#and I still need to travel back home from my mums today

[resident-rats]

I know I said the next chapter would be out at the start of the week but I didn’t manage to post it before the concert and now I feel like I’ve been ran over🕺🏻 so idk maybe around the weekend it’ll be out

[dustpages]

PornMum

I opened the front door of my flat with a loud bang. I was pissed, the shooting was called off last minute and I had travelled for two hours to reach the location.

" Hi, Mum." my little boy greeted me from his bedroom. 

It was the middle of the summer and the only thing he had been doing so far was reading and playing video games, I was aware he didn't like to socialize with his peers. I was his only parent, his father left us when he was just born.

" Honey I'll be to you in a second.” I yelled across the house walking to the kitchen to get myself something to drink. I was thirsty and sweaty, even though I had dyed my hair blonde and I was wearing just a top and skirt the heat was unbearable. 

I took some cold water from the fridge and drank it at once.  

I put the glass back in its place and headed to my son’s room, knocking softly before entering. He looked up from the screen and smiled. "How have you been?" I asked him sitting beside him.

He shrugged. "Alright, just read some manga."

"You need to go out more." I opined, trying not to sound too harsh but concerned about him being stuck at home all day long without seeing anyone else. 

He swiftly dodged my gaze and sighed deeply. " Whatever. Why are you home so early today?" he questioned. 

I sat on his bed. " My last schedule was cancelled last minute." I explained without giving him too much information.

He was just 12 years old and being told I was one of the most successful, requested and appreciated JAV actresses in Japan wasn't something I would share with him. He knew me as Mina, the kind and loving mother who always cooked delicious dinner for him. Not the one that was an adult film actress. 

"Oh, what happened then?" he asked innocently. 

I tried to explain my situation without making any reference to the industry I worked for. " The director told me they wanted to postpone it. So I came home." 

He nodded. " I see."

I glanced at him, looking him in the eyes. " Hey, do you want to eat something? I'm hungry, let’s prepare something together." I suggested with a smile. He agreed.

We went to the kitchen hand in hand, he was still short and thin for his age. But his blue eyes made up for it. We both loved cooking and baking, especially him since he enjoyed eating sweets, I did my best to make sure he had a balanced diet.

While we were cooking some of the tomato sauce for the spaghetti landed on my clothes, staining both top and skirt. 

" Dammit." he cussed. He has stirred the sauce with too much energy causing the little mess on my outfit.

" Do not worry, honey." I reassured him and got off my skirt and top right there in the kitchen. His eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing, mum?!" he said, sounding embarrassed.

I giggled and caressed his cheek. " Don’t be silly, this is nothing. You’ve seen my butt many times before." I teased him, bending over to clean the stains from the floor. 

My ass was on full display for him and I could feel him staring at my cheeks, so plump and round, my pussy lips covered with just my small panties. It was nothing new for him to see me almost completely nude since I rarely wore anything around the house but his reaction was strange, he looked flushed and nervous. 

“ Mum... Are you going to take your underwear off as well?" he stuttered. 

I turned around to look at him. " What?! No! Of course not." I laughed nervously. " Unless you asked for it."

He became red as the tomato sauce. " I don't know what you are talking about." he ran out of the kitchen and into the living room.

I sighed and turned off the stove. Slowly I made my way to him, who was sat the sofa fidgeting with his hands on in lap.

" What's wrong baby?" I asked him sitting next to him.

He didn't say anything for a good minute, busy in deep thought. " I do have a problem in my underwear," he affirmed not sparing a glance to me.

"  How come?" I inquired.

" They're wet." he whispered so low I barely heard it. " And it doesn't stop leaking." he continued. 

His words sent shivers down my spine, I couldn't believe it. 

" Let me see." I gently pulled him to stand and unbuttoned his trousers. His briefs were soaked through with precum. 

" This is normal honey. All boys your age leak precum now and then. Especially when they see a hot girl." I told him trying to reassure him. He blushed again.

"It never occurred before." he panicked.

"Well, maybe you liked what you saw earlier." I mused.

 " Maybe you liked your mum’s body." I added teasingly. 

" That’s ok honey, it’s normal to think your mother is sexy." I encouraged him.

He seemed to relax a bit. " But it’s not appropriate." he complained.

I stood up and cupped his face. " Nothing is wrong, honey. You’re my son, but also a boy." I comforted him, feeling somehow attracted to him.

" Now, if you excuse me I'm going to change. You can stay here or join me." I winked at him. His eyes fixed on mine for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. 

As soon as we were inside my bedroom I closed the door and locked it. Then I stripped from my bra and panties. My son looked at me wide-eyed, taking in my naked form.

" Come here." I said walking to him. I felt him tremble as our bodies touched. My hands caressed his back, slowly descending to squeeze his bum. 

"Do you like it?" I asked him. He nodded shyly.

I kissed his neck softly, moving my hands to grab his cock through his trousers. He gasped as I stroked him over his pants. " Take it out for me." I commanded him. 

He obeyed me pulling out his dick. It was bigger than expected for a boy of his age, yet far from the ones I had to deal with at work. I gave him a few strokes while kissing his neck and biting his earlobes. He moaned in pleasure. 

" Mum, my member doesn't get soft." he affirmed worriedly in between moans. 

"  It’s ok honey. I'll make it soft." I assured him. I knelt in front of him, licking the tip of his penis. His legs wobbled.

" Mum..." he moaned my name. I took him fully in my mouth sucking and bobbing my head, tasting him for the first time.

I worked shipped his dick for less than 2 minutes and he shuddered in front of me. "I- I'm feeling a warm sensation spreading all over my body." he stated worried. " What is happening?"

I chucked releasing his dick from my mount and enveloping it into my hand. " You are cumming." I explained stroking faster.

" Am I supposed to feel something like this!?" he shouted losing control over himself.

I kept stroking until he exploded all over my breasts, covering them with his load. He fell on the bed exhausted, breathing heavily. 

I wiped my chest clean using some tissues and lay next to him. " See, it’s ok baby. There is nothing to be ashamed of." I told him smiling. He nodded still catching his breath.

" Mum can you explain to me what just happened?" he questioned me shyly.

" You see,  honey, you reached orgasm. Your member released semen and it felt good." I explained to him.

His eyes widen in shock. " Does it happen to women as well?" 

I laughed at his ingenuity. " It does, you made me  so horny that I want to have sex right now." I confessed.

He blushed but said nothing. Instead, he stared at my breasts. I could tell he wanted me to. 

" You want to fuck me, don't you?" I asked bluntly, biting my lower lip.

He looked at me puzzled. " What does it even mean?" 

I chuckled. " Let me show you instead."

I climbed on top of him and started grinding against his thighs. He hardened instantly. 

I knew I should have gone easy on him. It was his first time and me being used to dealing with men more experienced and older than him was a risk for him, if I did go to ride him the same way I usually did with other cocks he would break in half. But I couldn’t help it, I craved him so much. 

I was horny to stop and he looked so cute under me, so innocent. I needed to fuck him, I needed him to fill me and stretch my insides.

I rubbed my slit against his hardness, feeling the head of his dick poking me. 

" What are you doing?" he whimpered.

" I'm riding your dick baby." I moaned. I aligned myself perfectly with his member and impaled myself on it. He let out a sharp intake of air as he felt himself inside of me. 

The feeling was satisfying, he wasn't big enough to give me any issue stretching my pussy. I started to move my hips up and down, feeling his cock hitting my cervix each time I lowered myself onto him. I was moaning loudly and panting hard.

He was enjoying it as well, he held my waist firmly with his hand. I leaned forward and kissed him, feeling his tongue dancing with mine. Our teeth clicked together as I bounced on him harder and harder.

As I was expecting his member throbbed inside of me after a few minutes. I had to play smart not to make him feel bad about his performance, even though I was enjoying it thoroughly. 

" Baby, I can't take it anymore." I lied. " Please cum."  

His eyes lit up. " Really?"

I nodded and kept bouncing on him, not letting him stop thrusting into me. " Yes, cum inside of me." I begged.

He gasped at my words and buried his face into my neck as he unloaded himself deep into my womb. His arms wrapped tightly around my back, holding me close to him.

When he finished pumping his seed into me we collapsed on the mattress, panting and sweating profusely. " Did I do a good job?" he asked me shyly. I kissed his forehead. " Perfect."

I couldn't afford to tell him I wanted to keep going all night long." You can sleep here, tonight." I informed him. 

He hugged me tightly. " Thank you mum."

I wrapped my arms around him as well, feeling how his heart was still beating fast and strong.

The next few days flew like always, I had been called for a few shootings and my baby kept staying in his room days in and days out. 

It was a tiring Friday night, I plopped on the sofa wearing a white top and a matching pair of shorts. I had worked all the afternoon filming different scenes.

" Baby, I'm back." I called my son.

He came into the living room carrying his laptop, he was dead serious. " We need to talk." his blue eyes made me shiver more than the air conditioner. 

" Wha.." I tried to speak, but he cut me off. " Hear me out first."

It was unusual for him to be this cold with me. " I was doing some of my homework today and one of the requests was to look on Google for some information about our relatives and guess what happened as soon as I entered your name?" he was slightly losing his temperament. 

"  I don't understand." I said confused.

" All the results were about you and your career as AV Idol!!" he exclaimed. " All those fucking films you've done! And how people call you 'JAV Queen' because you are the most requested actress!" 

I stared at him shocked. " Well.."

" Well, what?" he interrupted me again. " You told me while we were fucking that you couldn't take anymore, and yet your last video that hit the charts was you begging a man with an 11 inches dick to keep fucking you and filling your tight pussy!"

My jaw dropped. " Um... I didn't want to lie to you." I stammered. I wanted to hide under the rug.

He shook his head. " Of course, you didn't!" he yelled. His little body was shaking in anger.

" Baby let me explain." I talked in a lower tone.

" Alright." he affirmed. " Explain to me the reason why you lied to me during our first time."

I sighed, hoping for the best. " Because I wanted to make you feel good about yourself." 

He glared at me. " If you cared about me you would have told me the truth." he huffed.

" Baby!" I pleaded. " You have seen in my videos how wild I am, I didn't want to break you or to scare you. And I wanted you to have a special time with your mother, no matter the circumstances."

He crossed his arms and pouted. " Is it true you love other men more than me?"

I shook my head. " Absolutely not! I love you more than anything in the world, but I enjoy sex with them."

" I'm well aware of that now, no need to remark it." he spat.

I sighed and walked in front of him. " What do you want me to do to make it up to you?"

I raised his chin defiantly. " Tell me."

He avoided my gaze. " Have you saved enough money?" he questioned. 

" More than you and I can spend in a lifetime." I replied honestly. " Why?"

He stared at me dead in the eyes. " I want you to retire, to leave that disgusting industry behind you and be just my mother, the one who is just special to me. Just my mother."

I looked at him, feeling conflicted. " Baby, money aside, how are we gonna deal with the lack of affection I crave for?" I asked him softly.

His eyes flamed. " I crave for you. I'm young and you could mould me as you please to fulfil all you need." his voice was firm.

I smirked widely. "  You do, huh?". " Yes." he nodded.

" Show me then." I challenged him. 

And he did, he proved to be more eager and greedy than any other man I had ever met. He ate me out like he was starving, making me scream and squirt in his mouth.

" Bed." I moaned, my legs were trembling from my climax. He took my hand and walked to my bedroom. 

" Baby, we are not done yet. You know, right.?" I asked him kneeling in the middle of the mattress. 

He nodded and crawled towards me. I reached down and grabbed his dick into my hand.

" I'm gonna make you ready." I stroked his length slowly and licked his head, taking him into my mouth and sucking hungrily. " You taste so sweet, baby." I praised him, feeling his precum leaking on my tongue. 

He moaned in delight and grabbed my head with his hands, pushing me down on his cock. I gagged a bit as he fucked my mouth.

After a few minutes, I pushed him away from me and lay down. " Fuck me now, baby." I urged him.

He positioned himself in between my thighs, lining up his member to my pussy and pressing it into me. He filled me, his thickness stretched my inner walls and I screamed in pain and pleasure.

" Harder, baby." I egged him on. His thrusts were slow at the beginning but became rougher as he gained confidence.

He slammed into me furiously and I let out screams of joy. He grabbed my ankles and placed them on his shoulders, pounding me relentlessly.

I felt him pulsing inside of me and squeezed my muscles around him.

" Cum, baby." I demanded.

He let out a strangled cry and released himself into my hole. I felt his hot seed coating my insides and it was glorious, so much so it triggered my orgasm and I climaxed around him. He collapsed on top of me, spent.

" That was great baby." I purred satisfied, stroking his head.

" Can we do it again?" he asked curiously.

" We will. Soon." I promised him. " You’re gonna be the king of this house from now on." 

He laughed. " Funny. Are you gonna retire for real?" he questioned. 

" I will, but there is one last shot I need to do the day after tomorrow that I cannot cancel so out of the blue." I replied. " But I want you to be on set with me, to see how everything goes." I proposed.

" Ok." he agreed. I cuddled with him and drifted away, thinking of all the dirty things I wanted to do with him. 

The day of the shoot arrived and I was nervous but excited at the same time, not only because it would be my last scene but also because my son would be present to watch it. 

We drove to the location which was a luxurious mansion, I had shot here a few times already and I knew exactly where I would find my colleagues and the crew. 

We reached the dressing room and my son followed me in, watching as I undressed and put on the costume chosen for the occasion. It was a black dress and a pair of high heels.

" It's not bad." he commented as I spun around to check how my dress fit me from behind. 

I looked at him amused. " Just not bad?" 

He looked on the floor. " You are extremely sexy." he mumbled.

I laughed. " You're such a good boy." I praised him. I leaned down and pecked his forehead, noticing as he blushed. 

I cupped his chin. " Remember, this is all for fun, and you need to remember that."

He nodded solemnly. " I promise to behave." 

" Good boy." I kissed him again.

The producer of the film came into the room to fetch me. " Hey Mina, we are all ready for you outside. This will be your last scene, do your best.

I grinned. " Of course." I waved at my son and left the dressing room. 

I stepped on set and found my partner for the shoot, the famous 11-inch dick named Jax.  He was a tall guy with broad shoulders, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. His cock was so thick that the guys on set used to compare it to a cucumber. 

" Hello, Mina." he greeted me with a smile.

I returned it. " Nice to meet you again."

" So, we will be playing as lovers cheating on their spouses and we end up having passionate sex." the producer explained.

" Sounds perfect." I approved, already knowing the script. 

" Action!" the director shouted. 

The scene began with us dancing and drinking alcohol at the party hosted in the house. It went smoothly until we reached the part where we were meant to kiss passionately and start fooling around. 

Everything changed when he slipped his hand into my dress and grabbed my breast. My eyes darted to my son standing behind the camera, he looked surprised by the sudden touch but not upset. He had an odd expression on his face, a mixture of confusion and lust. 

The scene proceeds with us groping each other. Jax pinched my nipples and slid his hand up my thigh and to my mound, caressing it through the fabric of my panties. I gasped in pleasure.

I glanced at my son again, he had a hard time hiding his boner and I felt sorry for him. " Sorry honey." I mouthed to him, hoping he could read my lips. 

He didn't seem bothered and gestured for me to continue.

We moved to the sofa and the director ordered us to remove our clothes. I obliged stripping out of my dress, leaving me bare apart from my bra and panties. Jax followed my example.

"  Let's try some foreplay, Jax can you eat her out." the director said, addressing my partner.

Jax didn't need to be told twice, he pushed me onto the sofa and settled himself in between my legs. 

His tongue was very skilled and had me writhing in pleasure within seconds, he licked my labia and my clit, sucking on my nub greedily. I moaned loudly as I felt myself nearing my release. 

My hand pushed him deeper into my folds, urging him to go on. He lapped at me eagerly, sending sparks through my body.

I looked at my son again and found him touching himself through his trousers, his face was red in embarrassment. I felt sorry for putting him in that position, but at the same time, it was arousing to see him so affected by the sight of me getting eaten out. 

Jax stopped suddenly and my gaze snapped back on him as he kneeled in front of me, holding his throbbing member. " She tastes wonderful." he complimented. 

I spread my legs further inviting him to enter me. He plunged into me, stretching me like a rag doll. I arched my back at the sudden invasion and moaned. 

" Mina, you have a tight pussy." he grunted. " I'm not even halfway in."

He began thrusting, slowly at first, allowing me to adjust to his size. Once he was fully seated in my channel he picked up his pace, pounding me fiercely.

I moaned at his ministration, my hands clawed at the cushion of the sofa.

" Oh god!" I shouted in pleasure. " Yes! Fuck me like that." I cried out as he hit my spot, rubbing it repeatedly.

My body trembled as he kept ramming me, I was at his complete mercy. My orgasm came overbearingly, causing me to convulse wildly. 

He fucked me through my climax, not stopping in the slightest. 

He was proving himself to be one of the best actors in the business. " Change position." the director ordered. 

We ended up in a reverse cowgirl. My legs were still trembling from the aftershock of my climax but I managed to sit on him, impaling myself on his cock.

I started to bounce on him, rubbing myself against his pelvis. His hands grabbed my tits from behind and kneaded them roughly. 

I was getting close again he rubbed my clit with his big fingers, making me clench around his shaft. " Yes!" I screamed, reaching another orgasm.

I collapsed on him, feeling exhausted from the intensity of my climaxes. He lifted me from his member, causing me to whine from the loss of him.

He pushed me face down on the sofa and entered me doggy style. 

His thrusts were savage and violent, he pounded me relentlessly. I loved it, the feeling of being owned by him. My body shook as he slammed into me, my tits jiggling.

His hands gripped my waist, keeping me still and preventing me from escaping his onslaught. 

" Fuck yes! Give it all to me." I screamed as he drilled into me.

"You adore my fat dick, don't you slut?" he groaned in my ear. I nodded eagerly.

Suddenly he slowed his thrusts and his member started to twitch inside of me. " Ahhh! Cum inside of me!" I shouted, squeezing him tightly.

He moaned and spurted his load into me, coating my insides with his seed. His movements were becoming slower and slower until he stopped entirely. He pulled out of me leaving me empty.

" Cut!" the director announced. 

I felt dizzy from the number of climaxes I had reached and tired from the scene. Jax helped me stand up and I thanked him. My gaze wandered searching for my son, finding him sitting far behind the camera and staring at me with an unreadable expression. 

He approached me with hesitant steps, avoiding eye contact. " So, you liked it, huh?" I teased him. 

" At first yes, while you were still making eye contact with me." he asserted. " But not at all while you two got lost fucking like animals." 

I chuckled and patted his head. " Baby, you gotta understand  that sex is not all about romance, sometimes you just wanna get lost in the act."

He avoided responding to me and walked back to the car. I pitied him, he must have been hurt by the way I acted during the shoot. 

I got cleaned and bid my farewell to all the cast, I found my baby boy playing with his phone while leaning on the car. He barely acknowledged my presence when I sat next to him. I drove back home, not daring to ask him how he felt.

" I'll order some dinner and we can watch a movie together, how does it sound?" I proposed as soon as we were in the safety of our house. 

He shrugged and kept on his phone. I decided to give him space and not bother him for the rest of the evening. 

I woke up to the sound of a knock on the door. " May I come in?" his voice was low and tender.  

I sat up and opened the door. " Of course baby, what are you doing here so late?"

He walked into my room and closed the door behind him. I could smell his cologne, a scent so fresh and enticing. " Can I sleep here tonight?" he asked shyly. 

" Of course." I welcomed him.

He hesitated not moving a centimetre. " Baby, if you want to be my partner you gotta be more confident within yourself." I began. 

" I quit as you requested, now let me show you how good I am." I added signaling him to lie with me on the bed.

He complied and snuggled next to me. I cupped his face. " Don't you want me, baby?" I whispered seductively. 

"I do." he confirmed. I kissed his lips, tasting his sweetness.

" Good. Now, let’s take off these pesky clothes." I cooed.

He stripped quickly, showing me his lean body and his hard dick. It was still impressive considering he hadn't hit puberty yet.

I removed my shirt and panties and straddled him. " Show me what you can do." I dared him.

He held my hips and guided me onto his dick, impaling me easily, I squeaked in shock. He moved his hips under me and I bounced on him, my tits swaying wildly as he pumped into me from below. 

I leaned forward and kissed his forehead, feeling the sweat droplets forming on his skin. I pressed my chest to his and kissed him passionately as he fucked me.

He reached up and played with my tits, fondling them gently. I moaned at the pleasure of it all. His finger traced circles around my nipple causing me to shudder.

He picked up speed and his thrusts became more intense, slamming into me repeatedly. I cried out in bliss from his ministrations. 

" You are gonna came me cum." I told him staring into his eyes.  

His eyes darkened. " I know, you are." he affirmed.

" Yes, baby." I moaned. I rubbed myself against him feeling his thickness fill me.

He grasped my waist and rolled us over, putting himself in control. He pinned me beneath him and fucked me savagely, his thrusts powerful and deep.

