#and a bit of lara too

[gayeredin]

so....blood origin, huh.... 

first of all, i still can’t get over the fact how ironic it is (for me) that they actually made eredin gay for real but it’s fucking netflix and he (of course) looks nothing like himself. secondly, good for him getting a bunch of kisses, maybe i would have enjoyed that more if he actually looked right though. they also surprised me by not killing off his boyfriend for a cheap sad backstory. i’ll admit that was nice. i also think his actor did okay in conveying eredin as a commanding figure, despite not being as intense as book eredin. he’s also not as blunt and as talkative, but that is not on the actor. i hate that they made him stupid enough to go off with balor, he would not have trusted that guy. at least that gave us the fucking hilarious epilogue for him being lonely in a desert world with a full-grown beard and finding a skull to put on his head. i mean it, it was genuinely funny as fuck because of how dumb it was. 

as for avallac’h, he is even further from himself....not only does the design not match up, he doesn’t act like avallac’h.......at all. just a nervous little apprentice running around. at least i liked his opening scene being murder but nothing else was right. none of avallac’h’s artistic inclinations or his lack of understanding others while he, of course, is going by his own agenda to accomplish whatever he is setting out to do at any cost. it is very central to avallac’h’s character that he believes “the end justifies the means”. i think it’s unrealistic for him not to have had that mindset from a young age due to most likely having been mentored to believe it, eredin mentions in book that it is the code that all sages seem to follow. he was afraid to even steal the book from balor....and he was as respectful as he could be at all times, which is unusual for him. btw, nitpick, but avallac’h introducing himself that way...no. he says that characters may or should call him avallac’h, not “others just call him avallac’h” as if it’s just some nickname he was assigned. 

i am upset in general about lara not existing yet. if eredin and avallac’h are in their young years, she should be there, but she hasn’t even been *born* in netflix canon. she deserves more than to be cast to the side. i thought éile was alright, so i wouldn’t say that they had to change her. however, if you weren’t planning to include lara, why not just make oc’s to replace avallac’h and eredin...especially considering the aen elle should all be in their own world, not in the world of the aen seidhe. i also wonder how they will even integrate avallac’h’s feelings for her now. it’s such a central part of him to have loved her and to still love her. it’s what motivates quite a few of his actions.  

now, on to eredin and avalanche’s relationship. they did not even talk. i thought they would get at least one line between each other, considering they will be advisors to auberon together in the future if they decide to follow actual book canon, but nope. not to mention they’d spend more than a century serving said king together so you’d expect some set-up of that. but nope, instead they even further break any possibility of it happening naturally by banishing eredin to the shadow realm. eredin saved avallac’h’s life when the princess urged him to and not even after that did they have an exchange. avallac’h says one thing to him, and that is calling him “high commander”......which the actual avallac’h would never do, so it was also really funny to me. after that, eredin just immediately shittalks him to the princess next to him when avallac’h fails at a spell. with all this, how will eredin get away from the other world.....the princess is dead and so is balor (tho balor wouldn’t help him anyways), the only one that remains that could possibly help him with some logic to it is avallac’h. his only reason for saving eredin would be to return the favor (which would at least fit into their eventual habit between each other in book of doing a favor for a favor...i’m reaching for scraps of sense). if he didn’t feel like doing it after several months though, as we saw, i doubt he will suddenly think it’s a good idea.....so, eredin just somehow becomes the king of the hunt in his little jail. makes a lot of sense, you’ve done it again, witcher netflix. 

[simspaghetti]

Lara's been working on her athleticism, and she's starting to get buff! 💪

[twizzlyworm]

Haii 👋 haaiii 👋👋👋 *you see a missile approaching me from behind (I’m not gonna make it)*

[incorrecttigerandbunny]

Kotetsu, after the fight with Fugan and Mugan: You know when grown-ups tell you everything is going to be fine, and you think they're probably lying to make you feel better?

Lara: Yes.

Kotetsu: Everything's going to be fine.

[artistlara]

Persona ref

[recitedemise]

the group of them stare down into the pit below - acrid and sickly green. she's been in enough tombs and caves to know a rush of air like this means something is down there. there's more to explore. a dangerous rumble can be heard as if it's miles away. oh what treasures may be found in this deep and dank void?

who's jumping in first? asked by karlach with an almost nervous laugh. and it's with little thinking that val makes her move. moments like this are what she lives for. turning, she grabs her friend's now bearded chin gently before giving him a chaste kiss. 'cast quick--' a wink and before he can so much as react she's immediately taking a step back to start falling down into the chasm below. (better cast that feather fall gale, your girl has a death wish)

By Ahghairon's nose! Gosh, to think adventure once meant an evening with books.

Gale swallows. He toes the lip of a great, pitiless chasm, and thinks, my word, is he in it now. He discerns only shadow, a penumbra so throbbing as to rival a void, as anxiety, encompassing, descends upon them. An air oddly whistles, its tempo so shivering. Licking down their bones, fear settles home. Wide-eyed and pensive, all the party's loathed to dare it, but with fire in her heart and laughter in her eyes, Val, so thrilling, dares the breach.

She is maddening, Gale thinks. Or else impossible. Or else the stars. She makes worry fill his heart, festers in his chest a geyser of emotion, and leaves him utterly bereft of wit. Still, Gale feels excitement, and a steep fondness as well. Yet, when she tugs him in for so innocent a kiss, the brilliance in her bones scorched at the seam of his lips, he fears his heart's grown several leagues beyond that... She taste like vintages, autumn winds, and infatuation's start.

...infatuation? Val pulls away as his great heart plummets.

"What are you—" Then his shouting soars. Tripping in after her—very graceful of you, wizard—the force of freefall thunders his chest. Val plummets beside him, an untroubled shiver of night-soaked hair, and even as the ground rushes reckless to meet them, Gale feels her smile. Gale knows she glows! She'll kill him, he thinks, perhaps tomorrow or even tonight, but for now, he'll argue, wrapping them safely in a casting of feather fall. Finding her elbow, he lands them soft.

Then, before he can let loose his words, his something half-fury, Karlach, anxious, curiously starts. "Oi, lovebirds!" About them, the old cavern rumbles away. "I didn't hear any splattering. You alright down there?" Well.

