#and everything is hearted or laugh reacted

[rafayelxsylusho]

Hello ♥️ I love your fics so much!! 😩 I don’t know if you take requests…but if you do could I request the LADS guys reacting to seeing you without panties on under your dress/skirt? 😈

Ohhhh I really liked this idea.

I'll work on the other three today and post them as soon as I can.

Enjoy!!!

Calebxreader

Rafayelxreader

TW:SMUT

How do the LADS men react when they see you without panties under your skirt/dress Part 1 (Caleb)(Rafayel)

Part 2 (Sylus) Here

Caleb's gaze drifts over to you as you sit across from him at the dinner table, a smile playing on his lips. The aroma of your favorite meal, freshly cooked by his own hands, wafts through the air between you.

"You know, I remember when you used to beg me to make this every week, you'd come running into the kitchen, skipping and laughing, and throw your arms around me until I agreed." His eyes glimmer with a distant memory, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "You were so cute back then, so full of life and energy. I could never say no to you."

"You still can't" said Gran, who sits beside him, with a knowing smile. Her eyes crinkle at the corners as she takes a sip of her drink, setting the glass down gently on the white tablecloth.

"You're right, Gran," Caleb agrees, turning his attention back to you. His gaze is intense, a mix of fondness and something darker, more possessive. "I still can't say no to her. Never could."

He picks up his fork to start eating but accidentally pushes his spoon to the floor with his elbow. He leans down, his chair scraping softly against the hardwood floor as he bends to retrieve the fallen spoon under the table. His eyes can't help but wander over your legs. They trail up your calves, over your knees, and come to a sharp halt when he notices something that makes his heart skip a beat. Or rather, the lack of something. His eyes linger for a moment, drinking in the expanse of smooth, tanned thigh that's been revealed by your slightly spread legs.

Straightening up, he sets the spoon on the table, his movements deliberate and slow. There's a new tension in the set of his shoulders, a coiled energy that wasn't there before. As he takes his seat once more, he doesn't meet your eyes right away. Instead, he busies himself with his own plate, cutting into the tender meat with precise, almost angry strokes. But as he lifts his fork to his mouth, his gaze finally meets yours. There's a depth of emotion swirling in those violet eyes, feelings he can barely contain. Desire, possessiveness, a desperate longing that borders on obsession. It's all there, laid bare for you to see.

His grip tightens on the fork, knuckles turning white as he fights the sudden, overwhelming urge to toss it aside. To lean across the table, to take your face in his hands...and claim your mouth with his own.

Caleb's eyes darken with lust as he watches the sensual movement of your throat as you swallow. The sound of your moan, sweet and breathy makes his heart beat against his ribs like a caged animal desperate to break free. "Does it taste as good as you remember? "I made it just the way you like it," he murmurs, leaning forward slightly. "I remember everything about what you like, pipsqueak." His tone is teasing, but there's also something darker on the way he says your old nickname.

"It's delicious Caleb" said Gran, before you had a chance to answer him, breaking the tension between you.

He sits back in his chair, trying to compose himself even as his heart continues to race. He can't let Gran see the true depths of his feelings, the all consuming love and lust that threatens to swallow him whole.

"That's great, Gran," he says, his voice only slightly strained. "I'm glad you both like it." He forces a smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Those violet eyes remain focused on you, even as he tries to engage in the conversation.

"Remember when you and Y/n used to fight over the last piece of meat?" Gran asks, a fond smile on her face. "You two were always so competitive, especially when it came to food."

Caleb's smile tightens "Yeah," he says, his eyes never leaving yours. "I always made sure she got the last piece. No matter what." His tone is light, but there's another meaning beneath the words. A promise.

You look over at Gran, a bright smile on your face when you say "Gran, I'm meeting up with a friend tonight. We had plans to go out since friday" You stand up, gathering your dirty dishes and silverware. "I'll just put these in the kitchen and then I should get ready."

Caleb watches, his eyes glued to your every move as you carry your dishes to the kitchen. The sway of your hips, the gentle bounce of your hair with each step...it's all seared into his mind.

He forces himself to turn to Gran, to keep up the pretense of a normal conversation. But his mind is elsewhere, already conjuring up a dozen ways he could stop you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caleb stands in your doorway, his tall frame filling the space. His hair is still slightly damp from a recent shower. His arms are crossed over his broad chest as he watches you get ready. His eyes follow your every movement, from the way you brush your long black hair, to the quick application of makeup.

"Did you forget," he says, his voice low and slightly accusatory, "that you had to do the dishes and I had to do the cooking?"

He steps into your room, the door clicking shut behind him with a soft, sound. The space suddenly feels smaller, the air thicker, with his presence dominating every inch of it.  He reaches out and plucks the hairbrush from your hand, his fingers brushing against yours. "Here," he says softly, holding the brush. "Let me help you finish getting ready."

You look up at Caleb, a flicker of annoyance in your eyes as you take the hairbrush from his hand. "I didn't forget," you say, your voice a bit sharp. "I just got distracted. Besides, I thought you had more important things to do than keep track of whose turn it is to do the dishes." You turn back to the mirror, running the brush through your hair with more force than necessary. "And I didn't ask for your help," you add, "I think I can handle getting ready on my own."

Caleb watches as you finish brushing your hair, his eyes never leaving your reflection in the mirror. He sees the flicker of irritation in your gaze, hears the sharpness in your tone. As you turn to leave, he clears his throat, his voice a low rumble that stops you in your tracks. "You're forgetting something, pipsqueak," he says, a hint of that old teasing to his tone. But there's something darker, something that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

He takes two long strides towards you, closing the distance between your bodies in an instant. His large hands find your waist, strong fingers splaying possessively over the curve of your hips. He pulls you back against his chest, your body molding to the hard planes of his own like two puzzle pieces clicking into place.

In the mirror, your eyes meet, locking in a charged gaze. You feel his hands fist the fabric of your skirt. He pulls and tugs, the skirt riding higher and higher on your thighs with each yank of his wrists. The cool air of the room brushes against the newly exposed skin, sending a shiver racing up your spine.

"Caleb..." you protest, your voice a mortified whisper as you feel your skirt being hiked up past your thighs. But he doesn't listen, his eyes never leaving yours in the mirror as he exposes you completely.

Your blush deepens as you watch, uncomfortably aroused, as he finally reaches the hem of your skirt. The fabric pools around your waist, leaving your bare cunt on full display in the reflection. The sight of your glistening folds, makes your heart race and your core clench.

Caleb's breath grows heavier, his chest rising and falling more rapidly against your back. His grip on your hips tightens, fingers digging into your flesh as he holds you in place, trapping you against him. His eyes, dark and hungry, rove over your reflection, taking in every intimate detail.

"Were you really planning on going out like this?" he asks, "Or were you just trying to tease me...again?" His fingers flex, digging into your hipbones hard. He leans in closer, his lips brushing the shell of your ear. "I've told you before, pipsqueak. If you want something...ask for it."

His eyes bore into yours in the mirror, a intensity burning in their violet depths. Ask me, they seem to say. Ask me to touch you to taste you, to claim you again. Beg me to fuck you until you can't walk straight.

He watches as your lips part, your breath coming in short, sharp pants. He waits, his heart pounding in his chest as he anticipates your response. Say it, he thinks. Say you want me. Say you need me. Beg me to touch you like I've been dying to.

"I...I..." you stammer, your voice barely above a whisper. He smirks, a curve to his lips as he watches you struggle to form words. So cute, so innocent, he thinks. He leans in closer, his teeth nipping your ear as he whispers, "Go on, pipsqueak. Say it."

"Caleb...please" you whimper, your voice barely audible but dripping with desperate need. It's all the encouragement he needs. Caleb reaches down and slowly lowers the zipper of your skirt and it slides down your legs until it pools at your feet, leaving you bare from the waist down. And just as quickly, Caleb makes short work of his own clothes. His shirt joins your skirt on the floor, followed by his jeans and underwear. His cock springs free, thick and hard and already leaking at the tip.

Before you can do anything he takes your hand, his fingers curling around yours as he leads you to the chair where you sat just moments ago. He sits down, his bare skin warming the cool leather, and pulls you to stand between his spread thighs. The heat of his body envelops you, making your own skin prickle with awareness.

He looks up at you, his eyes glinting with a dark, possessive light as he takes in your reflection . His hands come to rest on your hips, fingers splaying over the bare flesh of your ass as he holds you in place. Mine, his eyes seem to say as they rove over your naked form.

"Look at you," he murmurs, his voice a sensual rumble. "So fucking beautiful. And all mine." His hands slide around to your front, one coming to rest low on your belly while the other cups your mound possessively. "This is what you do to me, baby. This is what you make me want."

Caleb moves his hands to grip your hips once again as he slowly lowers you onto his lap. His cock, hard and thick, slides between your folds, the thick head nudging against your entrance. You feel the heat of him, the pulsing of his flesh against your most intimate place, and it makes your head swim with need.

A moan escapes your lips as he settles you fully in his lap, his thick shaft nestled snugly between your thighs. Your back arches, pressing your breasts out as you throw your head back against his shoulder. Caleb's lips find your neck, pressing hot kisses to the sensitive skin as his hands roam your curves.

"Fuck, baby," he groans against your neck, his hips rocking up slightly to grind his cock against your dripping slit. "You feel so fucking good. So hot and wet and ready for me."

Caleb's hands slide up your sides, his fingers skimming over your skin until they reach the hem of your shirt. Without pausing, he tugs it upwards, exposing your flat stomach and the cute little belly button that sits above your cunt but he doesn't stop there, he keeps going, pulling the shirt and your bra up and over your breasts until they spring free, bouncing slightly from the sudden release. Your tits, perfect handfuls are now on full display in the mirror. The cool air of the room makes your nipples tighten and pucker, begging for attention. His hands cup the soft mounds, his fingers sinking into the pliant flesh as he squeezes and kneads. His thumbs brush over your nipples, teasing the sensitive peaks until they're stiff peaks.

"Fuck, look at these perfect tits," Caleb groans, watching your reflection as he plays with your breasts. "They're even more gorgeous than I remember. I can't wait to get my mouth on them, to suck and bite and mark your beautiful skin." He rolls your nipples between his fingers, pinching and tugging on the sensitive buds as he rocks his hips up against you. His cock slides between your folds once again.

"Oh god", you whimper, feeling your pussy clench and flutter around nothing. "Oh fuck, Caleb"  Your hips start to move on their own, grinding down against the hard length of him as your body craves more stimulation. The mirror reflects your desperation, your tits bouncing in his hands as he teases and pleases you.

Caleb's voice is a commanding growl in your ear. "Lift your hips, baby. Just a little bit, that's it." You feel his fingers around your throat, his large hand spanning the delicate column of your neck. His other hand slides down your body, over the soft swell of your belly, to wrap around your thigh. He squeezes the supple flesh, his fingers sinking in as he spreads your leg wider, opening you up to him. You feel the cool air against your dripping core, making you shiver.

Caleb takes advantage of your new position to line himself up with your entrance. The thick head of his cock nudges against your folds, slipping between them to catch on your hole. You feel the heat of him, the hard, throbbing flesh pulsing with need.

"Watch, baby," Caleb commands, "Watch as I claim this pretty little cunt. Watch as I make this pretty pussy mine."

He starts to push forward, his hips rocking up as he sinks into you inch by inch. The mirror allows you to see every moment, every second of your joining. You watch, as your body stretches around his thick cock, your walls fluttering and clenching as they struggle to accommodate his size. Caleb's eyes bore into yours, his gaze intense and consuming. Mine he thinks, watching your expression morph with pleasure. This is what you were made for, baby. To take my cock, to milk it with this greedy little cunt. His hand tightens around your throat, not enough to cut off air, but enough to make you feel owned, claimed, possessed.

Caleb starts to thrust up into you, his hips rocking and rolling as he drives his thick cock deeper and deeper into your tight, clenching heat. And you find yourself meeting his thrusts, your own hips rolling as you take him in. The mirror shows you every detail of his thick cock disappearing between your thighs, only to reappear coated in your arousal.

Caleb keeps your leg spread wide, his hand gripping your thigh hard enough to leave finger shaped bruises. He holds you open, keeping you in place as he fucks into you with deep, powerful strokes. The other hand remains wrapped around your throat, his thumb pressing lightly against your racing pulse.

"Fuck baby," Caleb groans, his voice ragged and rough with lust. "Your pussy feels so fucking good. So hot and tight and perfect." He punctuates each word with a sharp thrust, his pelvis slamming against you as he bottoms out inside you. You can see it, see the way your body swallows him up, see the thick ring of milky white arousal forming at the base of his shaft where he's stretching you open. It's filthy, it's obscene, but it's so fucking hot.

His thrusts become more urgent, more insistent, as he chases his own release. The mirror reflects your bouncing tits, the flesh jiggling and swaying with each powerful surge of his hips. Your mouth is open, soft gasps and whimpers spilling from your lips as you lose yourself in the sensation.

Caleb's eyes are glued to your reflection, watching your every reaction. He sees the way your head lolls back, your eyes glazed over with lust. He sees the string of drool leaking from the corner of your mouth. "Fuck, look at you," a surge of pride and possessiveness rushing through his veins. "Look at how much you love taking my cock."

"Tell me, baby, didn't you wear any panties today, just to tease me? To make me want to bend you over and fuck this pussy raw?" Caleb grins wickedly as you nod, your breath coming in short, sharp gasps. "That's my girl" he says, feeling a thrill of satisfaction at the knowledge that you deliberately left your pussy bare and exposed, just for him. "Such a naughty little tease, getting me all worked up."

"Keep your legs open for me, baby," Caleb orders, his hand squeezing your thigh harder as he spreads you wider. "I want to watch this pretty cunt as I make you come all over my cock." Then you hear him spit, the cool wetness drips down between the valley of your breasts, trailing down your stomach before dripping onto your pussy. Without wasting a second, Caleb smears the spit around your clit, using it as lubricant. His fingers circle the sensitive nub, rubbing tight, quick circles as he feels your body tensing. Your clit swells under his touch, peeking out from beneath its hood as he strokes and teases and pleasures you. He keeps rubbing, as his hips never stop their rhythm. The mirror shows your body shaking, your tits bouncing, your mouth open in a silent scream as he drives you closer and closer to the edge. Caleb feels your scream building, hears the way your breath hitches and catches in your throat. In a flash, he brings the hand that was on your throat up to cover your mouth, silencing your cries before they can escape and alert Gran of your activities.

But then your teeth sink into the flesh of his palm, biting down hard enough to make him hiss in pained surprise. The sudden, sharp sensation sends a jolt of adrenaline through his body, pushing him over the precipice. Your orgasm crashes over you, your body seizing and shaking as ecstasy whites out your mind. Your cunt clamps down around his cock, walls rippling and fluttering as they try to milk him for all he's worth.

The feeling of your pussy spasming around him, combined with the throbbing ache of your bite,its too much for Caleb. With a moan that he muffles against your hair, he hilts himself inside you and lets go. Thick, hot ropes of cum paint your insides as Caleb's cock pulses and throbs. His hips jerk and stutter, spurting his seed deep inside your cunt as he fills you with his essence. It seems to go on forever, wave after wave of thick, sticky cum pumping into your hole as Caleb marks you, claims you, makes you his.

As the intense waves of your shared orgasms start to fade, you feel Caleb's lips press soft kisses along the column of your neck. His touch is gentle now, almost reverent.

You can feel the thick mix of your combined releases starting to leak out around where you're joined, your over sensitive flesh twitching at the sensation. Caleb's fingers find the source of the dripping wetness, gathering some of the pearly essence on his fingertips.

"Open up, baby," Caleb whispers as he removes his hand from your mouth. "Taste us. Taste what we made together." His fingers press against your lower lip, smearing the sticky fluid across the soft flesh. Almost unconsciously, you part your lips, allowing him access to your mouth. Caleb takes advantage, slipping his finger past your lips to rest on your tongue. The taste of your combined releases floods your senses, the slightly bitter, salty flavor of his cum mixed with the sweeter, tangier essence of your arousal. It's an intoxicating combination that makes your head swim.

"Fuck, that's so hot," Caleb groans, watching your face intently as you suck on his finger. "Seeing you taste our cum, taste the proof of how good we are together."

He slips out of you making you flinch "You better get ready now, pipsqueak, you don't want to be late for whatever plans you have today. But..." His hand tightens in your hair, tugging lighly.

"...when you come back home to me, I'll be waiting. I'll be here, ready to pick up right where we left off." Caleb's other hand slides down to grip your hip possessively, his fingers sinking into the soft flesh. "We only have a few days together, after all. And I plan to make every single second count."

Rafayel's hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as he navigated through the crowded city streets, slower than necessary. The setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink.

"You know," he began, voice laced with a touch of impatience but also a hint of something softer, "you could have just stayed home and I would have understood" His finger tapped an erratic rhythm against the wheel, and he sighed. "I just...I wish we had more time together, just the two of us. Without all this..." He waved a hand vaguely at the windshield, as if gesturing to the world beyond the car.

"Tell you what cutie," he said, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes "if you give me a good enough reason, we can turn around right now. Leave all this nonsense behind and find somewhere... more private."

His lips curved into a playful smirk, a silent invitation hanging in the air between you. The car rolled to a stop at a red light, and Rafayel cocked his head to the side, one eyebrow raised in question. Waiting. Always waiting for your response.

"Nooooo, you actually need to show up this time Rafayel," you say as you looked inside your purse for your lipstick.

"I know, I know," he muttered, more to himself than to you. "You're right, of course. I can't just...skip it." He trailed off, jaw clenched tight.

The light turned green, and Rafayel pressed down on the accelerator, the car lurching forward. He gripped the wheel tighter. "I just...I hate all the pretension. The fake smiles, the insincere compliments..." He shook his head, a look of distaste on his handsome face. "I'd rather spend the time with you, not stuck in some stuffy room filled with people I don't know."

"Have you seen my lipstick? I swear I left it here the last time I used it." You asked still looking through your purse

"Yes, it's back there somewhere..." he murmured. Rafayel watched as you hastily unbuckled your seatbelt, leaning over to rummage through the backseat. He couldn't help but let his gaze linger on the tantalizing curve of your back. Suddenly, you let out a small 'ah!' of triumph and straightened up, holding the tube of lipstick. In doing so, you lose balance for a moment. His eyes widened as he noticed your dress riding up, revealing the tantalizing sight of your bare skin above the seat of your panties... except there were no panties. His foot slipped off the accelerator, the car momentarily slowing.

For a moment, he forgot about the traffic, the show, everything. The world narrowed down to the sight of your exposed skin, the absence of any fabric that should have been there. He swallowed hard, a wave of heat coursed through him, and he gripped the steering wheel tighter to stop his hand from reaching out to touch. He wanted to trail his fingers up the smooth skin of your thigh, to feel the warmth beneath his palm.