" Ahhh!" I cried out, my body shivering in ecstasy. " Make me yours." I begged.

He grunted, his expression twisted in pleasure. " Mine." he muttered. " Only mine."

His body tensed and his cock pulsed inside of me. He growled and spilt himself into me, filling my hole with his load. 

I orgasmed around him, squeezing his dick and milking him for more. 

We stayed connected for a few moments, breathing heavily, sweat dripping on our bodies.

I rolled my hips around his sensitive length. " You did good, baby." I made him moan. " But mommy demands more." 

He sighed happily but concern. " I'll do my best." he promised.

" Oh baby, I won't let you do anything less than your best and more." I rolled us once more. " You stay still and let me take care of you." 

He nodded. " Whatever you want."

I began to move my hips slowly, rotating and grinding around his semi-erect cock. His breath hitched in response. 

"You want my mouth again?" I teased. He nodded vigorously. 

I crawled down his body and took him into my mouth, sucking and licking his head and shaft.

His member grew bigger in my mouth as I pleasured it with my tongue. His hips bucked up as I sucked him, eager for more of me. 

He gasped and claimed me on him, I aligned him at my entrance and sank onto him, taking his length in one go. 

He cursed at the feeling of my inner walls gripping his hardness. His eyes roamed my body, drinking in the view of me on top of him. 

I rocked my hips, taking him deep into my core. His hands kneaded my ass as I bounced on his dick. 

I leaned down and kissed him, moaning at the feeling of his tongue in my mouth. He sucked my bottom lip and nibbled on my neck.

I moved my hips faster, increasing the pace of our coupling. His hand reached down and rubbed my clit, causing me to moan louder. 

" Yes!" I shouted as he rubbed my bud with his fingers. " You know how to make me  feel good."

His hand felt magical on my body, playing my clit. I rode him harder and harder, feeling my orgasm approaching rapidly. 

" Baby, try to hold back." I warned him, my body gave in and gushed out a torrent of liquid all over his stomach and cock.

I kept grinding on him through my climax, my muscles clenched around him.

He grunted in pain and pleasure. " Mommy!" he cried out. 

I held him still inside of me during my climax. 

I leaned in, kissing his lips eagerly. " Bravo, you didn't come yet." I praised him. " Now do all you desire to  me." 

His eyes darkened in desire. " Turn around." he demanded. I complied, crawling on my hands and knees in front of him.

" Spread your legs." he ordered. I did as told.

" What a beautiful ass you have." he complimented, slapping my cheeks lightly. 

I moaned at the sting. " Harder, baby. Spank it."

He obliged smacking me harder, reddening my skin. 

" Now, fuck it." I demanded. He didn't hesitate to plunge into me from behind, driving his cock deep inside of me.

His thrusts were brutal and relentless, he slapped my ass every time he bottomed out into me. My pussy clenched around him in pleasure.

" Ohhh!" I screamed.

His grip on my hip tightened as he fucked me wildly, his balls slapping against my thighs. His grunts were becoming more desperate and loud.

I leaned forward, bracing myself on the headboard. He bent over me and grabbed my tits, fondling and twisting them. His hot breath brushed against my ear.

" You like this?" he panted. " Being fucked by your son?"

"Yes." I breathed out. " More." I pleaded.

His fingers found my clit and rubbed it vigorously. I was close to reaching my climax again. 

" Cum with me." I ordered.

He didn't argue. " I'm going to cum!" he shouted and slammed into me one last time before he emptied himself inside of me.

I squeezed his cock as he released his seed, milking him for all his worth. He collapsed on top of me, spent. 

We remained there for a few minutes, his weight pressing down on me and his breath on my skin. His member still inside of me. 

" That was great baby." I praised him.

He rolled off me and we cuddled in bed. " Thanks." he replied.

" You deserve it." I caressed his cheek. " I love you." I admitted. 

"And I love you too, mum." he answered me. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion, his eyelids drooping shut. I watched him fall asleep, lulled by the rhythm of my heartbeat. I wrapped my arms around him and fell asleep too. 

I woke up by the tip of his fingers tracing different paths on my body, his eyes looked at me with utter devotion.  " Hi." he greeted me.

We cuddled for a bit, he got more clingy and affectionate than ever. " Baby, you gotta think to find a girlfriend sooner or later." I stated.

He frowned and squeezed my flesh in his hand. " Do not say blasphemous things." he hissed. " I won't leave you alone NEVER."

I smirked. " That's my boy." 

Flesh pressed on flesh, as we explored each other’s bodies with carnal abandon. Together we steadily built to a crescendo of ecstasy. Our faces contorted with bliss,  our breaths quickened, and our bodies tensed. We were one being, united in our mutual pleasure.

We crested the wave of rapture together. I cried out, overcome with euphoria, as he filled me with his essence. His cries mingled with mine, creating a symphony of passion.

As our bodies calmed, he collapsed on me. We shared a tender kiss, savouring the remnants of our climax. We basked in the glow of our union, our souls entwined in love.  Our embrace was eternal, a testament to the depth of our bond. We knew that nothing could ever sever the ties that bound us together.

In the silence that followed, we shared a moment of pure understanding. Our connection transcended the boundaries of familial relations, and we were one in spirit and flesh. Our love was pure, untainted by the judgement of others. We had discovered our brand of heaven, right here on earth.

Together, we embarked on a journey of endless exploration, driven by the burning fire of our desires. Every day brought new experiences, fresh adventures that fueled our passion. Our love thrived in the secrecy of our sanctuary, free from the world's prying eyes.

In our hidden paradise, we indulged in a life of hedonistic pleasures, surrendering ourselves to the whims of our hearts. We revelled in the ecstasy of our love, secure in the knowledge that we were truly, madly, deeply in love.

[dontforgetukraine]

This month, Olena Vladymyrets, a Holodomor witness from the Vinnytsia region,celebrated her 95th birthday. Ms Olena was born on November 4,1929. She is the only one of 3 daughters of Oleksandr and Marta Tsvylyk who survived the Holodomor. Photo from Nina Vladymyrets' Fb page. "We lived in Tomashpil village in the Khmilnytskyi district, Vinnytsia region.There were 3 of us: the eldest, Larysa, born in 1927; me, in 1929; the youngest, Mariyka, in 1932. Both of my sisters didn’t survive. Mariyka was only 5 months old," she told our museum staff in an interview. During the Holodomor, she was very young, but she heard from her parents that before collectivization, people lived decently. "Those who worked, they lived..." But then, all their bread was taken away. "You know, as they used to say: 'Lenin told Stalin to take away the 'surpluses' but Stalin thought: take everything to the last crumb!' And so they did. My mother managed to earn a small amount of grain and put it in a pot to cook. She placed the pot in the oven, covering it with cauldron of water as if she were only heating the water. Activists broke in, poured out the water, removed the small pot of grain, and dumped it into their bag. Neither tears nor pleas helped. They took everything from everyone, and that is how the famine began." In 1946-1947, Olena Oleksandrivna experienced yet another man-made famine. "Mother and five of us, children, (four were born after the Holodomor) were already without a father (he died in the war). In the winter of 1947, Mother travelled to Western Ukraine seven times to trade some household goods for food." Ms Olena recalls. "She took all the essential items we had at home, including linens, towels, and various other things. It was a hard journey; they travelled in boxcars,got caught,and were forced off. And I, at 16, stayed home alone with the children. When Mum returned from the West, she brought a bit of grain. We kept a little for ourselves,then took the rest to the market in Bykiv, 8–10 km away. There, Mum sold the grain and bought clothes—jackets, skirts, dresses, scarves to go back to the West, as we had already sold out everything we had. I looked at those clothes and wanted a dress or a skirt so badly; after all, I was a girl! But what could I say to my mother? There were still younger children at home who were asking for food…" Today, Ms Olena, along with all of Ukraine, is going through another hardship—the war unleashed by Russia. Despite her age, she helps her daughter Nina make trench candles for Ukrainian soldiers. In addition, throughout the summer, the women made homemade treats for the soldiers they grew themselves: pastila, adjika, pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, fruits, vegetables, and berries! Although our birthday celebrant needs a walker to move, she actively contributes to volunteer work. She rolls cardboard for candles, peels fruits and vegetables, and assists her daughter as much as she can. Her daughter has also sent five drones to the front lines and provided medications, tourniquets and other essential items requested by the soldiers. We wish Ms Olena health,a long life,and a speedy Victory,which she dreams of more than anything else! May her dream come true! —Holodomor Museum

[kayrma]

See You At the Next Stop

Lily Evans meets a posh-looking bloke with messy hair on the way back to London, and for once in her life she actually enjoys a train ride. Maybe having a spontaneous seat partner isn't that bad after all.

Read on AO3 (2.9k words)

happy birthday, lily evans-potter! didn't have enough time to finish my punk!lily fic but i realized i never actually posted this fic from two years ago to tumblr so this is my contribution for today <3

Lily stared down the document in front of her, willing her brain to start writing words again. She had been on the train for nearly two hours now, travelling from Edinburgh to London. Visiting home had been yet another disaster, with Petunia continuing to judge Lily for moving to London after school and finding an inner-city job.  Her sister liked to say that Lily was wasting her money trying to live on her own (which was a lie, Lily had a lovely roommate named Mary), and that she’d be better off staying home and finding a husband. Sometimes, Lily thought Petunia was stuck in the nineteenth century, but she blamed most of that on her horrendous boyfriend Vernon, who worked for a drilling company or something else of the sort – it seemed far too boring to keep track of. 

Really, Lily had only gone home to visit their mum, following the two-year anniversary of her father’s death. His death had hit their family hard, despite them all knowing it was coming. Her father had suffered from cancer in his final years, but it still hurt knowing he was gone. Mr. Evans was Lily’s biggest supporter, encouraging her to attend Cambridge despite the monetary toll it would put on their family. He had helped her search for scholarships, and she ended up going to university for much lower than she ever could have expected without her father’s help. He was the one who helped her move to London, being there to help her move into her tiny flat despite him slowly growing weaker. She missed him every day, and she missed her mum, but she needed to be back in the city for work tomorrow.

Snapping out of her painful memories, Lily looked back at the half-empty document, with only a title and an introduction on it, not even in Times New Roman yet. She switched the font, the Arial irritating her, and leaned back into her seat. Even though she was on the high-speed rail, the train ride had felt impossibly long. She was seated next to some messy-haired Indian bloke, his glasses on top of his head and earbuds plugged in as he typed away on his own laptop. The man was gorgeous, to say the least, especially since he had unbuttoned the top collar of his dress shirt, and was wearing Converse with his slacks. Really, she couldn’t not admire him. Lily had a personal policy of not sitting next to men if she could avoid it, but he looked around her age and seemed relatively unassuming when he got on at Newcastle about an hour after her, and Lily found herself unable to say no. A part of Lily had wanted to ask him for his name, to know more about him, but he seemed to be a little bit of a mess as he got on the train. All he offered her was an apologetic smile as he struggled to shove his duffel into the overhead compartment as the train started moving. She smiled back at him, perhaps a little too eagerly in comparison to his semi-grimace. He had rolled up his sleeves as he sat down, and what was Lily supposed to do but stare at his well-defined tan forearms? He probably worked in some posh company, considering his attire (not that Lily could judge, she was still wearing business casual as well). Any time she peeked over at his laptop, he was typing furiously into some form of sheets that she truly could not decipher no matter how much she wanted to try. Looking away from him and turning her attention back to her own laptop, her brain felt like it was about to melt. 

Deciding to take a break, Lily closed her laptop, ridding her mind of thoughts about her struggling article. She pulled out her phone, and seeing that her plan was about to run out for the month, she started to play some silly game that didn’t require any data. At that moment, the messy-haired bloke looked over, saying “Oh, I love that game!”

He had said it extremely loud, presumably because he was blasting music in his earbuds, but Lily laughed and turned towards him.

“Really? All my mates make fun of me for playing it – what level are you on?”

“Oh, don’t worry, my mates do the same. They say it’s because I still act like a ‘bloody child’ but I think I just enjoy a bit of mindless fun, y’know?”

Lily nodded, glad to see that she had something in common with the gorgeous bloke. He hadn’t told her what level he was on, but his smile and enthusiasm more than made up for it.

“Regardless, I’ll let you get back to the game, this project might be the death of me.”

She slumped back as gracefully as she could, disappointed that he was busy, but she shot him another smile and went back to playing her silly little game. After exhausting her thumbs, she genuinely felt like she had lost brain cells, choosing to just put away her phone and relax with some music. Putting her head against the seat, she closed her eyes and tried to stop thinking entirely. However, no matter how much she tried to empty her mind, the bloke next to her kept popping into her mind. She ended up just embracing it, allowing her mind to fill with thoughts of who he could possibly be as she felt herself drifting off into sleep. 

Lily had no idea when she woke up, but she felt an impossible crick in her neck as she opened up her eyes. Quickly checking her watch for the time, she realized she had only been asleep for a little over half an hour, and sighed in relief – she’d still have time to try and work on her article again. However, as she tried to get up, she realized there was a weight on top of her head. Glancing upwards, she realized she had fallen asleep on the bloke’s shoulder, and he was leaning back on top of her head as his hands were stilled on his laptop. His shoulders were sturdy and broad, and Lily thought that she wouldn’t mind staying there forever. Not wanting to disturb him as he seemed utterly relaxed, Lily stayed put, hoping he’d wake up soon. 

After a few minutes (that felt like a lovely forever), his head lifted off of hers, and she took the opportunity to escape. Before she could even look at him, she heard the sound of his neck cracking as he stretched it, and Lily’s jaw dropped wide open. 

“That sounded like it hurt,” she commented discreetly, hoping he wouldn’t take it the wrong way. 

He smiled at her, glasses almost slipping off his nose now, rather than tangled in his messy hair. Shaking his head, he said “I always do it to wake myself up, it feels rather good actually.” The bloke proceeded to crack each one of his knuckles, and then his wrist. Lily grimaced at the noise, but couldn’t help herself from laughing. She figured she should probably apologize to him for falling asleep on him, even though she didn’t know how she ended up on his shoulder. 

“I’m Lily, by the way. Sorry I fell asleep on you. I’ve been working on an article and my brain genuinely felt like it might have melted if I hadn’t taken a break.”

“No worries Lily, it’s lovely to meet you,” he stuck out his hand, “Potter. James Potter.”

“Bond-like, are we?” Lily took his hand and gave him a firm handshake, trying to put on as serious of a face as she could in order to mirror his own expression. 

“Of course, milady Evans. What takes you to London this fine weekend?”

“Why Mr. Potter, I’m heading back to work. I visited my mum in Edinburgh, and I’ve got a roommate and a flat and a job to get back to tomorrow.”

“Is that so?” James flashed a smirk that would have brought her to her knees if she hadn’t already been sitting down. “Well Evans, I’ve just done the same, except that I visited my mum and dad in Newcastle, and am heading back to the flat I share with my brother and our friends, and a job as well.”

Lily giggled, of all things, and looked down to realize that their hands were still intertwined from when he had reached out to shake them. She dropped it before she could get too flustered, and tried not to notice the disappointed look on James’ face. 

“Right then, Potter, where do you work? I’d bet it’s somewhere posh, with the clothing you’re wearing and those sheets you were typing away on.”

Clearly surprised she had noticed, James’ quick reaction gave away that she seemed to have gotten everything right.

“Stalking me already Evans? And then falling asleep on me? Have you got some sort of ploy going on here, an evil scheme or whatnot?”

“Oh of course, I’m a journalist for The Daily Prophet, you see, and you’re the subject of my next story. James Potter: The Posh Bloke with Messy Hair and Unfinished Work.”

James let out a loud laugh at that, startling the other people in the full cabin. They all seemed to glare at him, despite his laugh being perfectly beautiful in her opinion.  He raised a thick eyebrow, questioning her with just that one expression.

“Alright, well you’re not the subject of my next article Potter, sorry to disappoint. But I do really work for The Daily Prophet, and I’m afraid I’m the one with unfinished work seeing as my article’s barely hit a page yet.”

“And you’re sure it can’t be about me? My messy hair just won’t do for The Prophet?”

“Afraid not, sorry, unless you’ve got a secret as to how you manage to keep it that messy. You’ve run your hands through it more than I can count in just the time we’ve been talking, and it’s not shown a single sign of being tamed.”

“Well Evans, I suppose I’ll let you in on a secret then.” He leaned in close to her, his lips almost brushing her ear as his breath made her shudder. “My dad’s actually the creator of Sleakeazy’s Hair Products, and I refuse to use it out of principle.”

Lily’s head snapped around so quickly it nearly gave her whiplash. She looked at James with an incredulous look on her face – there was no way he was telling the truth. But his face looked so earnest, completely devoid of his teasing demeanor, and Lily ended up just staring at him in bafflement. He snickered as she continued to stare him down, and his hands went right back up to muss up his hair.

“Yeah, I know. My brother ended up with the good hair genes, considering Sleakeazy’s has never really been able to do much for me anyways. Well, he’s not really my brother, we took him in after he ran away from his shitty family, but he’s my brother in everything but blood.”

James seemed like he was about to continue rambling, almost like his mouth was moving quicker than his brain. Lily reached out to put her hand on his wrist, but whether she did it to calm him down or for her own benefit, she didn’t quite know. 

“That’s really sweet of you and your family, James,” she gave him a small smile, “You’re clearly of the good sort. Maybe I will write my article about you after all. James Potter: A Bloke with Messy Hair and a Penchant for Being a Good Person.”

“All that from a bit of rambling, eh, Evans?” He was evidently smug, happy with the perception he’d given of himself. Something about his smirk made Lily want to wipe it clean off his face with a kiss, but it was far too early and far too public of an area to do that. Instead, she humored him with a laugh, and pulled her laptop out of her bag. 

Opening a new document, she enlarged the font into the awful old-Gothic newspaper style that came preloaded, and wrote up all the silly titles she’d come up with today. James reached for it slowly, wordlessly asking permission to take her laptop. She nodded and passed it to him, curious to see what he’d possibly type. He deleted all the words she’d put in, and changed the font to fucking Lobster, of all things, and then turned the laptop away from her. James seemed to be taking his time to think about what he was about to type, mussing up his hair yet again. After a minute or so of anticipation, he turned the laptop back to her, and it read: “James Potter: A Bloke with Messy Hair Who’d Like to Take One Lily Evans on a Date.”

Lily gave him what might have been the goofiest grin of all time, snatched back her laptop, changed the font to a respectable Times, enlarged it, and wrote in “Yes” so that it would fill up the page. James smiled back at her with the same reckless abandon, and leaned over to hold her hand. And then the computer nearly slipped off her lap.

They both reached for it, knocking heads in the process, but managed to save it from a horrific death on the train (she was a journalist, she needed to make use of her sensationalizing skills sometimes), and they both started laughing. They kept going even as she quickly put her laptop back in its bag. The passengers around them were definitely staring at them with irritation now, but that meant nothing to her if it meant seeing James’ smile. She leaned back into him and grabbed his hand to hold it properly this time, looking up at him like she could ravish him right there. He stared back at her with the same dark look in her eyes, and kissed her forehead and her nose. 

God, this boy and his ability to make her giggle. She whispered, “If you’d like to kiss me, you can just do it, y’know?”

He leaned in for a chaste kiss, “Right, but if I kissed you like I wanted to right now, we’d probably get a complaint for public indecency. Besides, it’s just another half hour to London, and my flat’s not too far from the station.” And then he winked at her. Lily gaped at him with an open mouth, and James pushed it back closed after a beat, saying “Don’t catch any flies in there, love.” Truly, James Potter was an enigma she could write an article on. 

“Well, I suppose I’ll get back to writing my article then. It seems I might be busy after we get off this train.” 

James stared her down as she pulled her laptop back out of its back, tied up her hair, and for extra flair, picked his glasses off his head and put them on. 

“Fuck, nevermind, you’re blind as a bat, Potter,” Lily blinked furiously, and shoved them back onto his face. James ruffled his hair (of course he did), and reopened his own work. Before he started working though, he reached over and pulled her closer to him, so much so that she was nearly on his lap, and then took his arm right back away once she was squished into him. Embracing the position, Lily opened a new document, abandoning the pages she had previously written, deciding that her next article would just have to be about something more lighthearted than the current foreign affairs of the UK government; her boss Minerva could probably appreciate some good news anyway. Pulling up the notes of an old interview she had done. Finally finding a rhythm as she typed away, Lily was startled by the “London, next stop!” that blared over the train’s PA system. She glanced over at James, who seemed just as rattled, and they both put their things away in unison. As everyone else on the trains stood from their seats to take their luggage, James immediately bumped his head as he got up.

“Bloody hell, these have no right being so low,” He grumbled as he stretched out and reached for his duffel.

“Sure you won’t need help with your bag this time, Potter?” Lily felt the need to tease him, just to humble him with her first impression of him from when he boarded the train. As if to prove a point, James swiped her bag off the overhead carry bin as well, and held on to both of them as the cabin started to clear out. Lily did a final check of their seats, and lightly jogged to follow him out.

