#and everything has been so relatable. thank you for your incredible work

[craziertogether]

stand UP.

i am so sorry to say this like this, but guys please stand up. there is absolutely no way anything in those leaks are true. i’m not even going to share the original bc it isn’t even worth the space in this post. but let’s be so honest, if byler isn’t confirmed or endgame that is something that i will discuss later, regarding the actual plot points revealed. WHY would any information about ST5 be revealed to the public? the duffers and netflix have been so secretive about everything to the point that we have gotten practically NO new content regarding the new season. There have been interviews yes, we’ve gotten very general ideas of mike and will’s relationship and that we know the show is ahead of editing but absolutely NOTHING has been said besides “you guys will be very happy”. they have continued saying since season 3 that “season X is the best season, it’s bigger than the last” and each time we have been proven correct, as bylers and as fans the show has grown into bigger things with bigger relations and bigger villains. so please tell me why ANYONE is believing that “the same season 4 tactics will be employed” and “EVERYONE SURVIVES” has us shaking rn. stand up.

regarding byler leaks. i am actually a byler truther, maybe i’m delusional and maybe we all are. but my goodness, we know the duffers are incredibly talented at writing and creating plot lines and storytelling, why in the ever living hell would they create a universe where they again stated it’s for outcasts, claim that “will takes center stage” in season 5 and that he “comes into his own” AND “he gets a love interest”, all to let him have a huge confession scene to get rejected by the person he’s been set up to be in love with for nearly 8 years IRL and a decade in the show. like i’m sorry but, what do you mean you expect me to believe that you guys believe that will, who so thinly but successfully veiled his love confession, poured his entire heart and soul into mike but not for his own desires but to make mike happy and to continue doing what he has always done. which is giving mike strength (season 1 finding him, season 2 helping him while he was possessed, season 3 helping him come to terms with his sexuality unknowingly and remind him of his actual love, will and his friends, and season 4 remind him he isn’t useless) and then he’s going to what? DO IT AGAIN? “hey mike i actually uhm yeah so i know i lied to you breaking our biggest rule but i had to let you know that actually the painting was from me and el doesn’t think of you at all the way that i said, it was all me bro” followed by a “oh my fault bro, uhm i don’t see you like that but let’s stay friends and i’m gonna marry your sister and uhm yeah ig well see each other around sorry if i confused you or something but thanks for helping me get over my inability to tell my girlfriend that i love her”. i’d this happens i will personally go to the duffers house and kidnap them and make them watch byler edits and read analyses with them AND livestream it bc what a TERRIBLE ending.

like guys.. i acc cannot with you guys who are believing this “leak” i’m sorry 😭🙏. but please don’t tell me you’re going to let an unconfirmed source, AN ANONYMOUS LEAKER, of all things deter you from the incredible analyses and actual CANON information and content from the show??? will and mike are shown to have intimate moments, paralleled to actual couples, and have been SET UP to be in a love triangle, all canonically, and this on leak from a faceless twitter account with no actual connection to any cast/staff working with the show has you guys crumbling at the knees.

STAND UP I SAY. WE HAVE BIGGER ISSUES, LIKE WAITING FOR THE ACTUAL SEASON TO COME OUT.

ps. i’m such a yapper but guys please PLEASE BE SO FR.

[againstme]

thank you for your response. i'm late with responding because i just got home about 2 hours ago from a very long day of group therapy, psychiatry, and regular therapy ;-;

i try to explain overstimulation (i was trying to explain this to my therapist at the end of my very long, stressful, draining, and overstimulating day that got to the point where i was just sitting at the table in the group room with ear defenders on with my head down and my arms around my head to block out light), the way it builds up, how draining it is to have no real break from it, and the way it's affecting me and my interactions with others and my functioning, but it's hard. the staff members here don't really get it. and it's too tiring to explain to them, and debating on whether or not to refer to myself as Autistic without having a diagnosis. and also the way that overstimulation is different from anxiety or depression, and that, no, i'm not feeling anxious or depressed, that it doesn't feel the same, and that these concepts and experiences are completely different.

despite all of this explanation on my part, and how tiring it is, it doesn't feel like i'm being understood. the lens that these people are seeing this from is completely different than mine. because most, if not all, of them are viewing it from a non-autistic / neurotypical point of view, not even taking into consideration the fact that some people might have a different experience or way of living.

it's kind of surprising, but also not really, that these people wouldn't have the insight to think outside of their narrow scope of view, even though they work in a field involving people with mental health issues, which is a form of neurodiversity, though they likely haven't had the inclination to dissect the definition of that term with that level of nuance. so, as a result, it's hard for me to even feel like i have the option to advocate for myself.

i said this to my therapist, an analogy for being burnt out, which is that it feels like i'm strapped into the passenger seat of a car which is flying down the highway, the tires are worn thin and shredding into pieces on the road, the brake has been cut, and there's a brick on the gas pedal.

hey, i have a question: do you have advice on how to manage autistic burnout when you’re in a situation where you can’t stop what you’re doing? i’m in a mental health residential right now, and i think i’ve been experiencing burnout that’s been building over time. the thing is, every day, we have 8 hours of group therapy, a mental health/AA/NA meeting to attend once we get home, chores, and a house meeting at the end of the evening.

so i feel like i’m constantly going and going, even though i feel extremely burnt out. i’ve been getting really drained, overstimulated way easier and quicker, getting headaches, not really being able to talk as much nearing the end of the day for group therapy, all that stuff.

i want to be able to take care of myself, but i can barely catch a break. i can’t ask to not go to group therapy, they won’t really let me not attend, so i can’t sit out. and i don’t have an official autism diagnosis either.

do you have any advice?

It is impossible to prevent or recover from burnout without reducing demand load and resting, often for an extensive period of time. Sometimes burnout recovery never happens at all. When we get burned out, our capacity to function is diminished, and there is no guarantee of it ever coming back.

It sounds like you're in a really overstimulating environment that is constantly busy and that you have very little control over your time and privacy, and that's causing you a lot of stress. I would speak to your care team about this to see if you can get some expectations waived. Burnout will almost certainly negatively impact your recovery progress so I hope they take this seriously. Unfortunately I put no trust in such institutions.

[qqueenofhades]

hi I hope you don't mind but I would love to hear your long tired historian rant you mentioned in your tags on that one post, if you feel in the mood to share? (no pressure!)

(also thank you for existing, you do wonderful work and the world is a better place for you being in it)

Aha. Well. For context, the mention of said rant was in relation to this post:

Basically, this post struck a nerve because of how it exactly encapsulates the anti-intellectual, anti-academia, anti-historical, anti-reality thinking that is absolutely rampant in social media spaces, even and especially spaces that identify as leftist, liberal, or otherwise "superior" to the right wing when it comes to identifying fake news or misinformation. (Example A: anything ever written by a self-proclaimed leftist on Twitter.) We all know that there are huge problems with the American public school system (and the people writing this are almost always American) and the American practice of education in general, and that yes, there are many things that happened in the past (or y'know, the present!) that are not taught very well, or at all. But because the American public school system is so decentralized and largely autonomous, incredibly dependent on the temperament of local superintendents and/or school boards, taxation and funding, availability of teachers, requirement of useless standardized tests, etc., it is very difficult (if not outright impossible) to claim that this is the result of a Unified Grand Conspiracy To Not Teach Real History To The Youth In Order To Make Them Mindlessly Support Capitalism. That is the exact sort of deranged conspiratorial thinking that the right wing does and fits everything into a sinister narrative about how "They" are planning to keep you ignorant and therefore nothing harmful that you ever think or do is really your fault. It's not good.

(Whoosh. That was very calm and reasonable of me. For the rest of this post, please just picture Captain Holt "apparently that's a trigger for me" dot gif.)

Also: even in public school, and despite the Republicans' best efforts, there are plenty of opportunities to study complex or "controversial" subjects. For example, I spend a week every June grading AP Euro History exams with a lot of other educators in a giant windowless steel box (woo-hoo, fun times!) Every year, there are questions on the exam about women's rights, imperialism and exploitation, slavery/race relations, the development of capitalism and the current economic model, religion and science, the history of labor, and other topics that would be considered "controversial" if you're an idiot. This is an exam taken by high school students in all grades from across the country, and there are also AP World History and APUSH (US history) exams every year which are doubtless making an effort to address similar themes. This is an advanced program, yes, but it's widely available to many schools and is not a result of a sinister plot to keep the youth from discovering the truth. Also: you live in an era of absolutely unprecedented access to information. Put down the ChatGPT bullshit generator and visit a goddamn public library. Or even open Wikipedia. The tools are there for you to start educating yourself and they are so easy to find!!!!!

The "Historians Are Hiding The Truth!!!" narrative becomes even more ridiculous in university-level or professional academic historical-study spaces, especially when historical educators and associations (such as the American Historical Association) have been at the forefront of pushing back against right-wing efforts to censor history, punish teachers, and remove culture-war subjects from classrooms. Also as someone who has advanced degrees in history, has taught/worked in several universities in different countries, writes and publishes historical research, and otherwise participates professionally in the field: trust me, we aren't "hiding" shit. There are vigorous debates and disagreements on various bogglingly obscure subjects and points of clarification and so forth, but that doesn't mean we're not talking about them (trust me, we're often talking about them too much). If you're issuing confident blanket statements about how "historians are conspiring to hide x," you're an idiot.

This also has dangerous repercussions in the field of, say, politics and civics, where a lot of absolutely braindead Online Leftists have spent the last four years posting deranged nonsense on social media and then, whenever they're called out on it for that not actually being how anything works at all, whining that "I was never taught this!!!" (And yet, it somehow never actually changes their perspective or their theories....) They whine about how "they didn't know this" and it was someone else's fault, they make up total fantasy about what the Biden administration did or should have done and now are still happy about Trump coming back because "It will teach the Democrats a lesson!!!" and otherwise accelerating us oh-so-quickly down that slippery slippery fascism slope. Their weaponized ignorance and their magical fantasies about what "should" have happened often come back to this same learned helplessness, where it's everyone else's fault (especially Capitalism's) that they're total wankers. Look: I'm not a goddamn fan of capitalism either. But we all grew up in this same system, and some of us aren't raving idiots, so at some point, you have to take the tiniest modicum of personal responsibility for the information you seek out, the content you consume, the opinions you propagate, and the people you surround yourself with. Shocking.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Online Leftists are actively and unrepentantly enabling American fascism and should be treated in the same way as we treat MAGA when it comes to deciding what is good or worthwhile information. This is because their entire political philosophy (insofar as their beliefs can be dignified with the term) is based on the "make shit up and remove it from any basic empirical references, grounding in reality, or 'should I run the most basic Google search and see if I'm completely talking out of my ass in a distorted social media echo chamber? Nah I'm good' " technique. This is, as the original tweet above references, trying to retcon sheer malicious laziness and stupidity into grand ideological theories about how it's actually "better" that they don't know a damn thing and won't shut up. It's your evil history teacher's fault, or "academics are all rich and elitist" (ask any academic-precariat person like me and we will laugh hollowly and then throw monkey poop at you), or "They" wouldn't let you learn this, or on and on. Even in our terrible, awful, no-good very-bad timeline, there are still ample tools to educate yourself, to learn how to filter out bad information and junk news, and otherwise gird yourself even a little for the even-more-massive assault on empirical reality that we are about to experience in the next four years (ugh). I suggest you take advantage of them.

[autistichalsin]

Analysis of each character's final words in the new Dark Urge evil ending

If you are romanced to a character, you have the option, when taking the new version of the Sins of the Father ending, to kill your partner in front of the others in your party, killing them with one last kiss. They then give their last words and pass away. I love each and every one and feel they are incredible characterization moments.

So let's break these down!

Lae'zel:

I... I am glad it was you. No other blade would have sufficed.

This is something that hammers home that, Vlaakith or no, Lae'zel deeply believes in all the ideals of a Githyanki. Life is a privilege for the strong, and death is the price of weakness. Further, if romanced, Lae'zel will affectionately call you "the source of my bruises" many times. If she has to die, if she has finally found the one person stronger than herself, then she is "satisfied" that it is you- who she both loved and admired. The only one she would ever consider worthy of besting her.

Karlach:

Fuck you.

Short, simple, and to the point, just the way Karlach does everything else. She's already gone through all her stages of grief with her engine- well, almost all of them. Anger still remains. She burns hot until the end.

Wyll:

I... I forgive you.

This isn't just Wyll being a good guy. This is heartbreak, and guilt. Guilt for not saving you from Bhaal's influence when he was so sure he had. Heartbreak that after he gave his literal soul to save as many people as he could, he couldn't save you- and couldn't save others from you, either. All he sacrificed, negated in an instant by the person he loved and trusted most. Of all the characters here, Wyll (tied with Halsin) sounds the most obviously broken, and it's easy to see why, given that he is self-sacrificing to a fault.

There was a set of scenes datamined from the game, where at the Morphic Pool, the Netherbrain would have taunted the players, causing them to hallucinate things related to their fears and insecurities. Wyll's would have been a vision of himself talking about how he was never a hero, how the Blade of Frontiers was a farce all along. One can't help but think about that scene here, wondering just how much blame, bordering on self-loathing, he might feel here.

Dark Justiciar Shadowheart:

I... I'm coming to you, Lady Shar.

Another short and simple one. By becoming a Dark Justiciar, Shadowheart has fully embraced the nihilism of Shar's teachings. Why be saddened or angry at her own death when this is just what she's embraced with all her sacrifices?

(Sidenote: this does also answer a question I had, namely, what was going to happen to everyone Durge kills. Thankfully it seems they aren't actually going to be sacrificed to him as such, and will indeed end up in the realm of their deities. This makes Bhaal's plan even DUMBER, because deities in DND lore need worshippers to have enough power to exist. Killing everyone at once just guarantees that soon after Durge dies as the last person alive, so too will Bhaal fade from existence.)

Selunite Shadowheart:

I... I thought we were going to save each other...

This Shadowheart rejected everything she knew. She was scared to defy her goddess, but worked up the courage- thanks to you. She thought you would have a new life together. She believed in you. She thought she would get to return the favor, and help you turn the page on Bhaal, too.

She's not just heartbroken for herself; she's heartbroken for you, too. Heartbroken at the life you denied both her and yourself.

Gale:

You made me want to live...

From the moment the orb entered Gale's chest, he knew he was at risk of dying. Then Mystra all but marked him as a dead man walking. But despite that, he finds love with you- and for the first time thinks maybe there is a purpose for him beyond Mystra. That he isn't more useful to the world dead. More than that, he wants to live to be with you, to enjoy your company and companionship. And then you kill him, and do the one thing WORSE than what would have happened if he'd never been pulled from that rock.

It almost would have been kinder to just hack his hand off the first time you met him, though Gale may or may not agree.

Spawn Astarion:

I should have killed you when I had the chance...

The angriest, most bitter response out of all the romanced companions, a step beyond Karlach's "fuck you." This is beyond "fuck you" and even beyond "I hate you." It's "I regret every moment I spent with you." You made him believe he could have better. That he could recover from what Cazador did. You even convinced him to spare the 7,000 spawn and that he could be something better than Cazador.

And now you reveal it was all a lie. Astarion is probably thinking that you talked him out of completing the ritual solely so he'd be easier to kill right here and now. How many regrets are flashing through his mind, how many moments where he wonders if things could have been different if only he'd done this or that, even aside from killing you?

All he wanted was to live as a free person. And then the first time he thinks he has that at last, he loses it as the world ends.

Ascended Astarion:

No... no, this can't be... I can't- you can't- no...

In contrast to spawn Astarion, ascended isn't angry, because he doesn't have the clarity, the ability to process what's happening. Spawn Astarion could tell he'd been betrayed.

But Ascended? Ascended, who went through so much to become one of the most powerful beings in the world, only to STILL lose without fanfare? And by you, his own spawn who he thought he had under his control? It isn't betrayal, because he is bluescreening; he can't comprehend what happened or how or why. How could he have been killed, and by you of all people? Was all he went through killing Cazador really for nothing? How could it be when he was supposed to be the most powerful? Was power actually meaningless all along?

He doesn't say anything of substance because he can't understand what's happening here.

Halsin:

Thaniel... goodbye...

Halsin is the oldest of all the companions. He's experienced the most loss of anyone; his birth family, his fellow Druids, and, for a time, Thaniel. He has had more than enough time to contemplate his own mortality, because he's already lived multiple lifetimes.

So here, two things are happening. One, he isn't expressing anger or betrayal at his murder- because he is more than wise enough, and humble enough, to understand that there are worse things than what has been done to himself. Instead of himself, he is thinking of the world he's leaving behind that is about to fall- and most of all, of his most important person, the one who gave him a purpose, who was there when no one else was, who he failed once and only just got back. The closest thing to a child he'll ever have. In his last moments, instead of himself, Halsin is thinking of those he loves.

And second, it's an almost deliberate snubbing of Durge. He willingly walked into that kiss, knowing full well it would be the last thing he ever did. He gave you his death, he pleaded with his own god to forgive you and him both. He gave you everything he felt he owed you, and no more- no begging or sobbing. Instead, he comes as close as he ever gets to selfishness, and spends his last moments thinking about the thing that makes him the happiest- which could have been you, in another life, if you hadn't done this.

Minthara:

No... we were meant to do this together...

Heartbreak, disbelief, and betrayal. You spent so many nights planning this out. She had been cast aside by her people, her goddess, and she was going to get the last laugh. She was going to crush them personally under her heel and prove she was the best (or second best, behind you) of all of them. She's devastated she won't get to help you torture all those souls and take what she feels was owed to her. But interestingly enough... no anger. Probably because it was overshadowed by the sheer heartbreak, but also a sign that even in those moments, she still admires you for your ruthlessness.

[i9messi]

She's my lady — Charles Leclerc

You're a figure skater competing in the Winter Olympics and Charles doesn't hide he is your biggest fan.

note: i know winter olympics are in 2026, but let's pretend they are in 2025 for the sake of this fic. also, reader and charles are in an established relationship.

smau

MASTERLIST

yourusername

holidays with you 🤍 charles_leclerc

liked by charles_leclerc, georgerussel53, carmenmmundt and 656.876 others

view all comments

user1 so beautiful

user2 did she spend holidays with charles' family?

user3 yesss, she spent holidays with her own family (of course george was there) and the leclercs

carmenmmundt I love you, angel 😇

yourusername I love you too bonita

charles_leclerc I don't have enough words to describe how much I love you, I guess I need to remind you right now. Let the phone and come with me, I miss you

yourusername omg Charles ☺️ I love you, wait for me

georgerussel63 😡

yourusername say something nice or I'll block you

georgerussel63 okay, I love you and I guess your relationship with Charles is fine

yourusername I love you big bro

yourfriend miss uu

yourusername i miss you more

yourusername

i'm back ⛸️

liked by charles_leclerc, arthur_leclerc, francisca.cgomes and 788.563 others

view all comments

user1 YESSSSSS

user2 counting the days to see her in the winter olympics

arthur_leclerc you're awesome!

❤️ liked by yourusername

francisca.cgomes teach me how to skate on ice pls

yourusername whenever you want🤍

francisca.cgomes are you free tomorrow?

yourusername of course, send me a text xx

charles_leclerc you're so special to me, I love you

georgerussel63 oh stop being so annoying, carlossainz55 come to help me and say something to him

carlossainz55 charles man, stop setting the bar too high

charles_leclerc I'll never stop

yourusername 🤭

charles_leclerc

my beautiful girl, good luck on the winter olympics. I am already proud of you and I'm the luckiest man to have you

liked by oscarpiastri, maxverstappen1, yourusername and 1.245.355 others

view all comments

user1 I don't know anything about figure skating, someone explain

user2 she's competing in the winter olympics, a championship of sports related with ice. she's in the category women's singles, which means she doesnt have a partner, she skates alone

user3 is she good?

user2 yess, she has medals already

yourusername i love youuuu, thank you for the support baby

charles_leclerc have I told you i'm your biggest fan?

user4 can you fight?

charles_leclerc yes.

maxverstappen1 good luck on the winter olympics yourusername!

yourusername thank you max🥹

user5 two of the current best athetles in the world interacting wih each other. oh, and they also are charles girlfriend and boyfriend

charles_leclerc just posted a story

caption: so much talent, so much passion. it's you, it's always you

yourusername

next round!

liked by charles_leclerc, oscarpiastri, georgerussel63 and 766.887 others

view all comments

charles_leclerc I LOVE YOUUUUU

charles_leclerc YOU WERE INCREDIBLE

charles_leclerc YOU'RE EVERYTHING

user1 and you're just ken

user2 i want a man like charles

user3 i want a gf like y/n

georgerussel63 that's my little sis!

❤️ liked by yourusername

oscarpiastri good luck mom

yourusername thank you son xx

user4 charles and his gf adopting oscar as their son is making me really happy

landonorris are cute girls there? invite me next time

yourusername even if i know i really want to win, i don't need you distracting all the girls around

user5 she was so good, I loved her performance!

user6 she's my favourite figure skater in the championship

charles_leclerc just posted a story

caption: my lady won a medal!

charles_leclerc

I know how hard you have been working to win a medal and make us proud. You won, baby. I just see how lucky I am to have you and I'm so happy with the fact the people now can see how talented and wonderful you are. You're kind and a beautiful soul. I love you so much. You make me proud, just want to tell the world how much I love you. Forever yours, Charles.

liked by yourusername, pierregasly, maxverstappen1 and 2.345.454 others

view all comments

yourusername oh charles baby 🥹 i'm yours and i love you. thank you for all the support you gave me during these last weeks and for your kind words🤍

charles_leclerc ❤️❤️❤️

user1 can charles fight? like for real, can he really fight?

charles_leclerc I would murder for her

user1 okay sorry sir

charles_leclerc she's my lady in case you have forgotten

user2 you never made us forget she's your lady, you're like always remembering us

maxverstappen1 we lost him

landonorris you mean, you lost your boyfriend

maxverstappen1 shut up

user3 get a man who posts about you and writes cute words for you

user5 the bar was never too high like now

yourusername

I won a medal and my boyfriend proposed: luckiest girl alive

liked by charles_leclerc, carmenmmundt, georgerussel63 and 1.726.875

view all comments

georgerussel63 my little sis is gonna get married, i'm already crying

yourusername I'm not that little anymore

georgerussel63 you'll always be a baby

yourusername fine, old man

carmenmmundt congrats beautiful❤️

yourusername will you be my bridesmaid?

carmenmmundt omg yesss

francisca.cgomes oh my godness, i'm so happy for you!!!

❤️ liked by yourusername

oscarpiastri yesss, congrats for the medal and for the ring

user1 how do you feel about your parents getting married?

oscarpiastri i'm now a happy kid

yourusername i love you son 🤍

oscarpiastri I love you mom❤️

landonorris yessssss, congrats you two!

user2 omgggggg I knew it

user3 rumors were true

charles_leclerc

she said yes, and now I can say "SHE'S MY WIFE!!!!!!! HAVE YOU SEEN HER? SHE'S INCREDIBLE"

liked by yourusername, georgerussel63, maxverstappen1 and 2.654.876 others

view all comments

yourusername oh boy, you're making me cry again. I love you lots, you're the best thing that ever happened to me🤍

charles_leclerc I love you wife❤️❤️❤️

maxverstappen1 congrats!

yourusername charles still loves you

maxverstappen1 what? don't say shit like that

yourusername i'll keep your secret

user1 adopt me pls

oscarpiastri no, I don't want a sibling

user2 it's a love story and she said yes ❤️

[ahundredtimesover]

I Want You to Stay (09) | JJK

Pairing: Jungkook x (f.) Reader

Genre/Tags: boss!JK x assistant!reader; idiot strangers to lovers; slow slow burn; k-drama feels; angst, drama, fluff, smut

Chapter (Series) Warnings: foul/explicit language; alcohol consumption & passing out, unhealthy coping mechanisms; family drama; minor injuries; power dynamics (JK starts off as a jerk); work-related anxiety, feelings of helplessness, insecurities; childhood traumatic experiences, nightmares; sexual harassment, attempted assault; use of the term slut in a derogatory way, prior incidence of domestic violence (PLS PLS BE CAREFUL WHEN READING); arts and business/property devt talk that’s probably inaccurate; commitment issues & emotionally constipated characters; cold and detached JK; eventual explicit sexual content (specific warnings stated per chapter) (18+)

Chapter Word count: 18.4k

Series Masterlist

Status: Ongoing

Series summary: Working for Jungkook isn’t the same as working for Hoseok. For starters, Jungkook doesn’t smile, he doesn’t appreciate you, and he gives you too much work. It doesn’t help that he’s incredibly handsome and has women at his beck and call. But as the tension grows, it becomes impossible to resist him. You’ve dedicated yourself to your job for 8 years so when you finally decide to put yourself first, he asks you to reconsider. And while you know that leaving is difficult, you learn that when it comes to Jungkook, staying is always so much harder.

Playlist 🎶: on the way home

A/N: Hiii thank you for being patient, and again for all your love and appreciation for this story. 🥰 Updates will continue to take longer as I return to uni. On another note, I hope you enjoy this!

And as always, my biggest thanks to @wonwoonlight  🥰

PS. If I can’t tag you, pls fix your settings!

Seeing you standing in his kitchen donned in that pastel-colored blouse makes Jungkook stop in his tracks; you’re exactly who he needs to wake him up. 

It’s been weeks of vacation, which also means weeks without his usual routine. It’s striking how being absorbed in his work has altered him in that sense - he looks for the stress, for the long hours, for the isolation that’s demanded of his job. Perhaps there was just really nothing to look forward to, and work was an excuse for all those things because there wasn’t much else going for him. Ironic, considering everything he can do with what he has, yet nothing seems to be what he’s looking for, even if deep down, he knows what it is.

This is something that Hoseok and A-yeong made him realize during the trip as he watched them gush about the pretty streets and marvel at the fjords and immerse themselves in the view of the northern lights. 

His cousin, the President of the company who makes decisive decisions and conducts press conferences and signs off on billion won projects, is the same man who squealed during a husky ride in Finland, laughed his butt off when he slipped on a glacier, and muttered words of love to his wife as they all watched the bright evening sky over the lake in Norway. There was so much passion in him, something A-yeong mirrored, whether it was about work or his relationships or just about everything in life. Hoseok looked forward to that trip, to that time with his wife, to that break, to seeing the scenery and feeling peace. 

While Jungkook found himself constantly thinking about the Arts Center and upcoming projects and new design ideas… and the one person who connected him to all those - you. It felt like he was rushing towards something because the achievement was the goal, and while he stopped by the mountains and marveled at the water as he sat on the cliffs, his mind was racing, chasing something that he couldn’t even grasp. 

That’s how the past six years have been. Perhaps more, he thinks. Maybe 20. He’s never allowed himself to just be. Quite frankly, he doesn’t know who he is outside of what he does; he doesn’t know much of how he is outside of being an executive and heir, and so during the moments when he isn’t functioning as such, he’s a bit lost, just existing in a place he’s visiting, not knowing how to interact, how to breathe; not knowing how to connect or to be free.

You’re the bright spot amidst it all. With you around, he still seems to be wandering while stuck in a certain spot, but he’s not alone because you’re there. With you around, there’s a sense of calmness somehow, with your smile and your presence warming the coldest parts of him that he’s left untouched and unfeeling for years.

So when he walks towards you, his eyes fully opening now to see you better, he hums in satisfaction. 

“It’s nice to see you again,” he says, prompting you to turn around. “It feels like it’s been so long.”

“Really, Mr. Jeon? I thought the three weeks felt fast,” you giggle. “But it’s nice to see you, too. Were you able to rest out there?”

“Somehow,” he replies, taking the glass of water you give him.

“Is that why you passed on your morning workout to sleep in?” You raise an eyebrow, thinking that he’d slept in when you walked into his penthouse earlier without the usual sounds from the gym that you’d gotten used to.

“I was pretty jet lagged,” he groans. “Couldn’t sleep so I did it last night to tire myself out and then I finally fell asleep three hours ago. It’s a miracle I woke up after the tenth snooze of my alarm.”

“Ooh, that is not good, considering all the documents on your desks and messages on your inbox,” you shake your head. “What if I move the team meeting to tomorrow so you don’t push yourself too hard today? You could’ve taken the day off.”

“And have a worse day tomorrow? No thanks,” he chuckles. “I’m fine, but I agree with moving the meeting.”

“Just take it slow,” you advise. “I brought some pastries because I know your fridge and pantry are empty. I’ll get them ready shortly.”

“I’ll wash up then.”

You follow not long after, preparing his outfits for the second half of the week, then setting out the breakfast for both of you. He returns to the kitchen wearing the brown suit you chose for today, looking just as handsome as you remember. You fix his tie like you always do and meet his eyes like it’s reflex, the warmth bubbling within you when he returns your soft smile. You take your seat a chair away, taking your iPad after to start going through updates when he stops you.

“Not yet, please. My mind’s still half asleep.”

“Okay, sir,” you respond. “We can talk about your trip instead. How was it?”

Jungkook finds himself more engaged in telling you about it, not like how he was when his best friends met him for dinner last night and he was too tired to narrate how it went. But you ask with such excitement that he ends up sharing more than what he planned.

He talks about the Vikings museum and historical tours, the bike rides and coastal walks, the calm but lively cities and the breathtaking waterfalls. He even mentions the things he’d only kept to himself - like that one evening when the sky looked like one of Lee Jaemin’s paintings that had him staying at the balcony with a glass of wine while basking in its beauty, and when they were in Hans Christian Andersen’s hometown and he wondered what kind of fairytale character he would be, and that he learned he really enjoys hot springs during the winter. They’re random thoughts that he just ended up saying, somehow feeling natural and comfortable in sharing them with you. 