Gale casts a light. Seeing Val stood there both windswept and proudly hellion-- "Physically, you'd be glad to know we remain yet in tact," he answers in kind. "But I'm starting to seriously doubt the oneness of a particular someone's mind." And his own. Gods, she's reckless! "You look thrilled with yourself. Tempting as it is to believe, wizardry is no substitute for caution."

[wickedghxst]

ik im always talking abt how they shouldn't remake/remaster games that aren't 15 yrs old or older.... but unfortunately i'd buy a tr13 remaster in a heartbeat.

[knightofleo]

Finalists of the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

Dispute by Jacek Stankiewicz from Kraków, Poland: 'I caught this scene while watching birds in the Bialowieza Forest. Young greenfinch was still fed by parents. However, from time to time birds looked like having argument. My friends interpret this scene in two ways: A young naughty kid is arguing with a parent. Or one kid is reporting to the parent that its brother did something wrong: "Look he has broken the glass in the window"'

'Excuse me sir but I think you're a little too young to be smoking' by Dakota Vaccaro from Victor, United States: 'While I was working deep in the Virginian woods, a family of grey foxes took up residence under the deck of the abandoned cottage next to my work housing. One day while practicing their hunting skills on bits of moss and branches, one of the kits lunged at a small chunk of wood and started rolling around with his prize. Tired after his hunt the kit lounged on his belly still holding the wood in his mouth which gave the strong resemblance of a cigar. I was very envious of the kit at this moment cause who wouldn't want to just lay around all day relaxing'

The Rainforest Dandy by Delphine Casimir from Brussels, Belgium: 'This picture was taken in the monkey forest in Ubud, Bali. This place is a crazy place where monkeys are king! Sometimes they give a show, sometimes they climb on you to look for fleas or steal the piece of biscuit you are trying to eat'

Otter Ballerinas by Otter Kwek from Singapore: 'An arabesque smooth coated otter'

Picture me! Picture me!! by Dikla Gabriely from Yokneam, Israel: 'A brown bear in Finland who definitely did everything to make me pay attention to him and focus on him and not the other bears'

Boing! by Lara Mathews from Melbourne, Australia: 'Taken at Westerfolds Park, a beautiful and surprisingly wild pocket of land in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, famous for its kangaroo population. The mob was enjoying some morning sunshine when this joey decided to get silly and try his hand at boxing'

Living the Moment by Kawing Chiu from Staten Island, United States: 'Relax, lay back and enjoy the warm sun... This seal is scratching its face and it is seen lying on the side while his head is supported by his flipper. This image makes the seal like the reclining Buddha statue'

[doppelnatur]

S/o to man hating women who make an exception for me <3

[syppys-den]

I love that ^^

contemplating kryptonian fashion once again so clark and his parents doodle

[varricscrossbowbianca]

went to a calisthenics station yesterday, only attempted a pullup and tried to use the monkey bars, went for a run and then had ballet in the evening. my arms, shoulders, back and legs hate me now oof

[superhoeva]

bouncer!logan spotting you at a halloween party he's working the door for. it's annoyingly cute how you fumble about when you find out that the there's a door fee and you have no cash.

he lets you squirm for a bit, enjoying the troubled expression on your face before the pinch of your eyebrows forces a sigh from him.

"okay look," the man starts, arms crossing as he motions for you to lean in. thinking for less than a second, you follow the direction, not catching the way logan drags a hard stare across you and your skimpy costume. "'m really not supposed to be doing anything like this. but one, i don't give a fuck. two, you're cute enough to break a few rules for."

with his jaw clenching at the way you can't hide your pleased grin, logan continues.

"gonna let you in for free, but you're gonna have'ta owe me a little somethin' in return."

an eager nod from you has logan biting his tongue. his hand reaches to rub at he growing hair of his beard, pretending to consider his options. finally, he speaks, purposefully lowering his voice so you have to shift even closer.

"use this pretty face and get me a couple'a free drinks? since you don't have any cash and all..."

"okay," you nod again, teeth grazing the corner of your bottom lip. "what do you have a taste for?"

logan's skin heats at your question, shoving the first answer that comes to the very back of his mind.

"nothing too sweet." he's got to save that craving for the possibility of tasting you. "just beer. nothing special."

you're a wizard. logan's certain of it after you bring him the fourth bottle of beer, this time with a glass of something for yourself.

"jesus," logan huffs. "you're wringing 'em dry in there, pretty."

you shrug at the man, slinking atop the stool he brought to keep his back from aching during his downtime. he can feel your eyes on him as he chugs down half the bottle, staring at the bobbing of his adam's apple as he drinks.

lowering the bottle, logan swallows and turns to you. your gaze flicks to the side of him, pretending like you weren't just oogling the shit out of him and how tight the black v-neck he's sporting is.

logan takes the thick silence as a chance to really look at you. take in your costume of black spandex shorts, blue crop top, and empty thigh holsters.

"lara croft," logan finally figures it out, and you grin a little over the rim of your glass. "...you wear her well."

another smile from you and logan nearly squeezes the bottle so hard it breaks. a tiny laugh from you breaks another round of heated silence.

"i miss somethin'?"

"no," you promise him. "it's just... i've spent more time out here than in there. even after you let me in for free."

logan sniffs, meeting your eyes in his lean across from you.

"don't worry, ms. croft. i definitely don't mind."

after that, you end up staying with him for the rest of the night. leaving you his seat, logan standing all broad and strong whenever someone enters, letting you hold the cash he collects from each patron. he sends a wink your way every time he turns to hand out the money but nearly growls out at anyone that asks about you.

"keep movin', bub," logan warns the latest inquirer who lets his eyes linger a little too long for your liking. the guy isn't smart enough to heed the first warning, going as far as ignoring logan to lean in your direction.

"come find me later, yeah?"

you don't get a chance to answer. logan's got him by the back of the neck, shoving him out into the cool fall air of tonight's evening without a second thought. dusting off his hand, logan ignores the man's whines about the cash he wants back, and turns to find you blinking at him with a squirm.

he steps to where you now stand with his eyes hooded, slicking out one of the tens from your grasp. neither of you says a word as logan folds the bill, and encircles his arms around you. your breath hitches at the hand logan plants on one of your asscheeks. he glides the money into your back pocket, biting his lip.