“Well Potter, I recall you saying your flat wasn’t too far from the station. Are you planning on making good on that?”

“Of course Evans, what kind of man do you take me for? I’ll have you know I don’t put out on the first date though, I’ll be making you food since my flat’s got a stellar kitchen.” She raised an eyebrow at him, willing him to continue, because she wanted to know what he could possibly be making for her. “My mum’s aloo tikki recipe, I think you’ll like it.”

“This feels like a dig at me for being half-Irish, but I never mentioned that, so I’ll accept it. I look forward to seeing your cooking skills since you’ve got the sort of hair that would catch on fire in a kitchen.”

James gave her that stunning smile again, and grabbed her hand as they walked out of the station, and on the way to his flat. Lily had a good feeling about this bloke with messy hair and enough charm to create a whole new world.

[cheriladycl01]

Better than me - Charles Leclerc x Reader P9

Plot: You are a rookie in your first f1 season, adding to the ever-growing amount of Brits performing in the grid

Once you'd woken up and were told you wouldn't be able to race until Silverstone you were devastated.

You cried and cried until your mum pulled up your team principle phoned you and explained their was no way they were replacing you yet. You still had your seat.

You were still in the hospital by the time Hungary had come around and were forced to watch it on your iPad being told of by the nurses every time you got to excited.

Lando, Charles and Alex all had done special helmets for you being close to you. And they'd actually all attempted to call you and visit you. They'd gotten a few fleeting texts from you but that was about general stuff but as far as they were told you were refusing to have visitors which upset them all.

By the time Monza came two weeks later, you were so down in the dumps and even though you were out the hospital you couldn't bring yourself to go to the paddock.

And because of the long distance travel you also didn't attend Montreal. You watched at home with your parents who were just as worried about your mental health as they were with your physical health.

When Physio started with your personal trainer you were so demotivated and cried to him almost every day. But he was there for you the whole time, and he really shouldn't have been as it was private between the two of you, but whenever he was called to Germany to the Audi HQ he would tell Alex how you were doing, which in turn led Alex to tell the grid what was going on.

Monaco was the first race you attended even though a lot of people were apprehensive with you coming because of your injuries. But it was Monaco and you felt ready to see everyone.

You walked through the paddock and all the fans were shocked to see you there.

Strangely they were all super respectful, not crowding or touching you in places that may hurt and didn't stick around for long. It was a nice feeling being back in the paddock but almost felt like something was missing. You weren't going to be on track or racing.

"Y/N?" a voice behind you calls that you know all to well.

"Lan?" you smile and open your arms slowly, he comes closer to you tears in his eyes as he looks over you.

"I- I'm sorry its all my fault" he cries looking over you before carefully wrapping his arms around you. He yaps some more about how it was his fault and how he shouldn't be racing today it should be you and you had to literally stop him from talking.

"Lan, its fine. I'm not upset. I'm glad you are okay. It happens in racing and hey I'll be back racing in Silverstone hopefully" you grinned and you guys spoke for a while until he was needed else where. He really didn't want to leave but you'd practically forced him too.

Then Alex and Lily came, demanding why you didn't let them come see you and why you'd been living under a rock all this time.

"I'm sorry guys, but I was just really down with not being able to do much and you know it was hard after the accident coming to terms with everything. I was embarrassed and didn't want to see anyone" you'd explained and Lily tried to look furious but turned to thankful yet worried older sister in seconds, pulling you into a light hug in order not to hurt you while Alex rubbed your shoulder.

You all had a really heartfelt moment that was caught by some media teams, Alex and Lily dragged you back to the Audi garage and made sure you had a comfortable seat, everyone was really happy to see you again and you ended up being bombarded with questions.

You spent some time with the reserve driver who was happy to be filling in for you but knew this wasn't a free seat to take as he knew you'd be back and he knew Audi would want you back.

And afterwards you spend time watching free practice. It was always fun in Monaco and it was supposed to be your first year as a driver here, you'd yet to drive the historic track and you knew 2027 might be better for you but ... you couldn't help but feel that sinking sensation in the pit of your stomach.

You had what Amy Santiago had FOMOAW - Fear of Missing Out at Work.

The day was ending up and you were taking a slow walk back to the car where you parents were waiting to take you back to the hotel. Walking was still a little difficult and painful but you knew the more you moved in little increments the quicker you'd be back to racing.

"Y/N?" some shouts from behind you but it seems shocked and more like a question. You stand still for a second, trying to correlate that voice and of course it was Charles Leclerc.

"Hello Charlie" you say softly.

The accident had put a lot into perspective for you. Silly pettiness from you would have potentially cost Charles ever being able to understand you had forgiven him, if things had taken a turn for the worst in the hospital. And in fact you'd forgiven him a very long time ago but you didn't want to show that in fear of getting hurt again.

"Oh my gosh, you are here!" he says carefully looking over at you.

"Yeah, I'm here" you smile looking at him. He looked a little rough, not a bad rough but like all his usual pristine self-care had depleted.

"Look , i need to say this before you run away or leave I need to get it off my chest!" he lets out in a breath and you cant help but giggle a little.

"I'm not going too-" you start but he steps closer to interrupt you.

"Please just let me ... i need to explain my, what i did it was not right and I am sorry. I - i shouldn't have believed stupid stupid whispers around the paddock, and I shouldn't have let Ferrari make a complaint against you. I really like you. You are an incredible driver and I think you are going to come so far in the sport... i mean you already have its amazing but ... fuck I'm getting of track. What I'm trying to say is I'm sorry and can we please start over again as friends and can you forgive me for all those cruel things i said" he asks looking over your expression which was one of concentration hanging off every word he was telling you.

"Charlie... look i forgave you a long time ago. I knew you didn't mean it, you were just heated with the races. Like we all are... and you know Ferrari wouldn't have listened to you on a matter like this... so i no longer hold a grudge for any of it. Okay?" you smile and he looks shocked.

"So I am forgiven?" he asks and you nod, moving closer and placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Forgiven ... IF" you start with a smirk making him frown and his puppy eyes come out in worry.

"You buy me dinner. I'm starving and I'm not racing right now so I'm craving a really greasy pizza or cheeseburger" you smile and he nods.

"I- I can do dinner" he smiles and you nod walking away with a big grin on your face.

Charles was in shock, to the point he remained there until Carlos found him just staring into the abyss and he told him all about what had just happened.

And for you, well ...

The world, despite you not racing, felt righted.

For now.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @viennakarma @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount

[jessicaloons]

Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince

Chapter 4

Masterlist - Previous - Next

The Heartbreak Prince

November 2022:

"So it’s possible?" Charles asked his lawyer who nodded.

"It’s a lot of paperwork, but that’s what you pay me for, right?" she laughed and Charles looked at the ultrasound in his hand "I can start to set up all the documents as soon as possible or you want to take some time to think about it? Let it all go through your head once more? Or twice? More? You still have time… the baby won’t be born until April next year, so we can wait with the final decision…"

"No. Prepare everything… can you maybe talk to her? If she has a lawyer, and if not, maybe recommend one? I don’t want her to feel… I don’t want her to feel like it’s me against her and she is defenseless. If she has a lawyer of her own by her side, she’s not alone…"

"Of course Charles. I’ll talk to her, explain everything to her and then we figure things out. One step at the time."

"Thank you…" Charles smiled and got up, guiding his lawyer to the door "Let me know if you need anything from me."

"Will do, I’ll stay in touch. Have a nice day, Charles. And good luck for your race." she left his apartment and he sighed, leaning against the door.

His mind was racing, he had to leave for the airport in not even 2 hours, but he knew he first had to talk to someone. He couldn’t keep it a secret, the guilt would eat away at him. Back in his bedroom he threw everything haphazardly into his suitcase, calling Joris.

"Hey Joris, pick me up at my mums place…" Charles slipped on his shoes, checking that he had everything important in his backpack.

"Okay? Everything alright?"

"Yeah… I just-… I’m keeping the baby and have to tell my mum now…" Charles blurted out and the line went silent "Jo?" he asked after a minute of silence "Are you still there?"

"Yeah-… I just… umm-… I have to wrap my head around what you just said? You and Alessia are keeping the baby?" Joris asked cautiously.

"No. I am. She wants nothing to do with the baby… or me. She made that clear…" the Ferrari driver sighed, slipping into his sneakers.

"And what prompted this change of heart?"

"I saw it, Jo. And its heartbeat… in that moment I realised I would never forgive myself if I would give away my child. My firstborn. I can’t do it… that’s a piece of me. And I’m going to take care of it…" he left his apartment, waiting for the elevator.

"Okay. So Alessia will have the baby and then leave it with you and she’ll disappear? Not be a part in its life like you planned to? And you keep it? Take care of it, while travelling the whole world, racing in F1?"

"That’s exactly what’s happening, I mean… if Maman won’t kill me if I tell her now…" Charles put his suitcase in his car and got in, starting the engine.

"Good luck with that… maybe you’ll die today so thinking about the future won’t be necessary…" his best friend chuckled and under different circumstances Charles would’ve laughed too, but he knew that there was some truth in Joris’ words and when he stood in front of his childhood home 10 minutes later, ringing the doorbell with shaky hands, he wished he could’ve been anywhere else in the world but here.

"Charles! I didn’t think I’d see you before you leave. What a lovely surprise." his mother kissed his cheeks, pulling him inside "Arthur and Lorenzo are here as well…"

"They are?" Charles swallowed hard.

Maybe it was easier to say it only once, then 3 times to each one individually he thought, when he stepped into the living room where his brothers already sat.

"I thought we meet at the airport?" Lorenzo, his older brother asked, looking slightly confused.

"Umm- yeah, I just- I had to talk to mum first… and I guess now that you’re here, I’ll tell you as well…" Charles voice wavered and his brothers shared some glances before they looked at him.

"Is everything alright?" Arthur, his youngest brother asked right as their mother came back with some coffee and biscuits on a tray, putting it on the coffee table, already on her way back to the kitchen.

"Maman? Can you umm-… can you sit down, please? I need to talk to you… all of you." Charles voice was raspy and he cleared his throat, looking at his mother "Please. There is something… there is something you all need to know."

His mother looked worried, and as soon as she sat down between his brothers he pulled out the ultrasound picture, taking a deep breath. He felt his anxiety reaching its peek. The guilt settling in, in what a mess he had catapulted not only himself, but also everyone who was close to him. But he made his decision and now he had to own up to it. He took a deep breath, calming himself down.

"A couple of weeks ago I made a mistake. I did something stupid, reckless. But after crashing out at Paul Ricard I just wanted to forget. I drank a lot. And ended up in a girls bed… Charlotte and I weren’t dating anymore, we broke up almost a month earlier, we just kept it private, I asked her too, because I wanted to focus on driving and not on the gossip accounts speculating about my private life… that girl- she’s pregnant. With my child. And we had a deal, that she would get the baby and then we give it up for adoption to find it a good home… But I saw it. I saw my child. I heard its heartbeat and I can’t do it anymore. I can’t give it away. So I decided to keep it. Alessia, the mother, she wants nothing to do with it. Us. She doesn’t want a child. And that’s okay. But I have to do this. This is my child. My responsibility." he didn’t make any breaks, let it all out in one go and then put down the ultrasound picture in front of his family, all 3 looking at it wide eyed "This is a part of me…"

Silence. Complete silence. He couldn’t even hear them breathe. Charles looked at his brothers, the shock evident in their faces, then at his mother, an unreadable expression on her face. She picked up the picture, looking at it closely.

"Maman?" Charles almost whispered as his mother looked up from the picture in her hand "I’m so sorry! I swear it was an accident but I have to do this. I can’t just abandon my child… please understand me. Please… please don’t be mad at me…"

"You’re going to be a father?" was all she said and Charles nodded slowly, watching her getting off the sofa, slowly approaching him.

"Don’t be mad at me…" Charles breathed out again, feeling the tears stinging in his eyes, he held his breath when his mother stopped in front of him, looking him in the eyes.

When she raised her hand he almost expected her to slap him, closing his eyes, preparing for the impact. But the slap never came, instead he flinched slightly when she cupped his cheek, wiping away the tears that had escaped.

"I raised you right…" she whispered and Charles opened his eyes looking at her "Taking responsibility. You’re a good man…" she kissed his cheek, pulling him into a tight hug, her own heart almost shattering, hearing her son’s relieved sob "Seems like I’m becoming a grandmother then…"

"Yeah… you are…" Charles replied, feeling the tension and pressure falling off his shoulders. Relief flooding him.

"It’s going to be okay. We’re all here for you. We are all on your side." his mother whispered and Charles knew that with his mother’s love and support, he could do this right.

He could become the father his child deserved. A father like he had.

December 2022:

Annoyed. Indifferent. Disinterested. That would be the words Charles would use to describe the girl in front of him. The past weeks he tried to reason with her. Tried to talk her into co-parenthood. He wasn’t trying to force her, he just wanted to give her all the options. But as soon as he mentioned that he talked to his lawyer she asked for one herself. She made it clear that she didn’t want to have their child. Time and time again. Until Charles didn’t ask anymore. He accepted it. But what he didn’t have to accept was that the young girl sat at home. Alone. At all times. Only going out for short walks. Only texting with her best friend and brother. Talking to her parents from time to time. She needed to get out. Be around other people. And so he made a decision. It was a couple of days before Christmas when the driver sat in his second apartment in Monaco. The mother of his child on the sofa, he in the arm chair next to it.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Alessia rolled her eyes, not even looking at him.

"But why? It would do you some good, getting out of here, being surrounded by people, have a little Christmas dinner?"

"No. I don’t want to be surrounded by people. What do you even mean? We had a deal. No one knows about this. Who did you tell about it?"

"My mother and brothers, that’s who I meant. Joris could come as well. It will be f-…"

"I don’t want to play family, don’t you get it? I don’t want to meet your family, who all probably have the same stupid puppy eyes, looking at me, trying to make me rethink my choice… I don’t need that. As soon as I pressed this baby out it’s yours. Yours alone. I still don’t get why you would do that, it’s stupid. All alone. A demanding career. Having a child is just stupid for you, but that’s your decision. Your problem. I won’t be here to see the outcome of it all. I won’t see what happens to that child." her voice was cold.

Annoyed. Indifferent. Disinterested. Always the same.

"I just don’t want you to be all alone… it’s Christmas for fucks sake!" Charles groaned and for the first time in weeks there was a tiny hint of a smile on the girls face.

"Listen Charles. I really appreciate it. I do. All the little snack bags you leave on the doormat, all the delicious food you send over. You treat me right. You do, really. And now this. It’s really thoughtful. But I don’t want to meet your family. I want to be alone. Here. It’s my first Christmas without my parents. Let me have it the way I want it. Okay?" her voice was softer and Charles slowly nodded.

"But can I at least bring you some of the food? My mum is an amazing cook and you’ll love it. And you need to eat for two… so…"

"I would love to have some Christmas food…" Alessia smiled.

"Alright. I get you some plates fetched then…" Charles got up and made his way to the door, and when he passed the sofa the brunette grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently.

"Thank you. And-… merry Christmas…" she whispered and Charles took her hand in his, smiling at her.

"Merry Christmas to you too…"

Bahrain 2023:

Charles was nervously fidgeting with the many bracelets on his wrist, more than usually and his media assistant, Mia, put her hand on his.

"Okay, what’s going on?" she looked at him intently "The last weeks you’ve been more nervous than ever? Even at the end of last season you were super fidgety… what’s going on?"

He ran his hand through his hair, looking everywhere but the blonde woman in from of him. He had prepared a speech, thought long about how to explain what was going on, but he wasn’t sure if he had the courage to say it, so he shook his head, swallowing hard.

"Charles! I know you for more than 6 years now! I know that something’s going on, so come on. What did you do?"

"Why do you think that I did something?" he sounded offended and Mia chuckled a little.

"Because you look guilty. As if you have to confess something… so, confess…"

"Can you- umm is it possible to have Fred and Silvia here as well?" Charles almost whispered, saying it once would be hard enough, he didn’t want to repeat it a second time.

"Yeah? Sure… I text Silvia…. but now I’m really getting nervous…" Mia took out her phone, typing away, her eyes darting between her screen and the driver in front of her. After a few minutes of texting back and forth she nodded slowly, looking at Charles "They wait for us at Fred’s office…"

"Now?" Charles eyes widened.

"Of course now? Come on…" Mia got up and Charles followed her.

With every step they got closer to Fred’s office the young drivers anxiety got worse. Right in front of the door he stopped, taking a long, deep breath. Then he looked at the blonde and nodded. Mia knocked on the door and after a moment she opened it, Fred and Silvia looking at them, confusion written all over their faces.

"Charles. Mia. Come on in." the team principal got up, pointing to the sofa in the corner "So, Charles, Mia said you wanted to talk to us. To us all." he continued as soon as the driver and his media assistant both sat on the sofa, Silvia and himself on the armchairs in front.

"Yeah… umm-… there is something I have to tell you. It’s- it’s complicated. Something happened and I had to make a decision… and… well that decision, that umm-… it wasn’t easy, you know? Then again, it kinda was? I had to do it I guess?" Charles rambled, the speech he had so thoroughly planned out gone the moment he had opened his mouth.

"He really did it? He really approached you?" Fred mumbled, making the driver look at him confused "I mean- I do understand you, last year was crucial and Mattia missed out on establishing you as the clear number one when it was needed, when you were leading so clearly. But I hoped you would give me a chance, you know? Show you that I have a clear vision of your future in the team…"

"What?" Charles had no idea what he was talking about, he looked at Silvia, her usual scowl and pointed look gone, replaced by genuine sadness, then he looked at Mia, eyes wide.

"Christian approached you and I’m sure whatever he offered was more than generous, after all, he wants you in his team next to Max for years now… I’m really sorry that you lost all trust in our team after last season, but I understand. You want to be world champion and after being let down far too many times, you had to do what feels right for you… you signed for Red Bull next season." Fred’s voice was laced with pain, guilt. The sadness in his face visible, but when Charles looked at him and started laughing, it turned into confusion with a hint of anger "I don’t know what’s so funny about that…"

"I’m sorry. Really… just… give me a moment…" he wiped away a tear, taking a few deep breaths to compose himself, a grin still on his lips when he cleared his throat "I didn’t sign with Red Bull. And no one officially approached me. Was I asked, more in a joking way, yeah, but nothing serious…"

"You- you didn’t sign with Red Bull?" Fred repeated and Charles nodded "Oh- well… umm okay… good. Really good… then, well, say what you wanted to say."

"Yeah…" Charles sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment, then he took a deep breath "I’m going to be a father… in around two months… it wasn’t planned. I’m not in a relationship with the mother and as soon as the child is born, I’ll have the sole custody and the mother is out of the picture. Forever."

Silence.

Big eyes.

Confusion.

"That wasn’t what I expected…" Silvia the first to break the silence.

"Now you wish I would’ve signed for Red Bull…" Charles halfheartedly joked, making Silvia’s eyes shot up at him "That wouldn’t be as much of a PR-nightmare for-…"

"Is it really your child? Did you make a paternity test?" she asked.

"We did… it’s mine. That night was a mistake, but the outcome is not. It’s my child."

"This conversation will never leave this room…" Silvia shook her head "You would be swarmed by the media. The Heartbreak Prince a single dad? Which of his short term lovers did he knock up? No. You and your child would never have any kind of peace for a long time. That’s not how a child should grow up! No one else in the team must know it as well. They are all too talkative. Someone would spill the beans accidentally. This is our secret. Understood?"

"Silvia, I think that’s Charles decision-…" Mia began but he shook his head.

"No. She’s right. It’s the best for us. The best for my child…"

"Okay. Umm- then… congratulations, I guess?" Fred got up, pulling Charles out of his seat, hugging him.

"Thanks." he mumbled and when his team principal let go of him, the two women did the same.

"You don’t want to know why I’ll be raising my child alone? Why the mother-…"

"No. You have your reasons. That’s all we need to know." Fred replied and Charles nodded slowly "So in 2 months? Around… Baku?"

"Will you take a break? Or what’s your plan?" Mia asked.

"I continue, like before. My mum and brothers will help me. I will spend as much time as possible at home during the races, so please, don’t make me attend too many sponsor events. Just the really important and necessary ones." Charles looked at Silvia who nodded.

"That can be arranged, Carlos can take over. And for the rest… we’ll figure it out. One step at the time." she said writing something down in her notebook, Mia and Fred nodding in agreement.

"We find a way to make this work."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it." Charles meant what he said.

He felt relieved that his team was taking the news so well and were keen to help him with his new task at hand. Maybe he could make it. Have it all. His career and his child. Become a world champion and a father.

22 April 2023:

A new life began at 3:27 in the morning at the Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco. As Charles saw his daughter for the very first time he knew, he would do everything to protect her, no matter what.