You indulge him, asking more and sharing your thoughts, too. You even throw in the occasional teasing remark and playful laughter. You ask about the scenery, expressing your yearning for the outdoors that you said you never really appreciated before, as the open space always overwhelmed you.

He passes you his iPad where he’s opened the folder of the photos that he took with his camera, a gift from Taehyung who’d said that Jungkook needed to go out more and “feel the sun.” He rarely used it but a Northern Europe trip seemed like the perfect excuse. He’s used to assessing interiors and marveling at structures from afar, but this time he got to appreciate what lies beyond his walls, beyond the little world he’s been burrowing himself in.

“These are stunning, Jungkook,” you gush, dropping the formalities as he shares something that feels so personal. “I didn’t know you had the talent for photography, too.”

“I wouldn’t call it a talent,” he shakes his head. “I took it as an elective during university and it helps with design ideas. I should at least take nice photos if I need inspiration or a basis. I don’t really do it much, though.” 

“Did it make you feel good, at least?” You ask, wondering what else gives him satisfaction.

“Somehow. It makes me feel good when I’m looking at the pictures. I’m transported to that day and that place again, like a holder of memories and desire for the good things.”

You go through the photos - dozens of them. He didn’t take too many, just one or two shots of every scenery. Beyond the majestic landscape, there are the everyday scenes - people talking at a cafe, strangers enjoying the park. There’s a couple holding hands, laughing at each other; from the silhouettes, you can tell they’re Hoseok and A-yeong, a moment that Jungkook probably thought too precious to not capture. 

Something in you stirs, as the photos elicit a mix of awe and yearning. You look at Jungkook and you think it’s what he felt, too. 

There’s a saying you heard about watching what people photograph to learn what they fear losing. With Jungkook, it seems as if these - freedom, tranquility, connection, intimacy - are things he wants; somehow they seem to be what he fears having. 

“It’s nice to have a keeper of good memories, isn’t it? Of that reminder that beautiful things exist and that they’re tangible, you know?” You say, returning his gadget. 

“It is,” he responds after a beat of silence, seemingly processing your words. “We forget sometimes. Or maybe, we just don’t know what that’s like. In that case it’s like an illusion. But it’s still good to have that, I guess. It’s still something.”

You don’t know what more could be said. It feels too personal or even intimate of a conversation to have with your boss on a Wednesday morning as you eat breakfast in his apartment. So you let it go, smiling as you say you’re glad he got to have some rest. 

He says that so does he and then asks about how your holiday was as you both head to the car. You talk about it during the ride, how you spent a week in Wando with your mother’s partner’s family and then drove to Jeonju, how the entirety of your break had you stuffing your face with food and bonding with them, and how they drove you back to Seoul last weekend, thankful that for those two weeks, they had you around.

You don’t tell Jungkook that some days, you’d think of him, wondering how he’s doing. You don’t tell him that you’d seen A-yeong’s posts and that he looked at peace in them, that there was a softness in his eyes that you’ve rarely seen on him. You don’t tell him that despite the vacation that you said you were looking forward to, you were also looking forward to this - having him back, sharing stories, and living in the silence alongside him.

You wonder, as you glance at him looking out the window, if this is what you meant about savoring the moment, enjoying what’s in front of you, and feeling less alone. Because right now, those are exactly what you feel. 

Jungkook wanted to wait to get to the office before proceeding to work matters, something that surprises you because he always gets down to business immediately, not unless he’s recovering from a hangover. But he blew you off even in the car, wanting instead to listen to your stories and then doodle on his leather notebook again for the rest of the ride. You end up meeting with him for an hour before he settles in, then he goes to lunch with his father, meets with your team, and then decides to visit the Arts Center mid-afternoon. 

Work is back in full-swing just like that, and you pull the energy from within you to manage the crazy week. There are start-of-the-year events to attend and organize, a board report and meeting to prepare for, new projects to initiate, and a major one to monitor. 

You’re glad that despite all that, Jungkook allows you to have a four-day off on the succeeding week so you can celebrate your birthday with a road trip down coastal towns with Jimin and Soomin. It’s a silly thing to do in the middle of winter, but they insist that warmth is most satisfying when it’s cold outside, and you don’t disagree. You’ll definitely be sighing in relief when you hold the steaming hot hotteok in between your hands, and it’ll be the best one you’ll have. 

It’s Thursday and you’ll be back in a week. You’ve just finished briefing Do-hyun, who’ll be covering for you while you’re away, and you get off your chair to grab tea in the pantry. Jungkook’s voice stops as you, as he stands by his door and asks if you’re already leaving.

“In an hour, Mr. Jeon,” you reply. “Is there anything I can help you with until then?”

“No, nothing,” he says. “I’m actually about to leave for dinner with Taehyung and Seokjin.”

“Oh, alright, sir,” you hum. “Goodbye, then. And I’ll see you next week. Just know that you’re the only one who can disturb me.”

He laughs in response. “Come on, I won’t be badgering you, especially on your birthday. It’s your one week away from me. You have to savor it.”

“So should you,” you counter. “But okay. I will.”

“Good,” he nods. “I’ll just fix up and go ahead then.”

He returns to his room and you’re just the tiniest bit disappointed that he didn’t properly greet you but you suppose that’s good for you. So you go to the pantry and end up chit-chatting with the team, finding yourself smiling when you look up and see Jungkook by the door, who tells everyone not to stay too late before he heads out. 

You arrive back at your desk, your heart beating fast at the sight of a small brown bag on your table. 

For your trip. Something to help remind you that beautiful things exist and they’re tangible, the note reads. Happy birthday. 

Your mind goes to a conversation you had not long ago, about how photos can elicit certain emotions and be a keeper of memories, especially of good ones. You know this is from Jungkook, and you also have an idea of what this might be, which is why you open the package right away.

Still, it catches you by surprise, especially when you find two disposable film cameras inside. They’ll definitely be enough for your upcoming trip and you know the photos will come out amazingly. You’re ecstatic. 

Perhaps this is why he wanted to leave before you did - you’d thank him and he’d be terrible at accepting it again, then you’ll call him out for it. Maybe it was good he hadn’t stuck around to see you act this way. At least he didn’t see you with that silly smile on your face.

But Yoongi does as you head down the elevator, smirking at you when he sees the bag you’re holding and the familiar handwriting on the card.

“I’m guessing you’re not fighting it anymore, huh?” He says, teasing yet somehow still comforting. 

“I’m trying not to, even if I know I’m being stupid,” you admit. “I can at least have these fleeting moments of joy after I walk away from this.”

“Retain the good memories. That’s one way to let things go,” Yoongi advises, as he exits the carriage on the parking lot floor.

The doors close on your smiling face, and he chuckles to himself at the irony of things. That’s how he learned to let you go, after all.

You return to work the following week with a spring in your step, with Jungkook noticing as you heat up the fried rice that you told him you’d be preparing for breakfast. You hum as you go about in the kitchen, feeling energized after the last few days you’ve had. 

It was freezing, but you, Soomin, and Jimin went a little crazy and ran down the beach whenever you drove by one, something you all did as kids living in Busan. The drives from town to town were slow but they had you all singing to your favorite songs, munching on chestnuts and bungeoppang, and stopping over viewing sites for fresh air and photos. 

You used Jungkook’s gift a lot, taking pictures of things that elicited strong emotions and good memories - purple and orange skies, snow melting on the pavement, the crashing ocean waves turning white at the tip, an empty playground in the park, Soomin’s infectious laughter, Jimin’s angelic smile. 

The cold was an excuse to seek your best friends’ warmth and they took advantage of it. It reminded you of those few years growing up with them before you returned to Daegu for college, something you and Jimin reminisced about, and something that you thanked him for after what seemed like ages. You recalled how he approached you first as the new girl who entered school in the middle of the school year, how he followed you around because you were always alone and was scared of loud noises, and how he’s never left your side since then. 

Every night during that trip, he hugged you as you tried to fall asleep, knowing you needed it for the cold you felt inside and out. He was next to you when you talked about Jungkook gifting you the cameras and admitted that it made you feel good, that it made you happy.

“I’m glad he’s showing you kindness,” Jimin had said. “But… just be careful, okay? Your heart is capable of a lot of good things. Pain is the last thing it deserves.”

“I don’t really know what my heart is capable of,” you replied. “My brain does the hurting but my heart… I don’t know what it does. I don’t know how it works.” 

It left him speechless then and somehow, you were glad that he just held you tighter, only because it was the only way you wanted to be comforted at that moment. But you also knew that whatever your heart ended up doing or experiencing, Jimin and Soomin would be there to help you make sense of it, to pick up the pieces should they need to.

“It seems as though your birthday rejuvenated you, ___,” Jungkook disrupts your thoughts. “You look much lighter and relaxed.”

“Only because I haven’t checked my emails nor taken new instructions from you,” you laugh as you serve the fried rice in bowls then head towards him. You fix his suit again and speak casually like you’ve gotten used to. “Once I open that iPad and see what I have to deal with, relaxed would be the last thing I’ll be.”

“Fair enough,” he chuckles. “Let me savor this then.”

His words catch you off guard and they prompt you to meet his eyes - soft yet piercing, then he turns shy and turns away from you. Perhaps he’s surprised at what he’d said, too.

“Work is stressful and your calmness rubs off on me most times,” he says nonchalantly. “We’ve got a busy few days ahead and I want that calmness to linger.”

“It will,” you assure him. “And yes, I feel rejuvenated, and that’ll probably last me for days so that will linger, even if I’m stressed, so don't worry. You’re gonna do well. I don’t doubt it one bit.”

Jungkook’s meeting the Culture Minister next week to present the Arts Center’s plans and activities leading to its opening to the public, which is why you think he needs that calmness as well. The team has been helping him with the preparations and while you felt bad that you didn’t get to contribute as much, he assured you that all the notes you left him have been instrumental. 

But still, his words affect you. Is this calm and relaxed version of you all he wants to savor? Does it mean anything more? 

The thoughts wander away as you have breakfast with him, and he asks if you wish to talk about work later on but you insist that you’re mentally ready for it all. He’s the one who gives you updates this time, and just like that, you’re back to your usual routine.

You glance at his plate, all clean right after because even this dish, he savors. And you realize that doing things for him, no matter how simple, makes you happy, too, especially when his lips turn up in a small smile and he nods in satisfaction.

“Good, huh?” You wiggle your eyebrows. 

“It’s infinitely better than mine,” he hums.

“So, it’s really, really, really good then?”

“You don’t even know how mine tastes like.”

“True. But Taehyung said once that yours was really delicious and I’ll take his word for it. Seokjin agreed and I believe them.”

“Wow, really? That’s a rare moment where they praise me,” Jungkook laughs. 

“You should savor that, too.”

“I should. Heavens know the last time that happened. And when it’ll happen again.”

“That’s kind of hard though, isn’t it?” You say, being a bit reflective as you go back to your daily routine after a trip that you wholly enjoyed. “Savoring things… capturing them, appreciating them. Like, you have to be in the moment, you have to be present, and that’s not easy to do.”

“It isn’t,” he responds after a while. “You have to care enough for something to be worth savoring, I guess.”

“Exactly. But how do you do that when everything is temporary - things, feelings… people. Not all of them are meant to stay,” you reply, meeting his eyes as they seem to be in deep thought.

“Maybe they will… if you ask them to,” he softly says.

“That depends.”

“On what?” He asks.

“If they have a reason to,” you shrug. 

Your faraway eyes tell him that you’re in deep thought, perhaps processing the exchange that even Jungkook can’t fully wrap his head around. But you turn to him not long after, smiling as you take the plates to clean up, as if you’d just snapped out of a trance, of a moment of honesty. 

He watches you from his seat. There’s an aura about you that truly feels more relaxed, yet there seems to be an added layer of pensiveness, of deep thinking that could easily be mistaken for savoring the moment when you might be questioning it, perhaps wondering if it’s real… or worth caring about in the first place.

Even until now, he doesn’t know what it is about you that has him hanging on to every word you say, like it’s some secret message or code to learning who you are and what your fears and pains and hopes and dreams might be. 

In the past months, his moments with you have allowed him a peek inside - there’s this yearning for something that you’re not ready for; there’s this knowledge of the fleeting nature of the world that you want to capture as memories because that’s the only way you can make them stay; there’s this desire for companionship that terrifies you more than anything.  

But then again, as he sees that soft courage in your eyes, maybe he knows why - he has the same fears as you, and perhaps that’s terrifying, too, as he realizes that much of what he’s scared of is tangible. 

He fears the emptiness left in your absence and the silence surrounding him when you’re gone. His trip over the holidays made him think so; this past week when you were away solidified it. There’s a lot of you to miss. He’s unsure how to deal with these thoughts and feelings; he doesn’t know how to move forward and be professional when you affect him this way. All he can hope for is that you’ll always find a reason to stay close to him, that you’ll always find a reason to want him around, and that every moment you share is something worth it enough for you to savor but that you both never have to let go.

You think about the conversation with Jungkook later that night on your way home. There’s something about the impermanence of the world that’s always scared you; things break and wither away all the time and you fear the loss in their absence. Perhaps it’s because you’ve experienced various types of losses throughout your years of living. 

You lost that childhood innocence the first time you saw your mother cry, then when her smile that finally returned was wiped off, and then when her hopeful eyes became filled with tears out of fear. You lost that comfort of a routine when you left Seoul at 10 years old, and then that stability when you said goodbye to your life in Busan. You lost that security when you decided to come back here with a dream tucked away, burdened with a debt and a past that you couldn’t escape. You lost that feeling of freedom when your favorite library closed, and then of safety during that night at the restaurant when you were hurt and exposed. 

It’s hard to savor things when you know you’ll lose them one day. But that’s also precisely why you should, as what these past months have been showing you, you think now. The absence reminds you that something good was in its place, and that at one point in time, it made you hope that you deserved it, that you were worthy of having it. 

But as you lay in bed that night and think of how much of Jungkook you thought about while you were away, you start to think that maybe things aren’t as temporary as you once believed. He was in the icy streets that you walked on and the warmth of the hot chocolate drink you had. He was in the drizzle on the playground that you wiped off and the touch of the leather notebook you saw at one of the shops. 

And perhaps that was the difference - you didn’t just stand by; somehow it felt like you connected with them - they were tangible, within your grasp, and that made them linger, that made them feel real. In your mind, that’s where they stayed.

The tail-end of winter marks the time when you’ve settled in the new year. All your backlog from the holidays and your short birthday break have been worked on. Operational plans and goals for the year have been finalized. The Board report and meeting are over and major events have been scheduled. Things are picking up now as the Arts Center is near its completion, with the consequent promotions and marketing on full speed. That last bit has been contracted to a subsidiary company but Jungkook is still on top of most things, which means that so are you. 

You accompany him to meetings with different departments regularly, and that’s on top of monitoring the other small projects that the VP office is working on, which is also on top of supporting Jungkook’s executive functions. In a blink of an eye, you’re back to the hustle and bustle nature of your job, and you’re reminded of why it’s been so hard to get out of it, and also why you can’t wait to do so. 

There’s just so much going on all at once, and given how you are, you give all of yourself to it because it’s the only way to get things done; it’s the only way to get through it without feeling like you’re taking for granted all that you’ve been given and achieved. But it also means you’ve lost the sense of meaning of most other things, and you wanna be able to do something that means something to you, something of good memories, of beautiful things that are tangible that you can touch and feel. 

You let go of the thoughts when Do-hyun and Yohan pop in your area to say goodbye. It’s another long night for everyone and you’re glad that they finally listened to you and decided to go home. You say that you still have a couple of things to work on when they insist that they walk you to the bus stop, telling them once more that you’ll be fine. 

“It’s forecasted to rain soon,” Do-hyun informs you. 

“I’ll get a cab, don’t worry,” you assure them. “Finance needs these files first thing tomorrow morning and we’ve got that ocular at 8. Thank you though.” 

“Fine, but let us know when you’re home, okay?” She says.

“I will. Get home safely, you two.”

You get back to work, and with the peace and quiet in the office with you being the last one here, you manage to finish what you need to in an hour and then finally call it a night. You head out and sigh to yourself once you see the lightning strike, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before the rain will begin to pour. You manage to bring out your umbrella by the time it does, then turn at the corner to look for a cab so you can avoid those who’ll be hailing from the main road. 

There are a few people who have the same idea as you, and it’s after some time before you spot one, with the driver slowing down once he sees you. But right as you start speed walking towards it, some man decides to get ahead, running past you and bumping you in the process, causing you to lose your balance. The wet pavement doesn’t help, as you slip on your foot and fall to the ground. You try to get up but jerk in pain when you do, realizing that you’d hurt your ankle, a foreign feeling that has you immediately worrying. 

After all the times you’d found yourself under the rain, this is the worst moment of all - you’re hurting, all alone, and completely worn out. You’ve had a really long day and you don’t have the energy for this; all you want is to go home and have some rest. But you know there’s no other way, so you shift on your bum, manage to get up and strain your arms in the process, then you limp to the nearest post you can find using your umbrella as a walking stick then stand on one foot.

The rain has weakened a little, so you’re at least not getting even more wet, but it’s still winter and you’ve started to freeze. There are no other cabs in sight and all ride-hailing apps have been such a pain to book. Knowing that it’ll be tough to get home in any way at this stage and that you won’t be able to manage on your own, you decide to call Mr. Ri. He’s always told you that if you need help for anything, he’s another person that you could call.

It’s half past 8 in the evening. You’re banking on him being on the way home after having dropped Jungkook off at his building after a dinner meeting at 5:30.

“Hey, ___. Is everything alright?” Mr. Ri asks, knowing you rarely call at this hour. 

“Not really,” you sigh, the shiver in your voice evident. “Have you dropped Jungkook off?”

“Not yet. But what do you mean, not really? What happened?”

“Are you driving?”

“No. I’m still waiting for him to finish. Tell me, are you in danger?” He presses, and you hear the worry in his voice. 

You told him about Chi-won some weeks after it happened, and Mr. Ri, having known you for many years, knows you’re not one to usually reach out. He’s made it a point to check on you regularly, and calls like this would definitely ring some alarm bells. 

“I’m not in danger but I hurt myself,” you say, quickly appeasing him that it’s probably just a sprained ankle and not that serious. “I just can’t get any ride and I can barely walk. I was hoping you were on the way home.”

“I’m not but I’ll go get you, okay? I’ll tell Jungkook and we’ll drive to you right away.”

“Mr. Ri, he’s in a meeting!” 

“That’s most likely over and now they’re just chatting over drinks,” he reasons. “I’ll get him. You know he’ll want me to.”

“You don’t know that,” you stammer.

“You weren’t there with him the days after what happened that night at the restaurant, ___,” he huffs. “I just knew it was really bad because of how worried he was, and he’s never been that way. So yes, I know he’ll want me to get his ass out of there and be on the way to you. Plus, I’m sure he’ll fire me if I don’t.”

“Fine,” you concede. “Just don’t make it sound so bad because it really isn’t.”

“You know I can’t control how that kid reacts,” he hums. “Just send me your location.”

Mr. Ri heads out of the driver’s lounge and rushes to the restaurant where he manages to send a message to Jungkook that you’re stranded somewhere with possibly a sprained ankle. He says it as it is, knowing that Jungkook won’t need much to decide on ending the meeting and go to you, which he does right away.

“What happened?” He asks the older man as they both walk towards the basement parking.

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask any more questions,” Mr. Ri responds. “She’s somewhere near the office. We’ll be there in 20 minutes.”

“Try for 15,” Jungkook instructs.

He calls you right after and he immediately picks up on your chattering teeth.

“Hey, ___. How are you feeling?”

You’re a little surprised when Jungkook calls this soon, and with how you’re trying to move past whatever attraction you have towards the man, this really isn’t helping.

“Just… cold. My umbrella flew away,” you laugh. “The wind’s picked up and I think it’s gonna rain again.”

Just as you say so, it starts, and you pick up on the change in Jungkook’s voice. You’ve since learned that he’s not fond of it, always closing his eyes and trying to tune everything out with even just a drizzle. But he continues talking and asks what happened, trying to keep you company. You narrate the incident and attempt to play it off as something minor, although the longer you stay leaning against the post, the more pain you’re starting to feel. 

“We’re five minutes away. We’ll be there soon,” he assures you then drops the call.

Jungkook clenches his fist and closes his eyes as the rain continues to pour. With the sound of the thunder, he jerks in his seat like he always does, but he pushes forward, knowing you need his help. He takes deep breaths just as he’s learned to do, and not long after, Mr. Ri informs him that he sees you just meters away.

The car slows down and Jungkook looks outside the window. He can see you leaning against a pole on one foot, drenched and shivering, your eyes closed as you wait for them to arrive. He meets Mr. Ri’s eyes in the rear view mirror as they halt, and with the rain just barely stopping, the older man nods and exits the car.

Jungkook watches from inside as Mr. Ri runs to you. He sees the smile on your face despite the droplets on the window. The older man takes your bag then helps you walk, leading you to the car where Jungkook manages to push the door open. 

You slowly enter with as much energy you can muster, wincing in pain when you have to adjust your foot inside. You sigh in relief as you feel the warmth and dryness of the car, prompting you to apologize for getting it all wet.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jungkook shakes his head. “We’ll take you to the hospital, okay? And I won’t accept no for an answer.”

You nod in agreement, knowing that much as you’re causing him inconvenience right now, you’re too tired to argue. You lean your head by the window and try to catch your breath. 

“Have you had dinner? He asks.

“Not yet. I was supposed to grab it on the way home.”

“We’ll pass by somewhere after the hospital.”

“Okay,” you look at him and smile. 

Jungkook isn’t surprised when you don’t counter him. Perhaps it’s the exhaustion, as he sees it in how your smile isn’t as bright as what he’s used to, with it fading as you turn away. You’re still shivering though, despite the car heater being turned up. He doesn’t have a towel to dry you up, though, so he instead removes his coat and instructs you to lean forward so he can place it over your shoulders to warm your back. He takes his puffer jacket from the front seat and puts it over your lap right after, giving you warmth there, too. 

“Is that better?” He asks.

“Yeah,” you mouth. “Thank you.”

His scent wafts through your senses, allowing you to breathe and feel all of him at once. It’s the closest thing to tangible comfort you’ve gotten from him, and you hate how good it feels.

You’re just about to fall asleep when the car comes to a stop. The rain has subsided and perhaps that’s why soon after, you hear Jungkook open his door and then your door, too. He removes his coat over your back, placing it back inside, then he holds onto your forearms to help you climb out. He takes his jacket and instructs you to wear it, giggling at how you’re being swallowed in it.

“I look ridiculous,” you pout as you sit on the wheelchair that he’s asked the nurse to get.

“Just a little,” he teases.

He walks next to you as you’re wheeled inside the hospital, staying close by when you explain to the ER doctor what happened. She assesses your foot and lower leg, diagnosing you with a sprained ankle like you expected, and proceeds to wrap it in elastic bandage. 

She treats the minor scratches on your palms you got from the fall then writes you a prescription for painkillers. Jungkook takes it so he can buy them for you after, then he helps you settle the bill with your insurance. 

You’re quite uncomfortable - you’re still a little wet and the bandage feels foreign around your foot. But you’re also feeling a bit shy, now that Jungkook is the one pushing the wheelchair towards the pharmacy nearby. He parks you at the side while he buys the medicine, and as you look on, you can’t help the relief mixed with giddiness that you feel despite the pain that’s close to overtaking you.

He stands by the counter with his white dress shirt slightly untucked and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hands are in his pockets while he waits for the pharmacist to return, and amidst everything that’s going on, you’re still able to admire how overwhelmingly handsome he looks, especially given what he’s doing right now for you. His side view is quite blinding, so you’re slightly embarrassed when he turns around and calls your name again after you missed it the first few times.

“Dazed and tired?” He asks as he walks back to you with a pack of medicines.

“Definitely,” you say, which isn’t a lie; it’s just not the whole truth. “I just want to eat and have a nice bath and then sleep.”

“And you’ll do all that soon,” he assures you. “We’ll pass by whatever’s open on the way to your place. Just make sure you don’t have the hot water on, okay? And then elevate your foot when you sleep.”

“Yes, I heard everything she said,” you playfully roll your eyes. 

“Including the full-on rest that’s required of you for the next few days?” He raises an eyebrow. “Because that’s what you’re gonna have. You’re on leave until you’re able to walk properly again, Ms. Cho.”

“So now you’re being formal,” you tease, flashing him a playful smile. “But yes, Mr. Jeon. The instructions are understood.”

“Good,” he laughs softly. “Glad you’re not being stubborn about it.”

“Oh, not with this one, not when I’m this tired and in this much pain.”

His look turns sullen at the admission of what you’re feeling and you wish he didn’t feel this bad. But you can’t deny the way it’s giving you butterflies, prompting you to scold yourself internally because learning how caring he is isn’t exactly what you need to get over a crush. This is definitely the worst part about being injured, you decide. 

You make it out of the hospital and he helps you again as you enter the car, sliding in next to you as he ensures that you’re warm. 

You pass by a noodle house on the way, and he buys you some more food for the next day despite your insistence that he didn’t have to. But you’re too tired to argue some more, and you doze off a little during the drive to your apartment, with your half-awake self mumbling your apology about taking up his time.

Jungkook playfully shakes his head. Knowing you’re probably shallow sleep-talking, he disregards your words. He just gets glimpses of you, comforted to know that you’re at least getting the most rest you can have, given your current state. The painkillers will kick in soon and that’ll help you sleep better, but right now, he wishes he could do more for you. 

In the deepest crevices of his heart, he wants to hold your still shivering hands and maybe hug your trembling body. He wants to stay with you until you’re warm and comfortable in your bed, perhaps assure you in whatever way that you’re not alone, that there’s help whenever you need it. He can’t imagine how it would’ve been like for you being under the rain, cold and hurt with no one around. 

On second thought, he can, and that’s the thing about it. Even if you get out of it with just a sprained ankle - considering how much worse it could’ve been - it’s still terrifying being alone and powerless, paralyzed on the spot and not knowing if anyone will show up. He wants nothing more than for you to get over that and be able to move past it because he knows how haunting it could be; he knows how restraining such memories are.

But he also knows that there’s not much he could do - not with the unnamed feelings he can’t express, and not with the line he still believes he shouldn’t cross.

So he settles for glances and soft smiles at your fluttering eyes and slightly parted mouth. You look tired but peaceful; he thinks it’s quite endearing. It also feels intrusive so he looks away, out into the streets that he’s able to somehow see now. He thinks about the timing of it all - your late night and his dinner out, your injury and the bad weather. He’s thankful that the rain subsided and that allowed him to help you as much as he was able to, and that he got to you in the first place.

You arrive at your apartment with you now fully awake, and Jungkook heads to your side right away. Pulling you out of the car requires more strength from him, and despite your terrible condition, the butterflies appear once more when he instructs you to hold onto him for support. You have to act unaffected when you feel his broad shoulders and taut arms, with your hands gingerly laying on them; you wonder if he feels anything, too, under the thin material of his dress shirt. 

His left hand only grazes your waist but his hold tightens after you grant him permission, perhaps knowing that it would be harder for you if he holds you that loose, he asked you to put your weight on him after all. Despite your agreement, you still hold in your breath, a silly attempt at slowing down your quickening heartbeat. He’s never been this close, and you’re unsure if you want him to be anywhere else.

You suspend your thoughts for the shortest of seconds until you both manage to get up the few steps to your door. Mr. Ri helps in unlocking it, and you settle on the dining chair that Jungkook pulls out for you after you both enter.

As you release a breath and watch him look around, it’s then you realize that your boss - the Jeon Corporation Vice President who lives in a penthouse in an exclusive district in Seoul - is in your tiny studio apartment that’s literally just the size of his bedroom. You’re not ashamed one bit but you are a little shy, so you jokingly welcome him to your “little mansion.”

“It’s nice,” he hums, looking around some more, which he doesn’t need to move to do. 

The small round dining table, the off-the-wall kitchen, and the three-seater couch are all in the open living space. There’s a half-wall that separates your sleeping area, with your double bed against it and the tiniest of balconies just off of it. 

You’re quite proud of what you’ve made of the place, with the plants in the corners, some chic art pieces on the walls, and photos with your friends and family on stick-on frames resting on the shelves. It’s cozy and comfortable for you, and you feel quite proud when Jungkook’s lips turn up when you respond that you’re happy here when he asks.

“It’s everything I need,” you hum. “And it’s in a safe part of town. My neighbors are older couples who are all kind.”

“That’s good,” he says, turning to you. “Will they be much help to you while you recover?”

“I’ll be okay,” you insist. “I have a crutch. I’ve got food to heat up, and my place is so small that I don’t have to move around to get things done. I don’t really need help, you know?”

He scrunches his eyebrows, seemingly unconvinced. 

“Watch,” you say, your shallow confidence pushing you to grab the crutch next to you then using it to walk towards him so you could prove that you’re capable enough to look after yourself. 

But your unfamiliarity with it leads you to mistime your step. Before you know it, you’re tripping on your foot and losing your balance, and as your life is about to flash before your eyes thinking that you’re gonna fall once again and make your injury worse, Jungkook’s reflex kicks in and he steps forward to catch you. You feel his grip on your waist gradually tighten as if to keep you steady, as if to make sure you’re alright. He’s so close, you can feel his breath as he pants, the worried look on his face something you’re familiar with by now. But he stays there, inches away, and so do you. 