"my shift ends in an hour. i can show you an actual party worth your time if you're up for it..."

warm and dazed, you nod. logan grins a little, squeezing the flesh under his hand before returning to his post of strong, crossed arms and back turned to you while he faces the door.

logan grins again, this time wider, at the way he can feel your gaze burning a hole into his ass.

[lcriedlastnight]

Enemies to lovers with Lando: "you want me?" "you know i do"

thank you so much for your request, anon!

tw: fem!reader, swears, wee bit angsty, she's a big one, dickhead!lando. lmk if you want me to add anything.

w/c: 2.8k

this weekend had gone horrible for lando so far, and of course as his assistant you had gotten the brunt of it. on days like this you don't know why you didn't just quit your job. lando clearly didn't like you, in fact you would go as far to say that he hated you and wouldn't everything go much more smoothly if you both liked each other? you lay awake in bed at night - especially after a rough day of running around like a headless chicken after lando - thinking about having a job where your boss didn't curse the ground you walked on.

you had been working overtime this weekend, making sure that lando had everything he needed all weekend for press conferences, meetings with zak and andrea and even when he needed a second alone to himself in his drivers room, you would make sure to tell anyone who was looking for him that he was busy, just so he could get a break. you had decided when lando was in looking at data after both free practise rounds on friday to grab a bite to eat. you hadn't eaten since breakfast, it was now a little past five. it wasn't an exaggeration to say you were starving.

you head towards some tables next to the cafeteria and pull what you had brought for lunch out of your bag. you pull out your phone, scrolling through your texts, one catching your eye. it was the groupchat you had with all your friends, baring in mind there was only four of you.

'it's like a double date but for the four of us!" lara, had said. the other girls seemed to disagree with whatever her idea was. you scroll down further to see the newer messages.

'what if we set her up? i'm sure her boss will give her the saturday off to go on a date with him." again it was lara who suggested it, but it caught your eye because she was talking about you. who was she trying to set you up with and why was she even doing it in the first place? there was also no way lando would be giving you saturday off, never mind during a race weekend.

you tell them so before hearing the distinct voices of lando and zak chatting away as they make their way down the hall. you sigh and pack away your half eaten lunch. you could've finished it, you were sure lando wasn't that much of a dick that he would deny you of food but you didn't want him to hold it over your head. you knew for certain he would do that. you shove the lunch bag into the bigger bag then sling it over your shoulder. your phone pings, a message from the groupchat.

'too late it's already set up, ask your boss and we'll go shopping on monday when you're home.' lara says. you could kill her. you don't respond, just shoving your phone into your pocket and walking over to lando and zak.

"hey, great to see you again!" zak greets you with a cheery smile. it's easy to happy around zak, the only time you've seen him annoyed or upset has been on bad race days. you're sort of surprised he is so because lando has not been performing so far this weekend. you bite your tongue on that one, instead giving him a smile back and returning his polite words.

"well look, as i said before, this is only friday, the only day where what you drive like matters is sunday. that's when we get the points. although i'm sure you will be back on your game tomorrow. we all have off days." zak tells lando, a comforting hand on his shoulder before he walks off in the direction he came in. you spot oscar too, so there is no doubt that it is oscar's turn for his driving this weekend to be analysed. oscar's weekend comapred to lando's has been pretty good.

"that's you for today. nothing else you're needed for." you tell lando, triple checking his calandar, making sure you were looking friday. the time where you were accidentally looking at his saturday schedule instead stays at the forefront of your mind whenever you look at his calandar.

"i know. you told me that before." lando remarks, his voice blunt and a little nasty. its like your presence just pisses lando off. you remember the date your friends set you up with and will courage to fill your veins before asking him.

"what are you still doing standing there?" lando asks, not genuinely asking, just wanting you to leave him alone. he hates seeing you outside of work and although you were in the paddock, he deems this outside of work.

you take a deep breath before just directly asking him. "can i have next saturday off?". lando stops untying his fireproofs. he looks up at you.

"why? why are you making plans on a race weekend?" he condescends, like you were stupid.

"i didn't. my friends set me up on a date without asking." you explain. you hated explaining yourself to him but you knew if there was any chance you were getting saturday off then you had to do what he asked.

lando pauses for a second, staring at you then returns to undoing his fireproofs. "no. i need you here." he declares.

you shouldn't be shocked he said no, you really should have seen it coming but it still surprises you nonetheless.

"you can't go without me for just one day?" you ask, as if you were desperate to go on this date. now it was more about him not giving you the day off than it was about actually going on the date.

lando's brows crinkle. "no. if i give you the saturday off then you'll need the sunday off too as i'm guessing it's not here so unless you're planning on flying over straight after your date?" he spits out the end of the sentence. you had not thought about that. you are quiet as you take in his words.

"that's what i thought. tell your friends to cancel the date, you're coming with me all weekend." lando basically demands.

"i'm not sure why you even want me here. you hate me, i don't know why you haven't just fired me and found a new assistant. this would work a lot better for you if you actually liked the person you need to spend the whole weekend with." you grumble, annoyed at his attitude and how he felt like he could just go around telling you what you could and couldn't do with your life. it seriously felt like you were cutting off you social life for this job. you storm past lando and straight out of the paddock into the uber waiting for you, it stands out against the rich, fancy cars surrounding it in the carpark.

you drive back to the hotel in silence, in one of those moods where everything was annoying you. you hate the fact that you had to stay in the same hotel as him. you had never been this mad at your job before. you try to unwind once you are back at the hotel by jumping into the shower but it does not help.

once you have gotten yourself dry and have gotten changed for bed, you eat the rest of your ruined lunch/dinner and text your friends back letting them know that lando was in fact, not giving you the day off for the date. you then throw yourself into bed. you put the tv on but the only channel that spoke english was the news channel and you seriously couldn't care less about the way people make tea. how did stuff like this even make the news anyway?