"We’ll take her, clean her up and check her through. You can stay with your girlfriend." the nurse told him and he pressed out a smile.

Girlfriend. No, she wasn’t his girlfriend. She was the mother of his daughter. Not more. Not less. The mother who wished to leave the hospital as soon as possible. Leave her daughter behind and never look back although Charles had tried everything to make her change her mind. He took one last deep breath before he knocked on the door.

"Come in." after he heard the faint voice he opened the door and walked inside.

"She’s healthy. They’re cleaning her up and checking her through and then bringing her back down…" Charles said, looking at the exhausted girl "It’s not too late, Alessia. You can still-…"

"No. I told you I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to hold it. I don’t want it, Charles." Alessia groaned and he nodded "Are the lawyers here?"

"They’re outside."

"Bring them in. I want this to be over. Once and for all." she said and Charles nodded again, walking outside.

"You can come in." he said to the awaiting lawyers who followed him back into the room.

"Let’s get this over with." the new mother said looking expectantly at her lawyer.

"Right, as discussed, Miss Bonetti will hand over the sole custody of the child to Mr. Leclerc. He will be recorded as father on the birth certificate. The child will have Mr. Leclerc’s last name." the lawyer said, looking at his client who nodded.

"Further, as Miss Bonetti stated she wants nothing to do with the child, we’ve prepared a NDA for your client to sign." Charles lawyer said, looking at the girl and her lawyer "My client will sign one as well, agreeing to never contact or mention Miss Bonetti. No one will know that the child is hers."

"What’s a NDA?" Alessia asked.

"A nondisclosure agreement. With signing it, you’re not allowed to talk about this whole situation with anyone. You can’t mention that you had a child." her lawyer explained.

"We’ve gone a step further with our demands."

"A step further? This wasn’t discussed beforehand!"

"Your client asked for a compensation. Mr. Leclerc paid for all medical bills, accommodation over the past 7 months, living expenses, maternity clothing, everything. Your client still demands a compensation for her inconvenience of being pregnant. Therefore my client agreed to pay the compensation, but on our terms."

"What terms?" the girl asked and looked at the Ferrari driver.

"You said you don’t want her. You want nothing to do with her. You want to be out of here and never look back. You want me to keep quiet about you being her mother. I gave you many chances to change your mind, you declined. You want to walk out of her life. Fine. But then you walk out forever. I want you to agree that you also never contact me, us, mention me or her and most importantly never tell anybody about our night together. It never happened. You don’t want this. Then it never happened. You were never pregnant. You and I. We don’t know each other. Not in the past. Not now. Never in the future. Today will be the last time we ever see each other." Charles said, his voice wavering.

"This means, if you ever change your mind, you can’t reach out. You sign away your right to see your daughter ever again." her lawyer said looking at her "You might want to think about that again, you’re exhausted? Maybe too vulnerable to make this decision just yet."

The young mother sat up and leaned forward, taking the NDA together with the declaration of custody out of her lawyers hands and took the pen from the side table.

"Where do I sign?" she asked.

"Here. And here. And here. And on the last page." her lawyer showed her the dotted lines in the documents, all pre signed by Charles, who took the NDA from the girls lawyer looking at it.

"The notary will be here any minute. He will certify the documents and from then on, this all never happened."

Charles got up and looked outside, when it knocked, expecting the notary. But there stood the nurse from earlier, holding his little bundle of joy.

"How’s Mummy? She wants to hold her little sunshine?" she asked as Charles stepped out onto the hallway, closing the door behind him.

"No, she’s… she’s not her mother." he took the little girl in his arms, cradling her to his chest "I mean-… umm she is but… no. She has only me."

"Oh. Okay. Well, we umm… we’ll talk then to her, she needs to be fed in the next hour…" the nurse said and Charles looked at her.

"I have formula? She- she won’t breastfeed her."

"I talk to the moth-… I talk to Miss Alessia. She can pump the-… I’ll talk to her. Here. You can rest with your little one in here." she opened up the door across the hallway, switching the light on.

Charles followed her inside, sitting down in the armchair.

"One last thing. Newborn babys love skin to skin contact. She’s a little squirming around, that’ll help."

"Take my shirt off?" Charles asked and the nurse nodded, taking the little girl out of his arms and he did as told, before the nurse opened up the blanket, wrapped around the newborn.

"Here. Hold her like before, just on your bare skin. Lean back. And let her hear your heartbeat. I’ll be back with some milk. And something to eat and drink for the new dad, you look exhausted. My name is Claudia, if you need anything, push the button." Claudia smiled and left the room.

He closed his eyes for a moment, his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He was a father now. A 25 year old single father, whose job it was to race around the world.

"Charles? It’s done. All documents are signed, the notary certified it all. They will bring Alessia to a different ward, she’ll stay here for 2 more days, so she can pump some more milk, then she’ll be discharged." his lawyer said, walking inside the quiet room.

"She will be gone? Forever? She has no right to ever contact me? Us? She’s only mine?" he asked.

"Yes. She signed away all her rights."

"How’s that even possible? She gave birth to her? She’s her child? How can she sign away everything?"

"I explained it to you. It works like at an adoption… she is her birth mother. Not more. Not less. By signing the NDA it’s like she never existed in your life. And vice versa."

"It’s just me and her?" Charles whispered, looking down at his most prized possession.

"It’s just you and her…" his lawyer nodded "In the coming days I’ll also take care of the hospital staff. It was only Claudia, the nurse, one of the doctors and the lady from administration, who filled out the birth certificate, who know that you’re involved in this. I’ll make them sign a NDA as well. No one will know about this unless you want to."

"Thank you, really. You thought of everything…" Charles mumbled, eyes trained on his daughter’s beautiful face.

"Yeah well, that’s my job… do you want me to call your mum? I’m sure she can’t wait to meet her granddaughter."

"Yeah… that would be good. Thanks." he still didn’t look up from his little angels face.

"Alright. The nurse will be back soon with a bottle for her." his lawyer was about to leave when Charles finally looked up at her.

"Is it enough? What I offered her? Will she be okay?" he almost felt guilty asking this question, like he paid the mother of his child to leave their life.

"You were more than generous, Charles. The amount of money you paid her is more than enough. She’ll be just fine." she smiled as she left.

He sighed and leaned back. In the quiet room, his precious daughter sleeping on his chest, he thought about his life almost a year ago, when he and his girlfriend of one year Charlotte broke up. It wasn’t like he didn’t love her. It was more like he didn’t love her enough, the way she deserved to be loved. She was a great girl. A good friend. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted an all consuming love. A love that made his heart beat faster, whenever he saw that special person. A love that made him crave for more and more. A love that would make him go crazy, in a good way. A love he knew would be his to hold dear and cherish for the rest of his days. That wasn’t Charlotte. And before her it wasn’t Marie. And before her it wasn’t Juliette. And before her it wasn’t Giada. The media didn’t call him the Heartbreak Prince for nothing. The Formula 1 driver who went through relationships like others went through their underwear. A messed up race and a drunk one night stand later, Charles knew they were right. But he also knew one thing for sure. This cycle was ending now. He had a daughter now. She would be his all consuming love. She would be the one he would hold dear and cherish for the rest of his days.

No more Heartbreak Prince.

Chapter 4 - Welcome on this planet, baby girl! Charles strikes me as the cutest girl dad 👉👈 I just had to make him one again 🙈

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Taglist:

@glitterquadricorn @lottalove4evelyn @janeh22 @itsjustkhaos @mariclerc

[graciesbow]

are you bored yet?

Running home with a grin on your face, you couldn't contain your happiness with what you found today. Basket in hand, a small sheet covering the contents inside, you tried not to run too fast. Your feet were stinging a little, since you had a tendency to go out barefoot, but you could deal with that when you got home.

As you made it up and over the last grassy hill, you could see the cottage you shared with Severus. You smiled and carefully skipped over to the small path that led up to the front door. When you reached the start of the dirt path you knelt down to a small hole in the ground, and through the darkness that overtook the small space you could see a rabbit. The same rabbit who was there yesterday. You noticed her slide underground just after sunrise while in the kitchen, and saw that she seemed to be limping.

When you approached her, she made no effort to run, and you realized as you inspected her closer that it looked as if she had just had babies. She also had a rather battered up leg. You then had brought her inside and made your husband make her some sort of remedy to heal her leg. You had done this for many animals out in the fields, so he was used to it by now.

The next day, you had set out to look for her babies, bidding Severus a quick goodbye before whisking out the door, him knowing you wouldn't be back until sundown. You had traveled around 3 miles from your small house, when you finally found them hiding in a small burrow behind an oak tree. Luckily you had brought a basket with you, so you could safely bring them back to their mum.

You had just finished placing the small bunnies one by one in the small space but big enough to fit all of them together with a little extra space. You turned your head as the door creaked open and you saw Severus standing there with a perplexed look on his face. He was about to speak when you held your finger up to your lips and motioned him to come over. He looked confused but he made his way over to you.

When he reached you, he also crouched down to see what you were looking at. The corners of his mouth slightly lifted up as he saw the sleeping bunnies, he also saw the basket lying on the ground next to you, so he imagined you retrieved them.

He quietly spoke out, “I imagine you were the one who found them?” You looked up at him and nodded, before looking back down at the bunny family. “They're so cute,” you whispered. He stood up and squeezed your shoulders before you copied his movements, still staring at the small creatures.

“They'll be there tomorrow as well my love, you haven't eaten today which you need to,” he said to you. You nodded and sighed, “I'm just worried for them, I mean the mother was 3 miles away from her babies!” he looked at you baffled as you reached the front door. “You walked 3 miles without shoes?” You looked down at your dirty, scratched up feet, “I guess I did, I wasn't expecting them to be so far.” he huffed and ushered you inside. “Let's get you cleaned up.”

The following day you were curled up on the couch at about noon, Severus reading beside you, and your orange cat, George. You had rescued George from the rain a few months ago, he was definitely a stray since the only house from you was about 10 miles away. He was also terribly skinny, and after a few hours of convincing your husband to let you keep him, you had a new family member.

Once the clock on the wall struck 12:15 you abruptly got up, scaring Severus and the cat. You headed to the back door and slipped your shoes on before grabbing your tote bag. Just before you made it out the door, you heard Severus speak, “Where are you going?” You turned to look back at him while George circled your legs. You had a problem with just leaving, not telling anyone where you were going because no one seemed to care in your childhood.

“I was going to go collect flowers and leave them at that graveyard in the woods,” you paused for a moment, “would you.. would you like to come?” he nodded and grabbed his coat off the back of the couch. He wasn't sure where you would gather the flowers from, but he would follow you wherever you go.

You picked up George and placed him in your tote. You knew he would follow you but you wanted to have him with you until you reached the flower field. “Ready to go?” you checked with him. He nodded and you headed out the back door and were met with grassy hills and thick wood about a mile or so ahead.

Once you reached the flower field you set the orange feline free to bounce about the flowers while you collected a small pile. As you were gathering small bunches and setting them in your bag, you looked at Severus. He was currently watching George trying to catch a butterfly. You stepped up beside him and you both just watched him run around through the grass.

You suddenly spoke up saying you should get going to the graveyard, which was about a 20 minute walk from the edge of the woods. He agreed, and you called out to George, who was now sunbathing with his tummy up to the sky. You laughed when he bounced up to the sound of your voice. Walking through the forest was calming, you always loved it but having Severus with you this time felt so comfortable.

Every so often you both would pause as he inspected a plant, and then you would move on. George would swipe at your feet as you walked, and then get distracted by something off in the distance. You would huff a laugh every time he missed something he was trying to catch.

“Are you bored yet?” you asked, teasingly. He shook his head and smiled at you.

There was about 5 minutes left until you reached your destination, when something brown caught your eye. Or multiple brown somethings. When you moved closer you realized it was a herd of deer. You softly gasped and your husband stopped beside you. He lightly pushed on the small of your back, knowing you had interacted with deer before and they adored you.

You slowly approached them, making sure not to scare them. There were about 3 adults and 4 babies, you assumed the other adult was out somewhere else. As you got closer a twig snapped beneath your foot and they all snapped their heads up to you. You froze and waited for them to speed off, but it never came, instead one of the curious fawns slowly approached you.

You slowly reached into your bag, knowing you had an apple from a few days ago stashed away in there. You then bent down and cautiously handed the apple to the fawn who eyed it warily, before taking the apple in its mouth and scuttering back to the rest of them.

You retreated back to Severus with a satisfied smile on your face. He was waiting for you on the path to the graveyard, ready to continue your walk.

...

Your foot slipped as you grabbed the wood branch above you, careful not to rip your clothes on the knots in the wood. Climbing further up the tree, small container in hand, you tried to locate the injured bird you had seen while collecting the first plums of the season.

Now, you were hanging with only your arms while trying to swing back onto the branch. You heard slight chuckling behind you, until Severus came into view on the other side of the tree. “What are you doing up there?” he asked as he curiously watched you swing back up onto the branch, now sitting on it like you would a horse.

“I am trying- trying to get up there, to get a bird,” you grunted out as your head hit the branch above you. “A bird?” he inquired. Finally after weaving yourself through the branches, you placed the injured bird into the container and slowly lowered it down to his eye level. “A bird,” you smiled as he took it, before you flipped yourself upside down and jumped off the tree in a crouching position.

You thanked him before taking the container and venturing back to your cottage, Severus trailing behind you. The whole way back you talked about what medicine the bird would need, and how much time to rest before you let it free again.

After you had finished with the bird, you placed it in a small makeshift bed and left it alone for a while. Walking back into the kitchen, you resorted to watching your husband cook. You liked watching him use his hands to make something so simple, it always had to be precise.

“I wish I could save all the animals,” you whispered out. He glanced over to you and his expression softened. “You're doing a lot by helping with the ones around here,” he spoke while circling the area with the spatula he was holding. You sighed and looked out the window that faced the grassy hills. “I know, but every time I find one I just think of all the ones who don't have someone to help them.”

He placed a plate in front of you and kissed your head, “well that just means you have a big heart.” You shrugged and thanked him for the meal.

You were both almost finished eating when you asked him if he wanted to go watch the sunset with you, as it was near. He seemed to be contemplating his options before he spoke out, “I will come, but we can't go climbing in any trees, my bones don't work as yours do anymore.” you laughed out and promised him you wouldn't go climbing in any trees.

And now, you were both standing in the golden sunlight as the wind blew the long grass around you. Standing and soaking in each others company, while a ball of orange fluff ran around chasing bugs.

“Are you bored yet?” you whispered to him as the sun was just tipping over the edge. You felt him shake his head and place a kiss on yours. You smiled in content as you watched the last sliver of sun fall behind the mountain.

[theloveoffootball10]

sᴛɪᴄᴋᴡɪᴛᴜ - ᴛ ʜ ɪ ʀ ᴛ ʏ s ɪ x

s e r i e s m a s t e r l i s t / c o m p l e t e m a s t e r l i s t

ᴛ ʜ ɪ ʀ ᴛ ʏ s ɪ x

Running around the house in a panic, I'm late as always however not as late as Lando. We have to leave in the next fifteen minutes and he still isn't here. It's Boxing Day and I invited Lando to come to the football with my mums side of the family despite him claiming to be a Manchester United fan, I'm taking him to the blue side of Manchester. I know he left his parent's house early this morning after spending time with his family on Christmas Day but he's making me nervous how close he's cutting it.

"Lucía, Lando is here!" My mum shouts as she opens the door to Lando.

"Thank fuck! Don't get comfy our taxi is due any second!" I say rushing past Lando into the kitchen "merry Christmas by the way babe!"

"Merry Christmas baby I'm feeling the love" Lando says with a laugh as I return to him in the hallway.

"Sorry I'm just stressed. I'm late and you're late and we need to leave like now"

"I know I'm late the traffic was wild" Lando says pulling me into his arms as I try to rush off again "That outfit would look disgusting if it wasn't you wearing it" Lando rolls his eyes at the sight of my blue Manchester City shirt.

"Mate you're not even from Manchester you don't get a say and don't roll your eyes at me dickhead"

"Ooh she feisty today. Is this the day you go from being feral to full blown hooligan?"

"I'm always a hooligan. Especially when I'm in the paddock and my boyfriend is leading a race" I can't help myself, when Lando is doing well I can't hide my emotions from anyone let alone the cameras that focus on me now there's no denying to the press that we're together "how do you feel about sitting in the stands with the peasants as we're going to be shouting profanities at your beloved United"

"Beloved is a bit far but I don't mind being in the stands contrary to popular belief"

"You're a United fan so you're basically scum today" I can't help laugh at the look on Lando's face "don't worry I still love you despite your shocking taste"

"Yeah? You better. It's still Christmas you can't not love your boyfriend at Christmas but it says more about your bad taste than mine if I'm scum today baby"

"You two are sickeningly sweet. I ate enough chocolate yesterday to last a lifetime I don't need you two today. Anyway taxi is here let's go" my mum says rolling her eyes as she walks out of the front door leaving me to lock up.

Boxing Day football matches are a tradition for our family. We all go as often as we can but when it comes to Christmas everyone is there no questions asked. It's always me, mum, my mums brother Steven, his wife Claire and their kids Morgan and Harry as well as my grandparents. When I say it's a family affair I mean it, then after the football everyone including the extended family pile into one house for a good old fashioned piss up and buffet. This year it's mine and mums turn to host, part of the reason I invited Lando so I knew he'd be comfortable at our house rather than a random family members house who he either meets today or hasn't met yet.

A few hours later we've all piled back into our house for the event of the year. City got the home win today so everyone is buzzing and as a result are suitably merry, well it is Christmas so why not! Not only do my family attend these Boxing Day parties, but as always it's an open door policy to friends and anyone who wants to attend. My family never believed in leaving someone alone never mind at Christmas time.

It doesn't take long for the party to be in full swing. I lost Lando to my family a while ago leaving me with my friends. I was annoyed at first until I realised it shows just how much they like him and I get to have him to myself tomorrow. We've planned our own little Christmas Day before we travel down south to see his family together then we go on to Spain to see my dads side of the family for new year celebrations.

As I hear the beginning notes of the next song start Lando's face is a picture. I know exactly what he's thinking. Making my way to Lando his hands instantly fall to my hips holding me in his arms.

"Baby if your family have me listening to a song about Charles Leclerc I might have to rethink my relationship with you"

"You're looking at the girl whose mum grew up in the 90's and brought her daughter up to be just as much of a raver as she is. Do you really think we're listening to a Charles Leclerc version of any song?" L'amour toujours is an absolute classic. I know it was remixed for Charles but it's never going to be a go to version.

"I should've known better" Lando says pulling me further into his arms where I slot between his legs perfectly as he sits on the stool at the breakfast bar "I love this side of you"

"I'd hope you love all sides of me, well maybe not the psycho side I could understand you not loving that side but what do you mean?"

"When you're just so completely care free and feral. You're in a place when you can be unapologetically you it makes me want to take you to bed and fuck you into oblivion"

"What's stopping you?" I ask cocking my eyebrow at Lando's words.

"The fact that we're here with all of your family, friends and people who are strangers even after your cousin introduced me to everyone" I can't help but laugh at the introductions Morgan made Lando go through with. She's 9 years old and has a very determined head on her shoulders, put her with Lando who's probably just as stubborn as she is and you have chaos.

"Babe my family are all hammered. They aren't going to notice if we disappear and none of them will be coming in my room. If you want me I'm yours" I say grabbing Lando's hand and pulling him up the stairs into my bedroom without anyone saying anything. If they saw us leave they haven't made a point to tell everyone.

Lando kisses me, matching his intensity, I gently pull at his lower lip, wanting more of him. Teasing me Lando slows down with a soft moan against my lips, gently bringing his hands up from my waist to cup my face in his large hands.

"I've been waiting for this all day baby"

"You have me now Lando. I'm always yours" What comes out of his mouth is somewhere between a moan and a growl, almost animalistic.

Quickly the kiss deepens growing urgent, the tension between us melting away into unrestrained passion. His lips trail down my neck, each kiss a tender caress that leaves me breathless and aching for more. His hand slips between my legs, only the thin lace fabric of my thong separating his fingers from where I want him most.

"Is this what you want?" Lando asks a teasing tone to his voice.

When I meet his eye, the look I find on his face is hungry and intense, and all I can muster is a nod. I undress with a deliberate slowness, attempting to tease Lando but teasing myself more in the process. My skin is exposed and I can only take in the scene in front of me as he follows my lead.

For a moment, we stand together, the air thick with anticipation knowing what is to come, before Lando effortlessly throws me on the bed.

I guide him inside me, slowly so I can savor every inch, all while keeping eye contact. There's something about the intimacy of eye contact that changes the feeling of everything for me. A soft groan escapes Lando's lips as he finally buries himself into me completely and presses his lips against my neck. We move together, our hearts racing, slowly at first, then faster and faster with every thrust. The rhythm between us builds, his hands gripping my hips firmly as the movements of our bodies become synchronised.

"Oh my god stop. Lando you have to stop!" I say panicked looking at Lando.