"Cutie..." he breathed out, voice low and rough with sudden desire. He tore his gaze away from the tempting view, forcing himself to focus on the road. But he couldn't unsee the image burned into his mind.

Rafayel took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure as he watched you sit back down and apply your lipstick, oblivious to the effect your little display had on him. He swallowed hard, his pants suddenly feeling far too tight and constricting. He forced his gaze back to the road, but he could still see you in his peripheral vision, the way your lips pursed and pressed together as you applied the color. He imagined tasting that lipstick, tasting you, and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Almost there," he muttered, more to himself than to you. He just needed to get through this damn show, and then...then he could focus on indulging in the fantasies running wild through his imagination.

He parked the car in the furthest spot from the gallery entrance, the tires crunching on the gravel as he brought the vehicle to a stop. He turned to you, a grin spreading across his face, eyes glinting with mischief. He reached out, tracing a finger lightly along your jawline, tilting your chin up towards him. His thumb brushed over your newly applied lipstick, smearing the vibrant color slightly.

"Mm, I like this shade," he murmured, voice low and flirtatious. "It reminds me of the color of your lips when I've kissed you breathless...on all of your lips. You see, I remember exactly what you look like, all pink and swollen and glistening, when I've had my face buried between your thighs for hours," his voice was a low, hypnotic rumble. "When I've licked and sucked and teased your clit until you're writhing and begging for release. His hand slid down to your knee, fingers trailing up along your inner thigh, inching higher and higher. His touch was electric, setting off sparks of pleasure that raced through your veins. He watched the blush spread across your cheeks, your thighs clenching together at his bold words. He leaned in closer, his lips hovering just inches from yours. You could feel the heat radiating off his skin, could smell the intoxicating scent of his cologne.His fingers inched higher up your thigh, his touch bold and purposeful. You knew that somehow he had figured out your little secret. The heat in his gaze told you that much.

"Open your legs for me, cutie, let me see those pretty lips again, the ones that are hiding from me right now." His hand slid higher, fingertips grazing the sensitive skin at the apex of your thighs. He didn't touch you directly, not yet, but he was close. So close that you could feel the anticipation building, could feel your core starting to throb with need.

"Come on," he purred, "don't make me wait. I know you're not wearing anything under that dress. I saw a glimpse of paradise back there."

He licked his lips, eyes gleaming with hunger. "Now be a good girl and open up for me, like you did last night when I had you spreading yourself wide open on my tongue."

His breath hitched as you slowly parted your thighs for him, revealing your bare pussy. His eyes darkened with lust at the sight. "Fuck,..." he breathed, voice rough with desire. "Look at you, so pretty and pink and ready for me." His fingers traced teasingly along your slit, not quite touching, just barely grazing your skin.

Rafayel didn't seem to care about the growing crowd in the parking lot. His focus was solely on you, on the sight of your bare cunt glistening in the fading light. He leaned in closer, the leather of his car seat creaking as he pulled it back giving himself more room.

He slid his hands under your thighs, gripping them tightly as he pulled you closer to the edge of your seat. Your dress rode up around your waist, fully exposing your bare, glistening sex to his eyes.

"Wrap your legs around my shoulders," he commanded, settling between your thighs. "I'm going to make you cum so hard, you won't care if the whole fucking world sees." His hands gripped your lower back tightly as he pulled you up and forward, your head resting on the armrest, your legs draping over his shoulders. He could feel the heat radiating off your core, could smell your intoxicating arousal. It made his cock throb and ache with the need to be inside you.

"Fuck, I can smell how much you want this," he groaned, his breath hot against your sensitive flesh. "You're fucking drenched. So wet and ready for me." He leaned in closer, his tongue darting out to take a long, slow lick up your slit. He moaned at the taste of you, his eyes fluttering shut in bliss. "Delicious," he murmured, before diving back in for more.

"Oh god, Rafayel!" you gasped, back arching off the seat as his tongue delved deep into your aching core. Your fingers tangled in his hair, gripping tight as jolts of electricity raced through your body. His hands kneaded the globes of your ass, pulling you harder against his mouth, his tongue plunging in and out of your soaked pussy.

Rafayel glanced up, taking in the now crowded parking lot. The closest car was a few spaces away, but still within clear view of anyone who cared to look in your direction. He could see people already heading towards the gallery entrance but he was too far gone to care. All he could focus on was the intoxicating taste of you on his tongue, the way your body trembled and quaked beneath his touch.

He licks you again, this time slower, he flattens his tongue and licks you from the bottom up, going particularly slow over your pulsating clit. The pressure builds as he finally does what he knows will be your undoing. His tongue swirled up to your clit with the perfect amount of pressure and you loose yourself to him and the thrashing of his tongue on your clit. The coil deep in your stomach curled painfully tight when he sucked your clit into his mouth, a strangled cry escapes you as your body falls over the edge, he plunges two fingers inside of you as you cum, and the bliss is catastrophic. You no longer cared to hold back the scream or to stop your thighs from clamping his head firmly between them.

"That's it, cutie," he praised, voice rough and ragged. "Fucking soak my face. I want everyone to know I'm the one who made you feel this good."

He didn't let up until your body went boneless, slumping back against the seat, chest heaving as you gasped for air. Only then did he pull back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, a smug and thoroughly satisfied grin on his face. Rafayel quickly tugged your dress down, covering your cunt as he fumbled for his phone on the console between the seats. He put it on speaker and dialed Thomas's number, his thumb hovering over the call button.

Thomas picked up on the second ring, his voice filtering through the car's speakers. "Hello? Rafayel? We were starting to think you wouldn't make it to-"

"Hey, listen," Rafayel interrupted, his voice still rough from his exertions. "I need you to do me a favor. I...I won't be able to make it to the show tonight, something came up." He shot a meaningful glance at your flushed appearance, biting back a smirk.

"Tell everyone I apologize for my absence and that I'll make it up to you all soon. I have to take care of something important" He ended the call abruptly, not giving Thomas a chance to protest, and tossed the phone aside. The engine roared to life as he put the car in gear and drove out of the parking spot, leaving the gallery behind.

"Where are we going?" you asked breathlessly, still trying to catch your breath from the intensity of your orgasm.

Rafayel flashed you a wicked grin, his eyes gleaming with renewed lust and desire. "Back to my place. I'm not done with you yet, not by a long shot." He reached over, resting his hand high up on your thigh, fingers teasing the hem of your dress. "I'm going to take my time with you, explore every inch of this gorgeous body. And then, maybe, just maybe I'll give you another screaming orgasm, but this time on my cock."

[cressidagrey]

The Queen of Romantasy and the Race Car Prince - Chapter 9

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

Summary:

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

Warnings and Notes: 

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

Also, this chapter is pretty much pure smut. So NSFW applies.

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

Lando bought her dog Ferrari Merch. No, scratch that. Lizzie’s boyfriend had literally asked Charles Leclerc, Il Predestinato himself, to get him Ferrari Merch for Mara.

It wasn’t like Lizzie hadn’t tried to get Ferrari Merch for her dog before…but it had always been pretty much impossible. Until Lando.

Until Lando brought home dog bandanas in rosso corsa, printed with that prancing horse symbol of the Scuderia. 

Lizzie's brain was still reeling from the fact that Lando had gone to such lengths for her dog. It was almost absurd, but also incredibly sweet and endearing.

And if Lando could get Ferrari Merch for her dog...maybe she should get McLaren Merch for him.

The plan had come together in her mind quite quickly.

And when he came home from Imola...she was waiting for him.

Waiting. Wearing a shirt that hailed from sometime before her birth…at a time when F1 cars were still plastered with cigarette advertisements. 

Lizzie had expected a reaction.

She hadn’t expected Lando to practically lose his mind the second he stepped through the door.

The plan had been simple. Subtle. Wear the vintage McLaren hoodie she’d spent way too much time hunting down, let him clock it immediately, and then sit back and enjoy the reaction. Tasha had been convinced this would send him feral—“You wanna break a man? Wear something that combines his two greatest loves: his job and you.”—but Lizzie hadn’t been prepared for this.

Because Lando didn’t just react.

He stared.

Completely frozen in the doorway, his bag slipping from his shoulder, mouth slightly parted like his brain had short-circuited. His eyes tracked every inch of her, taking in the way the hoodie swallowed her frame, the way the sleeves draped past her hands, the way she was curled up on the couch like she’d always belonged there.

And then, just when she started to smirk—

“Oh, you fucking menace.”

Lizzie barely had time to blink before Lando was on her, his body pressing her into the couch cushions, hands already gripping at the fabric like he needed to convince himself it was real.

“You—” A kiss to her jaw. “—are—” His hands slid beneath the hoodie, fingers tracing the bare skin of her waist. “—so—” His lips moved to her throat, warm and insistent. “—fucking cruel.”

Lizzie's heart raced as Lando suddenly came alive, his hands roaming over her, his lips on her skin. She'd expected a reaction, but this was...something else entirely. She let out a shaky breath, her eyes fluttering closed as he kissed her with an intensity that ignited a fire within her.

Lizzie let out a breathless laugh, tilting her head to give him better access. “It’s just a hoodie, Lando.”

Lando pulled back, just enough to look at her, his expression somewhere between wrecked and unbelieving. “Just a hoodie?” He scoffed, hands sliding up her sides, thumbs teasing the edge of her ribcage. “No, see, if you had worn my hoodie, I would’ve lost my mind, but this?” He shook his head, voice rough with something dangerously close to reverence. “You planned this.”

Lizzie bit her lip, deliberately toying with the hem of the hoodie. “Maybe.”

Lando’s gaze darkened, tracking the movement of her hands, his fingers tracing patterns on her skin. "Definitely," he corrected her in a low hum, his breath hot against her collarbone. "You did this on purpose, you little minx."

"Is it working?" She challenged back, her voice an innocent contrast to the gleam in her eyes.

Lando’s hands fisted the hoodie—his team’s hoodie—the possessive move making Lizzie shiver.

He looked at her, his expression wild and wanting. “You have no idea,” he growled in her ear, the sound sending a jolt of lust straight to her core.

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea," she murmured back, arching into him, pushing the fabric up on purpose. She could see how it was affecting him, the way his breath caught and his gaze darkened. She knew exactly what she was doing to him...and it fueled her own desire.

“You’re such a tease,” he breathed out, his hands roaming up the heated skin of her sides, his fingers toying with the edge of her bra almost lazily. Lizzie shivered at his touch, arching into him with a quiet moan.

Lando’s mouth latched onto her throat in response, his teeth sinking into her skin just enough to make her gasp. His hands continued their torturous exploration, sliding under her body and lifting her against him.

"Bed," she gasped.

Lando needed no more instruction.

In one swift motion, he scooped her up in his arms, his grip tight as he headed towards the bedroom. It was a whirlwind of sensations, his hands hot and urgent, his body pressed firmly against hers.

They reached the bedroom and he deposited her on the bed, his body following, pinning her down. He loomed over her, his eyes wild and dark, his breathing ragged.

"You have no idea what you do to me, do you?" He rasped out, his lips brushing against her jawline.

Lizzie grinned, her hands wandering to the hem of his shirt, tugging at it with a playful edge. "Oh, trust me, I have some idea."

He leaned back, stripping his shirt off in a quick, practiced motion, and then he was back on her, his body heavy and hard against hers.

He kissed a path down her throat, his hands roaming over her curves, the feel of him against her, the smell of him overwhelming her senses. Lizzie let out a low moan, her hands gripping at his shoulders, her legs wrapping around his hips to pull him closer.

One of her hands buried in his curls, pulling him into another kiss.

"As much as I like this sweater..." Lando whispered

"...it would look better on the floor," Lizzie finished, tugging at the fabric of the hoodie. 

Lando's eyes darkened even further at her words. "God, you're going to be the death of me," he murmured, his hands slipping under the hoodie and pulling it up over her head.

Lizzie was left in just her lace bra, vulnerable and wanting under Lando's gaze. His eyes roamed over her, taking in every inch of her bare skin, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous, love," he breathed.

Lizzie arched into him, his words sending a shiver down her spine. "I could say the same about you," she replied huskily, her hands roving over his chest, feeling the firm muscles under her fingertips.

Lando's breath hitched as her fingers traced over his stomach, his hands tightening on her hips. He leaned down, his lips finding her neck, his teeth grazing her skin. "You drive me insane, you know that?" He murmured, his voice low and rough.

Lizzie let out a soft moan, her head tilting back to give him better access. "I have that effect on you, huh?" She teased, her hands wandering lower, fingers tracing the waistband of his jeans.

Lando groaned, his hips pressing into her touch automatically. "More than you realize," he murmured, his lips finding her collarbone. "You're like a goddamn addiction. I can't get enough of you."

Lizzie's breath caught at his words, the raw honesty in them almost too much to handle. She ran her hands over his back, feeling the heat of his skin, the strength of him. "Then take more," she challenged, her voice a whisper in his ear. "I'm not stopping you."

Lando needed no more invitation. His mouth was on her, his teeth scraping across her collarbone, his tongue soothing the skin. His hands roamed, possessive and rough, as if he needed to touch every inch of her to convince himself she was real.

Lizzie gasped, her body arching into him, her hands gripping at his shoulders. She'd never known lust like this, had never felt so desired, so consumed. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer, needing to feel more, to have all of him.

Lando's hands were everywhere, his touch igniting flames in her veins. He hooked a finger under the strap of her bra, sliding it off her shoulder, his mouth following the path his finger had traced. A moment later, the scrap of lace joined the discarded hoodie, leaving her completely bare beneath him.

He pulled back to look down at her, his eyes roaming over her naked form like he was seeing her for the first time. "God, Liz," he whispered, his voice hoarse, reverent. "You're so goddamn beautiful."

Lizzie's heart did a little flip at his words, a mix of arousal and affection flooding through her. She reached up, pulling him back down to her, her lips finding his in a hungry kiss. His body pressed against her, his skin on hers, and it was like electricity shooting through her veins.

Lando responded eagerly, his lips moving against hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth. His hands continued their exploration, mapping every contour, every contour, every sensitive spot, learning what made her gasp and shudder.

He kissed down her neck, down over her chest...his hands sliding down her sides, his calloused fingers leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. He kissed her stomach, just above her hipbone, his lips tender, almost reverent. Lizzie let out a shaky breath, her fingers digging into the sheets.

Lando moved lower, kissing a path down her stomach, his breath hot against her skin. He reached the edge of her shorts and paused, his eyes flicking up to meet hers, a silent request for permission.

Lizzie met his gaze, her cheeks flushed, her lips parted. She nodded, her eyes darkened with want, her body trembling with anticipation. Lando's expression darkened, his eyes never leaving hers as he slowly, tortuously, slid her shorts down her legs.

He dropped them on the floor, his gaze roaming over her newly-exposed skin. His hands ran up her legs, from ankle to knee to thigh, his touch electrifying. He bit down on his lip as if to suppress a groan, his eyes dark and hot.

Lizzie felt exposed and yet so wanted under his gaze. She couldn't help but squirm a bit, her body needy and desperate. She wanted more, needed more. Her fingers fisted the sheets, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Lando's hands continued their journey, his touch teasing and light as he kissed the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. She gasped, her body arching towards him instinctively. His mouth found the spot just below her hipbone, leaving an open-mouthed kiss there, his teeth scraping gently.

Lizzie's breath hitched, her head tilting back as pleasure coursed through her. His touch was setting her ablaze, every kiss, every graze of his teeth sending fire shooting through her veins. She couldn't remember the last time she'd want anyone this desperately, needed anyone like this.

Lando moved lower, his lips finding the juncture between her thighs, his tongue tracing a lazy pattern. She let out a strangled moan, her hips bucking involuntarily. He chuckled, the sound low and knowing. He knew exactly what he was doing to her, and he was very much enjoying it.

His mouth found her, hot and wet and so unbelievably good. Lizzie's brain short-circuited, her hands flying to his hair, grabbing at his curlsdesperately. She let out a strangled cry, her body arching off the bed, her toes curling. Lando groaned against her, the vibration sending another jolt of pure pleasure through her. 

Lizzie gasped, her hips instinctively bucking against him. "Oh god, yes..." She managed to get out, her voice strangled and weak. Lando's hands held her in place, his grip firm, but not rough, as he continued his ministrations. 

The sensations were overwhelming, bordering on too much. Lizzie felt like she was drowning in him, in this moment, in this feeling. Her body was alive with it, her skin on fire, her heart pounding out of her chest. Every touch of his tongue, every graze of his fingers sent sparks through her, like electricity through her veins.

He pressed one finger into her, and she couldn’t help but clench down onto it. Lando's grip on her thighs tightened as she started to shiver, her breathing rough and ragged. He could feel her teetering on the edge, and he didn't ease up. His tongue continued its rhythm, relentless and precise, pushing her closer and closer… He slid two fingers in, deep and slowly started to fuck her with them.

“Yes.” Her breath hitched, and she shuddered against his hand. “Yes, that’s so good.”

Lizzie was lost, completely lost in him, in the pleasure he was wringing from her body. She was on the precipice, teetering on the edge, her body quivering with the need for release. She gripped at the sheets, her fingers white-knuckled, as she fought for control.

And then...she tipped over the edge. Her body spasmed, her back arching off the bed, her vision going white. Lando's name fell from her lips like a prayer, a broken, breathless moan that seemed to echo in the room. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her, leaving her boneless

Lizzie's mind was still spinning, her body thrumming with aftershocks, as Lando pulled away, his eyes dark and satisfied. He crawled back up her body, his hands roaming over her skin, his lips finding hers in a rough, needy kiss.

She could taste herself on his lips, the familiarity and intimacy of it sending a shiver through her. She could feel him, hard and strained against her hip, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her fingers roaming down his back.

Lando groaned into her mouth, his hips instinctively grinding against hers. He was losing his composure, his touch becoming more impatient, more desperate. He pulled back just enough to speak, his voice rough and hoarse. "Lizzie," he whispered, his fingers digging into her hips, "I need—"

“Condom,” she gasped. “Bedside table.”

Lando's eyes darkened, his expression turning almost predatory, as he shifted off her, slipping out of the sweatpants he wore. 

He reached over to the bedside table, his eyes never leaving hers, and grabbed a condom from the drawer. His fingers trembled slightly as he ripped open the foil, his movements jerky with impatience.

He had it on in record time, Lizzie watching him, her breath catching in her throat. He was glorious, all coiled muscle and heat, and he was hers. He pushed her legs apart, settling between them, his body covering hers.

Lizzie was already on edge again, her body still sensitive from her orgasm. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him to her, wanting him as close as possible. Lando groaned, his forehead dropping to hers as he rubbed against her, his breathing uneven.