you scroll through all your social media apps then decide to download a job app. you enter your qualifications, cv and a description about yourself and your current job. you apply to a few then feel yourself getting tired so you set your alarms and head to sleep, dreading having to see lando tomorrow. you hope he's in a good mood because even though it doesn't matter what mood lando is in, he's still a dick to you, he's a little bit nicer when he's in a better mood.

you go over everything in the morning before you leave, making sure you have everything. as you make your way to the uber waiting outside the hotel, you check the job app but you have no new notifications. you usually only uber back to the hotels and lando drives you there seeing as you both have to arrive at the same time but there was no way you were spending more time than what you had to with him today. you seen him in the hotel carpark getting into his car when your uber was pulling away, so at least you knew he would be on time.

you and lando arrive at the paddock at the same time, you know you would have to wait for him before going in because andrea wanted to have a quick meeting with the three drivers ahead of the practise session and qualifying.

lando sees you waiting and eventually catches up to you. "andrea wants to see you guys before free practise today. i don't know how long for but it might be long 'cause he wants to talk about quali too." you don't look up from your phone as you read out what had been added to his calendar late last night.

"alright." lando replies. there's no nasty comments, no bluntness and no condescension. you are completely shocked but don't let it show on your face as you both walk inside the mclaren motor home together.

you spot oscar in the corner, eating some sort or energy bar? or maybe some kind of breakfast bar. either way it reminded you that lando probably hasn't eaten yet today, so as he and oscar head towards the meeting room you try to find something lando can eat. oscar has told you many times that making sure lando eats is not in the assistants job responsibilities and yet you feel yourself compelled to make sure he is taking care of himself.

you grab a few of the same bars you seen oscar eating earlier before heading towards the meeting room. you hate walking into the meeting room when there was meetings going on so you try your best not to do it. you have only had to do it once and it was the worst thing you've ever had to do. you were so embarrassed.

everyone is surprised at your interruption but you give them a shy smile and head towards lando. you don't say anything just setting the three bars down on the table in front of him. lando locks eyes with you. "thank you." he says.

this time you can't hide your shock as it's written plainly on your face. it's hidden from the others in the room except lando. you only smile in response then rush out the room. what is going on with him today? you sit on the same table you tried to take your break on yesterday as you respond to emails of lando's behalf and it hits you. lando is clearly feeling bad. you'll talk to him before qualifying.

the meeting ends ends and both mclaren boys are quick to get ready for free practise. from the looks of it, zak was right. lando was back in the game today. he came in third on the time sheets. you hoped this would mean a good qualifying, if not for lando and mclaren but for you. this good mood and lando treating you nicer would definitely go down in flames if lando didn't place in the top five for qualifying. you have never been religious, but you prayed then for it to happen.

you stood at the back of the garage, talking to one of lando's engineers when the man himself came over and dragged you away from him. you didn't even get a chance to apologise for lando's rude behaviour before you were both standing in the hallway to the driver rooms.

lando doesn't speak he just leans forward, pressing his lips to yours in a hesitant and light, kiss. when you didn't react he kissed you again with a little more force. every single thing in you was telling you to kiss him back but there was a single thought in your brain that reminded you who he was and how had treated you the past year. you end up pulling away and asking "what are you doing?".

lando looks at you confused. "you know what i'm doing." he utters, voice laced with confusion, like he seriously didn't understand what the problem with kissing you out of nowhere was.

"uh i don't think i do." you cross your arms, waiting for an expantation.

"i want you." lando tried to say confidently, but it comes out a little weaker than what he expected. he puffs out his chest and stands a bit taller, trying to see more confident.

"you want me?" you repeat back to him. surely he wasn't being serious.

"you know i do." lando responds, hand flying up to cup your cheek. you look at him confused. there is no way he has been living the same year that you have. what the fuck does he mean 'i want you'? you have literally never felt more confused in your life.

"do i? last time we spoke you wouldn't let me have a day off?" you remind him. you want to remind him of a lot of things right now, like every single moment he made you go home or even back to your hotel room and cry. his hand moves from your cheek.

"yeah and why do you think that was? because you were going on a date. with some guy. i don't want you going on dates with random guys i want you going on dates with me." lando tries, desperate to explain himself to you.

"i don't think you have a right to tell me who i can and can't go out with, lando." you are seething. who does he think he is messing around in your life like this? "you're abusing your position as my employer."

"fine. you want the weekend off to go on a date? you can have it off then." lando says, firm and a little sad. before you can say anything back to him, he storms away into his drivers room. you don't know why you just did that. you don't even want to go on the date, you would love to go on the date with lando instead, just like he proposed but you were still annoyed at the way he treated you. you know why he did it now but it still doesn't make it right.

you don't see lando for hours until there are people crowding around his driver room telling him it's time to come out for qualifying. you guess from the noise that lando eventually comes out. zak is there telling him information about the car. you suddenly feel that you need to tell him you do like him. right now. you just felt like he had to know. so you squeeze through the people making their way to his car with him. you find lando's hand and give it a tight squeeze to get his attention.

you pull him closer before you whisper into ear, not wanting all the people surrounding him to hear. "i want you too, but you hurt me. apologise and we can maybe work something out." you reveal. lando's eyes widen, with what you can clearly tell is happiness. he doesn't even have any time to answer you so all he gets to do is nod as he's told to get into the car.

you watch the qualifying with eager eyes, this is the fiirst time since you started that you were actually excited to watch lando race, even though it was just qualifying. he really does put the 'flying' into the flying laps. after a very long hour, lando qualifies in second.

"front row for lando!" the garage exclaims in joy. you can't help but join in. you all wait for lando's car to return to the garage before people are patting him on the shoulder in congradualations.

lando speaks to a few people before he spots you through the crowd, he wades through it to get to you. "hi. i'm so fucking sorry for being a dick to you for the past year. i don't know how to cope with my feelings and i ended up turning positive feeling into negative ones and taking it out on you. i'm so fucking sorry, please let me make it up to you." lando begs. you don't know how he knew that you didn't want anything big as an apology, just lando admitting he was wrong was enough for you.

you nod with a smile to his question and lando seals it with a kiss, not caring that the garage was filled with people and most importantly cameras. he could deal with that later. for right now he had you.