"What? What's wrong?" Lando has a sheer look of panic on his face at my words as his thrusts stop "are you okay?"

"No I've still got my socks on! I need them off I can't have sex wearing socks!"

"Are you serious? You're a fucking dick! I thought something was seriously wrong!" Lando says as he starts to laugh at the ridiculousness "I've still got mine on as well"

"No! Take them off! It's the biggest ick!" I can't hold back my laugh any longer as Lando buries his head in my shoulder, I suppose they do say if you don't laugh during sex you're having sex with the wrong person. As we scramble to remove our socks we're crying laughing.

"Can we pick up where we left off now we have no socks on?" I don't need to tell Lando how ready I am for him, he can feel it but I nod anyway.

Lando's strong grip is back on my hips, tight enough to hold me against him, it feels incredible as I feel him reenter me. The weight of his hands and body on me turns me on immensely. His lips have found my neck again and I lose my hands in his hair, pulling at it gently.

The sounds he's making go straight to my core the pleasure increasing tenfold, and the familiar sensation builds in the pit of my stomach, a bubbling heat which begs to overflow. I try to hold on, to make the moment last but then Lando kisses me and rests his forehead against mine.

"I can feel it, baby. Give in Lucía, I want you to cum for me."

I cry out his name unable to stop the pleasure from spilling all over me as I reach my peak. Every muscle in ny body clenches, but the pleasure only keeps mounting as Lando throbs inside of me, his own orgasm approaching fast.

"Your turn now, Lando. I want to feel it inside of me" my words are all it takes as he mumbles under his breath as he spills himself inside of me filling me with warmth, and I smile at they way his accent comes out stronger than usual. We ride the wave together until we come down from our high slowly, kissing each other, panting, exhausted but satisfied in each others arms.

By the time I can properly breathe and form a coherent thought, I know Lando is half asleep the way his head rests on my chest and the way his breathing slows. I run my fingers through his hair softly lulling him closer to sleep, I don't mind if he goes to sleep straight after sex. I don't take offence to it, it just makes me love him even more that he’s comfortable enough with me that he feels like he can.

[amberjazmyn]

always lando's little sister 🫶

pairing : lando norris x norris!reader

summary :  lando's younger sister, lilia, was in the military for nearly four years, since she turned eighteen so, she was now twenty-one, a week off turning twenty-two. and, she was returning, finally able to come home. so, she decided to surprise her entire f1 grid family at the british grand prix at silverstone. 

warnings :  fluff, older brother x lando, an emotional reunion between brother and sister, military reunion, happy tears

a/n : these military imagines are my favourite to write and to read so, yeah, please enjoy this one! and yes, i will be including the rest of the f1 grid in this because, i love the idea of the entire grid being surprised by lando's sister coming home. 

lilia norris had been waiting for this day for as long as she could possibly remember. she was finally coming home after edging on four long years with the military as a medic since she turned eighteen. meaning, she was now a week from turning twenty-two and her commander decided she was ready to be discharged of her duties and live the rest of her twenties up because, truthfully, she deserved it. lilia was one of their best military medics and, whilst it was heartbreaking for them to lose her, it was time for her to leave and they couldn't argue with that. 

now though, lilia was about to surprise her parents, adam and cisca in the carpark of the british grand prix at silverstone, alongside her sister-in-law savannah who was helping her with the surprise. savannah was filming the reactions of everyone that lilia was surprising today. it was obvious to her sister-in-law, her brother oliver's partner, that it had been a while since lilia was this excited for something. 

"...today is a very special day...i've got my sister-in-law, lilia norris with me, fresh from a four-year-long deployment overseas as a military medic and she is about to surprise her parents, my in-laws, in the parking lot of silverstone as we are here for the british grand prix. we have to be verey stealthy and quiet because no one except for me knows that lilia is home!" savannah whispered as lilia excitedly waved to the film camera as the two held in their laughter 

"so, lilia, you're finally home after almost four years of service, how does it feel to finally be home after so long?" savananah then whispered as lilia giggled softly as they smiled at each other

"it feels amazing as i left for the military on my eighteenth birthday meaning i was barely an adult so, i needed to grow up quite quickly since i was the youngest on the team. which, when i did end up telling mum and dad, mum was all for it but with worry of course but, not as much as dad. dad was a lot more tentative and anxious about it because he felt like he still had to look after me and he was very protective about it. but, once he realised i was going to be a medic he was a lot more for it but still anxious over it," lilia smiled as savannah nodded her head smiling 

"well, i think it's time we walk to their car and surprise the parents. four years is too long to go without seeing anyone, what do you think lilia?" savannah asks as lilia bites her lip, nodding her head with a shy smile

"yeah. and if flo and cis are there, that's even better!" lilia whispered and without a second, savannah and lilia start their walk over to her parents to then notice that she was right

her sisters, flo and cisca (not to be confused with their mum) were also in the same car. having travelled to the british grand prix toether so it meant she was also surprising her sisters, not just her parents. 

lilia could hear the faint sounds of her family talking, excluding her brother oliver, savannah's partner, who was already waiting in the paddock for the rest of the norris family. and lilia could feel her heart growing a size bigger the closer and louder her family's voices got. 

crouching behind cars and walking with a hunched back as to not give herself away, lilia and savannah finally made it to the norris family car. straightening herself up, lilia just stood behind her family and waited. doing this to see how long it would take for her parents and sisters to feel like someone was there to then turn around and notice that their daughter and sister was behind them. it took adam a short two minutes to realise the change of air and turn around to see his gorgeous twenty-one, almost twenty-two year old lilia looking back at him. injury-free because being a military medic wasn't as easy and pain free by any means, just like lilia had promised her family. it took adam less than those two minutes to realise for him to turn around and wrap his arms around his youngest daughter for a hug that had been four years overdue.

"lilia! what are you doing here?!" it was hearing the name of their daughter and sister that got mrs norris, flo and cisca to turn around at hearing their husband and father that they saw lilia in front of them

bringing her mum and two sisters into the hug, lilia giggled as she hugged them all tightly but tried to get them to not scream or be really loud since she did still want to surprise lando and the rest of the grid if possible. 

"i'm home for good you guys. my boss said i had done everything i could and he was more than satisfied with four-years of service that it was only fair that i live the rest of my life back home where i'm meant to be, cheering for lando, because i deserve it," lilia smiled as the parents and sisters looked at her in amazement, all of them smiling huge smiles of relief as adam pulls her in for another hug

"i'm so glad you're home, lils!" adam whispered as lilia smiled as the father and daughter pulled back from the hug 

then lilia gave another set of hugs to her mum, flo and sister cisca, "i'm glad as well dad! but now, where are the other drivers? i wanna surprise the rest of the grid!" lilia clapped excitedly as mum, dad, flo, cisca and savannah giggled as adam responded

"they're currently in the paddock, lando's hanging out with oliver and mila so, i think if we tell oliver what's going on, he can keep lando occupied until after the race," adam smiled with his arms crossed over his chest as lilia smiled

that was when the norris family sans oliver and lando made their way into the paddock at silverstone. that was how they were going to surprise the rest of the grid. savannah and lilia making their way to each garage to surprise the drivers. but also at the same time trying to stay right away from the mclaren garage so lando's surprise wouldn't be ruined. so, they managed to get oliver to send oscar out of the mclaren garage so he could still get surprised without ruining it for lando later on. 

she had surprised nearly the rest of the drivers and mechanics except for ferrari and red bull. this time, she had to be really stealthy because ferrari and red bull were the two closest garages to mclaren's garage. but, thankfully, oliver managed to stop lando from looking over at ferrari and red bull. 

savannah, who was holding the camera gave the countdown and it was happening. lilia was reuniting with charles, carlos, max and checo. the first one to realise was checo but he just waved. waving back, lilia was smiling as charles and carlos then noticed who then got max's attention. 

"hey...guys...look," checo hushed at max, carlos and charles as they all looked over one by one 

the second they all looked up, following checo's finger, their eyes all lit up at who was in front of them. it was clear to them that she was trying to do this as secretly as possible as to not ruin the surprise before the race had finished so she get lando's reaction in front of everyone. 

jogging over, the four drivers quickly made their way to lilia and all individually pulled her in for hugs. and in all honesty, lilia was so proud for how she had surprised all of the drivers without lando having any suspicion that this was even happening around him because of how well oliver and little mila were able to distract him. 

"lilia!" charles squeaked out, trying to keep quiet as he rushes into lilia's arms first as she hugs the monegasque first before reaching for the spaniard, carlos and then the mexican and dutch racers of red bull

savannah filming the whole moment happily as they all made eye contact with the camera at separate points in the reunion. 

"hey guys! how are my ferrari and red bull racers going?" lilia hugged the four drivers tightly as tears filled their eyes as they pulled back 

"better now that you're finally home!" max stammered out with a giggle as the other three nodded their heads, strongly agreeing with the dutchman 

"is this a permanant thing or do you have to return back?" carlos then questions as they try to be as quiet as possible, savannah and lilia remembering they didn't want to ruin the surprise for lando - the other four drivers catching on quickly 

"i'm staying, carlos! four years i think is a little too long and besides, it's time i start to be here for lando. it's clear that he's been struggling without me and it's time i stop prioritizing my job that has taken me so far away from what i really want to do with my life," lilia responded with a relaxed smile on her face as the four drivers also relaxed at hearing lilia wasn't leaving again

"and that's travelling around the world with lando and mclaren for the grand prixs?" checo questions, a soft smile on his face as he leans against the wall as lilia nods his head 

"wouldn't want to do anything less. i already missed lando's first win, there's no way i'm missing any others!" lilia sighed sadly, her eyes slightly glassy as she breathed shakily 

charles, checo, carlos and max watching her as they saw how she tried to not get emotional. lilia remembered the way she reacted when she got told by her boss, not realising she was being filmed since everyone knew who her older brother was, they couldn't resist in getting her reaction when she found out that lando had won at the miami grand prix. she cried her eyes out. at the time she couldn't understand why because she was such a proud younger sister but now, looking back, it made sense why she cried. it was because she knew just how badly lando wanted her at that grand prix and he was devastated that she wasn't. all because he had a feeling that entire weekend that he was going to get a good result and he really wished the entire time that his little sister was just going to magically appear in the paddock at miami and be there to see him win his first ever grand prix. but she didn't. she couldn't. that day that lando won the miami grand prix was the day that lilia had been stampeeded by so many injuries that she didn't know how she actually mnaged to get through all of them in the time she was able to. it was late at night in miami by the time lilia was actually able to ring up lando and congratulate him for his win and that she was able to watch some short snippets of it thanks to her boss. 

after composing themselves, lilia was able to tell the red bull and ferrari teams her plan on how she was going to surprise lando. outlining that she was going to wait until the very end of the race and then at the end of the race, in the cooldown lap, whether or not lando wins or gets on the podium, she was going to meet him down there and surprise him after he was to get out of his car and take off his helmet. 

after explaining all of that, the drivers pulled lilia in for one more hug. not able to come home for birthdays, grievances, public holidays, halloween, christmas, new years, grand prixs, etc. had really taken a toll on everyone in the grid that loved lilia, not just the norris family themselves. but now, everyone could finally feel that burden of the fear of lilia not coming home safely roll off their shoulders. and they were now bursting with excitement to see that exact same feeling happen to their teammate, lilia's older brother, lando.

･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ

the race had been a thrill from beginning to end. the fight between redbull and ferrari was insane until towards the last fifteen laps when mclaren came out of nowhere and advanced in front of both redbulls and ferraris. and for lilia, it wasn't too hard to figure out which mclaren it was that had won the race. the number 4 sparkling brightly on the mclaren letting the whole of britian knowing that it was one of their own that had won the british grand prix at silverstone. lando getting p1 with max verstappen in second and charles leclerc in third place. carlos in fourth and checo in fifth. so, overall, it was a good race for everyone but, it was a magnificant race for lando norris who was about to get the biggest and best surprise of his life and had not a single clue of what was about to happen. 

"...okay, so once again, we're whispering because my brother is legit just in front of me and he's just won his second race, at our home circuit here in silverstone and i'm going a little bit crazy right now. it's been four years nearly since i last got to hug my older brother so, i'm really scared. i'm shaking and knowing lando, he's most likely going to start crying with all the emotions of just winning his home race to then all of a sudden get the surprise of his life with his younger sister so i'm most likely going to start crying so, be prepared!" lilia whispered as she giggled as savannah nodded her head - it was operation go! 

the team principal of mclaren, zak brown was the first of the mclaren team to notice what lilia was wanting to do and he nodded his head, getting the rest of the mechanics to quieten down so as to not ruin the surprise for lando. lilia waving to them as well as congratulating the other drivers before waving at everyone including the media before she walked a little bit closer to lando. waiting for the exact right time to surprise her older brother. 

lilia felt like she was waiting forever since lando was still so focused on celebrating his second win with his team that it took a nudge from oscar and a head gesture behind him from zak for lando to turn around. 

it wasn't until minutes later when lando heard the loud cheers of the fans and drivers trying to get his attention that he finally noticed. his younger sister was standing right in front of him now that he had finally turned around. only a couple of meters away and he just froze. 

his eyes widened and he felt his legs go to jelly, his hands dropping his helmet, only just getting caught by oscar's quick reflexes, thankful his helmet was still on his head. he jumped off his race car as that's what he had been balancing on after hugging his team and jogged over to his sister. tears welled in lando's eyes, lilia shockingly keeping her composure as after almost four whole years, they were reuniting again. once lando finally reached his sister, he picked her up and held her as tightly as he was physically able to. 

"lilia! what...what are you doing here?" lando cried as quietly as he could as he pulled out of the hug

"honourable discharge. four years was more than enough and it was time i got to come home and stay home. and to finally spend a birthday with my family after four years," she whispered as lando's heart grew as he pulled her back in for a tighter hug as the british grand prix blew up in applause 

"oh my gosh...lils! i am so glad you're home and safe!" lando didn't want to let go until he felt like he had to so he could get a proper look at his military medic sister - not caring that this was live and being broadcasted to everyone that was tuned in to the british grand prix

"lemme look at ya," lando whispered as the brother and sister pulled away again

lilia taking off her own hat, that surprisingly didn't fly off when they collided, revealed her gorgeous long curly locks that had stayed the same, but maybe an inch or two longer as she let her older brother examine her face. realising that, just like she promised, she was fine and she didn't get hurt once whilst saving other people's lives. 

"just like you promised..." lando whispered as he touched lilia's cheeks making everyone coo as she nodded her head, her hands grabbed her brother's wrists as he bowed his head and cried a little more 

"...just like i promised! now, you gotta go, you need to do interviews and you have the podium ceremony, you won lando! i'll still be here, i won't be going anywhere but you need to finish your job!" lilia smiled as she pulled her brother in for one last hug before pulling away from lando as his face went from happiness to a sad look

it was silent for a little bit before lilia realised that after she had been away for so long, the only reason lando had been able to do everything in regards to f1 was because she wasn't there with him. and now that she was with him, it was as though he could no longer do it on his own because when he did do it on his own, it was because he had to otherwise no one else would do it for him. but now that his sister was home and safe, she had come to the realisation that lando was finally breaking down those walls he had built in order to feel protected without his sister with him and now that she was home, the walls were being kicked down piece by piece. and this was when lilia knew that she had to go with him for the post-win interviews and she did and happily. 

walking over to the first interviwer, both norris siblings smiled brightly as the interviewer started their questions. 

"...walking over now we have our british grand prix winner, mclaren driver lando norris and his younger sister lilia norris who we can see from earlier live footage has just returned home from her military deployment overseas as a medic. hello you two, what a fantastic image it is to see the norris family all reunited, lando, we'll come to you first. what a fantastic race that was, how did you feel getting across that finishing line knowing you had bagged your second win but also your first home win after your groundbreaking maiden win at miami?" nico rosberg asks the brother and sister smile at him before lando takes the microphone 

"hey nico, umm, thank you for the congratulations and in all honesty, i don't know how i'm feeling *giggles*. i think i'm still trying to process everything and, obviously, lilia surprising me minutes after i win, it doesn't help in the processing of the fact i've just won my home race *giggles* so, yeah, i'm still a bit shaky and looking for the right words to say but, yeah, i'm very pleased with how the race went," lando managed to answer as nico smiled, nodding his head as he then turned to lilia who was smiling as she watched her brother 

"lilia, my darling, it's been a while since we've seen you grace our screens at a grand prix, welcome home! what's it like getting to watch your brother be so successful after not having great results previously?" nico asks as he smiles sweetly at the younger norris as she smiles back 

"hello nico, it has been a while but i'm back *giggles*. and it's truly amazing getting to watch lando finally get the results i always knew he was born to be getting and getting to finally see him in a race in person, let alone our home race, is just phenomonal!" lilia smiles as she nods her head, lando then smiling at his sister 

"speaking of you being back, you've obviously returned from a military deployment but, what's the story about it? are you home for good or are you being sent back after a certain amount of time?" nico questions as he notices the other drivers are watching as lilia and lando smile and giggle

"yes, i have. it was a four year long deployment as a military medic so my uniform, not this one, but the one i'd wear on the battlefield in the first aid tents were slightly different. and i am home for good, nico. four years was the most i was ever going to do anyway in the military and now that i've done that, i can go around the world with lando and watch him win more races and hopefully a world championship sometime soon," lilia smiled brightly, her arm tightly holding lando's waist as it's obvious that lando was becoming more relaxed as the interview progressed 

"you mention that the military medic uniform was slightly different to the uniform that the soldiers would wear. what were those differences since again, you are wearing what people would assume are the regular fatigues of a militaryman or woman," nico questions, fully involved and invested in the interview as lilia smiles, happy to explain it 

"yes, the uniforms us medics wear are slightly different in the fact that we have a band around our arms that just simply displays a red cross that signifies those that wear the red cross are medics and are there to provide aid to those that are in need of it. whether that be first aid or just food and drink even though we also have officers that provide those nourishments independently from us, us medics also do that a little bit as well if there is no way to get into contact with those humanitarian officers," lilia answers as nico nods his head before going back to lando who's smile still hadn't moved off his face 

"lando, going back to you, i can't imagine how difficult it must have been to be without lilia for four years and have no idea if she was safe or not whilst she was also doing her best to keep others safe. so, can i just have a little bit of knowledge as to what was going on inside of your head when you noticed that stood behind you, a couple of meters away as you celebrated your win with mclaren that she was just there waiting for you to turn around?" nico questioned, a sweet smile on his face as lando got emotional suddenly, turning his head away to compose himself as lilia pulled him closer since her arm was still wrapped around his waist 

"uhh, yeah, it...it's been very difficult but i'm sure lilia had the same worries about me that i had about her. both of us in dangerous professions but for different reasons that could still lead to the deaths of either of us. however, i'm just glad she's finally home..." lando trailed off as he tried really hard to compose himself as he giggled shyly before continuing 

"...but, my reaction to lilia's surprise? *nico nods his head* well, in all honesty, i never really expected it to happen not because i never thought that lilia wouldn't come home. i always knew she'd come home but, i never thought she'd want to have such a public homecoming but especially at a grand prix..." lando trailed off again with a shy giggle as nico nods his head, smiling sweetly as encouragement for the driver to continue 

"...but, the moment i turned around after hearing everyone just scream and motion for me to turn around, everything just halted to a grinding stop. like, i just remember my eyes widening and everything turning to jelly. like, i'm surprised that i didn't fall off my car as i was still standing on that when i turned around. i do remember dropping my helmet though and oscar thankfully having the quickest reflexes known to mankind and catching it still with his own helmet on his head but, yeah, it was all just a blur that everything went in slow motion until we were able to hug each other again..." lando smiled with a little nod as nico smiles and nods his head as well as he turns to lilia 

"...lilia, from your perspective, what was that moment like as obviously, you had to tell someone that you had planned for this surprise to happen. and i believe it was your sister in law, savannah, the wife of older brother oliver, that was the other mastermind behind this surprise. so how did you go about telling savannah about your return home?" nico questions as lilia giggles and shakes her head, lando looking at her also wanting to know the answer 

"wow, these are amazing questions, nico *giggles* but umm, honestly, my perspective of that moment surprising lando was a moment i won't ever forget for the rest of my life. just seeing his face change as he saw that it was me is unforgettable and quite honestly, seeing him drop his helmet was something i never thought would happen. like, when i was planning for this surprise after i had told savannah that i was on the plane home, i never once invisioned lando dropping his helmet *giggles*..." lilia giggled as nico and lando said the next question at the same time 

"...then what did you invision?" the two men say at the same time causing laughter as lilia can't discredit that question as she responds 

"honestly, i don't know what i invisoned when i pictured in my head the way lando would react. i mean, of course, i knew he'd be relieved but, i don't think i had properly comprehended just how relieved he would be to see me," lilia responded truthfully as nico and lando both nodded their heads 

"you didn't realise just how much your brother needed you..." nico trailed off as lilia and lando nodded their heads, wholeheartedly agreeing with nico's statement 

"...oh, absolutely. the entire four years without lilia, i was fine, well i thought i was fine, because i had built up such high walls because, obviously, you don't ever think that your little sister is going to be in danger every single day. also because watching her leave for the military was so devastating that i described it as my world splitting apart at the seams. even though i'm the older brother and she's the younger sister, i still feel like she's just as protective of me as i am of her so sometimes i forget that i'm the older sibling *giggles*. so, that was why i think i reacted the way i did when i saw her because, i could finally allow myself to let those walls come down because i no longer had to worry whether or not our parents would get the dreaded phone call day after day that she had been injured or killed whilst treating other patients. so, yeah, that reaction from me was definitely showing the world that my world was stitched back together again after it had been ripped at the seams for four long years..." lando trails off as his head rests against lilia's as nico can't help the 'aw' that leaves his lips as the norris siblings smile at the interviewer and former f1 racer 

"...that's a beautiful response lando and i'm happy on behalf of everyone here at the british grand prix to see that you two are finally reunited again because we all know just how loved you two are. again, congratulations on your second monumental win lando and welcome home lilia!" nico ends his interview as lando and lilia hug the interviewer before moving on to the next one

･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ

the podium ceremony had just ended and lilia couldn't have been any prouder of her older brother in his win for his home race at silverstone. drenched in champagne from the spritz lando jumped down and brought his sister in for a hug, wanting to spend every minute of this moment with her. and lilia didn't care for she wanted the same thing. she had spent so much time away missing out on all of these races that she was ready to finally be back in the paddock and the formula 1 environment. and it was as though she had never left to begin with. 

whispering into her brother's ear, lilia said the one thing that she hadn't said in years but she said it because she knew lando needed to hear her say it. 