He’s bending, so he stays leveled with you. You can see his long eyelashes resting on his honeyed skin and the endearing curve of his nose. He looks so soft like this, comfortable even, with his big round eyes looking like the most innocent ones you’ve ever seen.

The voice in your head suddenly becomes loud enough and you break his gaze, realizing then that you’re also clutching onto his shoulder for support. You give him a look of apology but he just laughs, something you’re thankful for because the last thing you want is for the tension to thicken.

“You’re stubborn, aren’t you? You think it’s that easy?” He shakes his head, his tone sounding like he’s both teasing and reprimanding you.

“It seemed like it,” you shrug, allowing him to help you back on the seat, disregarding the slightest bit of giddiness you feel as he has one hand on your free arm while the other ghosts over your waist in case you fall again.

“It’s not. And I know this because I’ve used this before,” he says. “So since you’ll be by yourself, we have to make sure you can at least use the crutch without falling, okay?”

“Fine,” you concede, listening to his instructions carefully then trying to do it on your own. 

It takes some getting used to, but after a few tries, you manage to at least walk without tripping. You plan on just staying in bed or on the couch tomorrow anyway so you’re not that worried. Even if Jungkook still seems to be.

“I’m okay,” you insist. “I’m gonna survive. But you should head home. It’s getting late and you have that ocular in the morning. I’ll just have to email Chin-sun about accompanying you and—”

“None of that,” he interjects. “I’ll be the one to tell her and I don’t want you worrying about work tomorrow, okay? You’re gonna take your medicine and just rest.”

“You’re demanding, aren’t you?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Only when I’m dealing with someone as stubborn as you,” he counters. 

You just laugh at him answering back, enjoying your banter more than you should, then he says that he’ll go ahead, for as long as you’re sure you can manage. It takes another five minutes until he makes it out the door. But before he disappears, you call his name, your heart skipping a beat when he turns around, as if he’s just hanging onto your every word.

“Thank you,” you say. “I know it was a long day and it was raining but… you still came for me.”

“Just recover quickly, okay? I’ll check on you in the morning.”

You nod and he leaves. And just like that, you’re once again on your own - damp, injured, and extremely tired. Jungkook’s presence remains in your apartment though, and there he is again, making you smile and making you feel things you shouldn’t.

You don’t mind being alone. In fact, you enjoy it. But during the times when you don’t want to be, he just happens to be there. And being the stubborn woman that you are, deep down, you like it that he is, that in your own little world with the walls up so high, he’s become a frequent visitor. You’re just not sure if you want him to stay just yet. 

You wake up the next morning feeling faint and sore, and it’s probably the painkillers having lost their effect. And there’s a reason why, seeing that it’s close to midday when you finally get out of bed. You manage to stand and walk to the kitchen with no issues, and you take your medication and heat up the food that Jungkook bought for you last night. It’s when you’re seated that he calls, bringing that smile to your otherwise uneventful day.

“Hello?”

“Hey, ___. How are you feeling?” He asks.

“Just fine. I took my medicines for the day and I’m about to eat lunch,” you reply. “And you? How was the ocular?”

“It was good. It has a lot of potential so I’ll run down the details with the teams and propose it. But speaking of sites, remember what I said about Hoseok and I thinking of a Scandinavian-inspired mid-rise in the mountains?”

“Yeah, the one you came up with during your trip. Are you gonna push through with it soon?”

“Perhaps. I’ve gotten emails of proposed sites for some other projects but I’ve seen a few that could work with this idea,” he shares. “There’s one in Gangwon that’s near the town center so it would be practical for many. There’s even— ah, why am I saying this to you now? You’re off the clock.”

“It’s okay,” you assure him. Jungkook doesn’t always show this much excitement with the projects he has to manage so when he does, you encourage him. It’s also an excuse to hear more of his voice. “My mind’s not prepared for being home today anyway so I’m a little disoriented. But that’s good. I can look into the sites and we can do an ocular whenever you prefer.”

“Alright, that’s something to schedule for next month. But uh, you sure you’re fine? Does your ankle still hurt? Did you get proper sleep?”

“Well, I slept like a baby,” you giggle. “And I at least remained in one position. It still hurts a bit but it should be okay in the next few days. I’m just gonna have to replace the bandage tomorrow morning.”

“Okay. Just make sure to ice it and keep it elevated.”

“Yes, boss,” you tease, earning you a groan. “But uh, thank you for checking up on me. I know you’ve got a busy day ahead.”

He’s silent, and you suppose it’s him again not knowing how to respond to gratitude, so you follow it up by saying that you’ll eat your meal now and reminding him of his meeting at 2PM.

“You better not be checking your emails and my calendar right now,” he warns.

“I’m not. I just memorize your schedule,” you defend.

“Okay then, I’ll go ahead.”

Jungkook drops the call and sinking in his seat, he sighs in relief. He managed to get through that conversation without sounding extremely worried, which is what he’s been since last night. His busy day today actually includes constantly worrying about how you’re doing, but he supposes it’s too much to let you know. Sure it’s just a sprained ankle, but knowing how you tend to move about, anything can happen. You were all alone for some time last night, too, just waiting for a way to get home. And that’s another thing he worries about - that fear latching onto you, that helplessness weighing you down.

He asks Mr. Ri if he’s heard from you, thinking that you’d probably be more honest with him, but the older man says you told him the same thing.

“Don’t you believe her?” Mr. Ri wonders.

“I do, but she’s quite stubborn though,” Jungkook laments. 

“Well, I’ve known her for a while and she tends to just deal with things on her own,” Mr. Ri says.

“But she shouldn’t. She’s injured.”

“I think it’s natural for people who’ve been alone for many years to be that way,” the older man shrugs. “I mean, you’re the same.”

Jungkook doesn’t disagree. And if you’re truly anything like him, then you’d just push through the pain and force it to stop hurting so you can go back to your normal busy life because doing so keeps you from thinking of how lonely it feels when you’re sick or hurt and there’s no one around. It’s how he’s always been, too, he admits to himself.

The thought disturbs him, which is why he messages you three more times during the day and then again the next morning, asking if he could drop by. He’s expecting you to insist that you’re fine and he doesn’t need to, so it surprises him when you say that he could. 

You’re pacing back and forth in your mind since you’re unable to physically do so, but the thought of Jungkook visiting you this Saturday morning is a lot for you to handle, even if you did say it was alright for him to come. The truth is, you wanted him to, only because selfishly, seeing someone be that worried about you gives you some form of comfort.

You called your family yesterday and told them about the injury, which they obviously panicked about. Your mom asked if you needed her to come to you but like always, you said she didn’t need to. You told Yoongi about it, too, and he was worried as well, in the classic way that he often is; he had food delivered to you for dinner last night so you didn’t have to think about it. You only told your best friends about it this morning and they were furious you waited so long to let them know; they were packing their stuff right as you were speaking to them two hours ago. 

You know you have people to depend on and would be at your doorstep anytime you ask. These are the same people who’ve done that for years and you fully accept their care and attention; it’s become a part of you and your healing process. But when someone like Jungkook who, for whatever reason he has, shows you the same, it feels different; he goes out of his way to show it to you, and he’s not even someone who normally does it. It’s a new kind of comfort, one that you find yourself seeking. So when he called earlier and asked if he could drop by, there was an internal sigh of relief. 

Over half an hour later, your doorbell rings, and you limp your way towards the door to open it. 

Other than being in suits, you’ve only ever seen Jungkook in his gym clothes - half naked as well - and in night out wear. You realize that this is the first time you’re seeing him in a casual outfit, and with a jacket over a sweatshirt and a brown beanie, he looks different - there’s that boyish charm that you’ve never seen; he looks softer, kinder, still reserved but a lot more comfortable.

You let him in after your greetings, then you turn to him and smile. 

“It’s really the suit, I know it now,” you tease. “It’s what makes you look intimidating.”

He looks at his attire then frowns at you. “So how do I look now?”

“Not intimidating.”

“Wow, what a surprise,” he playfully rolls his eyes. “Whereas you…” He eyes you in gray leggings and a blush jumper, looking soft and comfortable and even more like the bright spot he’s realized you are, but he’d never tell you that. “You look injured.”

“Gee, what a surprise. I feel injured, too,” you laugh. “But uhm, it’s nice of you to visit my humble mansion once again.”

“I just wanted to make sure you’re doing better,” he hums. “And bring some more food so you don’t have to worry about it.”

You eye the beef brisket with rice and say that you know what you’ll be having for lunch. He responds that he might just go back to the restaurant and meet his best friends there, too. You return to your seat on the couch, realizing there’s not much room for him to sit on, but he gets to you first, standing in front of you and eyeing the elastic bandage on the table.

“Aren’t you due for a redress?” He asks.

“Yes but uh, I can’t actually reach my foot,” you say with an embarrassed smile. “I’m not really flexible so I’ll just wait until Soomin and Jimin arrive.”

“I can do it,” he offers, thinking that the bandage isn’t serving its purpose if it remains loose. “I mean, I’ve dressed myself on my own before so I’m familiar with it.”

It’s probably the painkillers but something possesses you and you agree, your mind too out of it to take the words back. A part of you wishes you had, especially when your heart does a thing when he kneels on the floor and slowly takes your injured foot. You wiggle your toes in reflex, as if they’re shy, too, and Jungkook laughs at your silly antics, especially when you admit that you’re a little ticklish. 

But he softly looks at you right after and asks if he’s hurting you, and you shake your head, unable to say anything else and process that you really allowed this man - your boss and in-denial crush - to do this. 

You sit there, charmed by the way he looks determined to get this done. He removes the old bandage and wipes your ankle before wrapping it with a new one. His hands are large and quite rough but he’s very gentle, making sure to not lift your foot too high and that the bandage isn’t wrapped too tightly. Once he’s finished, he lays it on the table and looks up at you to ask if it feels okay.

“Yes,” you shyly smile. “Thank you. That was, uh, that was really nice of you.”

He nods and stands up to throw the trash in the bin, wanting to quickly hide his smile at how wholesome you looked in thanking him. 

He proceeds to look around, taking more of your home in. There’s something very calming about it, and it’s more than just the plants that you have and the right amount of sunlight coming from the balcony door and kitchen window. There’s also something familiar, as he looks through your shelf of photos, seeing your mom and her partner for the first time. She looks a lot like you. She has a nice smile like yours, and she sees that same joy on her face as he’d seen on you, as she hugs you tightly in one of the pictures. 

The familiarity is similar to when he first had a whiff of your scent - old rose like the one his mother used to wear, one he remembers as a child when he still clung to her. There are those memories that stick with him. Others he doesn’t have anymore but that’s good, he supposes. Seeing your shelf, he sees all the good and tangible things you hold dear. 

“The photo on the far right, the one with Soomin and Jimin. We took that during my birthday trip using your gift,” you tell him. “It came out really nicely.”

“It did. Did you finish the film? What else did you take photos of?”

“We used it all up,” you smile. “And just a lot of the scenery and the three of us. We all divided them so we could have copies and just remember how fun that week was.”

“Good, that’s what I hoped.”

Jungkook stands there, his jacket now off so his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and his hands are in his pockets as he looks through your shelf. You wonder what he’s thinking, what he’s seeing, if any of this makes him curious. It’s as if he’s taking in all the small parts of who you are that he can see displayed before him. He turns to you and your eyes meet again, and for a moment, it feels like you’re really seeing him and he’s really seeing you, like there’s something only both of you share and understand and want and can give.

But the doorbell ringing disrupts it, with you wondering who it could be since your best friends won’t arrive until an hour from now. Jungkook walks to the door and opens it, surprised to see Yoongi who’s just as surprised to see his friend in your apartment.

“Hey, you’re back. And… here,” you smile, attempting to stand up but Yoongi tells you to stay put. 

“I flew home last night and thought I’d visit and get you some food, but it seems like I’m second in line,” he says, his smug face causing you to glare at him. 

“I just wanted to make sure she was okay,” Jungkook defends. “I won’t stay long.”

“Of course you do. And I won’t stay long either. I don’t wanna disturb anything.” 

He smirks at his friend, prompting Jungkook to glare at him as well. 

“Yah, chill, you two. I’m really just passing by,” Yoongi reiterates, making his way now to sit on the arm of your sofa. “Just wanted to check on ___ and make sure she’s well-fed.”

“I’m injured, not starving, okay?” You groan. “But thanks. What have you got there?”

“Noodles, custard buns, and some tarts. Wasn’t sure what you’re into when you’re incapacitated,” Yoongi shrugs. 

“I’m very much mobile,” you correct him. “Just… slow and limping.”

Jungkook pulls your dining chair and sits in front of you, and the three of you talk as if this isn’t weird at all. You’re all colleagues - you and Jungkook consider Yoongi as your friend, but you don’t know if you should consider your boss as such, and you don’t know if he considers you the same. You’ve definitely experienced a lot of things that could qualify what you have as friendship, but even then, there’s something more about it, something a little more intimate, different, terrifying.

You brave through this dynamic and learn that Yoongi likes to tell Jungkook off a lot. It’s the kind of bluntness you expect from Yoongi’s no-nonsense attitude but it’s refreshing to see him be more straightforward towards someone like Jungkook who you’re used to seeing as commanding and serious. Jungkook takes the hits, seemingly unbothered as they bicker, and it’s another side of him you enjoy seeing - the smiles and laughter are natural, and there’s this comfort about him that you suddenly want more of.

The time passes quickly, with the doorbell ringing again signaling that your friends have arrived. Yoongi gets up first to open the door, greeting them who do the same. You manage to stand up with Jungkook telling you to be careful, and when it dawns on them who else is in your apartment, Jimin’s face turns sour and Soomin’s goes from confused to amused. 

Jungkook looks taken aback by the cold welcome, but he manages to introduce himself to them.

“Oh, we know,” Jimin says dryly. “You’re the one who gives her so much work that she had to do overtime again and that’s why she got hurt.”

You feel the tension come like a strong wave and you try to lower the level a little bit. 

“He also brought me to the hospital and got me some food,” you tell Jimin, whose bitterness isn’t unfounded. He did listen to you complain about this very man all those months ago. “He’s just checking up on me, making sure I’m alright, the way you guys are.”

“As we should,” Jimin huffs. “At least we don’t cause you any injury or pain.”

“You don’t. But you do make things better so could you do that, please?” You say, opening your arms for a hug, something to appease him before it gets even more tense. 

Jimin has the sweetest smile but wouldn’t be afraid to burn anyone down with his looks if they deserve it. Jungkook did at one point, but you obviously feel very differently about that now. But still, you glance at the man, hoping this encounter isn’t putting him off too much, and with the slight tinge of guilt in his eyes, you suppose it hasn’t.

Jungkook turns away, partly because a reminder of how he’d treated you before makes him regret even more how you both started, and partly because seeing you affectionate with any man - even if it’s your best friend - makes him a tiny bit jealous, only because it’s something he can’t be with you. Seeing you that way with Hajoon months ago was different; Jungkook had been more shocked than anything. But this time, given that his attraction towards you seems to grow every second, and that he’s been wanting nothing more than to comfort you, there’s more of that feeling of loss, of hope that it could be him one day, even if that’s something that’ll probably never happen.

“I know you dislike him but tone it down for now, okay?” You whisper to Jimin. “My place is too small to contain all this tension.”

“I know, I’m sorry. Seeing him just reminds me of what you had to go through because of him,” he says before pulling away. “But he did help. And well, Soo and I are still upset that you didn’t tell us sooner. You know we would’ve driven here on Thursday night.”

“I know, and that’s exactly why. You both had something big going on and I could wait,” you reply, a reason you give them everytime. 

Wanting a short breather from all this, you excuse yourself and ask Soomin to help you with something in the bathroom, and she heads there right away.

“Can you make sure that those two don’t murder each other?” You whisper to Yoongi as you gesture towards Jimin and Jungkook.

“It would be entertaining if they did, but yes, I’ll try,” he chuckles.

You walk to where Soomin is and after closing the door, she looks at you with the same amusement that she’s had since she arrived.

“What in the romance drama is this!” She exclaims, lowering her voice when you scold at her to keep it down. “All your three men coming to your home to make sure you’re okay? Talk about making an impression.”

“They aren’t my men, okay!” You scowl at her. “They all just happened to have the same thought. And no, Jimin doesn’t count.”

“Whatever,” Soomin laughs. “It’s just… I know you’re hurt and that you’ll be okay but it’s just amusing to see them show up for you like this. Especially the big boss. He’s way hotter up close, I can tell you that.”

“Please don’t remind me,” you frown. “I wish there was a potion I could take to make him look unattractive to me so that I’d stop being so giddy at everything he does. And fuck, Soo, I haven’t been like this in ages. Or ever.”

“Well, you haven’t been this accepting of someone’s attention, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, and I’m being silly. I might just be putting myself up for disappointment here,” you groan. “I mean, I don’t even know what I’m feeling, but I know what I’m not supposed to feel. And he’s not making it any easier.”

“Your situation isn’t easy in the first place, hun. And there are many reasons why,” she sighs, wishing there was a way to uncomplicate this very complicated relationship you have with Jungkook. “But whatever it is you think you shouldn’t feel, think about what he may be feeling, too. He wouldn’t be making all this effort since Thursday night for this to just be nothing.”

“I wish none of that means anything. That’s probably gonna be easier, right? That he doesn’t feel anything remotely close to what I do? That’s probably better than dealing with all the complications.”

“Maybe, but we don’t really know,” Soomin says, pulling you in for a hug. “But also think about how new and different this feels. It might be worth it in the long run.”

You fall into her embrace, knowing that during the toughest times of your life, this was your saving grace. It’s no different when you’re confused and in need of guidance, and though you’ve always made decisions for yourself with knowledge of the consequences, Soomin was there to back you up during the times when you were going in somewhat blindly. She wants you to be happy, and you won’t really know if continuing to feel what you do about Jungkook will make you so. If all else fails, well, you could always go back home, or maybe return to Busan and start a life there. Jungkook will just be a memory; you hope to the heavens it’ll be a good one.

You shake away the thoughts and finally go back out and are relieved to find some peace. Jimin’s washing your dishes while talking to Yoongi who wipes them dry. Jungkook sits on your sofa, looking around quietly, but he stands when he sees you approach him. 

“I’ll go ahead,” he says, gesturing towards the door. “I… I think you’ve got everything you need.”

“Let me walk you there,” you smile. 

He’s outside the door when you thank him again then apologize if Jimin made him uncomfortable.

“It’s okay. I’d be protective of my best friend, too, if I learned how their boss treated them,” he responds.

“I, uh… those were hard times and I may have complained quite a bit about you,” you pout. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sure I deserved it,” he chuckles. “You’re lucky you have them. I mean, my best friends tease me a lot and say shit about me to my face and behind my back.”

“Oh come on, Seokjin and Taehyung love you,” you laugh. “I’ve seen it, but you all also said you’re like that to each other; it’s how you guys grew up. I mean, I was the new girl in school and Jimin and Soomin have been protective since day one, whereas your best friends have shown you tough love since you were kids. They said you never accepted their affection so they switched tactics.”

“That’s fair. I was always shy and then turned into a bitter, introverted child. There was no transition, I guess. Now we’re adults and have just stuck with each other because we’re all we’ve ever known.”

“Well, you make decisions to stand by people, Jungkook. They do with you and you do the same with them. Plus, you’re not that insufferable,” you tease. 

“At least you don’t think so. Not anymore, I hope,” he says softly, looking away. 

“People deserve second chances. You gave me some and more and I… I’m glad you did. I at least get to see this side of you that’s helped me a lot these past months. I’m thankful. And I hope you know that.”

Jungkook just nods, unable to reply through words again. You let him, knowing it’s his default response. He walks to his car and turns around for a final goodbye, leaving you in anticipation for when you’d be with him again.

“Well, that was a long goodbye,” Yoongi says, surprising you as he stands behind you. “And no, I didn’t hear anything.”

You turn to him with a playful frown. “I was just making sure that Jimin didn’t make him feel too bad. I mean, I know I complained a lot but still. I didn’t want Jungkook to think I cursed his existence or something.”

“You did at one point though,” Yoongi laughs. “But it’s acceptable. Jungkook was rude, and heavens know how much shit I gave him for treating you the way he did.”

“You did, huh?”

“I always told you I’d look out for you, ___. Whatever happened or didn’t happen between us, I was always going to have your back.”

“You’re heaven-sent, Min Yoongi,” you smile. “I wish I could do half as much as you do for me.”

“You do more. I hope you don’t ever doubt the comfort that your presence gives to people. Maybe that’s what it’s done to Jungkook. And I know he hasn’t felt much of that in years.”

It’s Yoongi’s last words before he says goodbye, and they stay in your head for the next few days. Maybe Soomin’s right - all that Jungkook has been doing might mean something, and you hope that finding out what it is will all be worth it.

Jungkook decides to meet with his friends at one of his favorite restaurants for lunch. All he planned on doing today was visit you and he has nothing else going on for the rest of it. The club scene has become boring for him, and going to one only to bring home a woman to hook up with is no longer appealing, not when you invade his mind all the time.

Being welcomed in your home was refreshing. And even if it was awkward, meeting your friends allowed him another peak into your world. You choose the people you allow in, and you don’t choose many of them. The ones you do stay for a long time, and that’s the kind of person you seem to be. You value relationships so much that’s why you don’t have many of them, and with all that you went through and the vulnerability you’ve both shown each other, he’s started to hope that one day, he’d be deserving of that, too. 

“So did you feel like a fish out of water being there with her actual friends?” Seokjin asks. “Because I don’t know what you’d consider your relationship with her is. Boss-assistant feels too simplistic at this point. Are you friends? Are you more? Or is that all too ambiguous?”

“I don’t… know,” Jungkook sighs. “We’re all that but we also aren’t. We’ve gone through so much that it doesn’t seem like there’s a way to define what we are. But I feel like I’ve seen her at her most vulnerable and we’ve connected because of that.”

“And what about you? Have you been vulnerable in front of her?” Seokjin asks.

Has he? Jungkook thinks. Maybe that first time he asked for your help with his new role but he supposes it’s nothing compared to what you’ve shown him, intentional or not.

“Not really. I… I don’t let myself be. That’s still distance I need to establish,” Jungkook reasons.

“More like, because you know that if you do show that side of you, you’re scared you’ll find out that she’ll understand, and that having her next to you is what you need to heal whatever parts of you that are still hurting?” Seokjin counters. 

“I don’t want to need her, you know that. There’s a boundary I shouldn’t cross. She’s my assistant and—”

“You’ve been treating her like the most important person and it’s not hard to miss,” Taehyung interjects. “You were never like this, not since Chaerin.”

“I don’t even know what it is about ___ that just makes me consider risking things, you know?” Jungkook sighs. “I’m always torn with what our reality is and what we could be but I’m afraid that if we cross that line, we’ll have to make sacrifices. I… I’m finding myself wanting her around all the time. When she leaves, I want her to stay. When she’s not there, I want her to come. But at the same time, I don’t want her too close because I don’t know if I can have her or if I can want her. Because I don’t know what of me I can give that won’t hurt her,” he admits, with a bit of help from some whiskey.

“Maybe if you let yourself be vulnerable, you’d know,” Seokjin advises. “Some people would run and hide but there’s always that one person who wouldn’t. That might just be her. And then you’ll learn what you can give, too.”

Jungkook lets his friends’ words settle and then thinks about them throughout the night that he spends all alone in his penthouse, with another glass of whiskey in his hand as he looks out the balcony. A part of him wants you to run and hide when you see who he really is, what he hides and what he’s ashamed of. Maybe that would be easier, he thinks; maybe that would hurt less.

You return to work the next Tuesday, having gone to the hospital the day before and being cleared to return to your usual routine. Jimin and Soomin stayed with you until that evening, with you rejecting their insistence to stay another day. You can manage, you assure them. You’re able to walk properly now and would just need to do daily exercises, wear the elastic bandage for another week, and forego the heels. 

Jungkook’s pleased to know that you’re doing better and makes sure you don’t walk around if you don’t need to, so he’s been the one going to see you when he needs something. He also postponed some potential site visits for the project that he and Hoseok are working on until you’re fully capable, which is why it’s three weeks later when you find yourself in the car with him, on the way to some towns in nearby provinces on an early Friday morning. 

Mr. Ri called in sick today and Jungkook didn’t want to deal with a chauffeur he doesn’t know, so he decided to drive instead, thinking it’s more efficient that way. These are all initial checks and being that you’re the only one from his team who’s privy to the details, he wanted you to join him as a sounding board and also to get your own thoughts about what you’ll be seeing. He has a vision in mind and he needs to translate it properly; you’ve been helpful these past months in making sure he’s able to do that.

Disregarding what this time alone with you would do to him, Jungkook meets you in his penthouse, telling himself to focus on only one thing today, and that’s finding the right place for his planned project. 

You leave early for a quick stop at a cafe and then head north to some towns in Gyeonggi province. There are some properties and land that are up for sale, and you prepared the information about them beforehand, allowing Jungkook to play around with the timeline and budget in his mind, even drawing rough drafts on his iPad as he assesses them. You’re both in work-mode, discussing each site on the way to the next one, with you searching for more details along the way and him, stopping on the side of the road to add an idea that he comes up with on the spot. 

It’s a little chaotic, as his mind goes from one thing to another, but you suppose this is how Jungkook naturally is. You’ve seen him perform his duties in various ways, but this is when you see the most raw side of him, and it’s quite the privilege to see. He always said he preferred the creative aspect of the job, which is why he enjoyed his time in Singapore, handling the design department. You contend that he’s grown tremendously in his executive role. As Hoseok has said, Jungkook relates to his staff better now, and has even engaged and attracted more partners with his great ideas.

You’re quite sentimental going on this trip with him. It wasn’t long ago when you were going to work with anxiety, anticipating his next criticism so you can prepare yourself, and then going home feeling like a failure. So much has happened since then, and you could even say that you’ve found comfort in your daily routines; doing something different like this is now exciting and something you look forward to, especially since it allows you to go outside, see the sights, and breathe the cool air. 

“You okay there?” He asks, noticing your silence.

“Yeah. I was just thinking how 10 months ago, this would’ve stressed me out so much.”

“What? Going on a road trip?”

“Pretty much going anywhere with you,” you laugh. “Car rides even with Mr. Ri made me freak out, and I was so scared to make a mistake or make you wait for information that I couldn’t find. And now here we are - I survived the last five hours with you and not once did you groan at me.”

“Wow, I must’ve been a really terrible boss to make your standard for a non-stressful day to be that low,” he laughs before turning serious. “But I… I’m… I’m sorry, for all the stress and anxiety that I caused you. I was being selfish and irrational about it. I hate change and you were the biggest one, even with my new role. I took out all the frustration on you and I shouldn’t have.”

He says more than he expected, but it’s also the apology that he should’ve given—that you deserved —months ago. 

“I forgive you,” you say softly, glancing at him before returning your eyes towards the road. “I always knew my limits and I guess I let you push it and that was on me. I could’ve stood up to you, too.”

“You did though, more than once. And that knocked some sense into me.”

“I guess,” you hum. “And then things improved and I’m just glad they did.”

There’s a prolonged silence after, as you both opt to bask in the scenery around you. There’s that understanding and acceptance of how things were and that regardless of what’s going on in your own minds, you at least have this. You think to yourself that this just makes leaving that much harder, but at least this is one more memory you could take with you.

You make it to Hwacheon in Gangwon past noon, and this is where you spend most of your time in, as the sites are spread out around the county. There are areas tucked away in the mountains while there are those closer to town with grand views. It’s in the latter where you grab some lunch and go through some of his plans, and you take in his ideas, learning from him in the process. 

It’s late in the afternoon when you inspect the final site, which is in an area in the neighboring Chuncheon county. It’s got potential for another project that CEO Jeon is looking to do, and with your notes completed, you and Jungkook start the trip back home. You would reach the tail-end of the Friday night traffic by the time you return to Seoul, the GPS says, and so both of you savor the sky’s changing colors as it transitions to the evening, letting the soft sounds of the radio replace the silence.

Barely 30 minutes in, the rain starts to pour, and it’s seconds later when it dawns on you what that means, as you hear heavy breathing next to you. You turn to Jungkook whose hands are tightly gripping the wheel, with sweat lining his eyebrows despite the cool temperature.

“Did the forecast say it was gonna rain?” He asks, the mix of panic and frustration evident in his voice. 

“Yes, but not until late in the evening,” you say, checking your phone to make sure you got the correct information. 

Your heart breaks upon realizing that at midday, the weather station warned that there was going to be a thunderstorm, with rainfall coming in around this time. You inform Jungkook, and despite all the progress in your relationship, your heart breaks a second time when he says that you should’ve constantly checked, that the weather changes all the time and you should’ve been mindful, and that now you’re both gonna be stuck on the road because he’s unable to drive and you don’t know how to. His tone is harsh, accusatory, as if it was something you could control, as if everything was your fault, just like how it was before.

Jungkook stops on the side of the road as the downpour continues, and he leans his head on the steering wheel now as he takes deep breaths. You tell him he could breathe better if he sits straight up, but he ignores you. 