[adayka]

Part2

Some has a bit tiny texts including mine😅 (I don‘t have the others but I can post mine with a bit better resolution😅)

Please read them on issuu there it‘s a bit bigger

THE CROFT comic

Artists:

19-20 Keith Byrne @keithbyrnefx – ENGLAND

20-21 Paula Belcarz @punguin_philip - POLAND

22-23 Susie Gander @susiegander - ENGLAND

24-25 Alma @Lonelyalma1 - EL SALVADOR

26-27 Magdalena Furmanek @lordmegi - POLAND

28-29 Adayka @_adayka_ - SWITZERLAND

30-31 Gosia Gąsienica-Józkowy @gobyart - POLAND

32-33 Shane George @MaCaaaaw – USA

34-35 Adam Soroczyński @adamsoroczynski - POLAND

36-39 Virginia Berrocal @VirBerrocal  - SPAIN

[marie-swriting]

Love Advice - Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Top Gun Maverick Masterlist

Summary : Jake comes back after six months of deployment and he needs your help to win the woman he loves.

Warnings : a tiny bit of angst, mutual pining, thinking there's an unrequited love, happy ending, maybe some grammatical mistakes as English is not my first language, tell me if you see some or if I missed any warnings.

Word count : 3.4k

French version

Song inspiration : How You Get The Girl (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift

Somebody knocking on your door takes your attention away from your TV show. At first, you just lower the volume down so the person doesn’t know you’re home and wait for them to leave. However, the second the knocks on the door get more insistent and you hear ‘I know you’re home’ with a Texan accent, you jump out of your couch and run to open the door to Jake. You joyfully shriek before throwing yourself into his arms. Jake laughs because of your enthusiasm, then he tenderly holds you close to him. 

You haven’t seen each other in six months because of his last deployment. Of course, you called each other almost every day, it’s just not the same. You've been thick as thieves since you were five, you need to see each other often. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home today?” you ask, breaking the embrace.

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, you did. I missed you so much!” You exclaim, kissing his cheek before bringing him inside. “I hope you’re staying home for a long time. Six months without seeing each other is too much!”

“I totally agree.”

As usual, when he comes back home, you spend the day together then, Jake sleeps at yours. You go downtown, eat something, even watch a movie if there’s something interesting and the next day, Jake goes to his place - he lives twenty minutes away.

As soon as the night comes, you go home, takeout food in hand. You go into your living-room and you put a random show as background noise. You keep talking about the last few months in order to catch up when you decide to bring up a topic Jake seems to avoid.

“So, you didn’t tell me anything, what’s going on with Lara?”

Jake met Lara in a bar a week before leaving. You weren’t with him that night, so you don’t know a lot about their relationship. All you know is Jake got along with her pretty well.

“Oh, huh… Well…” he stutters and avoids your gaze.

“Jake,” you say with a disapproving tone. “Don’t tell me you messed up. Not again!”

“Not really. Okay, maybe a little.”

“What did you do?”

“I may or may not have not called her since I left.”

“Are you kidding me?” you scream, hitting his shoulder. “Do you realise you’re the kind of guy we talk shit about when we’re talking with other girls? Jake, you have to stop being a dick and destroying your relationship. You’re a nice guy, but whenever it’s about love, you’re the worst of them. Every time you find an awesome girl, you just ruin everything.”

“I know and this time, I want to fix this.”

“Before we keep going, you didn’t cheat on her, did you?”

“I might suck at relationships, however, you know I have some limits and I’m quite proud to say I’ve never crossed that line.” he affirms with a grin.

“You better!”

“Anyway, at first, I didn’t know what I wanted with her but now I do. I really connected with Lara and I want her to forgive me and give me another chance, I just don’t know how to do it.”

Following his sentence, you immediately understand what he wants. He messed up and now he needs your wise advice to fix the situation. Again. You roll your eyes before straightening up.

“I’m gonna make you pay for my love advice one day, at least, I’ll become a billionaire in a month with you.”

“You’re the most stable person I know when it comes to relationships so obviously I always go to you! Besides, you’re a woman, you know what to do.”

“True.” you modestly confirm. “First thing first, meet her in a neutral environment, a café for example.”

“And I buy her flowers?”

“Do you know her favourite flowers?”

“Roses are the safe option, right?” he suggests and you’re desperate.

“Do you know any personal details about Lara, like her favourite book?” you ask and he shakes his head. “Well, just pay for whatever she orders. First, you apologise and you do it correctly, you put the focus on her and what she might have felt. The goal is not for her to comfort you because you feel bad when you’re the one who messed up. If she still hasn’t thrown her glass of water in your face, you’re on the right track. Then you say, in the most convincing way, you want her, not another girl, for worse or for better. You know it’s gonna take her some time for her to trust you again but you will forever and ever. Tell her you know you broke her and you’ll put it back together because you care about her and you want to do better for her. In short, show her you want to be a better man and make sure your actions match your words quickly. And that’s how it works, that’s how you get the girl. At least, your chances will be higher.”

“You seriously think it can work?” Jake asks sceptical. 

“I can’t 100% promise you but, at least, it shows you want to be the man she deserves. Either way, you have to keep me updated! And also, don’t wait too long to do it. You should even contact her right now so you can see her in the following days.”

“You’re right.”

Jake takes his phone and quickly types a message. After you approve it, he sends it and nervously waits for the response. However, being tired from the travel, Jake quickly starts to yawn so you go to sleep. Jake sleeps in the same bed as you. You’ve always done it so you’re not going to change this now. After all, between you two, it’s purely platonic.

At least, for him. The same cannot be said about you. When you were still in High School, your crush on Jake was almost embarrassing. It’s actually the only secret you’ve never told him. Officially. During prom, you confessed to Jake you wanted to be more than friends nevertheless he was so drunk he didn’t understand it and the next day; he had zero recollection of it and you were very grateful. You don’t know what you would’ve done if he had remembered. You probably would have lost your best friend and you couldn’t allow this to happen so you just repressed your crush until it eventually died. 