"...always lando's little sister!" she whispers as lando sniffles, giggles and tightens his grip on his little sister 

the statement making lando cry way more than it realistically should have. lilia's four-year deployment had really taken its toll on lando. so, now that is little sister was finally home for good, he no longer had to worry. she was not that far away anymore. 

fin

bro, that ending was shit but what can you do? i'm glad i rewrote this for lando as it was a fun rewrite but i can't wait to get some foolproof original ideas since i'm still recycling old writings and it's doing my head in that i can't think of nor remember any originals.

©⠀amberjazmyn's original work. do not translate or steal any of my fics. 2024

[astridhoff03]

For the love and life/Chapter 5

"Hiccup, do you really think this is a good idea?" Astrid asked as they stopped in front of Hiccup's parents' house in Old Berk. “We have no choice. And where else should we go if we don't have any money left for an apartment." Astrid nodded and got out to get Zephyr out of her child seat, while Hiccup took the pastries from the trunk of his used Peugeot.

The two went to the big house and rang the bell. The door was immediately opened to them by Hiccup's mother Valka, who immediately took her son into her arms. "Hiccup, I'm glad to see you, I missed you so much." "Mum, we only spoke on the phone a week ago." Valka then smiled at her son with so much kindness that Astrid almost felt sad that she was coming to hers Parents no longer had contact. “Astrid, good to see you,” she was torn from her thoughts by Valka, who took her in her arms. “And hello little Zephyr. Stoick! Come quickly, they're here now!” Just a few minutes later, Hiccup's burly father came down the stairs. He patted Hiccup on the shoulder, who looked very grateful that his father didn't pull him into a bone-crushing hug.

Astrid looked out the window of the attic room that she and Hiccup had just moved into. Zephyr would be sleeping right next door. Astrid's gaze wandered further, over the numerous small houses of Old Berk to the coast, where she saw crashing waves and large, black dorsal fins rising from the sea. Orcas, the wolves of the sea, as her mother always liked to call them. Astrid could still remember what her mother had always called her, her little warrior. She missed her parents so much, unfortunately they didn't see each other often as her parents were away from the archipelago on business trips most of the time. Sometimes she wondered if her parents even cared about her, or if they even cared about their grandchild, if they wanted to be a part of Zephyr's life.

She scrolled through her photos and saw some photos of her, her mother and her father together. Her heart was filled with sadness and longing as she saw all these memories captured in photos in front of her. Back when her parents made a little more time for her, like for her high school graduation or her birthday. But today everything was different. “Astrid, is everything fine with you? You seem so distant.” Astrid looked up and found herself in Hiccup’s loving gaze. She sighed and looked out the window again. “It’s just…I miss my parents. You know they travel a lot.” Hiccup nodded understandingly and placed her hand in his. “I know you miss them a lot, darling.” Astrid looked at him briefly before throwing her arms around his neck. “I don't mean to sound childish, I just wish my parents were home more often, would be more involved in Zephyr's life. But who knows if they even want that?” A quiet sob escaped her. She couldn't remember the last time she cried. Was it the day Zephyr was born? Or was it the day she found out about her Aunt Alva's death? She didn't know anymore. As soon as she finished that thought, she felt Hiccup's warm lips on her cheeks, kissing her tears away. "I think you need a little distraction," he whispered, kissing the beautiful shape of her neck. Astrid sighed relaxed. Hiccup always knew how to cheer her up. As if she were floating on clouds, she let Hiccup lie her down on the bed and watched as he looked at her with his forest green eyes. With so much love and desire that she almost lost her breath as he began to unbutton the buttons on her jeans. A grin crept across his lips when he saw Astrid's lacy underwear, which covered little of her feminine beauty. “What did I do to deserve this view,” he whispered in her ear as he unbuttoned one button at a time on her white blouse. Astrid felt a shiver run down her spine as he kissed her stomach and then moved further up to the valley of her full breasts, still held up by her lacy bra. He kissed her collarbone passionately, one of his hands went under her bra and caressed her hardened nipple. Astrid sighed and buried her hands in his hair. "I wonder what I did to deserve this too." Hiccup grinned and pulled back a little to take off his t-shirt and unbutton his jeans. He came over her again and pressed his erection against her vagina making her moan softly. "See what you're doing to me, you beautiful, fiery woman." Astrid gasped, she kissed him passionately to drown his words under her love, lifting her hips to meet his body. Suddenly a loud cry tore the two of them out of their hot session. Exhausted, Astrid fell back and adjusted her bra, which was a bit slipped. “What’s wrong with our sweetheart now? She screamed like that on the way here too.” Hiccup sighed. "I'll check on her." Before he left, however, he stroked Astrid's inner thighs one last time, making her shiver and bite her lip. “We both finish this tonight.”

[lottiesnotebook]

Hiii and happy Friday! How about "Sweetheart? Darling? Light of my life? What the *fuck*?" for Luna/Morrigan? ☺️

Oh you understand their vibe PERFECTLY! Here's some post-canon domestic fluff, featuring baby Kieran and only a little bit of angst.

(Compatible with The Kick Inside but you only really need to know that Kieran has two mums)

Luna Tabris/Morrigan, domestic fluff, parenting

@celemee | @dadrunkwriting

care and feeding of infant gods

Morrigan worried, at first, about leaving Luna alone with Connor. Not because she was at all irresponsible - she was far more versed in attending to the needs of infants than Morrigan had ever been - but because she could never quite make herself believe that after everything they'd both been through, Luna Tabris, Hero of Ferelden, the darling of the Denerim alienage, had chosen to chase her through an eluvian rather than live without her. It still surprised her, sometimes, to wake in the morning and find Luna still curled around her like a dragon around her hoard, Kieran nestled between them and making cheerful infant noises.

But even now, there was still something wild in her nature, and while she could enjoy the home her lover made of their camps in the Crossroads, after too long, she felt almost constrained by the quiet, the soft ribbons of domesticity braiding into a leash or stiffening into a cage. At times like that, when she became wild-eyed and snappish, paced the camp as though it was a cell, Luna would miraculously recall some ruins she'd mentioned wanting to visit, or a glyph she'd seen on a stone the previous day, and chase her out to attend to it while she remained at camp with their growing boy, 'making up for lost time', as she put it.

The mention of that time lost was more than enough to chase her out of the camp, even without her restlessness. She did not like to think of such things, of Luna's hollow-eyed features, of how she'd refused to set the child down for weeks after they'd been reunited. Now she was as Morrigan remembered, sharp and witty and growing plump from good eating despite the strangeness of their travels, but then… she did not like to think of then. To think of then gave her such pointless emotions as guilt, and worry that one day, her sweet Seluna might perform a similar trick on her - that she'd return to their camp to find no lover and no child, and a cold trail to follow into the dark. It had not happened so far, and to fret over something she could not easily prevent was pointless, and yet… Trust had never come easily to her, and worry quickened her steps back to the camp today.

They'd bedded down in a ruined hall that boasted a roof held up by tall, vaulting columns, and it was a relief when she stepped into its shadows to see Luna's silvery hair caught in a beam of light from above. Less of a relief when Luna caught a glimpse of her and placed her hands on her hips.

"Sweetheart," she called, which was not on its own ominous, "darling," two endearments, definitely bad news, "light of my life-" a part of her considered fade-stepping out of the hall to avoid whatever trouble she was suddenly in. "What the fuck?"

"Luna," she greeted her in turn, taking her hands both out of affection and to prevent them going to her knives. "What troubles you? Where is Kieran."

"No," Luna said, firmly, "I asked first. What the fuck, Morrigan?"

She pulled a hand away to gesture to the blanket she usually laid out for Kieran to play on during the day, where he would lie on his stomach and scrabble amusingly for toys she laid out to entice him.

Currently, there was no long-limbed almost-toddler kicking his feet impatiently on the blanket. Currently there was, in fact, the roundest, fattest bearcub she had ever seen, making wobbly attempts at approaching them.

Morrigan began to laugh, then crouched to scoop him into her arms. "My, you are precocious, aren't you?" she cooed. He was far heavier like this than he was as a mortal infant, which was unsurprising, but she took great delight in his thick, soft fur, the solid layer of shield-fat beneath it. She worried, sometimes, that for all his long limbs, he did not put on weight as a baby animal should, but clearly this was not a problem.

"Precocious?" Luna folded her arms. "You expected this?"

"Not this early," she replied, feeling him nestle into her shoulder. "Young mages usually do not come into their power before they can talk, but of course, a child with the soul of a god might come into them early."

"Can he turn back?" she demanded.

"Of course!" Morrigan rolled her eyes. "I cannot hold a bear's form after I fall asleep, and he is an infant. He will revert to his usual state before long, you need not fret."

"Fretting," Luna muttered, leaning in to scratch his perfect little ears. "I'll show you fretting. You're not the one who has to try and feed him later."

Her laughter rang through the hall, joined by the soft chuffs of a baby bear, until Luna silenced it with a begrudging kiss.

[pensat-i-fet]

One chance (Julián Álvarez x Reader)

**Another request. This is my first one that involves cheating (but not the last we'll get this week), which makes the whole writing process heartbreaking but hopefully you enjoy how I portrayed the whole thing and, remember, it’s fiction. Enjoy! ❤️**

Word count: 3004

Masterlist

Wattpad

Julián didn't even know why he had decided to go out. He didn't want to, really. He just wanted to go back home and try to talk to you. He couldn't really complain about you being away for a couple of days, given how often he travelled for work but it still made him sad to go back to an empty house. So he let himself be peer pressured into going out with most of the team.

"Juliii! Have a drink", said Jack…again. How much was he drinking?

"I'm fine, thanks".

"Come on, you don't have your mum with you today. Let loose!"

"My mum?"

"Yeah, your uptight girlfriend. She acts like she's your mum but today you can have fun without her".

Julián was too shocked by his teammate's words to answer. But he should have defended you. And you weren't like his mum…you just worried about his career. But Jack didn't know you. Still, something in his mind made him think that there could be some truth to those words. You often refused to go out with his teammates because you particularly didn't like how much the English drank. It made you uncomfortable. And seeing what some of them got up to sometimes didn't help your opinion of them.

So Julián looked at the drink in his hand and drank it quickly. Soon, he found another one in his hand. But it was ok. Everyone was drinking and having fun.

"This is my friend Julián", said a very drunk Kyle. "He's a world champion, you know?"

"Really?", said the girl he was talking to, looking at Julián with big eyes.

"Hi", he said, uncomfortable with the attention but also numbed by the alcohol in his system.

"Maybe you can show me your medal one day", said the girl, touching his face and getting closer. Too close.

"I have to go. Sorry".

He moved quickly, trying to find someone he could be with that wouldn't get him in trouble. But he only found Jack.

"Have you seen Rodri?"

"No, but I've seen this", said Jack, giving him another drink.

"I've drunk enough, Jack".

"You just ran away from the hottest girl in the club, mate. You haven't drunk enough", he laughed.

"I have a girlfriend".

"Don't we all?", laughed his teammate. "What she doesn't know can't hurt her. Come on. Are you really going to be with the same person your entire life? When you could be with someone like her?"

Julián looked at who Jack was pointing at. The girl Kyle had introduced to him. And she smiled and waved at him.

Julián started to feel sick at even thinking about the possibility of doing something like that to you. But he took the drink anyway and downed it in record time.

He kept looking for Rodri. Where was he? He needed to be with someone who could talk some sense into him. Not with Kyle and Jack. But when he turned, almost falling because of how drunk he was, he only saw her.

"I'm going to start thinking you are avoiding me, world champion", she said in a seductive tone.

"No, I'm just…I'm looking for my friend".

"And you keep finding me. Let's call it fate", she laughed.

Julián closed his eyes, feeling way too dizzy. And before he could open them, her lips were on his. He froze, not knowing what to do. And then his traitorous brain made him kiss her back. It was only five seconds before he realised what was going on and he pushed her away from him. But it was too late. Rodri had found him and with him was his girlfriend Laura, who was also your best friend amongst the WAGs.

"Hijo de la grandísima…te mato. Rodri, ¡Suéltame! ¡Le voy a matar! ¿Cómo has podido hacer eso? ¿Estabas esperando a que no estuviera aquí para ponerle los cuernos? ¡Cerdo asqueroso!" (You son of a…I'm going to kill you. Rodri, let go of me! I'm going to kill him! How could you do that? Were you waiting for her to be away to cheat on her? Disgusting pig!)

It was only because of Rodri holding his girlfriend that he avoided being hit by her.

"It was her who kissed me. I didn't…".

"Save that for someone who falls for bullshit excuses, Julián".

Julián looked at Rodri, trying to find some support, but even though he kept holding his girlfriend so she wouldn't hit Julián, there was also disappointment on his face.

"Please don't tell her", he whispered.

"I'm not letting my friend be lied to. Fucking men! You're all the same", she said, leaving the club.

"I'm not lying to her either. Sorry", said Rodri before he started to follow his girlfriend.

Julián wanted to sit on the floor and cry. He couldn't lose you because of this. But when he tried to sit down, his stomach made him stand up so he could run to the bathroom.

Sitting on the floor of the club, holding his stomach and waiting to see if he had to vomit again, he felt like absolute crap. And he knew that was exactly what he deserved.

                                     **

You could tell something wasn't right. Julián kept texting you while you were away, but he also kept making excuses to not Facetime you.

The last one was that he was hungover after going out and wanted to try and nap. He never got drunk during the season. What could have happened to make him lose control like that?

[You]: hi amore! Everything alright over there?

[Laura]: has Julián spoken to you?

Not the answer you expected.

[You]: he keeps making excuses to not talk to me. Did something happen?

[Laura]: I don't want to tell you via text.

[You]: you're scaring me.

Not knowing what to do, you called Laura.

"Talk to me, please. What’s going on?"

"We went out last night and…I saw him kissing another girl".

No…she can't be saying that.

"I'm so sorry. I can't see that and not tell you. I mean, what kind of friend does that?"

"He…tell me you are joking, please. Tell me it's all a sick joke", you begged her.

"I wish I could".

"Please", you whispered, falling to the floor and covering your face before you started to cry.

You didn't even know how long you stayed there. But it was a text that woke you up from the nightmare you were in.

[Mi Juli 💖]: when are you back? I can pick you up from the airport. I can't wait to see you ❤️

The fact that he could pretend like nothing happened made you so mad. But you told him the time anyway. You couldn't wait to see him either.

                                      **

Julián was more nervous waiting for you at the airport than he had been at the World Cup final. But when he saw you, he forgot about everything for a second. You would always be the most beautiful woman in the world for him. Your smile could make all of his worries and problems disappear but…you weren't smiling.

"Drive me home so I can pack and leave", you said, walking past him, barely glancing at him.

"What? No, you can't leave".

"I'm not staying with a cheater".

"Please, you have to let me explain".

"Laura explained it to me, Julián. My friend told me all I needed to know. Because she, unlike you, is loyal to me".

Julián wanted to say more but people were starting to stare at you two so he just walked you to the car and started to drive you home.

He felt like anything he said would only make things worse so he remained silent until you got home.

"You have to let me explain".

"Explain what? Did you kiss her or not?"

"It's not so easy".

"It's literally a yes/no question, Julián. Pretty easy. But your refusal to answer says it all".

"I was drunk".

You had to laugh. What an excuse!

"I've been drunk before and never cheated".

When you got inside your room, you closed the door and locked it. It was hard enough to deal with everything that happened without seeing the guilt all over your boyfriend's face. Well…boyfriend or ex-boyfriend? You didn't know.

"Open the door, please!"

"I won't".

You had so many things. Your entire life was there, with him. Because he wasn't supposed to do what he did. He was supposed to love you and respect you and you would always stay with him.

"I can't think straight while I'm here!", you whispered, picking up your iPad and booking a flight home.

When you left the room, suitcase in hand, Julián started to follow you, asking you to listen to him.

"I don't want to hear anything else".

"Where are you going?"

"Home".

"This is your home".

"Not anymore".

                                  **

Laura and Rodri let you stay with them and drove you to the airport the next day so you could catch your flight to Argentina.

"I'll miss you", said Laura, hugging you and trying not to cry.

"I'll miss you too. But we'll find a way to see each other".

"I…I don't want to play devil's advocate but are you really going to break up with him?"

Rodri could feel both of you glaring at him and he looked very uncomfortable.

"I'm not saying you have to forget and forgive but you love each other so much. I get you need to heal but maybe you can give this a try in the future?"

You closed your eyes, thinking.

"That's why I'm leaving, Rodri. I need to be away to think clearly. I don't want to lose him but I can't let him do that to me either. I don't know what to do".

Your friends hugged you when you started to cry.

"Whatever you do, we'll support you and be there for you, ok?", said Laura.

"I know. And I have to go. I'll see you soon. I promise".

"Have a safe trip. Text us when you land".

                                   **

Your parents weren't that surprised to see you coming back home for a couple of days. You got terribly homesick and did random trips like that one all the time. But when they saw your face, they knew this wasn't just you being homesick.

"What happened?"

You hugged your mum and started to cry. "He cheated".

You could notice your mum stiffing at your words. She loved Julián and so did your dad, but you always came first.

"I'll kill him".

"Dad…".

"I will. How can he do that to you? We were so wrong about him. He never deserved you".

His words made you look away. Of course, they sided with you but that didn't help you decide what to do next.

"Are you moving back to our place or do you want to rent an apartment somewhere else?", asked your dad when you were on your way home.

"I don't know. I might go back to Manchester…".

"You aren't going back to him", he said.

"I just need some time here to think and then we can talk".

"He lied once, he will again".

"Well, I'll have to go back to pack all my things anyway. And to break up with him properly, I guess".

But being home didn't help as much as you expected. Everywhere you went, you thought of Julián. You made memories with him everywhere. And everyone asked about him and made you give them vague responses so they could leave you alone.

Back in Manchester, Julián wasn't doing much better. He cried himself to sleep every day and being surrounded by your things only made everything worse.

When he was back training, things weren't going well either. He was distracted, incapable of focusing on what he had to do. And that only caused him to stay on the bench even more than usual.

"Hey Juli, we're going out after the match. Want to come with us?"

Hearing Jack's voice and his proposal made him so mad.

"No".

"Is your girlfriend back holding the lease tight?", he laughed. And Julián couldn't hold the anger any longer.

He pushed Jack against the wall and held the collar of his shirt, bringing their faces very close together.

"It's your fault she dumped me".

"She what?", the fact that he kept laughing only made Julián want to strangle his teammate. "Bro, just buy her a new bag and she'll forget".

Julián pushed Jack against the wall again and that killed his laughter.

"Let go of me!"

"It's all your fucking fault!"

Julián felt some arms separating him from Jack and knew there was no point trying to fight.

"Don't make things worse", said Rodri.

But it was too late. Pep had seen it all and invited Julián to miss the next match.

Everything is going to hell.

Back home, Julián went to the shower to let the water calm him down a bit. He was just getting what he deserved. He knew that. And it hurt a lot.

Looking at the calendar, he saw he had four free days now that he was suspended from the team. Before he realised, he had already bought the plane tickets to go back home. Back to you.

                                      **

If there was something you hated, it was being a cliché. But that you were. You couldn't help feeling sorry for yourself and spent the days avoiding people and going back home to watch TV for hours while eating ice cream and sweets. Not that any of that helped but…

Hearing the doorbell ring felt like a curse. Who was going to bother you now?

