#and hire drivers who do little dances

[alasarys]

[jwonsite]

bed chem - sim jaeyun

(part of the short n' sweet series)

pairing - collegestudent!jake x fem!reader

word count - 7.6k

warnings - drinking, unprotected sex (wrap it up,,), they don't rly know each other whoops, uhm lmk anything i missed

you looked in the mirror one last time as your best friend rambled on about how fun this party was going to be, and how you could finally “put yourself out there” after your last boyfriend. 

“i am going to get so wasted tonight, apparently they hired like, an actual dj, and i heard somebody say that they were going to do a lip sync battle between the boys,” yunjin explained as she bounced on her heels, waving her hands around in excitement as she told you all the things she heard about the party already.

you ran your hands over the fabric of the dress again, silently questioning whether you were ready for this. it had been a few months since your last relationship, but the idea of putting yourself out there felt… a bit overwhelming.

“alright yes i get it yunjin, i promise i will not silently sit in the corner the whole time,” you said to her as you turned to walk out of your room

“okay okay, i’m sorry i just want you to have a little bit of fun for once. you’re always cooped up in this room doing god knows what,” she said as she grabbed her stuff and followed you out of your apartment

“how did you even find out about this again?” you asked her, sitting down in the drivers seat of your car as she settled into the seat next to you

“well i have a class with heeseung, and the other day he was talking about this ‘big party’ that his best friend was throwing for his birthday, and he asked me to come, and told me to ‘bring my friend too’,” she explained, applying another layer of lip liner and gloss in the small mirror above her

“wait pause, lee heeseung asked about me?” you asked, making a face of disbelief, considering you have never talked to him in your life

“well no, it was one of his friends, i dont remember which one of them it was they all kind of blur together in my mind,” she said as she closed the mirror and opened her phone, rambling about something she saw on her phone as you’re left to wonder which one of lee heeseung’s friends would’ve requested you at this party.

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as the street filled with parked cars and the music thumped louder, a knot started forming in your stomach. you can’t believe you let her talk you into this, much rather being at home in your pajamas binge watching a new series. you glanced at yunjin, who was already checking her lipstick in the mirror, completely unfazed. of course, she was used to this; you, on the other hand… it had been a while.

you find a parking spot relatively close to the house after a boy helped his very obviously drunk girlfriend into the car and drove away. parking the car you grabbed your bag and looked at your best friend,

“yunjin do not leave me alone here like last time. and if you are going home with somebody please tell me before you’re already halfway to his house so i dont go insane looking for you,” you said a bit sternly

“i promise i will tell you if i leave,” she said, extending her pinky out to you as you guys have done for all the years you’ve been friends, interlocking your pinkies before touching your thumbs together and smiling.

as you stepped out of the car, the crisp night air hit your skin, contrasting with the heavy thrum of bass in the distance. the smell of alcohol already lingered, though you hadn’t even reached the front door.

yunjin let out a small squeal, excited to have finally been able to convince you to come to a party with her again. she grabbed your hand as you both walked to the front door, watching as a group of people are huddled on the porch, holding red cups as they laughed at the boy in the middle badly attempted to show off a dance move to the rest of the group.

inside, the bass vibrated through the floor, almost drowning out the sound of slurred conversations and wild laughter. the room was dimly lit, only flashing neon lights from the dj booth cutting through the haze. the air was thick with the scent of alcohol and the heat of too many bodies crowded into one space.

your grip on yunjin’s hand tightened as the crowd pressed in, laughter and music swirling around you like a chaotic blur. part of you wanted to turn around, walk right back out into the quiet night. but another part, the part that hadn’t let go of your last relationship, wondered if maybe, just maybe, yunjin was right. maybe tonight was the night to try and put yourself out there again.

as you and yunjin made it through the large crowd and to a less crowded area of the party, she let go of your hand before yelling over the music, “i’m gonna go say hi to heeseung,” she said with a wink, “ill be back!”

you shook your head a bit as you let out a small laugh, the small crush your friend had on the boy never letting up. you sat down on one of the couches in front of you, and your mind briefly wandered to heeseung’s friends, trying to remember their faces. which one of them had asked for you? the thought lingered for a moment, but you quickly shook it off. it didn’t matter, right?

as yunjin disappeared into the crowd, the thrum of excitement that she had brought with her quickly faded, leaving you alone with the deafening music and unfamiliar faces. you looked around, suddenly aware of how out of place you felt without her by your side.

you pulled out your phone, scrolling through it for a bit before you felt somebody sit down next to you, looking to your left and seeing a boy wearing a white jacket. his long brown hair fell nicely to the sides of his head, highlighting his big brown eyes and plump lips, seeing them curl up as he smiled at you. 

“you here by yourself?” he asked you, the words rolling off his lips coated in a thick australian accent.

“oh no, i’m here with my best friend but she disappeared a bit ago to find someone,” you said looking down shyly, smiling as you looked back up at him as you finished your sentence.

you recognized him, but you weren’t sure from where. you probably had seen him around campus, pushing it out of your head as he spoke up again.

“ah well, you could hang with me for a bit til she gets back,” he said, smiling at you with his eyes wide. you let out a small laugh as you nodded, but your heart raced a little faster than you’d expected. It had been a long time since you’d felt the nerves of sitting close to a boy, especially one who looked at you like that. was this how flirting was supposed to go? you could barely remember.

"i’m jake, by the way," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. 

"nice to meet you, jake," you replied, still feeling a little off-kilter but warming up to the conversation, "i’m y/n" 

he let out a small chuckle, "you looked like you needed a rescue back there, these kinds of parties not your scene?" 

you laughed, feeling yourself relax just a bit, "is it that obvious?"

he looked up as he pretending to think about your question, “hm, just a bit,” he said, feeling his knee brush lightly against yours as he leaned in, his smile growing wider. you noticed the faint scent of his cologne, warm and slightly sweet, mixing with the alcohol-laced air.

“you want something to drink?” he asked, pointing over his shoulder at the drink table behind him.

“sure,” you said, going to get up before he stopped you, putting a hand out in front of you

“no no its okay i got it, what do you want?” he asked you, looking down at you as you sat back down on the couch.

“surprise me,” you replied cheekily, smiling up at him as he walked away.

as you watched jake weave through the crowd toward the drink table, you couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement, or was it nervousness? you couldn’t tell.

jake returned with a grin, making eye contact with you. you stifled a laugh as he tripped over the carpet beneath the couch, catching himself just before falling.

“that carpet definitely wasn’t there before,” he said, laughing as he sat down next to you. he handed you a red cup filled with a vibrant orange liquid. you took the cup, peered inside, and sniffed. the strong aroma of alcohol mixed with a fruity scent made you scrunch your nose.

“i’m not going to wake up in an unknown place tomorrow with no memory of tonight if i drink this, am i?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

jake let out a small laugh, grabbing the cup from your hand. he poured the contents into another cup, mixing them together before handing it back. “there, promise I’m not trying to kill you,” he said with a wink, taking a big swig from his own drink.

you took a cautious sip, then looked at jake with a mock-serious expression. 

“well, i guess if i wake up in a strange place i’m blaming you,” you said with a grin.

jake chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “fair enough. but I’ll do my best to keep you safe,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

you two continued to talk, the conversation flowing effortlessly between playful banter and discussions about your future plans. jake shared what he does for fun, his major in school, and his aspirations for after graduation. you found yourselves bonding over shared interests and ambitions, discovering more common ground as the night went on.

as you spoke, jake’s proximity made it hard to concentrate. his cologne, warm and slightly sweet, mixed with the scent of the party, creating a dizzying effect. he inched closer, your knees touching as he placed a hand on your thigh. the simple touch, combined with his intense gaze, made your heart race and your thoughts scatter.

his fingers rested lightly on your leg, and you could feel the warmth of his hand even through the fabric of your dress. you tried to focus on the conversation, but the closeness and the lingering effect of the alcohol made it increasingly difficult to think straight. jake’s voice, warm and smooth, seemed to envelop you, making everything else fade into the background.

you glanced at him, catching his gaze as he spoke, his eyes reflecting a genuine interest and a hint of something deeper. you were so focused on the boy in front of you that you had completely forgotten about waiting for your best friend to come back.

a hand on your shoulder made you turn around, and you saw yunjin standing there, with heeseung right behind her.

“i’m leaving. you good?” she asked, her eyes flicking to jake before turning back to you.

“yeah, i’m fine. keep me updated on where you are, i’ll see you tomorrow,” you said, pulling her in for a hug. she bent down, wrapping her arms around you, and whispered in your ear.

“that’s him,” she said quickly, a hint of excitement in her voice, “he’s the one who asked about you.”

your cheeks heated at the thought that jake had actively looked for you during the party. as yunjin pulled away and smiled at you, raising her eyebrows, you felt a rush of warmth.

“well, anyway, bye,” she said, drawing out the word as she grabbed heeseung’s hand and practically dragged him out of the house.

you watched them leave, feeling a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation. turning back to jake, you found him still smiling at you, his interest palpable.

“was she your ride?” he asked, his face showing a hint of concern.

“no, no, i was actually her ride,” you explained. “i just like for her to let me know when she’s leaving so i don’t go crazy looking for her when i want to leave.”

“makes sense,” he said, nodding. the conversation fell into a brief silence, and you could sense the shift in the air.

“well, i should probably head home,” you said, standing up. you stumbled slightly to the side as you straightened up. jake quickly stood, his hands reaching out to steady you, resting gently on your waist.

“woah, are you sure you’re okay to drive home?” he asked, his hands still on your waist, holding you upright. your faces were inches apart, and the warmth of his touch sent a rush of feelings through you. his close proximity made your mind fuzzy, and you found it hard to focus on anything other than the way his hands felt on you. at your lack of response, jake gently removed his hands and grabbed your bag from the couch.

“i’ll drive you home,” he said, taking one of your hands in his and leading you out of the house. he fished your car keys out of your purse and pressed the lock button to find your car, spotting it parked at a nearby house.

as you walked together, your thoughts were consumed by the lingering sensation of his hand on yours. the warmth and security of his grip made your heart race and your mind swirl with a mix of excitement and anticipation. you let him lead you to your car, watching him as he opened the passenger door for you and helped you get in. he walked around the front of the car and got into the driver's seat, turning on the car before adjusting the seat and mirrors for his height. he put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking spot.

as jake pulled up in front of your apartment building, the soft glow of the streetlights bathed the street in a muted orange hue. the ride had been quiet, with a comfortable silence lingering between you two. as he cut the engine, the quiet felt heavier, almost like neither of you wanted to break it.

jake glanced over at you, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “you okay?” he asked, voice soft but tinged with concern.

you nodded, trying to push down the nervous flutter in your stomach. “yeah, i’m good. thanks for driving me.”

he gave a small shrug, his eyes never leaving yours. “i wasn’t about to let you drive home after everything tonight. no way.”

you smiled in return, the warmth in his gaze doing more to settle you than you’d care to admit. after a moment of hesitation, you reached for the door handle, but the thought of saying goodbye so soon felt wrong, unfinished. you turned back to Jake, the words slipping out before you could second-guess them.

“do you… wanna come inside for a bit?”

jake blinked, his eyebrows rising slightly in surprise, “inside? i mean, sure, if that’s okay with you.”

“yeah,” you said quickly, the sudden rush of confidence surprising even you, “i just thought it might be better than you waiting out here or calling an uber.”

jake grinned, his eyes softening in that easy, charming way he had, “i’m not gonna say no to that.”

you both got out of the car, the cool night air nipping at your skin. as you led him to the door, the sound of his footsteps behind you felt grounding, reassuring. once inside, you clicked on a small lamp, the warm light spilling over your cozy apartment. you turned to see jake taking it all in, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.

“it’s nice,” he said, his voice quieter now that you were in a more intimate space. “feels like you.”

you blinked at him, caught off guard, 

“like me?”

“yeah,” he nodded, offering you a soft smile. “warm, inviting.”

heat crept up your neck at his words. you quickly moved toward the closet, pulling out a blanket and some pillows. “you can, uh, take the couch. it’s really comfortable. i have extra blankets if you need more.”

jake chuckled softly as he watched you fuss around, “thanks, y/n. i appreciate it.”

you placed the pillows on the couch and turned back to him, feeling a bit self-conscious now that you were standing in the soft glow of the living room together. the energy between you two felt different here, softer, closer.

“so… do you want something to drink?” you offered, “water, soda, tea?”

“water’s fine,” jake said, following you with his eyes as you made your way to the kitchen. 

“you’re being really sweet about this, you know that?”

you laughed quietly, grabbing a glass. “i just don’t want you to think i invited you in and then abandoned you on the couch.”

jake smiled, his gaze lingering on you as you handed him the glass of water.

“i definitely don’t feel abandoned.”

his words hung in the air for a moment longer than necessary, and you found yourself nervously tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“so, um, you’re okay with crashing here? i mean, i don’t want it to feel awkward or anything.”

jake shook his head. 

“not awkward at all. actually… it’s kind of nice. i wasn’t ready to head home yet anyway.”

you bit your lip, contemplating your next move. 

“well… if you’re not tired, we could, i don’t know, watch a movie or something? just to wind down?”

jake’s eyes lit up, “a movie sounds perfect. wyou got?”

You walked over to the couch and gestured toward your small but growing collection of dvds and streaming options on the tv. 

“pick your poison. i’m pretty easygoing when it comes to movies.”

jake grinned, kneeling down in front of your collection, his fingers brushing over a few titles before he looked back at you with a playful gleam in his eye. 

“rom-com or action?”

you rolled your eyes playfully. “you really think I’m the rom-com type?”

he chuckled, shaking his head, “i don’t know, i could see you enjoying a cheesy romance now and then.”

“alright, fine,” you said with a smirk, “pick whatever you want. i’m just going to change into something more comfortable.”

jake nodded as you disappeared into your bedroom, your heart racing a little faster than it should have been. the realization that jake was in your living room, picking out a movie for the two of you to watch together, was almost surreal.

when you emerged a few minutes later, now dressed in comfy sweatpants and a hoodie, jake had settled on the couch, the movie queued up, and now changed into a pair of sweats and oversized t shirt that you had left out for him. he looked up at you with a grin.

“i went with action. hope that’s cool,” he said, patting the seat next to him.

“totally fine,” you laughed, sitting down beside him, leaving just enough space to feel the comfortable tension between you.

the movie started, and for the first few minutes, you both stayed focused on the screen, the low hum of action scenes filling the room. but as time passed, you found yourself sneaking glances at jake. his profile, illuminated by the soft glow of the tv, was calm and relaxed.

eventually, you leaned back into the couch, letting the comfort of the moment settle over you. “thanks for tonight,” you said softly.

jake turned his head, his gaze finding yours in the dim light. “i should be the one thanking you.”

you smiled, feeling the weight of his words. “for what?”