A part of you wants to remark how it’s ironic that just earlier, he was apologizing for the way he treated you, and now it’s like you’ve both taken a few steps back. You want to say it’s not your fault, that you wouldn’t even have known that the rain affected him this way if you hadn’t seen him be nervous about it when you went home from the gala last year. But you think about the way his eyes looked earlier, how they filled with worry and fear, like there was a sense of powerlessness that you know a little about. 

So you settle for a bit of grace and understanding, thinking they’re what he needs.

“I don’t know why this is on me,” you say softly. “I didn’t know how bad it was but if I did, I would’ve checked constantly and I would’ve had us turn back the second I saw that forecast. And if I could drive, I’d drive us back as fast as I could. I’m sorry.”

He slows his breathing and sits up. His hands still tightly gripping the wheel but his eyes are downcast, and you suppose there’s more sadness than anger, so you stop pressing your nails on your skin, which you’d started doing in anticipation of him arguing with you about it.

“I don’t like the rain,” he shares, his voice low. “I… I have a bad memory of it as a kid and I just get reminded whenever it starts. I panic when it gets louder and I just… I can’t stay out here when that's all I can hear.”

His honesty surprises you. You can’t imagine how it must’ve been like for him, even more that he has to suffer through this right now in front of you, considering how hard it is for him to express how he feels. You don’t know how bad this weather is gonna go, and at this pace, the thunderstorm will probably reach you by the time you make it back to Seoul. So you do what you do best, and that’s to come up with options. 

“There’s a guesthouse not far from here,” you say after checking the map. “It’s the closest one. We could spend the night there and wait out the rain. That’s better than being stuck here or continuing the drive back to the city.”

He nods in agreement, knowing there’s not much he could do. He doesn’t want to be stuck here; even more, he doesn’t want to unload on you nor have you witness how much worse it could be. 

He keys in the address you give him while you call the property and ask if they still have available rooms. They do, so you reserve two and sigh in relief that that’s one problem solved.

You make it there in 15 minutes. Jungkook heads out the car first with the rain having eased up a bit, and you retrieve his luggage from the trunk, the one he keeps there for emergency trips and instances like this one. It has enough clothes for a day, and you’re glad that at least he has something to change into.

You make it inside and meet the owners then introduce yourself, stating that you reserved two rooms. 

“I’m so sorry but we had to give up one of them,” the woman says. “A family came in with a baby and we couldn’t turn them away. The weather’s going to get worse tonight and we try to accommodate as many people as we can. I hope you understand.”

“That’s… that’s okay,” you say, knowing you would’ve done the same. 

The thought of sharing a room with Jungkook feels too intimate and definitely not good for your heart, added to the fact that you’re probably not his favorite person right now, so you try to find a way out. You turn to the living room and see the sofa that’s big enough for you, so you ask if you can just stay there instead.

“Our cleaners will be using that space since they can’t go home due to the rain. I’m sorry again, Miss. Your room has twin beds so I hope that eases your worry somehow.”

“It’s fine, we’ll manage,” Jungkook says from behind you, hoping to the heavens that he will. He has one fear, and that’s you seeing how he really is during times like this.

He takes the key and walks up the stairs to the room you’re given. It’s spacious with a fair enough distance between both beds. He takes the one farther from the window then gets his clothes from his bag. It dawns on him that you don’t have your own with you, so he offers you his sweatshirt. 

“It’s okay,” you shake your head. “It’s gonna be cold and you’re gonna need it.”

“So will you. You can’t be in wet clothes, not in this weather.”

“It’s happened before,” you shrug.

“___, just take it,” he insists, placing the item on your bed. “I have a top here that I can wear and the blankets will be enough. This is loose but it’s at least better than damp clothing. And you can go ahead in the bathroom. I’ll just give Mr. Ri a call.”

You nod and head out, taking his jumper and the towel with you. You’re given some basic toiletries, and the warm shower is just what you need for that bit of comfort after a stressful evening. As you’re about to dress up inside, you hear a knock on the door.

“I asked the lady if they had spare pajamas for you and she gave me a set,” Jungkook says from outside. “I’ll leave them on a stool by the door.”

You wait for him to leave before getting them and putting them on. It’s a plain set of shorts and shirt that’s a little big but it’s way better than your damp skirt and blouse, which the owners offered to wash and dry for you for tomorrow.

You return to the room with Jungkook sitting on the floor, and you give him back his sweatshirt that he turns down. 

“I’m fine,” he insists. “Don’t you get cold easily? You’ll need that.” 

He walks out, barely meeting your eyes. You’re sitting on the edge of your bed when he returns half an hour later, the sight of him with damp hair in black sweatpants and a white sleeveless top doing things to you. But you shake the thoughts away, especially as he once again creates that distance. He doesn’t look at you when he settles in bed, nor when he switches off his bedside light, and definitely not when he turns around to face the other way. You sigh to yourself, feeling even more alone now with him acting like this.

You can’t really blame him though. Dealing with something that elicits painful memories is difficult, and you understand the tendency to isolate yourself and push people away when that happens. It’s what you do sometimes, but still, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt you a little when Jungkook does this to you, considering how good your relationship has become, regardless of your stupid attraction.

Settling in your bed, you decide to turn around and face the window. You focus on the droplets creating their own artwork on the glass, in hopes that it’ll help you take your mind off Jungkook, even if he’s literally just a few feet away from you. The last thing you want is a strained relationship, and you hope that this doesn’t make him fall back into his old ways. Although he’s experienced a few stressful moments these past months, they weren’t personal, and you suppose situations like this are when his emotions truly come out.

The rain has gotten stronger again and you’re pleased that Jungkook isn’t awake for this, based on the soft snores you hear. You’re about to fall asleep, the sound hypnotizing you a little, but that’s when the first blare of thunder strikes, causing you to jerk in bed in surprise. It used to scare you because of what it reminded you of, but you learned how to manage it after the first hit; the succeeding ones are no longer triggering. In fact, you just think of how it used to drown out the sounds of what you were truly afraid of.

Just then, you hear distressed moans. The sounds of frantic breathing and shifts on the bed follow right after. And then there’s a restrained groan, like a call for help that doesn’t fully come out, and that’s what alarms you. You immediately get off the bed and rush to Jungkook’s side. You see that he’s still asleep, his body - now uncovered by the blanket - is tense, despite his efforts of turning about. The low sounds of almost-cries convince you that he’s having a nightmare. 

Thunder hits once again and it’s much louder this time, eliciting another frantic response from Jungkook. He’s kicking the covers while gripping the sheets, and with another roar of thunder that causes him to scream, that’s when you decide to wake him up. 

“Jungkook, hey, listen to me,” you say, sitting on the edge of the bed and keeping his head still with your hands. You’re able to control him as he continues tossing and turning, repeating his name until he slowly opens his eyes. “Hey, you’re safe with me, okay? Just focus on my voice.”

He’s awake now and you see the worry in his eyes, but you talk to him calmly, wanting him to trust you. It works, as he nods and slows down his movements. But he’s still breathing heavily, his lips chattering and the rest of his body shivering. 

You anticipate another hit of thunder, and you’re able to shield him from it, pressing your palms on his ears, trying to drown out the sound. You stay that way, thumbing his temples as you tell him it’s okay, that you’ve got him, and that it’ll be over soon. You hold his gaze to let him know that you’re not going anywhere, and his pretty eyes that often look so far away are now overtaken with fear. 

“Just look at me, alright? And follow my breathing,” you instruct him, your voice as gentle as you can make it despite your own worries for him.

He does as you say, his hands gripping your wrists as if to keep them there, and you assure him that you won’t let go until he says so.

“You’re doing good, just keep breathing,” you repeat, pacing your breathing with his until you’re doing it together. 

You don’t know how long you stay that way, with his head between your hands and your eyes locked on his. It takes a while, but the thunder eventually stops and the rain eases. Jungkook finally calms down and you slowly release him from your hold. You watch him shut his eyes, as if in desperation to let everything go, before he opens them again. 

“Is that better?” You ask, moving just a bit farther from him to give him space, but you remain close, wanting to be next to him in case something happens again.

“Yeah, that was, uh… that was tiring,” he huffs.

“I think the thunder has passed but if it happens again, I’ll be here, okay?”

He nods, his soft and desperate eyes now looking at you to express his gratitude. You want so badly to hug him, to hold his still-shaking hands and assure him that he’s not alone, that you won’t let anything hurt him for the rest of the night, and that you understand it all - whatever it is he’s afraid of, and why he keeps it all to himself.

But you suppose that’s going too far. You’re afraid that you’d want to stay there, even more if he doesn’t want you to. So you nod as well and think that he at least has this to comfort him, that he at least knows you’re just there.

You walk back to your bed and lie down, facing him this time. You smile, wanting that assurance to be the last thing he sees before he falls asleep again. Jungkook does the same as he settles under the covers, patting it down so he could see you better. You both stay there, safe in your corners, your eyes telling each other things you can’t say.

Whatever distance you felt earlier has shortened. Right now, with both of you falling asleep to each other’s view, he’s never felt so close.

The morning after heavy rain is always bittersweet. There’s the reality of the damage it caused but you also can’t deny that it gives life to other living things. What it also does is make way for clear skies and give you that fresh, rainwater scent of the grass and the trees. It’s what you see and smell when you open the bedroom windows, reminding you that the evening has passed and the worst is over. 

You spot Jungkook seated on one of the chairs in the garden, and you hope that the view is making him feel better, with the nightmare from last night slowly drifting away from his mind. You dress up in the dry clothes you find hanging on the doorknob of the room then head downstairs, surprised to see food prepared in the dining area. The tofu stew and grilled mackerel are so appetizing, and the loud rumbling of your stomach reminds you that you didn’t eat last night, with all the stress making dinner your last priority.

“Hello, dear. It was a pretty hard evening so we prepared something for our guests,” the owner says, her radiant smile reflecting the brightness of the day. “You may call your friend outside so you can both eat and get ready for a long drive home.”

You thank her then call Jungkook, his eyes brightening when he walks back inside and sees the food. He engages in conversation with the owners, asking about this town and the surrounding ones, and what their appeal is to non-residents. You gauge that he’s doing a bit of research himself, and you think he’s at least not too out of it to still do so.

“You’re free to stay until noon,” the owner informs you. “You can enjoy the view outside; it’s really pretty now that the sky has cleared. I’ll be making tea shortly as well.”

Jungkook says he’ll return to the garden and you wait for the hot drinks before following him. You’re unsure if he wants you around but you try, sitting next to him then sighing in relief when he doesn’t move away.

“I was 10 years old when my parents sent me and my brother to a cabin somewhere in Hwasun,” he starts. “I thought they were coming with us but it was just me and Jeong-sik and some staff. He and I never got along. If he wasn’t ignoring me, he was teasing me. But that day, he convinced me to play hide-and-seek, saying that by the time he finds me, our parents would be back. We were outdoors and I ended up wandering too far, so close to the woods that I couldn’t find my way back. My brother hadn’t come and I was getting scared. And then it started to rain.”

“Jungkook, you don’t have to—”

“It started getting stronger and the skies had become so dark, I could barely see anything,” he continues, his eyes fixed towards the mountains faraway. “The rain made the ground slippery so I decided to just sit by a large tree and hope someone would find me. It felt like hours and maybe it was. The thunder was so loud then and it kept going and going and going. And I was drenched and all alone, and no matter how hard I screamed, no one could hear me.”

“I’m so sorry, Jungkook,” you say, feeling your heart break as he narrates a painful memory that you can relate with. 

It’s only close to what you experienced yet it feels so real to you. You can feel his fear and his pain in the tremble of his voice, in the way he grips on the edges of the bench, in the way his jaw clenches at the memory, like it’s one he’s tried hard to bury yet can’t get rid of, no matter how hard he tries. 

But this feels so personal, and you don’t want him to feel like he needs to share it with you.

“You don’t have to explain,” you add. “I know it’s difficult to share something like that.”

“But I want to,” he responds, turning to you now. “Because I’ve carried the memory with me for 20 years and I’ve been dealing with it all on my own. But that’s not an excuse to treat you the way I did last night. That’s not a reason for me to take it out on you and especially to blame you. That was wrong of me and I’m sorry, ___. I…”

He looks down, perhaps trying to gather the courage he needs to be honest with you, to be vulnerable with you.

“I don’t want you to think that I didn’t need you because I did,” he adds. “I was scared and I didn’t think I needed you but you were there and I’m so sorry.”

You sit there and watch him cower onto himself, and somehow you see the little boy who was scared, who was wondering why he’d been left alone, who was waiting for someone to come find him or perhaps… someone to sit there and be with him until the rain stopped. There’s a lot he carries; there’s also a lot he buries, as if there’s a bottomless hole within him where he keeps everything hidden but it still feels too heavy, too much, taking from him every time he hides something new. 

You don’t say anything for a while, as you start to see Jungkook for who he really is. You feel the weight of his words and how much it took for him to say them. It’s not that his experience makes him different, but now that you know the pain he’s been carrying with him, you’re able to see the other parts of him that he’s unable to show, perhaps too afraid that someone wouldn’t understand, or that they wouldn’t stay if they found out why he keeps his distance and why he pushes people away.

Your silence prompts him to look up. You meet his eyes and see the sadness in them and it feels like he needs more than just forgiveness.

“We do things we don’t mean to when we’re afraid,” you tell him. “It doesn’t always mean we intend on hurting them. And I understand that, more than you know. I’ll never take that against you.”

Jungkook nods, shifting again towards the view as he lets your words sink in. He was hoping for forgiveness, but he got so much more. Maybe there’s a reason why you’ve been patient and gentle with him ever since the beginning. Perhaps you’re carrying your own burden and painful memories that you’re unable to share and deal with, too, and though he’s nothing like you, there’s comfort in knowing that you’re the same somehow.

He senses you turn back to look at the mountains, and the silence prompts him to continue the story of an experience he’s only shared twice before - once to his best friends and another time with Chaerin, all of whom have seen this side of him - the scared and vulnerable side. They were understanding and supportive as well, trying to find ways to comfort and help him deal with it. You’re the third and the one he’s known the shortest time, yet he feels more comfort with you than anyone who’s ever tried.

“I fell asleep at that tree while waiting,” he recalls. “The next thing I know, I was being carried back to the cabin. The rain had stopped but it was still dark, and I was tended to until I fell asleep again. I was sick for days and I didn’t see my parents until we were back in Seoul. It’s just a hard thing to remember. I know we have selective memories and I always wish that’s one thing that I don’t ever have to remember but life isn’t that kind, I guess.”

“It isn’t. But we learn to face those fears though, and manage them. It’s the only way we can get through it,” you say.

“Have you?” He asks, wondering if that’s another similarity he shares with you. 

“Not really. I wouldn’t be alone and where I am if I have,” you say. “But I’m trying. And I’ll continue to.”

“That makes one of us,” he sighs. 

“Well, it’s not always easy if you’re not quite sure what you’re really afraid of,” you respond. “Is it just thunder?”

“Yeah… but once the rain starts, it tells me that thunder could come. It doesn’t always but it’s what my brain tells me. Then I get anxious and I… I don’t know what to do. Like I’m paralyzed and unable to think or move. I just… stay there and sometimes, I don’t even know what’s happening.”

“Well, it rained when I got injured,” you remind him. “But you managed to get me to the hospital. And you stayed with me. That’s definitely something.”

“You were hurt and it was more important that you got treated,” he reasons. “That was scary and I guess my brain told me to get shit done that moment.”

“So… do I always have to be hurt for you to get through the rain when it starts getting bad?” You ask.

“Don’t talk like that. I can’t have you going through that again,” he frowns at you. 

The way he reacts to the thought of you being hurt gives you that warm feeling again. But it reminds you that you feel the same. You don’t want him to be scared, you don’t want him hurt, too.

“Fine. But when it starts to rain and you’re all alone and you feel like you can’t manage, you call me, okay?” You tell him.

“And what would that do?”

“That way I can talk you through it. Maybe go to you if you want me to.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because during the times I was afraid and alone, you were there,” you bravely say, turning to him and prompting him to do the same. “Sometimes something triggers those memories but then I think of how you stayed with me in the alley and in the playground and in my apartment. I think of you and I stop feeling scared. Maybe you can think of last night when it starts to get bad, too. And we can just create more of those memories to override the bad ones. Wouldn’t that be better?”

He savors your words, not realizing how much you’ve held onto your moments together. And he understands that now. The way you held him together last night is ingrained in his mind, and if that’s how it feels to be with you during his darkest moments, he starts to wonder how good it would feel during the good ones.

Maybe he’ll start with this, as you both sip citrus tea while looking at the lush mountains out on the horizon. He’ll continue with the scenic drive back to Seoul and a stopover at a cafe for some iced coffee and conversations about good memories. And at least for today, he’ll end with the sight of you walking to your apartment and then turning around to wave him goodbye, and then your smile giving him warmth on this cold afternoon.

The door shuts and he starts the trip back to his place - empty, lonely, just like how it’s been for years, all his pent up emotions bringing him to this point of isolation. But there’s you - the feel of your touch, the soothing sound of your voice, and the gentleness that got him through the night.

He misses you already. And much as he knows he’s in big trouble, thinking about you and wanting you is all he could do.

Series Masterlist

Permanent Taglist: @sherlynxx @di0rgguk @thequeen-kat @fan-ati--c @cravingforhotchocolate @adoraminie @helenazbmrskai @weasleyswizarding-wheezes @gukssunshine @kookxin @petuliii @yoursthv @libra04 @fancycollectormoon @twixxxpie @ignoretheskies @ohmydarlin-g @bids97 @minyoongiboongi @main-bangtansmauyeondan @bora-bae7 @investedreader @petalsofink @jvngkooker @stopeatread @craftymoonchaos @alpacaparkaseok @coletaehyung @boyfriendtaekook @moonchild1

Series Taglist: 

@xhazmania @ash07128 @rinkud @junniesoleilkth @junecat18 @peachytokki @baechugff @coralmusicblaze @jalexad @pamzn @hoseoksluv89 @familiarlikemymirror3 @kookies-n-spice @hyuneyeon @thisartemisnevermisses @jk97bam @nadzzzblog @xyarinx @megnugget98 @shameless-army @jkslvsnella @lvr2seok @nayashalouiseburrows @peterstarkchrishiddleston @kgneptun @cynicalbitch666 @roxexexee

[koolades-world]

So, request for the Obey me boys (main and side). When I'm emotionally stressed or overwhelmed, I get the urge to clean (especially if my space has been needing it). So, how would they react to an MC spontaniously cleaning anything and everything in that sort of state (Dishes, Floors, surfaces, their own room, etc)?

hi! sure thing!

i relate to this on such a deep level. it's when i get my best cleaning done LOL. having a crisis? suddenly the room is the best it's looked in months

posting this instead of spellbound because getting my car took much longer than I expected. spellbound will be tomorrow for sure :)

enjoy <3

Mc who spontaneously cleans

Lucifer

he may just have to marry you on the spot

his brothers aren’t exactly the cleanest bunch and sometimes he feels like he’s the only one making an effort

he might cry if he comes downstairs one morning and the kitchen is sparkling

Mammon

if he’s not the messiest bitch ever… no shade but there’s no way his room doesn’t look like it was hit by a tornado

however if he ever sees you cleaning he'll try his best to help

he will also try his best to keep things tidy to make it less work for you <3

Levi

I can’t explain it but something about him screams neat freak to me

but, this only applies to his spaces because it would be too much work

he applauded your efforts because more than once he’s cracked and just deep cleaned everything haha

Satan

he’s clean when he wants to be

and most of the time, he is. the only times he isn’t is to piss off lucifer even though he’s just going to drag him back to do it anyways

after seeing how hard you work, he never does that again haha. he would hate for you to have to pick up after him

Asmo

somehow clean but messy at the same time

he won't stop you if you want to go to town cleaning up his makeup pallets and what not

afterwards though he makes sure to treat you <3

Beel

definitely the guy that takes three plus showers a day lol

he always asks you to make sure he's picking up after himself though just in case

he appreciates you and everything you do :)

Belphie

if you think he's tidy, i am so sorry you are wrong haha

will complain about an area being dirty and then proceed to ask why you were cleaning it up

however he will thank you every time he notices you've tidied up :)

Diavolo

despite the fact that he has a whole team that cleans for him, he hates to leave behind a mess

so, he always insists you get him when you get the urge to clean

everything is better when you have someone by your side! besides, he'll take any excuse to be by your side

Barbatos

you know him, he’s incredibly tidy to the point that it’s almost impossible to find a mess in the demon lord’s palace

but in the rare cause you’ve beat him to it, he’s grateful since it’s rare he gets help

afterward, you’ll be having tea together, his treat

Simeon

he also seems like his things are always clean no matter what

it's almost like he's magic at the rate at which messes vanish

he will feel bad if he sees you cleaning, and will take over

Luke

both of his dads (simebarb sorry for kinda sneaking this narrative in here lol) are both neat people, so it only makes sense for him to be too

after all, he wants to be just like them!

if he catches you cleaning, he will instantly join in

Solomon

he seems like he would live realistically, not too dirty, but also not too clean

if things are a little cluttered, he's alright with it because it looks lived in

if you do spontaneously clean, he'll try his best to make it up to you with his cooking!!

[chilling-seavey]

Dreamland (ln4) - Part Eight

↳ A/N Thank you all for so much love on this little silly story that I just jotted out in my free time! I really took a chance with posting this and the traction it's received has been incredible to see. We still have the epilogue ahead of us, but here is the final part of Dreamland <3 looking forward to hearing your thoughts!!

↳ Inspired By: 'Can We Pretend That We're Good' by Daniel Seavey

↳ Summary: Your secret relationship with Lando goes against everything your management demands and with the start of the new year - the year that is supposed to bring you both joy - everything feels as though it is crumbling around you all at once

↳ Pairings: Fanboy Lando Norris x Famous!Author!Fem!Reader (NO use of y/n), University Student Lando x Internet Friend George x Internet Friend Alex

↳ Word Count: 17.9k

↳ Warnings: 18+, NSFW, oral sex (m and f receiving), spanking, dirty talk, leaning into Lando's breeding kink fr, unprotected pregnant sex.

PART SEVEN || EPILOUGE

Lando stood in the archway to the living room, the carefully wrapped gift box clutched in his hands. Dinner had just been finished moments before and the dishes were put away and his family sat together in the light of the Christmas tree and side table lamps as they welcomed the last evening of the year together. Winter break had started two weeks earlier and since Lando had arrived home from university, he had been in a constant state of silent anxiety as he kept an important life-altering piece of information from his parents and his siblings that the passage of time did no favours in concealing. The longer he waited, the worse their reactions would be, he was sure.

You had told him often - almost daily - that he had to tell them soon that you were pregnant but every time he tried to, the moment didn’t feel right. For most of his young-adult life, his parents had constantly underestimated him and brushed him off and called his aspirations nothing more than empty dreams. Now, that he finally had his biggest dream come true - you - he was half terrified that his family was going to ruin it. He couldn’t stomach the idea of someone making him feel badly for finally getting what he had always prayed for. 

It was now New Years Eve and he knew he couldn’t go into the new year with such a weighty secret. 

“Lando!” his brother called, “Come on! We’re starting charades and we need you to even out the teams.” 

His brother and sisters and parents looked his way expectantly and Lando hesitated in the doorway, glancing down at the long gift box he held in his hands. He had spent hours and days pining over what to get his parents to break the news to them and with some spending money that he had put away from the funds he earned while working for you in Monaco that summer, he finally found something he thought was perfect. He still felt sick with nerves. 

“What do you have there, son?” his father asked. 

Lando shrugged shyly and then pushed himself away from the wall with a soft, “Just…a little something for you and Mum.” 

His youngest sister groaned, “Way to make the rest of us look bad with the extra gift.”

“It’s nothing like that.” Lando promised, “Not Christmas related.”

His mother smiled and held out her hands for the gift from her spot on the couch, “You’re a sweetheart, my boy.”

Lando held onto the box for a second longer as if knowing that once it was in her hands, there was no going back. His father shuffled closer to his wife to join her in opening their gift and Lando stood anxiously in front of them with his hands clasped in front of him. The rest of the Norris siblings peered around him to watch nosely as the parents untied the gold ribbon and took off the lid of the narrow box. 

The bottle of red wine was lifted from the tissue paper inside and his mother smiled, “Aw, Lando, that’s nice of you, honey.” 

“Read the label.” he whispered with a dry mouth. 

The room was quiet and he stared at his parents’ faces as they both read the floral patterned label that was applied to the side of the bottle. Their content expressions fell into confusion and shock. 

“What does it say?” his middle sister pressed. 

“Oh, fuck, mate, what did you do?” his brother groaned. 

Their father read the label out loud, “‘Pairs well with becoming grandparents. Baby Norris coming this Spring.’”

Silence. 

Lando swore the level his anxiety was at had made him go deaf because he had never heard his house that quiet in his entire life. He swallowed thickly. It sounded like it echoed across the living room. 

The way his parents were looking at him, Lando couldn’t tell what they were feeling. With flat expressions, his father’s eyebrows furrowed and his mother’s face having gone a little pale, they just didn’t say anything. Lando would have rathered yelling. 

His brother’s sudden snort of laughter broke the silence followed by his two younger sisters snickering from behind him. Lando didn’t move, narrowed in on only his parents despite the comedic nature of his siblings. 

“Didn’t know this was April fools.” his brother said, making the other two laugh again. 

“It’s not a joke.” Lando said softly. 

His mother blinked at him, “Huh?”

His father let out a nervous little chuckle, “Really? You can’t be serious.”

“Why would I joke about this?” Lando asked. 

“Who’s pregnant?” his mother inquired. 

His brother teased to the other siblings, “Lando is.”

They burst into giggles of laughter again. 

Ignoring the obvious immaturity and facetious remarks of his siblings, Lando gestured to the box, “There’s something else in there.”

His mother reached in and pulled out the small piece of paper that housed the most recent ultrasound that you had sent him a copy of. The black and white image clearly showed a growing baby to the point where you could easily make out a head, arms, legs like it was almost a photograph. Your name was printed in the top left corner. 

His parents’ eyes shifted from your name to Lando’s face as he stood in front of them and desperately tried not to throw up. The paper was turned around to the outstretched hand of his sister and the siblings leaned in to look. 

“That’s photoshop.” his brother announced. 

Lando snapped, “It’s not.” 

“Lando…” his father started. 

“She’s pregnant.” Lando spoke the words out loud for the first time ever. “And it’s mine. And after I graduate, I’m moving to Monaco to be with her and the baby.”

“Lando…” his mother tried.

“Lando’s in dreamland again.” his middle sister sang. 

“Stop.” Lando glared at his giggling siblings. “This isn’t funny. Stop thinking that I’m some stupid kid who can’t make a life for himself how he wants.”

“This is what you want?” his father pressed. “You want to be a father at twenty-two?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, Lando, you can’t be serious.” his father laughed humorlessly, “You’re still a child yourself! You’re seriously telling us that you got this girl pregnant? The girl that you might as well have a shrine for in your room? The one you’ve been stuck in clouds about for months?”

“We were seeing each other in Monaco when I was there working for her company.” Lando explained, “I couldn’t tell you because no one was supposed to know but…”

“So she, as your professional superior, took advantage of you as her intern?” 

“No.” Lando cut in quickly, “It was nothing like that.”

“Sure sounds like it to me.”

“We…” Lando ran his hand through his hair as his flushed cheeks expressed his stress and his slight embarrassment as he admitted, “We were sleeping together even before I worked for her.” 

His youngest sister snorted from where she was leaning forward against the couch beside him, “Not possible. She was on tour. You told us.”

Lando glared at her, “When I saw her on tour, you idiot.”

She put her hands up in defence. 

His mother tried to reason with him, “We haven’t even met or spoken to this girl.” 

“So?” Lando snapped, his heart racing, “Just because you haven’t met her suddenly means I’m lying? She’s a New York Times Bestselling Author; she’s busy. She’s pregnant and busy and I would have liked if my family actually offered me some sort of support for once rather than looking at me like I’m a fucking loser! Why do you hate me to be happy?”

“We’re just saying…consider your options.” his father said as gently as he could. “You’re still young.”

Lando was right there with his stern response, “She’s twenty weeks along. Our options have long been considered. We’re having this baby and if you don’t want to be a supportive part of it, then I’m gone.”

“Lando-” his father called after him as he stepped over his wide-eyed siblings and stormed out of the room without a look back. 

Fighting tears, Lando heaved himself up the stairs and right to his room, slamming the door behind him just in time for the sob to overtake him. He pressed his hand to his mouth to try and keep himself quiet, his whole body trembling with adrenaline and frustration as he sat himself down on the side of his bed and did the only thing he knew to do when the troubles of his family got to him. 

landonorris: They took it badly georgerussell63: What?! How?! alex_albon: Oh fuck alex_albon: What did they say? landonorris: They literally didn’t believe me landonorris: My siblings laughed in my fucking face and after convincing them that I didn’t make this up my parents basically accused her of abuse of power over me and pushed ‘other options’ at me like I would EVER think of getting rid of the baby I prayed so long for landonorris: It was supposed to be a happy moment and it was miserable and now I’m just crying in my room  landonorris: I want this semester to be done and I want to start my life with her alex_albon: Damn mate :/ I’m sorry alex_albon: That really sucks georgerussell63: Wow I mean I’ve heard of parents being upset from news like this but straight up not believing you is new alex_albon: Honestly georgerussell63: I don’t even know what to say mate alex_albon: You know that we’re happy for you more than anyone else and we’ll always be here for you georgerussell63: Btw have you decided on godparents yet alex_albon: George omfg alex_albon: Not the time alex_albon: (but it’s definitely me) landonorris: I can’t even think about that right now I can hardly breathe alex_albon: Hey hey hey alex_albon: It’s okay, take some deep breaths georgerussell63: She loves you and that’s all that really matters here, right? landonorris: Yeah landonorris: I can’t wait to get to her alex_albon: She’s all yours landonorris: Still hard to believe sometimes georgerussell63: I know!! To me too georgerussell63: You’ve only been talking about her for months and years and decades alex_albon: Manifesting works 🫡 landonorris: Can we change the subject? I think I need to distract my brain georgerussell63: Sure mate what did we want to talk about landonorris: Alex how’s it going with Lily? alex_albon is typing…

The knock at Lando’s bedroom door interrupted his conversation and he looked up as his mother cracked open the door and peeked in. He sighed at the sight of her, knowing that another exhausting conversation was about to ensue.