Notwithstanding, what you don’t know and the only secret Jake has never told you is that he remembers pretty well what you told him that night. He was just so stunned that he pretended he didn’t understand it. He thought he didn’t like you that way so he said nothing to not alter your friendship. Though, the backlash was pretty violent two years later when you got your first serious boyfriend. Jake was insanely jealous. At first, he just thought he was afraid to lose his best friend until he reached the dreadful conclusion: he has feelings for you and it’s too late, he missed his chance with you. As a consequence, Jake went from one fling to the other while you were going from one long-lasting relationship to the other without him understanding what you found to ‘those dudes’ like he always says. Though, these last few months, he has come to terms with the fact one of ‘those dudes’ whom you’ve been with for several years is the one for you. Jake isn’t sure he’s the one you deserve, and he doesn’t want to ruin your friendship, that’s why he wants to fix his relationship with Lara, especially because your relationship with Scott is the longest one you’ve ever had and he’s probably your future husband so Jake definitely has to stop hoping you’ll get together one day. He has to move just like you did.

The next morning, once Jake wakes up, you’ve already left for work. Whilst he’s eating breakfast, Jake’s eyes are set on a picture of you and him hung on your wall, he has his lips pressed on your cheek while you’re trying to hide your fluster with a smile. The picture was taken on the last day of High School and he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t one of his favourites. He finds you cute in this photo. 

His phone ringing catches his attention. He unlocks it and discovers a text from Lara.

Message from Lara to Jake, 8:37 A.M.:

I’m willing to hear you out, but just because I want some explanations. Is tomorrow afternoon okay for you?

Jake quickly answers her and confirms the date. He should be happy, Lara is open to the discussion though, he can’t help his heart to tighten, and he stares at the picture on the wall again. He shakes his head and brings back his attention to Lara. You’re part of his romantic past, even if nothing ever happened, Lara is his future. He has to think about her, not you.

The minute you come home from work that night, Jake tells you about his date the next day. You congratulate him with a big smile, though your heart breaks a little. Jake repeats to you what he’s going to tell Lara to make sure he won't ruin his last chance and you assure him his speech is perfect.

“White lilies, those are her favourite flowers.” Jake says point blank.

“Then offer her some. It’ll prove you care about her because you remember a small detail about her.”

“That’s why you didn’t want me to take roses?”

“Exactly. If you are lucky and it’s her favourite flower, you’re good but imagine if she hates them because she finds them cliché, you’ll ruin your chances before opening your mouth, ‘cause on top of not being original, you just prove you don’t pay attention to her. Roses are the safe option, yet it doesn’t mean it should be your choice at the slightest obstacle. You’re already taking risks by coming back after six months of dead silence so go all the way, don’t play safe with roses.”

“You’re right.”

“I know I’m right! And please, please, please, don’t buy her flowers only when you screw up. Do it when everything is good between you. Do it even when there’s nothing to celebrate. It’s those kinds of tiny details that’ll make all the difference, it proves you care about her. Of course, it goes further than flowers but you get the idea, the fact is, you can’t let a routine get in the way and the only times you break it and you give her some attention is to make up to her or believe me, it’s the breakup for sure because she’ll feel abandoned.” you specify, saying your last sentence at an incredible speed and Jake looks at you suspiciously.

“Is everything okay between you and Scott? It sounded personal at the end.”

“We’re not talking about me but you.”

“So the answer is no.” he affirms, reading you like an open book.

“We broke up five months ago.” you sigh.

“What? Why didn’t you tell me? What did he do? He didn’t cheat on you, did he?” Jake questions, protective.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just after six years, almost seven years of relationship, we lost ourselves in a routine and we realised we were together out of habits not out of love. Besides, we argued more and more for useless things. It’s better like that.”

What you’re not telling Jake is that there is another reason. Scott was sure you and Jake are in love. No matter how many times you said your crush on Jake was only when you were a teenager and that Jake never loved you like this, Scott never believed you. Your friendship with Jake was the main argument between you and Scott.

“You should have told me sooner rather than pretending you were fine when we were on the phone.”

“Don’t worry, I got over it. Let’s talk about you and Lara again. You didn’t tell me a lot about her.”

“In my defence, I never thought I’d go further with her.”

Jake replies to your several questions, but he can’t help and think back to the information you just gave him. You broke up with Scott, something it didn’t think would happen. He was sure you were going to end your life with him. As opposed to your exes, Jake had to admit Scott did deserve you and it cost him a lot to say it nonetheless he could see how Scott made you happy like he never could. Maybe this time Jake could make you happy? Jake pushed this last thought in the back of his mind. He agreed he had to leave you in the past. Jake can’t hope for a future with you when he’s about to win Lara’s heart again! He needs to stay focused.

Jake ends up leaving in the late evening to go to his place. You hug him and give him some encouragement for his date before closing the door behind him. That night, Jake struggles to fall asleep, completely lost about who he truly wants.

The next day as it is your day off and raining a lot, you stay home and clean your apartment from top to bottom. Music coming out of your phone, you wipe the floor with care when someone knocks on your door. You loudly sigh then put the mop back in the bucket and make sure it doesn’t fall before walking to the door whilst shutting down your music. Once you open, you surprisingly find Jake, soaking wet, with a bouquet of several flowers in purple tones.

“Jake? What are you doing here?”

“I remember.” he tells you as if you were supposed to get it.

“What are you talking about?”

“Prom.”

“What? Aren’t you supposed to be with Lara by now, anyway? And I thought you were gonna offer her lilies.” you question, after you understood what he meant.

“The flowers, they’re for you. I’m not playing safe, I know you love those kinds of bouquet because you can’t pick a favourite flower and your favourite colour is purple.” he says, handing you the bouquet, yet you don’t take it.

“What? Are you insane? Lara is the one you’re supposed to win over, not me!”

“That’s what I thought, too, but it wouldn’t have been fair to her. I still went to meet her and apologise for ghosting her though, she isn’t the one I want.”

“Jake, I don’t understand.”

“Can I come in?”

Without replying to him, you step aside and let him in. Jake takes his damped shoes off before walking to the kitchen entrance.

“I’m gonna get you a towel, I don’t want you to be sick. Make yourself a coffee to warm up.”