"I need you," he mumbled, his voice raw, and Lizzie couldn't help but shiver at the sound. "Need you so much." She reached up, cupping his face in her hands, her thumbs stroking his cheeks. Their eyes met, and in that moment, everything else fell away.

Lando's breath caught as he looked into her eyes, as if she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He shifted his hips, his tip nudging at her entrance, and a gasp fell from her lips. They were so close, so close, and yet he still hesitated for a moment, his face a question.

Lizzie knew what he was asking without words and she nodded, her fingers digging into his shoulders. "Yes," she whispered, her voice a ragged plea. "Please. I need you, too."

That’s all he needed. With the sound of one sharp breath...he pushed in. It was like nothing she’d ever felt. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe, could only feel him. 

A moan slipped from her lips, deep and rough, as he began to move, slow and gentle at first. Every slide, every thrust sent a jolt of electricity through her veins, and she could feel him—every shudder, every sound, every tremble… He was moving slowly, almost tortuously, his eyes on hers, his teeth gritted in restraint. His breath was coming in harsh gasps, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Lizzie reached up, her fingers tracing his jaw, her touch both soothing and arousing. 

"Harder," she whispered, her voice a plea, her nails digging into his skin. "Please, I need—I need you."

His control snapped. Lando's hands slammed down next to her head, gripping the sheets, the muscles in his arms straining. He picked up the pace, each thrust harder, deeper, rougher than the last. 

He leaned down, his breaths hot against her neck, his hips moving relentlessly against hers. He was everywhere, surrounding her, consuming her. “God, Lizzie...” he groaned, his voice raw and guttural. “You’re so fucking perfect, so goddamn beautiful, I can’t—I can’t—"

She could feel him coming undone, every movement, every word, every ragged gasp was a piece of him breaking off and falling into her. She arched against him, her body meeting his with every thrust, seeking more, always more, scrabbling for purchase on the sweat slick skin of his back. "Don't hold back," Lizzie gasped, her fingers sliding into his hair. "Let go, let me see you."

That was all it took for the last vestiges of restraint to snap. Lando lost himself completely in her, his body driving into hers without restraint, one hand gripping her hips hard enough to bruise. 

She could feel him spiraling, coming undone, and she wanted to see it, to feel it, to be the one to undo him. She pulled him closer, her legs tightening around his waist. "Come for me," she gasped, her voice a pleading plea. "Please, Lando, come with me."

He let out a rough, guttural moan as if the words were a command he couldn't refuse. He was so close, his body trembling with the effort to hold back, to prolong this moment. She could feel him teetering on the edge, his rhythm growing rougher, more erratic. "Lizzie...f-f-fuck..." he managed to get out through clenched teeth, as if those were the only words he could remember.

She pulled him down, her fingers gripping his hair, "Let go," she gasped, her voice rough and broken. "Let go, Lando. I've got you, I promise."

He drove into her again, and her Orgasm slammed into her like a sucker punch. 

It was like a switch was flicked. He buried himself in her, a gasp torn from his lungs as he came undone. It was like nothing she'd ever felt, the power and the beauty and the absolute trust in it. She held him through it, her hands mapping his skin, her lips finding his, kissing him with everything she had. He was shaking, trembling, vulnerable, and all she wanted to do was hold him close and never let go.

He collapsed against her, his body boneless and heavy, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. His head was tucked into the crook of her neck, and she could feel the rapid thump of his heart against her chest. She held him close, her fingers stroking his hair gently, as if he was something fragile.

They stayed like that for a while, the minutes ticking by in silence, the only sound in the room their breathing and the occasional beat of the clock. Lando's breaths were slowly returning to normal, his body relaxed and sated. Lizzie's heart was still racing, her mind still reeling from the intensity of what had just happened.

Lando eventually raised his head, looking down at her with heavy-lidded eyes. "You...okay?" he whispered, his voice still a little rough.

Lizzie nodded, a small smile on her lips. "More than okay," she said, her voice soft and sated. "That was..." She trailed off, struggling to find the words to describe it.

Lando let out a tired, but satisfied chuckle. "Yeah, it was," he agreed, his eyes roaming over her face with a possessive glint. He propped himself up on one elbow, running his free hand over her curves, as if unable to keep his hands off her.

She shivered under his touch, her body still sensitive from their encounter. She reached up, her finger tracing his bottom lip, her eyes mapping the features of his face. "You're so beautiful," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Lando's gaze softened, something almost like awe in his eyes. He caught her hand in his, bringing it to his lips and gently kissing her knuckles. "You're the beautiful one," he murmured against her skin, his voice low and sincere.

She couldn't help but blush under his gaze, the intensity in his eyes making her chest tighten. She couldn't believe he was looking at her like that, as if she was the only person in the world. 

It was intoxicating, and beautiful and she found herself wanting to drown in it, in him. 

[ikkyfics]

What We Never Said

James Potter x f!reader

Summary: James, your best friend forever, always the one who laughed with you and protected you from everything, now the center of the chaos your heart had become. That night had been sweet and devastating, his touches seeming to etch themselves into your skin. But the morning after had been confusing, full of silences and diverted glances. And now, what were you? You didn’t know anymore.

Warnings: hurt/comfort, muggle au, no use of y/n, pre relationship, pregnancy, a little misunderstanding

A/N: It had been so soooo long since I had done anything with James, so I was inspired after reading endorphin-morphine by my beloved @gingerteafairy <33

Masterlist

The night was oppressively silent, except for the constant sound of the fine rain tapping against the windows. The apartment was bathed in a cozy dimness, lit only by a faint light in the living room. You had been there for hours, sitting on the sofa with your knees drawn up to your chest, your eyes fixed on an undefined point on the wall. But your mind wasn’t present. It wandered, stuck on the same painful memory—the one from that night.

It was like an open wound you didn’t know how to heal. James, your best friend forever, always the one who laughed with you and protected you from everything, now the center of the chaos your heart had become. That night had been sweet and devastating, his touches seeming to etch themselves into your skin. There was a tenderness there you would never forget, an intensity that overflowed with both desire and affection. But the morning after had been confusing, full of silences and diverted glances. And now, what were you? You didn’t know anymore.

The sound of knocks on the door shattered your thoughts into pieces. They came fast and urgent, a sequence that left no room for doubt. You froze, your heart pounding too hard. Then another series of knocks. More insistent. “Please,” his voice, a bit breathless, came from the other side. “Please, open.”

James.

Your whole body reacted before your mind could think. You went to the door and opened it. There he was—soaked to the bone, his black hair sticking to his forehead, his glasses fogged with rain. He looked both exhausted and agitated, his shoulders slumped under the weight of something he couldn’t say. But what broke you was the look he gave you. As if he were looking for something to confirm what he feared.

“Can I come in?” The question came out almost hesitantly, different from any James you knew.

You just nodded and stepped aside. He entered, and the sound of his wet shoes against the floor echoed through the room. The silence was suffocating, but you could feel his eyes on you, observing every detail. When he closed the door and turned, he was standing in the middle of the room, drenched and restless.

He tried to say something, but his voice faltered on the first attempt. “Are you okay?” he asked, and there was something almost desperate in the words.

You wanted to say yes. You wanted to smile, pretend everything was fine. But there was a weight in your chest that wouldn’t allow lies. “I’m... trying,” you answered in a soft tone. And it was the truest thing you could offer.

James’s gaze didn’t waver. His blue eyes behind the glasses seemed desperate to understand something you weren’t sure how to explain. He studied you with an intensity that made everything even harder—not just as the friend he had always been, but with a new, unsettling attention.

You looked away, unable to bear the weight of it for another second. The tension between you two was suffocating, as if you were both trying to play at normalcy that didn’t belong in this moment. James, the same James who had always been a storm of energy and teasing, was there, silent, almost hesitant.

“I... I could make tea,” you said, your voice fragile. “You should warm up before you catch a cold.”

He nodded slowly, as if he wanted to say something else but respected the space you were desperate to create. “Okay.”

You hesitated for a moment, your eyes landing on his wet shoulders and the way his drenched hair clung to his forehead. “You should change too. There’s a change of clothes here…”

James blinked, surprised. “From the last time I—”

“Yes.” You hurried to turn your back on him, unable to handle the memory of that night, so full of laughter and camaraderie before everything had changed. You went to the kitchen, your hands trembling as you grabbed the kettle.

James didn’t say anything else. He knew where your clothes were and went to get them from the bedroom while you prepared the tea. The water boiled, and you focused all your attention on small movements—the sound of the porcelain, the soft lavender scent in the air. But even then, there was no real escape. The memory of that night kept coming back. The way his fingers seemed to know exactly where to touch, the warmth of his lips against your skin. It had been tender and painfully intimate, and thinking about it now was agonizing enough to steal your breath away.

James came back to the kitchen, wearing a clean t-shirt and sweatpants, his hair still messy but no longer dripping. He seemed more physically at ease, but the tension in his eyes hadn’t lessened in the slightest.

You placed the cups on the table and sat down in front of him. The table seemed too big for the silence between you, as if it were impossible to cross it. He held the cup, but didn’t drink immediately. He just looked at you, as if searching for the right words.

“Are you... eating properly?” The question came out hesitantly, and he seemed to hate his own voice for saying it.

Your stomach churned. “Yes. I’m fine.” But the truth was different. There was a part of you in a constant state of panic, fighting to ignore the little signs your mind created. You forced yourself not to look at your own stomach, as if the simple gesture could betray your thoughts.

“You don’t look well,” James replied, and there was such raw anguish in his voice that you felt an urge to run away.

“James, let’s not do this now.”

“Lily told me.”

His words sliced through the air like a blade, and you froze. Everything around you seemed to dissolve into white noise—the sound of the wind outside, the steam rising from the tea cups. Only those few words echoed in your mind, unbearably loud.

Lily had promised. But of course, this was bigger than any promise. Because she cared about James just as much as she cared about you, and at some point, her concern must have overflowed.

You tried to push the memory away, but it came anyway. The night you went to Lily’s house, your eyes swollen from crying. The way your hands trembled as you told her, through tears and sobs, that you might be pregnant. How you had been caught off guard, the overwhelming fear that took over you.

“Hey.” James’ voice was closer now, gentle and full of urgency. You didn’t even notice when he kneeled in front of you, his hands searching for yours. But you kept your fingers tightly clasped in your lap, stiff. You didn’t trust yourself to touch him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, his blue eyes searching yours. There was no anger there—just fear and a deep pain that seemed to mirror yours.

“Because… because I didn’t know what to do.” Your voice was hoarse, as if each word were a battle. “I still don’t know.”

James lowered his head for a moment, breathing deeply as if gathering all the courage he had. Then, when he looked up at you, there was something in his eyes you couldn’t immediately identify—determination, yes, but also a desperate vulnerability that made him almost unrecognizable.

“Then let me do something,” he said softly.

Before you could answer, he slid his hand into the pocket of his sweatshirt and, with a hesitant gesture, pulled out a small blue velvet box. Your heart stopped for a moment. Because you knew that box. He had mentioned it before—a family heirloom that belonged to his mother. And now, it was there, in his hands, open before you.

Inside, there was a simple, but flawless ring. A delicate, timeless gold band.

“Marry me,” James asked, with an almost painful softness. He was still on his knees, only inches from you, but it felt like there was an abyss between you two.

You couldn’t breathe. The same phrase you had imagined countless times, in so many dreams, in so many different scenarios—and now, finally spoken aloud.

But nothing was as it should have been.

You felt a tearing pain rip through your chest. Because, in your dreams, he asked because he loved you. Because you were best friends who had found each other in the midst of everything. Not like this. Not with an unexpected pregnancy as the backdrop, not with the weight of duty suffocating the moment.

“James... no.” Your voice broke, barely audible.

He blinked, confusion turning his face into something devastated. “What?”

“I can’t,” you replied, not daring to look at him. “I can’t do this.”

“Why?” The word came out laden with pain, almost disbelieving. “If it’s because of the baby, I want to be here. I want—”

“It’s not that.” Your throat tightened so much it felt impossible to continue. “I don’t want you to do this out of obligation.”

James stood still, as though you had taken the ground from under him. He slowly closed the box, but didn’t stand. He stayed kneeling there, staring at you with eyes now filled with pain he couldn’t hide.

“Is that what you think of me?” He murmured, his voice rough.

You stood up, the instinct to flee overtaking you. “Please, James. Let’s just... forget this, okay?”

But before you could take another step, you felt his hands around your arms, gentle but firm enough to prevent your escape. “Forget? You want me to pretend I don’t love you?”

The whole world stopped.

“Don’t say that,” you begged, your voice barely a whisper.

“Why not?” He moved closer, and when you tried to turn your face away, James gently held your chin, forcing you to look at him. “Say you don’t feel anything for me. Look into my eyes and tell me I’m wrong.”

You tried. You really tried. But there was something in his gaze—so much truth, so much love that seemed unbearable—and the words got stuck in your throat.

“Say it, and I’ll leave,” James promised, his fingers gliding gently over your skin, as if he could ease the pain hanging in the air between you two. “But if it’s not true... let me fight for us.”

A tear fell down your cheek, followed by another. You were trembling now, and his touch felt both comforting and unbearable.

James saw the pain in your eyes and, without hesitation, pulled you into his arms. The strength of his embrace was both firm and protective, as though he was trying to hold all the broken parts of you together and prevent them from shattering. And there, with his warmth enveloping every part of your being, you collapsed.

The tears came like a flood, sobs you could no longer contain ripping through your throat. Your face was buried in his chest, your fingers clutching his shirt as if you feared he would disappear if you let go. He didn’t say anything immediately—just held you tighter, his hands gently sliding over your back, his lips pressing against your forehead in a silent kiss.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured against your hair, his voice so full of regret that it made your heart ache even more. “I’m sorry for everything, for not coming after you sooner. For not saying...”

He paused for a moment, his breath uneven as if he were struggling to maintain his composure.

“For not saying that I love you.”

You froze, your sobs quieting, but the weight of his words still hung in the air.

“I’ve always loved you,” James continued, his tone firm despite the tremor in his voice. “From the beginning. And I was an idiot for never making that clear. For hurting you, for not realizing what you were going through. I should’ve been with you all along.”

His hands loosened their grip on his shirt, but you didn’t pull away. You couldn’t. Because every word he spoke seemed to slowly dissolve the fear and pain you had carried over the past days—but it also brought a vulnerability you hadn’t expected.

James leaned back just slightly, enough to look at you. His eyes were full of unshed tears, concern and love clear as day.

“You are everything to me,” he said softly, his fingers tracing the line of your jaw. “And no matter what happens, I want to be by your side. In every moment, through every difficulty. Even if there wasn’t a baby. I just want... you.”

More tears filled your eyes, but now, they were different. They were tears of relief. Of hope. You couldn’t speak, but James seemed to understand anyway. He tilted his forehead to gently touch yours, his eyes closed as his noses brushed in an intimate, tender gesture.

“Let me stay,” he whispered. “Let me take care of you. Let me love you the way I should’ve all along.”

For a long moment, you just stood there, absorbing every word, every touch, every beat of his heart against yours. And then, slowly, you nodded.

“Yes.” Your voice came out weak, but full of an emotion that felt almost impossible to contain. “Yes, James.”

The smile that formed on his lips was a mixture of relief and pure love, and before you could say anything more, James pulled you into a soft kiss. It wasn’t desperate or impulsive—it was a kiss full of promises, of everything he hadn’t been able to say before.

And when his lips left yours, he hugged you again, tighter than before. As if he never intended to let go.

[itsnesss]

𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 | axel kovacevik × fem!reader

summary | axel returns to the room and confronts you, jealous and possessive after seeing you talking to a cobra kai member. his jealousy intensifies, and he claims you as his

warnings | possessive, jealous, masturbation, p in v, unprotected sex

word count | 1.7 k

author's note | it would help me a lot if you liked, commented and reposted so that more people read what I write and don't forget to follow me, thanks ᡣ𐭩

You are alone in the room. Axel hasn't returned from his last training yet, and although your mind is occupied with thoughts about the event, something continues to trouble you. It's the same feeling you've had for weeks, ever since you started noticing the small changes in Axel. The way he looks at you, how he touches you, how he claims you as his own. It's not that it bothers you, but... it makes you wonder how far he's willing to go.

You are standing by the window, looking at the hotel streets, when the door swings open. The figure of Axel enters, his gaze fixed on you, and for a second, the rest of the world fades away.

With his karate uniform on and his defiant attitude. you can't help but notice the intensity of his presence. You know him well, and you know that kind of look is not casual. Something is happening.

"What are you doing here? " his voice is low but clear. It's not a kind question. It's an accusation, you turn around, surprised, but not enough to miss the dangerous glint in his eyes. A glint that intensifies when he sees you're alone. As if he felt jealous, possessive, even without knowing what for.

"I was just waiting for you to come back," you respond calmly, although your heart beats faster as you see them approaching.

"Waiting for me?" he repeats, letting out a dry laugh, you looked at him without understanding. "I saw you in the lobby".

You turn around, feeling the discomfort wash over your body. You haven't done anything wrong, but for some reason, the way Axel looks at you now makes you feel like you're trapped in something much bigger than yourself.

" I was just talking" you respond quickly, trying to downplay the situation. You know that Axel doesn't usually show jealousy so obviously.

but something in his attitude makes you think that this time will be different.

Axel steps forward, his dark eyes fixed on yours. There is something dangerous in his gaze, a kind of control that seems to have awakened within him. The air in the room becomes thick, and you feel a knot in your stomach.

"With a Cobra Kai guy?" The way he says those words sends shivers down your spine, there's a hint of disdain, of something you don't like, as if he couldn't stand the idea of seeing you talk to someone from that dojo. "And what were they talking about?"

The tone of his voice is lower, almost as if he were controlling something within himself. Axel takes another step towards you, and you feel the tension in your body as you notice the distance between you both shrinking.

"Axel, it's not what you think" , you try to justify yourself, but he interrupts you with a brusque gesture.

"Don't lie to me" his eyes don't leave yours, and you can see how his jaw tightens. The silence that follows is dense, uncomfortable. "You were smiling with him, talking as if everything was fine. Do you like that? Do you like it when another guy pays attention to you?"

The question is direct, brutal. You remain silent, unable to respond. His attitude is possessive, and for some reason, you feel like you can't escape his gaze. Axel is not a jealous guy by nature, but today is different. Today, his desire to control everything seems to overflow.

" Is that what you want?" he continues, and now his words have a harshness they never had before.

you had heard in him. "What other guys look at you? Because st is ast, so I'm doing the things wrong".