“Can I come in?” she asked. 

He shrugged but didn’t decline. 

She came inside and gently closed the door behind her, carrying two stemless wine glasses filled with a little taste of red wine each, and she sat down beside her youngest son, offering one out to him. Lando locked his phone and set it to the side so he could take the glass without so much as a thanks.

“Thought we should give that wine a try.” she said, “And it seemed like you might need some.” 

Lando barely cracked a smile and raised the glass up to take a sip of the rich bitter drink. 

“We’re not upset with you, if that’s what you’re thinking.” she explained cautiously, “We were just…very, very surprised.” 

“I’m not lying.” Lando stated flatly. 

“I know. I didn’t say you were. You have given me no reason to believe you would be lying about this.” 

Lando swirled the wine around the bottom of his glass haphazardly, not wanting to look at her. 

His mother continued, “Do you want to tell me about how this all came to be? You and this girl and how come I knew nothing about it? You always used to tell me everything.”

“I felt stupid when I told you guys anything about her.” Lando admitted quietly. “She was always just so unattainable in all of your eyes and you constantly made me feel like I wasn’t ever going to be worthy of her. Even when I tried to tell you about the job, you guys just laughed at me. It’s like I’m never good enough for you and especially not when I’m making my own path and finding someone who is literally the girl of my dreams.”

“It was never my intention to make you feel like you couldn’t talk to me. I know your siblings are hard on you sometimes…you’ve always been so sensitive despite your tough shell and thus an easy target for them…but you should always feel welcome to tell me anything. I’m your mother. I love you no matter what.”

Lando sniffled and finally looked over at her, “I hated keeping all this from you, Mum.” 

His mother smiled sadly and wrapped her arm around his back to pull him close. With a kiss to the top of his head, she asked, “Can you tell me about her? You met on her tour, right?”

A little smile grazed Lando’s face at the simple offer of being able to talk about you, “Yeah. I waited in line for almost hours and when she signed my book…I just had to offer some Bristol restaurants and one thing led to another in this conversation and she ended up taking me up on my offer to show her a good place. We went to Giovanni’s.”

“Always your favourite.” his mother gave him a squeeze. 

“And it was all I could hope for. She’s so amazing. She’s just a person, Mum. I always knew that but everyone else doesn’t…they always hold her to such high standings and pressures and I think I was the first person to really see her for her.” Lando tapped his finger against the rim of the glass nervously, “And…we slept together that night.”

“I see.” his mother’s slightly amused tone had Lando biting back his blushing smile at his confession. It wasn’t horribly drastic to admit since they must have known from his pregnancy announcement but telling his mother when he lost his virginity was nevertheless slightly embarrassing. 

“And we’ve talked almost every day since.”

“So when you came home for summer break…”

Lando nodded as he sat up straight again, “Yeah. We were talking.”

“And that’s how you got the internship.” 

“Yeah.” Lando took a sip of his drink again before continuing, “Although the internship was more of a coverup for an excuse to spend the summer together. I did work and I did get paid for the work but no one other than her closest friends and mine could know. Her entire team had no clue about us.”

“Not even your mother.”

Lando assured her easily, “Or hers. But not that you guys here would have ever believed me. Dad was ready to file a lawsuit the second I told you that it happened in the summer.”

His mother set her hand on his arm, “You let me handle your father. You know how set in his ways he can be. He just sees your potential and wants you to make the most of it.”

“I don’t want to be an accountant, Mum.” Lando admitted strongly, “I’m going to finish my degree and make the most of all the money that you and Dad were kind enough to give me for school, but I don’t see myself there. Not at all.” 

His mother just listened as he let his bottled up thoughts tumble out.

“The only thing I strived for these last four years was to get to her and that sounds so ridiculous, I know, but it’s true. I worked so hard to be able to get to where I am now and no money or time or anything could have gotten me there as diligently as my own determination and I did it and I love her so much, Mum. She’s my whole heart and thensome and all I’ve wanted in life. I have prayed and prayed for her for months and almost years and she’s even better than I had ever dreamed. And to have a baby with her?”

Lando was beaming despite the tears that shimmered in his eyes and he looked everywhere but at his mother from the overwhelming emotions that pulled at his chest. 

“God,” Lando chuckled wetly, “I still can’t believe it. I keep pinching myself just waiting to wake up because all of this is too good to be true. Everything that I have prayed for and worked so hard for is mine. She is mine and we are having a baby. I’m gonna have a baby, Mum; a baby as perfect and beautiful as she is.” 

“Oh, my Lando.” his mother smiled through her own brimming tears and pulled him in for a hug. Right away, he was melting into her arms and let out a relieved sob that came with the weight of his words and feelings that had been lifted from his shoulders. She held him close and rubbed his back and spoke to him softly, “You are in love, my boy. I see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice and it is all around you.”

Lando could only choke out a little, “Yeah.”

“If this baby came from a place of love, then no one can take that away from you.” she whispered. “I just wish you told us sooner so we could help you. She’s twenty weeks, you said?” 

Lando nodded as he sat back from their hug and she wiped his cheeks free of tears with her thumb. 

“My silly boy.” she tisked, “You don’t have to do this all on your own.”

“She’s all on her own, Mom.” Lando admitted, his voice trembling, “Her whole family is in a different country. She’s in that city on her own with the pressure of the paparazzi and her management and PR already gave her a really nasty warning that she is to not be seen with me because it’s bad for her image because the public is going to think like Dad thought about her using me and…”

“Okay,” his mother set her wine glass down on his bedside table so she could have two hands to hold his face in her warm palms, “I’m going to help you figure things out. Let me talk to your father and-”

“No. He’s just going to judge me like he always does.” 

“Your father loves you.” she told him. “Immensely. Maybe he holds you on a pedestal as high as the world holds this girl of yours and maybe that’s wrong of him. I will talk to him. Don’t worry.” 

Lando nodded. 

The sudden ringing of his phone pulled them out of their moment and Lando immediately turned to grab his phone from beside him on the bed and saw that you were FaceTiming him. He didn’t have to say anything as his mother saw your name on his screen - punctuated with an orange heart emoji - and she ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him in to kiss his cheek. 

“Love you.” she whispered before getting up to give him his privacy. 

“Love you.” Lando replied with a sniffle and wiped his eyes so as to not be caught crying by you when he answered the call. 

His mother paused in the doorway for a moment and before leaving, she said, “Tell her I say hello.” 

Lando grinned and nodded. 

The door closed behind her and he answered your call to catch it before the ringing stopped and he shuffled back on his bed a little more comfortably as your call connected. Soon, your face appeared on his screen and he smiled widely. 

“Hey, you.” you said, your voice a little choppy as your connection worked to stabilize itself. 

“Hey.” Lando replied gently. He took a second to stare at you on the screen of his phone with you in your hoodie and messy clipped back hair.

“You took a while to answer. Did I interrupt something?”

“No, not really.” Lando shrugged, “Was just talking to my mom. She says hi.”

Seeing your face break into a grin at that statement had Lando smiling right back at you.

“Oh. Tell her I say hello back.” you answered, “Does this mean you told them?”

Lando nodded, “Yeah. I did.”

“Oh gosh.” you shifted on your bed to literally sit forward with nervousness, “How did they take it?”

“Honestly? Really bad at first.” Lando sighed, “I was ready to pack up and leave. They thought I was lying.”

Your eyes widened, “Lying? Why?”

“Because it’s you. And they know you as this unattainable girl I have been pining after for months.”

You smiled fondly at him, “Aww.”

“But Mum came upstairs after and talked it out with me and I told her everything and she’s more than willing to be there for us every step of the way. It feels like such a relief.”

“Oh, I’m so glad.” you sighed, “I want to meet your family soon.”

“At least my mom.” Lando said, “The rest might take a little while to simmer down after today before I will let them anywhere near you.”

“Protective Lan.” you teased. 

“Always protective over you.”

You giggled sweetly and leaned back comfortably on your bed. 

“How’s baby?” he asked. 

“Wanna see?”

“Yes, please!” 

You shifted on your bed and lifted up the hem of your hoodie to show off your growing stomach, angling your phone down so he could see. Lando habitually moved his phone closer to his face as if needing a better look and he grinned ear to ear at the sight of that visible curve over your belly. You pushed the waistband of your pyjama shorts down a little farther so the full sight of your abdomen was on display for the camera and your hand rubbed over it in happy circles. 

“Here’s baby!” 

Lando absolutely swooned, “Our little sweet potato!” 

“Yeah!” you smiled and turned the phone back to your face, “Baby’s been really wiggling around in there this week. It feels so weird.”

“Maybe he or she is enjoying all those Christmas treats.”

“Maybe…I can’t get enough of those cream cheese cookies my family makes. They’re like crack. Maybe I gave baby a sugar rush.”

You shared little laughter through your respective phones. 

“But we’re okay.” you said, finally answering his question, “We miss you.” 

“I miss you too. I can’t believe I haven’t seen you in person since early October.”

“I know.” you sighed, “It’s not fair.” 

“That’s okay.” he said, “Only means our reunion will be even better.”

“I can’t wait to kiss you.” you admitted shyly. 

Lando broke into a grin, “Me too. The second I see you, I’ll be kissing you like my life depends on it.” 

“Maybe it does.” you giggled. 

“Feels like it. I’m, like, going through withdrawal.” 

“Aw, me too.” you smiled, “Lando withdrawal. Worse than any drug, I’m sure.”

“Not that we’d know.”

“No. But we can assume.” 

“Educated deductions.”

“Of course. We are very educated after all. My man is going to come home with a whole degree.” 

Lando nodded, “Working hard for you and our little sweet potato.” 

You tilted your phone back down your body to show your hand on top of your modest bump, “And we are very proud of you.” 

“I love you so much, I can’t get over it. Feels like my heart is going to explode.” Lando breathed. 

“Oh!” you shot up in your bed, “Wait, I have to show you what I got from my aunt for Christmas!” 

Lando laughed lightly, “Can you tell me you love me too?”

You stopped suddenly and looked right at your phone, staring at him through the camera like he was ridiculous to ask, “I love you too. Always.”

Lando smiled, “Okay, show me what you got.”

He watched happily as you gave him a little tour of your few things you received in the prior few days of celebrations and you told stories about being back home for the holidays. You told him you couldn’t wait to show him where you grew up and the places that inspired your books and your goals…and to introduce him to your family cat who came into the camera at one point and flicked her tail in your face. Life felt so good with you, even if he couldn’t physically be with you. That time would come soon enough. 

There was nothing you would rather have been doing to ring in the new year than FaceTiming him. As a little virtual party for two (three, if you counted your unborn baby), you counted down the final few seconds together until the clock rang at the hour. Lando stared fondly at your sleepy smile as you laid on your side on your bed back home, and you wished each other a happy new year. 

“New year, new us.” Lando proclaimed.

You smiled softly at him through the phone. 

There was a pause as you just stared at each other and Lando tried not to let the melancholy look on your face completely break his heart. He rolled over onto his stomach, still holding his phone in two hands, trying not to let his own heartache show. 

“Don’t be sad, sweetheart. We’re having a baby this year.”

A small smile pricked at the corner of your mouth and you let out a soft, “I know.” 

“And now both our families know…and I’m going to be with you soon.”

You sniffled and rolled onto your side on your bed, replying softly, “Yeah.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” you sighed to the ceiling, “I just wish this year could be easier. I just know it’s going to get harder.”

“Management?” 

“Yeah.”

“Fuck them.”

You chuckled faintly, just trying to humour him.

“Don’t let those dickheads ruin our year and the excitement of having our baby.”

“I’m trying.” you mumbled. “I don’t want to tell them I’m pregnant but at the same time I feel like I need to tell them. They might be able to guide me on how to go about this in public but they might also…be mean about it.” 

“No one is mean to you on my watch.”

Lando’s defence was cute but you knew he was more the passive type, comforting you after the fact rather than sticking up for you. That was fine. He wasn’t used to the industry anyway and the worst thing would be him accidentally making things worse. His comfort was more than you could ask for anyway. It was more than you were used to. 

“Y’know,” you said, discreetly desperate to change the subject, “you’re my greatest blessing to come out of the last year.”

Lando grinned ear to ear, “Right back at you, my dream come true.”

“I can’t wait until you can come home.”

“Soon, sweetheart. Just keep kicking Monaco’s ass until then. I’ll be back with you before you know it.”

As far as Lando knew, you were living life no differently: still that impressive best-selling author with a glass framed office and a bathtub full of money; your kick-ass personality virtually untouchable. In reality, you were at an all time low. Ever since October when that picture of you and Lando together was posted online by some stranger, management had forbidden you from seeing each other and between that and your balancing act of pregnancy hormones that you were trying your damnedest to suppress, you felt miserable. 

Walking around on eggshells every time a member of your management or PR team came into the office was growing increasingly difficult as the weeks went by and your baby grew larger and larger inside you. It was getting harder to hide and you were terrified of what their reaction would be if they ever found out. So you ended up working from home all to avoid it. All you really had to do was write and the few meetings you had to join you could do so virtually, so you faked an illness and kept yourself cooped up in your million dollar Monaco apartment all by yourself. Well, you and your unborn baby who kept you company with those fluttering little wiggles inside you. 

What started as a few days of working at home turned into a nearly permanent relocation after winter break. The moment you landed after Christmas and New Years, you hightailed it right to your house and didn’t leave for days in fear of someone finding out your secret. The iron fist of your management would be worse than the public’s ridicule, you were sure. There was nothing to do but avoid, avoid, avoid. 

Your friends were starting to grow worried. You still texted them and video chatted with them, but you were different and they could sense it. It was as if your anxiety could be felt through the screen. They knew you better than anyone - and even better than Lando, although no one would admit that to him - so by the time two weeks had passed since you had returned to Monte Carlo and you hadn’t stepped foot out of your house even to visit them, your friends were ready to stage an intervention. 

The knock on your front door pulled you out of your trance as you sat on your living room couch with your feet up on the coffee table. You were in sweat pants and a hoodie with the hem of the sweater pushed up to your chest so your modest round belly was on display and you were rubbing it like it was a magic-8 ball with the powers to cure your writer's block. The front door felt ages away so you didn’t even bother to look over at it when you heard the knock, too comfortable in your cozy cocoon on your couch, your body’s imprint nearly dented into the cushions from the days you had spent there. 

Your laptop’s text cursor blinked mockingly at you from your screen and you stared back at it, melancholy. There was another knock on your door and then the doorbell rang right after and you frowned as you glanced over at your foyer but didn’t make a move to get up. You were twenty-two weeks pregnant after all; getting up from the couch felt like climbing a mountain. The sound of the doorbell had made your growing baby wiggle around inside you and you rubbed your warm hands over your belly to calm them.

When you thought you were in the clear from the mysterious caller at your door, the bell rang again, multiple times, in quick succession. You groaned and heaved yourself up from the couch, just wanting the noise to stop. 

“Fuck, I’m coming…I’m coming.” you grumbled, pulling your hoodie back down to hide your baby from your unwelcome visitor. 

When you opened the large front door, your four best friends stood bunched together on your front step: Oscar, Lily, Charles, and Max. They all grinned at the sight of you and you just scowled. 

“What?” you sighed. 

Charles pushed past you to welcome himself into your house and the other three followed as he announced, “We missed you and you were being strange in your messages so we came to cheer you up.”

“I’m fine, Charlie.” you closed the door behind them and crossed your arms tightly.

Oscar eyed the empty takeout containers that littered your kitchen island, “Clearly you’re not.”

“I’m growing a whole human…it’s tiring. I’m tired.” you shrugged. 

“Is that why you’re not coming into work?” Oscar asked, “Because it’s hard to be an assistant to someone who isn’t there.”

“Yeah.” you answered flatly, sitting yourself down at one of the stools at the island with a habitual hand magnetizing to your belly. “I just don’t want to be out there right now…around people. Now that I’m showing...”

“Well it makes sense you feel like that but you can’t let your fear control you.” Lily countered, “You’re sitting here alone for days on end eating junk food…when was the last time you saw sunlight?”

“When I opened the door to you four.” you answered under your breath. 

“If you’re feeling like this, why don’t you stay with Max and me?” Charles offered. “We have the guest room…you’re always welcome. Then you don’t have to be all alone.”

“I can’t.”

“Sure, you can. It’s no trouble.”

“I don’t wanna leave my house.” you pouted, pulling your sleeves over your hands as you stared at your lap, “It reminds me of Lando here.”

“Lando’s not gone.” Oscar reminded you, “He’s going to be back with you soon.”

You retorted quietly, “And when he is, management is going to know that we haven’t cut ties.”

Max sighed and stepped forward, having observed your interactions since you had opened the door, and he set one hand on the island countertop beside you. He nudged your chin with his other hand and you reluctantly looked up at him with a frown. 

“You’re going to have to rip off the bandaid at some point.” he said, always the realist when it came to your work. It was how you connected most through being in similar public careers and you treasured his wisdom and advice like a big brother. “You’re going to have to sit down with your team and tell them how it’s going to be.”

“I have a contract.” you protested weakly. 

“Re-work it to fit everyone's needs. Talk to Pierre. Get him on your side so you can team up.”

Lily spoke up, “Pierre knows just as much as management knows.”

Max added, “And he wants out of this ridiculous deal as much as you do.”

“He won’t risk his career for me.” you explained, “If this PR relationship is what keeps him afloat then he’s not going to risk it.” 

“You won’t know that for sure unless you ask.”

You groaned and slumped down into your arms on top of the island, “I can’t do this. My body aches and I’m tired and I miss my boyfriend and I hate my life.”

Charles grabbed your arm, “And you’ve been staring at the same white walls for two weeks and that does not help. We’re taking you out…to get a proper meal and to get some mental stimulation.” 

“I can’t go out there.” you frowned. 

“Yes, you can.” Lily gestured to your hoodie, “No one can tell.” 

“Under this?” you pinched the fabric, “When do I ever go out in hoodies?”

“You look nice.” Oscar offered. 

You sent him a disbelieving glare to which he just shrugged.

“Then just put on jeans,” Charles offered a compromise, “and let’s go.”

Your friends had a way of convincing you to do things that no one else was able to and you lugged yourself down the hallway to your room to change into the new pair of maternity jeans that came in the mail the other day. Charles and Oscar were cleaning up your kitchen when you returned from your room but no audible thanks had to be shared, your little sheepish smile said enough. They were too good to you. 

In the driveway was Max’s black Genesis SUV and he unlocked it with a chirp of the key and he opened the passenger door for you. You hesitated and glanced at Charles who just shrugged as he climbed into the backseat with your other two friends. 

“You get priority because you are with child.” he said. 

“Wow, you are all treating me like royalty.” you gushed and climbed into the expensive leather seat. “I should be depressed more often.”

“Ha ha.” the three chorused sarcastically from the backseat.

When Max got behind the wheel, he slid on his designer sunglasses and turned the key in the ignition, “All set?”

With a trio of “yes!” from the back, you joined in with a, “I don’t know where we’re going, but sure!” 

It seemed the four of them had planned a whole little afternoon for you, starting with lunch at an upscale restaurant in the city to which Max paid for you and Charles while Oscar and Lily covered themselves. On the way back to the car, you told him he didn’t need to do that but Charles just linked his arm in yours and told you that he insisted. 

You had to admit it was a little nerve wracking being out in public and every time you felt the flutter of life move inside you, you tensed up as if everyone around you could tell. But no one ever looked up. Despite the comfort that your little group brought, you found yourself texting Lando on your way to your next destination. 

-Hi you <3 I miss you

As he often did, he answered almost right away, 

landonorris: Hi my love! I miss you too landonorris: How is your day? -It’s nice. My friends are taking me out somewhere fun for a surprise…although our group feels a little funny without you landonorris: Aww 🥰 landonorris: Glad they are keeping my two favourite people busy in my absence landonorris: Taking good care of you? -They always do -FT later? landonorris: Yep! 8:00 like always? -Can we do 7? I can’t wait that long landonorris: Of course baby 🧡 landonorris: Go enjoy your day now 🧡 -🧡🧡

“Sappy.” Lily sang over your shoulder as she spied on your messages. 

You held your phone to your chest shyly, mumbling defensively, “Not nice to peek.” 

“Yeah, he could have sent an inappropriate picture.” Oscar added. 

“Ew!” Lily laughed as she sat back in her seat with Charles shaking his head with an amused smile between them. Max sent him a little smirk through the rearview mirror at the constant joking that occurred within your close knit group. 

The Nouveau Musée National de Monaco was your surprise destination and you couldn’t help but let an excited smile come to your face at the sign that you passed into the parking lot. Your friends knew you too well and a quiet, peaceful day admiring artwork was something that you didn’t know you needed until you were there. 

And peaceful it was as you navigated the exhibits together in a little herd, admiring painting after sculpture with your hands behind your back because otherwise you kept gravitating to touch your stomach. Your friends gave your sleeve a discreet tug every time you made that slip up. The five of you shared whispers here and there about what piece you were looking at, what you liked best, and even shared a few jokes when they were relevant (mostly pointing to the most ridiculous looking subjects and saying “that’s you”). You felt calm for the first time in a while. 

Well, until management called. 

When you didn’t answer his 7:00 FaceTime call, Lando figured you were just busy with friends and lost track of time. But when you didn’t answer his good night message or his good morning message, he started to get worried. His eyes were fixed to his phone as he got ready for class in the morning, your text thread opened with his unread messages staring back at him, his heart thudding hard in his chest as worst-case-scenarios flashed through his mind. 

He couldn’t be blamed for triple and quadruple texting you throughout the morning, desperate for some sort of response. But even your friends weren’t answering him when he asked them if you were okay and by then Lando was ready to call every hospital in Monaco before his first class of the day even started. With his coat on and backpack over one shoulder, Lando stood at his desk and typed one last message to you, pleading for an answer until he nearly made himself sick with worry. 

The sudden incoming call with your management office’s name across the screen had Lando’s eyes widening. Never had he spoken to your management before as all correspondence went through you. He glanced up at the black and white sonogram that was tacked to his bullet board over his desk as he answered the call and raised his phone to his ear, class forgotten. 

“Hello?”

A strong male voice broke through the line, “Is this Lando Norris?”

He swallowed, “Yeah. Who’s asking?”

“This is Ennis from the Monaco Literary Talent Agency. Are you available to come to our office for a critical meeting this week?”

“Well…I actually have class. And I’m in England.” Lando tried to keep his voice steady and he sunk onto his desk chair, “What is this about?”

“You’re still romantically involved with our client and that has only created a huge problem for us and the PR team here at the office. We need everyone to convene as soon as possible to tackle the issue before it hits the press and smother this before it blows up in our faces. Since you are a part of this and ultimately causing lapses of judgement for our client and her responsibility that came with her signature on her contract, we’re going to need you to sit in on this meeting too or there will be legal repercussions.” 

Lando’s face was pale, “When?”

“As soon as possible. Today. Your flight and accommodations will be paid for.”

“I have class. I can’t just-”

“We will get our lawyers involved if you don’t cooperate. Is that what you want us to do, Lando?”

He shook his head before realizing he had to answer out loud. “No. No, I can come. That’s fine.” 

“Good. We will have a driver waiting for you. Gate 2. Please be prompt.” 

“Okay.” Lando jumped in again before he could be hung up on, “Is she okay though? She hasn’t answered me. I’m worried if she’s okay.”

There was a beat of silence and then the manager answered him flatly, “It was not to her benefit to be in correspondence with you until this matter is settled. She is fine.”

The line went dead.

Lando slowly lowered his phone from his ear, his mouth dry, and he stared at the black and white sonogram in front of him for a moment. When he swore he was about to cry, he looked away again and got up from his desk chair to exchange his backpack for a suitcase. The threat of legal action against him was honestly not the biggest of his concerns as his heart ached with the concept of what they could be holding you with in that very moment. He only hoped that they were gentle on you; the last thing you needed was excess stress for both yourself and the baby. 

When Lando boarded the bus to the airport, he had a private message waiting for him from Alex. 

alex_albon: Hey Lan - have you heard from Lily recently?? She hasn’t answered me since yesterday  landonorris: Yeah I was just about to message you. The group is in trouble with management and I got called to Monaco like NOW and was literally threatened with legal action if I didn’t go so 🙃 I’m on my way to airport now alex_albon: Wtf??  alex_albon: You’re joking landonorris: Nope. And idk what I’m walking in on either. Idk what information they have or what they know or why all of them aren’t allowed to talk to me or by extension, you landonorris: I’ll tell you more when I know more. I promise alex_albon: Please do alex_albon: And be safe and sane okay alex_albon: Text me or call me if you need anything  landonorris: Fly to Monaco? Lol alex_albon: Omg I would if I could, mate alex_albon: I’m sending you strength. You got this!! landonorris: I love you so much dude alex_albon: Love you too!! 

The entire flight to the Nice airport was near torture for Lando and especially so since you couldn’t answer him and he had virtually no clue what he was going to be walking into. The sunny Mediterranean welcomed him gladly - a cruel irony - and he walked through the airport with his suitcase and backpack unsure how long he would be staying. Just like when he first flew to Monaco to visit you at the beginning of the prior summer, a dark dressed man was waiting for him at the arrivals gate with a sign bearing his name on it. 

Neither of them spoke a word as the driver loaded his bags in the car for him and Lando buckled up in the backseat, nervous to break the tense silence around the stony-faced man. The drive to the office was tense and Lando felt like his shirt was suffocating him, constantly tugging at the collar. He wondered if he should have changed before coming; he had panic packed after his phone call from your manager and thus didn’t even think about changing out of his school clothes of a grey t-shirt and jeans. He silently cursed himself for being so foolish and not thinking ahead. He couldn’t give your team one more reason to dislike him. 

Your office building was all too familiar to him and Lando was let out on the curb with his suitcase and the driver drove off without any further instructions. On his own on the bustling street of downtown Monte Carlo, Lando peered up at the building and tried to calm his nerves by reminding himself that he was hopefully moments away from seeing you after so long. Better circumstances would have been preferred but he took what he got. 

The floor of your office was eerily quiet for a weekday around early afternoon and the secretary glanced up at him from her desk when he stepped out of the elevator. 

“Lando,” she greeted quietly, “They’re waiting for you in the conference room.”

He nodded at her politely in understanding, his mouth too dry to even think about forming words, and he walked around the partition into the main office space. Most of the desks were empty as if the team had been told to go home early for the day but a handful of employees were gathered at the far end and typing away together while whispering amongst themselves. Lando didn’t spare them more than a brief glance from across the office on his way past, even as they obviously stared at him. Your glass framed corner office was empty too and he passed by it to turn down the hallway that was lined with the meeting rooms, heading towards the large conference room at the opposite end of the floor. 

The large cherry wood table housed a large number of people, half of whom Lando didn’t recognize, but your four best friends as well as Pierre and yourself were at one end together, looking like kids who had been caught with their hands in the candy jar. Frightened, ashamed, awaiting their punishment. The rest of the table was taken up by men in suits with a few well dressed women among them and Lando assumed it was your management team. He took a deep breath before pushing open the door to the crowded room, earning all eyes to look at him. 

He hated being the centre of attention but to him, you were the only one in that room at that moment and your eyes shone at the sight of him. Even with Pierre at your side - a sight that would have normally sent Lando’s fight or flight instinct going in the past - Lando didn’t bat an eyelash at him and he made a beeline for you. You jumped up from your chair and threw yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and his easily took to your waist to hold you close, smiling softly at the obvious bump of your stomach that blocked your hug between you just a little. You had grown so much; your baby had grown so much. 

In reality, your hug was to only whisper to him quickly what had happened, your lips grazing against his ear as you hurried out in a barely audible voice, “They made me take a pregnancy test. They know. Took my phone and kept me on watch in fear that I’d leak something to you.”

One of the men cleared their throats and you pulled away from Lando sheepishly, dragging your hand down his chest with a small melancholy smile. Your first time seeing him in so long and it was under these pretenses. He looked so good and you craved to kiss him. You had to look away or you might have cried. 

“Thank you for joining us, Lando.” one of the men said formally.

Lando left his suitcase by the wall before he took the empty seat on your other side at the opposite head of the table, wanting to say ‘not like you gave me a choice’ but he merely pulled a tight smile and nodded in acknowledgement. Your four best friends were lined up on one length of the table with their heads down in near shame, not knowing where to look but all of their downcast gases were drifting in your direction. Max’s flat stare had Lando shifting nervously in his seat even though he was sure he did nothing wrong. 

The head of your management team, Ennis, who had called Lando just that morning, began the meeting, introducing the few individuals representing the management team including himself, the few from PR and the few from HR. The HR department’s presence had Lando shifting nervously in his chair as his father’s words echoed in the back of his head, how he didn’t understand that you truly did not take advantage of him as your intern. 

