoiding a kick with the cast after he does it. "How long until you can go back to work?"

"Two weeks, probably." Wayne shrugs. "Depends on what the doctor says. But I'm so ready to leave the house," he groans. "I'm bored out of my mind. Is this how you feel all the time?"

Eddie laughs. 

"Pretty much," he grins. "Should we grab some movies before I leave, too?"

"Please."

It's hours before the phone rings, and he's put it out of his mind, assuming Steph would want a break from him. But as soon as he hears it, he's up and walking towards the kitchen.

"Ed!" his uncle calls from the couch.

"On it!" he yells back before picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, I found the conditioner. Do you want to come up or should I drop it on my way to work tomorrow?" Steph sounds normal, like nothing weird has happened between them. He's not sure is a good or bad sign for him. 

"I'll come up, no problem," he answers quickly. "Is right now okay?"

"Yeah, I'm not doing anything."

"Okay, see you in ten."

When he puts down the phone, he can hear his heart pounding in his chest. He turns to the mirror hanging in the dark corridor and fixes what he can see, any stray hair or weirdly shifted clothes. But upon further consideration, he goes to the bathroom, where he can check his face and teeth under better light.

"I'm going out," he informs his uncle as he slides on his shoes. 

Wayne shifts to look at him, eyebrows raised curiously.  

"To where?"

"Steph's, I need to pick something up. I'll be back in fifteen minutes, don't trip until then."

"Come closer so I can hit you with the crutch," Wayne glowers at him. "I'll handle a walk to the bathroom, you keep the lady some company." He waves him off, turning back to the TV. "Before she goes mad talking to her cats all the time."

Eddie rolls his eyes. 

"Well, in that case, I'll be back when I'm back." He grins. "Later! And goodnight, possibly. Maybe, I don't know." Eddie loses steam by the end of it, but his uncle believes in him. The kid always had a talent for being charming when he wanted to. 

He settles comfortably in his seat. 

"Goodnight, lover boy," he chuckles.

tagsies:

@wheneverfeasible @steddieinthesun @hattsy-likes-pretty-stuff @bumblebeecuttlefishes @phantomcat94

@tartarusknight  @tinyplanet95 @steddiefication @estrellami-1 @disrespectedgoatman

@madigoround @tartarusknight @blasvemous @cryptid-system @hiei-harringtonmunson

@hellowhatthehellisgoingonhere @dreamercec @manliest-of-muppets

@bookbinderbitch @marklee-blackmore @icecat

[fullfriendnerdclutch]

Isaac explained his type to Maya with great details, as Maya asked him to do. Taut model-like physique, hairs on his legs curled up but his upper body smooth with not even a scar, with classic Anglo-Saxon feature that makes the guy can pass as some Victorian era young nobility. His eyes should reflect the depth of his thought and looked like an English pond in the summer, calming and clear. Soft-spoken, matched with his grace and gentle movement that won't ever indicate any sort of danger or threat to anyone that come across him. Isaac wanted his ideal man to be lefty, just because it's unique, and at last, he wanted his man to be fully devoted to him and him only. Maya listened intently while Isaac revealed all that as he's busy typing his work, not even taking a glance to Maya. But once a sultry, manly voice coming out from the bed behind him where Maya supposedly lounged around, Isaac instantly turned around and found himself surprised

"Maya???"

"Well....yes, but not really, as you can see,"

"H---how? W--why? What the fuck is happening here?"

"I enjoyed your company a bit too much. Like, I'm so tired dating these dudes trying to find my Mr. Right when I have an incredibly smart, kind and attentive best friend like you that beat most of those crusty men I dated. So I said, fuck it, I'll be your man,"

"Have you heard how insane that sounded like, and how is this situation totally not something you encountered everyday? Like.....for starter, how the fuck you--"

"It's actually simple. Turns out my family have this kind of power that skipped generations that reemerged with me right after that last eclipse. The said power bestowed us the capacity to change physical form of ourself and the people that we exchanged bodily fluids with. In other words, not only I can change myself, I can change you too since we fucked that one time when we were still sophomore,"

"That....is wild. And I don't want to be involved in any of this. Please just change back, okay?"