Before you can react, Axel quickly approaches and firmly grabs your wrist, pulling you towards him. His face is so close to yours that you can see the fire in his eyes. The contact of his hand on your skin makes you shiver, and although you know you are in an uncomfortable situation, something in HIS strength in that intensity makes you feel. captivated.

"You are mine. Only mine" his voice is so low and hoarse that it sends shivers down your spine. You don't know if it's a threat or a promise, but fear and excitement mix in your stomach. "I don't want to see another guy near you, do you understand? No one else has the right to look at you like that".

Your mind is blank, your words caught in your throat. The idea of me confronting you like that

way, that demands you to be only theirs, it invades you. You don't know if it's a feeling of threat or of

desire, but something within you responds to its call

"Axel..." you whisper, but he doesn't let you continue.

With a swift movement, he pulls you towards him, crushing your lips against his in a wild kiss. It's not a tender kiss, it's not a kiss of affection. It's fierce, demanding.

As if he were claiming something he considers his own, you are left breathless, but something inside you doesn't want him to stop. The force with which he kisses you makes you feel completely trapped, but, at the same time, it excites you. Something in that possessiveness envelops you, makes you feel that, in some way, he is showing how much he desires you.

No matter what happens, he wants you to know: you are his.

When they finally part, their eyes lock onto yours, filled with a determination that takes your breath away.

" I don't want to see you near anyone else. Only I have the right to touch you, to kiss you. No one else".

Your words get caught in your throat as you look into their eyes. You feel his control over you, you feel how he has you in his hands, and although a part of you knows you should resist, another part simply doesn't want to.

"Do you need me to remind you who you are?" he asks, his tone relentless

Your breathing becomes faster, each heartbeat echoing in your ears. For a moment, you wonder if you should speak, resist, defend yourself from the way he is looking at you, but something in his gaze paralyzes you. That mix of power and certainty envelops you, and although you feel the need to react, it costs you much more than you expected. And without thinking any further, you respond: "Y-yes..."

His hands lifted your dress enough to expose your legs and your panties. His lips found your neck, tracing your ear as he rubbed your clitoris through the fabric of your panties. "You are mine".

Another moan escaped your lips. You wanted nothing more than his hands on you, to touch you for real. Axel smiles at the sound of your moans. "Do you like that?"

"Yes..."

"Fine" He continues kissing your neck before pulling away, "You thought you could talk to another man" his hands tore your underwear from your body, making you gasp.

He smiled at your expression of surprise, his dark and intense eyes as he touched your folds again, making a moan escape your lips. He ran his fingers over you before stopping at your clitoris, rubbing it slowly. He watched your face, listened to your moans, teased you, and withdrew his hand.

You let out a frustrated noise "Axel..."

Axel looks at you with a smug expression "Yes, baby?"

"Please..."

He raises an eyebrow at your plea. He was enjoying provoking you too much, he didn't want to give in so easily. His hand brushed against you very lightly again. "What, please?" you moaned again. "Use your words," he whispered as he continued rubbing you, but without letting you reach that sweet release, his movements were slow and steady.

"Please..." you say with a moan.

"Please, what? You're going to have to tell me what you want" keep rubbing your clitoris slowly, loving how desperate you were.

You took a deep breath, trying to calm your voice: "...let me finish"

He smiled at your request, his fingers rubbing a little faster "Do you want to come?" you nod, your eyes showing how desperate you are "Beg for it" his lips near your ear as he whispers.

"Please, Axel... please" you begin to feel your orgasm building.

Axel smiles at your plea, his fingers rubbing even faster, making you moan a little louder. "Please, what? You have to be specific"

"Please, let me finish... please" your voice sounded so desperate that I had never heard you like that before.

He leaned in even closer, his hand paused, and he whispered in your ear again: "Say you're mine."

A sound of frustration escaped you again when he stopped. "I am yours. Please..."

He smiles at your words, his hand begins to move again. "That's right. You are mine. No one else can touch you".

His hand finally starts moving faster, giving you what you wanted. He rubbed your clitoris faster, applying a bit more pressure, and within seconds, he watched you unravel. Your legs trembled with the force of your orgasm.

"We haven't finished yet" I drag you with him to the bed, laying you down while you anxiously waited for him to undress.

His hand placed itself between their bodies, holding his penis as he positioned himself at your entrance. He wasn't gentle when he pushed inside you, making you moan.

Axel's hips began to move at a fast and strong pace, pouring all his frustration onto you.

"You are mine. Do you understand that?" you nod.

"I'm yours" you say, moaning.

He leans in and whispers in your ear "That's right, you're mine. All mine. No one else can touch you. No one else can make you feel this way".

The situation and the way he was gripping you tightly was too much, and soon your walls began to tighten around his cock. Your moans began to grow louder and more frequent until you finally had an orgasm.

His movements began to become more erratic and uneven, and feeling you cum around him that way was his breaking point. He let out a moan when he finally came inside you.

They stood there, in silence for a few seconds, trying to catch their breath. "Are you okay?" You nodded.

"Wasn't I too harsh?"

"No, of course not. I was very well" .

"Well, I wouldn't want to hurt you"

"You didn't" you looked at him before speaking again "You know I love you, right? I don't want you to feel like I was doing something wrong, it's just... he asked me something and I didn't want to be rude"

Axel smiled at your words "I love you too"

"But..."

"But?" Axel looked at you alarmed.

"Maybe I should make you jealous again if you're going to catch me like this."

"Don't even think about it, if you want sex like that you just have to ask" he gave you a kiss on the forehead.

[kaxserlvr]

HEYYYY

So i see request are open

So i wanted to ask if it would be alr if i requested Rin with figure skater girlfriend?

Thanks in advance!!

AND I HOPE YOU HAVE WONDERFUL DAYYYY<3

A/n:Ahhh thank you and you too!! I don’t know much about figure skating so I hope this suffices :D

Rin didn’t care much for figure skating.

It was too delicate, too flashy—too different from the world of football, where everything was about precision, power, and control. The idea of gliding across ice in flashy outfits and choreographed movements never appealed to him.

But then he met you.

And suddenly, he found himself sitting in an ice rink, after his practice, watching every move you made like his life depended on it.

You were in the middle of your routine, moving effortlessly across the ice, your skates cutting through it with sharp precision. The arena lights cast a glow on you, making you look almost unreal, like something out of a dream.

Rin’s grip tightened on the railing as he watched.

He had seen you practice a hundred times before, knew every twist and turn you would make, but it still managed to take his breath away. You moved with an elegance that didn’t belong in his world—fluid, weightless, like you weren’t bound by gravity at all.

When you landed your final jump flawlessly, the music came to a soft end, and your coach and other skaters applauded for you. Rin didn’t react outwardly, but his heart swelled with something he refused to name.

You skated off the ice, slightly breathless but beaming. The moment you spotted him, your eyes lit up.

“Well?” You asked, stopping in front of him. “Did you like it?”

Rin crossed his arms, feigning indifference. “It was alright.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re such a liar.”

His lips twitched slightly.

You pulled off your gloves, flexing your fingers as you looked up at him. “You know, for someone who claims not to care about skating, you sure show up to every one of my practices.”

Rin scoffed. “Someone has to make sure you don’t fall on your face.”

You smirked. “That,” you said, poking his chest, “sounds like an excuse.”

Rin exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You talk too much.”

You grinned. “And you don’t talk enough.”

There was a pause, a quiet moment where neither of them said anything.

Then, Rin reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. His fingers lingered for just a second too long, and you felt your breath hitch.

“…You were amazing,” he finally admitted, his voice softer.

Your heart skipped a beat.

You had heard a million compliments before, from coaches, from fans—but none of them ever made you feel like this. Nothing could compare when it came to him.

You smiled, stepping closer. “You know…” you mused, tilting your head. “You’d make a good skater.”

Rin scoffed. “Not happening.”

You laughed. “Come on, you already have the balance for it. Just imagine—Rin Itoshi, the footballer-turned-figure-skater.”

He shot you a deadpan look. “I’d rather die.”

You giggled, reaching for his hands. “At least try skating with me.”

Rin sighed, giving in far too easily. “Fine. But if I fall, I’m dragging you down with me.” He’d agree to anything you ask

You grinned. “Deal.”

And as you pulled him toward the ice, Rin found himself thinking—maybe figure skating wasn’t so bad after all.

As long as it’s with you of course

[writer-freak]

Hi Freak!

May I request [Hurt/Comfort] Headcanons of Valorant Agents: Yoru, Phoenix and Gekko (Separately) react to Agent![S/O] [Romantic] [Gender Neutral] saving them by taking a bullet during a mission?

The ending is positive as [S/O] survived the gun wound.

A/n: Sorry I totally over read that these were supposed to be headcanons, I hope this is still fine and thank you for the request.

Yoru

The mission had gone sideways fast. You hadn’t even thought, your body just moved. One second, Yoru had been in the line of fire, and the next, you had thrown yourself in front of him. The sound of the bullet tearing through flesh barely registered before you hit the ground.

"Oi—!" His voice was sharp, panicked, something you weren’t used to hearing from him.

Your head spun as you tried to ground yourself, but the pain in your side was making it hard to think. Yoru was suddenly at your side, hands pressing against your wound as his usual cocky expression turned into fear.

"You idiot, what the hell were you thinking?" His voice wavered, and you could see the way his hands trembled despite how firmly he was applying pressure.

"Didn’t… think," you managed to say, forcing a weak grin. "Just moved."

Yoru clicked his tongue, his gaze darting around as he activated his comms. "We need a medic, now!" His voice was sharp, urgent, the panic showing through.

Your vision blurred, but you could still make out the crease between his brows, the way his jaw tightened like he was barely holding himself together. He muttered something in Japanese under his breath, something you could only assume was a curse.

"Hey," you reached for his wrist, squeezing weakly. "You okay?"

He scoffed, shaking his head. "You get shot, and you’re asking if I’m okay? You’re an idiot."

But he didn’t let go of your hand. Even when the medics arrived, even when they pulled you away, he stayed right beside you.

When you woke up in the infirmary hours later, groggy but alive, Yoru was still there, arms crossed, trying to look unbothered. But when your eyes met his, relief flickered across his face.

"Next time, don’t pull that heroic crap," he muttered, glancing away. "Not if it means losing you."

You smiled, squeezing his hand again. "Can’t make any promises."

He huffed, but he didn’t let go.

Phoenix

"Stay with me!"

Phoenix’s voice barely cut through the ringing in your ears. Heat radiated from him, his flames flickering at his fingertips as he tried to keep pressure on your wound. It burned, but you barely registered it over the throbbing pain.

You had shoved him out of the way, taken the bullet that was meant for him, and now you were paying the price.

"That was bloody stupid," he muttered, his usual carefree tone nowhere to be found. His grip tightened. "You didn’t have to do that."

You exhaled a weak chuckle, wincing. "Reflex."

"Yeah, well, your reflexes suck," he shot back, but the shake in his voice betrayed him. "You scared the hell out of me."

His hand felt hot against your skin, but you could tell he was holding back. He wanted to be able heal you, but that was outside of his ability. You needed real medical attention his heart hammering in his chest as he waits for Sage to arrive.

The others arrived moments later, Sage immediately stepping in to assess the damage. Phoenix didn’t move from your side. His hand hovered near yours, hesitant, before he finally just grabbed it.

"Don’t do that again, alright?" His voice was quieter now, his usual grin nowhere in sight. His thumb brushed over your knuckles absentmindedly. "Can’t have you pulling reckless stunts like that."

You squeezed his hand, offering a small smirk. "No promises, hotshot."

He exhaled a breathless laugh, shaking his head. "You’re lucky I like you."

Gekko

Gekko had never moved so fast in his life. One second, everything was fine, and the next, you were in front of him, a sharp gasp leaving your lips as a bullet tore through your side.

"No, no, no—" His voice cracked as he caught you before you could hit the ground. The sound of gunfire was distant now, drowned out by the pounding in your head.

Dizzy, you tried to focus on his face, on the way his eyes were wide with panic. "Hey, I—"

"Shh, don't talk," he interrupted, shaking his head. He cradled you carefully, like you might break, his other hand frantically reaching for his comms. "I need help here! They’re hurt, I—I don’t know how bad—"

Dizzy anxiously rolled down from his shoulder, while Wingman patted at your arm like he could somehow fix the wound himself.

"You’re gonna be fine, okay?" Gekko's voice wavered, but his grip on you was firm. "You—you saved me. You—" He exhaled sharply, blinking fast. "Why’d you do that, man?"

You mustered a weak smile. "Reflex."

His breath hitched, and he shook his head. "You—you can’t do that. Not for me."

You managed to squeeze his hand. "I’d do it again."

A tear slipped down his cheek before he could stop it, and he quickly wiped it away. "That’s not funny," he mumbled. "You’re not leaving me, alright?"

Before you could answer, Sage arrived, quickly assessing your wound. Gekko stayed at your side, his fingers gripping yours like a lifeline.

Even when you woke up in the infirmary, weak but alive, he was still there, your hand still in his.

"You scared me," he admitted softly.

You squeezed his hand. "Sorry."

He exhaled, a shaky smile forming on his lips. "Just… don’t do it again, yeah?"

Divider by: @strangergraphics

[dearstvckyx]

The Ones Who Knew - NH13 (ft. Hischier Family , Jesper Bratt)

summary: after the proposal nina hischier exposes she and two of nico’s teammates knew about it all along.

pairings: nico hischier x reader / jesper bratt x reader / hischier family x reader / jack hughes x reader /

. 　⁺ 　 . ⁺ 　 . 　⁺ 　 . ⁺ 　 . 　⁺ 　 . ⁺ 　 . 　⁺ 　 .

The moment Nico slipped the ring onto your finger, the world seemed to explode around you. His teammates were cheering, fans were screaming, and somewhere in the chaos, Jack Hughes was loudly declaring, “ABOUT TIME!”

But before you could even process it all, a pair of strong arms wrapped around you—Katja Hischier, pulling you into the warmest, tightest hug.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “We have been waiting for this moment for so long. Welcome to the family—officially.”

Your heart clenched as you hugged her back, feeling the weight of her words settle deep in your chest. You’d always felt like a part of their family, but now? Now, it was real.

Before you could say anything, Rino Hischier stepped forward, his usual reserved demeanor softening as he placed a firm hand on Nico’s shoulder. He turned to you with a rare, proud smile.

“You make him happy,” he said simply. “That’s all we could ever ask for.”

Your fingers curled tighter around Nico’s, your emotions threatening to spill over again. “And he makes me happy.”

The moment was interrupted by a loud groan. “Finally!”

You barely had time to react before Nico’s younger brother, Luca, practically tackled you in a hug before shaking his brother’s shoulders. “Seriously, I was starting to think you’d wait until retirement to do this.”

“Hey!” Nico protested, laughing as he shoved him back.

Luca smirked. “I mean, I knew from the first time I met her that she was stuck with us forever. Guess I was right.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” you teased, making Luca chuckle.

Then, just as you thought you could catch your breath, Nina burst forward, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Oh my god, do you have any idea how hard this was to keep a secret?” she blurted, grabbing your hands to stare at the ring on your finger.

Your eyes widened. “Wait… you knew?”

“Of course I knew!” she exclaimed. “Me, Jack, and Jesper were the only ones Nico told! And do you know how impossible it is to not slip when you talk to someone every day?”

Jesper Bratt appeared beside her, laughing as he threw an arm around Nico’s shoulders. “I deserve a medal for keeping my mouth shut,” he joked. “I almost slipped, like, a hundred times.”

Nico chuckled, shaking his head. “I was half-expecting Jack to ruin it somehow.”

Jesper smirked. “Oh, we all were. But lucky for you, he was too busy talking about himself to notice.”

Nina rolled her eyes before turning back to you, her expression softening. “But seriously, I’m so happy for you guys. You’ve been part of our family forever, but now it’s official. And I couldn’t imagine anyone better for my brother.”

Your heart swelled as she pulled you into a tight hug, and you let yourself sink into the moment.

Nico looked around at the people who meant the most to him—his teammates, his family, and the love of his life standing right beside him, wearing the ring he had picked out months ago.

And as he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close despite the roaring crowd, he knew one thing for certain.

This? This was everything he had ever dreamed of. And the someday came true.

main story

[darkeunology]

♡ Snowflakes and Secrets ♡

Word Count: 790

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Warnings: None, pure fluff

Summary: Bucky and you decide to go for a walk in the snow

Requested by @jackys-stuff-blog

The snow fell in thick, delicate flakes, blanketing the world in a serene hush. The air was crisp, each breath visible as it escaped your lips, and the quiet was almost magical.

You and Bucky had spent the day inside, sipping hot cocoa and talking about everything and nothing at all. But now, with the winter sunlight fading, the two of you decided to walk through the park just outside the compound.

Bucky had insisted on going, though you could tell he wasn't used to the cold. He wrapped his thick jacket tighter around himself, but his soft smile never faltered. He had this way about him—stoic and strong, yet gentle when it mattered most. You found comfort in his presence, even if you didn't say much. There was something about him that made the world feel right again, as if, for once, you didn't have to think so much.

The two of you walked side by side through the park, the trees bare but still beautiful against the white canvas of snow. His boots crunched with each step, and you couldn't help but chuckle at how peaceful it was. For a small moment, the weight of the world faded away from your thoughts, and it was just you and him, surrounded by the quiet of the falling snow, the general New York sounds fading off into the background, a small chatter in your moment together.

You smirked lightly to yourself as a thought crossed your mind, playful and mischievous. Scooping up a handful of snow, you formed it into the perfect snowball, tossing it in his direction without a word, the snow hitting his shoulder.

Bucky whipped his head around to you, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. You could just see the edge of his lips curl up in a small smile. The glimmer of mischief in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Really, doll?" He chuckled, his voice low and playful "You're in for it now."

Before you could react, he lunged toward you with a laugh, determined to catch you. You sprinted, weaving through the snow-covered path, your heart racing. You could hear his footsteps growing louder behind you as he closed the distance between you. The chase felt exhilarating, the cold air filling your lungs, and you didn't have a care in the world for a brief moment.

Then, in the blink of an eye, your feet slipped on the icy ground, and you tumbled backwards into the snow.

A muffled yelp escaped your lips, but before you could fully process the fall, Bucky was on top of you, his strong arms catching you mid-air and bringing you to the ground.

For a few seconds, you were both still, breathless from the fall and the chase. His chest pressed against yours, his face inches from yours, his breath warm against the cold air. The world around you seemed to stop as if time held its breath.

And then, there it was—the soft, undeniable tension you had been feeling for what felt like ages—the unspoken bond, the way his eyes lingered just a little too long, the quiet moments that made you both hold your breath.