“for letting me in,” he said quietly, his voice sincere.

for a moment, neither of you spoke, the quiet hanging in the air between you. then, without really thinking, you nudged him with your elbow, breaking the tension with a smile. “well, if you get popcorn crumbs on my couch, i might take it back.”

jake laughed, the sound low and warm, and suddenly everything felt easy again. you leaned into the movie, the space between you shrinking ever so slightly as the night went on, the quiet intimacy of it all wrapping around you both like a soft, shared secret.

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you woke up early the next morning, the soft rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains, painting the room in golden hues. it had to be around 6 or 7 a.m. the apartment was quiet, the only sound being the rhythmic breathing from the boy underneath you. you went to move, instinctively reaching for your phone, but stopped as you became fully aware of where you were—and who you were with.

your face warmed as you realized you were lying completely on top of jake, his arms wrapped snugly around your waist, his chest rising and falling beneath you. you didn’t even remember how you ended up like this, barely recalling falling asleep in the first place. all you could focus on was the heat of his hands resting against your back, their warmth burning through the thin fabric of your t-shirt, as though they belonged there.

jake stirred slightly, his body reacting to your small movements. his eyes opened slowly, still heavy with sleep, and as he looked down at you, his messy hair and sleepy expression only made your heart race more. his grip on your waist tightened slightly, pulling you just a little closer, as if to confirm that you were real.

“hi,” you said softly, a smile tugging at your lips.

“hey,” he replied, his voice raspy from sleep, one hand lazily leaving your waist to rub the sleep from his eyes. even in his groggy state, his gaze was soft, lingering on you with that same intensity from last night.

he shifted, propping himself up slightly against the arm of the couch. his hands moved to your waist again, gently guiding you so that you were now straddling his lap. the movement felt effortless, as if the two of you had done this a hundred times before. your heart was beating out of your chest, but something about this felt... right.

you instinctively rested your hands behind his neck, fingers playing with the soft strands of hair at his nape. the closeness was intoxicating, neither of you speaking as you exchanged quiet smiles. in this early morning haze, with sleep still clinging to your senses, it felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of you. it was domestic, almost intimate in a way that left you breathless.

jake’s eyes searched yours, his expression thoughtful before he spoke. “i really want to kiss you right now,” he admitted softly, his voice low and sincere, never breaking eye contact.

his words caught you off guard, your heart skipping a beat. you blinked at him, your mouth slightly open in surprise, trying to process what he’d just said. before you could respond, jake’s face shifted, a flicker of uncertainty passing through his eyes.

“i’m sorry, was that too far—”

but his words were cut short as you leaned in, closing the gap between you. your lips met his in a rush of heat and urgency, the feel of his lips against yours instantly sending sparks through your body. for a second, jake’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly melted into the kiss, his grip on your waist tightening. his hands moved up and down your sides, fingers tracing the fabric of your shirt as if memorizing the feel of you.

the kiss was far from perfect, messy, a tangle of teeth and tongues, but that only made it better. there was no hesitation, no holding back. you pressed yourself closer to him, your arms tightening around his neck, and jake responded in kind, pulling you against him with a kind of desperation, as though he had wanted this for as long as you had.

time seemed to blur as the kiss deepened, the air between you thick with longing. you could feel the pounding of his heart beneath your hands, mirroring the wild rhythm of your own. the world outside faded, leaving only the heat between you, the sound of your shared breath, and the lingering taste of his lips on yours.

he pulled away to catch his breath before moving his lips down your neck, kissing and sucking on it and leaving red marks along his path. you threw your head back as you let out small moans, gripping the hair along the nape of his neck tightly. after taking his time on your neck, he pulls away and looks at you with a certain desperation in his eyes.

“i want you so bad, please.” he says, looking at you with pleading eyes, waiting for you to give him the okay. you nodded at him quickly before he let out a small groan and picked you up to lay you down on the couch, hovering over you before continuing to kiss you, kissing down your neck again before grabbing the hem of your t shirt and pulling it over your head. you let out a small moan as kissed your exposed chest, his hands wrapping around your back to unclasp your bra, slipping it off your arms and discarding it somewhere on the floor in your living room. 

“so pretty…” he muttered to himself as he continued to kiss down your body. your hands tangled into his hair, grabbing at the roots of his brown locks and tugging slightly. you let out a small whine of impatience, pushing his head down towards your core softly.

“jake please,” you said breathily, not even sure what you were asking for. 

“please what baby?” he asked you, coming up from his spot over your lower stomach to kiss your jawline

“want you so bad don’t tease,” you said with a pout, looking up at him with pleading eyes as he had done to you before.

“shh be patient princess, i promise i’m gonna take good care of you,” he said to you before kissing your lips softly and returning back to where he was on your lower stomach. he moved down a bit more to kiss your core over the sweats you were wearing, watching as you grabbed onto the cushions next to you in frustration.

he chuckled to himself before hooking his fingers on the waistband of your pants and pulling them down, exposing the black lacy pair of underwear you had on. he swears he practically salivated at the sight, wanting to feel you on his tongue right now, but also wanting to prolong this moment forever. you bucked your hips up towards his mouth, trying to get more friction against your core. he kissed the insides of your thighs before pulling your underwear to the side and licking a stripe right up your folds. you let out a loud whine at the sensation of him where you’ve wanted him this entire time.

“mm you taste so sweet princess,” he said, dipping his head down for another taste of you. he suckled on your clit as his hands were wrapped around your thighs, holding you down onto his face so you couldn’t move off of him. he was devouring your core like he was a starved man, licking and sucking your clit while also putting his tongue inside your hole ever so often. you grasped at the couch cushions next to you before one of you hands flew to his head, grabbing at his hair and the other moved to grab your boob, playing with and pinching your nipple.

he moved one of his hands up to play with your other boob, using his other hand to finger you, sticking two of his fingers inside you while still sucking on your clit and playing with your boob, the sensation of everything hes doing making your mind practically break, barely even able to think about anything other than his mouth on you. you felt your high approaching, the familiar knot in your stomach tightening as he continued his ministrations on your body. as your orgasm hit, he continued eat you out through it, slowing his finger and bit but keeping his mouth on your clit. once you had stopped shaking and calmed down, he pulled away, licking his lips and sucking your juices off his fingers.

“did so good for me baby, taste so good,” he said as he finished cleaning your essence off his fingers. you pushed yourself off the couch and onto your still weak legs, standing at the edge of the couch about to sink down onto your knees before jake stopped you, grabbing your forearm and pulling you onto his lap.

“as much as i would love to feel your mouth around me, i need to be inside you. we can save that for next time,” he tells you with a wink, lifting you up for a moment so he can pull his pants and underwear down, his hard on slapping against his stomach as he lets you settle back down on his lap, leaning forward to suck on one of your nipples and taking your other boob in his hand. your hand tugged at the hem of his t shirt, signaling to him that you wanted it off. he chuckled before leaning back and tugging his shirt off, letting you ogle at his chiseled abs and chest. you ran a finger down his abs, tracing the lines as he watched you, hands moving to your ass and massaging it. he pulled your underwear to the side and let you sink down onto his dick.

you both let out small moans and whines, leaning forward to bury your head in his neck, moaning into it and sucking small hickies onto it. you bottomed out on him, sitting there for a second to let yourself adjust to his size. he throws his head back on the couch, closing his eyes and letting out a small ‘fuck’ as you sit on him, he looks back at your face, lip slightly bit and eyes squeezed shut.

“please move princess, i can’t do this,” he asks you, rubbing one of his hands up and down your back soothingly. you opened your eyes and obliged to his request, slowly lifting off him so you can sink back down, repeating this until you have a steady pace, your legs burning a bit as you fight to lift off him. your pace quickens as you rest your hands on his shoulders, grabbing onto them to ground yourself.

“fuck jakey i cant ‘s too much need help,” you say to him with a pout, tears pricking at your eyes in frustration.

“aw baby need my help? its okay i got you,” he says as he picks you up off of him and puts you face down ass up on the couch, settling behind you before pushing himself into you again, his pace quick and deep, not giving you a moment to breathe. you fisted at the blanket still lying on the couch from last night, grabbing it and burying your face into it to stifle your moans. you could feel his hips being to stutter, his pace faltering a bit as you guessed he was close to finishing. you were close again too, reaching a hand down to play with your clit to help you finish at the same time as him. jake watched as your hand went down to your core and he swears it pushed him over the edge, shooting his cum deep inside you right as your second orgasm hit you, your legs shaking as you clenched around him, milking his cock. 

he pulls out of you slowly, not wanting to overstimulate you anymore, before picking you up to lay you back against him.

“mm, go to my room ‘m sleepy,” you said to him before he could settle down, letting him pick you up and walk to the bedroom he had seen you exit the night before. the bed was still freshly made from not being slept in, but before he placed you in bed he took you to the bathroom, placing you on the toilet so you could pee, and then grabbing a few wipes to clean you up. he picked you up again, walking out to your bedroom and placing you on the bed, tucking you into the freshly made sheets and getting in bed next to you. you pull him against you, throwing one of your legs over him as you bury your face into his chest as he wraps his arms around you, letting his smell intoxicate your senses. you felt him kiss the top of your head before drifting off to sleep, feeling secure in his arms as he holds you.

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you woke up again later that morning, the bed next to you noticeably empty. groggily, you reached for your phone on the nightstand to check the time. 11:24 a.m. blinked back at you in soft, digital numbers. as you shifted to sit up, a dull ache spread through your legs and core, reminding you of the ministrations of the morning. you winced slightly, muscles protesting at the movement. but your mind quickly shifted to the more pressing question—where was jake?

slowly, you got out of bed, walking with a slight limp as you made your way toward the living room. the sounds of activity in the kitchen caught your attention, and when you peeked in, you couldn’t help but smile at the sight in front of you.

jake stood there, a mess of pancake batter smeared across his arms and face, frantically attempting to balance cooking pancakes, bacon, and eggs all at once. from the look of it, it wasn’t going very well. the pancakes were sticking to the pan, some slightly burnt around the edges, while the bacon seemed dangerously close to being overcooked. he was muttering something under his breath, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

you bit back a giggle, finding his distressed state both endearing and hilarious. you stayed back for a moment, just watching him as he tried to flip a pancake, only for it to fall apart mid-air, half of it splatting onto the stove.

“this is a lot harder than they make it seem,” he muttered to himself, his frustration growing. “how am I supposed to tell when one side is cooked? every time I try to flip them, they just fall apart. then when I focus on the pancakes, the bacon burns... and oh my gosh, i forgot about the eggs…” he scrambled to pull the bacon off the burner before it became any more charred than it already was.

you couldn’t hold back your laughter any longer, a soft giggle escaping your lips. jake froze, turning toward you with a sheepish grin, as if just now realizing how ridiculous the scene must look. his hair was tousled, and the smear of pancake batter on his face made him look like a kid caught in the middle of a food fight.

without a word, you walked up behind him and wrapped your arms around his back, resting your cheek against the broad expanse of his shoulder. the warmth of his body was comforting, familiar. you pressed a small kiss against his shoulder blade, smiling to yourself as you felt him relax under your touch.

he turned his head to look at you, his eyes soft but amused. “i’m trying,” he said with a sigh, “but i think i’m in over my head here.”

you glanced at the stove, seeing the evidence of his valiant but slightly chaotic efforts. with a soft chuckle, you gave him a playful nudge. “i can see that. but don't worry, i’ve got this. go sit down before you burn the kitchen down.”

jake laughed, his shoulders sagging in relief as you motioned for him to sit at the counter’s barstools. he wiped at the pancake batter smeared on his forearms, then gave you a grateful smile. “you sure? because I’m about two seconds away from calling for takeout.”

you shook your head with a grin. “i’ll save breakfast. just sit tight,” you said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before moving back to the stove

jake took a seat, watching as you moved effortlessly around the kitchen, turning down the heat on the stove and rescuing the pancakes from total disaster. as you whisked together a fresh batch of eggs, you could feel his eyes on you, but instead of the tension from earlier, it was a warm, lingering gaze that made your heart flutter.

“not gonna lie, I’m a little impressed,” jake admitted, resting his chin on his hand as he watched you in awe. “i thought i could handle breakfast, but clearly i was wrong.”

“you had the right idea,” you teased, glancing over your shoulder with a smirk. “execution could use a little work though.”

he chuckled, leaning back in the chair. “i’ll leave the culinary stuff to you then. i’ll handle... well, anything that doesn’t involve flipping pancakes.”

“deal.”

within a few minutes, you had managed to salvage the meal, serving up perfectly golden pancakes, crisp bacon, and fluffy scrambled eggs. you slid a plate in front of jake, who gave you an exaggerated look of gratitude.

“this looks amazing,” he said, eyeing the food with genuine appreciation. “you’re a lifesaver.”

you joined him at the counter, sitting down next to him with your own plate. “well, it’s the least I could do after you tried so hard. but next time? maybe stick to something simpler, like toast.”

he laughed, taking a bite of his food. “yeah, noted.”

the two of you ate in comfortable silence, the clinking of cutlery the only sound in the air. you glanced up at him every now and then, noticing the subtle bounce of his leg under the counter. his hands fiddled with the edge of his plate, eyes occasionally darting to you as if he was trying to work up the courage to say something. you leaned forward slightly, concern softening your features.

“you okay?” you asked, your voice gentle but curious.

"hm? oh yeah, i’m fine,” he replied with a small chuckle, though his tone was a bit too casual, unconvincing. his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

you raised an eyebrow, sensing there was something more on his mind. jake inhaled deeply, his chest rising with a nervous breath before he finally spoke, the words tumbling out quickly, almost all at once.

“i was just wondering if, maybe, you wanted to go on a date with me? a real one, like at a restaurant or something fancy like that,” he asked, his voice tinged with nervous excitement. he kept his gaze on you, but you could see the flicker of doubt in his eyes.

a soft giggle escaped your lips at how flustered he sounded. you turned to face him fully, your heart warming at how endearing his awkwardness was. reaching out, you gently took one of his hands in yours, threading your fingers through his. his hand felt warm and solid in your grasp, a reassuring touch as you smiled up at him.

“jake,” you said, giving his hand a light squeeze. "you really think after everything that happened last night and this morning i would say no to going on a date with you?”

his eyes widened for a moment, like he hadn’t even thought of that possibility. you grinned, enjoying the way his nervous energy shifted into something more relaxed as you continued.

“of course i’ll go on a date with you. to a restaurant, somewhere fancy... whatever you want,” you teased, repeating his words back to him with a playful tone and a soft smile.

jake let out a long sigh of relief, a smile breaking across his face as he dramatically placed his free hand over his heart. "oh thank god. i was so worried you were going to say no. that would’ve been really embarrassing, especially after... well, everything.”

he glanced at you, his expression a mix of humor and sincerity, like he still couldn’t quite believe his luck. you leaned closer, pressing a light kiss to the back of his hand before pulling away.