“This meeting was called in order to discuss how we will be moving forward from now on. For context for those of you who do not know, our client by contract has been working from home recently, canceling in person meetings, and limiting her social media usage to a worrisome degree. As PR and our team is aware, it is written in her contract that consistent social media presence is a crucial asset to marketing and creating a connection with her audience and her readers. Her constant statement of feeling ill led us to conduct a pregnancy test yesterday which did come back positive.”

Said test was dropped onto the table by one of the other management members, the screen face up in the Ziplock bag and the two pink lines very clear and visible since you were already so far along. Lando’s eyes widened at how bluntly they put your personal life on blast in a packed conference room and he glanced over at you on his left to see your stone flat face staring dumbly at the tabletop, your hands folded tightly in your lap. 

One of the PR team spoke up, “Is it public knowledge?”

Your manager answered, “Not yet but we have seen and heard some speculations through our undercover accounts on various social media sites. Not enough to hit the mainstream news yet which gives us limited time to think of a way to cover our asses on this.”

“Who is the father?”

Everyone turned to you and you almost shrunk down into your chair, Lando staring wide eyed around the room as everyone stared as if expecting you to answer for yourself. He shyly raised his hand a few centimeters off the table. Everyone turned back to the manager for guidance, eyebrows around the room left furrowed in near concern. Lando wasn’t sure how this was anyone else’s business but he was intimidated and just let himself listen. 

Your manager continued, “After the issue that arose in October of last year, our team had a serious conversation with the client about ending this relationship as it not only goes against her PR contract but it also will cause a complete hindrance to her social image which we cannot risk. It is clear now that she knew she was pregnant at that time and did not disclose this information to us, nor did she listen to our guidance in insisting that she end any and all contact with Mr. Norris.”

The team nodded in understanding. Lando noticed Charles faintly shaking his head in disbelief out of the corner of his eye. 

Your manager continued, “This is why we have asked HR to be present at this meeting as the public knowledge of our client’s romantic relationship with her intern runs the risk of affecting our company and this contract.”

You scoffed, “It didn’t start in the summer-”

He interrupted you, “And what if he sues you?”

Lando’s head snapped from you to the manager in shock. 

You answered sternly, “He won’t.”

“He’s a middle class kid from Bristol who had a summer fling with his favourite author and now has the chance to make a big buck off of it. Who wouldn’t take that? Humans tear each other down to push themselves up, it’s natural.”

Lando was stunned to silence, his mouth dry and agape at the assumption.

Oscar spoke up next, with a short tone that Lando had only ever heard him use once back when he had pushed the paparazzi away from you during a dinner in the summer, “Don’t you dare speak to them like that.” 

Everyone turned to him and your lineup of friends down one side of the table. 

Your manager pointed a warning finger at him, “You’re not in a position to be making threats that could have you fired, young man.” 

Oscar’s eyes narrowed, “Go ahead. I don’t work for you; I work for her.” 

“Osc.” you spoke softly, as if telling him it wasn’t worth it. 

“They’re our friends.” Charles spoke up, gesturing to you and Lando, “And you know nothing about them.”

Oscar added, “And you certainly know nothing about Lando because you haven’t bothered trying to.” 

“Gentlemen,” your manager spoke sternly, “That’s enough or I will ask you to leave this office immediately.” 

Max’s arm went protectively around the back of Charles’s chair, his ever-observing eyes staring down his nose at the man in charge. Lando, with his heart racing, looked back to the group of higher ups, waiting for what was going to come next out of this tense conversation. 

Trying to explain himself calmly, your manager re-worded his argument as he directed towards you, “It looks bad to have you appearing as if you were cheating on a man of such high standing with a fan…your intern of all people. That opens a whole other can of legal worms that the public could rise up with. It would ruin your reputation. 

Lando’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment at the offside comment in comparison to Pierre. Ever since Lando had first followed you months and near years ago, he had always silently compared himself to Pierre - your boyfriend, who he soon came to learn was all a PR stunt - but it was a hard pill to swallow. The entire world only knew Pierre as your other half. To the world, Lando was the sidepiece. It just wasn’t true but what was to be done about it? Clearly even your team wasn’t on his side…the stupid little fanboy from England. How could he ever compare to the handsome brunette French actor that was the shining star of your Instagram feed? 

“We want to be proactive here.” your manager continued. “We want to anticipate how the public is going to react to the news of this pregnancy because it will get out at one point or another.”

Another one of the team members spoke up, “We should push the idea that she and Pierre are together. Use this as a way to solidify their relationship.”

Your manager thought for a moment before he actually smiled and agreed with ease, “Yes. We can prepare a post announcing the pregnancy and pass this kid off as Pierre’s. Rehash the idea that our client is in a stable and normal relationship and there is nothing shady that is going on behind the scenes.”

Pierre and Lando made eye contact from over you before both looking away just as quickly. Lando could feel his heart in his throat, like he was going to throw it up on the table. Your small sniffle from beside him didn’t help the protective anger that was thudding in his chest and bubbling up like bile in his stomach. How dare they make your decisions for you. 

Your little group watched the discussion between the higher ups like a tennis match across the table, Lando’s chest burning hotter and clenching tighter with his fists in his lap the longer he heard it. 

“We’ll have them all sign an NDA, sweep this under the rug and put it behind us.”

“She should address the pictures from October and offer a public apology.”

“She was pregnant and seduced by this fan and she felt badly for him.” 

Lando looked over at you and the way your eyes shimmered with tears as you stared at the edge of the table with a trembling pout. One wrong word and you were going to burst into tears. Lando frowned deeper and turned back to the discussion going on around him, ignorant to the way your friends stared at him, waiting for the red of his cheeks to blow into a silence of the bullshit that filled the airtime. This wasn’t their fight to have.

“It makes sense for it to be Pierre’s kid…they’ve been together so long.”

“The public loves them together too. A baby would only enhance their audiences. We’ll probably trend!” 

“We could set up a gender reveal. Livestream it even!” 

“Pierre would make the perfect father figure too. He’s got the look.”

Lando stood up so fast that his chair rolled away from behind him and he cut into the conversation that didn’t include him but was all about him, shouting across the lengthy wood table to the broad man at the other end, “Shut up! You think you can just dictate what we do with our lives? You have no say over me and no grounds to sue me if I decline to your insane ideas. This is my child you’re discussing!”

His voice was wavering with emotion and you could see the way his body trembled from where he stood beside you. But he was seeing red and there was nothing he ever hated more than someone hurting you. From hate comments on your posts to invasive interview questions to now this? Lando couldn’t take it. 

He was yelling now, ignorant to any scene he was making in your workplace, “This is my baby! You have no right to replace me with some fake boyfriend who has no connection to this child and nothing to do with this pregnancy! How long are you planning on carrying this lie? Huh? Because it’s going to be pretty damn hard when I’m the one with her constantly…the one taking her to the doctors appointments and the hospital and signing my fucking name on the birth certificate!” 

Your manager cut in smoothly, “Oh, you’re not going to be.”

Lando literally laughed humorlessly, “Like hell I won’t be! That is my baby, and my girlfriend, and I would give up my life for them in a heartbeat. I will not sit by and let you ruin my family because you’re scared of what a few stupid strangers on the internet would say about it. Grow up! You’re grown-ass adults! If we don’t give a shit about what people have to say about us, then why do you? You are not a part of this! I’m sick and tired of walking on eggshells in fear of you! Stop ruining everyone else’s lives because you’re too miserable with your own!” 

“It’s deeper than that, Lando.” your manager told him slowly, “You don’t understand because you’re not part of-”

“No!” Lando slammed his fist against the table to cut him off angrily, “I’m sick and tired of people just seeing me as this kid who doesn’t know a thing about life. You’re talking over me like I don’t have a voice of my own. You don’t know a thing about me! You don’t know who I am or what I do and you especially don’t seem to know that I love your client more than anyone else in the world. Fuck that ‘my client’ shit too, by the way. She has a name. She’s a human being who has feelings and opinions and ideas and really fucking good ideas too and I love her! She’s not your stupid doll to puppet around like this is a big game! I won’t let you! I’m sick of this and I’m sick of seeing how your rules affect her and make her miserable! I love her more than life itself and I refuse to sit here and let you ruin the life that we are building together. She is incredible and she deserves more than you pathetic money-hungry idiots. She deserves to have a real life and a real family and she deserves to be loved…like really loved.” 

Lando faded out as his adrenaline dwindled and he suddenly clued in that he was standing in the middle of the conference room screaming at an entire board of managers and relation teams from the depth of his heart. He swallowed back the anxious gag in his throat and then tore his wide eyes away from the shocked men to look down at you sitting beside him. You were staring up at him in near awe with tears free falling down your cheeks and his gaze shifted just past you to Pierre who looked just as impressed as he was shocked. 

“And Pierre.” Lando found himself saying, much quieter now although his voice was still wavering, “Pierre deserves to find real love too. None of this fake crap with a kid that isn’t is. He needs to find a girl of his own to have a real kid with when he’s ready like he’s supposed to.”

The young men shared little smiles and appreciative half nods. 

Then Lando was bending down to you and wiping your tears from your cheek with his thumb, whispering against your temple softly, “Come on. We’re going.”

“We can’t.” you sniffled. 

“I don’t care. We’re going.” he said a little louder, his voice serious but his words gentle. 

You simply nodded and took his hand to let him guide you to your feet and you wiped your eyes with the sleeve of your hoodie. Your friends started to get up too. 

“No, no.” your manager warned. “You leave when I tell you that you can leave.” 

Max finally spoke, his tone deadly serious and stern, “We’ll be back when you choose to have empathy and are willing to hear her own needs.”

Lando led the little group of you out of the conference room door, holding you under one arm and his suitcase being rolled by his other hand and he didn’t look back as he steered you down the hallway, your friends following quickly behind you. 

Once you were all a few paces away, your friends shared excited little whispers amongst themselves in disbelief that you all just staged a little walkout but Lando was only focused on you and how you shivered under his arm. He leaned his head in to be right in your space with his fingers scratching tenderly against your shoulder and you looked back at him in your close proximity and leaned your forehead against his. 

“It’s going to be okay.” he promised quietly as Lily pressed the call button for the elevator under the intense stare of the secretary a few paces away. 

You nodded, closing your eyes to only focus on the way he held you under his arm. 

“I love you so much.” he whispered. “I’m not letting them do anything to you or our baby.” 

“I love you.” you sighed shakily and slid your arms around his middle to pull him into an embrace. 

He kissed your head and let his other arm join his first around your shoulders, running his fingers through your hair soothingly before caressing your back in gentle rubs. When the elevator dinged and the doors slid open, you pulled away from each other and he guided you into the elevator first. You sniffled and wiped your nose with the sleeve of your hoodie as you stepped inside and your friends followed you. You were surprised no one had chased you out to drag you back to the meeting room by your hair. 

Charles pressed the button for the parking garage and your friends let you and Lando have your quiet moment in the corner of the elevator the whole way down. He barely let you stray farther than a few inches away and he kept you under his arm protectively as you shivered with anxiety and stress, your teeth chattering. But you held onto the front of his shirt in a tight fist as if scared he was going to be taken away from you again and your gently closed eyelids had your lashes fluttering against your teary cheeks. 

Lando’s lips brushed against your ear as he whispered reassuring words to you, “Take some deep breaths for me, sweetheart. We don’t want to give our baby any extra stress right now and it’s not good for you either.”

You nodded weakly. 

He kissed your cheek and then habitually breathed with you as you took in a slow deep breath through your nose, both of you needing it. 

Moments later, the elevator doors slid open to reveal the parking garage lobby and Lando spoke to you quietly, “Let’s get you home.”

Max’s SUV was parked within the rows of cars and the shiny black exterior stood out from the others. When he unlocked it with a chirp, Lando’s eyes would have normally gone wide at the impressive expensive car you were all about to climb into but his attention and his lingering adrenaline was focused all on you. No one bothered to offer you the front seat since it was clear you weren’t going to let go of Lando even if someone paid you and so Oscar opened the back door for you and Lando helped you climb in. Max loaded Lando’s suitcase into the trunk and he and Charles took to the front seat themselves while Lily and Oscar wiggled into the third row, leaving you and Lando to have your room in the second row. 

In the safety and familiarity of Max’s leather seats and Lando’s arms, you were starting to calm down and by the time the SUV drove out into the Monaco sun, your anxiety induced shivering had stopped. Lando’s arm was still around your shoulders and his other hand held your two on his lap, welcoming the way you so easily curled into his side even when you were both buckled in your seatbelts. The drive was quiet as no one really knew what to say and you were honestly thankful for that. 

Staring down at your intertwined hands, you gently traced the lines of Lando’s fingers with your head resting against his comfortably. He moved to kiss your temple before resting his head back down against yours, rubbing his thumb over yours for a few strokes. 

“I missed you so much.” you sniffled. 

“I missed you like crazy.” Lando gave your hand a squeeze. 

You leaned your head back slightly against his shoulder so you could look at his face and he gladly met your teary gaze. His eyes drifted to your lips, watching how you formed your quiet sentence, “That was incredible what you did in there.” 

He shrugged modestly, whispering back to you, “I’ll always protect you.”

“I love you.” you breathed. 

“I’m in love with you.” he countered. 

You broke into a slight smile to correct yourself quietly, for only him to hear, “I’m in love with you, Lando Norris.” 

He tightened his arm around your shoulder to guide you in for a soft, long awaited kiss. You both lingered there for a moment, smiling faintly into your chasté kiss in your getaway car together, and when you pulled away, you cuddled back into his side with your arm around his middle. Amidst everything, you were just excited to be able to take him home. 

When Max pulled into the parking garage of your apartment, you thanked him for the drive and then said your goodbyes to your friends as the two young men got out to retrieve Lando’s suitcase. Your friends had you promise to keep them up to date with everything and they swore they had your back no matter what…but you needed to take that night and turn off your phone and just be with Lando for a little while. You had no objections to that idea. 

Lando was waiting with Max on the pavement with his bag when you stepped out of the car and Max moved right in to give you a one armed hug. He spoke to you seriously when he pulled away, “If they call you, don’t answer. Tell me and I will deal with them.”

You nodded and promised and you said your goodbyes. Lando took your hand and led you up to your door. 

“Sorry it’s a mess.” you whispered as you unlocked it and stepped inside. 

Lando glanced at the dishes in the kitchen sink and the papers scattered over the dining room table and the few stray worn socks that littered your living room floor but he merely shrugged, dusting his fingers over the small of your back as he followed you farther into your house, “It’s okay. I’m not worried about the mess. Just you. Are you feeling a little calmer, my love?”

You set your purse on the kitchen island as you turned to him with a small smile, “Yeah. Thanks to you.”

“Of course.” Lando set his hands on your waist, “What did you want to do now? Do you want to nap? I know you said you haven’t been getting much sleep.”

“I wanna kiss you.” you said, pulling him closer by the front of his shirt. 

Lando just licked away his smile and leaned in towards you to meet you halfway in a proper kiss, one that you had been waiting for since October and in full privacy of your own home, it felt so easy again. You hummed softly in pleasant appreciation and your hands raised to the sides of his neck to hold his kiss for a little longer. Lando’s head spun with his adoration for you and he parted your lips with his own and tilted his head slightly to deepen your kiss, sliding his arms around your waist to pull you closer until the bump of your belly pressed against his stomach. 

He laughed lightly into your kiss and went to pull away but you grabbed him by the back of his neck and yanked him back in for more kisses. His hands caressed your back lovingly and he spoke softly between your purposeful kisses, “Baby, I missed you so much if you keep this up I’m gonna get hard-”

“Good.” you answered easily, moving away from his lips for a second so you could speak right to him, “I’ve been so fucking horny recently…and all I want right now is for you to just fuck the thoughts from my head.” 

“Fuck.” Lando chuckled breathily at your blunt demand and as your lips went for his neck, he tilted his head back to give you room, speaking to the ceiling, “Okay, but let me take you to your room first.” 

His hands fell into yours and soon you were following after him down the hallway to your bedroom; a place he knew well after your summer together. It had been so long since you last saw each other that you were almost bursting with excitement; no help from the second trimester that had your libido through the roof. Your plentiful FaceTime calls and risqué text messages were not sufficing and you would have given anything to feel his hands on your body properly. Now, as if a dream, he was there with you in your bedroom and pulling your sweater off purposefully. 

You held him by the side of his neck and kissed the air from his lungs, wanting him impossibly closer as the curve of your growing stomach prevented him from touching you completely. His hands caressed your full hips that had only grown with pregnancy and then over the swell over your stomach that housed his baby. You had often sent him selfies and pictures over the weeks so he could track your growth from a distance but seeing it in person was so much better. 

With a soft hum of appreciation, Lando pulled away from your lips to let his gaze fall to your taut skin under his hands. The stretch marks wriggled across your abdomen and hips and his fingers traced them delicately as he took in the sight of you before him like you were nothing less than ethereal. You held onto his biceps, letting him stare at you, and he gently guided you backwards towards your bed to sit you down on the side. Then he was sinking to his knees in front of you and pulling your sweatpants down your legs right along with your underwear to discard them to the floor and leave you in only your bra in front of him. His eyes darted over your body like he wasn’t sure where he wanted to look first and he finally settled on the roundness of your stomach, leaning in to press a soft kiss right there. 

“My God, you’re even more beautiful in person.” he whispered faintly, his warm breath fanning across your skin. He guided your legs apart and kissed down the curve of your belly until settling between your legs with a tender kiss to your cunt. 

“It’s not…tidy…down there.” you mumbled, resting back on your hands against the bed. 

“Don’t care.” Lando answered easily before gliding his tongue between your lips. He missed how you tasted - so perfectly sweet and addicting - and he greedily went in for more. 

You stared down at him and how the small bump of your abdomen hid him slightly from your view so all you were blessed with was the sight of his unruly brown hair between your legs. The feeling of his lips and tongue blessing your pussy with the sweetest kisses and licks had your nose scrunching up in pleasure and your eyes fluttering closed to bask in the sensations you had waited too long for. 

His hands took to your thighs and guided your legs up so you could rest your heels on the edge of the bed and leave yourself spread open for his eager mouth. His thumbs rubbed warmly over the flesh of your thighs as he made out sloppily with your cunt and let his nose ghost over your aching clit, tending to you so lovingly after so long that you swore tears were pricking the corners of your eyes. Your hormones were going awol. 

“Oh, God, Lando, I love you.” you whimpered to the ceiling.

He pulled away just long enough to reply, “I love you too.”

Lando could never get enough of the way you whimpered and moaned under his touch; it was truly better than how it sounded in his imagination all those months ago. It was hard to believe that not even a year before he was still sitting alone in his dorm room with only the company of your published words and your social media. Now he was eating you out on your bed in your apartment in Monaco while you were pregnant with his child. Life was surreal. 

There was nothing else either of you could do but focus on the good to push away the bad for the time being. 

“Mm, baby,” you reached a hand down to raked through his hair, “can we switch?” 

Lando pulled away from your pussy with a soft slurp and a little glossy pout, “Already?”

“Yeah…I really wanna suck your dick.” you pleaded. 

He would never decline that - especially after months of going without any sort of touch from you - and so he stood up without question and started to unbuckle his jeans. You dropped your legs back down over the side of the bed and reached to help him, licking your lips impatiently as you unzipped his pants and started to pull them down. Lando tugged his shirt off in the meantime and soon you were both perfectly bare in front of each other. 

His fingers danced through your hair lovingly as you wrapped a hand around his hard cock and let a little dribble of spit fall from your lips onto the head of it. You leaned down slightly to wrap your mouth around it and his hand followed you gently as you sucked softly on the smooth tip. Lando’s wavering little exhale had your heart skipping a beat and you sunk your mouth down lower, starting to suck him off in lazy little bobs of your head. 

But you soon pulled off him quickly and rested your free hand against his faint abs to get him to back up a little, giving yourself room to slip carefully off the side of the bed and onto your knees in front of him. Lando’s wide eyes stared down at you and his expression fluttered as you sank your mouth down around his cock again, taking him nice and deep in your warm wet mouth. 

“Oh my God, baby.” he whispered shakily, taking your hair back into a ponytail in his gentle hands, “You’re such a good girl.” 

Your gentle hand gave him soft strokes in time with your mouth for a few seconds before your mouth was pulling away to let your hand do the work, confessing up to him easily from your knees, “The way you stood up for me in there…and our baby…was so fucking hot.” 

You kissed the tip of his dick.

“You’re so fucking hot.”

Another kiss to the tender spot right under the head. It made his thighs flinch slightly.

“Fuck, I missed you so bad.” you rushed out before guiding his dick back into your mouth. 

Lando’s head dropped to the side with a tight groan from his throat, his eyes struggling to stay open with how perfect your mouth felt - no comparison to his hand from the last few months. He promised you in reply, “I missed you more.” 

You moaned around his cock and kept your motions going until you were gagging yourself on it and smothering yourself deeper until you could take your hand away. Lando’s eyelids fluttered through a deep groan as he hit the back of your throat and you set your hands on his ass to pull him right in until your nose touched his pelvis. The feeling of your throat constricting around him had his hands tightening in your hair and when you gagged loudly around him, you had to pull back. Strings of spit connected your lips to the tip of his dick and Lando watched in near awe as you wrapped your hand around him again and quickly started stroking him off again, even slick in your spit that dribbled down your chin. 

“God, I’m so horny.” you exhaled, staring lustfully at his cock in your face. Your other hand helped itself between your legs to ease some of the ache that was growing, rubbing your clit in lazy circles as you let your tongue swirl around the head of Lando’s dick with your hand taking the lead of the motions. You whispered against it in near disbelief, “I can’t believe our baby came from this. You and this perfect dick of yours got me pregnant.”

Lando laughed faintly, “Don’t say that or I’ll cum.” 

You giggled sweetly at him and wrapped your lips around the tip for a little suckle before pulling back again, “You have such a breeding kink.”

“So what?”

“So it’s kinda hot.” you answered, “And you’re already standing up for our little family. You’re gonna be such a good daddy.”

“Sweetheart,” Lando sighed, “Seriously.”

“I know, I know,” you bit back your smile as your hand kept pumping his thick cock, “I could feel you throbbing when I said that.”

He hummed pleasantly and you flicked your tongue over the underside of his dick, staring up at him sweetly to watch how his expression changed with pleasure. Your hand moved a bit faster and your lips wrapped around the head with your tongue teasing the slit, pulling the sweetest moan from his chest that had your cunt pulsing. 

“Fuck,” you pulled away from him again, “I need you inside me so fucking bad right now.”

“Okay,” Lando answered without missing a beat, “Get on the bed.” 

You stood up in front of him with help from his hand for a bit of balance and you pulled him in by the back of his neck for a few sloppy kisses through your shared smiles before you were sitting on the side of the bed and scooting farther onto it. Lando crawled after you, and when you met in the middle of your familiar king size bed, he felt at home. Your lips met once more, sharing tongue-led kisses that had you reaching for his shoulders to keep him close - enamoured by him and his angelic kisses. 

Lando broke away from your kiss to ask softly, “How are you most comfortable to do this?” 

“I’m not allowed to be on my back.” you told him.

“I know.” he piped up easily, having consistently been following week by week pregnancy articles online throughout the process. 

You kissed his lips once more before answering his question properly, “Maybe I’ll start on top?”

“Sure.”

You moved together to situate yourselves on your neatly made bed and Lando lounged back against the pillows and the headboard, helping to guide your leg to straddle his body. He licked his lips as he had that perfect view of you right in front of him and the growing curve of your belly called to his possessive hands. 

“You’re so sexy.” he breathed. “So fucking beautiful.” 

“Glad you still think so.” you chuckled lightly. 

“Always.” Lando replied, caressing your full hips with his warm hands as you lifted up onto your knees. 

He helped to angle his dick for you and you shuffled closer upwards so it could press right up against your leaking pussy. You were so wet that he let out a shaky breath at only the first teasing touch, desperate to sink into you after so long. He had gone twenty-one years without any touch from a woman and maybe in some way life was holding him out for you - you were his first and to be his only. Having to return to abstinence for a few months while you struggled with your management was nearly torture for the both of you but especially for Lando. 

“Ready, boyfriend?” you asked, a sweet reminder that this was only your second time as officially dating - and only your first time that would actually (hopefully) see a satisfied conclusion for the both of you. 

“Ready, beautiful girlfriend.” he nodded, trying to hide his grin.

“Compared to your ugly girlfriend you keep on the side?” you teased.

“Shush, there’s no one but you and you know it.” Lando tisked lightly, impatiently sliding the head of his cock between your glistening lips. 

You grabbed his wrist, “Keep him still.” 

“Gimme it, baby.” he exhaled. “I need you so bad.”

You held his wrist snugly as you slowly sank down on him, letting the head of his cock slip inside you snugly and your nose scrunched up at the stretch after so long. Lando’s free hand rubbed your thigh comfortingly as you whimpered slightly at the ache across your pelvis muscles that had been working to house your growing baby for the prior weeks. 

“Good girl.” he praised softly, trying to hide the wavering of his voice that was caused by how good you felt around him, so tight and warm that he swore he was getting dizzy, “Nice and slow, sweetheart.” 

“You’re so fucking big, it kinda hurts.” you pulled a strained little smile up at him. 

“You’re not new to it.” he laughed lightly. 

“Mm, no.” you agreed proudly, “This dick is all mine.” 

Lando groaned at your words and the warmth of your pussy that sank down on more of him and he merely offered you a “mhm” in acknowledgement. 

You set both your hands on his chest as you got lower and Lando held onto your hips, staring down his body to watch how his dick disappeared inside you slowly. He licked his lips and spread his legs a little wider, his eyebrows raising slightly as he watched you bottom out in near awe, filling him entirely inside your perfect body. 

“Oh, fuck, I missed this.” you sniffled, dropping your head back to try and keep your hormones at bay. 

“Me too. You feel so fucking good, baby.” Lando breathed. 

“I missed you so fucking much.” you whimpered. 

“I’m right here.” Lando promised, “Not going anywhere, sweetheart…I’m right here.”

You started to grind down on him in little back and forth motions to feel him tucked up so deeply inside you and your eyes closed peacefully to just bask in it for a second. His hands slid up the silhouette of your body and traced the lace of your bra and you allowed him to take it off you. Over the previous months he had seen your growing breasts through FaceTime chats but in person was just so much better. He dropped your bra to the ground in exchange for his hands to gently grope them with full palms as you rode him lazily with those purposeful grinds, his fingers on your sensitive nipples earning sweet moans from your mouth. 

With your hands anchored strongly on his chest, you started to raise yourself up on your knees in more vertical strokes, earning a tight inhale from him as the snug squeeze of your cunt pulled along the length of his cock and back down. You were both sharing heavy breaths and peaceful moans, taking the afternoon slowly and savouringly, basking in the pleasure that you had long missed together. 

“You’re so gorgeous.” Lando breathed, unable to tear his eyes away from your maternal body sitting on his lap. You were the epitome of a dream come true for him. 

You smiled down at him as you bounced faintly on his cock and let his hands knead your swollen breasts. All that mattered in that moment was him.

To Lando, all that mattered was you as he asked you sweetly, “Does this feel good for you, my love?” 

“Yeah. Feels really fucking good.” you chuckled breathily. “You?”

“Yeah, it’s amazing.” he nodded, “View is pretty good too.”

You let out a soft chuckle and shifted your hands from his chest to rest on the bed between his spread legs behind you, giving you a new angle, and his hands were taken from your chest to slide down to rest tenderly on your swollen belly. Lando stared at you as you started to bounce on him shallowly again, your limited movement making it look more like slight flicks of your hips in that consistent rhythm but the spring of the mattress helped you greatly. 

As your eyes closed, your mouth fell open with a trembling moan, “Oh fuck, that’s it.”

“Good girl.” Lando whispered, keeping his eyes on you.

He licked his lips as he stared at your legs spread on either side of his body and the sight of your body not straying far from his before falling back down with a faint clap of skin over and over again. Your whimpers and moans were heaven to him and he let you set the pace however you needed, simply caressing the tight skin over your abdomen and the fleshy dough of your hips. 

Your eyebrows furrowed slightly and your lips fell into a soft pout despite the pitchy moan that filled your bedroom as you rode him consistently with his dick nudging your g-spot straight on. It grew the pleasure inside you tightly but it came on fast and it felt incredibly overwhelming, especially after so long apart, that it made your face scrunch up in what could pass as agony. 

“Oh God.” you whimpered, your voice quivering as if you were near tears, “Oh, I’m gonna cum.” 

“That’s it, beautiful, cum for me.” Lando encouraged angelically, 

“Oh, fuck, Lando-” you choked out. 

Your breath caught in your throat and he watched in awe as your head dropped backwards and you gaped up to the ceiling with screwed tight eyes just as your pussy clenched down hard around him and you kept bouncing on his lap right through it. You squealed pitchily as your hands fisted the sheets behind you and your nose scrunched up in the cutest way he had ever seen. 

“Shit,” Lando hissed, pressing his fingers into the flesh of your thighs, “that’s my good fucking girl.” 

“Fuck.” you heaved for breath and fluttered your eyes open as you lifted your heavy head to look back at him, “Didn’t know I was gonna cum that fast…I’m fucking sensitive.” 