Bucky's gaze softened, his lips parting slightly as his chest rose and fell with each breath. You could feel the heat of his body against yours, and your heart skipped a beat. You'd never realized how close he was—how much you wanted this, wanted him, until now. He didn't need to say anything; the longing in his eyes said it all. Slowly, as if savouring the moment, he leaned down, his lips brushing against yours in a tentative, gentle kiss.

At first, it was soft, like the kiss of winter itself—gentle, fragile, and delicate. But soon, it deepened, both of you finally giving in to the feelings that had simmered beneath the surface for so long. Bucky's hand cupped your cheek, and you tangled your fingers in his hair, pulling him closer as if you couldn't get enough of him.

When you finally pulled back for air, your forehead rested against his, both chuckling in disbelief.

"I—" Bucky started, his voice rough but filled with something you couldn't quite name. "I've wanted that for so long."

You smiled, your heart fluttering. "Me too."

For a long moment, you both just stayed in the snow, tangled up in each other. The world seemed far away, and all that mattered was the feeling of his arms around you, the warmth of his lips against yours, and the promise that, for once, you didn't have to be afraid of the feelings that had always been there.

And in that perfect moment, with the snow falling gently around you, you knew this was only the beginning.

[s4svnn]

Out of bounds . JJK

↳ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬; Jeon Jungkook, the world’s leading F1 racer, lives for control on and off the track. But when a relentless aspiring designer crashes into his carefully constructed world, she’s determined to prove herself even if it means breaking down his walls. As their rivalry heats up and boundaries blur between ambition and desire, she becomes the one thing he can't control as he's led out of bounds.

↳ pairing; F1 racer Jungkook x reader

↳ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬; completed | All rights reserved

↳ enemies to lovers, slow burn, fluff, smut

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chapter Fifty

Just as the moment between Jungkook and I felt like it was about to reach its peak, a loud, exaggerated gagging sound broke through the tension. My heart skipped, and we both pulled away in surprise, only to see Damian clutching his stomach, his face contorted in disgust.

Jimin, ever the one to react with a smirk, reached over and slapped Damian on the back with a laugh. "I hate to interrupt you lovebirds," he teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "but there’s actually something else I need to tell you."

Jungkook and I exchanged a puzzled glance. "Uh, there’s more?" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

Jimin didn’t even seem fazed by the awkwardness of the moment. He just smiled, his eyes flicking between us. "Oh, trust me, you’ll actually want to hear this."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, then looked back at Jimin, my curiosity piqued. "Go on."

Jimin’s eyes met mine with a knowing smile, though there was an edge of seriousness in his expression now. "The company," he began, pausing for dramatic effect, "has been transferred to your name. As of now, Zenith Dynamics belongs to Aylah Jace Banks."

My breath caught in my throat. What?

I just stared at him, my mouth falling open in disbelief. "Wait, me? How is this even possible?"

Jimin let out a small sigh and leaned back against a nearby wall, clearly preparing for the long-winded explanation. "After I did a thorough background check on Adam and Jade, I decided to dig into the CEO as well. Turns out… he’s your father." 

I froze. For a split second, everything around me seemed to stop. My heart raced, and I felt a wave of dizziness crash over me. "My dad?" I repeated, barely able to process the words.

Jimin nodded, his eyes softening as if he could sense my shock. "Yeah. He left you when you were young, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t recognize him, and plus he’s not the same man he was before, he’s undergone a lot of cosmetic surgery to really channel the whole CEO look."

I felt a lump form in my throat, my hands trembling as I tried to grasp the magnitude of what Jimin was telling me. "My father is the CEO of Zenith Dynamics?" I whispered, the disbelief still thick in my voice.

Jimin gave me a small, apologetic smile, but there was no denying the truth in his words. "I know it’s a lot to take in, Aylah, but that’s not all."

I turned to look at Jungkook, who was standing just behind me, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern. "Jungkook, this is... this is too much," I muttered, my voice shaky.

He placed a hand on my back, offering quiet support as he asked Jimin, "But how’s the company Aylah’s now, wouldn’t it go to Jade or Adam?"

Jimin's smirk returned, but this time it was tinged with satisfaction. "Oh, the plot thickens, trust me. You see when Jade’s mother, the original CEO, made the deal with your dad she put a clause in the contract. If he ever stepped down, or if something happened to him, the position of CEO would pass to his first-born child." Jimin paused to let that sink in. "And, as it turns out, you're his first and only child."

I stared at him, my mind racing as the shock of it all continued to settle over me. I’m the CEO now? The very thing that had once been a dream I didn’t even know I had, was now my reality. It felt too surreal.

Jimin's expression softened further, almost apologetic. "Since Jade and Adam aren’t his biological children, the company automatically passed to you. The company was always meant to be yours, Aylah."

I shook my head, still trying to make sense of it all. "I... I don’t know how to handle this. How do I even begin to manage something like this?"

Jimin chuckled softly, his eyes scanning the room. "Well, for what it’s worth, you’ve got a great team standing with you."

I met Jimin's gaze, seeing that he wasn’t just offering empty words. He, Jungkook, Damian—they were all here for me. With that realization, a small spark of confidence began to ignite in my chest.

Damian, who had been quiet for a while, stepped forward with a grin. "We really did it, huh?" His voice was light, but there was pride in it.

I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension that had been building up easing a little as I realized how far we had all come. "Yeah, we did. But I still don’t know how to handle being the CEO of a company like this."

Jimin, looking ever so smug, shrugged casually. "Don’t worry. You’ve got this. I’ll help you navigate the messy parts. Besides," he added with a wink, "we’re all family now."

Jungkook must have sensed my overwhelm because he reached for my hand, threading his fingers through mine. "Aylah," he said softly, grounding me. "I know this is a lot, but you’re not in this alone."

I looked at him, my heart swelling at the warmth in his gaze. He was right—I wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

Jimin clapped his hands together, breaking the moment. "Alright, lovebirds, we can get emotional later. Right now, there's still something important we need to discuss."

I frowned, exchanging a glance with Jungkook before looking back at him. "What now?"

Jimin grinned, but there was something in his eyes—something serious. "You’ve got control of Zenith now, but that doesn’t mean your problems are over. Taking down Jade and her father was one thing, but keeping the company stable, making sure no one tries to challenge your authority... that's a whole other battle."

Damian nodded in agreement, his arms crossed over his chest. "Jade and her father might be out of the picture, but they weren’t the only ones playing dirty. There are others—board members, investors, competitors—who are going to see this as an opportunity to strike."

I swallowed hard. Of course, it wasn’t going to be that easy.

Jimin smirked, tilting his head. "That’s where I come in."

Jungkook raised an eyebrow. "You?"

Jimin placed a hand over his chest, feigning offense. "Excuse me? Do you not trust in my many, many talents?"

Jungkook rolled his eyes, but I could see the amusement tugging at his lips.

Jimin’s playful expression sobered as he continued, "I’ve already started digging into the company records. There are a lot of shady deals that Jade and her father were involved in—things that could come back to bite you if you don’t handle them properly. So, if you’ll have me, I’ll stick around to help clean up the mess they left behind."

I blinked at him, surprised. "You’d do that?"

Jimin shrugged like it was no big deal. "Of course. I’m already involved in this mess, might as well see it through." Then he grinned. "Besides, I kind of like the idea of working under you, Boss."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Well, when you put it like that, how can I refuse?"

Damian smirked, nudging Jimin. "Guess that makes you an official employee now, huh?"

Jimin scoffed. "Please. I prefer special advisor."

Jungkook let out a chuckle, shaking his head at their antics before turning back to me. "So… what happens now?"

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "Now? Now, we take back what’s ours. We fix what Jade and her father broke. And we make sure no one ever tries to control us again."

Jimin smirked. "Now that’s what I like to hear."

Jungkook squeezed my hand. "Then let’s do it. Together."

I nodded, determination settling in my chest. This wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning.

Seven Months Later

The city stretched before me, bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. From the balcony of the newly established Zenith Dynamics headquarters in London, I watched the world move below—cars weaving through the streets, people rushing about their evening routines, and the hum of life filling the air. The skyline was breathtaking, a perfect blend of modern glass towers and historic architecture. It was a view I had grown to love, a reminder of how much had changed in the past seven months.

Instead of returning to Canada, I had made the bold decision to shut down Zenith Dynamics' operations there and build something new here in London, where my family—my real family—was.

Just as I exhaled, relishing the moment of quiet before my next meeting, the distant but unmistakable roar of a powerful engine cut through the air. A slow smile crept onto my lips as I leaned forward, watching a sleek black Lamborghini Aventador SVJ tear down the road leading to the building, the deep growl of the engine echoing against the towering structures around it.

The car came to a smooth stop right in front of the building, its polished surface reflecting the last streaks of sunlight. The driver’s door lifted, and there he was—Jeon Jungkook.

Even from this distance, his eyes immediately sought mine, locking onto me with that boyish yet confident smirk that never failed to make my heart race. He stepped out, effortlessly cool in his black leather jacket and ripped jeans, holding a bouquet of red roses in one hand. He lifted them slightly, a silent gesture meant just for me, and I couldn’t help but let out a wide, toothy smile.

Shaking my head in amusement, I turned on my heel and made my way back into my office, waiting for him to come up.

Moments later, the heavy oak door swung open, and before I could even finish my sentence—

"I didn’t know you were coming back early—"

Jungkook cut me off, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat, his lips crashing onto mine with an intensity that stole my breath away. The kiss was harsh, deep, needy—a week’s worth of longing pouring into it as he pulled me flush against him.

A gasp escaped me as he suddenly lifted me off my feet, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. His hands gripped me tightly, one pressing into my lower back, the other cradling the back of my head as he kissed me even deeper, tilting his head to devour me completely.

"I missed you so much," he muttered between kisses, his voice husky with desire.

I smiled against his lips, my fingers tangling in his dark hair. "I missed you too."

Slowly, he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against mine, his warm breath fanning my face as he gently lowered me back onto the ground.

I glanced down at the roses in his hand before looking back up at him with a teasing smirk. "What’s with the flowers?"

Jungkook grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Actually, I have a surprise for you. Thought this might be the best way to build up to it."

My curiosity piqued as I arched an eyebrow. "What kind of surprise?"

"You’re gonna have to wait and see," he said, his grin widening.

“You better not be pranking me again.”

“I’m not I swear.”

I huffed playfully. "Okay, lead the way."

He hesitated for a second before scratching the back of his head. "One more thing… I need to blindfold you."

I blinked. "Blindfold me? Seriously?"

"Yeah, I can’t trust you not to peek," he teased.

I narrowed my eyes. "Hey!"

He just laughed, shaking his head as he pulled out a soft black silk blindfold and carefully tied it over my eyes. Darkness consumed my vision as he took my hand, leading me out of the office and into the unknown.

I wasn’t sure where he was taking me, but the moment I felt the cool night air kiss my skin, it became blatantly obvious we were outside.

Then, suddenly—his hand let go.

I swayed slightly, instinctively reaching out, feeling nothing but empty space. "Jungkook, this better not be some prank you, Damian, and Jimin are pulling," I warned. "I swear to God, if this is anything like the toothpaste you put in the Oreos on my desk, I will kill you all."

A rich laugh sounded in front of me before Jungkook’s voice rang out. "Take off your blindfold, babe."

I hesitated, fingers reaching for the knot, preparing myself for whatever nonsense they had cooked up. But as I pulled the blindfold away and my vision cleared, my breath hitched.

Oh my God.

Before me was the most breathtaking sight I had ever seen. A long trail of delicate rose petals stretched out before me, leading towards an enormous heart made entirely of vibrant red roses. The heart itself was surrounded by twinkling fairy lights, casting a soft, magical glow over the scene. And in the very center of it, illuminated by the golden lights, was a sign that read in elegant, cursive lettering:

Will you marry me?

Flanking either side of the heart were Damian, Jimin, Kayla, Cyrus, Leah and Serena each holding heart-shaped balloons, grinning like they had just pulled off the greatest scheme of their lives.

But my eyes weren’t on them for long. Because right in the middle of it all, on one knee, was Jungkook.

Dressed in all-black, the contrast against his silver rings and earrings making him look even more breathtaking, he held a small velvet box in his hands. His dark eyes gleamed with emotion, vulnerability, and a kind of love so pure it made my heart squeeze painfully in my chest.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My throat tightened, my hands trembling slightly as I lifted them to my lips, trying to process what was happening.

Jungkook, my Jungkook, smiled up at me, the kind of smile that held the weight of every shared moment, every laugh, every fight, and every kiss we had ever had.

"Aylah Jace Banks," he began, his voice steady yet filled with emotion, "from the moment I met you, you turned my life upside down. You challenged me, frustrated me, made me laugh, and made me fall harder than I ever thought possible. I never knew what it truly meant to have a home until I found it in you."

My vision blurred with unshed tears.

He took a deep breath before continuing, his fingers tightening around the velvet box. "You are the strongest, most incredible woman I’ve ever known. And I want to spend the rest of my life proving to you just how much I love you." He flicked the box open, revealing a stunning diamond ring, the center stone sparkling like the stars above. "So, Aylah… will you marry me?"

A choked laugh bubbled from my lips, my chest tightening as my heart threatened to burst.

I didn’t even realize I was crying until I felt the warm streaks slide down my cheeks.

Without hesitation, I dropped to my knees in front of him, grabbing his face between my hands as I whispered breathlessly, "Yes. Yes, a million times yes."

Jungkook let out a breath of relief before slipping the ring onto my finger, his hands slightly trembling. The moment it was in place, he cupped my face, crashing his lips onto mine in a kiss filled with nothing but love, sealing the promise we had just made.

Behind us, Damian and Jimin erupted into loud cheers, their claps and whoops echoing into the night.

And in that moment, as I kissed the love of my life under a canopy of stars, surrounded by my family, I knew—

This was the start of our forever.

That’s a wrap. Thank you to everyone for your love and support for Out of Bounds, it’s honestly been a pleasure writing this. Stay tuned for the drabbles.😊

[slavicdolls4mangione]

Hey Jana! Can you please do one where reader had an abusive relationship in the past and then she gets with Luigi, and she only tells him about her ex after they’ve already been together for a while? And initially it’s a bit messy for both of them because she still has her guard up and gets jumpy and flinches at the most innocuous things, and for Lu as well because his new girlfriend seems to be doing a lot to sabotage their relationship and he just doesn’t get it? And then maybe one day something happens, like they’re roughhousing and he pins her down and she has a flashback and bursts into tears, and then finally comes clean? And at first it’s awkward for her to even spell it out, because she’s a proud girl and she doesn’t want his pity. But Lu is so encouraging that she ends up telling him everything. And then he goes out of his way to reassure her that she’s completely safe with him, that he’d never do anything to hurt her, and that her ex is a heartless bastard for ever laying a finger on someone as precious as her. And he also has to bite back on his anger so he can focus on comforting her. Thank you 💓

here you go angel! i hope i did your request justice <3

TW: toxic relationship (not lu x reader), talks of dv, panic attack, angst, hurt/comfort

lu finding out his girlfriend was in a toxic relationship prior to meeting him hc:

- you never thought you’d let someone close again after everything that happened with your ex, but then luigi came into your life unexpectedly

- he was patient, kind, and despite your best efforts, he slowly crept into your heart

- things were really good for the most part; he was gentle with you, never rushed you, and even when you pulled back, he gave you space; but there were moments, small things, when the past would claw its way to the surface

- it was always the simplest things that set you off: a raised voice, a sudden movement, his hands coming too close without you noticing first

- in consequence, you would flinch, your body reacting before your mind even had a chance to catch up and lu...he could not understand; he thought you were overreacting at times, but he didn’t know about the bruises, the words, the nights when you were sure you wouldn't make it out..

- everything changed one evening, you were both sitting on the couch, joking and laughing like you always did

- and you started wrestling playfully as you both tried to make each other laugh, you’ve done this a hundred times before but this time, when luigi pins you down, something snaps inside of you

- his hands on your wrists, his weight on your body, it all feels too much

- your breath catches in your throat as your pulse spikes and suddenly, you’re back there.. your heart is racing, your skin crawling. you can’t breathe “no! please!” you gasp, a flash of terror flooding your body

- and lu immediately freezes, his eyes widening with confusion and concern "hey, hey, what’s wrong?" his voice is soft, trying to understand, but all you can feel is the panic rising

- you start to shake, your vision blurring, your body trapped in a memory that you can’t escape; the tears would come before you even realize it; “i can’t…” you choke out, struggling to regain control but the words feel impossible to form

- he’s still on top of you unsure of what’s happening, but his hands immediately soften, pulling away "what’s going on, babe? [name] talk to me"

- you don’t want him to pity you, you’re too proud for that; but you can’t stop the flood of emotions, the way your chest feels like it’s going to explode "i don’t know how to... i don’t know how to tell you..."

- lu shifts, his expression turning serious, but his face is soft with concern

- he lifts you carefully, sitting beside you on the couch “it’s okay amore, whatever it is, you can tell me. i’m not going anywhere"

- you try to hold back, to push it all down, but you can’t; he’s so calm, so steady, and something in that gives you the courage you didn’t know you had. you take a deep breath, wiping away the tears, and finally say the words you’ve never said out loud “my ex...he used to… he used to do things, bad things”

- you witness luigi’s face harden in an instant; you see the anger in his eyes, but he doesn’t say anything, letting you continue

- “he… would grab me like that, hold me down, control me. he’d get rough, and i couldn’t get away, thought i was gonna die sometimes.”

- when you finish, there’s a long silence. you look away, ashamed, like you’re somehow broken because of it, but then, gently he places a hand on your cheek, making you meet his gaze

- “i’m so sorry, i never wanted to make you feel that way. and I swear, i’ll never hurt you, you’re safe with me, okay? I don’t care what that bastard did to you, i would never do that. never. you’re too precious to me, don’t ever forget that”

- you bite your lip, feeling the weight of his words; it’s hard to believe, to trust that someone could truly mean it: but something in his eyes, the way his jaw tightens with barely contained rage at what your ex did, makes you believe him

- you close your eyes, letting his words sink in. maybe you could believe it, maybe you could finally start to heal, maybe for the first time in years, you could feel safe

- “i’m sorry,” you would whisper, feeling stupid for not saying it sooner

- “don’t apologize. ever. i’m not going anywhere, and that asshole? he doesn’t deserve a second of your thoughts, you’ve been through enough"

- you nod, the tears still there but not as painful now and for the first time, you feel like you might be able to move forward; and with lu beside you? maybe you truly could

[5tr4ylov35t4y]

Love Island: Stray Hearts Edition – Episode 2

Part 1 here

The next morning, the girls gathered on the terrace, sipping their iced coffees as they processed the previous night’s drama.

Mia tapped her manicured nails against her cup. “So… anyone wanna tell me why Hyunjin looked like he was about to pass out?”