“well, you don’t have to worry about that," you reassured him. "i’m looking forward to it.”

the tension between you melted, replaced by the easy warmth that had been there since the night before. jake’s eyes lingered on yours for a moment longer, his leg finally still as the nervous energy dissipated. you could feel the shift in the air between you, something that felt more real, more grounded, like the beginning of something truly special.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

months had passed, and your new apartment was still half-filled with unpacked boxes, yet it already felt like home. the sunlight streamed through the window as you stood in the living room, trying to make sense of where to hang the last picture frame. jake was on the floor, fumbling with the assembly of a coffee table, muttering curses under his breath.

“you sure you don’t need help?” you teased, leaning against the doorway with a smile.

he glanced up, flashing you a sheepish grin. “i’ve got it. i think.” then, after another failed attempt to fit the legs together, he sighed dramatically. “okay, maybe not. wanna come rescue me?”

you laughed, walking over to him. kneeling beside him, you grabbed the instruction manual, skimming over it quickly. “you’re hopeless,” you teased, nudging him gently with your shoulder.

“hopeless?” he echoed, pretending to be offended. “i got us this far, didn’t i?”

“barely,” you retorted with a smirk, handing him a screwdriver.

as you worked together on the table, the soft hum of music from your phone filled the background. the moment was calm, but it felt familiar, like it always had when you were with jake. comfortable, easy.

“i was thinking about something earlier,” jake said after a quiet pause.

“oh yeah?” you glanced up at him as you tightened one of the screws.

“the night we met. at that party. you remember it?” He leaned back slightly, reminiscing with a small smile tugging at his lips.

you rolled your eyes playfully. “how could I forget? you were the only guy there not trying to impress people.”

jake laughed, shaking his head. “i was definitely trying to impress you. i just didn’t know how.”

you grinned at the memory, sitting back on your heels. “really? because i distinctly remember you spilling your drink all over your shoes when you tried to come over and talk to me.”

he winced. “okay, yeah, that was not my smoothest moment. but hey, you laughed. that was a win in my book.”

“i laughed because you were adorable. completely flustered,” you said, nudging him again.

he chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “i had no idea what to say. you looked so cool, like you had everything figured out. i was just the guy trying not to trip over his own feet.”

“you were cute,” you admitted with a soft smile. “i remember thinking you were different from everyone else there. you weren’t trying too hard, and you weren’t putting on an act. that’s what i liked.”

jake’s smile softened as he met your gaze. “and now look at us. from that messy party to... this.”

he gestured around the apartment, the boxes, the half-assembled furniture, and the growing life you two were creating together.

“it’s crazy, isn’t it?” you said, leaning against him. “If someone told me that night we’d be living together, I would’ve never believed them.”

“i had a feeling,” he said softly. “i mean, i didn’t know it then, but there was something about you. even from that first awkward conversation, i knew i didn’t want it to be the last.”

you looked at him, your heart swelling with affection. “i’m glad you didn’t give up after the drink spill.”

“hey, it was part of my charm,” jake teased with a grin, squeezing your hand.

“sure, let’s call it that,” you joked, resting your head on his shoulder.

jake wrapped his arm around you, pulling you close as you both sat back, admiring the space that was slowly becoming your shared home. the silence between you was comfortable, like a warm blanket of memories.

“i still can’t believe how nervous I was to ask you out that morning,” jake said after a while, his voice filled with amusement. “i was convinced you’d say no.”

you laughed. “how could i? after all that... there was no way I was letting you get away.”

he leaned in, kissing the top of your head gently. “well, good thing you didn’t. because this... all of this feels right.”

you smiled, closing your eyes as you sank into the moment. “yeah. it does.”

as you sat there together, the apartment around you still in progress, you realized that it didn’t matter if things were perfect. the only thing that mattered was that you were building it together. from that party where you first met to this shared life, every step along the way had brought you closer, turning small moments into something lasting and real.

and as jake pulled you even closer, you knew that this was just the beginning of everything you both still had to look forward to.

[swiftiethatlovesf1]

PR disaster

Hey guyss, I hope you enjoy this one-shot. Franco is one of my favourite drivers so it was time that I wrote something for him :)

From the moment Y/N was hired as Williams' new PR manager, she knew the job wouldn’t be easy, especially with Logan's departure. Managing a driver's exit was never simple, and controlling the public narrative seemed like her biggest concern. However, she quickly realized that her true challenge came in the form of Franco, the young talent who had taken Logan’s place in the team.

Franco wasn’t just an exceptional driver; he was a whirlwind of energy and charisma. For the fans and the press, he was a breath of fresh air, full of charm and wit. But for Y/N, he was a constant source of headaches. Whether he was flirting with journalists, posting cheeky comments on social media, or creating unnecessary drama, it always ended with her cleaning up the mess.

"Y/N, did you see his latest post?" One of her assistants burst into her office, waving a tablet in the air. Another post. Another reckless comment from Franco.

Y/N groaned. Of course, he couldn’t help himself. She had spent the last week trying to reign him in, explaining time and time again that his social media presence needed to be professional, not a flirt-fest with every reporter and fan that interacted with him.

"This needs to stop," she muttered to herself, standing up from her desk. She stormed through the paddock, her frustration building with every step.

When she found Franco lounging near the team garage, chatting up a group of reporters—no surprise there—she called his name sharply.

"Franco. A word." Her tone left no room for argument.

He flashed his signature grin, excusing himself from the conversation and strolling over to her. "Hey, jefa," he said casually, as if nothing was wrong. "What’s up?"

(Hey, boss)

“What’s up?” she repeated, her voice laced with exasperation. “You’re what’s up. I just had to deal with your latest ‘incident’ on social media—again.”

Franco shrugged, leaning against the wall with an easy confidence that only made her more irritated. "Ah, it was just a little fun. People like it when I’m myself."

Y/N crossed her arms. “Flirting with journalists isn’t being yourself, it’s being reckless. You need to tone it down. This is a professional environment, not… whatever you think it is.”

He raised an eyebrow, his playful demeanour never faltering. "¿Estás diciendo que no te gusta que sea encantador? No puedo evitarlo si soy irresistible." (¿Are you saying that you don't like that I'm charming? I can't help it if I'm irresistible.)

Y/N frowned, her Spanish rusty but enough to pick up on something. "What?"

Franco grinned wider, sensing an opportunity. "Nada, nada," he said, though his eyes sparkled with mischief. "You know, maybe you should try smiling more. You’re always so… serious." He tilted his head, looking her up and down in a way that made her feel like he was studying her every reaction. "Me gusta más cuando te ríes… tienes una sonrisa preciosa, ¿sabes?" (Nothing, nothing) (I like it better when you laugh … you have a beautiful smile ¿you know?)

Her brow furrowed. Okay, that part she definitely understood, and it only made her more determined to get her point across. “This isn’t about me, Franco. This is about you being impossible to manage.”

He leaned closer, his tone dropping just slightly, enough to make her feel the warmth of his presence. "¿Imposible? No, jefa. Imposible sería si intentaras resistirte a mis encantos. Aunque… lo estás haciendo muy bien." (¿Impossible? No, boss. Impossible would be if you tried to resist my charm. Even… if you are doing it well)

She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone. “What did you just say?”

Franco simply smiled, his eyes dancing with amusement. “You know, if you want me to be more ‘professional,’ we could… work out an agreement.”

“An agreement?” she asked, wary of where this was going.

He nodded, stepping just a little too close for comfort. “Sí. I’ll behave. No more trouble. But… on one condition.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes. “And what’s that?”

Franco’s grin turned almost predatory, though still playful. “You go on a date with me.”

Her jaw dropped. "A date?"

"Sí, una cita. You know, dinner, maybe some wine… you can lecture me all you want. But I think you’ll find I’m much better behaved when you get to know me… fuera del trabajo." (Yes, a date) (… out of work)

Y/N could feel her face heating up, partly from the absurdity of the situation and partly because Franco’s intense gaze was starting to get to her. “You’re joking.”

Franco tilted his head, eyes sparkling. “¿Parezco que estoy bromeando, jefa?” (¿Does it look like I'm joking, boss?)

Y/N stared at him, her mind racing. There was no way he could be serious. This was just another one of his games, another flirtatious comment that she needed to brush off. But as Franco stood there, grinning like the cat that got the cream, she realized he wasn’t backing down. His eyes were locked on hers, waiting, full of that infuriating confidence.

“Absolutely not,” she snapped, turning on her heel to walk away. But as she took a step, Franco called after her.

"Well, I guess I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing then… Maybe tweet a little something extra for the fans later."

She froze, clenching her fists at her sides. This man was impossible. She could already picture the chaos his next social media stunt would cause. The endless calls, the damage control, the headaches…

Y/N spun back around to face him. “Fine,” she blurted out, her voice filled with frustration. “You want a date? You’ll get your stupid date. But only if you promise—promise—to behave.”

Franco’s grin widened, looking almost triumphant. "¡Perfecto! I knew you couldn’t resist." (¡Perfect!)

She narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms. “This isn’t about ‘resisting,’ it’s about making sure you don’t ruin the team’s reputation. One dinner, and you tone it all down.”

Franco nodded, still smiling like she’d just handed him the world on a silver platter. "You won’t regret it, jefa. I’ll be a perfect gentleman." (boss)

Y/N scoffed, turning away once more. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

As she began walking back to her office, she could hear Franco’s voice calling after her, his tone teasing and undeniably smug. "No te preocupes, jefa. I’ll be on my best behaviour… unless you want me to misbehave a little." (Don't worry boss.)

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the small, almost begrudging smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. Franco was trouble, and she knew it. But for some reason, as infuriating as he was, she couldn’t help but feel a spark of something… interesting.

Grumpy or not, she’d agreed to the date. And she had a feeling this was only the beginning of whatever madness Franco had in store for her.

Here's part 2

[fxrmuladaydreams]

drunken bets (cs55)

carlos x mclaren social media!reader

summary: carlos makes a bet with a few other drivers, claiming that he can get you, a new (introverted) mclaren employee, to fall for him

notes: what can i say? i love writing driver x mclaren worker apparently 😂 i think it’s because she can be bffs with lando and oscar and that makes me soft. someone had to be the villian/bad influence so i’m sorry drunk pierre/lance. i hope you guys like the “she fell first, he fell harder” trope

next part

The music in the club blasts through the speakers. Drinks are thrown back as warm bodies dance, or more so grind, against each other to the beat.

Carlos feels the buzz from the alcohol coursing through him. He takes drink after drink. He deserves to relax after this race weekend, hangover be damned. He’s approached countless times by girls looking to spend some time with him, all to which he brushes off, choosing to go home alone at the end of the night.

“C’mon man, what’s up?” Lance asks as Carlos sends another breathtaking girl away. “You’re just not in the mood?”

“I don’t think he can do it. I think he needs his “smooth operator” title revoked.” Pierre drunkenly laughs.

Carlos scoffs, pushing Pierre away by his shoulder. “I could get any girl I wanted. Try me.”

Pierre grins and nods. “Alright,” he looks around the club and nods to a blonde at the bar. “How about her?”

Lance shakes his head. “No, that’s too easy. She’s been staring at him all night.”

Pierre points out a few more girls, all of whom have already expressed some kind of interest in the Spanish driver, until an idea pops into his head.

“What about that new McLaren girl?”

Carlos knew who he was talking about almost instantly. You were a newer part of McLaren’s marketing team. While most others from the team could be found creating content with the boys, you tended to keep yourself behind a computer. Lando said you were hired to do things like edit videos or photos, more behind the scenes stuff.

Others had taken an interest in you when you had shown up. A few engineers or pit crew from other teams attempted to get closer with you, all while you turned them down with a quick no. Hell, even Pierre tried to shoot his shot, but you very quickly shut him down.

You tended to stick closer to Lando and Oscar, both boys somehow able to get you to open up to them.

“You mean Y/n? She won’t date anyone.” Lance shrugs.

“Yeah, so I don’t think Mr. Smooth Operator could get her to date him.” Pierre smirks.

“I could.” Carlos is quick to defend. “Easy.”

“Alright then, let’s make this interesting. You get Y/n to have actual romantic feelings for you, and I’ll give you one hundred euros.”

Carlos reaches his hand out for Pierre to shake. “Deal.”

Carlos wakes up with a pounding headache the next morning, the sun streaming in way too bright through his hotel window. He drags himself out of bed and into the shower, attempting to feel a little more like a human before he actually has to go outside and face the world.

He eats a simple breakfast, something that doesn’t make him feel like he’s about to puke his guts all over his plate. Then he finally starts to pack his suitcase for his trip back home.

He checks his phone before pushing it into his pocket. He sees a few message notifications from Pierre and Lance.

From Lance

Insane night last night. I never want to drink again.

From Pierre

I honestly don’t remember much from last night, but I do remember a bet, and I can’t wait to be 100 euros richer

Carlos groans as he remembers the bet he made the previous night. There’s no way they’re going to let this go, they’ll make sure it hangs over his head until the end of time.

A selfish part of him wants to go on with the bet, to prove that even though he’s had some time being single for a while, he’s still a hot ticket item in the dating world. It wouldn’t hurt his image either, he thinks. If he’s seen pursuing and dating someone who isn’t a model it could make him look like he’s matured, like he’s ready to settle down instead of spending his nights in different beds wherever they travel.

From Carlos

I think you mean 100 euros poorer

The next race weekend he makes it a point to hang around the McLaren garage. No one’s surprised to see him there, given his close friendship with Lando, so the striking Ferrari red practically goes unnoticed in the sea of papaya.

He keeps an eye out for you as he sits with Lando, excusing himself when he spots you making your way towards them. You’ve got a set of headphones on over your ears, clearly enthralled by whatever you’ve got playing on the tablet you’re holding.

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and starts walking in your direction, scrolling through whatever social media app he happened to quickly open. He walks until his shoulder bumps into yours, a little too rough, nearly knocking the tablet out of your hands.

Carlos wraps an arm around your waist, keeping you upright, and manages to catch the tablet with his other hand.

“Are you alright?” He asks, flashing you a smile.

You nod and take a step back from him. “I’m okay, are you?”

He swipes a hand through his hair, then holds your tablet out for you to take. “I’m good. It’s Y/n, right?”

“Yeah, I’m at McLaren.” You tilt your head towards the McLaren garage.

“Yeah, I can see that.” He laughs, glancing down at your papaya team kit.

“Right, sorry.” You laugh. “I should probably go, filming and editing to do and what not.”