Lando smiled adoringly up at you as you straightened up on top of him again and set your palms flat on his chest once more. You took a deep breath and let it out with a refreshing sigh, swirling your hips ever so slowly on his lap to bask in the bliss of it all. 

“Yeah, just take a second to catch your breath.” Lando rubbed his warm hands over your flushed skin. “My good girl.” 

You smiled adoringly to the air between you and your gaze found his fondly before you slowly lifted yourself up and then back down the length of his dick, pulling a tight moan from his chest. You breathed deeply for him as you moved slowly, riding out the ends of your toe-curling orgasm that you had waited near months for, just wanting to savour the feeling of his perfect cock buried deeply inside you. 

Soon, you were shifting on top of him and situating your feet underneath you so you were squatting over his lap and Lando rubbed his hands over your thighs, whispering in cautious concern, “Oh, that’s going to be hard on your knees, baby.”

“That’s okay.” you whispered. “I want to be good for you.”

“You are always good for me, my love. Here, can we switch? I just wanna take care of you.”

When you nodded, he leaned up on his elbows to kiss your lips and then you were carefully sliding off his lap, wincing faintly at the feeling of his cock slipping out of you and leaving you empty. Lando moved quickly so you weren’t left lost for long and he situated himself behind you on his knees, leaving you only needing to rest forward on your hands from the position you were already in. He licked his fingers and slid them between your legs, smearing your slick pussy wetter as much as he wanted as he tended to your swollen cunt with warm caresses, mouthing a silent ‘fuck’ to the air at how the mere feeling of you had his cock throbbing. 

“Spread your legs a little wider, sweetheart.” Lando instructed gently, helping you to shuffle your knees a bit farther apart and he kept his at a close angle just behind you, allowing his hips to be perfectly level with yours. He rubbed your hips, “This comfortable for you?”

“Yeah, it’s good.” you flipped your hair over one shoulder so you could try and look back at him. 

Lando gladly kept your eye contact as he carefully guided his thick cock into you again, his mouth falling open slightly at the snug fit of your body nearly pulling him in. He had to break your lustful stares to watch himself bottom out inside you until his hips were pressed snugly against the flesh of your ass. When you wiggled back onto him a little, you could feel the faint hair that dotted his pelvis brush against your soft skin. You hummed contently and started to rock forwards and backwards to fuck yourself on him impatiently. 

“Hey, hey,” Lando tisked and took hold on your hips, “that’s my job.”

You giggled sweetly and bit your smiling lip as you stared back at him over your shoulder and he started to fuck you lazily. A soft hum of appreciation fell from your mouth and your eyes fluttered shut. 

“There we go.” Lando breathed. 

Going nice and slowly after the build up of months apart was only half ideal because part of him just wanted to fuck the shit out of you, but the addition of your little life growing inside you, he also wanted to be extra careful. Savouring it all was just as good, making sweet love to you had always been his favourite dream after all. 

You whispered your polite demand to the room, “Faster, please.”

Lando caressed your hips and started to thrust into you a little faster until he had a good gentle speed going. 

Humming in appreciation, you spoke again, “Yeah, this speed but harder.”

Slightly hesitant, Lando only gave you a little bit more intensity just until your skin started to make that lewd little clapping sound together. 

“Mm, more. Fuck me harder.” you huffed. 

“I don’t wanna hurt you.” Lando protested. 

“I’m not a fucking flower, baby, I won’t break.” you retorted, “Beat it up, come on. I’ll tell you if it’s too much.”

Lando took your word for it and let his instincts take over as he shoved into you with sharper precision at that same ideal speed you had him keep. Your deep groan only solidified that it was perfectly okay and he slid his hands up your back to grasp your shoulders as he gently held you back into his every thrust, the bed creaking underneath you in time with him. 

“Fuck, yeah, that’s so good.” you moaned, fisting the bed sheets under your straight arms. “Oh my God.” 

“That’s my pretty girl.” Lando exhaled, staring down at how your ass jiggled with every hard thrust, “Fuck, you feel incredible.” 

He fucked the whimpers from your throat in steady time, gradually getting louder and louder as your eyes screwed shut. Lando slid his hands down your back and grabbed your doughy hips again, tugging you back harshly into every thrust as he hit as deep as he could with any possible hesitation vanished from his mind with how you reacted to him. You cried out with pure raw pleasure, your voice wavering with tears from how good it felt, and he spanked your ass out of habit. 

“Yeah, spank me.” you pleaded, earning another hard smack to your ass and then another. 

“Dirty girl.” Lando chuckled lowly, his words laced with breathlessness as he pounded into you at that addicting pace. 

“Mm, mm, mm, mm-” your head dropped down and in seconds you were flying a hand out to slam against the headboard, squealing loudly, “Fuck, I’m gonna cum again!”

“Good girl. That’s my good girl.” Lando praised lowly, propping one foot flat against the mattress for a better angle as he flawlessly kept that addicting pace, only making the slap of your skin louder in time with the creaking of the bed, “Cum for me, sweetheart.”

“Oh God, oh God, oh God-” you choked out, tightening your white-knuckled grip on the sheets until you were untucking them from the sides of the mattress. “Lando!” 

“That’s it…cum for me. Cum on my cock.” his jaw clenched at the first feeling of you gripping around him again, “Yes, that’s it, beautiful, make me cum.” 

You shuddered when you came and Lando’s hands tended to your hips warmly as he fucked you through your second orgasm, holding you up as your body desperately tried to slide down onto the mattress and away from the overwhelming pleasure. But he kept going, pounding into you roughly as you mewled and moaned for him until tears blurred your eyes. 

“Oh my God, baby!” you sobbed out. 

“I’m close-” Lando panted, his voice breaking slightly as he repeated, “I’m close-”

Despite the way your body trembled from overwhelm, you looked back at him over your shoulder and offered him the sweetest begging that you knew would do just the trick, “Cum inside me. Please, please, please cum inside me, Lan, I missed you so much.”

“Fuck,” Lando groaned, “That’s it.”

“Please fill me up.” You squeezed down on him, “Oh, God, I need it so bad.”

“Cumming-” Lando warned quickly before he, too, was tensing right up with the harsh wave of pleasure that hit him. His handsome face screwed up tightly, his mouth falling open in near awe, and he let out the most beautiful moan you had ever heard him make when you felt that first thick spurt release deep inside you. 

“Fuck yeah.” you sighed pleasantly and ground your ass back against him as his thrusts slowed into lazy nudges. 

“Ohhh, God.” Lando withered, slumping forward slightly until his hand caught his weight against the mattress. “Shit.”

“I could feel it pulsing inside me.” you giggled. 

“Yeah,” Lando sniffled dryly, dropping his leg back down so he was kneeling properly, “I came so fucking hard.”

You slowly sat back on your knees and Lando moved with you to help you shift so your back was right up against his front and his hands slid around your hips and over your belly as you leaned your head back against his shoulder and pulled his lips onto yours. The two of you shared sloppy breathless kisses until your relieved and pleasured smiles got in the way and you had to break away from each other. Lando kissed your temple. 

Your hands dragged over his forearms as he embraced you lovingly and fell to a stop over his hands that cradled your baby bump. You stayed there together for a moment, still intertwined as one and letting the highs of your orgasms wash into a glowing bliss all through you. Lando’s thumbs rubbed faintly over your skin and he kissed your neck before sighing contentedly into that same spot. 

“I love you so much.” he whispered like a promise. 

“I love you so much more.” you responded, lifting your head up to invite him for a kiss to your lips. 

Then he was cautiously helping you shift away from him and both of you shared a little wince as his sensitive dick slipped out of you and left you empty once again. You carefully turned around and slumped backwards against your pillow with a content but tired sigh, draping one arm over your head with your other habitually gravitating to the curve of your abdomen. Lando joined you at your side and you naturally turned away from him so he could cuddle up behind you, fitting your blushing bodies together like two perfect puzzle pieces meant to be. 

Lando hid his grinning smile into your hair and breathed in the scent of your floral shampoo as he slid his arm under your neck and his other draped around your middle to join your hand on your belly. 

“Twenty-two weeks tomorrow.” you stated softly. 

“Mhm.” Lando smiled against your shoulder, caressing your little growing life with his thumb, “Baby is the size of a papaya this week.”

You giggled, “Have you ever seen a papaya in real life?”

“No, but I’m sure they aren’t as beautiful as our baby.”

“I don’t think a baby and a fruit are accurately comparable.”

Lando kissed along your shoulder, “Sure they are. And our baby wins every time.”

“Of course.”

You leaned back slightly to pucker out your lips and he dipped in for a sweet kiss or two. 

He kissed your neck when you turned away from him again and his hand rubbed warmly over your belly. Your fingers wiggled their way under his to get him to hold your hand and then you brought your joint hands up to your lips to kiss his knuckles before returning them back to your baby. 

Lando confessed to you quietly as you had your moment’s peace, “You look so beautiful…more than ever.”

“Thank the pregnancy for that.” you replied. 

“Oh, I do.” he assured you, “I always knew you would be fucking gorgeous pregnant with my baby and look…I was right!” 

You laughed lightly and he nuzzled a kiss into your neck. Then he continued gently with his little confession, “And when I came into that room today and got my first real look at you after what felt like forever…you took my breath away all over again. Just like you did when I first met you on that book tour last year in Bristol. And when you hugged me and I could feel our baby against me for the first time? It was so incredible.” 

There was a pause and you didn’t answer, letting the airtime be taken up by your fingers dancing lazily with his. Lando gave your hand a squeeze as if making sure you were still awake. 

You finally replied, but not like how he had anticipated, “I’m sorry about today.”

He tisked, “You have nothing to be sorry about. None of this is your fault.” 

Bubbling up with hormones and emotions that you had suppressed for a while, your voice broke as you shared a confession of your own, “I just wanted to write books.”

Lando’s heart nearly shattered at the simple yet weighty presence of your words and he held you a little tighter, “Oh, my darling, I know.”

A sob fell from your lips and you raised your joint hands up again to hide your face in embarrassment, “I didn’t want all of this shit with it.”

“I know.” Lando sighed, “You don’t deserve this. Not at all. I wish I could just make it all go away for you.” 

“And now you’re dragging into this and I’m ruining your life.”

“Hey.” Lando propped himself up on his arm so he could look at you properly. You hid your face in your hands but he pulled them away, speaking to you sternly but sweetly, “You have done nothing but make my life better. I have told you before and I will tell you again that you are my biggest dream come true. There has never been one second since meeting you that I ever thought that my life was worse off because of you…and especially from things that are not your fault.”

“Please don’t ever leave me.”

Lando swallowed back his own tears and he leaned down to kiss your tear streaked cheek, holding onto you like he was never going to let you, “I will never leave you. I would never dream of it. I’d never find another you.” 

You wiped your tears with the heel of your palm and Lando sighed pitifully at the way you trembled in his arms. He kissed your shoulder and caressed the soft skin of your growing belly and tried to make you feel every ounce of his love in his heart that he wasn’t quite sure how to express out loud. 

“I hate the way they treat you.” he whispered, dusting another kiss to your shoulder, “No one should be making you feel this low.”

You sniffled and leaned your head back slightly to look him in the eye, “And you stood up for me.”

“Of course.” Lando kissed your lips once. “No one hurts my girl or tries to break up my family.” 

You reached up to slide your hand around the back of his neck and pulled him into another lingering kiss. When you parted, he sighed softly against your cheek and you closed your eyes with an exhale of your own to just feel the warmth of his body against your own. 

“I love you.” you mumbled.

“I love you so much.” Lando kissed your cheek again.

You let your eyes find his in your close proximity, dancing your fingers through the back of his hair as you confessed to him in a whisper, “They all told me - even Max at one point or another - not to get involved with fans because it can be risky and messy…but honestly it was the best decision of my life. I thought you were cute from the second I saw you but something about you just made me want to trust you and give you a chance and…I can’t even remember what life was like before you and it hasn’t even been a year yet.”

Lando smiled fondly at you, “Crazy, huh? Hasn’t even been a year since we met.”

“Feels like forever though.” you added. 

“In the best way.” 

“Mhm.” 

You shared another kiss. 

The faint nudge against Lando’s palm had him pulling away from your lips with a gasp, turning to look down at your small belly that was growing your little life. He had been away from you for so long that he missed so much and this was a new development that he had only heard about from you over your late night calls. 

“There’s baby saying hi.” you smiled. 

Another little bump against his hand and Lando was breaking into a grin, “Oh my gosh. Hi, little one.” 

It was only the smallest of feelings since the baby was still tiny and limbs hadn’t grown full strength yet but Lando was completely enamoured by the little flutters that came from inside you. He rubbed his hand over your belly and the movement almost seemed to follow his touch. 

“Crazy, huh?” you said. 

“Yeah. It’s incredible.” he breathed, “That’s our baby in there.”

“Mhm.” you smiled and leaned your head back to look at him again. 

You watched his face for a moment as he stared, focused and in awe, at your growing baby you held so lovingly inside you. His heart soared and for a second, you thought he might cry by the shimmer of his light eyes. 

Your thumb dusted across his cheek and you spoke to him softly, “I love you.”

He finally met your gaze and shared in your gentle smile, “I love you.” 

The two of you shared a kiss and Lando melted back down into the bed behind you to cuddle you close with his protective hand still resting on your abdomen with yours on top. In your room, in the imperfect city of Monte Carlo, in a life Lando only ever thought he would achieve in his dreams, you were one. 

He sealed his promise to you then and there, telling you with words stemming from all the love in his heart that he carried just for you, “All I have ever dreamt about and all I ever need in the whole world, I have right here.”

Tag List: @black-fireproofs @k3nmakyan @m4rt10ne @strawberryy-kiwii @herebereblogs @arieslost @ophcelia @cmleitora @saachiep81 @piceous21 @poppyflower-22 @annie115 @lewlew44 @jexxy04 @gazelle-des-pres @norrisfr @younxii @chezmardybum @russelscherry @allsouls-emma @mickslover @lilymurphy03 (idk why tag lists never fucking work on this stupid site)

♡ Enjoying my content? Support my writing here :)

♡ None of the original writing on this blog may be reproduced, reposted, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

[cheriladycl01]

I loved Lando x Actress reader. Can I have Lando x singer reader? Thank uuuuu 🫶🏻

Sing your heart out because he ripped your heart out! Lando Norris x Singer! Reader

Plot: You are a famous singer who was in a pretty toxic relationship and have been single and 'off the grid' for 2 years since your breakup. You come back online dropping a new album that gets people stirred from the tea but the tease at your new relationship.

"Today here on Off Camera with me Sam Jones we have Y/N Y/L/N here to talk about everything, from her new albums and songs, to her hiatus, to her sightings, to her relationships" he smiles looking over at you.

"Thank you for having me, it feels great being back and you know talking and meeting new people and I've always wanted to be on a podcast like this so I'm very excited!" you smile and get comfier into the nice seats you guys are in.

"So i think we've got to ask how are you feeling after your time away from the media?"

"So refreshed it was really healing to take myself away from everything. I think a lot of things were being said about me when I first deactivated everything. A lot of them being outright lies, and you know I didn't want to be aware of what people were saying... naturally" you starts and he nods for you to continue.

"But everyday I'd have my friends coming to me saying... have you seen what Taylor Swift has tweeted about you, have you seen what Beyonce and RiRi said. And I'd be like no and I don't even want to know. But when she showed me the love I was getting from all of these amazing people I've worked and collabed with over the years, movie stars who I've walked red carpets with and been in cameos of their movies, models who I've walked runways with all sticking up for me saying how they couldn't imagine anything said about my relationship to be true" you explain and he nods again.

"Yeah, it was actually really moving seeing all these people coming together for you in support! I think even after what certain people said about you the large majority had your back..." he admits to you.

"Yeah, I mean i have some great friends in the industry that you know would message me and always check up on me, so its nice to know that I have people in my corner, after everything that happened!"

"Yeah of course, and I think your new album really shows your raw emotions and I think a lot of people have easily related. So lets go through the album, we have Vicious, which talks about obviously Y/E/B and the emotional scars he's left on you. One of my personal faves is 'bet u wanna' where you talk about being mistreated in relationship and calling it off only for them to want you back. Nonsense which obviously has made your fans go stir crazy- wondering whose got you feeling this way. Bad for Business which obviously has a similar tune to Nonsense in whoever you are talking about, and may i just say people will listen to the happy songs because they are incredible! But talk us through the creative process and how your time away released all of these on the album and more!"

"I think, when you go through something like i did. Where you don't necessarily see and end you have these raw emotions that just tend to write themselves on the paper. I had many nights where I'd be sat in the studio hair pulled back, a massive slice of Pizza on my left and a bottle of water on the other and it would honestly just write itself. There were some nights where I'd just cry and sit there. I think things really sped up when I met my current partner" you blush, thinking how much that silly vroom vroom man had helped you.

"Who is he, and how did he help, how did you both meet if you can tell us!" he asks leaning back a little.

"Well, I'm currently dating F1 driver Lando Norris which when this podcast airs and sure will be a shock to everyone. We met when I was in a really weird patch. I think it had been about 8 months I want to say of being single and dealing through my grief and not really knowing what to do with myself. My ex of 5 years was now dating and having a child with the girl he cheated on me with, and honestly I was a mess. My dad decided to take me to a race, it was the one in Austin, we had paddock passes and that's where I met him" you grin thinking back to the day.

*Flashback*

You were at the Circuit of the Americas for race weekend, you were tucked behind your dad who had found some mechanics he was animatedly talking too. Your dad always had a real love for cars, and when you'd made it as a musician you brought him and your mother a larger house with a big garage for a car collection you'd help him grow.

"Damn you've got loads man. How's your girl affording all of this?" the mechanic asks not having seen you as you were wearing both sunglasses and a Ferrari cap.

"I have a ... lucrative job" you croak out a little, if you were being honest with yourself this was probably the first interaction you'd had with a stranger in months, even just any human at that as your contact had been very limited over the past 8 months even to friends and family.

"Ahhh, so what's your fav car in the collection Mr Y/L/N?" the mechanic asks, and some nods from his pals also tells you guys that their interested.

"Oo that's hard it's got to be a toss up between my Mclaren 650S, the Ferrari F8 Spider, or my Rolls Royce Ghost" your father admits trying to think to his collection.

"Not the Porsche?" knowing you'd got that for him for his 50th.

"Mmmmm I forgot about the Porsche" he admits with a chuckle. The mechanics just all looked very shocked at the sheer amount of cars your dad has in his collection.

"Give me a second, I want to see if I can get you guys a garage pass upgrade. I bet you'll want to check out the car's yeah?" he asks making your dad nod very quickly.

You pull your glasses off to give them a wipe as the heat was making them fog up a little and the mechanic gasps, you cock your head realizing he's recognized you.

He scurries of, running back to the Aston Martin garage, he tells all of his friends but says to keep it quiet as he could tell you'd been going through it. Aston Martin didn't have any passes left, so he went to the other garages begging to give you a pass.

"Who did you say was here?" Lando had asked from beside his team mate Daniel Ricciardo.

"Y/N Y/L/N but don't make it public knowledge she's clearly just here to watch the race with her car enthusiast dad. Who did you know owns over 10 super cars that Y/N has brought for him, he was telling me all about his Ferrari" the mechanic starts to ramble before Lando gets him to stop.

"Take me to her, and I'll give her the pass" Lando had offered, wanting to meet you, it wasn't uncommon knowledge that he liked both you and Taylor Swift and had even DJed some of your 'nightcore' remixes.

"Okay! Okay come with me" the young mechanic said, darting of making Lando run after him asking him to slow down a little.

"Hello, this is a Mclaren Driver he's ..." the mechanic starts before you offer him a small small.

"I know who he is Dean, thank you for introducing us" you smile, and he grins at you. You and your father get handed the passes and your walking back to Mclaren at Lando's side.

He was attractive and most certainly your type. He had that goofiness about him that had you laughing for what felt like the first time in 3 years. Yet a seriousness and passion for his sport when talking to you and your dad about the car he was more than happy to show off to you.

"So you'll only be cheering for me right?" Lando flirts as your dad introduced himself to Daniel Ricciardo and Zac Brown.

"I think that depends Mr Norris, are you going to give me a cheer worthy race?" you question looking up him. His face lights up and a big grin comes onto his face.

"Always, you'll see the Papaya on a podium today I'm sure of it!" he offers and you smirk.

"You get that podium and I'll take you out afterwards"

"On like a date?" he asks a little cautious with his tone.

"Yes a date" you nod and his face lights up.

"Yeah alright, your on" he smirks, he turns away to get ready for his race, but turns back placing a cheeky kiss on your cheek making it your turn to blush.

True to his word, Lando came second on Sunday. You took him out on your guy's first date and the rest is history.

*Back to the podcast*

"Wow, that really is such a beautiful story. And from how you talk about him we can tell that you are really happy" he smiles genuinely.

"I don't think I've ever felt so secure with a person. I think it's safe to say I've found my person. I went through a lot with Y/E/B and Lando has helped me overcome a lot of the trauma from that relationship, and I cannot thank him enough for how patient, caring and loving he has been for the past year" you smile, before turning your gaze to the side to look at a teary Lando who had come to the podcast with you, you were scared and didn't want to go alone.

"Well I think it's safe to say we are all so happy you are back, thriving making music and doing what you do best!" he smiles.

After that your asked a few more questions which you happily talk through and answer, before it's wrapped up and time to leave.

"How was that baby?" he asks knowing this was your first media thing to help ease you back into that 'lime-light' life.

"It felt good to just vent, and talk about everything" you smiled at him. It was truly healing for your soul.

"I love you so much, and I'm so proud of you for today!" he grins at you, pulling you in for a kiss. He holds you close, while another hand travels up to caress the side of your face.

"I love you most, which is why I need you to help me announce the 2023 tour... and my new album!" you grin, and he grins back.

"What are they called?" he mumbles into your neck that he'd found retirement in.

"The Grid!" you grin, Lando didn't know but you planned your next tour for 2023 around the 2023 races.

"Hmmm and what does that entail" he smirks.

"Well, I'll get to come to every race weekend with you this year, my tour is roughly going to follow the races. I'll venture out as well when you have breaks and stuff but I don't want to be away from you for too long, and I want to get back on the scene. I'm ready!" you admit and he smiles at you softly before lifting you up into a huge bear hug.

"Did i mention how much I love you?" he asks.

"Every day Lan, every day" you smile at him, pulling him in for another bruising kiss.

It was safe to say, that even though you'd been treated like shit in the past, Lando Norris was the love of your life. Your soulmate that held the other end of the invisible string that had kept tugging you both closer together.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @kapsylia @laneyspaulding19 @lazybot @malynn @cassielikereading @viennakarma @teamnovalak @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @jlb20416 @yourbane

[m-jelly]

Teacup

Canon world.

"What exactly are we doing?" Levi's brow raised as he pulled on his jacket. "You said casual clothes, so I'm curious."

"Well, it's a surprise." You smiled softly. "You'll need to roll up your sleeves, you can do that right?"

"Yes?" Now he was even more curious. "What are you up to?"

You hummed a laugh. "You'll like it, trust me. I'll explain on the way." You walked with him out of your home, it was nice having him live with you some days when he was not at the scout base. "Do you want to hold hands? I know you sometimes don't like it."

He pouted as a blush spread on his cheeks. "Tch, I'm not a kid." He grabbed your hand. "You better hold tightly. I know what you're like, you might wander off. I have to make sure you stay right next to me. Anyone could take you."

It was cute how Levi really wanted to hold your hand, he just found it hard to express his feelings. From what he said you knew that he wanted to hold your hand more, he was just using the dangers of the city and you going on adventures as an excuse.

Levi squeezed your hand tightly. "So, explain."

You smiled up at him. "What you told me about your past has been on my mind a lot."

"What part?"

"The part about your mother."

A soft smile spread on Levi's lips. "My mother..."

You nodded. "Mm, you mentioned a teacup she loved that you used but broke."

He released a long sigh. "Yeah..."

"Do you remember what it looked like?"

He frowned a moment, he had no clue why you were bringing that up. "Yeah?"

You stopped outside a shop. "Good! The reason I ask relates to where we are right now."

He pulled his gaze from you and looked up at the building. "Pottery shop?"

"I booked us a lesson." As soon as Levi looked back down at you with wide eyes you smiled. "I thought you could maybe recreate that cup."

He swallowed hard, he didn't know how to react because he was so touched by how thoughtful you were. This was an incredible gift and a fantastic date idea. He looked around to make sure the two of you were alone before leaning towards you and kissing you.

He hummed as your soft warm lips met his. "Thank you. This...this is wonderful. I love you."

You grinned at him. "I love you too. I'm glad you're up for it. I did worry you might not. It can be messy."

He pulled you into the shop. "Yes, but it's worth it."

The two of you worked together to help make Levi his beloved teacup. After making it, you made a little plate for Levi to have food on. After everything had dried you started the painting. It impressed you how steady of a hand Levi had as he painted. His art wasn't perfect, but it was cute and unique. He would paint a bit and then he'd instruct you on what to paint because he wanted your mark on the cup.

Levi pouted a bit when they were taken from him, but you explained to him you'd come back and pick them up the next day when it was all checked and finished.

He held you close as he walked with you. "May I stay over tonight?"

"Of course."

"Thank you." He kissed the side of your head. "Thank you for today. I loved this. We should go again and make other things."

You smiled sweetly at him. "We should. I'd love to set it all up again."

"Perfect."

Tags below.

@ladycheesington @levisbrat25 @nyxiieluna @li-anne @galactict3a

@youre-ackermine @thebobaprincess @2moth-anon2 @cypidity

@nbinairyn @bts-spnlvr12 @darkstarlight82 @emilyyyy-08

@levistealeaf @pelicanpizza @hideandgopeep @notgoodforlife

@demonic-bird @searriously

[punkpandapatrixk]

🍷Scent of Your Destined Person ♦︎ Timeless Pick A Card

Come ti vidi           when I saw you M’innamorai,        I fell in love E tu sorridi            and you smiled Perchè lo sai.        because you knew

– Arrigo Boito

Somewhere in this world you and I exist. Do you remember how you always feel when you’re with me? Will you recognise me the moment your eyes lay sight upon me?

SONG: Horizon by NCT Jaehyun

MOVIE: Spirited Away (2001)

[PAC Masterlist] [Part 2] [Part 3]

[Patreon] [Paid Readings]

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 1 – Everything I Do, I Do to Make You Happy

VIBE: Misty by NCT 127

perfume – 8 of Pentacles

At the core of their being, your Destined Person is a very earthy person. Sensual and pragmatic. Realistic and dependable. Ambitious and hardworking. I bet you they have a large amount of Earth sign influences—Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn. Your Destined Person has a great spirit that knows how to make sacrifices for those they care about. They are such a magnanimous entity. But with this energy, they can also be quite hard on themselves. They’re not self-destructive though; just incredibly responsible and hard-working because they have big, BIG dreams!

Having said that, your Destined Person is quite a balanced person in that they know how to relax and indulge in the fruits of their labour of love. Though they are passionate and focused, your Destined Person is also quite a spiritual person, which they themselves might not be super aware of. The spiritual side of them makes them highly intuitive, and they’re the type to trust those gut instincts, so they tend to be successful in Life from courageously making bold decisions, guided by their Heart.

Your Destined Person’s spiritual side makes them dream WILD dreams nobody else dares to dream. You could say they’re rather eccentric in regards to how they’re perceived by their family, neighbours and peers. With a rather rebellious nature though, they pursue their dreams with focus and fervour. Thanks to their practicality and endurance (definitely strong Earth influences, babe), they’re able to follow through their plans and manifest their dreams rather easily. It isn’t to say they don’t sacrifice a lot though…

playdate – 9 of Swords

It’s never easy to get to the top and your Destined Person has endured quite a lot of storms Life has had to offer. In spite of their persona that may appear strong, charismatic, dependable, optimistic, and even cheerful for some, your Destined Person actually has a very soft heart. They’re empathetic and can’t stand the reality of people being mean and nasty to each other. To some extent, it breaks their heart when they witness people trample each other in the pursuit of success.

Your Destined Person is a charitable Soul who believes that a candle doesn’t lose anything by sharing its fire. Unfortunately, most Humans can’t see this. And they feel like they’re the only person in the world who’s bothered by such a thing and sometimes this makes them feel weird or weak as a person. To compensate for that sometimes-terrible feeling, your Destined Person has a tendency to push themselves even harder and sacrifice more of themselves to make other people feel good, happy (because they can’t stand absorbing other people’s sad energy, if that makes sense).

It's almost like, your Destined Person doesn’t know how to genuinely make themselves happy unless they’re being useful to those they care about. Unfortunately, due to this insane charitableness, your Destined Person has been taken advantage of quite a lot in Life. When they were a lot younger, they trusted too easily (too pure for this world). A lot of the people they used to know only saw them for their money, status, or access. Your Destined Person is quite traumatised when it comes to human relations in general but they don’t easily let this show!

a box of macarons – 3 of Cups

Tapping into your Destined Person’s energy feels, misty. They’re quite often sad but try their best to showcase a positive attitude because that’s just who they are. In some cases, they may be dwelling in a workplace or an industry where showing such emotions is not exactly appreciated. When thinking about you, your Destined Person yearns for someone who’d look into the true depths of their empathy and compassion, and still be OK with how morose they sometimes could be. They also wish for their Destined Person (you!) to offer some kind of an escape from memories of their terrible past.