Sora leaned forward, voice low. “I don’t think it was just Hyunjin. Jeongin looked just as shocked.”

Y/N, pretending not to care, shrugged. “Maybe she’s just… really intimidating?”

Mia snorted. “Girl, please. She didn’t just ‘walk in’—she marched in like she owned the villa.”

Elena sighed dramatically. “Do you think she’s gonna go for one of the boys?”

The answer was obvious.

Y/N’s eyes flickered across the villa, where the mystery girl sat laughing with Hyunjin and Jeongin like they were old friends.

Or worse—old flames.

That afternoon, while the girls whispered amongst themselves, the boys huddled at the firepit.

Han kicked back, smirking. “So, are you two gonna explain or what?”

Jeongin sighed, rubbing his face. “Lia is… my ex.”

Han’s brows shot up. “Huh. Didn’t see that one coming.”

But before anyone could react, Hyunjin let out a humorless chuckle.

“She’s my ex too.”

The villa exploded.

“What the hell?” Seungmin muttered, arms crossed.

Jeongin groaned. “It was a long time ago. Hyunjin and I didn’t even know at first—”

Hyunjin scoffed. “Yeah, because she didn’t tell us. She was playing both of us.”

Han whistled. “Damn. No wonder she walked in here like a villain.”

Jeongin exhaled. “Look, I don’t have feelings for her anymore. But Hyunjin?” He raised a brow. “You sure about that?”

Hyunjin didn’t respond.

Which meant everything.

By afternoon, a text shook the villa.

📜 NEW TEXT! 📜

🔥 “Islanders, it’s time for today’s challenge: SECRET SNOG. Each of you will be blindfolded and receive a kiss from a mystery kisser. Then, you’ll rate the kiss out of 10. #SmoochOrSnooze #SecretsRevealed” 🔥

Laughter erupted, but the underlying tension was real.

The boys lined up first, blindfolds on, waiting for their mystery kissers.

The villa was electric with anticipation as Hyunjin settled into his seat, adjusting his blindfold with a confident smirk. His lips curled slightly. “Alright. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

A hush fell over the islanders as one of the girls stepped forward, the soft rustling of fabric the only sound cutting through the tension.

Then—the kiss.

The moment her lips met his, the air shifted. The kiss wasn’t just a peck. It was slow, deliberate. A brush of warmth, a familiar pressure. Not too aggressive, but just enough to hold his attention. There was something almost calculated about it—like the kisser wanted to prove a point.

The villa collectively gasped.

Even blindfolded, Hyunjin knew.

When the timer buzzed, he pulled away, licking his lips thoughtfully. “Huh.” His tone was unreadable, but there was the slightest tilt of his head, like something wasn’t sitting right.

Fingers reached for his blindfold, tugging it off in one smooth motion.

And then—

Lia stood there, smirking.

Y/N felt her heart stop.

A flicker of recognition flashed in Hyunjin’s eyes before his entire demeanor changed. His usual playful confidence hardened into something unreadable, his jaw tightening ever so slightly. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, just let the realization sink in.

Lia’s smirk only widened. She folded her arms, head tilting to the side. “Missed me?”

Silence.

The other islanders looked between them, waiting for a reaction. Some exchanged knowing glances, while others were flat-out gawking at the tension thickening between the two.

Jeongin muttered under his breath, “Oh… this is about to get messy.”

Hyunjin exhaled through his nose before rolling his shoulders back, leaning lazily against the chair like nothing had phased him. Then, in a cool, almost bored tone, he finally answered.

“Seven.”

The villa erupted.

Sora gasped, clutching her chest in secondhand embarrassment. Mia’s mouth dropped open. Even Han, who normally had something snarky to say, just whistled under his breath.

Lia’s smirk faltered, just for a second. “Only a seven?” she echoed, feigning offense.

Hyunjin shrugged. “You’ve had better days.”

Chaos.

A few of the boys laughed under their breath, while the girls exchanged wide-eyed glances. Y/N felt something stir in her chest—something dangerously close to satisfaction.

Lia, to her credit, didn’t let the jab shake her for long. She flipped her hair, plastering on an amused smile. “Well, I guess we’ll have to change that.” Her voice was dripping with confidence, but there was an edge to it—one that didn’t go unnoticed.

Hyunjin didn’t reply. He just leaned back, expression unreadable, fingers tapping idly against his knee.

But Y/N saw the way his eyes flickered toward her.

And for the first time, she wasn’t sure who the real target of that kiss had been.

The villa buzzed with anticipation as Y/N took her seat, the blindfold pressing lightly against her skin. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, anticipation thick in the air.

She felt him approach before she saw him—warm hands cupping her face in a way that sent a thrill through her, even with the blindfold on. His thumbs brushed over her cheeks, gentle but deliberate. There was no mistaking it—this wasn’t just a playful, casual kiss. This was someone who wanted to kiss her, who was taking their time, making sure the moment was intimate.

Her breath caught as his lips finally met hers, soft, slow, and deliberate.

The kiss was teasing at first, not rushing, not pushing. It was almost like he was savoring it, letting the connection between them build. And as the seconds stretched on, Y/N found herself leaning into him, feeling the faint pressure of his lips—gentle but sure.

There was a feeling that washed over her, something that felt so familiar. As if she’d been kissed like this before. As if their lips had met in the quiet spaces of her mind, long before this moment.

But the timer buzzed, pulling her back to reality.

She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what just happened. Slowly, she peeled off the blindfold.

And there he was—

Han.

Her heart skipped a beat.

There he stood, his posture relaxed but with a hint of tension that wasn’t there before. His usual cocky grin was absent, replaced by something far more serious.

He didn’t say a word as he stood up and walked away, his hands casually slipping into his pockets.

Y/N’s breath caught in her chest. Was that it?

Her face burned with a rush of confusion and frustration. What did it mean?

Mia’s voice cut through her thoughts. “GIRL.”

The villa was buzzing with chatter, eyes darting between them. People were clearly processing the kiss—there was something different about it. A connection that felt real, not just for the challenge.

But Han?

He didn’t look at her again. Didn’t acknowledge the kiss, didn’t even meet her eyes. He just kept walking away, his steps slow and calculated.

But that moment—when he kissed her—had felt like so much more than a game.

The night after the kiss challenge, Lia couldn’t get Hyunjin out of her mind. It was obvious that he was playing the long game—and Lia loved that. He wasn’t easy to crack, and that made him even more desirable. But Lia wasn’t about to back down now.

She found him alone by the pool later that evening, the firelight reflecting off the water and casting shadows across his face. He was sitting with his legs stretched out, arms resting behind his head like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Lia didn’t wait. She walked right up to him, stopping just in front of him and standing tall, leaning down slightly so their faces were close enough for him to feel the heat radiating off her.

“I know you’re trying to play it cool, Hyunjin,” she said, her voice dripping with confidence. “But I can see right through you.”

He glanced up at her, that playful smirk finally breaking through. “Is that so?” he asked, his voice low.

“Oh yeah,” she said, leaning in just a little closer, her eyes locking with his. “You want to act like you’re not interested, like you don’t care, but I know the truth.” She paused, her lips curling into a teasing smile. “You’re intrigued. And you’re not as immune to me as you think.”

Hyunjin didn’t say anything at first. He simply looked at her—assessing. There was no denying that his eyes softened just a little, that something flickered behind the usual playful front. But he didn’t give in.

Instead, he stood up slowly, inches away from her. “You think you have me all figured out?”

Lia tilted her head, eyes glinting with mischief. “I don’t just think it. I know it.”

A beat of silence passed, and Lia could feel the pull between them. Hyunjin was holding back, but it was only a matter of time before he couldn’t resist her anymore. Lia was done waiting.

With a confident smile, she took a step forward, closing the gap between them. “I’ll wait, Hyunjin. I don’t mind making you come to me. But when you do, you’ll be all in.”

And just like that, she turned on her heel, walking away, leaving him with that unfinished tension hanging between them.

Lia knew Hyunjin would never be easy, but she wasn’t afraid of the chase. In fact, she thrived on it.

The firepit cracked softly as Y/N found herself drawn to Han. She had to know. She needed to know.

The other islanders had scattered, but Han was sitting alone, his posture relaxed, but there was something about the way he stared into the flames that made her gut twist.

She approached him slowly, taking a deep breath before speaking. “About that kiss…”

Han’s eyes flickered to her as she spoke. He didn’t immediately answer—just looked at her, his gaze intense, almost too intense. There was something about the way his eyes held hers that made her feel like he was seeing right through her.

“What about it?” His voice was low, gentle, but underneath it, there was something raw. Vulnerable.

Y/N swallowed hard. “Was it just for the challenge?”

The air between them was thick with unspoken words. Han’s expression softened for just a second, and then his lips curled into the faintest of smiles. It wasn’t his usual playful smirk. This one was different—almost like he was holding something back.

“No,” he said softly. “It wasn’t just for the challenge.”

Y/N’s heart skipped a beat, her thoughts swirling. She opened her mouth to say something, but Han stood up suddenly, his movements fluid, as if everything was happening in slow motion.

Before she could respond, he walked away, his shoulders slightly tense, like he was leaving something unsaid.

The words hovered in the air, hanging between them like a heavy cloud. Han didn’t even look back—he just kept walking, his gaze straight ahead, but Y/N could feel it. He was fighting something. Something deep within him.

And for the first time since entering the villa…

She didn’t know whether to run after him or let him walk away. But what she did know was that there was more to that kiss than either of them had admitted.

Han had feelings—and they were about to shake the villa to its core.

[threegoldfish]

When Steven mentions Khonshu's suit - the perk of it healing anything and everything they could ever physically suffer from while wearing it - causes Marc to... well, miss it too, but only because of that thing it does. He sure as hell isn't missing that dead bird - for all he cares, Khonshu could be turned into one of those stone-clay-whateverthefuck figurines for the rest of his damn life...

But man, that headache, the way his bones and muscles hurt? Marc would give almost anything for something to take that away from him; Sitting here in silence only makes it worse, because it brings Marc's attention back to the fact that he is mortal.

---Part of him is actually quite glad he - they - even survived that whole deal to begin with. Judging by how he feels, his body reacting in such a way, makes the possibility of his heart giving out sound not so unrealistic to begin with...

He glances at Steven, the way the man rubs his own knuckles and flexes his fingers. Marc feels his own hands doing similar things in his armpits, tugging on the fabric and digging into his skin, and he wonders...

Before he can say anything else, though, Steven has taken his question regarding that artifact more serious than he'd expected; Marc's gaze follows the other standing up and moving over to the fish tank, his spoken sentence turning into words of surprise, and then---

Marc's eyes go wide as he sees the same thing Steven is seeing without even needing to move, the artifact settled into the wet sand, surrounded by two goldfish.

Two. Goldfish.

Two.

He blinks and then Marc is on his feet as well, making his way over, staring into that damn tank to make sure that yes, he is indeed witnessing this. The artifact has not only ripped them apart, but somehow, apparently, turned Steven's one goldfish into two.

"---Does that mean the thing... does that in general? Making two out of one?", he asks, more or less unfiltered, as Marc leans forward and taps the glass with his finger; One of the goldfish actually jerks at that and then looks at him, honest to good focuses on Marc and he knits his brows at that. "Steven, did your goldfish suffer from DID?"

Okay. That's... that's the most stupid thing Marc has ever asked in his entire life, but the question is valid, no? Because lets face it, Marc certainly is - was? - suffering from it, and now here he is with Steven being alive and in flesh. But there's now also a second goldfish existing...

"...Or... or does that artifact just - y'know, split everything and everyone into two halves?" ... "Perhaps, uh, it's... it's better for it to stay there, for the time being. Let's hope it won't start to split each of the fish into halves again then, and again, and again..."

Marc is not going to touch this artifact, ever - and neither is Steven again, he will make sure of it.

"I mean it does look pretty cool in there, all things considered..."

... It is the absurdity of it all, the way his own adrenaline high drops into the lowest of lows now, that makes Marc chuckle then, followed by a laugh that sounds a little manic perhaps, but also relieved and overwhelmed while made of utter disbelief.

"I can't believe it..." He taps the glass again and the goldfish opens its mouth, then closes it.

Steven's gaze follows Marc's movements as he sits himself on the edge of the desk (dismissing the urge to comment on his notes getting crumpled), he nods quietly at the very apt description of the pain it seems both of them are sharing, hands settling together in his lap - one tightly grasping the other in some attempt at self soothing. They're safe, that's what matters. It's all that SHOULD matter- yet. His mind is still racing. What does this mean? How will they navigate all of this? Are there dangers they need to worry about? God, if only he could turn it off. Other than the momentary distant look in his eyes, his expression betrays none of his concern and he's pulled from it quickly by Marc's comment about his first aid. It's enough to earn a soft huffed laugh, half-hearted but honest at the very least. -- ❝You're right, might be the first time in a while I've missed having the old bird around, we'd have this sorted in seconds with the suits..❞ He's-.. half joking. The weight of their obligations to the God may not be worth alleviating a bit of pain, even if he would have very little leverage over them at this point. Staring down at his hands, his brows furrow intently, fixated at the blanching of his knuckles as one hand grips and moves over the other as though he's trying to warm them. Restless. Uncertain. With a thick swallow, he grimaces slightly at that spilling thought, the reminder making his stomach twist. He's real. Nose scrunching, he turns his head and is about to ask Marc to please stop saying that- But that thought is cut short with the more pertinent question. Where is the artifact..? The last thing they need is to somehow touch it again and make this whole situation WORSE. (Plus, despite what it's done, he can't help but quietly hope it didn't shatter all over the floor while they were pried apart.) -- ❝I don't know, we were over by-❞ The fish tank. His words die to confusion as he looks over and sees not only the figure set in the bottom, Hathor and Sekhmet facing eachother upon the bust- but the fish. Plural. There'd only been one left in that tank. Surely it hadn't-

-- ❝..Oh my god.❞ Aches be damned, he's up on his feet and crossing the room, eyes fixated on the two fish seemingly swimming laps around the figure that's neatly settled among the stones. Crouching, he stares into the tank, then throws a look over at Marc and back. It's hard to formulate a thought, much less find the words but- ❝The water is probably REALLY bad for something that old..❞ Not that he's feeling particularly inclined to reach in and grab it, even if that is the case. He's learned his lesson. -- ❝Hopefully the process didn't hurt them half as much as it hurt us, poor little guys..❞

[myheadphonesareneverloudenough]

well they sure text like fathers.

[rose-tinted-nostalgia]

I had to tell my manager, borderline in tears, that I had to go home just minutes after clocking into my second shift after finally returning to work this week because my son’s father is so incapable of watching his own children that he had a tantrum until I came home. But I got to dance in the kitchen with my kids while my oldest very proudly made pancakes all by himself, and although I sobbed the entire way home, seeing my children smile at me with that much love almost made me forget it.

[chastiefoul]

how they'd react when you wanted to sleep on the couch... just because.

fluff. light-hearted ft. gojo, nanami, sukuna, suguru, toji, choso

satoru

“baby scooch over.” a whispered voice along with a gentle nudge on the shoulder woke you from your dozed off state. “hmm?” you mumbled out, blinking your terribly heavy lids open although to no avail they’re begging to keep themselves shut. satoru glanced at you with a frown on his eyes with a pillow held close to his body. “scooch over baby,” he pleaded, kneeling beside the couch you’re currently lying on.

“go back to bed toru,” you said softly, tugging your blanket closer. “but you’re not there,” he whined, intertwining his hand with yours as he attacked it with kisses, not letting you go back to sleep, especially if it’s without him. “i thought you said you’re going to be fine?” you asked, jogging the memory of him being all smug while saying you could do whatever you wanted. “that was not me, i would never say that,” he said promptly and goodness you didn’t know before someone’s lips could turned that much downward. you chuckled breathily, knowing this will happen sooner or later.

you scooted over on the big couch, leaving him the space he’d been begging for. you could have sworn you heard a squeal before you’re wrapped in satoru’s warm hold, his head resting snugly atop of yours. “no sleeping on here anymore. not without me,” he said into your hair, kissing it softly.

❀

nanami

“but why, love?” he asked, having a hard time comprehending your wish to sleep alone on the living room only because... you randomly wanted to? you chuckled looking at his bewildered face, an expression of someone who’s probably racking his brain upside down thinking that he’s done something wrong. “ken, i promise it’s just because i feel like it and no reason other than that.” you cupped his face, planting a soft kiss on his nose.

nanami looked a little relieved, albeit sullen, hesitant in asking whether he could invite himself in or you wanted a little time for yourself. and when it’s finally time to sleep it’s becoming more obvious that your lover wasn’t going to make it easy for you.

“need any more blanket honey?” he asked tapping the head of the couch as he stood there a tad nervous, knowing full well you got everything you needed since he insisted to be the one to prepare it. pillows, blanket, a hot drink, he’s got it all for you. “i’m perfect here, ken. you can go to bed,” you said with a reassuring smile, yet it did the opposite effect to the man.

“can i be here until you sleep, my love? it’s just that i feel like i wouldn’t be able to rest properly until i see you do the same.” he stroke your cheek softly with his thumb, and when you leaned into his touch he knew he’s gone for you. that there’s no way he could be asleep if he went back to the bedroom in that moment—unless you’re with him, of course. though, he didn’t say this, he just continued combing through your strands of hair, loving the peaceful expression on your face.

and unfortunately for the blond man, when it comes to these things his thoughts were written all over his face. you already caught on the fact that he wanted to lie down with you there yet his wish in prioritizing your wants refrained him from speaking his. you laughed a little, feeling a burst of fondness towards the tall man.

“on a second thought, can you sleep here with me ken?” he moved as quick as the sentence ended, already making his way under the blanket. he sneaked a hand around your waist, pressing your body closer against him. “i was kind of hoping you’d ask,” he mumbled, slightly embarrassed. you snuggled closer to his chest, feeling utmost comfort as he rubbed your back gently.

“i know.”

❀

sukuna

not even ten minutes in trying to sleep on the said couch, sukuna had already carried you back towards your shared bedroom.

“but-“

“no.”

he put you on the bed gently, then he draped a blanket over as he tucked you in. sukuna has that look of a man who’s determined in keeping you there, and you already knew it’s a fight you could not win thus, you turned for another plan instead: pouting.

even until he got beside you as he rested his big hand on your stomach, you refused to look at him, crossing your hands in front of your chest. he sighed, “give me one good reason i should let you sleep out there,” he said exasperatedly. “cause i want some me time?” you claimed. even you weren’t sure why you’re battling him so hard on this.

“then have it here in this bed with me. you’ll get all cold later and cling to me later anyways. i’m just speeding up the process.” he replied, already closing his eyes.