"What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk", said Julián, walking inside the house.

"How are you here? City play today".

"I'm suspended from the team".

"Why?"

"For attacking Grealish".

That didn't make sense. Your Julián wasn't violent. But you guessed your Julián wasn't supposed to cheat either and…well, we all knew how that went.

"Who says I want to talk to you?"

"Let me at least explain. If you want to hate me afterwards and leave me for good, I…I'll accept it. Even if it kills me".

"Talk then. But make it quick, if my dad finds you here", you shrugged, and he put two and two together.

You walked to the sofa and sat down.

"They invited me to go out and I didn't want to but you weren't there and I hate being alone at home. So I went out. And Jack kept on giving me drinks and talking about you".

"Why would he talk about me?"

"He insinuated you don't let me have fun and he got into my head".

"What?", you didn't expect that. "What do I do that's so bad?"

"Nothing. But he's just an idiot. And used that to make me drink more. And then Kyle…".

"Jesus, Julián. You couldn't spend your time with the normal guys, no. You had to go with the troublemakers".

"I know. He…he brought this girl to talk with me and I kept leaving. And then Jack was trying to get me to go with her but I didn't want to. Because I love you. Only you".

You rolled your eyes at that. Kissing someone else was a weird way to show his love.

"I was so dizzy, I closed my eyes and she kissed me. And I reacted quickly pushing her away but Laura saw it all and of course, she told you. I get it. I know you would have done the same had it been Rodri doing that".

His confession made you feel more conflicted than before.

"Did you kiss her back?"

"For like 5 seconds before realising it was wrong. And then I puked for 20 minutes".

You wanted honesty, but it hurt.

"Please say something".

But before you could, the door to the house opened and all hell broke loose.

"What are you doing here? Stay away from my daughter!"

"Dad…".

"Why is he here?"

"I needed to talk to her", tried to explain Julián, but your dad wasn't listening.

"How dare you to disrespect my daughter? I trusted you. I let you take her from us all the way to England and this is what you do?"

"I'm sorry".

"You should be. Real men don’t cheat. Cowards do".

You didn’t want them to fight. To say things that they couldn’t come back from.

“Can you leave us alone for a second, dad?”

“You sure?”

You nodded and he left. But you knew he wouldn’t be too far.

“I’m sorry”, said Julián again.

“I know”.

“It will never happen again. I promise. I don’t even know why I didn’t leave earlier…”.

“Do you feel like I don’t let you do things?”, Grealish’s words hadn’t left your head since Julián mentioned it.

“No. I don’t. He just used that to push me to cheat because they all do. Well, I don’t want to be like them if that’s what I’m supposed to do”.

“This won’t be the only time this happens. You know that, right? You’ll go to parties, your teammates will do things and…I never cared because I trusted you. But…”.

“I don’t care what others do or what happens around me”, he said, holding your hand. “I care about getting your trust back. Only you matter”.

What should I do?, you thought. When Laura mentioned Julián kissing another girl you expected worse. Not that what he did wasn’t bad. He was so stupid to allow himself to be in that situation. But should you throw away your relationship for that?

“You get one chance”, you said making him smile, looking hopeful again.

“You won’t regret it, I swear”.

“I can’t go back to being with you completely. Not yet. I’ll spend time between here and Manchester. You have to earn that trust back, Julián”.

“I know. I will. Thank you!”

He hugged you and you hugged him back. Hoping he really meant it and that you won’t regret this decision.

[tulipe-rose]

Hello! I hope this isn’t a bad time, but could I request a short fic of Yuna and Milo? Like they’re just having some mom and daughter time :3 oooo, maybe they went to get food for Milo’s birthday since it is coming up?

If you decide to do this (please don’t if you don’t want to) you can do any au you’d like

ILY(/p) SAFFRON, BYEE! ♥️

Of course (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧ Sorry for the late reply btw. I was out all day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¶~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Milo, my little angel.

Modern au, no ships. Biological!GiYuLo au.

Fluff.

P.s Happy birthday Milo!!

Today's the most important day of the year. Well, at least to Yuna it is.

Milo will be turning fifteen today! Yuna couldn't believe how quickly the years passed. Just yesterday Milo was a little ball of energy, waddling around adorably, being their little bundle of happiness.

They already celebrated her birthday a week in advance, since Giyuu had to travel for an exchange program between schools. Milo was already content with the celebration, but Yuna wanted to give her a few more surprises.

Yuna had a plan, but she had to wait for Milo to leave before she could execute it. Milo planned to go out with her friend group today, and Yuna was going to take advantage of that.

''Mum! I'll be heading out now! I promised to meet up with the others at the station. See you later! Love you!''

''Love you too angel! Don't be late, it's a school night!''

Yuna knew she didn't need to remind her, Milo was responsible enough to meet curfew, but she couldn't help herself. She was unable to stop herself from being extra careful. She didn't want to take any chances. The surprise must be perfect!

Yuna heard the front door close with a soft thud, before getting to work. She opened her closet, revealing the hidden gifts. She had ordered some fake roses for Milo to decorate her room with, a new flowy knee-length violet dress and a white brooch she noticed Milo eyeing at the store.

A little thing about Yuna is that she loves to spoil her daughter, like her husband. She got into the habit of buying at least two gifts for Milo on her birthday, being influenced by Giyuu's gifting habits. This year she had to compromise though, given the circumstances. She gave Milo one present during the early party, and will be gifting the rest to her tonight.

The order did arrive late, but fortunately made it in time. Yuna was relieved when it arrived last night, calming her tense nerves.

She specifically disliked ordering online due to it's unexpected timings, but she had to rely on it this time, and she's fortunate enough for it not to let her down.

She spread the gifts out on her bed, admiring her taste in gifts. Soon, she started feeling like enough time was wasted, and gathered everything to place the gifts neatly inside a box with white and lavender wrapping.

With that part of her surprise done, she went onto the next part of the plan.

Now, Yuna doesn't know what's gotten into her, but she forgot to order the snacks. She planned to enjoy a movie with some snacks tonight, but she somehow overlooked the latter, and only just noticed. She did her best to be positive, feeling like getting herself down would only waste time. She threw on a quick outfit, leaving for the nearest store.

''I need to hurry up. I still have to prep the living room, putting out comfortable pillows and warm blankets. I checked with Milo, she said she'd have lunch with her friends, so that relieves me of making proper lunch. I can just heat up some leftovers, it's high time they're eaten before they go bad'' She got her thoughts organized on her way to the store, while pulling out her shopping list, looking through things she needed.

~Timeskip to when she's back home, almost done with her to do list~

''The sun's setting already? Milo should be home anytime soon, gotta put the last touches before turning the lights off.''

Yuna wraps up any leftover work, putting the dried dishes away, and taking the roses out, and placing them on the table. She fixes herself up a bit, going in for a quick shower, safely assuming Milo wouldn't turn up for another thirty minutes at the very least.

Little did she know, Milo decided to return home early. Her mother emphasized her curfew, so she decided to turn up early just in case. She tried to give her mother a call, but there was no response, so she decided to ask her about it when she got back. Milo always kept a spare key with her, since her father insisted.

The apartment was dark and the lights were off, so Milo thought that may be her mother turned in early, or went out to buy something. She walked further in to see the kitchen illuminated, going to investigate, she found a decently sized bouquet of roses sitting on the table. Milo didn't expect to see it, but she did love roses, so she picked up one of them, taking a whiff of it's fragrant aroma. She knew they were fake, but she couldn't help but admire their beauty.

''MILO!?''

''Mum! You're here!''

Yuna didn't foresee this, but she decided to just go along with her original plan, but a little improvised.

''Happy birthday, my little angel...''

She embraced her daughter, smiling joyfully, greatful for her daughter's happiness and health. Milo returned the embrace, feeling tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill.

''Thank you... I'm truly grateful to have you mum!''

Sorry it's kinda late and rushed, I was out all day, and organizing my thoughts was pretty hard. I hope there aren't too many errors.

''Me too Milo, me too!'' Yuna leads Milo to the living room, which was left without lights, since Milo decided that she didn't want to turn them on only to forget them.

What meets Milo's eyes is exactly what she needed after such a long and tiring, yet fun, day.

The sofa was littered with the softest pillows they owned, and her favorite blanket, suitable for the chilly weather. Milo went over to huddle up with her mother on there, smiling giddily at how fluffy everything was.

''What's on for tonight?''

''A movie chosen by the birthday girl, and a mountain of snacks.''

''Ooo! I actually saw this one movie about demons and a main character with a tragic backstory, who's mission is to take them down to save his sister!''

''That movie's a small continuation of the series. The series is till ongoing with three seasons. I don't mind marathoning it with you though! You up for it?''

''Mhm! Definitely!''

They start the first episode, with barely ten minutes in, but Milo's already balling her eyes out.

''T-tanjiro deserved better! He's such a nice character! Why d-did this have to happen to himmm.''

Yuna, also a little moved by the tragedy, but mainly by the effects and graphics, pats her daughter's back reassuringly.

They go through the first season by midnight, and Milo starts dozing off.

''Did you have fun sweetie?''

''Yes, mum. I...-'' a yawn involuntarily interrupts her speech, which leads her to change what she intended to say. ''-should probably turn in and call it a day. The characters were all amazing, but eerily familiar. It was great though.''

''That's a relief then...''

Yuna picks up her daughter, thanking her workout while carrying her to bed, tucking her in and making sure she's comfortable. She reaches out to caress her daughter's cheek, eyes overflowing with warmth.

''No matter how old you grow up to be, you'll always be my dear daughter.''

She places a soft kiss to her forehead, brushing her soft hair off of her face, with great care and gentleness.

''Sleep tight, Milo. My little angel.''

I really hope you like it Kim. I didn't proof read this, because I wanted it to be out as soon as I finished it. Sorry if it's a bit ooc, I'm not the best at character analysis (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)

I'll tag @larz-barz here, because this was the only thing I was able to do for Milo special day, sorry bout that.

Thanks for requesting this Kim, I didn't know what to do for Milo's bday.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Birthday Stuff

Okay, so, time to practice the answer to the "how old are you?" question:

47. ...Yes, really. (I may have got some increasingly disbelieving reactions from the lady who did my hair today.)

Anyway, pretty low-key birthday, given that the vast majority of gifting from the parentals was done and dusted (though in honour of where my present allotment went this year, I looked at my Critical Role cast autographs and it still makes me smile as much as it did on the day, so I have zero regrets). Mum didn't want to let the day go uncelebrated, though, so she made me an appointment at the hair salon she goes to - which she picked because a) the lady does a good job with her hair and b) travelling to find someplace that will cut my hair well at a price I can easily afford is hard for me, and her hairdresser is nearby. For someone who is as notoriously non-tactile as I am, I still surprisingly find the "having my hair washed" part of the whole process to be my favourite part of the whole thing. But now my hair is nice and short, just how I like it, and I no longer look like a Briard.

Anyway, while I was having my hair done, Mum went to the Japanese place in East Dulwich I like but can seldom afford and picked up sushi, which she brought back to eat in the comfort of my sitting room. She's found a way to balance "don't make me cook on my birthday" and "don't make me sit in a loud crowded restaurant on my birthday", which is nice, let me tell you. Though for my own part, I spent last night baking, because I wanted a birthday cake and I can't just buy one like a normal, gluten-tolerant person. Behold:

Chocolate cake with whipped chocolate mint ganache frosting. Also little sugar stars to make the thing look more festive. Mum almost finished her entire slice (she did entirely demolish the frosting, so I guess I come by the "GIVE ME THE FROSTING" thing I have going on honestly), which is always my benchmark for having done well. I also had a slice, obviously, but I sent a big chunk home with her so that my stepfather could have some. I'd love to have them both here at the same time, but apparently their dog, Digby, is ever so slightly co-dependent and they prefer one of them be home with him at all times.

Oh, speaking of dogs, a couple of bits of news about the whole "getting flats renovated" thing. (This will make sense in a minute, I swear.) So my stepfather has been working his ass off on the other flat - the original flat I was living in, the one that's going to be an investment flat of sorts when all the work is done on both that one and this one. The plan is to finish the work on that one, move me back into that one until this one is fixed up - which it needs desperately; pulling up this fucking carpet for a start, and dear gods a shower pump - and then have me finally settle into this one when it's not full of horrible peach carpet and carpeting in the fucking bathroom (WHO DOES THAT?!?). There will be a pause on the "him working his ass off" thing because he pushed too hard and has managed to do himself an injury so bad he couldn't manage the stairs in his own home for a week. But he's insisting on doing all of this himself, for some insane reason.

Point is that in the week of mad working, he discovered that the neighbours in the flat next to the one he's working in have a dog. Why is this a big deal? Because the management company that manages the building has a "no pets" policy. Now, we've been pretty sure that at least one person in the building has a cat, but it's harder to prove cats than it is to prove dogs, who require regular trips outside. Anyway, we've been keeping to the "no pets" policy, but my mother in particular has hated doing it because she firmly believes that I would do better with some small living furry companionship around the house. I'm not saying she's wrong, mind you.

Anyway, the point is, she tells me this while we're finishing up our sushi, then tells me that once all the stuff with the flats is finally sorted, they will get me the small furry pets of my choosing. Because apparently, or so said my mother's tone of voice, "They get to have a fucking dog, and my daughter can't have a pet at all? Fuck that and fuck them!"

(I come by my stubborn-and-petty honestly, too.)

She's also very much come around to the idea of me having pet rats, at least partly because I refuse to have a pet cat, however much I might want one. In winter, I have to keep the doors to the various rooms closed to keep the heat in (and the heating bill down), and it's not fair to cram a cat into too small a space. Besides, this place isn't designed to have a decent space for a litter box, and rats are somewhat less likely to eat my plants and get sick. So anyway, point is that I have so many more reasons to really hope the renovations and stuff get done soon. I just wish my stepfather would hire a fucking contractor, for his own sake. He's going to hurt himself badly doing that shit.

Anyway, a happy birthday to me, all told. Not that I did much - had my hair done, got fed sushi, had a rather glorious nap - but honestly, that's probably enough for me at this point. And a whole week off stretches out before me. A week of sleeping in, video games, maybe making myself some more potato soup... Oh, and banana bread. I have a plan that involves adding chocolate chips and peanut butter chips to the next batch of banana bread. I've just got really into banana bread lately. It's easy, it's filling, and maybe I just need the potassium, I dunno.

[cruorcrave]

7 January 2025

(TL;DR at the end.)

Yesterday was a really long day but overall pretty okay until the end. My sister, one of my aunts and I all went shopping for some winter and travel stuff for when we go overseas. It was pretty exciting even if spending that much money felt kind of terrifying and my feet were super sore after walking for four or so hours.

Last night wasn't great though. My dad's a bit of a hoarder and my mum is a very neat person (they're divorced so it's not usually much of a problem) but my dad's house is owned by one of my aunts (my mother's sister) and it's been causing some tension recently. Last night, me and my mother were staying at that aunt's house and they got into an argument whilst I was trying to sleep. I was sleeping on the couch so I had to wear long pants to bed so no one would see the wounds on my thigh and it was boiling hot. I had to blast music in my ears to drown out the sound of the argument. I did that a lot when I was younger but I haven't had to for a while because, again, parents have been separated for like 8 years. I made my "bed" on the couch at like 10:00 and got to sleep at, idk, midnight? Not that late, but with the rest of the day's 4+ hours of walking and talking taken into mind, I was fucking exhausted.

As such, today was rough. Sleep deprived, I mostly just sat around all day and it made me feel like shit. My mother and I went shopping for some travel stuff for her which was fun sort of but pretty tiring yet again. I got a pizza from my favourite pizza place which was nice! But we got home about an hour ago and I'm just wiped out.

It's been so bad mentally. One of my old friends (a cool one not one of the mean ones) is filming a short film soon and I'm in a few scenes and I'm so fucking anxious about it. The person I'm sharing the scenes with is someone I've had a lot of tension with but everyone thinks we're best friends because we've known each other for 12 years, had the same classes and had a secret handshake. But in all honesty, being around him is kind of awful. He makes me feel like shit for doing literally anything. Luckily though, some cool people will be there and we're only filming for a few hours. I messaged the main guy and he said if I need to take some extra breathers on the day that's totally okay. Such a chill dude, such a relief to hear that.

Unfortunately with all the shit that's been going on recently, I did relapse tonight. I feel so annoyed about it but it is what it is. Relapses are part of recovery. Healing isn't linear and all that. I just feel disappointed I guess. In myself that is.

I talked to my mother about moving back to the city to my aunt's house, even just on weekdays (she drives to and from the city every few days for work) and she said it seems like a good idea. She agrees I should get a job and connect with people some more. Glad to hear I'm making the right moves. Can't move until after we're back from our holiday, but that gives me some time to prepare. Still kind of feel scared about moving back though.

Happy for that friend being cool about me needing some room to breathe and thankful for my mother paying for so much of my travel expenses. People can be really cool if you stick with the right ones.

Song of the Day: Get Out Alive - Three Days Grace

TL;DR:

Last two days have been really tiring. Did lots of shopping. Some of my relatives are arguing and it's annoying. Doing some filming for a short film soon and I'm really anxious about it. I relapsed. About 5 days clean before that. Might move back to the city when we return from our holiday.

Clean since 7 January 2025

[writerman]

Are you still taking fic prompts? Because if you are then omg, Barduil first meeting for that 'stuck overnight in an IKEA' post... 'I was just there for a table, he was only there for the meatballs and... well... by the time we were all allowed to go the next morning I had my table, he'd had his meatballs and we both had a boyfriend... It was love at first Ypperlig...'

Hi, anon, did you know you sent me this request in 2021??

If you still follow me or ever followed me to begin with, I am so sorry.

Here is your IKEA Barduil prompt.

Happy NaNo!

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Fandom: The Hobbit

Ship: Bard x Thranduil (Barduil)

Word Count: 5,541

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Anyone travelling out there stay safe, the storm is supposed to be coming in thick and fast by this afternoon. Local authorities and the MET office have asked that if you can stay home please do! 

On that note here is a little song for anyone taking on the blizzard today. Snow Bird by Ann- 

Bard smacked the radio as fast as he could, numb fingers fumbling with the off switch while he kept his eyes on the road. The snow hadn’t hit blizzard levels yet but the sky above him hinted that it wouldn’t be long.

The snowfall the night before had blanketed the world in white that was already about a foot deep, but it hadn’t deterred many from leaving their homes. There were a few brave souls battling through the snow-covered sidewalks- no one had come to clear a path but no one appeared to care that much. 

It was fine, it would be fine, he only had to run into IKEA for a replacement coffee table as Bain had body-slammed the other one and left it in two halves in the living room. Of course, it had been an accident and that was what Bard got for letting him watch the pro wrestling stuff on TV unattended. 

Of course. An accident. 

So, a replacement was needed and somehow the exact replica of it existed (imagine that!) within the blue and yellow labyrinth of IKEA, patiently waiting for the myriad of other shoppers to swoop in and collect it only to have their Christmas visitors exclaim that they too had the same table at home! 

Thankfully, parking was easy. The place was practically deserted because everyone else had more sense than to drive out into an impending snowstorm to buy furniture! 

Then again, everyone probably didn’t have a child like Bain to contend with. He was a good kid, just energetic and very impressionable at his age. It wasn’t as though something like this hadn’t happened before. 

Why am I even out buying a table? The kids are with their mum this year. All I need is to rest a cup on it… Shaking the snow off himself at the entrance, Bard tried not to let his entire being sag at the thought of Christmas on his own and then he recalled why he had gotten out of the house in the first place.

It had been too quiet. 

Amid his thoughts, someone brushed past him hurriedly sending him crashing into a metal basket of stuffed sharks. Before he can topple over into the pile of plush toys a strong hand wraps around his wrist and pulls him back to his feet. 

“Sorry, so sorry, I didn’t mean to knock you over like that!” Apologies flew fast from the stranger’s mouth and Bard cleared his throat before smiling awkwardly trying to brush it off. 

“It’s all right, I was in the way.” He mumbled this as he checked himself over, and as he glanced up to his would-be attacker and rescuer he felt his heart do an odd sort of little skip before resuming the staccato rhythm it had taken up in the moment of surprise. 

“No, not at all.” The stranger’s voice seemed to have dropped an octave now his apologies had been done and dusted and he promptly released Bard’s wrist from his grip upon realising that he still held on to him. “I was not paying attention; you know this time of year leaves everyone… harried.” He trailed off as he said the last word and it looked as though he was unsure if he meant what he was saying. 

“Honestly, I'm alright. Don’t worry about it.” Bard urged again, really he wanted some space between himself and the stranger because he was experiencing what could only be described as a sexual awakening but incredibly bisexually. 

“If you’re sure you’re fine.” The stranger continued but when Bard nodded again they merely nodded back and turned neatly on their heel and hurried away with the same speed they had entered the store. 