Carlos gives you a smile and a nod followed by a quick goodbye. He brushes his arm against yours as he walks away. He has to keep himself from looking back at you to see your reaction, but gets a text from Lando later in the day that gives him the satisfaction he was looking for.

From Lando

What did you do to my editor?

The next time Carlos sees you, he recreates your first meeting, bumping into you just so he can wrap his arms around you again.

“We have to stop meeting like this.” He laughs, holding you.

You laugh with him and shake your head. Your hands rest against his chest from attempting to catch yourself. “We really do.”

He smiles as he lets go of you, but keeps himself planted where he’s standing, giving you his undivided attention.

“I saw the recent McLaren video, it was really good. It kind of makes me wish you worked here when I was with McLaren.” He says tilting his head up teasingly.

“It’s mostly my coworkers, I pretty much just make it look good after it’s filmed.” You tell him, you duck your head down to avoid his gaze.

“Still.” He shrugs.

He’s pulled away by Charles after that, who gives you a quick hello before dragging Carlos back to Ferrari’s garage.

You see Carlos a lot more now around McLaren. You chalk it up to his friendship with Lando, but you begin to notice his seeking you out. He shares meals with you now, even if he ends up sitting with you while you’re focus is locked on your laptop.

Carlos is surprised to find that he’s started to genuinely enjoy your company, that he actually looks forward to seeing you every race weekend. He shakes away the feeling that blossoms in his chest whenever he sees you, afraid of becoming too attached.

That all flies out the window when he’s headed back to his hotel one day though. Dark clouds covered the sky, turning it almost black as rain poured down. You could hear thunder rumbling in the distance, likely headed towards the track.

Carlos sees you standing under the awning of McLaren hospitality, looking up at the sky. You’ve got your phone in your hand and a disgruntled look on your face.

He lifts his bright red umbrella up over his head and dashes over to the McLaren building. He puts his umbrella back down once he’s standing next to you, shaking the drops of water off.

“Did you forget an umbrella?” He asks.

You turn away from your phone to look up at him. He’s got a teasing smile on his face. The humidity in the air has made his hair impossibly fluffier, but somehow still picture perfect. He’s bundled up in a Ferrari windbreaker, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

“Yeah. And I walked here from the hotel today, so I can either try to get a taxi or I can wait until the weather clears up.” Just as you finish explaining your problem thunder booms above you.

Carlos shakes his head. “Yeah, no. I’m not letting you walk out in this.” He gestures to the sky.

“Well the other option is find a taxi.”

“I’ll drive you.” He says it as if it’s an obvious solution. Before you can respond he wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him so that you’re both under his umbrella, then starts walking towards the parking lot.

You try to keep up with his pace, occasionally bumping into him, but he makes sure to hold the umbrella over the both of you. He leads you to his car, and holds the umbrella over you as you climb into the passenger side.

You notice how water clings to his hair, drops falling down his coat on his right side, evidence of him prioritizing keeping you dry over himself.

“Carlos, you could get sick, and it’d be my fault.” You scold him.

He shrugs and gives you a smile. “Then you’ll just have to nurse me back to health.”

He parks at the entrance to the hotel McLaren had booked, and walks you into the building. When you expect him to leave, he places a hand on your lower back guiding you to the elevator. He walks you all the way to your door, and leaves you with a “goodnight” and a soft squeeze of your hand.

You get a text from him later that night.

From Carlos

Lando gave me your number. What time should I pick you up tomorrow?

From Y/n

You don’t have to, that’s okay

From Carlos

That’s not an answer cariño

You feel yourself start to smile at the message on your screen and text him what time you usually leave.

He picks you up the next morning, driving you to the track with him. You make conversation about little things like how you slept and what you had for breakfast. He’s quick to run over to your side of the car to open the door for you, and keeps himself close to you as you enter the paddock.

He meets you at the end of the day as well to drive you back to the hotel. He keeps up this new routine each race weekend following. He enjoys your company, and you seem to enjoy his. After a few weekends you could say you have a new chauffeur in the form of a Ferrari driver.

With this new closeness to Carlos comes a wave of media attention you should have expected. Photos are posted over social media of the two of you walking together, you looking up at Carlos with bright eyes, or him looking down at you with his doe eyes.

It’s easy to tell that all of the new attention makes you uncomfortable, but you don’t want to lose your friendship with Carlos so you stick it out. You’re grateful when you see a clip of an interview with Carlos where he’s asked about you, and he sets the record straight.

“There’s nothing going on, we just like to hang out together. We’re just friends.” He smiles.

Although you’re glad he’s put an end to the speculation, you can’t help but feel like your recent hangouts have been only barely platonic. After the nights you’ve claimed are “movie nights” that have turned into falling asleep in each other’s arms, it’s hard to put a platonic label on your relationship.

The first time it happens, it’s you who wakes up first. His chest is warm beneath your head, and his arms lock you against his body. You tilt your head up to look at him. His hair is unkempt, yet still looks effortlessly good. You reach up and brush a few strands away from his face. You watch him for a few minutes, wondering how you were so lucky to be spending your time with someone so beautiful. You rest your head back on his chest and let sleep wash over you again, listening to the soft beats of his heart.

Carlos wakes up not long after you’ve gone back to sleep, lifting an arm to run a hand through his hair. He can feel the little puffs of air from your breathing against his chest, his heart melts when you subconsciously nuzzle your face deeper into him to get more comfortable. You look so sweet, so soft, and a part of him hates himself for it. He let himself accept that stupid bet, and he let himself fall for you. He wishes he’d never let his friends talk him into making that bet, but he also decides he’d never trade the time he’s spent with you for anything.

He’s pulled out of his thoughts when you slowly lift yourself up off of him. He misses your warmth as soon as he can’t feel it anymore.

The two of you continue spending your evenings together, wanting nothing more than to keep falling asleep wrapped up in one another.

He finds himself searching for you in the crowd at parties and events, even those he knows you won’t be at, just so he can spend more time with you. He texts you everyday you’re apart to make sure that you’ve eaten and gotten enough sleep.

Carlos can’t bear the thought of being away from you for more than a week between races. He casually mentions that he’s going back to Spain for the small break, and asks if you want to join him.

You laugh and scoff shaking your head. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m serious, it could be fun. You could relax a little bit. I could take you on my boat. C’mon.” He persuades you.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude on your time off.”

“You’re not. I want you there, I promise. Please?” He takes your hands in his, swinging them back and forth. He gives you his best puppy dog eyes and bats his eyelashes at you.

“Alright, I’ll go with you.” You sigh, but can’t stop the smile from spreading over your face.

It’s different, sharing a space with Carlos outside of the four-walled hotel rooms you’ve stayed in for work. It feels intimate being with him in his home country. He books a private villa to stay in on the beach.

The trip quickly feels more romantic than friendly, what with him cooking your dinner for you, and your evenings in either the hot tub or curled up together on the couch.

You spend your days with Carlos on his boat. You reading a book you brought with you, and Carlos laying out in the sun to tan.

It’s hard not to stare at him, his tanned toned chest on display, while his swim trunks hang low on his hips. He has just as much trouble keeping his eyes away from you as well, he can’t help but watch you as you scamper around the boat in a different little bikini everyday.

Occasionally he convinces you to hop in the water with him, to which you reluctantly agree. You keep your arms locked around him when you feel something brush against your leg in the water. Carlos keeps a firm hold on your waist as he can’t stop laughing at your distress.

Eventually you get back on his boat and sit side by side on the edge, with your feet dangling in the water. You stare down at the crystal blue sea, looking for any creatures swimming around.

Carlos looks back out to the shore. The smile that’s been plastered on his face for the last few days falls when he sees a figure on the beach. They’re far enough away that he can’t really tell who it is, but close enough that he can see the camera in their hands.

He leans back and grabs a towel, laying it over your shoulders, covering up the skin you had on display. He wraps a protective arm around you and pulls you closer to his chest, in hopes that the photos he knows will be everywhere in a few days won’t be clear enough to reveal you in them.

That night he decides to cook on the boat, which turns out to be a little more chaotic than he’d originally planned. He struggles to keep everything straight, but finds it all worth it in the end when he gets to see you surrounded by the sunset. You look breathtaking, looking out into the sea. The soft breezes wisps your hair away from your face. The sinking sun casts a gold light to wash over you.

He wants to tell you how he feels, but he knows he needs to come clean. Maybe you’ll forgive him, he hopes you will. He needs to put this in the past so that he can love you publicly and wholeheartedly.

You quietly share your meal, then break the silence simultaneously.

“I have something I need to tell you.”

“Carlos-”

“You first.” He nods.

You take a deep breath. “Carlos, I want to thank you for bringing me here, and really for spending all this time with me. I’m glad you bumped into me at the paddock because I’ve gained a new friend from it. You’re one of the best men I know, and I really appreciate you taking care of me.”

“Thank you.” He feels his chest tighten at your words.

“The truth is, I’ve come to care about you a lot more than I thought I would. A few of the other drivers tried to ask me out when I was first hired, but I told them no. I was happy when you didn’t try to make a move on me, and instead wanted to pursue a friendship with me.” You look down at your hands, and fiddle with your fingers. “But if you did try to make a move on me now… I don’t think I’d mind it…” Your last sentence comes out quieter than the others.

“Really?” Carlos asks, a soft smile growing on his face.

You clear your throat. “What were you going to say?”

He can’t tell you now. He can’t poison this perfect moment, after you’ve confessed your feelings to him.

“I was going to say that I feel the same way.”

[dreamauri]

♪ — 𝗦𝗔𝗬 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗘𝗦𝗘 max verstappen x fem! videographer! reader x charles leclerc (fluff) “. . . charles and max fall in love with you.”

( main master list ) ( tag list | requests )

"Who's that, with Lando." Charles nudged Max's arm, nodding towards the girl following a laughing Lando with a camera. "I'm not sure." There was something about you that both boys couldn't quiet put a finger on. You seemed different from the others. The way your smile was brighter than the sun itself and out did the beauty of the moon. There was something about you.

The warm Italian sun kissed your cheeks as you stood in the paddock, filming your best friend and his teammate, Oscar, getting ready for the race. Little did you know, your camera caught the attention of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, who were watching you from a distance.

Hours and days went by and the two boys found themselves looking around for you, gravitated to you. "What are you doing?" Max asked first, accidentally jump scaring you. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you—" You broke out laughing face palming. "It's ok, It's ok." You assured him.

Music, all he could hear was music. Your voice, your laugh. Max thought he must've been in heaven. How could one person induce this much dopamine? "I'm Y/N." You shook his hand. Max felt his heart melt at how smooth your hand was, how delicate your skin must be against his rough ones. He was quick to pull his hand away, screen to tain your beautiful hands with his driving worn ones.

"Max." He introduced, a smile ad blush covering his cheeks.

★ ☆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"I am so sorry." Charles felt like it was the end of the world. He's accidentally turned into you and spilled all of his coffee into you. You could only giggle and shake your head. "That's alright. I forgive you." Pulling out a napkin, you gently wiped the liquid dry from his shirt.

"It's almost qualifying, I understand how stressful it must feel for you as a driver." You patted his chest gently. "I can go get you another one. I know you must be busy." You are an angel. Charles felt his heart flutter and stutter with each syllable that spilled from your mouth.

"Y—you must be busy too, I can'y—" "I have some free time." You smiled, shrugging it off. "How do you take your coffee?" If you asked, charles would get on his knees and kiss every inch of your skin.

The way you smiled, the look in your eyes, the way you giggled. He was convinced you were an angel.

★ ☆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Tada!" You held up the screen to your tablet showing the two drivers who watched the way you captured the city of Monte Carlo with beauty and art. "I took the videos on Wednesday and and edited them last night."

You've quickly become best friends with Max and Charles, showing them the art that you've constructed with each trip and race. "You're very talented." Charles complimented, watching your soft eyes examine your work. "You think so?" You smiled shyly. "Think? I want to hire you." Max chuckled taking a sip of his Redbull.

"Can we share?" Charles asked, making Max shrug. "It's up to her." You looked between both boys in disbelief. "Hire? I don't know? I— I've never thought of this as a job really." You stuttered feeling yourself shrink.

"Who said anything about a job? It's art. You can just tag along with us, and continue to have fun." "Think of it asss . . . a paid internship." Max snapped his fingers at Charles nodding. "What do you say?"

★ ☆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

You could feel yourself laugh as both boys walked into the camera frame making weird faces. The motion sickness from the Yacht had begun to wear out as soon as you begun filming moments shared around the boat, Charles steering in the cock pit, Max dancing to the music that played, the beautiful waves and the view of the Mediterranean sea and setting sun.

As soon as the two boys heard about you wanting to film in water, they didn't hesitate getting you on Charles yacht and going sailing for a few hours.

Needless to say, you created beautiful and permeant memories, dancing with the boys and learning how to steer a million dollar vehicle. You also taught the boys how to use your camera, which endded up with them taking videos of you running and dancing around.

You could feel your heart jumping out of your chest as Charles picked you up and ran over board with you. You could only laugh as you held onto his shoulders while he treaded. Max was laughing his ass of on deck, as he watched you climb back on board, shivering like a puppy.

beautiful meamories.

★ ☆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

As the champagne sprayed and the celebrations ensued, you found yourself drawn to a quiet corner of the paddock, lost in your thoughts. To your surprise, Charles appeared beside you, his expression earnest.

"I can see that something's bothering you." He said gently. "And I want you to know that I'm here for you, no matter what."

You took a deep breath, the words spilling out before you could stop them. "I . . . I care about you, Charles. And Max too. I don't know what to do. And not like care care. Like . . . like love you. Both."

He didn't look surprised by your confession. Instead, he reached out and took your hand in his kissing each otf them softly. "I understand," he said softly, "But let's not rush into anything. We'll figure it out together, okay?"

And just like that, a weight lifted off your shoulders. With Charles and Max by your side, you knew that no matter what the future held, you had two extraordinary men who cared deeply for you. And as the sun set over the paddock, you allowed yourself to be present in the moment, sharing your first kiss with Charles.

★ ☆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Say cheese." Both boys looked back surprised as you snapped a photo. They raised both of their trophies happily for the second photo, bright smiles and laughs covering their faces. A memory you framed in your home.

voice notes 🔊 . . . ( felt creepy with the camera? ANYWAYS would you all like a P2 with that good mfking smut (rough or love making? i honestly cant decide between cause they both have good pros) because who wouldn't want two hot men on top of them? )

[bangtanhoneys]

GRACE TOUR DIARY: April 2nd 2025 - New York City

If there was one thing Big Hit was good at, it was backup plans. 

The news had arrived at their hotel an hour after the concert had finished and Grace had gone to bed. Weather warnings of heavy snow and wind across Chicago and New York meant there would be travel disruptions but nothing major as of yet. However, as the hour passed, more updates were coming through to say the weather was getting bad and flights had been cancelled.