“what a strange way of saying you couldn’t sleep without me,” you said, with a grin on your face. the feeling of his thumb moving against your skin brought you immense comfort, your impulsive plan long forgotten.

“if you already knew that then quit making it harder for me, brat.”

❀

toji

he stared at you who’s already making yourself comfortable on the couch, amused. “looking cozy there,” he said with a grin, a face of someone who’s up to no good. “yeah, it’s actually not ba-“ the sentence was cut off was your own squeal, toji had picked you up as he took your lying down position and put you top of him.

“you could’ve just asked first!” you fumed, hitting his bicep—which did more to you and it did him, how could one even get their muscle to be as hard as that? he just chuckled in response, putting a hand around your waist. “sorry doll, got too excited,” he said lazily, already seemed all happy, like he had all he needed.

and he did, with you close to him resting your head on his chest, knowing that you loved counting his heartbeat. the man was truly content.

“we really should get a bigger couch,” you mumbled. we should get everything you wanted, toji thought. but it’d be a bit much to say in the moment so instead he just continued rubbing your sides until you dozed off, plunging into the dream land.

“sleep.”

❀

suguru

“whatcha got there baby?” he asked, an easy smile on his face. there’s really no day with you where you didn’t make him tilt his head questioningly. “’m going to sleep here tonight,” you said, fluffing the pillow before lying down on it comfortably.

“okay, where’s mine then?”

“your what?”

“my pillow. you didn’t bring mine along yours?”

“oh well i just thought you’d want to sleep in the bed anyway?” you replied, and suguru looked like you just insulted him deeply. the couch dipped, he then lied down beside you on the same pillow, making him extra close as he embraced you. “i sleep where you sleep baby, you make me this way. i can no longer rest when i don’t get to hold you close like this,” he said softly, tucking your hair behind your ear.

you have a big smile on your face as he said this, inhaling his familiar scent as you put your arms around him. “that better not be a complaint,” you said, cuddling closer to the man.

“never.” he kissed your temple.

❀

choso

it seriously look like it killed him when he had to walk away from the room, leaving you to sleep by yourself on the couch. his steps were excruciatingly slow, taking as much time as he could in case you changed your mind.

“cho?” you almost laughed looking at the way he perked up, a hopeful expression on his face. “can you turn off the light on your way?” and it almost felt too cruel the way the sparkle on his eyes dimmed, his shoulders beyond slumped. he then practically had to drag his own feet before letting out a small nod.

you chuckled, couldn’t keep up with the teasing anymore. “i’m kidding baby, do you wanna get in here?” you lifted up the blanket, patting the empty space next to you. it was the fastest you’ve ever seen him, as he’s beside you in no time.

he clinged to you tightly, like he’s making sure as much of his skin made contact with yours, a satisfied smile on his face. his hair tickled your neck nicely, as you traced the area below his eye with back of your finger.

“next time you want something just ask, cho.”

[pythagoras180]

GABRIEL AND EMILIE AGRESTE

For your first point, there is a quote from MusketAnna on Twitter than comes to mind about this topic.

"[Game of Thrones] was on TV for a decade and had a stranglehold on popular culture and it ended so poorly that literally the moment it ended its cultural influence dissolved. It's amazing. It was like, overnight and it's baffling to think that something that was so everpresent for eight years simply ceased to exist because we all collectively decided it wasn't worth it. Eight years of memes, references, a presence you could not get away even if you tried and didn't care and all of this, ALL OF IT, undone to such a point that I can't even remember the last time I saw [Game of Thrones] referenced or talked about."

I agree, canon has done an absolute garbage job at establishing the limits of these powers. But SL did not "capitalize" on anything, considering the result is (in my opinion) garbage.

Gabriel being an idiot in canon is simply due to the writers not being good enough to write an actual good villain. I think intentionally writing a terrible villain is even worse.

"And the reason why Emilie is brought back... so Adrien will stay in Paris" And what is it called when a writer writes a terrible plot point just to justify something else they want to happen? It's called bad writing. "And this also lets us get to know Emilie" "Get to know" on the same level as all the other anti-characters in this story.

You're right, Emilie isn't a character in canon. But she also isn't one in SL, she is just another strawman punching bag.

TONE

Romcom and magical girl are not incompatible genres, I don't know where you get this idea. And you know, there are a lot of moments in your response where you just kind of say stuff without providing examples or backing it up in any way.

"it does feature moments that are not played for laughs" Like two moments across countless pages? And something being "light-hearted" isn't really an excuse. Kids movies still contain enough power to make the audience feel things. Something being all light-hearted all the time isn't entertaining.

CHARACTERS

"they're teenagers, and that should be rather a default" I was once a teenager too, and I can tell you that my classmates had different personalities. "Sarcastic smartass" was not the default, especially not for the girls.

"I personally never came across a take where being sarcastic is considered being generic, usually, it is about being nice" Have you heard any discourse surrounding superhero movies in the last couple years? This characters archetype is like a cancer throughout Hollywood.

"All characters in Scarlet Lady have in fact their own personality that are hardly the same" Well, not really. I expect every character to react to any situation in the same way, with a sarcastic and smartass quip. Sure, the characters aren't totally identical, but that individuality gets lost when their exteriors are basically the same.

CHLOÉ

Justifying why characters interacting is boring doesn't make it not boring. If there was nothing interesting that could be done with Scarlet Lady and Chat Noir after the first two interactions, then the author should have found a way to cut out those interactions entirely.

Everything you said about the public liking Scarlet Lady is stuff I already knew and acknowledged in my original post. So to restate my point, getting rid of a dangerous individual that very nearly caused the heroes their defeat is more important than their PR. This is a BS excuse the author uses to justify keeping Scar around for longer than she logically should.

In your paragraph about Chloé's consequences, you use a lot of words like "almost" and "maybe". That doesn't feel like real consequences to me, and I don't believe Chloé has actually learned anything.

MARINETTE

Yes, Marinette can occasionally be a little snarky. But my point is that her characters always had an underlying sincerity to her that SL!Marinette absolutely does not have, because Zoe is allergic to sincerity.

SL does a whole lot of "tell, don't show" with Marinette's character. And even if she does help people, I still don't like her simply because of how outwardly unpleasant she is in her interactions.

"Marinette nowadays is not exactly popular and well-liked :/" You know, even with the abhorrent character Marinette has become in season 6, she's still at least a character.

ADRIEN

As I said in the original, I don't like canon Adrien. And I don't think he got any real development, but at least he had the potential to get some, which is more than I can say in SL.

"No-personality where?" You just listed a bunch of traits, that's not what a personality is. I could also list a bunch of traits for canon Adrien.

"So it's already established at first that while Adrien is fighting for his freedom the second he's in, he didn't have it immediately in him." You just described a bunch of BS that happened offscreen. I wouldn't be surprised if he was physically dragged back kicking and screaming.

"allowed Adrien to grow" No. That's my entire point. He is the exact same character sarcastic smartass at the end of the comic as he was at the start.

"He genuinely broke down at Master Fu's place over his dad being a villain, because he did love him and all this hurt came from a broken heart" You mean that moment that, like everything else, was undermined by a joke? Right...

As for all the Chloé and Adrien stuff, tell me, what is the difference between ending a friendship, and threating to end a friendship and then not treating someone like a friend a single time for the entire rest of the time you knew them? Chloé and Adrien were never friends in SL. And you know, canon Adrien giving Chloé all those chances to learn her lesson is more character work than every character sarcastic smartass in SL combined. And I don't even think is was good.

"And Adrien objectively is a victim" Agree to disagree for canon, but in SL he is absolutely not a victim by any metric.

"Adrien apparently also never had a birthday party in his life while Emilie was still around" Oh hey, I made a post about this exact thing awhile while ago.

"So Emilie still has 13 years of being around Adrien's 13 years of sad backstory, so excuse Zoe for deciding to make her not so innocent because of this as this would be a moral failing on her part regardless" Adrien does not have 13 years of sad backstory in canon, he had one year of sad backstory. His fans just make this up to make him a perpetual victim because that's the only way they can contextualize his character.

As for everything you say about Adrien's "growth" in SL, well I think that's fundamentally disproven by the fact that literally the first thing we seem him do is curse out his father. He has no growth.

"Scarlet Lady does him justice" By turning him into an anti-character? Sure...

"Oh, and Adrien absolutely has a reaction to his mom coming back; he's too stunned to speak and confused on H O W and what to think of it. God forbid the guy to be confused" If God had rules for writing stories, he probably would forbid this. Again, this potentially powerful and emotional moment is undermined by a cheap gag that tells us nothing about the characters sarcastic smartasses.

THE MALE CAST

"no other women are being kept out from entering" Did you see other women at the party?

"instead of repeating every word canon has to offer" Bad excuse. "The author didn't want to just repeat the words of canon, so she had Nino say something different that completely decontextualizes the scene."

"Arguably SL did boys better by showing how guilty they are with their entire plan" In canon, Nino did express regret to Marinette about what he did. Except in canon, Nino did what he did because he thought it was the only way to spend this time with Adrien, not because he's a misogynist.

"And it's absolutely fair that Adrien is not held accountable because he literally never planned for this to happen and genuinely was upset and questioned why they couldn't invite the girls" It was perfectly within Adrien's power to say "no", yet he didn't and just went along with Operation Sexism. He's just as culpable as the others.

"This isn't even about sexism but it's worse when you know you could invite any guy to the party and none of the girls which is also what Canon did by bringing almost every male character to the party." In canon, this is played as a funny turn of events. In SL, Nino explicitly said to keep girls out of the house. That's the difference.

NATHALIE

This will be quick. You claim that Nathalie has all these flaws, so tell me, when in the narrative is she called out for them or punished? Oh, she isn't? Mary Sue, end of story.

"especially when in the show if Alya was able to see through Grimoire (not necessarily decode but understand how it actually works as rather an archive for the discoveries)" That's not even remotely the same thing. That's like saying "This Russian child was able to understand this book written in Russian, so it stands to reason that this grown man should also be able to understand it, even though he doesn't speak Russian."

ZOÉ

"The canon never gave you ANY reason for how Zoé came to be" Like I said, it's self-explanatory. "Her father is mentioned once and never again" Twice actually, and referenced a few other times. Point is, he exists, unlike in SL. "She didn't fumble her name the first time we met her" Do you remember how this scene went? The butler introduced Zoé by name 2 second earlier. The only way Audrey could get it wrong is if she has dementia.

"The comic isn't a complete standalone story and never intended to be as even the very first chapters rely on the audience knowing how things went as Zoe admitted herself" I'm saying that there's several parts of SL!Zoé that contradict canon, so the explanation doesn't make any sense here.

"canon never said him and Chloe were never as close" I never said that it did. I'm saying that SL implied that they weren't close, and that's the reason Adrien didn't know about Zoé.

"Chloe would never pay attention to ever bringing a subject of having a half-sister unless said half-sister would appear in a flesh" Okay, that just loops back to my other question. Why are they only meeting now for the first time, when they are teenagers? SL gives no justification for this.

"Well Scarlet Lady indirectly answers this question by embracing Zoé into the family and never rejecting her based on being a bastard child, and that's good because it shows that even those kids who never asked to be born into such a situation still deserve to have a normal life and be treated like you know, people, and not mistakes" No, that's what canon does. In SL, Zoé just appeared out of hammerspace, so it has nothing to say on this subject matter. And again, Chloé and Zoé were kept apart for years. For no established reason!

"Zoé does not refer to Andre as her actual dad or parent" She does. She refers to Audrey and Andre as "our parents".

"In therapy scenes, they ARE one family, even if Zoé arrived recently" I'm referring to the fact that the therapist says something like Andre spoiled the girls, even though the first time we see Zoé with Andre was a couple weeks before this, tops.

"in canon her personality is informed and not showcased immediately after her debut episode" She taunted Queen Banana so well that plenty of real people thought she was being serious. And she tricked Chloé into accepting the charm. And she tricked the butler into not going to the party. She demonstrates her personality, unlike in SL.

"it's just that you downplay everyone else's fury because the author did decide to end it on a more comedic note" It's simply. Comedy weakens emotion. The fact that Zoé hating Gabriel is made comedic means I don't really buy it as real. So I don't buy Zoé's love for Chloé at all.

"Another thing is that Vesperia didn't do anything other than what Queen Bee did during Heroes Day and her not getting to achieve much is also because she's both a newbie and because Queen Bee failed during Heroes Day to do anything interesting." So since one character failed in this season finale, that means this other character accomplishing nothing in her singular appearance is okay? No, it's not. You could have cut out Vesperia and nothing of value would have been lost. But the reason that value is lost is because we were teased with something potentially cool that amounted to absolutely nothing.

BECAUSE CANON DID IT TOO

So you seemed to misunderstand the point of this section in your first paragraph. I'm not criticizing SL for relying on canon for context, it is fanfiction after all, I'm criticizing SL for sticking to some things from canon even though it damages the story of SL.

You're basically saying "All the Miraculouses were included because Zoe got greedy and wanted to use every idea and design she thought of." That's not a defense at all.

"It's worth noting that Zoe did release recently for the anniversary of her comic an "extended scene" of all the heroes beating down Hawk Moth and each of them contributing to the battle as no, Chat Noir didn't solo Hawk Moth" Don't you think that the fact that this is "extended" it inherently means it's unnecessary? Characters doing something in a fight doesn't justify their inclusion on its own. For example, if Hawk Moth had a series of minions they had to fight through to get to him, and everyone's unique skills were necessary, then that would have justified their inclusion. Chat Noir did basically take care of it himself, because his inclusion was the only one that was narratively meaningful.

* "but it's nice to know that all miraculouses were included" Ah yes, "Destroying the stakes is okay because it means we got to see all the Miraculouses in action."

In "Cat Blanc", Bunnix is slowly disappearing as a result of the timeline changing. Like I said, there aren't really any alternate timelines, changes to the timeline simply overwrite the old one. So again, no, the fact that Zoe treats SL's timelines like it's the MCU means that SL is completely incompatible with canon, and how it established alternate universes work.

"he's a superhero getting himself in very scary and risky situations and Marinette could end up as a casualty due to her lack of superpowers" Being in a relationship doesn't mean she needs to fight villains without superpowers.

"Marinette is not indestructible" Remember when she casually tripped Timebreaker? Yeah...

"said episode is a rip-off of the Marichat fanfic genre" I'm sorry, what? This is the show that that fanfic genre is based on. How exactly can it be a rip-off?

"And the comment 'sometimes it's better to diverge things' while on a post that is bashing said divergences comes off as a bit hypocritical." No it isn't. "These changes are bad" is not incompatible with "Keeping these things from canon damages this story."

In canon, Ladybug and Cat Noir reflected on the Sentibug situation after it happened. In SL, Sentiwasp was forgotten the second she was gone. There is zero substance in SL.

"Reflekdoll is a low-stakes mini-story, so that makes it okay to forgo logic and just do the Miraculous swap without even trying to justify it." That's really not a counterargument at all. "Sure you can like the canon version of Reflekdoll" I never even said it was good, I simply said it met the bare minimum requirement of making sense.

ZOE AND THOMAS ASTRUC ARE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH

So you seem to again have misunderstood the point of a section. I never said that these two are equals morally or anything. It's simply about them having similar ideas. However... "Zoe doesn't GLOAT herself as a great writer" Yes, yes she absolutely does.

Okay, I guess I was wrong when I wrote that SL!Chloé went to a different country. But I stand by everything else I said. Chloé is a strawman punching bag, so I have no confidence that she will actually change at all or anything will turn out fine for her.

"Also, sidenote Marinette calling him out is not wrong as Adrien also called out Hawk Moth while gaining his power up, and Marinette also deserves a right to defend her boyfriend, especially since Adrien always had to deal with Gabriel alone" This is actually really funny, because you can literally copy-paste this exact quote to defend Adrien's role in the canon season 5 finale. Just replace "Hawk Moth while gaining a power up" with "his father during the Nightormenter fight". Like I said, on the same wavelength.

CONCLUSION

I'm not saying these emotions aren't valid, I'm saying it's bad to act on them and let them bleed into your work. To be clear, I hated how canon season 5 ending. And yet, as much as I hate to admit it, it was still better than SL's ending. It felt like Marinette faced an actual challenge, and there were actual characters making actual decisions. Low bar, I know.

I actually think partaking in Saltfics just feeds those bad emotions.

But she didn't do justice to any of the characters, and I think I've broken down why. She made every single on of them worse.

"Zoe herself pointed out how Marinette has plenty of flaws, especially within her story (like her clumsiness, her temper, her jealousy, and her tendency to overthink and complicate stuff)" I can't remember any of that stuff causing any actual problems. So they're not real flaws, they're something an an amateur writer slaps onto their character because they heard people say that characters need flaws. And I was mostly talking about Adrien in this section.

I'm specifically talking about the fact that the only reason anybody like Adrien and Marinette in SL is because they liked them in canon, despite the fact that in SL they have none of the traits people liked about these characters from canon. Fanfics can depend on context from canon, but not when they contradict that context.

"They didn't exist just to bash the story of someone else, but to serve justice to those characters so their happily ever after feels earned and satisfying." Canon somehow felt more earned and satisfying than SL ever could, simply because canon has actual characters and a story.

I was being mostly hyperbolic with how I ended the original. But the fact is, there are a lot of people on both Tumblr and Reddit that have absolutely no critical thought and just mindlessly consume what they see. Bad content can still have a fanbase.

To finish up and respond again to your defenses of the writing of characters like Gabriel and Chloé, I'm going to use one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movie reviews.

"And here's the thing, it does not take any talent whatsoever to depict a character whose death would be cathartic to watch. [...] In the case of 'John Wick', it is very efficient. Man is bad because man kills puppy. No time is wasted showing us ten different scenes of man killing ten different puppies."

Canon is Better than Scarlet Lady

I while ago I read a post where someone said that they don't like fanfiction because "Why would you take someone else's story and butcher it?" When I read that, I thought "Isn't that harsh? Most fanfics are made out of people's love for the source material." Well, I think the Scarlet Lady AU by Zoe-Oneesama is exactly the kind of fic this person was imagining when they said that. "Scarlet Lady" is a Miraculous Ladybug fanfic/saltfic/fixfic that fundamentally misses the point of pretty much every character and major plot point in it. And since it recently ended, it's time for my comprehensive review of it.

Just a few things before we begin. I'm going to assume that everyone reading this has read "Scarlet Lady", so I'm not going to recap the story. I was originally planning to write this on the day of the last page, but the final page was honestly such a nothing burger that I thought it wasn't the final page initially.