"Oh cmon, you literally are having a boner while talking to me now. You like this, you want me, and I definitely want you to be my man. I mean, just imagine how crazy the sex we can have now that I can mold you into any of your wildest dreams too,"

"Maya, no. You are not thinking clear. What the fuck is this desperation? I cannot be your man, and you cannot throw away your life just like that for me. I'll hate myself for that, it makes me feel selfish,"

"Desperation? This is me being kind to you. I cannot help but notice how you've been dating not a single person since we graduated uni. You are certainly lonely so this is me---"

"What is that insane gaslighting you are doing? Stop all of this madness and for fuck sake, change yourself back. It's so jarring looking at you like that. You will always be Maya for me, whatever form you take,"

"No,"

"Okay, whatever. If you want to continue being a nuisance, please sort yourself out. Just.....walk around the neighborhood and clear your mind or something,"

"No,"

"Maya--"

"No, don't call me that! I'm no Maya. Gosh, I hated to do this, but freeze,"

And just like that, Isaac froze in his place with no way of moving a single muscle whatsoever. Then, Maya grabbed Isaac's head and chanted some intelligible words before letting it go as Maya goes back to the bed while waiting for the spell to unleash its full work. Like a breaking ice, Isaac's frozen body started to be able to get back moving and pulsing. It started from the fingertips, that gets thicker and hairier as his finger and both of his hand turned calloused from heavy workout while his feet stretched his wool socks and enlarged to a decent size 13. As blood started flowing once more, the veins in his arm thickened while his legs bursted with muscle and blond hair in an otherwise lanky former runner legs. This built his physique is turning into clearly doesn't belong to a runner. As the pumped blood causing the arm to swole closer to 19 inches, it also affected the shoulder that becomes rounder and sturdier. The long sleeve he worn earlier of course already tattered to pieces while his pants already ripped due to his now incredibly muscular thighs. As the change spread across his neck and torso from the top, his lower body parts perfected itself into a sick v-taper that leads to a snaking 7 inches perfection stuffed into a tight white briefs that left nothing to the imagination. His tiny waist contrasted heavily with his massive back and shoulder, showcasing an insane dedication to his craft which is clearly bodybuilding. When the whole body parts below his neck completed its transformation, he's now a towering 6'6" muscle beast, clearly looking down on most people including the rendered-in-awe Maya. Is this Isaac's deepest desire? Turning into a massive bodybuilder? The power she used on him is to unearth his deepest desire, so having a boulder cannon for a shoulder is clearly part of his deepest desire then? How is his final look going to be? Babyfaced brutal beast? Matured daddy? All will be revealed in the next couple seconds as the transformation move upward

His jaw hardened but his face turned into more square-like, with dirty blonde facial hair framed the angular jawline. From the way his face remained clear and not much visible wrinkle formed, this is definitely a young guy, probably the same age like Isaac's current age, but he can be wrong though. As the lips turned into a smirk, Maya knows that the change is almost complete and that smirk indicated that he enjoys what he sees so far. As Isaac eventually able to move, he's practically no longer Isaac, but an entirely different person altogether. Maya ensured that this new version of Isaac, Maya named him Rod, would be falling head over heels for Maya's new look

"Theo," Rod said in his gruffy voice

Well, that's a good name....

"Why are you not spreading your ass in bed already? You know I have to get back to work later at 1, time is tight so I need to breed inside you ASAP before having my lunch and then get back to work,"

Maya is in shock......Isaac's deepest desire is to be an assertive alpha or something? And it dawned upon Maya, or Theo now, that he cannot acted like brats or said no to Theo's order. Is this part of his desire too????

"You are always one hell of an obedient boy, that's why you're my favorite cum dump. Now say aaaaaa-----

[stariekis]

what are we?

pairing : non idol!sunghoon + fem!reader . genre : fluff, childhood best friends to lovers . cw : kissing . wc : 4.9k

check my other works ₊⊹⁀➴ masterlist

synopsis — falling in love with your childhood best friend doesn't always have to be something bad.

uri's note — taking a break from the texts just to post this little sunghoon au ! nah i love him i giggled while writing this.. hope you guys do to jeje

Sunghoon and you have been best friends since day one. Both your and his parents met in highschool and since then they became inseparable, just like him and you.