There was no other way of getting to New York City in the time they needed to so the staff were looking at hiring another private plane, yet flights were banned from leaving or coming to Chicago so that was off the cards. Trains meant it was a 20-hour journey on one train and then there was logistics of it all, with staff, dancers, luggage, bodyguards and security. 

The only other option was to hire cars.

And so before 5am, ten black SUVS had been hired to carry their dancers, staff, luggage and Grace from Chicago to New York City. And that’s what Grace woke up to at 5 am. 

By 5:30 am, she was dressed, packed away and looking over the plans with Sejin who had been on the phone to the team in Korea. 

“So it’s going to take about 13 hours to drive, but that’s without stops so we’re going to change drivers around so everyone can get a rest. We have to take the longer route as the other route has major road works on it which could delay us even further. We’ve delayed the meeting with the Mayor until tomorrow as he already knows the issues and everyone else with schedules has been informed of what’s going on. I have no doubt tomorrow will continue as planned. Still, for today, we’re not taking any chances,” Sejin explained to the small team around him which included the drivers, the bodyguards, Grace’s female manager and Grace herself. 

“I can drive as well as I’ve got my international licence,” Grace mentioned and she could see everyone look uneasy. “If only to help people take a break because I don’t want anyone getting into trouble or feeling unwell because they're trying to get me to New York. If I can help, I will.”

Which is how Grace found herself with a set of keys for one SUV to start the leg of the journey out of Chicago and to Toledo, where someone else would take over the next leg of the journey for her.  It wasn’t too bad, it was a bit big the car but the radio was on and Sejin was next to her. Her female manager, Hana, behind Sejin and a bodyguard next to her. Her luggage had taken over the boot.

The American highways were easy and straight, massive trucks going past on deliveries and if they hadn’t been in somewhat of a rush, Grace might have enjoyed the drive a little bit more and enjoyed what scenery she could see. 

They pulled into Toledo four hours later and swapped drivers, with Grace now in the back with Hana and Sejin in the front still. It was 11 pm in Seoul and she sent a quick message to the group chat, knowing it wouldn’t probably be picked up by any of the boys until later on in the day.

‘Snow across Chicago and New York. Just drove for four hours to Ohio and now we’re on the way to New York. Wonder if we can stop for burgers somewhere.’

Hobi, surprisingly, was the first one to read it and answer.

‘Jin-hyung and I are out having dinner! We’re thinking of you and your burgers. Stay safe. Don’t drive like a maniac.’ Accompanying the message was a GIF of Stray Kids dancing to their song Maniac. 

There was nothing more she could do in the car other than catch up on sleep, check the weather, check the time, and talk to Hana about whatever popped into her head and by the time Grace opened her eyes again, she could see the Big Apple looming ahead.

“New York New York, it’s a hell of a town,” she sang under her breath but Sejin had heard her, causing him to laugh. It had been a long 9 hours from their break in Toledo to a small town outside of Pittsburg where they changed drivers and cars again and then another break in another small town just before they made the last part of the journey.

They rolled into the underground parking at 7 pm and they were all tired, sore, in need of stretching their legs and just in general need of a rest. Sejin had been managing their schedule with every mile of the journey and while the day had been a washout due to the weather, tomorrow’s schedule would go as planned. Up early to go for a meeting with the Mayor, a tour of the 9/11 Memorial and museum and then it would be onto Jimmy Fallon. 

Grace had never been more happy to see a hotel bed in her life and it didn’t take much for her to climb into the many layers of covers, fluff up the pillows and go straight to sleep without the usual nerves and worries at her heels. The trip across five states had worn everyone out and while the alarm was early, it wouldn’t be another wake-up call at 5 am. 

New York welcomed Grace when she opened her curtains to see the sun shining and the snow starting to melt, city workers were already out to clear up as much as they could and while the news had been reporting about the snowstorm, there were a couple of channels talking about the upcoming Grace concert. Thankfully no fans had been brave enough to try and camp outside in the horrible conditions for merchandise or catch a glimpse but there had been record sales of her two nights at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. 

The meeting with the Mayor was nothing more than a ‘welcome to New York’ and Grace posed with the Mayor and his staff, all showing finger hearts to the camera and the pictures were soon posted to social media not long after Grace had left. And with a police escort, it was off to the 9/11 memorial. There would be no BANGTAN BOMB filming for this one, this would just be a personal visit with one photographer to capture a couple of photos but it would be minimal. It was not something that Grace felt like it needed to be broadcasted.

However, that didn’t stop the news from spreading and articles soon appeared, especially online blogs, where they spoke briefly about her visit to the City Hall and then the 9/11 memorial but they more spoke about her Karen Millen belted dress that had been picked specially for the meeting and for the memorial. They talked about how it complimented the first day, how black was appropriate, and how her black heels made her look taller but they weren’t stilettos or stripper heels. 

“No one cares about anything other than fashion,” Grace sighed as she handed the phone back to Hana. 

“The dress has sold out as well,” Hana commented as she left the room as Sejin wandered in. 

“The Grace effect,” he chuckled as he took a seat at the table in the lavish hotel suite and helped himself to the small buffet the hotel had provided for lunch. 

The Grace in question snorted to herself and finished off her cup of tea, letting out a large yawn and stretching up her arms. “So,” she said once she finished trying to wake herself up. “Jimmy Fallon - they start filming at 5 pm, don’t they but we’re recording the performance at 3 pm.”

“They’ve got a selected audience ready for the performance recording, half are ARMY and half are regular people. And then at 5 pm, they start the actual recording for the interview and it should take about an hour and a half or maybe two, depending. So we’ll be back at the hotel by at least 7 pm,” Sejin confirmed as he finished off the selection of sandwiches he had picked.

“And rehearsals start tomorrow morning.”

“Rehearsals start at Barclays tomorrow and you’ve got a full day of them as we’re a bit behind but you’ve got that basketball tomorrow night. And then obviously the day of the concert, soundcheck, a couple of interviews mid-afternoon then the concert itself,” Sejin reeled off without having to look at his phone for the schedule since he knew it by heart. He had to know it off by heart so he could keep his team and everyone else in check. 

There were no nerves for Grace as they made their way to the studios to film Jimmy Fallon. He was one of the few interviews who got things right and didn’t make it awkward, didn’t treat them any differently, and respected them as a band and individually. She remembered meeting him the first time, how he had fallen in love with all of them but Jimin especially. And that had been clear when Jimin had done his solo trip there, how accommodating Jimmy was of a young man who was just finding his feet on his own. And the interview with Yoongi was another indication that Jimmy had done his research and had known his favourite group enough to ask the right questions, including basketball.  

Grace knew Jimmy wouldn’t be asking the awkward questions tonight. She hoped.

He was already there waiting for her and it surprised her as he walked over, hand out ready to shake hers. “Miss. Chu,” he said in a fake posh British accent which had her laughing. “Mr. Fallon,” she replied and shook his hand which made Jimmy grin and hug her instead.

“Welcome back to New York! We’re excited to have you here and I can’t wait to come to the first concert, I’ve got tickets with my family.”

“Oh really? Well, make sure you bring them backstage so I can meet them,” Grace said as she darted a glance towards Hana who nodded and made a note on her phone.

“Amazing! I’ll let you get to your rehearsal for your performance which I can’t wait for, I’ve been gushing about it forever and then I’ll see you later on for your interview. Nervous?”

“With you? Never,” she grinned.

A small rehearsal for her performance without her costume meant it was easy sailing. While it was harder to pull off a grand dance routine on such a small stage, the dancers adapted quickly and before anyone knew it, it was time to record the performance. It was like being in Korea, someone coming up and explaining what would happen, when to cheer, when to applaud, how long it would take, etc. 

She could see who was ARMY from the side of the stage. The merchandise they were wearing gave it away and while they didn’t have their ARMY BOMBS, she could see a glimpse of who their bias was with the BT21 characters on clothes or jewellery. So while she didn’t have the boys with her, she did have the next best thing. 

The performance of 7 Rings went off like a house on fire. The crowd were so responsive, especially to a remix of the track to make it different to any other performance and the purple outfit Grace had specifically worn in respect to her fans had caught the attention of people on Twitter. 

However, while the performance was regarded as one of the best across social media, the interview that came afterwards would gain millions of views and be talked about all the way up to Grace’s two concerts in Brooklyn.

Holding the vinyl cover of the ‘In My Head’ album and the cover of the ‘Here In My Arms’ mini album, Jimmy beamed at the camera. He went to open his mouth but the screams blocked out anything he had to say, causing him to pause for more than 10 minutes until the crowd calmed down enough so he could begin his introduction. 

“Our next guest,” he paused just in case the screams started again, “is an eight-time 

Grammy-nominated artist and won two Grammys only earlier this year! A global music icon, part of one of the biggest bands the world has ever seen which some of you know as BTS. Her debut album, In My Head, continues to break world records in streams and has been the Billboard Number 1 album for two months, and it shot back to the top of the charts again with her world tour, including the mini-album released only earlier this year - that broke records in its own right. She’s in New York for two sold-out concerts, which sold out in 10 seconds. 10 seconds! Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a pleasure to introduce you to Grace Chu!”

Grace took a deep breath and walked out to the stage, pausing only briefly to bow to the crowd who were so loud it took her breath away as she laughed and headed towards Jimmy. It was the usual hugs, pausing to show her off to the crowd, to marvel at her outfit which had been specifically chosen for the night - a vintage Alexander McQueen 1997 black dress, with two dragons that intertwined each other up to her chest. A pair of Louboutin heels and emerald earrings to match the emerald bracelet she received from Grace. To keep it simple and easy, her blonde hair was styled up into a sleek bun. 

“Now, before we start and before you say anything, I want to hear your accent because not many people know about this,” Jimmy started the interview. “So Grace, if you wouldn’t mind and turn to the camera there,” he pointed out the one in question, “and introduce yourself.”

Grace hid her smile and turned to the camera, bowing slightly. “Good evening, my name is Grace Chu and it’s a pleasure to be on the Jimmy Fallon show.” Her British accent made those watching at home later on pause, frantically Google her name so they could see why she had a British accent and wasn’t speaking Korean. 

“When I first met you and I heard you speak, I was blown away. I was expecting Namjoon’s American accent, but that’s a proper British accent you have. And obviously, most people expect you to speak Korean.”

“It is amusing when most people interviewing us, especially abroad, turn to look at the translator for my answer and then look at me weirdly as if I’ve started speaking another language that’s not English and not Korean,” Grace shrugged with her hands up as if to say ‘what can you do?’

“So you’re half British and half Korean, correct? And you were born in Manchester?”

“So my Dad is from South Korea and my Mum is from London. And they met while my Dad was working in London and he had to travel to Manchester, where I was born, for his job so obviously my Mum came with him. We lived there for seven years and then we had to move to Germany for Dad’s work. I think I was about ten when we officially moved to South Korea, to Suwon-si where my grandparents live. And then we moved to Seoul a year later.”

“You can speak German?” Jimmy asked, looking completely baffled as if this was complete news to him.

Grace grinned and nodded, asking him how he was in perfect German.

“Is there any language you can’t speak?”

“My Japanese is terrible. Namjoon is always on my case to take more lessons in Japanese.”

Jimmy snorted behind his hand as he brought up the most recent photo of BTS which was taken just after Hobi came home.

“BTS,” he started then paused when the screams started causing Grace to look startled as she stared at the crowd in amazement. ‘Wow,’ she mouthed with a laugh, giggling as she turned back to look at Jimmy.

“The group,” he said instead and playfully glared at the audience. “You’ve been with them since they first debuted and here you are now, on your own. Have they given you any advice? Or have they had any involvement in your album and tour?”

Grace paused, tilting her head. “The album was made without any input from them mostly because it was my first time where I had creative control over what songs, lyrics, music, videos, and outfits. That was all mine. But there were times when I went to Namjoon or Yoongi, Hobi, any of them and questioned every move that I made, wondering if I was doing the right thing or if this was even a good idea.”

“Good thing you did listen to them as you’ve won two Grammys and you’ve been on the Billboard for two months when the album first came out and back at the top since you landed in Los Angeles for your tour, which has broken Yoongi’s records.”

She bashfully smiled and hid her face when the crowd approved by clapping loudly.

“Has it been hard though?”

“It’s been quiet,” Grace started with a snort of laughter. “But it’s tough because it’s only me and the dancers but I’m on stage for 95% of the time and it’s not like Jungkook is going to appear and do his solo song to give me a break or six other members to take your place so it is tough but ARMY keep me going and their support means a lot.”

She turned towards those she could see in the crowd and saw their finger hearts which made her smile and return those affections.

“Now,” Jimmy grinned as he paused and held down the next card, “since you're here.”

“Oh no,” Grace whispered as she covered her eyes.

“We have to talk about this.”

She didn’t need to know what picture Jimmy was showing because she knew by the noise that met said picture. 

A peek through her hands told her everything she needed to know. 

The most recent picture of Seokjin, where his hair had grown back to its usual length, had been taken from his Instagram and she was pretty sure she had taken that picture. Grace caught the teasing grin Jimmy sent her way and she sighed, bracing herself for what was coming next.

“You’ve been together for seven years and you released a mini-album on your anniversary, which also broke records. I just have to ask, are we going to be seeing him on your tour?”

It wasn’t the question she had expected if she was honest. She had been expecting something worse and something dirty, especially concerning the lyrics from her Here In My Arms album but it was a simple enough question that exposed more about their relationship than any other question could.

“Maybe,” Grace started and smirked at the cheers. “Maybe. Obviously, our schedules are planned nearly a year in advance and I’ve always said I never wanted to overshadow what the boys were doing in terms of their solo careers so we will have to see.”

“Is he here already?” Jimmy asked, leaning forward.

“As far as I’m aware,” Grace checked her watch, “it’s 6 am in Seoul. So I would imagine he’s currently sleeping off dinner.”

Jimmy pouted, obviously wanting the main exclusive that the power couple would be seen on stage in his hometown of New York but it seemed it just wasn’t going to happen. The rest of the interview flicked from funny to serious with questions ranging from any funny moments with the boys to life in England and she finished off her stint on Jimmy Fallon by doing the karaoke segment that Ariana Grande made famous with the Evanescence rendition. 

“Well done, that went perfectly,” Sejin greeted her after it was all said and done and she said her goodbyes to Jimmy, and to the staff and got in the car to head back to the hotel. 

The next morning, while it wasn’t too much of an early start, Grace woke up early enough to take a shower and do her skin routine. Breakfast was simple as to not give her a heavy stomach and by 10 am, the team were driving through the streets of New York - from the famous 5th Avenue, past the famous Flatiron Building, and onto the Manhattan Bridge and through Brooklyn until they came up to the Barclays Center which had advertisements for her tour all over the LED screens. 