When you finally pop into their Life, your Destined Person becomes engulfed in sweet but all-consuming gratitude that escapes words. They’d be speechless, or awkward, when trying to describe this gratitude they feel towards you. They have a lot of things to be grateful for and it wasn’t like their world was that bad, but there’s something about you that touches the deepest yearning in them and makes all the flowers bloom in their inner world. The whole idea of you, your sheer beingness, just the fact that you’re alive, and that you’ve found your way into their world…

How they struggle to express how much they love you XD They feel like your entire existence beats only for them, for their healing. You heal so many parts of their broken heart and restore their faith in a Life worth living. All those riches mean nothing if you’re not the one destined to marry them. They’ll be so devoted and loyal to you. There’s only you. And then your children and pets, maybe XD Your Destined Person will create a safe haven for you and your family. You will live lavishly and be gifted a lot of thoughtful gifts! All they do in this world, they do for your happiness and your children♥︎

143ML OF PURE LOVE ESSENCE🔻💛

flower bouquet – Gold Astronomer (John Dee)

home sweet home – Priestess of Divination

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 2 – I Want No One Else but You

VIBE: Focus by NCT 127

perfume – 4 of Cups

To your Destined Person, you’re the dreamiest, most magical creature they have ever encountered. The moment you enter their Life, they fall in love at first sight, or at least, there’s something about you that profoundly disturbs the mundanity that they’ve been operating in for quite a while. You make them dream in more vivid colours. I think they’re going to be addicted to you quite immediately which would be hilarious to them XD They’ll be thinking about you non-stop, which makes them feel awkward. They’ll be telling themselves, ‘I’m not at an age where I should be behaving this way! Come on! Grow up, me!’

And still, they don’t mind at all being focused on only you. They enjoy that dreamy feeling all too much for them to even want to stop. ‘I love being drenched in your aroma. I like your energy. I like all that you are. You are my dream person! AAAAGGGHHH!’ They’re crazy about ways to make it with you! They don’t know what to do because they think they could be too much or too childish and they fear you might reject them. They’re thinking of ways to mature first and be really cool XD I think your Destined Person is quite silly hahahah

But as childish that may appear to you, don’t underestimate your Destined Person’s loyalty, babe~ Deeply romantic and devoted; they would not want anybody else but you. They’re thinking, ‘If I’m not with you in this incarnation, there’s no point in all that I’ve done.’ Their heart beats only for you. Your Destined Person may need some time to develop themselves when you meet, but they’re definitely not shallow. Your Destined Person has a heroic quality to them which makes them want to offer you security. All variety of security~

playdate – 9 of Pentacles Rx

So, there’s a bit about your Destined Person that may be perceived—especially by their peers, I think—as childish or unrealistic. Essentially, I think they’re a spiritual idealist. They can be quite dreamy, head in the clouds type of person. If your Destined Person is a male, I think some of their peers kinda look down on them for being… the way that they are. Your Destined Person, even when they are a male, is the type that goes home quickly to help with childcare. Your Destined Person is romantic and will prioritise you and family over workplace obligations. This is saying they will go the extra mile to prove their Love for you. They don’t care what other people say; they say, ‘Other people don’t know what Love is and that’s such a shame!’

Your Destined Person knows that Love can’t be proven with just material things. This person deeply understands that time well spent together, affection and attention, are more of a display of Love than whatever money could buy. They’re not the type of lover who’d get discouraged by other people buying their spouses bigger or shinier things. In that manner, your Destined Person has a healthy self-esteem and they really understand what kinds of things truly matter in a relationship. I think you’re going to be so happy, so emotionally secure with them!

I’m seeing that you and your Destined Person are going to enjoy visiting places like theme parks, or just parks, and you’d enjoy outdoor picnics with foods you’ve prepared or bought at the supermarket together. Just enjoying peaceful moments with a box of Belgian chocolate you both love. The most important thing is the quality time you’re spending together. Something like that. I think your love life is definitely all about the cute, sweet romantic moments that may be small but definite😉

a box of macarons – King of Swords

Maybe because they’re a bit childish(?) or just optimistic, I kinda feel your Destined Person could be quite reckless in love, especially when they were a lot younger. They could’ve gotten hurt quite a bit in this regard, but don’t worry—that was part of their Higher Self wanting to teach them about healthy boundary. By the time you meet your Destined Person, there’s only so much left for them to heal and grow from. The way I see it, your Destined Person is quite a reasonable fellow, so they learn their spiritual lessons rather quickly.

One thing you need to know though, is that this person has cut ties and burnt bridges with a lot, A LOT, of toxic people from their past. A lot of people wanted access to them for their wealth or status. It could also be that they were in relationships whereby they were valued only for their beauty or sexual capacity and all such menial things. They’ve been taken advantage of quite a lot, sheesh. Meanwhile, with that pure Soul of theirs… Yeah, they carry deep wounds deep in their heart.

When they get to know you, they’re so happy, so glad to know there’s another person who’s just like them. That you’re unfazed by someone’s numbers in their bank accounts. That you’re able to see through the illusions of the Matrix. That you passionately care about what’s essential. Your Destined Person thinks you possess a moral compass that’s different from most everybody they’ve ever known. They appreciate you a lot for your intelligence and your courage to cut through the bullshit of society. I think you’re the type of person who speaks your mind? They LOVE that about you!

143ML OF PURE LOVE ESSENCE🔻💙

flower bouquet – Silver Astrologer (John Dee)

home sweet home – Priestess of Clarity

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 3 – Possession, Obsession, Protection

VIBE: Poison by NCT DREAM

perfume – Ace of Wands Rx

Aight, this the freaky Pile. Get ready XD

Your Destined Person is a bit of a psychopath LMAO Just kidding. Not saying they’re a narc(!) or anything but they’re this lil freako who thinks outside of the norm. Your Destined Person is a true gem of an eccentric and they have many kinky fantasies about you. Dunno why that’s coming up strong XD But hey, you’ll recognise your Destined Person by how they’re truly the most unique individual you could ever know! A one in a billion kind of a brilliant person!

Your Destined Person is quite rebellious in that, whatever they do, they make sure they don’t follow the convention. They like to adventure in all the senses of that word. They like to experiment and test themselves also. What they truly want is to carve out a Life of their own, irrespective of what their family or community expects of them. Some of you, your Destined Person could even be this kind of rebellious inventor of sort who deliberately invents a new way of living in the modern world, that nobody else could think of.

A futuristic spiritual genius, I think. For that reason, some of you, your Destined Person might as well end up changing the world for the better! Someone like Elon Musk, I think? Your Destined Person could have strong influences of Aquarius that make them think outside of the box and then, in some aspects could be influenced by some strategic Scorpio placement that pushes them to see their psycho ideas see the light of day.

playdate – II The High Priestess

Having said all of that, in relation to you, the person they devote themselves to, ah yes, they’re still pretty much a psycho in that regard XD Lemme explain, ahem!

Your Destined Person is a sneaky psycho even in the way they think about their connection to you. They really have so many kinky fantasies about you, which they won’t always let out because even they understand how scary some of their thoughts are! They daydream about taboo behaviours in bed. Things most normies wouldn’t think about and when they do some of those things to you, you’d be in heaven, babe. They know, by intuition, how to make you… explode? What they do behind closed doors will drive you insane with new colours of pleasure you didn’t even know were possible.

This motherfucker is cruel dominant. They like to dominate all of you like they could swallow your entire being when you’re in their embrace. Your Destined Person is the type that expresses Love through sexual acts. For them, sex is not dirty, necessarily. Sex is healing and transformative. Sex is a sacred union between you two. They’re immaculately intense about it. They give their all—soul and body—and everything in between. They tend to like to be on top, and they could get frightening at times, but if whimpering under them happens to be a thing of yours, oh~ XD

More than appearances could tell, your Destined Person thinks about sex with you a lot. A LOT. A. LOT, babe. They just might not always make it known to you because even they get troubled by it sometimes LMAO They wish they could simply stop thinking about you naked but they’re down horrible. They don’t know what to do with themselves. They think a screw got loose somewhere in their brain. They blame it on you being… you.

They’re crazy passionate about you. They DO love you. Deeply and truly and heroically. They’re also just crazy. What are you gonna do with a lover like this? Hahah…

a box of macarons – 5 of Cups Rx

You know what kind of character your Destined Person reminds me of? Yasu from NANA. There’s an episode where Reira, a girl he used to date in high school, came running to his apartment, sobbing and looking for comfort, and Yasu didn’t give her what she was looking for. He knew full well doing so wouldn’t be the right thing to do, because he was in love with Nana. Nana was the only person he’d allow that kind of access to, if that makes sense. Yasu is the kind of person who knows the distinction between good manners that are real, and fake kindness or politeness that is lacking dignity. Your Destined Person has quite a noble character in spite of their eccentric insanity.

On top of their intense seriousness, your Destined Person is also someone who quickly burns bridges to the past and locks access to themselves. They’d never allow those who have betrayed or wronged them to have a piece of their success and happiness. They don’t entertain other people taking their kindness and gentleness for granted. Though they are caring, they’re not stupid; and they respect you a lot that they’d never allow their politeness to ruin their relationship with you. Your Destined Person is sensible enough not to perform polite gestures that might get misunderstood by those who want something from them. Ahem.

They are deeply loyal and will always be on your side. Till death do us part kind of partner. They want you to know security, have stability, and they’d hope you never doubt their intentions. I think, your Destined Person wants to let you know that when you’re with them you will never have to fear losing them and that they will never allow any situation or person to cast a shadow of doubt on your mind😊Aaaa o mai gaaa~

143ML OF PURE LOVE ESSENCE🔻❤️

flower bouquet – Gold Alchemist (Roger Bacon)

home sweet home – Priestess of Energy

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

[PAC Masterlist] [Part 2] [Part 3]

[Patreon] [Paid Readings]

[zoieru]

Mind-dump analysis of Sunday and Welt

Non-romantic, though you can see it that way if you want. Basically musings on their dialogue, body language, trauma responses and their views of the world. Based on my noggin, my experiences, and my knowledge on psych and philosophy. Mentions of trauma, and Aventurine. Spoilers for 3.0. Come chat with me about it in the ask box pls oml. (html broke read more link sorry)

So I was writing an Astral Express Sunday headcanon thing, and realised the part with welt I had more thoughts on than I could handle !!! So I decided to make a bigger breakdown of it from my perspective weeee. 1.7k more thoughts...hehe. Includes pics.

So, Sunday is essentially coming into this new world (the astral express lifestyle, the knowledge and involvement of other planets issues, everything not just Penacony) for the first time, and in a vulnerable state at that. He was trained and groomed to be who he was basically his whole life, and not just the positions of power and control, but his position he gave himself also of protector of his sister. That's been taken from him, all of it, his role, his direction, drive, everything. To say the man must feel lost is understatement of the century.

So when he is confronted with Welt Yang, a mysterious and stoic man who displays his intelligence by deciphering there's something up with his disguise, questions him on his motives, etc, but then seemingly confidently starts to trust him, he is...confused?

First, Welt says multiple times that he knows how he feels, he's had to leave a home quickly too, but doesn't elaborate. So his reasons are already determined at least somewhat by his empathy for Sunday. That is a lot for Sunday to work through. He mustn't have really related to anyone in his life, even his sister due to their vastly different experiences despite being in the same spot. To have someone, and quite quickly, especially after what he just did, sympathise, empathise, and relate to him...thats intriguing, and confusing, and probably a bit suspicious.

Further, when going to meet Robin, Sunday outwardly questions why Welt is giving him the privacy to speak to her, refusing to be a bystander for his benefit. Welt answers:

'i believe you're the kind of person that has the ability and desire to use everything to your advantage... but that everything does not involve Miss Robin'

Sunday pauses, and thanks him. It's confusing, unexpected, and yet another puzzle into Welt's character. I think this moment means an incredible amount to Sunday. Ultimately, his sister is everything to him, where everything started, and Welt has given him the space and freedom to do the thing he is so nervous for, he is dreading but must do, one of the hardest things he's probably ever done, say goodbye for an indeterminate amount of time. Who else has probably shown him this sort of seemingly genuine act of kindness, goodness, before? Probably no one. Plus, despite not really outwardly discussing his relationship with his sister with Welt before this, Welt shows an understanding of Sunday's care for her, to the point his usual nature and methods don't apply to Robin.

So that's why Sunday asks another question, after saying goodbye to Robin

He's starting to see himself in Welt, I believe, in some way, when he says 'I had a feeling that you would never give up on someone who needed help' which is reinforced by his 'help' of Sunday just now. But I think what Sunday is maybe confused about here is why him, why here. He is confused why they 'help' him, a 'nortorious fugitive' and a 'friend they never knew', rather than people in new worlds, people he deems perhaps deserve it more, people who he thinks Welt should care about. I believe, here, he is still viewing things zoomed out, from a grand perspective. He sees 'people' as an entity, much like how he did with his plan, saving them from misery by keeping them in the dream. But Welt goes on to explain that it's the people he meets that are his trailblaze, but on an individual and connection scale, not 'helping peopleTM' like he tried to.

And that means Sunday, it means Tingyun. Sunday even asks directly, then, 'why me?', and Welt repeats his previous answer. 'i know how you feel.' despite what he's done, he offers him empathy, help, and connection. It's alien to Sunday. He has heard the worst of people's deeds, was tormented by them, wanted to save them from themselves, yet Welt is just accepting him.

Then another thing, Welt sits in the audience watching Sunday become himself, say goodbye to his old self and everything he once knew, literally becoming whole again, and slightly unsure of how he exactly he will be once both halves combine. This moment is so so intimate, so deeply personal, perhaps the most personal I mean he's literally talking to himself, becoming himself, shedding everything he's ever known, starting a new life. And Welt isn't just watching. He says:

'Regardless of the outcome, you will have a witness. I'll be waiting for you in the audience.'

Here, he does multiple things. One, he is promising Sunday he will be here for him and almost continue to accept him in whatever shape or form after he's done, giving him the respect and time to do his thing, and the support he wasnt planning to get. Its like...almost a threat, saying he wont let him run away after, but not quite. its also a signal of protection. He is staying with Sunday through this obviously terrifying and massive moment, at a safe and respectful but supportive distance, something Sunday was planning to go through alone. Also, he says he'll wait for him. That's so...personal. ugh, it's too much. And the thing is, Sunday lets him, thanks him, wants him to be there. Trusts him enough to see him at almost a most vulnerable point in his life. Crazy stuff.

Plus, during this line, the camera zooms in on Welt's face for just a few seconds, emphasising how big this is.

Now I'm not sure if we should assume Welt can hear everything Sunday says to himself. The theatre is empty, afterall, but I dont know. Sunday says he's scared, says why he's scared, tells himself he doesn't like himself, parts of him. It's so goddamn personal, heart wrenching, truly. And there's a line here I want to discuss quick.

'to save more lives, you must first understand what they live for and what they die for. The best way to achieve this is through personal experience.''

This is a reflection of Welt's words, his reason for trailblazing. It shows he's taken them to heart, ponders them, realises that to truly help people like Welt does, he needs to know them, not see them as an entity from above.

Also, when done, Welt makes a gentle joke that covers the supportive gesture of his acceptance of 'either' of Sunday's selves. He almost dismissed the whole act as if it was casual, while subtly acknowledging it's significance, and gently showing his support, so it all doesn't make Sunday feel uncomfy.

'Well, how should I address you now? Mr Sunday or Mr Wonweek?'

I love it.

Then Sunday has the confidence to request staying with the Astral Express Crew. Knowing the others might hate the idea, but having enough confidence in the fact that Welt at least seems to want him there.

'You are one of my trailblazing goals.'

Sunday looks visibly touched by this statement. the feels.

So let's now skip to the Astral Express, where he's been on a while let's say.

After all this, Sunday and Welt almost have this unspoken deep connection somehow. They have shared a deeply personal moment for Sunday, and Welt has shared more with Sunday about himself than he ever has with anyone on screen that we've seen before.begins to respect Welt Yang quite tremendously really. Sunday now has time to sit, think, reflect, and probably torment himself with thoughts.

I think he has built this ridiculous level of respect for Welt, perhaps more than for most in his life. And also intrigue, confusion. He perhaps observes him. It is obvious Welt has a troubled and mysterious past, the extent of which is unknown but suggested, yet the man has a poise about him that seems stable, secure, confident. It intrigues him, maybe makes him a little envious even that despite this man having no set 'home', travelling the trailblaze with seemingly little control over things Sunday feels he would lose his mind over, he still seems confident in himself.

You ever feel like you're pretty self sufficient and able when alone or most of the time, but theres that one person where you're in their company and it's suddenly like all your brain function has dimmed and been transferred to them and they're now the 'thinker' and 'doer' and you're just there mostly looking pretty?? That's Sunday and Welt sometimes. Sunday was so used to being everything, controlling everything, seeing everything, that now he can relax that, or rather forced to let go of all that, as hard as that is, he finds himself inadvertently letting Welt take over a bit, observing and involving himself but Welt taking the lead. It's perhaps part of a trauma response to having to grow up too fast, to not being able to have had the points in life where you can trust and let someone have control for a while without risk. So as a result of this trust and acceptance he has built with Welt, his brain just sort of...relaxes a little. Welp.

That's displayed well in the infamous 'mom speak to the doctor for me pls' scene, I think. Cute.

Okay it's the end now, I could probably yap more but my thumbs hurt. One more musing though:

I wonder what it would be like for Sunday and Aventurine to meet, after all of that. They, ultimately, had a similar journey in terms of them making a big decision, a big 'attempt' at something bigger than themselves intricately linked to their identities and core beliefs, having to face parts of themselves along the way.

Now that Sunday has shed his 'grandiose' demeanour and plans, I wonder what it would look like for them to meet on equal terms. (Obviously not really knowing how this whole thing will have affected Aven coming out of it).

These two men, as literally mentioned in the 'combining selves' scene for Sunday in the theatre, are fundamentally opposed. One has been made to and has had to build his life and principles on control. One has had no choice to and built his life on luck, lack of control. It's such an interesting dichotomy to me.

There's also this interaction with Welt and Sunday before meeting Robin:

'I had a hunch and decided to try my luck. Seems I can be lucky sometimes'

'its not like you to leave things to luck'

'I'm trying to change too'

It's twice, in this long section, that Aventurine/luck is mentioned, at least. I wonder how he would view him should he know more, and now that he seems to have a certain begrudging acceptance and respect for luck/chance.

OKAY IM DONE FR NOW HAHAHA come discuss with me if u want :3 hope you enjoyed.

Here, take this, its not safe out there

(づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡

[stellar-solar-flare]

Congrats on your 200+ followers, Stella! You deserve every single one, and more. 😊

For your dream date drabble event, may I request:

Steve Rogers + a day at Disneyland?

I can’t wait to check out all the drabbles you post! 💜

Thank you Rach, you are so incredibly kind! I immediately knew where this one was going when I read the prompt, so I hope you like it!

This drabble is a part of my 200+ follower celebration, Dream Date Drabble Event.

Every Bit As Magical

Steve Rogers x Avenger!Reader | fluff, romance | established relationship | 567 words.

My blog is for people 18+ only, minors DNI.

Notes: I just love the idea of attentive boyfriend Steve who lives to make his SO happy with everything that is in his power.

I do not own anything Marvel or Disney related. This is an unofficial fan work. No copyright infringement intended. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.

After years of working with the Avengers Initiative, you were no stranger to being on the Quinjet, but when Steve had insisted on not telling you the destination, you knew this had to have something to do with your birthday coming up this weekend.

And when he had tied your eyes while you’d been somewhere above an ocean, gently whispering that he didn’t want to spoil the surprise as he’d gently put the soft satin covering on your eyes, you’d barely be able to stay in your seat.

He had led you out of the Quinjet, taking your hand in a warm, certain grip. Okay, honey, I’m going to need you to get in the car now, the seat’s right there, that’s perfect, he’d cooed, and even as you had no idea where you were, you couldn’t have felt safer than you did with him.

When the car stopped, and Steve went round to open the door for you and help you out, you were practically bursting with curiosity. You heard a collection of various languages, sounds of a bustling happy place.

“Alright, honey, we’re here,” he said, and you could hear the pride and love in his voice even before he removed the fabric from your eyes. “I love you. I hope you like it.”

There was a spark in the blue of his eyes, and when he moved from out of the way, you saw the building in front of you. The grand, fairytale-like architecture of the hotel would have been recognizable even if it hadn’t been on your Pinterest boards. The five-star hotel right at the gates of the park stood proud in front of you, looking every bit as magical as you’d always imagined.

“Steve… Is this… Are we…” you managed to get from your mouth, certain that you were going to faint any second out of sheer happiness. “You brought me to Paris just so we could visit Disneyland here?”

You turned to him, eyes wide, and the smug smile on his face told you that you weren’t dreaming. He pulled his hand from behind his back, holding two pairs of Disney Ears. Careful as ever, he set the ones that had a polka dot bow on top of your head before leaning in to kiss your forehead.

“I know you always said you wanted to visit,” he said, as he bowed his head to let you put the simple black ears on him. “So I wanted to make that dream come true. Our luggage – I know, Nat helped me decide what I should pack for you – has been taken from the airport here, and we’re booked for the next five days so that we get the full experience.”

It was all you could do to kiss him at that point; simply leap to him, wrapping your arms around his neck and pressing your lips to his. He was laughing, hugging you to him and gently caressing your back.

“I love you so much,” you whispered when you finally felt like he’d gotten the message. “You are amazing.”

He replied with a smirk and then made a theatrical bow, gesturing towards the entrance of the hotel.

“Your suite awaits, Your Royal Highness. Once we check in, you can bring out the immensely detailed park visit plan I know you have, and I shall await your orders.”

Thank you for reading! I always cherish hearing your thoughts, so please leave a comment if you have the time and energy.

[garniers]

MOONFLOWER: WRITERBLR PACK

[ live preview ] ♡ [ get on payhip ] From the moment I understood their concepts, reading, writing, and everything related to literature has been an important part of my life. While I've centered my online presence around graphic and web design I discovered those online spaces thanks to literature. And while I've favored working over writing—which is unfortunately very relatable—in my time as a spectator, I've had the opportunity to get acquainted with Writerblr and their incredible community members. From this experience, I fell completely in love with how Writerblr members curate their blogs and communicate their projects to their followers, and the idea of a package made for them became one of my main goals for this blog.

The Moonflower Writerblr pack was made for writers looking for something elegant and uncomplicated. With user-friendly customization options, a contained layout, and strong typefaces, your words are the focal point. This theme package can be as minimalist—or as maximalist—as you wish. Whether you're sharing updates, writing dissertations in response to anonymous questions, or presenting graphics alongside your projects, Moonflower is for you! I fell absolutely in love with it and adapted it to my needs as an RPC content creator. So it's flexible if you would like to use it for something outside of Writerblr. With that being said, I hope you like it! And good luck with those manuscripts!

Package Features

theme [ contained npf compatible ]

navigation

works in progress

blogroll

Terms + Conditions

please do not redistribute / claim as your own

please do not remove credit

[ reblogs are appreciated ♡ ]

[blue-slxt]

Kinktober 1

🔞Minors Do Not Interact🔞

Kinktober Masterlist

A/N: Kinktober is finally here! I'm so incredibly excited to finally post all of the prompts that I've been working on for so long now and keeping under wraps. I can't wait to go on this journey with all of you! I hope you guys like what I have! Some of them are little drabbles, some are closer to actual one shots. Either way I hope you enjoy! All characters are aged up.

Pairing: Stepbro!Neteyam x Fem!Omatikaya!Reader

Warnings: Stepcest (not related by blood), Handjob, Almost getting caught

“You look so stressed” you say to Neteyam who stood before you, shoulders basically touching his ears from how tight they were.

“I do not” he protests with a small grind of his teeth.

“Don’t be stupid. Sit down, let me help you.” You say urging him over to sit in front of you. He relents with a huff and plops down on the ground cross-legged in front of where you stood.

You sit on your knees behind him and start massaging the tense muscles of his back and shoulders. His muscles feel like boulders under your fingers while you try to steadily work them back into actual flesh.

Neteyam grunts and groans while you work on him and you try to focus on anything other than the heat that settles between your thighs at the sound of him. Even if you weren’t related by blood, you grew up with the Sully kids. Jake was good friends with your parents when you were younger and when they passed, he took you in without hesitation. Neteyam was always your favorite. He was your protector and best friend. He was the best big brother and you loved him. But was it sibling love you were still feeling? Surely siblings don’t have the kind of thoughts about each other that you have about Neteyam. It’s shameful. You’re not sure what would happen if anyone found out. Especially Neteyam.

But he’s so hard to read, it’s hard to know if he knows and is just playing it off or if he’s actually oblivious to how you feel.

Your hands continue on their crusade up and down his shoulders and work their way down his arms. His muscles are lean and solid from years of training and fighting. You thank Eywa that he’s facing away from you so he can’t see how you bite your lip while you let your eyes wander over him.

And you take your sweet time taking in all of him. Eywa, help you, everything about him is perfect. Getting lost in your musings, you don’t even realize that your eyes have inadvertently settled at his crotch and…fuck, he’s hard right now.

Your hands come to a halt when the realization hits you. He’s still just sitting here looking around everywhere else but at you. Is this your chance? Fuck, you hope it is as you let your hands trace over more of his skin and around to the front of his body. You can almost feel his breathing stutter in his chest when your fingers run over his pecs.

He makes no move to stop you or to escape your touch so you continue pushing the envelope. Slowly, your fingers inch lower and lower until they’re dancing at the waist of his tewng. It feels like you’re holding your breath when you finally think ‘fuck it’ and duck your hand past his loincloth. Your hand is met with the velvety feel of his stiff cock already pulsing in your grip. You’re not sure which one of you shudders harder at the contact. Eywa, he’s even bigger than you thought.

You slowly start to pump your fist up and down his length and you can feel the beads of precum leaking from the head. The feel of him thick and heavy in your hands has you squeezing your thighs together in need of your own friction. Your chest presses into Neteyam’s back and he can feel the soft squish of your breasts on his skin. He thinks about how badly he wants to suck on them right now and his eyes roll when you start to stroke him faster.

“Teyam…” it comes out in a hushed breath. But before things can go any further, there’s a rustling in the bushes.

The two of you jump feet away from each other and holding your hands close to your own bodies. Kiri appears looking between you both confused.

“What’s the matter with you two?”

“Nothing” you answer a little too quickly to be convincing.

Neteyam keeps his arms in front of his body to hide his dick that was still begging to be set free.

“Whatever”, Kiri rolls her eyes, “Hurry back, it’s almost dinner time!” she says turning on her heels and already heading back home.

You and Neteyam can’t bring yourselves to look at each other. Not only did you cross a line, but to make it even worse, you almost got caught.

“Um…so I’ll head back first since…you know…” you stand and quickly regain your composure. “I’ll…see you later?”

His face flushes a bit and his ears stand up straight at your question. “Yeah, later.” He confirms.

And with that, you disappear back between the lush of the forest.

Your words stick with Neteyam for some reason. When you asked if you’d see him later, did you just mean in a general sense like how you would say to anybody else? Or did you mean see him later to finish what you started? Why does he really hope it’s the second one?

Kinktober Taglist: @pandoraslxna @ashlatano7567 @sincerelykaib @jamies-wh0re @quaritchsluts @jakescumdump @delacruzyari @onlyloaksgf @skywonder @taintedlovesworld @myloveforyouisforever @angie-1306 @moodays @childofgod-05 @hadesbabygurl @daddysmurfslefttoenail @loaksulluyswife @y4sm1nsstuff @thewhiltedpeony @lovefrommeelise @neteyamssyulang @rosyjn @imintoomanyfandomscuzihaveadhd @anaclaudiasugar @xxwelshqueenxx @hania11 @xylianasblog @idkanymoregirl @eyrina-avatar @biscuitsaredelish @quinn-sadilla @the_mourning_moon @eyweveng @puddleswimmingnerd-blog @xaxsir @jakesullyfatjuicypeen @navilover24 @sulieykte @iameatingmyhair @leaveitbythewave @ntymavtr @fifilynn16 @kiri-tuk @mstocky78 @neteyamyawne @randumfanfics @sliqeramx @bluewonder @the-morning-moon @nerdfacesposts @vip-btxch @neteyamsyawntu @neteyamsoare

(If your tag isn't working, please check your settings.)

[king-crawler]

hii ... im going to see Alan Tudyk live onstage this weekend and was wondering if you have any suggestions for what to ask him! i don't want to pass the opportunity up, but I can't figure out what to say hahaaa you seemed like the right person to ask

That's really cool!! Also I'm not sure honestly LOL. YOU should ask him whatever YOU want, doesn't have to be Wreck-It Ralph related, its your opportunity :)

But if you still had the chance (and if it isn't too selfish to ask), maybe you could tell him this...............

Short version: People are talking about Wreck-It Ralph a lot more because of how much they love King Candy & Turbo. Your incredible performance is to thank for this. Thank you for everything

Long EVIL version: A few months ago, somebody uploaded a 2-hour long YouTube video all about appreciating Turbo/King Candy, and it's approaching 1M views. To this day, people still love your character dearly, and its abundantly clear that your work has had an immeasurably positive impact on people's lives. Thank you Alan, for having brought so much fun, passion, and life not only to Wreck-It Ralph, but to every last film you've been a part of. People will continue to cherish your impact for decades to come.

I know your ask was more about what to say as a quick question 😭 [TASK FAILED SUCCESSFULLY] But if there was anything I'd tell him it's that. Maybe at this point i should just send a letter to the man for god's sake LOL