After that encounter Bard didn’t see them again, in fact, he saw very few people that didn’t work there. Most of them stood huddled around a work computer whispering urgently about the oncoming storm. 

Likely wishing idiots like him would piss off home so they could head home too.

Yes, he felt awful that they had to be there, and he did honestly feel bad for going in but he really wanted to replace his table- he had time and nowhere else to be. Though, the employees didn’t seem to harbour any ill will towards him when he asked for help finding the section he needed. 

Bard had spent a grand total of 20 minutes in the store by the time he reached the checkouts and as he approached one he realised there were no members of staff to be seen. Scratching his head in confusion, he looked about for any sign of the employees who assisted him earlier. 

No one.

Someone at his side groaned. 

“Just wonderful,” They griped shifting from one foot to another jostling whatever it was in their hands. “The snow has blocked the door; the employees are trying to figure out what they should do.” 

Turning to look at the stranger, Bard comes face to face with the very man that had bowled him over in the entrance. 

“Hello, again.” He shared the grim expression held by the stranger as he greeted him. His attention is then focused on the now shut off automatic doors. A few members of the staff were stood looking at the heavily falling snow, one of them jumping backwards as a sudden gust of wind rattled the doors and the lights flickered around them.

“You don’t suppose the restaurant is open, do you?” The stranger spoke again, and Bard glanced down at his flat pack table at his feet for a second before picking it up and turning to look up at the signposts that hung above them both.

“Let’s find out.” He tried for cheerful, it came out quiet and he cursed inwardly at how nervous he was around the man. The same man that had been so very sorry for knocking into a bunch of stuffed sharks not 20 minutes earlier.

“Yes, let’s. I’m Thranduil, by the way. And again, I am so very sorry for knocking you off your feet. Not how I like to introduce myself to people, hopefully you sustained no injury.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice and Bard felt the slightest blush warm his cheeks.

“No injury, fighting off sharks stuffed or otherwise is just days’ work for a dad with 3 rambunctious kids.” They head toward the restaurant and Thranduil offers a knowing nod, they had found some common ground.

“Oh, uh, I’m Bard. Nice to meet you… Thranduil, was it?” It was an unusual name, but honestly, so was Bard. Though, people didn’t tend to comment on it as much as he assumed people might about Thranduil’s.

“So, do you play music?” The question came right out of the left field and left Bard silent for a moment until he caught on and let out a loud laugh.

“Funny, not musically inclined at all, played the odd bit of guitar in university, you know how it goes.” He tried not to think about the cringe-worthy image of him sitting beneath a tree strumming the whole three cords he knew just humming songs uncaring that they didn’t match the chords.

“Yes, yes, we’ve all been there. The mortifying act of trying to reinvent yourself only to discover you don’t know how to begin remodelling your life aside from drastically changing your wardrobe only to never wear any of the ridiculous items ever again.” Thranduil gave a flourish of the hand before grimacing at the memory of it.

“Ah, the hubris of youth.” Bard sighed.

In a surprising turn of events, the restaurant was open and the few customers who still lingered, rather against their will, had made their own way over to buy coffee and pastries to wait out the storm until eventually, like animals, they could be released back into the wild again.

“Coffee?” Thranduil set his unpurchased item on the chair next to him before shrugging off his long coat from his incredibly tall form. He dressed any dad might, jeans, boots and a jumper and yet the clothes seemed to fit him better than they had any person Bard had ever encountered before.

Not that he was staring.

IKEA was certainly not the place to consider his wavering sexuality, no that was better suited to a queer coffee shop or whatever, he wasn’t sure. He had really had to think about this kind of thing before.

Not that he was expecting a full-blown love affair to come from their meeting. After they were set free they likely wouldn’t see one another ever again.

“I’m sorry that I asked such a complex question when I offered to buy you coffee, shall I rephrase it?” Once again, there was a touch of amusement in his voice as he spoke.

It took an embarrassing amount of time for Bard to realise he had just been standing silently looking at Thranduil for at least 2 minutes. No words uttered he had just stood there like an idiot letting his mind wander while Thranduil waited patiently for a response.

“Aha, sorry, yes coffee is fine.” He shoved his hand into his jeans pocket to fish for change, but Thranduil chided him with the click of his tongue and walked off without taking any of the money he had attempted to offer.

Bard took this chance to take off his own coat after sliding his unpaid for table down by the table and the restaurant wall.

How badly he wanted to put his hands over his face and scream into them. This had never happened to him before. He had never found another man attractive before. However, by the look of it, Thranduil was used to it as many of the other occupants actively and openly stared at him as he passed them by before their eyes snapped over to Bard with questions burning on the tips of their tongues.

Mortifying, mortifying, awful, terrible.

When Thranduil returned he placed both cups on the table before digging into his own pocket for the sugar packets and little pots of milk he had acquired on his way back to their table.

“Does that happen everywhere you go?” Bard motioned to the people still watching him though trying to pull it off that they were merely having a good old gander at the restaurant and out of the windows.

“Oh, I suppose. I think it’s my hair.” Thranduil seemed disinterested and concentrated on peeling back the foil from the tiny milk pots.

Yeah sure, not the fact you’re the most beautiful person to grace the earth.

Nope, he wasn’t going there, after all this, he was going to have to sit down with his brain and talk to it about inappropriate thoughts.

Should go well.

“You do have nice hair, I suppose it makes sense people will stare at you, and you’re b- big… uh, tall!” Bard pulled his own coffee cup towards him and tore open two of the sugar packets dumping them into his coffee without looking at Thranduil.

His face felt hot.

“I am very big, you’re correct.” No further context was given and Bard near choked on his first sip of coffee upon hearing the words uttered.

Is he flirting with me? Surely not.

Bard cannot even begin to formulate a response and as if the Gods smiled up on him, the squeal and hiss of the tannoy above interrupted their conversation.

Dear customers of the store, unfortunately, due to the weather conditions we have been required to close the store for the rest of the day. Due to the ongoing storm and its severity, for your safety we have been advised to have anyone in store remain until the worst has passed.

We understand that this is inconvenient and may cause some upset, if you have any questions our staff are on hand to assist.

We strongly suggest that you remain indoors and do not attempt to leave the store. IKEA are offering free food and hot beverages to all customers affected for the duration of your stay.

Again, we apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.

Thank you.

When the announcement ended Bard could hear the throng of people gathered in the restaurant begin to grumble, muttering under their breath that they had places to be. He had no sympathy for them coming out in a storm with the intention of running errands.

Sure, he had done the same and maybe Thranduil had done, too. But he had nowhere to be. When he looked back at Thranduil he noticed the man was simply continuing to drink his coffee with not a single worry plastered across his face.

“Nothing waiting for you back at home either, ay?” Bard gave an empathetic smile when Thranduil nodded and set down his cup, leaning back in his seat he gave a cursory look around the room before he spoke.

“I have two adult children, well, university age, they are with their respective partners this Christmas, and I pretended I had made plans so that they didn’t feel sorry for their dear old dad being alone on Christmas.” As casually as he had tried to make it sound, Thranduil did come across as sad as he explained himself.

“I only ventured out for something to do. I had already promised I wouldn’t work over Christmas so IKEA it is. You know the hub of all social interaction. Joking aside, some good has come of it, well, the snowed in part of my day isn’t the highlight but I do have good company at least.” Thranduil lets the silence linger, and Bard swallowed hard, it was hard to know if this man was in fact flirting with him even if he wasn’t the way he spoke was just so fucking…

Suggestive

“We’re in the same boat, I only came out to replace a coffee table and only because I’m home alone for Christmas too,” It was a stupid thing to do, his brain was already telling him he was going to crash and burn but still his mouth disregarded the warning.

“I know you probably have a ton of friends you could hang out with, but you know my door is open to you if you want to spend the day. I know we are practical strangers- ah, I don’t know why I’m doing this. Sorry.” Bard fumbled at the last moment and decided it was better to rescind the invitation to save his already shaky ego.

“Strangely, I have very few friends. Something about being intimidating and having a- now what did Tauriel call it, ah yes! I have a resting bitch face that seems to put people off from talking to me.” The delivery was dry and still Bard let out a surprised laugh which he quickly smothered by taking a long sip of his drink hyper aware that others were now looking over at him.

“Now that is a nice sound.” Thranduil was resting his chin in his hand, elbow planted firmly on the tabletop looking across at Bard with a gentle and sincere smile. “So, is my invitation still valid or are you going shy on me?” He arches a brow and Bard can’t look away from him, and he knows he’s beet red.

“A-are you really flirting with me?”

“I have been this entire time, thank you for noticing,” The confidence that oozed from Thranduil was almost unbearable in how damn hot it was. No hint of arrogance just sheer and open boldness.

“You left me quite lost for words when I first set eyes on you, or rather… when I full body smashed you into a cart of BLÅHAJ, butchering the pronunciation but you get the idea. Could scarcely even look at you, with your beautiful brown eyes and dark wavy hair. That and you said I had pretty hair and I was big- ah, tall.” The corners of his mouth quirked up in a smirk and Bard felt like sliding out of his seat onto the floor hoping it would open up and swallow him whole.

“W-well, my invitation still stands if you’re interested.” How he had managed to even get words out in a coherent manner was beyond his comprehension seeing as his brain was on fire and there didn’t appear to be any extinguishers wedged into the grey matter.

The lights above them began to flicker before going out, the power had cut out and the wind and snow battered the side of the building brutally the sound of metal creaking faintly around them.

“Fuck- it’s getting worse.” Bard was thankful for the distraction and directed his attention to the windows, the snow was swirling through the wild gales. It came down fast and heavy blotting out the world beyond the glass.

“Let’s move on, I want to sit on something more comfortable.” Thranduil didn’t wait for a response as he stood grabbing his coat and scarf and leaving behind the tiny pack of scented tea lights.

It wouldn’t make any sense for him to carry them around until he could actually purchase them, so Bard followed suit, picking up his coat and leaving the flatpack box still resting between the table and wall.

Like a lost puppy he followed Thranduil until he was at his side struggling to keep up with the long strides the blond made until he came to a stop in the department he had sought out. Bard watched as he wandered through the sofas until he found one that looked comfortable enough, he gently laid his coat over the back of it before flopping down onto the cushions and patting the space next to him.

With as much grace as he could manage, Bard wove between the other sofas and proceeded to sit next to Thranduil, taking care not to have any part of him against the other. However, this didn’t seem to be how things were supposed to go because Thranduil shuffled himself closer so their legs touched from thigh to calf.

“Oh, now this is nice. Do you suppose we will be stuck here all night?” Thranduil had no qualms about being pressed up beside Bard, meanwhile, Bard was trying to as covertly as possible hide his heart attack whilst wondering if he needed to have a conversation with himself about the sudden attraction he had to men.

Because it was sudden like he was smacked with a bisexual stick as soon as he entered the IKEA.

Was it a requirement to be in IKEA?

“I- hope not. I don’t think a big metal building with no power will be a very comfortable place to sleep.” The idea was unappealing, and Bard shuddered though it turned into a shiver as the cold air began to seep in, whatever warmth there had been, it seemed was no longer apparent and he could feel a headache coming on.

“I’ll keep you warm, don’t worry.” The words were whispered into his ear, he could feel Thranduil’s hot breath ghosting over the shell of his ear and the vibrations of his words jostled Bard’s already frayed nerves to near breaking point.

As luck would have it, a store employee was hunting down customers and handing out blankets still in their packaging.

“You two look cosy, but this should help, too.” She was young, early twenties if that. Her cheery demeanour didn’t quite fit the predicament they were in, but it was nice to see that a snowstorm wasn’t dampening her smile.

She didn’t stick around, she had a cart full of blankets she had to distribute, all the while wearing one as a cape as she went.

Bard wasted no time in pulling the soft grey blanket out of its packaging wrapping it around him to ward off the chill, he watched as Thranduil did the same and was genuinely grateful when Thranduil plastered himself against Bard’s side again.

Heat was heat, even if it was the body heat of a particularly amorous man who looked like an angel. When he thought about it, knowing someone harboured obvious affection for him was nice.

New, but nice.

Before he knew it, the girl from earlier was shaking them both awake holding a torch, the bright beam blasting against the floor so as to not blind the both of them in the now pitch-dark sofa department.

“If you’d both rather sleep in a bed I can take you over there now, come on. Everyone else is already over there and the more people in one space the warmer it will be. There’s a small generator nearby too, we have a kettle if you want tea or coffee.” The idea of a bed was delightful and both Thranduil both murmured their sleep thanks as they stood up from the sofa.

“I don’t know about you, but at my age sleeping on a sofa in the cold is not a kind way to treat the body. I ache in the most atrocious way.” Thranduil griped as he collected his coat and scarf, Bard gave him a consolatory pat on the arm hoping it came across as sympathetic in the dark.

“Right there with you,” Bard responded, his hand dropped to his side, fingers accidentally brushing Thranduil’s, who saw the chance to grasp his hand in his. The lack of light other than a torch beam a few steps ahead of them a perfect cover to hide any embarrassment at the gentle touch.

It was such a soft gesture, endearing and sincere. More than Bard had experienced since his divorce, while amicable, it didn’t hurt any less.

But this man was actively pursuing him, in his heart he knew this was moving fast but it didn’t mean he would wish for it to slow down. Of course, he was confused but the excitement was overriding his common sense a little bit, whatever would come of this he couldn’t tell but it was thrilling.

There were several people already bundled up in the show beds, shoes and boots neatly set on the floor beside their coats, some giggling at the absurdity of it all while others looked worried, if not a little scared.

The young girl led Bard and Thranduil to a king-size bed mentioning under her breath that ‘Blondie needed room for his legs’ before smiling at them both and wandering off to assist others with their queries.

Of course, she had assumed they were together. She’d found them bundled up asleep under blankets almost glued at the hip and he really didn’t want the ordeal of having to ask her for his own bed.

It was one night, one night, fully clothed and in a room full of other people, nothing would happen and they couldn’t talk privately with beds set out barely a metre apart. It wasn’t that he felt unsafe or that he thought Thranduil might do something untoward but sharing a bed with him even unromantically… platonically, was fast fast.

Speed of light fast, he didn’t know this man’s last name, where he lived, what kind of car he drove, his favourite food… all he knew was that they were similar in age and were basically alone.

I’m overthinking this. We’re just going to sleep; I was fine sleeping on a sofa right next to him. I was happy to have him hold my hand…

It wasn’t until Thranduil reached out and nudged him that he realised he was being spoken to and wasn’t listening to a word that was said. Sheepishly he looked to Thranduil in the meagre light of one singular lamp that was situated at the edge of the display beds and offered an apologetic smile.

“Would you like me to find somewhere else to sleep?” Serious tone, his face set with determination, but Bard wasn’t sure what it was Thranduil was hoping to achieve. If he was trying to make him feel more comfortable it was working but the idea of sleeping alone when he had the chance not to was what forced him to respond.

“No, you don’t need to do that.” Bard turns away from him to sit on the bed and slip off his boots, placing them under the bed along with his coat. He feels the bed behind him dip as Thranduil moves to do the same.

“Sleeping together and we haven’t even had a first date, how scandalous.” Thranduil teased, though he still had his back to Bard as he spoke. An older lady in the bed next to them let out a chuckle and it managed to put Bard at ease, he locked eyes with her, and she gave him a wink.

Standing up he threw the covers back on his side of the bed and climbed in, but he didn’t lie down, he didn’t want to really commit to sleep until Thranduil was also beside him and comfortable.

It didn’t make any difference if Thranduil slept before him or not and he couldn’t explain to himself mentally why he was waiting for the blond and yet he did.

Thranduil was having a whispered conversation with someone in the bed across from him, but the conversation ended when Bard put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently to get his attention.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you waiting, you cannot sleep without me already, hmm?” Another tease from him and even in the limited light Bard could see his triumphant smile.

When they both settled in bed, Bard was surprised to notice that Thranduil had not plastered himself against him but did welcome the space. Still, he wanted to speak to Thranduil before they tried to get some sleep.

Rolling onto his side he came face to face with him and he sighed before actively readying himself for what he was about to ask.

“Thran, can I call you Thran?” Stalling but when Thranduil nodded he continued, as his eyes adjusted to the dark he could see he held the other’s rapt attention. “How long have you been single?” He tried to whisper the question as quietly as he could and he knew Thranduil had heard it because he stiffened before rolling onto his back remaining silent for some time.

Eventually, he rolled back onto his side, his hand sliding over the space between them reaching for Bard’s hand.

“I know you’re worried about my intense interest in you, I understand it. You are right to be cautious, we know virtually nothing about one another.” His voice sounded so inviting even in a whisper, but his voice was so deep Bard had to move in closer just to hear him properly.

“This is a unique situation, I don’t think I’ve ever been snowed in in an IKEA before and I doubt I will again for the rest of my life, but this is advantageous a blessing in disguise. Would we have met if not for the snowstorm?”

We wouldn’t have met if Bain hadn’t decided to People’s Elbow the damn coffee table. But Bard didn’t say that Thranduil didn’t need to know that ancient re-runs of WWE were the cause of their meeting.

“The moment I realised I was interested in you I knew I couldn’t let you slip away. I was already so annoyed when I thought you’d already left. When you showed up at my side at the empty checkout I was beside myself. I wanted to make the time count, I made sure that we had a chance to talk again and when you so easily went along with it… I knew I had to trust my attraction to lead the way.” How earnest he was in admitting all of this, knowing how strange it was to feel as he did with so little provocation.

They both understood there needed to be far more put into whatever it was they were doing, this wasn’t going to be a fated lovers thing, even if that was how it felt right at that moment. In the morning they would part ways and it was up to them to work out how to deal with their strange evening and how far they were willing to go to make things work.

Even if Bard felt somewhat like a defeatist in thinking it would die out as soon as they stepped out of the store, he was willing to try. He was willing if Thranduil was, and it was apparent to him that Thranduil would put the effort in.

At least, he hoped he would. This gave Bard pause because he was just as eager to continue seeing Thranduil in any capacity. Would he regret it if he never spoke to him again?

This time he did not allow his brain to offer up an answer.

“Let’s talk about this in the morning, I don’t think I can keep whispering like this.” Bard gave Thranduil’s hand a squeeze and he smiled when it was returned.

Nothing else was said between them and it wasn’t long before Bard could hear Thranduil’s breathing slow signalling the man was already asleep.

In the morning, Bard woke with a start trying to work out where he was and who was lying in the bed next to him. The memories of the day before came flooding back and he covered his face with both hands sighing heavily.

Yesterday had been a lot.

Today would be more so.

It was then he realised the lights were now on. Power had been restored and people were getting out of their beds cheerily chattering away pulling on shoes and scouting the area for staff.

It wasn’t until they were alone that Thranduil opened his eyes, his hair was tousled from sleep, and when he mumbled a ‘good morning’ it was so deep it came out more like a rumble of thunder leaving Bard to scramble mentally to gather up his senses once again to return the greeting.

“You’re the last one up, sleepyhead.” Bard joked as he grabbed the blanket and threw back exposing Thranduil to the cold. In response to such callous behaviour, Thranduil groaned like he’d been stabbed before grabbing Bard by the front of his t-shirt pulling him down on top of him and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“I consider this repayment for such hideous behaviour after I kept you warm all night.”

“Excuse you, but I was the one that kept you warm all night, not the other way around.” In a bid to keep himself from short circuiting, he had to volley right off Thranduil’s words because if he allowed himself to think of the kiss for a mere second he would probably explode.

I cannot believe I was about to lose my mind over a peck on the cheek. Get yourself together, Bard, mate.

“Let’s not start discourse of who kept who warm, instead let’s get coffee and breakfast and get the fuck out of this place. I’ve had no phone service all this time and I am sure someone is going to report me missing if I do not get in touch with the outside world.

My company are going to assume I’ve died.” Business like but he was smiling, thoroughly pleased with himself for the cheek kiss, probably.

They were not released from the yellow and blue prison until lunchtime and by that time Bard was willing to dig the place out himself. He wanted a shower, clean clothes and his own comfortable sofa and TV.

The time to decompress was a necessity, he needed time to overthink every single interaction he’d had with Thranduil, from the moment they met to the very moment he handed over his contact number before rushing off to his own car while on a conference call with his children and vice president of his company all who sounded as though they were wailing into his ear with relief.

With his replacement table securely in the back seat, and after having the car running with the heat blasting for 15 minutes, Bard made his own way home.

His house was blessedly empty, upon his return home. It was the first time in years he was pleased to have only the sound of silence in every corner. In a matter of minutes, Bard had the thermostat cranked up, his coat off and boots kicked into the hallway.

He had an important meeting with the sofa he couldn’t miss and probably a fair few calls to make to confirm he was not dead, he was ok and ‘You wouldn’t believe what happened last night’.

As he unlocked his phone, the first message to come through was an unsaved number, opening it up he realised who it was from almost immediately.

I wanted so badly to kiss you properly this morning, but we have time for that. See you at Christmas. T x