The stage was already set up and the dancers were warming up on various parts of the stage or near the seats where 17,000 fans would be packed in over two nights. This stadium would mark the end of the American leg of the tour and the moment she was done, she’d be back on a plane again.

Rehearsals seemed to go quickly and by 5 pm, she was out of the stadium and dressed up to attend her first basketball game. While it hadn’t been a decision made by her, it was more promotional than anything, she found herself courtside where all the cameras were pointed to see who would be taking up the VIP seats. Sejin was next to her as was a bodyguard who sat just behind the two of them and she knew how Taylor Swift felt every time the camera panned to her instead of the players. 

It didn’t help that Yoongi’s Hageum song would play at intervals where her face would be plastered all over the screen. But it was a good game, she got some photos to send back to Yoongi when he would be awake to see them and of course, there were the usual photos with players.

The day of the concert, the sun was out and the hustle and bustle of New York City was well underway by the time Grace rolled out of bed. The day of the concert always had her somewhat nervous, the questions of what could happen would roll around in her head until she got to the stadium to do her soundcheck and run through whatever they had discussed the night before. 

Time passed quickly - shower, breakfast, interviews with local TV stations or magazines, then straight to the stadium to do soundcheck mid-afternoon, a quick run-through of two parts where they had to make some adjustments and finally, the time rolled around where she was under the stage, hearing the fans explode into excitement as the VCR started to fade out. 

No matter how many times she did it, no matter how big of a crowd, no matter if it was abroad or in South Korea - just the noise of the crowd, the ARMY BOMBS, the costumes some people were wearing when her eyes would catch sight of them, everyone singing along, knowing the words or even some of the dance moves, all of it made her hairs stand up and the worries of the tour wash away within the first half an hour. 

The New York crowd was so responsive, especially when she welcomed them to the In My Head tour, standing there for 10 minutes and letting the noise of every person in the stands wash over her like it was the first time. 

When the opening chords of Save Me started to play, Grace could see everyone doing Jimin’s signature dance move that had been openly mocked by the group themselves. Catching one of the dancer’s eyes, she grinned and nodded and soon followed, sweeping her arm in front of her as she got to the chorus and without much encouragement, the seven other dancers followed and swiftly executed the choreography after a bit more teasing. 

“New York City,” Grace paused as she stood on the stage for the final part where she would finish off the concert with Dangerous Woman. “Thank you so much for spending your night with us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for breaking your own records by selling out both nights in 10 seconds, you’ve been one of the best crowds so far and I can’t wait to come back with the boys. Love you all.”

ARMY was still singing as Grace was lowered back down to underneath the stage, the ending chords of Dangerous Woman still playing as she reached the bottom where staff were on hand to take away her microphone and in-ears. And for the first time, Grace had to admit, she had left the stage on a high - there were no uncertain thoughts, no worries, no stress or anxiety. If there was going to be a concert that had been the turning point for Grace and what she was capable of, then this would be the concert to do that. 

Back at the hotel room, kicking off her shoes with a sigh as her tired feet met the carpet, her eyes caught a massive bouquet waiting for her on the coffee table in the living area of her suite. 50 red roses were sitting in a clear vase filled with water, and a teddy bear that was dressed in a t-shirt that said ‘I Love New York’ was sitting next to the bouquet with an envelope.

Grinning to herself, Grace opened the envelope to one simple note that read: ‘Two days to go - J.’

[purplephantomwolf]

Savoring The Finish Line

Chapter Four

Story Synopsis: Max Verstappen falls in love with a woman who owns a bakery.

Note: This is not an accurate portrayal of how the real people in this act. I do not know them personally, so I will not be portraying them accurately. Also, this is not an accurate portrayal with how a bakery works. I did my best with research, but it's not 100%.

Warnings for this chapter: Badly translated French

Previous chapters: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three

Next Chapter: Chapter Five

Masterlist

March 15, 2022

     I shiver when a blast of air conditioning hits me as I step off the airplane into the Bahrain airport. I adjust my backpack on my shoulder as I look around for baggage claim. Following the signs, I arrive at the carousel. Grabbing my suitcase, I head for the taxi line up. I climb into the first open taxi. “Uh, the Hilton please,” I say, giving the driver the address. I sit back as he takes off. 

     “Thank you,” I say, climbing out of the taxi. I grab my bags and pay. I enter the hotel, and my jaw drops as I look around. The hotel is beautiful. “Wow,” I whisper, walking up to the front desk. “Hello, I’m here to check in. My name is Adaline Claret,” I say. The employee quickly gets me checked in, and I head up to my room. Unlocking the door, I throw my bag onto the bed. I fling open the curtains and look at the view. “This is beautiful,” I think aloud. I look out and spot the track. “I can’t believe this is actually happening.” My stomach growls loudly, letting me know that I need to eat lunch. “Okay okay, let’s go find a place to eat,” I hum. 

     I wander the streets of the city looking for a place to eat. I spot a small restaurant and head inside. I’m quickly greeted and sat down. I order the first thing off the menu that looks good. 

     Once my food comes, I inhale it. “This is delicious,” I mumble to myself. I pay after finishing and head out to explore the city. I wander the streets taking in the sights. As it gets dark, I head back to the hotel. 

     I fall onto the bed, pulling up Estelle’s contact. I hit call and wait as it rings. “Bonjour, Adaline. How was the first day in Bahrain?” Estelle asks, after answering. 

     “It was great. The city is beautiful; the food is great. Are Elise and Lacey behaving themselves?” I ask. 

     “They’re being angels, don’t you worry,” Louis assures me. 

     “Oh good. It feels weird to not be working right now. I haven’t taken time off since I opened it,” I say.

     “Cherie, we’ve tried convincing you to take time off. It would be good for your health. You spend too much time working, it’s not healthy,” Estelle complains. 

     I sigh, “I know, I know. I just don’t want to close the bakery. Maybe I’ll hire some other bakers.”

     “I think that would be a good idea. If you do that, you can keep the bakery open when you take vacations,” Estelle agrees. I nod even though they can’t see me. 

     “Yeah, I’ll start looking once I’m back home,” I declare.

     “Okay, that sounds good. We’ll let you go to bed now. I’m sure you’re exhausted after the long day of traveling,” Louis says. 

     “Okay, good night. Let me know if there’s any issues with Lacey and Elise,” I respond, yawning. 

     “Good night, Adaline,” Louis and Estelle say, before hanging up. I quickly get ready for bed, before falling face first into the pillows. I quickly fall asleep. 

************************************************************************

March 18, 2022

     I leap out of bed as my alarm rings. “I can’t believe I’m actually getting to see Formula 1 in action today,” I gasp, doing a little happy dance. I race around the room getting ready. The first free practice until 3, but I want to explore the paddock. I head downstairs for breakfast, grinning. 

      After eating, I hail a taxi. “Bahrain International Circuit, please,” I request. The driver pulls away from the hotel, and my excitement ramps up. I stare out the window, grinning as I see the circuit grow larger.  

     “Thank you,” I thank the driver as I climb out. I pull my paddock passes out of my bag and hang them around my neck. I walk up to the gate and scan my pass. I walk into the paddock and stand to the side. My head is constantly moving as I try to take everything in. My eyes widen as I see Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc walk past me. I take off down the paddock, looking for the Red Bull hospitality.

     I spot the hospitality and nervously approach it. “Okay, Adaline. You got this. You’re supposed to be here,” I mumble to myself, trying to calm my anxiety of being in an unknown place by myself. I scan the pass and the door unlocks. I grin and walk in, looking around. The hospitality is really nice and has a row of windows on the back that show the track. I walk over to them and look out. “This is so cool!” I gasp, looking down the pit lane. I check my bag and make sure I have Louis’ Ferrari hat. I promised him that I’d try to get Charles to sign it. I head out of the Red Bull hospitality and look up and down the paddock. I spot Charles and start to make my way towards him. 

     “Bonjour, Charles. Je suis désolée de vous déranger, mais pouvez-vous signer ce chapeau, s’il vous plaît? (Hello, Charles. I am sorry to bother you, but can you sign this hat, please?)” I ask him, when there’s a lull in his conversation. Charles looks surprised to see me talking to him in French. 

     “Bien sur, (Of course)” Charles smiles, taking the hat and my marker from me. He signs it quickly and hands it back, before going back to his conversation. 

    “Merci beaucoup, (Thank you very much)” I respond, before walking away. I grin and walk back towards the Red Bull hospitality, tucking the hat into my bag. 

     “Adaline!” I hear my name called. I turn around, knowing it can only be one person.

     “Bonjour, Max,” I grin, as he walks up to me. 

     “I am so glad you could make it!” Max says, holding the door to hospitality open for me. 

     “Trust me, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Thank you so much. This is amazing,” I enter the building, looking back at him. 

     “It’s nothing, I’m happy you are here,” he grins at me. He puts a hand on the small of my back and guides me further into the hospitality. “Let me show you around. This is where most people watch the race from because it’s comfier than the garage. Your pass will get you into the garage, so if you’d like to watch from there, you can.” Max explains as he starts walking. 

     “I will be watching from your garage everyday this weekend. Is it okay if I wear Red Bull merch? Or should I avoid that?” I blush, looking down at my outfit. 

     “It’s okay to wear the merch,” Max laughs. He leads me down some stairs, and the noise of Formula 1 cars gets louder. I feel my excitement climb. “And this is the Red Bull garage.” Max says, pushing open the door. He flourishes his arm, showing it off. My eyes widen and jaw drops. 

     “Max, this is amazing. Thank you,” I breathe out. My head goes every which way as I try to take in everything. Max goes over to a wall of headphones and grabs a pair.

     “These are for you. It can get quite noisy in here,” Max shouts over the noise of the wheel guns. I take the headphones from him and put them over my ears. I give him a thumbs up and grin. He laughs, giving me thumbs up back. Max gestures to the back of the garage and I nod, following him. I take the headphones off and Max says, “This is where you’ll watch from.” 

     “Okay, sounds great,” I grin. Max glances at his watch and looks back.

     “I have to go get ready for practice one. Have fun,” he grins and backs up. 

     “I will! Be safe!” I shout for him to hear me, before putting the headphones back on. I can hear Red Bull’s radios through the headset. I grin and watch the screens intently, trying to interpret the data. 

************************************************************************

     I grin as practice one comes to a close. Max jumps out of his car and heads for his engineers to discuss the data. I take this break to go and find something to eat. I head up the stairs to the hospitality for lunch. 

     I munch on a sandwich that I’ve found as I look out across the track. I jump when I hear a voice behind me. “Did you enjoy the first practice?” Max grins, rounding the table. 

     “I did, it’s so exhilarating to watch,” I say, eyes shining with excitement. Max laughs and nods. 

     “It’s exhilarating to do,” he smiles. 

     “I’m sure,” I say, finishing my sandwich. 

     “I remembered that I don’t have your number. May I get it?” Max asks me, blushing a little. He holds out his phone to me. 

     I grin and nod, grabbing his phone from him. I slide him my phone so he can put his number in. 

     After I give Max his phone back, he glances at his watch and groans. “It’s almost time for me to get back in the car.”

     “Let’s get you back to the garage,” I laugh. I stand up and throw away my trash. Max follows me to the garage. He walks over to the car, glancing over at me quickly. I smile and nod to him, and he nods back. He hops in the car and I can feel the roar of the cars in my bones. I grin as Max pulls out of the garage. 

************************************************************************

     I fall into bed, exhausted. I close my eyes and am about to fall asleep when my phone rings. “Hello,” I answer it, without looking at the caller id. 

     “So, tell me about today!!” I hear Louis say, excited. 

      I’m immediately wide awake. “Oh it was awesome! I saw Max. He gave me a tour of the Red Bull hospitality. I also talked to Charles Leclerc. I got your hat signed. It was exhilarating to watch. You could feel the roar of the engines in your bones from the garage.”

     “We’ll have to try to get tickets to Monaco,” Louis says, “I haven’t been to a race in years.”

     “I think so too. It would be fun,” I nod, yawning, “I should get to bed. Tell Estelle I say hello.”

     “I will. Have a good night, cherie,” Louis says. 

     “Good night, Louis,” I say, hanging up. I quickly change into my pajamas, and set my alarm for the morning. I crawl under the covers and fall into a deep sleep.

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

Taglist: @milaeth @fanboyluvr

[davycoquette]

random dreamscape snippet

Collaborative writing character intro. Silas, the "cabbie," is a witch who can enter people's dreams. He works as a private investigator, and has been hired by Dalton's wife to confirm her suspicions.

Oh, Dally-Wally. What a mess you’ve made of things.

Dalton Waller was prone to false awakening dreams. He’d always been, ever since he was a kid growing up in Bumfuck, North Dakota. He’d go through the whole process: hear the rooster crow, rise from bed, brush his teeth, inhale some lukewarm oats, wait for his bus in the biting cold, hit the same pothole day in and day out, get to class, listen to the demonic snickering roll like a wave through homeroom: the classic Forgot to Wear Pants to School nightmare. He stopped falling for it, after a while. Learned to pinch himself, and eventually just to sit up; then he was awake in earnest.

It didn’t stop the dreams from happening. When he met the future Mrs. Waller in physics class in Oregon, he once dreamed he woke and sneaked into her dorm room. A few years later, he dreamed he rose from bed and immediately spoiled the proposal he’d planned for their California trip the following week.

But tonight, Dalton wasn’t dreaming about Ava Waller. He was dreaming about Sierra — oh, what was her last name, again? — and a taxi ride over to her place for an early morning romp. Part of him knew it was one of Those Dreams. They couldn’t do this — they had jobs; they’d met at work! She’d catered an event at his firm. Hit it off, exchanged social media under innocuous pretense. Exchanged likes, comments. Private messages. Life stories.

Since it was a dream, he didn’t mind swatting the usual nagging thoughts about his two kids out of his head.

Dalton had never actually hooked up with Sierra, but it did occupy his every waking (and sleeping, but we’ll get to that) thought. He spent his free time messaging her, grinning at his phone. All the while he became increasingly distant from Ava. Stayed later at work for the privacy it afforded. Told himself he was just working harder for his family. The usual song and dance; the emotional affair preceding a physical one.

He didn’t realize Ava was onto him. She didn’t know the details, of course, but she had her suspicions, and she’d be damned if she was going to let Dalton keep pulling the wool over her eyes.

Anyway, the taxi ride: Dalton felt vaguely lucid and wanted to fast-forward through it, but traffic seemed pretty congested in the dreamscape, this morning.

The cabbie fucked with the radio dials, changing from a station that apparently aired nothing but the nonsensical babbling of an infant to a laugh track.

“Can ya turn that down?” Dalton asked.