Whilst you grab a clean towel, you try to understand what’s happening. You didn’t expect to see him, especially with flowers. The second you go back to him, Jake puts his freshly poured cup down and takes the towel while handing you the bouquet once more and this time, you accept it. Without holding yourself back, you smell the flowers and tenderly look at them; you love them. Jake got it right. He’s proud of himself when he sees the soft smile on your face.

“They’re beautiful, Jake but why?”

“Like I said, I remember. I remember what you told me during prom.” he specifies whilst drying his face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” you lie, avoiding his eyes.

“I think you do. You told me you had feelings for me.”

You stare at Jake, confused. You were convinced he had no memory of that moment. In one second, your cheeks heat and you don't know what to do with yourself.

“I pretended to not remember because I didn’t know how to react and I’m sorry.” Jake admits, putting down the towel and taking a sip of his coffee.

“Don’t apologise, you saved me from a moment that would have haunted me until I die like this moment will.”

“I shouldn’t have ignored you.” he affirms, putting down his cup on the table. “You confessed something very important to me and by ignoring you, I broke your heart and mine too in the process. I didn’t know it at the time but I also had feelings for you. I realised it too late, actually when you met dickhead number 1.”

“You mean Josh?” you ask, laughing.

“That’s what I said. Anyway,” Jake resumes getting closer to you, “I should have talked to you and not leave you in the dark. Your friendship means a lot to me and that night, I didn’t act as a good friend. Even if I hadn't had feelings for you, I should’ve said something and not let you deal with your broken heart alone. I’m sorry I broke your heart that night and if it’s not too late, I want to pull it back together. I never stopped having feelings for you. I spent years ignoring my feelings and every time I wanted to confess them, you were with someone else and now, it’s the right time. I want you, not another girl, for worse or for better.”

“What about Lara? I thought you liked her.” you ask, trying not to get your hopes up.

“She’s nice but she’ll never make me feel what I feel with you. I would have never been honest with her if I had been with her. That’s why I never got in a serious relationship actually, you were always on my mind and I didn’t want another girl there. I wanted to try with Lara because I thought I had missed my chance with you so I wanted to move on, yet when you told me you and Scott were over yesterday, I knew you’d always be in my heart. That’s why I preferred to apologise to Lara without getting into a relationship with her. I could have never committed to her because I want to do it with you. I don’t know if you still have feelings for me and if you do, you’re probably hesitant considering my history and I get it though, I mean it when I say I want to commit to you.” he insists, looking you right in the eyes. “I’m not saying I’ll be perfect right away but you can be sure I’ll do everything to be. I know it’s gonna take some time for you to trust me but I will forever and ever. I care about you, no, I love you and I want to do better for you. For once, I wanna be the good boyfriend and more particularly the man you deserve,” Jake states, putting his hand on your cheek, “the one who will buy you flowers at any occasion, the one who won’t abandon you, the one you’ll never get stuck in a routine with, the one who will make you happy, make you feel loved and who will cherish you until his last dying breath.”

At the end of his speech, you’re at a loss for words. You didn’t expect a confession of love from him and you never thought Jake was capable of saying such beautiful things or even being serious about a relationship. Not knowing what to reply, you put your free hand on Jake’s cheek and kiss him with passion. He doesn’t waste a second to kiss you back. Among all the kisses he’s shared, this one is officially his favourite, and he hopes he’ll relive it every day of his life. His heart is beating fast in his chest while he brings you closer to him. As soon as you break the kiss, you look at Jake with eyes full of love.

“I never stopped loving you, Jake.”

Jake smiles as he hears your confession. He was very nervous when he came to your place. He was afraid he’d ruin everything, and he’s relieved to know he was wrong.

“Wow, your advice works wonders,” he suddenly says with a sarcastic tone. “Well, I improved your speech a bit but I approve of it. You really should get paid for your love advice.”

“I told you that’s how it works.” you affirm as if it was obvious. “That’s how you got the girl.”

“That’s how I got my girl.”

When you hear the emphasis on the pronoun, you avoid his gaze for a second, flustered. You clear your throat before speaking again.

“You should take me to a first date then.”

“Oh, I will. Any advice as to what to do on a first date? I have to impress this girl who means a lot to me.”

You both laugh then you bring Jake close to you again before pressing your lips on him, the second kiss even better than the first one.

Top Gun Maverick Masterlist

[ch-4-eri]

So It Goes — Lara Croft.

lara X fem!reader.

warnings: phone sex, masturbating, pet names (lots and lots of them, baby princess sweetheart etc) edging if you squint, let me know if i missed anything else.

word count: 1.6k

idk about y’all but she makes me lose it.

your eyes were glued to your tv screen, but your thoughts were elsewhere entirely.

you were debating whether to go to bed or touch yourself as you hadn’t in a long long time, and you were in the mood.

the only problem was that you hated to touch yourself with your own fingers, you’d have much preferred if it were lara’s fingers instead, your girlfriend who’s too busy working, travelling at the moment.

with the thoughts of lara’s fingers, her calloused hands, the way they were thick and would fill you up— you quickly jumped taking off your panties and lying down on the couch, keeping the image of your girlfriend’s fingers and her sweet voice in the back of your head as you stuck two fingers inside of yourself.

surprised to find yourself already wet at the thought of lara, of course.. you never doubted how much she’d turn you on when you needed it.

as your fingers were moving up and down your pussy, your back arched against the couch, the nightgown you had on pushed up to reveal your belly, noticing how much your breath hitched and faltered, your free hand gripped the cushions as you tried to focus on the feeling.

collecting your slick and smearing it all over your clit as you let out a moan, you usually never made noise as you were touching yourself, but all you thought of was lara, which made you rock your hips back and forth as you fucked yourself with your own fingers, your breathing heavy and your moans so loud that you felt her there, like she’s the one touching you.

your eyebrows were furrowed with sweat breaking out on your forehead and between your breasts, the same ones that bounced as you were drunk on the feeling of your own fingers.

your goal was to cum, you wanted it so bad, but the more you thought of it the more you started to be more aware that you were alone; and lara was not here with you.

god you missed her, you missed her so bad you frustratingly stopped, removed your fingers out of your throbbing wet pussy while your legs twitching as you edged yourself, your body had other ideas but you just couldn’t take this anymore.

your breathing was heavy as you reached for your phone, your eyes staring at the ceiling as you dialled lara’s phone number, please pick up please pick up.

it took three rings until lara picked up.