Some people may have a problem with the very concept of this review, saying its not fair for me to criticize a non-professional fanfic with this much scrutiny. I think that's an opinion Zoe herself holds. First, I think nothing is above criticism, especially not something that is claiming to be better than the professional product. People didn't hold back against "Spiderman: Lotus", did they? Even within this fanbase, people had some pretty harsh words for "Karma of Lies". Second, I think any discussion of non-professionalism went out the window the moment Zoe stated her intention to sell hardcopies of "Scarlet Lady". This arguably is professional. Third, I wouldn't be making this review if I thought this was a fanfic made out of genuine love and passion, and simply missed the mark. No, "Scarlet Lady" is in fact created out of nothing but spite and contempt, and I feel that makes it pretty fair game for criticism. So, without further ado, let's begin.

Why is Canon Better than Scarlet Lady?

In "Scarlet Lady", Emilie Agreste was woken up with no consequences, no buildup, no emotion, and no meaningful consequences. In canon, Emilie's loss was accepted by the characters and she died. I'm pretty sure that automatically makes canon better than "Scarlet Lady", so you don't even need to read the rest of this review! In all seriousness, this is genuinely some of the worst writing I have ever seen, and it is what made me decide that "Scarlet Lady" was a bad story, so I decided to just mention it on its own.

To be clear, I think Miraculous Ladybug is a poorly written show. "Scarlet Lady" is just worse. And since I used to enjoy Miraculous Ladybug, I'm in a good position to compare the two. When I read the ending of Scarlet Lady, what I though about canon was

I think that writing the middle part of a story is relatively easy. The audience is already hooked from the beginning, and they are intrigued for what might happen, so they'll keep reading even if not everything is great. I think the beginning and ending is the hard part. "Scarlet Lady" didn't have to worry about the beginning and getting people interested because it's piggybacking off of an already successful show. And since the ending of "Scarlet Lady" was so awful, it's clear to me that it was always badly written.

I'll now be analyzing "Scarlet Lady" in terms of its tone, its various characters, and more.

Tone

Every single potentially powerful moment in "Scarlet Lady" is played off as a joke. This may be in part because of the format, with it being released 8 panels at a time, so the audience has to be given something to be entertained by in every page. The thing is, I don't think that's true. I have seen plenty of webcomics where a situation is spread across multiple pages, and the audience doesn't instantly lose interest when one page is for setup purposes.

The consequence of this unserious tone is that the entire story is an emotional flatline. There's no moments that make you sad, no moments that make you happy, nothing that makes you scared or invested. Nothing feels like anything, because everything is a joke.

The season 2 finale of canon is actually really good, it feels like a real challenge with both sides giving it their all. In SL however, the same battle feels about as challenging as a stroll through the park.

I've seen a lot of comedies, and most of them still have a strong emotional core that isn't made into a joke at every turn. So arguing that SL is a comedy doesn't really help.

The problems with this unserious tone run deep, and you will see that as I explore the various characters.

Characters

I don't even like most of the characters in ML, but I could see the absolute downgrade they are in SL.

In general, I just wanted to say this: almost every character in this story is a sarcastic smartass. This makes them rather monotonous and uninteresting. Also very generic considering how common this archetype is these days.

Wait a second. Every serious moment is undermined by a joke, and all the characters are sarcastic smartasses. Was Zoe secretly an MCU writer this entire time?!

Chloé

I figure we should start with the titular Scarlet Lady. I actually think that the idea of a superhero duo where one of them is extremely lazy and unhelpful, but still necessary, is an extremely interesting idea for a dynamic. The problem is, there is no dynamic. Scarlet Lady and Chat Noir have no relationship, they just talk at each other constantly. And the result of this is that basically every interaction is the same: Scar does something selfish, Chat gets mad, rinse and repeat. It could have been interesting to explore different scenarios and ideas with these two, but no they just do the same thing over and over.

There is a pretty big plot hole here once Marigold is introduced. Why don't the heroes just take the Ladybug Miraculous back? It would be rather easy. Well, the explanation is that since Scar is still popular with the public, its best to keep her around for public cooperation and morale. Okay, I can accept that. Except, only a few episodes after this explanation we get "Zombizou", an episode where Scar straight up attacks Marinette in the middle of a battle, which causes Chat to get infected and them to very nearly lose. After that, there is no excuse anymore. Scar is clearly too dangerous to keep around, take her Miraculous now. But no, they actually don't even talk about what happened at all.

One particular episode where I have a problem with how Chloé is treated by the writer is "Silencer". In this episode, Chloé helps Bob Roth and XY with their plagiarism scheme. In canon, she had nothing to do with that. Now, yes, this is a different story and the writer can do whatever she wants. And this also gets Chloé more involved in the story. However, doing this just gives me a feeling that Zoe is blaming Chloé for something she didn't do. I don't know, it's just a vibe.

Anyway, throughout the story Chloé gets worse and worse until it culminates in her working with Hawk Moth and betraying everyone. And what are her consequences for this?

I mean, except for her father making her apologize (offscreen). So ultimately this plot feels like such a letdown. Chloé is the titular character that this fic's whole concept was started by, and yet it ends with her character just fading away with a whimper. What a letdown.

Marinette

This one will be quick. Zoe says that Marinette is her favorite character in ML, but I don't think she understands her at all. Remember what I said about every character being a sarcastic smartass? Well that is most prevalent with Marinette, and that is just fundamentally not who she is as a character. Marinette is someone whose is unabashed in her kindness and compassion. That's why plenty of people like her. If Marinette was in canon like she was in SL, she would be an extremely generic protagonist with almost no fans at all. The only reason anyone likes her in SL is because they relate her to the canon version.

I will say, I do like the idea of her being such a hero at heart that she'll run into danger even without powers. But this is completely diminished by her basically being invincible and having plot armor in her civilian form.

Adrien

Adrien in canon is one of my least favorite characters of all time. And yet, Adrien in SL is even worse. I'd go as far to say he's an anti-character. He has no growth, no arc, and no real personality.

The reason people like Adrien in canon is because they perceive him as someone who is treated very badly by his father and by others, but is still a kind person regardless. Well, in SL it's hard to perceive any poor treatment considering how he's only ever seen disobeying his father. And he's really never done anything kind throughout the entire comic.

Do you know the only reason people like Adrien in SL? Because they see him as who they wanted canon Adrien to become. Someone who can stand up to his father, who is useful in battle, and who doesn't put up with Chloé. But since SL Adrien was that way the entire time, there is no growth at all. Again he piggybacks off of his canon counterpart. If canon Adrien didn't exist, nobody would give a single crap about SL Adrien. None of the traits people liked about him in canon are present, and there is nothing new added to replace it. He is nothing.

Speaking of Adrien and Chloé, isn't it kind of weird that Adrien ended his friendship with her twice? In "Despair Bear" he ends his friendship with her and this is played as a big moment, even though he already basically ended their friendship all the way back in the pilot. There is not a single moment in the entire comic where Adrien treats Chloé like a friend.

As I mentioned earlier, Adrien has no emotional reaction to his mother coming back. In fact, I think it's fair to say that Adrien never loved his parents. And the reason for this is because Zoe hates his parents and she just imposed her feelings onto him, just like most bad fanfic writers do.

In terms of Adrien having no arc, there is one moment I wanted to talk about. During the final battle, he gets a power upgrade when he's talking about how he doesn't understand Hawk Moth's perspective, and he doesn't want to because Hawk Moth is so awful. This moment is played as if it's character growth for Adrien, but I want to ask, in what way? Well, I guess it does make sense because Adrien always gave his father the benefit of the doubt, stuck by Chloé even though she's cruel, and defended Lila. All those things could be considered him trying to understand a bad person. Too bad that none of that happened in SL. Adrien always hated his father, he ended his friendship with Chloé day 1, and he never defended Lila. Zoe was so focused on removing all of Adrien's flaws that she left him with no starting point for this supposed arc. In general, flawed characters are more interesting than perfect ones. Again, the only reason people liked this scene was because they subconsciously associated SL Adrien with canon.

Also, Zoe adds in her headcanon that Emilie was a bad parent. This headcanon only exists because people are incapable of imagining Adrien being anything other than a victim. I call it my "Perpetual Victim Theory". Anyway Zoe just makes up a bunch of random crap that has no basis in canon just to make Adrien more of a victim.

Gabriel

At first, "Scarlet Lady" looks like a Chloé saltfic. Well, that's only partially true. It's actually mainly a Gabriel saltfic. It honestly seems like Zoe hates Gabriel so much that she can barely think when he's involved. Gabriel is always portrayed as a complete moron with absolutely no humanity at all. He honestly seems more like a caricature in a political cartoon rather than an actual character. I actually find it hard to believe that his motivation is to bring back his wife considering how devoid of human emotion he is. Because the main villain of the series is a buffoon who can't be taken seriously, there is never any actual threat or tension. People criticize canon Gabriel for all his bad decisions, which is absolutely fair, but there are at least a few moments where he is genuinely menacing, and some moments where he is human. But writing him that way would require Zoe to let go of her hatred for a few minutes, so that's clearly not an option.

Nathalie

To put it simply Nathalie is a Mary Sue. She's a "girlboss" that does a bunch of horrible things she's not punished for. She can create a sentimonster to solve all the show's problems, she can decode an ancient book without a reference (Some people have defended this by claiming that the book was decoded IRL. IRL it was written in Engish in a different alphabet. That's not true in-universe). She's so much smarter and cooler than everyone else. Mary Sue, plain and simple. Oh, and she hates Gabriel because of course she does. She's a character written by Zoe after all.

In canon, Nathalie has some complexities. She's not great, but she's certainly better than this.

The Male Classmates

I'm just going to say it. Almost every male classmate was character assassinated in "Party Crasher". In canon, Nino lists his female friends to Gorilla and tells him to not let them in the mansion. This is because he assumes that if they find out that they ditched tree planting, they'll stop the boys from hanging out with Adrien. Is it a jerk move to ditch their plans in order to spend time with Adrien and not tell the girls? Yes, but it's understandable and they have limited time with Adrien. In SL, Nino tells Gorilla to keep all girls out of the house, which instantly imposes a sense of underlying misogyny to the situation. Oh, and they let Marc in even though Marc is nonbinary in this story, which implies that the boys went full Royce Du Pont, which is unintentionally hilarious.

I have no idea what motivated Zoe to change the boys from regular flakers to misogynists, maybe she just misunderstood the original episode, but it's still bad. Also, the SL episode goes out of its way to say that Adrien isn't at fault. No, he was completely complicit in the blatant sexism as well. So yeah, pretty much all the boys are instantly made worse by this one episode.

Zoé

In these previous cases, I have been making comparisons to and defending canon characters that I don't even like anymore. But Zoé Lee is my absolute favorite character in Miraculous Ladybug, and I was not happy with how SL handled her.

So a pretty important question right off the bat, how does SL Zoé exist? Zoe said that since canon didn't explain Zoé's existence, neither will she. But the thing is, what is there to explain? Chloé's parents have been married 20 years. Chloé's mother lives in New York, away from her family in Paris. Chloé's mother also has a daughter in New York with another man, much younger than 20-years-old. I don't think it takes a genius to figure out what happened there. But I'll spell it out anyway: extramarital affair. In fact, I think the whole reason the writers of canon made Zoé Chloé's half-sister was to hint why she hadn't been mentioned before: because Audrey was ashamed of her, and Chloé didn't know about her.

On the other hand, "Scarlet Lady" never mentions Zoé's father, has her refer to Andre as her parent, says Zoé lived in New York, and never implies that Audrey is ashamed of her in any way. How does this make sense? Well, maybe Zoé is the older sibling in SL, and Audrey and Andre met and got married after Audrey was already pregnant, and Zoé's biological father isn't involved in her life. It still seems weird that Zoé was living in New York instead of Paris (why not live with her stepdad that she's close enough to call a parent, and how did they form such a strong relationship long distance?), but this does make most of the situation make sense. Except for one little detail: Why on Earth are Chloé and Zoé only now meeting for the first time? It makes absolutely no sense that their parents would not even tell these two about each other. How was Zoé so close to Andre to call him her parent, but didn't meet her sister until she was a teenager? None of this adds up. And honestly, it seems like after a certain period of time Zoe just straight up forgot that Zoé only arrived recently. In the therapy scenes, she acts like they were always one family. When canon gave Chloé a sister, they gave a reason why nobody knew about her until now. When SL gave Chloé a sister, she just suddenly has one who isn't explained and they act like she was always around. In fact, the only part where they acknowledge her showing up suddenly is when Adrien hasn't heard of her, but SL actually just implies that this is because he was never actually close with Chloé.

Putting all that aside, SL also sucks out everything interesting about Zoé. Gone is her cleverness or willingness to lie for the right reason. In fact, the defining characteristic that SL gives Zoé is that she has no personality. I've seen some people claim that SL had Chloé and Zoé having more of a sisterly bond, but I actually don't believe that Zoé actually loves Chloé. During the final battle, Hawk Moth has basically poisoned Chloé, and for all Zoé knows, it could be fatal. If I were in Zoé's shoes in this situation, I would be furious with Gabriel. But is she? No, she just has the same jokey, ironic disgust towards him that all the characters do. Yeah, this is one of the moments when the comic's insistence to turn everything into a joke hit critical mass. Doing that ends up damaging the characters.

One last thing. In canon, Zoé was pretty cool as Vesperia. She helped out a bunch of times, and she was one of the only heroes to demonstrate unique skills in how she taunted Queen Banana into anger. Not in SL though. Vesperia achieves nothing, she could have been cut out entirely and nothing would change. That actually transitions nicely into my next point.

Because Canon Did It Too

Zoe has said that she wants to keep the lore consistent with the show. Even though she didn't like the name "Venom" for that power, she kept it for consistency purposes. I can respect this idea, but there are multiple parts of this story that would have just been better if it diverged.

For one thing, having 19 Miraculouses and as many superpowered characters. I can understand why canon did this: because they clearly want the show to go on forever and they want as many characters as possible to fill that time. SL on the other hand was only planned to last a certain number of episodes, and yet Zoe crammed in as many heroes as the original did. This leads to a lot of time setting up these characters that leads to nothing, because they're all barely in the finale and contribute basically nothing. It would have been so much better to simply limit it to the 7 main Miraculouses, that's so much more manageable.

Another thing is the Rabbit Miraculous and time travel. Zoe acknowledged how OP it is and how it can instantly solve the conflict. She might not want to change its power because of her lore rule, but if she had just ignored its existence entirely, that would have been totally acceptable. But no, the final battle has Master Fu using the Rabbit Miraculous, which instantly makes the stakes even lower than they already were. It wasn't even necessary, Master Fu is shown to be faster than he looks, he could have just delivered the Miraculouses the normal way. Oh, and there's also the fact that Zoe looked at the insanely OP Rabbit Miraculous and said "That's not OP enough." She also gave it the power to teleport to other universes. To be clear, this completely contradicts canon. ML is not the MCU, alternate universes are not alternate timelines. Changes to the timeline just overwrite the old one, and you can use the Rooster Miraculous, not the Rabbit, to visit other universes. So yeah, despite Zoe saying she wants lore consistency, SL actually doesn't fit into the Miraculous multiverse that canon established.

Also, let's talk about the romance. Like canon, there's a love square that doesn't get together until way later. But it seems like Zoe forgot about an important rule of romance: if the characters aren't together yet, why not? In SL Marinette and Chat clearly like each other, and unlike canon's Ladrien, they talk quite a bit. So why don't they get together? Canon actually has a really great episode "Elation" where Adrien decides that he can't date a civilain as a superhero if she doesn't know his identity. But nothing even like this is remotely acknowledged in SL (Sidenote: The writing of "Elation" is better than the entirety of SL). Also, Adrien doesn't confess for most of SL, I assume because Marinette didn't confess in canon, but this is just so out of character for Adrien. He's not the kind of person to hold his feelings back. In canon, he confessed to Marinette only a few episodes after he started liking her. He claims that he doesn't want to date until Hawk Moth is defeated, but then he starts dating her before he's defeated, so this is a BS excuse.

When Chloé snaps away her sentimonster, Zoe copies the line "How could you?!" from "Ladybug" in canon. This is a completely soulless copy though, because that episode made it clear that Sentibug was sentient, and Chat Noir was genuinely angry in this moment. None of that same substance applies to SL, it's just a meaningless copy of a better scene.

In canon "Reflekdoll", Adrien and Marinette are modeling her designs, and they take their Miraculouses off in order to wear the earrings and ring she made. When Reflekdoll attacks, they try to get their Miraculouses back but end up switching them. In SL "Reflekdoll", Marinette and Adrien are wearing each other's Miraculouses during the photoshoot for no discernable reason. Both versions have a Miraculous swap, but the original earned it and SL absolutely did not.

Zoe and Thomas Astruc are on the Same Wavelength

Zoe has made it clear that she's not a fan of ML's creator, Thomas Astruc. And yet many of her ideas ended up being the same as his.

In both Canon and SL, Chloé publicly commits a bunch of serious crimes, but faces no legal consequences. Instead, she is taken to another country where she can resume her life as a rich brat because she's learned absolutely nothing. Yeah, Chloé's ending in both is basically the same.

In the season 5 finale of canon, there's this huge fight between the side characters and an evil army. This fight has absolutely nothing to do with the actual important fight between Bug Noire and Monarch, so the side characters are completely wasted. In the final battle of SL, the other superheroes contribute nothing and are completely wasted. Chat Noir basically took care of Hawk Moth all by himself. So both finales involve wasted side characters that should have just stayed home. Less time would have been wasted.

Zoe actually says that she added Marinette calling out Gabriel in response to the canon finale. This is absolutely hilarious considering it's still Marinette calling out Gabriel, which basically did happen in the canon finale. Adrien still just stood there and didn't say a word!

Conclusion

"Scarlet Lady" is absolutely worse than canon Miraculous Ladybug. And I think there are a lot of lessons to learn here.

First, don't be so angry and hateful. Zoe basically ruined any possibility of a decent ending simply because her hatred of Gabriel made it impossible to write him like an actual person or a good villain.

Second, any story written in bitterness or spite will be bad. That might not be totally true, I haven't read every story. But I feel that every fanfic I read where the author clearly hates a character has everyone behaving OOC and the story being meanspirited and bad.

Third, don't be arrogant. Just because you can recognize flaws in a story doesn't mean you can do better. Maybe just make some posts calling out those flaws.

Fourth, the way to fix a bad character is not to simply remove all their flaws. Acknowledge those flaws and do something with them.

Fifth, while fanfics do often build off of the original, they can't depend on elements from the original when they contradict those elements. Again, the only reason people like SL Marinette and Adrien is because they associate them with the originals, even though their personalities do no match up.

All in all, I think the world and characters of "Scarlet Lady" will be forgotten only a week after its over. There is no actual substance to them. The only purpose of this fic was to bash somebody else's story, and yet it ended up being so much worse than canon in almost every way.