The cabbie grinned back at him. A Cheshire grin. Dalton found his driver's sleepy blue eyes ominous. He willed himself to wake up again, but the eyes pulled him back in, holding him as if underwater.

“Sorry, boss,” the driver replied, and turned down the laugh-track station. “Hey, it’s a right up here, yeah?”

Dalton squinted, then said, “No, not this next one. Field House, a couple blocks down.” He pulled a double take at the tall yellow grass passing by the windows. “…Where are we, again?”

“Where are we?” the black-haired cabbie echoed.

“Devil’s Lake.” Dalton furrowed his eyebrows. “North Dakota.”

“Is this where Sierra lives?”

“Sierra lives offa Field House. On Third.”

The cab-driver gave a little hyena chuckle, then pulled over onto a busted curb. Dalton hurried to let himself out, and looked over the roof of the taxi at the cabbie as he too climbed out of the car.

They were in a North Dakota field, alright, except Sierra’s semi-high-rise apartment building stood in the middle of it, and the sidewalks were in apocalyptic disrepair, and while familiar, nothing was right.

And his cab driver was wearing the kinda hat a ship captain might wear paired with a Hawaiian button-down.

“My fare,” the cabbie prompted.

Dalton passed him a handful of oxidized pennies, which the young man palmed into his mouth.

“Alright, champ.” The cabbie slapped him hard between his shoulders. “You have fun, now.” Something in his voice — his voice itself — it had the cadence of Dalton’s father, and the moment was almost precisely the same as one in which he was dropped off for a middle school baseball practice. Late March, unseasonably warm. He could feel the baseball mitt in his hand, but when he looked down, it was just his hand, and the cabbie wasn’t his father but a stranger with eyes he couldn’t stand to look into. They seared his retinas like he'd stared into the sun.

He turned and strode away toward Sierra’s apartment building, and the cab driver sat on the hood of the taxi, apparently to wait.

As Dalton put distance between them, the gravitational pull of his body dragged the edges of his dream until the cab and the driver sat at the fringes. Time and space grew tenuous here, and from his perch on the hood the driver felt content to wait on this precarious ledge with yellow prairie grass swaying on his right, a surreal swirl of cloud and celestial dust encroaching on his left.

I feel bad for tagging because this one is so weird and disjointed but @fortunatetragedy 👀 If you want fewer like this pls let me know!

[lescarbille]

You know what tonight I'm in a very special mood so I just share extract of every Landoscar & Carcar WIP/Pieces of stories I have on my computer that I will post.

Pt. 1 / Pt. 2

Our daddies kissing in a tree | Landoscar | Future fic & Kid fic | Long OS

“Listen, Oscar, I'm willing to admit on live television that you should have been the 2028 world champion if you agree to our girls having play dates.”

Oscar always found Lando slightly eccentric. 

At a time, the blessed one, when he was still a young driver and not competing for a world championship, he found this characteristic endearing. He ended up hating it like everything else about Lando until he left Formula 1 and realised that half of the resentment came from stress and the rest from buried, unacknowledged feelings. 

Oscar opens his mouth and immediately closes it. 

His daughter, his chaotic little Diane, has just exploded seventeen paint bombs throughout her summer camp, dragging Olivia, Lando's adopted daughter, down with her. Olivia, if Max's testimonies are to be believed, is the smartest, most adorable and kindest little girl, far from chaotic and mischievous like Diane. 

Why does a responsible parent want his daughter to play with his lovely gouache kamikaze?

“What ?”

“Olivia and Diane, friend,” Lando shortens, flapping his arms. 

“They have just transformed a holiday camp into a military camp using gouache.”

“I know.”

His accident at Silverstone in 2030 has messed up his head harder than Oscar thinks.

Down Bad | Carloscar | Girl!Oscar | Long OS or Short Multiple chapter story

“Our arrangement no longer holds? Or are you upset because I was better than you for the fifth time in a row?”

Carlos was wrong to think that Oscar was a demon. She is the devil incarnate. 

She looks at him with a satisfied look, red lips, and a smirk, her hand is still secure on his tie and she tortures him. She tortures him in the prettiest way possible, she gets under his skin, into his heart and corrupts him with the sweetest poison. 

“Ferrari messed up its strategies.”

“I told myself that behind his big eyes there wasn’t much, it’s surprising that Twitter calls you Ferrari’s best strategist.”, she seems to think. “Or not.”

And she pulls him into her room because that's always how it starts. She is the devil, and she knows her Mephistophelian dance. And damn, Carlos wants to dance it for the rest of his life.

Je t'aime l'été (link) | Landoscar | Summer Love AU | Long story

“O” or maybe “C”?

Is Charles Lando's true love? 

Red Cheeks and Reverse papaya cap | Landoscar | Landoscar Beef and Ferrari!Oscar | OS

Lando frowns as he looks at the apple peel in a barrel. He shouldn't believe the village fair witches.

Lando has to admit it. Ferrari may be bad at strategies, but they are resourceful when it comes to jokes. The entirety of McLaren hospitality is covered in a thick, red, gooey mixture.  This Asshole of Oscar Piastri. It's his fault.  “What is that?” asks Andrea. “Who did that ?” What are you going to do? Repaint McLaren hospitality red? If Oscar had apologized after blocking him at Spa, they wouldn't be here four months later. Ferrari should have known that a rookie wasn't a good idea, and Oscar Piastri is the worst they've ever had.

Your Breath in My ears | Landoscar | Race Engineer!Oscar | OS

“Lando, plan B” “No.” “Lando, plan B” “No.” “Do you want to win the race?” Oscar asks in his usually placid tone. "Yes." “Okay, then move on to plan B.”  Lando lets out a frustrated growl in his car. Anyone who hires Oscar Piastri as his race engineer should be fired.

How to save the universe according to Lando and Oscar | Landoscar | Space AU | Long Story

The Universe is vast, that’s a general truth.  The sun are hot. The water gets wet. The Universe is vast. So why, in the name of the holy Higgs Boson, is Lando condemned to encounter Oscar Piastri on every planet he goes to?  And why in the name of black holes does he look so sexy in his gold outfit in a crowd made of assassins who would pulverize him if he had any idea who he was? 

I like my man in green | Landoscar | Harry Potter AU | OS

“He’s a Slytherin!” Carlos yells. “They gave you a Slytherin as your tutor." Lando shrugs. The beaters of the Slytherin Quidditch team, Oscar Piastri, a little nerd with glasses, and now Lando's transfiguration tutor, don't look like a threat.  “He sent me into the stands with a bludger during the last match. I ended up in the infirmary.” Carlos can be a bit of an idiot, he doesn't blame him. 

[httpiastri]

hi!!!! hope u are doing well!!

when I think about popstar!reader x paul I think about maybe reader also being a nepobaby so shes always around the paddock and thats how she noticed him and as the lyrics in "i can see you" says miss girl ALWAYS paying attention on him and knowing who he is just bc she thought he was cute and every time shes at the paddock (or maybe at the mercedes garage/factory when paul was a merc junior and shes somehow related to merc?? idk) shes always thinking of what would happen if she just went and talk to him, smiling at him etc. and he just doesn't react bc of who she is

then in the most random way possible something happening between them like at monaco race week where there's also partiessss after the race they coincidentally bumping into each other and with a little bit of help of the ✨ alcohol ✨ things starting between them... IDK I JUST NEED TO READ SOMETHING ABOUT ITTT

hello !! hope you're doing well too!!! <33

honestly that makes a lot of sense. like we've brushed the topic of them doing some kind of collab or work together (bcs and we kept everything professional but something has changed, something i like from "i can see you") but this also helps a lot. like maybe both tbh, yn is known for both being a pop star but f1 fans know her as that driver/staff's sister/daughter/whatever and always think it's so cool when she visits the paddock, and even cooler when she ?? idk, gets hired by some company to make interviews with all merc drivers ????? 😭 or maybe it's easier if she's just nepo baby + popstar and she just happens to run into paul all the time.... and she knows that some flirting can never hurt so she's always very open to paul, smiling at him and touching him subtly yk....

and yes omg stuff def goes down at the monaco post-race party.... since they already kinda know each other then, they spend some time together and when paul starts to get a little tipsy, he gets much more confident. like any other time, he would barely even be able to hold eye contact w him, but now he's asking her to dance and stuff ??? and yn finds that transformation so cute shdkfhd

[the-andromeda-effect]

2

As they leave the location where Riona had been held, she finds out more about what Caliban has in store for her....

Caliban had been hired throughout the years to rescue many hostages held by rivals of crime families and assassinate all those holding them.  This was the first time he’d been hired to take out the hostage, or non-hostage as he’d been told.  If he hadn’t already been doubting the story that Mircea had told him about why his wife had been in that basement, the fact that just calling her by her first name had her not only following his directions but helping get both of them efficiently to the damn car certainly did.  As they rounded the open back door of the waiting car, he, a little bit unceremoniously, shoved her into the back seat hard so that she ended up sprawled across the wide bench seat in a way that he was able to get in, close the door and then cover her body with his before yelling at the two in the front to get in and take off.

Not until he had been given the all clear from the driver did Caliban move off of how he had been covering Riona to allow her to sit up.  He kept his voice soft and low, the woman had already been through enough, and frightened enough, for one day.  “Are you hurt more?  Did I injure you when I pushed you in the car?”  His fingers lightly danced across the skin of her face as the black divider rose between the front and back seats.  The two in the front  knew that hearing his voice meant it was time to get out of the boss’s business.  If he needed them, there were buttons on each door that would activate the intercom.  Otherwise they would focus on getting them back to the compound safely.

Riona’s head shook as he helped her up to sitting.  She was still shaken and trying to come to grips with everything that had happened.  Nothing made sense, including that he had rescued her from the men holding her and was not taking her back to Mircea.  “No, you just caught me off guard with it.  I think I turned my ankle a little, but it will be…” Before she could finish he had hushed her and moved within the confines of the back seat so he could look at it.  There was a slight color to it, maybe just redness, and it was a little swollen.  “When we get to the compound, don’t argue with me carrying you. Okay?”  His brows rose in expectancy of an answer as he lifted his head just enough to look at her.

She nodded, not in the mood for a fight with a man who just literally saved her life.  Confusion was awash over Riona’s face though, she did not understand him, “why are you doing this if you’re just going to kill me?  You don’t have to be so nice. I’m sure Mircea isn’t paying you for your politeness, he never is.” Her voice was shaky, she wasn’t even going to try to hide how confused and scared she was.

A devious smirk crossed his face, “because, I’m not going to kill you and you are not going back to him.”  It would sink into her mind eventually.  He knew it would, at the moment, the trauma of the last few days, plus running through a literal firefight had her adrenaline running high and who knew fast her thoughts were flying.

His answer left Riona dumbstruck as she stared at him, brows drawn together and mouth slightly agape.   She was left more and more confused by the man who had just rescued her from the basement.   Who was he, really?  Obviously her husband had not hired him from everything he kept saying, so who had?  What did that mean for the future?  Nothing was making sense.  He wasn’t Maribioli, he wasn’t Kalavati, was a third clan involved?  How big of a war HAD Mircea started?

Finally she broke the silence, "what are you going to do to me?"  Curiosity got the better of her when he shared nothing more, but she could not keep the fear out of her voice.  Her light green eyes stayed on him, trying to figure out the man that she could now see was dressed in an all black suit that was obviously tailored for him and expensive.   Her husband's wardrobe having given her plenty of experience with both.

"That depends on you, Riona." Caliban answered, knowing she was studying him and not minding as he folded his hands in his lap.   It was not the first or last time he would fall under a scrutinizing gaze from her in the coming days, he was sure.  "You would truly rather die than go back to your husband?" A heavy brow rose as he waited to see her response. What had this woman endured at Mircea Kalavati’s hand?

Riona felt her heart stop and ice fill her veins.  He had lied to her, she was being returned.  "So, you are taking me back to him?"  She should have let them shoot her in that house. Her head whipping right and left, her hair fanning out, she tried to look for the locks on the back doors where they were.  She had to get out, but saw none and trying the handle did nothing. She started trying all of the buttons on the door trying to get one to open the door to get out.

The abject panic that he was witnessing surprised Caliban.  He had not anticipated her to react in such a way to the question.  It solidified his decision that back to Mirceea was the last place that Riona Kalavati was going to go, nor was she going to be killed.  As far as he and his men were concerned, she was dead, and that is how she would stay.

"No." One word spoken calmly,  and Caliban swore that Riona about fully collapsed into the floor, as Caliban gently reached over and took her hand off of the door.  Killing a woman who had led to the deaths of multiple people and betrayed her marriage was one thing. When the target was a woman who obviously had suffered greatly, he wouldn't take the job.  Now though, it was something more, something worse. 

Gently he took a different hold on her hand and pulled her over closer to him, shrugging off his suit coat to drape it around her shoulders.  She was shaking, literally, and he was worried she was going into physical, if not mental, shock.  "I'm sorry to report that when we raided the Maribioli house that you were being held hostage in that you were found dead in the basement when we were finally able to breach it, and the fire that started after we had entered made it impossible to retrieve your body without endangering our lives.  Mircea will just have to take my and one of my men’s words that we witnessed your very dead body with a bullet wound to the temple."  His arm draped around her shoulders to pull her protectively against him. He felt a dampness start against his chest, she was crying.

"For today, I'm going to have someone look at that ankle and your cheek.  If you have other injuries, please mention them to the medic.  I want everything that has happened to you attended to." He felt a nod from her.  "You'll be fed and someone will get you clean clothes.   There will be a guest suite given to you, but you'll be guarded.  Don't make their job difficult please.  This is for your own safety, not everyone in the mansion you are in is aware you are coming and who you are.  Wandering around could put you in danger.  Just talk to the man outside of the door if you need anything and don’t make his life hard, please.  I ask this favor in return for everything."  It would be the only thing he would ask in return.  The woman owed him nothing as far as he was concerned.  Her husband’s money was payment for freeing her, and he considered Riona Kalavati truly dead.  Who the woman next to him would become was up to her.

"I…I won't." Riona replied, still half in shock from everything Caliban had just shared.  She was almost afraid to believe anything he was saying.  She was so used to Mircea’s treatment that what was happening now felt like a trap.  There wasn’t much she could do.  It was rarely smart to argue with armed men who had already started the day by killing people.

Caliban kept his volume low, just loud enough to be heard over the rumble of the road and the soft whush of the car’s ventilation system.  The woman was still terrified, not that he could blame her after all she’d been through, so he focussed on also making sure to keep his tone as comforting as possible. "Once you've had a chance to bathe, change, and eat then we will talk about what the future holds for you.  I promise you will not be harmed while in my compound as long as you don't try to escape or fight my people.  Can you do that for me, Riona?"  His mind was still turning every possibility over for the future.  Not killing her left him few options, but he was not going to abuse her as Mircea had.  That was not the type of man he was, it never had been.  None of his men were like that.  They were far from saints, but women and children were not something they messed with until, or unless, the women entered the business side of things.  