“hi, love.. what are you doing calling this late?” she chuckled through the phone, her thick british accent making you even more frustrated.

you bit down your lip, what kind of excuse do you have for her? that you couldn’t finish because she’s not there? lara would probably never let go of this one; ever. and you weren’t in the mood to get laughed at…

“hello?” lara spoke once again. “love, you okay?”

“hi.. sorry is this a bad time?” you asked, sitting up on the couch, your core brushing against the silk nightgown, driving you crazier.

“not at all.. was just grabbing some tea.” lara says, hearing the crinkling of the spoon against the glass as you squeezed your eyes shut, still unsure of how to come clean with this.

you played with the hem of your nightgown, hearing lara shuffling and moving things around, still trying to come up with a proper way to tell her this, rubbing your thighs together as you did so.

“alright..” lara whispered into the call, probably sitting down somewhere as you heard the sound of fabric and the mug being placed on a table. “you’re not speaking, did you just call me because you missed hearing me talk?” lara giggled, she seemed in a good mood; which was a good thing.

you were a mess right now and you had no idea what to do.

“i did… actually.” you finally said, keeping your head tipped back as your eyes scanned the ceiling. “hm… satisfied now huh?” lara gave you a cheeky chuckle, knowing how flustered it gets you, even if it’s from the damn phone, your cheeks went red and your thighs rubbed together.

“erm— not yet.” you finally confessed, but then the other line went silent, but it wasn’t long before you heard lara laugh a bit.

“ah, i get it now.” she cleared her throat. “you’re being a naughty girl right now.” lara adds.

“…. lara, i need you.” you desperately let it out, not caring anymore, you were indeed desperate and would do anything for her to talk you through it.

“you’re so selfish.” lara chuckled through the phone. “but it’s okay, i’ll be nice… give my girl what she wants.”

you felt absolutely terrible at her words, but knowing lara— she’s just teasing you, riling you up so you need her even more, and you do as your legs involuntarily spread on their own.

“so, how are we gonna do this?” lara began, her tone soft and sultry. “your fingers hm?” she guessed making you hum a response.

“alright… now, lick them and rub your clit.” lara gave you a command as her tone was quiet, like it’s just for you to hear.

you put your already wet fingers inside your mouth and filled them up with your saliva. “get them real wet okay?” lara says through the phone, your core burning with a sensation at her words and your actions, you’ve never felt this horny before, or done anything like this before.

you did what lara wanted; you were sucking on your fingers and made them as wet as possible. “you can start now, okay baby?” lara’s voice carried you through it, your fingers dipped between your thighs once again, touching your pussy in gentle circular motion, letting out a stiff moan.

“there we go… i’ve always wanted to do something like this with you.” lara chuckled, making your fingers rub faster.

“tell me what you’re doing.” lara requested after a moment of silence; your squelching filled the room, unsure if lara could hear it though.

“i’m.. hm..” you moaned, your cheeks burning red.

“don’t overthink it now, you’re doing good.” lara praised you, your fingers still moving as you pleasured yourself hearing the way lara breathed into the phone, you could cry out for how much you missed her.

“i miss you… i miss you so much.” you gasped, your lower belly tightening.

“i miss you too honey… and i miss fingering you myself, i miss how wet you are, god… you’re so perfect.” lara teased you, her tone so quiet and sultry as you felt your pussy twitching and throbbing as you were so damn close, just one more praise and you’re coming undone.

“lara—“ you moaned, her name sounded amazing coming from your pretty mouth, lara could cum in her own pants at the sound of you like that, her panties were stuck to her own cunt as she was listening to everything and barely breathing.

“cum for me… hm? do it for me baby, i know you can do it.. imagine yourself sitting on my face, and ruin me.. come on baby.” lara says, her voice coming out breathier, moving her own fingers around her clothed cunt as she manspread on the couch she was seated on and touched her needy self, she’d so take care of this when she’s done with you.

“hm.. fuck i can’t..” you rasped, your fingers were so wet, the couch probably stained as well as your nightgown.

“come on princess, you know you can do it.. goddamn it i bet you look so fucking beautiful touching yourself like that for me..” lara breathed, her own fingers teasing her hardened nipple, biting her lip.

you were driven crazy at her words, so crazy you couldn’t contain your whimpers and writhing, your hips rocking themselves against your fingers, letting a gasp out each time you moved, your vision became so blurry as you came all over your fingers and on the couch.

all while lara was trying so hard not to touch herself, not right now.

this was your time, she wanted to focus on you, give you whatever you needed.. she can hardly wait.

“good… good girl you did so good.” lara breathed into the phone and let out a satisfied chuckle.

you on the other hand, sweating your bum off, your breathing heavy and your fingers wet and sticky, your knees wobbly as you were trying to catch your breath. “thank you.” was all that came out of your dry throat.

“you’re very welcome, sweetheart.” lara responds after a second or so, trying to collect herself, you got her so worked up she couldn’t think straight, her tea turning cold.

“go wash yourself, and get some sleep.. i’ll call you in the morning, kay baby?” lara says, standing up on her own shaky legs.

“mmhm... lara, i love you.” you finally managed, sitting on the edge of the couch, listening to the way she breathed, your toes curled, grabbing the hem of your nightgown. “i love you, too.” lara said, you can hear a grin in her tone which reassured you she’d call like she said she would; she always did.

you hung up then, your body still so tense after such a long overdue orgasm.. it felt amazing, your skin was so tingly, your cheeks flushed, nothing felt better than this right at this second.

as soon as you hung up the phone call, she put her cellphone aside while trying to control herself, took a sip from her tea, rubbed her face, then rubbed her hands on her thighs.

but every time she recalls your moans through the phone she just couldn’t help the way her nipples were hard, seeing them through her shirt, her wet panties, she had to do something about it.