You share all your childhood memories with him; every trip, every birthday and every first day of school there is always Sunghoon by your side. And it happened, you didn't want to, but it did happen. As you grow up together with him you develop feelings for your childhood best friend.

He was pretty handsome since he was young, and everyone knew that he would be even more attractive once he became older. And that's exactly what happened. His delicate features, his tall and broad complexion, he was like a porcelain doll. And you couldn't help but fall for it, along with his sweet personality.

Now, both of you are in college. You remember feeling so sad when you discovered that he had to move out of town to study. Even more because the summer before he left you finally realized that, in fact, you like him. Maybe more than like. You loved him

Being apart from him was going to be a torture, you were so used to have him around by now. But you kind of wish that not having him so close to you all the time would help you get past your little massive crush.

But, to your dislike, that didn't happen.

Each facecall, each message he sends you talking about his day and how cool his new college is, every picture he published on his Instagram did not help you at all. You couldn't stop falling in love with him every time.

Summer break finally came and Sunghoon went back to your hometown. He, of course, called you as soon as he reached his house. You didn't waste a second and hopped into your parents car and drove straight to him.

“Y/n?”— The front door opened, Sunghoon’s mom was standing right behind it with the prettiest smile adorning her face. He looked just like him. “He is in his room, go and say hi darling”— She moved aside and, after thanking her, you runned up the stairs to Sunghoon’s room.

You opened the door, revealing a pretty much shocked boy sitting on his bed. He didn't expect for you to come this fast, but he surely didn't wait a second to jump out his bed and hug you.

“I missed you so much” — You said, while hiding your face in his neck. He chuckled, slowly pulling away to take a glance at your face. One of his hands tucked your hair behind your ear.

“You look so pretty” — He whispered. You blushed at his words, of course you did. “You look even prettier than the photos you sent me” — He was admiring your face, every detail of it making sure to remember every single mole even.

Once you pulled away completely he took your hand. “Come with me, we have a lot to talk about” — He said, pulling you towards the door.

He took you to the park near his house, both of you spent your summer days there when you were little. It was kind of your special place.

Sunghoon and you sat on the swing as you talked about everything that had happened while you were apart, even though you talked to him every single day.

As the sun sets a comfortable silence falls between you two. A silence that was soon broken by him.

“There is actually one thing that I haven't told you about, and I need to be fully honest with you” — You looked at him confused, and scared too. Did something happen? Have you done anything wrong?

He stood up, standing now right in front of you as he took your hands. He pulled you slowly towards him, making you stand up. Your confused looks never left your face.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and since I moved it has been the only thing in my mind” — His fingers trance round shapes in your hand, he was nervous. He sighs. “Y/n I like you, a lot, and I feel like this might be mutual but I didn't wanted to talk to you about it because I wasn't sure, and I also was far away from you and, if by any chance, you felt the same I knew I wouldn't be able to be away from you at that moment” — He looked away as soon as he finished his speech, not able to look at you, at least not now.

You smiled, your cheeks were tinted with a slightly red color. Your long time crush liked you, as much as you liked him. Was this a dream? If it is, you hoped you never woke up from it.

“Sunghoon” — You grabbed his chin, making him look at you. “I've had the biggest crush on you for the past years, i don't know how you didn't notice, even your mom knew it” — You swear his eyes almost pop out of his face.

You giggled at his reaction. He then took your face in between his hands, now looking directly at your eyes. “What are we?” — You cracked at his response. Was this really the first thing he had to say after your confession?

“Whatever you want us to be, but I would love to be yours Sunghoon” — He smiled, his pretty fangs showing slightly. And just like that, he closed the distance between you two, giving you the sweetest kiss you've ever received in your life. And the first one too.

Now Sunghoon was part not only of every memory of your childhood, but also the most important parts of your adulthood.

taglist : @layzfy @laylasbunbunny @yuminako @sugarikiz @rikiontopofme (open ; send an ask to be added)