Riona nodded her head as more tears started to fall.  She wasn't sure which frightened her more: Mircea being kind before the abuse or the kindness of this stranger not knowing what he wanted in return, no matter what he said.

[braveclementine]

Expo and Trial

Warnings: None

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own my OC Elizabeth Lightwood. I do not condone any copying of this.

Over the next six months, Tony was making preparations for the New York Expo. You sat on his lap as he made the entrance preparations- he was going to fly in with his suit. He'd hired one of those women line dancer teams. Pepper was helping as well, so that it went smoothly, and they were goin to be wearing ridiculous outfits.

Both you and Tony had cleaned up nicely after the accident. He'd healed faster of course, but you weren't to far behind and you were jumping and running again. Of course, you also had a fear now of being to close to people's feet, so Tony had constructed a large obstacle course around the entire house so that you could run through tubes in the sky. Each room had small sets of stairs coming down from the holes in the wooden or plastic tubes so you could get to the floor.

You absolutely loved the obstacle course. It showed how much Tony cared about you, not to mention there were lots of hiding spots which your rabbit side loved. There were also lots of sleeping spots.

Tony had also gotten you another bow to wear to the Expo. This time, it was a red one with a little white dot in the middle. It would match with all of the other costumes there.

You and Tony were also extremely close. The two of you did pretty much everything together, even sleeping in the same bed. Well, more like you slept on his chest, but it was basically the same thing.

Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey were around a lot more, which was really nice. Happy had stepped up and was now fulfilling the role of a bodyguard along with being the driver and also the. . . forehead of security? You were pretty sure that just meant he worked at Stark Industries.

When the day of the actual Stark Expo opening came around, Pepper put your little bow tie on you and brought you to the actual building. You were brought backstage and you waited on a little stand until Tony was to come through. You couldn't actually see the stage, though you knew the girls were out there dancing.

You waited patiently, your paws tucked under you and your ears laid flat against your body so that you could deafen the loud music and cheering a bit.

Finally, the cheering erupted and you knew that meant Tony was there. You perked up just a little bit, lifting a singular ear to swivel it around.

"Oh it's good to be back!" You heard Tony's voice ring through the auditorium. "You missed me?"

"BLOW SOMETHING UP!" Someone shouted from the crowd.

"Blow something up? I already did that." Tony commented off handedly. The crowd laughed and then quieted a little as he continued the speech. You had heard the speech a thousand times as he'd rehearsed it and it made you roll your eyes just a little. "I'm not saying, that the world is enjoying its longest period of interrupted peace in years-" Here the cheering grew even louder, "-because of me."

"I'm not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a greater Phoenix metaphor been personified in human history! I'm not saying that Uncle Sam can kick back on a lawn chair, sipping on an iced tea, because I haven't come across anyone who's man enough to go toe to toe with me on my best day!"

"I LOVE YOU TONY!" Someone in the crowd shouted and you wrinkled your nose, getting to your paws and stretching.

"Please. It's not about me. It's not about you. It's not even about us. It's about legacy. It's about what we choose to leave behind for future generations. And that's why for the next year and for the first time since 1974, the best and brightest men and women of nations and corporations the world over will pull their resources, share their collective vision, to leave behind a brighter future. It's not about us! Therefore, what I am saying, if I'm saying anything, is welcome back to the Stark Expo!"

The crowd cheered louder and the lights grew dimmer.

"And now, making a special guest appearance from the great beyond, to tell you what it's all about, please welcome my father, Howard."

Tony walked off the stage and came into your view in quick moments. You perked up, standing on your hind legs to greet him.

He smiled, petting your head as you lowered yourself back down onto all fours. "How'd I do sweetheart?"

You wiggled your nose and nipped his finger gently. You watched him take a black box out of his pocket to prick his finger with and after a few moments, it beeped. You weren't sure what it was for, but whatever it was, he seemed to be just slightly upset about it. You nudged his hand.

He glanced back down at you, slipping the black recorder thing in his pocket and picked you up in his hands. "Alright Pumpkin. Time to brave the world."

Tony had fixed a very special bag for you that allowed you to sit on his shoulder. It meant that your front paws were propped on his shoulder, your head facing the same as his, but your legs were supported underneath. If things got to be to much, you could duck into the bag and hide.

Happy was the one that got you guys out. He led in the front while Tony and another guard followed.

There were plenty of people that wanted to meet Tony. He shook hands with women and men, and when one of the blonds gave him a card and told him to call her, you took it out of his hand with your mouth and spat it out onto the floor. Tony grinned at you out of the corner of his eye before he knelt down to say hi to the children. He signed posters for them.

Finally, Happy and Tony shouldered out and you were mostly left alone. "Did it go mellow?" Tony asked.

"It wasn't so bad." Happy commented.

"No, it's perfect."

"Look what we got here, the new model."

"Hey, does she come with the car?"

"I certainly hope so. Don't tell Pepper I said that, it was a joke." Happy said.

"Hi, and you are?"

"Marshall."

"Irish, I like it."

You glared at her over his shoulder.

"Pleased to meet you Tony."

"I'm on the wheel, you mind?" Tony asked, slinging your bag off his shoulder to let you out and put you in the cup holder. "Where you from?"

"Bedford."

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you.

"Yeah, you found me. Sorry though, got my soulmate now." Tony replied, scratching your head softly.

"Actually, I'm serving subpoenas." The red head said, holding a piece of paper out.

"Yikes." Tony commented after a second, looking away from her.

Happy reached across Tony to grab the paper, "He doesn't like to be handed things."

"Yeah, I have a peeve." Tony commented.

"You are hearby ordered to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee tomorrow morning at 9 a.m."

"Can I see a badge?"

"You wanna see the badge?"

"Yeah, he likes the badge." Happy commented before you turned and glared at him. He went silent.

The red head pulled our her badge and asked, "You still like it?"

"Yep." Tony sighed. He started up the car and turned to Happy. "How far are we from D.C?"

"D.C.? 250 miles." Happy said.

Tony stepped on the gas and you sped out of there, ears flying backwards in the wind.

Well, things were going to get very exciting now, weren't they?

🎃 :::::  🧡  ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━  🧡  ::::: 🎃

The next morning, Tony was at the Congress building. You couldn't sit with him, so you were right behind Tony in Pepper's lap. At the moment, Tony had turned to talk to Pepper, although you were terrible at reading lips and had no idea what he was telling her.

"Mr. Stark, can we pick up now where we left off?" Another gravel bang. "Mr. Stark? Please."

Tony finally turned around saying, "Yes, dear?"

There was a round of laughter.

"Can I have your attention?"

"Absolutely."

"Do you or do you not possess a specialized weapon?" Senator Stern asked.

"I do not." Tony replied.

"You do not?" Senator Stern repeated back to him.

"I do not, well it depends on how you define the word weapon." Tony added.

"The Iron Man weapon."

"My device does not fit that description."

"Well, how would you describe your. . .?"

"I would describe it by defining it as it is, senator."

"As?"

"It's a high-tech prosthesis."

For some reason you couldn't understand, it brought on a round of laughter.

"That is, that's actually the most apt description I could make of it."

"It's a weapon Mr. Stark. I hate to inform you it's a weapon."

"Please, if your priority was actually the well-being-"

"My priority is to get the Iron Man weapon turned over to the people of the United States of America." Senator Stern interrupted him and you started to bristle in Pepper's lap.

"Well, you can forget it. I am Iron Man. The suit and I are one. To turn over the Iron Man suit would be to turn over myself, which is tantamount to indentured servitude or prostitution depending on which state you're in. I can't have it." There was another round of laughter, of which time you actually understood.

"Look, I am no expert."

"In prostitution? Of course not, you're a senator, come on!" Tony interrupted. He turned and Pepper gave him a shake of her head. He just raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not an expert in weapons. But we have somebody here who is an expert on weapons. I would now like to call Justin Hammer our current primary weapons contractor."

You turned your head to see a slender, tall man in a blue suit, with glasses and brown hair standing now.

"Let the record reflect that I observed Mr. Hammer entering the chamber and I am wondering if and when any actual expert will also be in attendance."

More laughter. You really hoped this all went well.

Justin Hammer laughed weirdly into the microphone, making your fur stand on end. "Absolutely. I am no expert. I defer to you, Anthony. You're the wonder boy. Uh, Senator, if I may. I may well not be an expert, but you know who was the expert? Your dad! Howard Stark. Really a father to all of us all and to the military-industrial age. Let's just be clear, he was no flower child. He was a lion. We all know why we're here: in the last six months, Anthony Stark has created a sword with untold possibilities. And yet he insists it's a shield. He asks us to trust him as we cower behind it. I wish I were comforted Anthony, I really do. I'd love to leave my door unlocked when I leave the house, but this ain't Canada. You know we live in a world of grave threats, threats that Mr. Stark will not always be able to foresee. Thank you. God bless Iron Man, God bless America."

There was scattered applause and Senator Stern said, "That is well said, Mr. Hammer. The committee would now like to invite Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodey to the chamber."

"Rhodey?" Tony said aloud and your ears perked up. Rhodey would be the best line of defense for Tony.

Tony actually got up and went to greet him, though you couldn't hear the words said between the two of them.

"I have before me a complete report on the Iron man weapon compiled by Colonel Rhodes and Colonel, for the record, can you please read page 57, paragraph 4?"

"You're requesting that I read specific selections from my report, senator?" Rhodey asked.

"Yes, sir."

"It was my understanding that I was going to be testifying in a much more comprehensive and detailed manner."

"I understand. A lot of things have changed today."

"You do understand that reading a single paragraph out of context does not reflect the summary of my finding?"

"Just read it Colonel. I do. Thank you."

You wished you could bark or hiss at him out of frustration. Or that you were just plain human and could say something about it, though what could you possibly say? You were Tony Stark's soulmate, of course you were going to stand up for him!

"Very well. As he does not operate within any definable branch of government," He hesitated and then continued on, "the Iron Man presents a potential threat to the security of both the nation and to her interests. I did, however, go on to summarize that the benefits of Iron man far outweigh the liabilities-"

"Uh that's enough."

"-and that it would be in our best interest-"

"That's enough Colonel."

"-to fold Mr. Stark into the existing chain of command."

"That's enough!"

"I'm not a joiner but I'll consider Secretary of Defense, if you ask nice." Tony finally put out there, making everyone laugh. "We can amend the hours a little bit."

Rhodey just drank his water.

"I'd like to go on and show, if I may, the imagery that's connected to your report."

"I believe that it is somewhat premature to reveal these images to the general public at this time." Rhodey replied.

"With all due respect, Colonel, I understand. And if you could just narrate those for us, we'd be very grateful."

Rhodey sighed, "Show the images."

You couldn't see much of what was being shown in the first photo. There were too many people in the way, but it looked like a satellite image. Most of it was gray, different shades of it to show buildings. There was a large yellow box pointing to something you couldn't quite see.

"Intelligence suggests that the devices seen in these photos are in fact attempts of making manned copies of Mr. Stark's suits. This has been corroborated by our allies and local intelligence on the ground-"

You could see Tony was hunched down in his seat with some sort of device and you paid closer attention to the screen.

"-indicating that these suits are quite possibly at this moment, operational."

Tony leaned forward, lifting the device. "Hold on a second buddy, let me see. There's something here. Oh, boy I'm good."

There were gasps from the crowd and it looked almost as though the screen was being hacked. You could feel, rather than hear, Pepper's sigh.

"Now can I get more screens."

You could see that Rhodey looked exasperated.

"I need them. Time for a little transparency. Now let's see what's really going on!"

The senator leaned forward in his seat.

"What is he doing?"

"If you'll direct your attention to said screens, I believe that's North Korea." The video played, showing one of the mechs coming out of a building. It fell on its side, bullets spraying out of its firing canisters and the camera was suddenly splattered with something red. You flinched in Pepper's hands.

"Turn that off." The senator demanded, rising from his seat.

"Iran." Tony said, punching another button on the device.

The robots exploded on their own.

"No grave, immediate threat here. Is that Justin Hammer? How did Hammer get in there? Justin, you're on TV, focus up. "

You watched Tony turn to look at Rhodey. Rhodey turned his head to hide his smile. You were smiling too, even though it didn't really show on your face. Finally, Justin unplugged the TV.

"Wow. Yeah, I'd say most countries, 5-10 years away." Tony finished. "Hammer Industries 20."

"I'd like to point out that the test pilot survived." Justin snapped.

"I think we got the point that he's making. I don't think that there's any reason-"

"The point is, you're welcome. I guess."

"For what?"

"Because, I'm your nuclear deterrant. It's working. We're safe. America is secure. You want my property? You can't have it! But I did you a big favor! I've successfully privatized world peace." He stood up to big applause. "What more do you want? For now! I'm tired of all of these ass clowns!"

"Fuck you Mr. Stark. Fuck you buddy. We're adjourned. We're adjourned for today."

"Okay."

"You've been a delight."

Tony took you out of Pepper's arms, holding you tightly to his chest. Though he was outshining with positive energy, talking about how he was with the people, you could feel his heart beating quickly.

As he exited the courthouse, you struggled in his arms to look up at him and then you nudged his cheek.

"I love you Pumpkin." Tony grinned down at you. "Let's go home." 

[justforbooks]

One of the most subversive and original figures in 1980s popular culture was a whey-faced, cherry-lipped, matchstick-thin child-man who wore a red bow tie, white tasselled loafers and a shrunken grey suit, and lived in a giant playhouse with sentient furniture and a floating head. This was Pee-wee Herman, created and played by the actor Paul Reubens, who has died aged 70 of cancer.

The character appeared on stage in The Pee-wee Herman Show during the early 1980s but did not become known internationally until the release of the film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), which marked the doolally debut of the director Tim Burton. US cinema in the Reagan era drew heavily on the iconography of the 50s and early 60s, whether for purposes sweet (Back to the Future, Peggy Sue Got Married) or unsavoury (Blue Velvet, Parents); this big-screen outing for Pee-wee, who was already suffused with the spirit of bygone children’s shows such as Howdy Doody and Captain Kangaroo, fell somewhere in between. As with the stage and TV incarnations, the film’s undercurrent of kinkiness and innuendo never contaminated its air of gleeful innocence.

In a story modelled on the Italian neo-realist classic Bicycle Thieves, Pee-wee travels across the US in search of his beloved stolen bike. Along the way, he meets the undead truck driver Large Marge, poses as the wife of a convict, charms a gang of snarling bikers by dancing on the bar in platform heels, rescues the occupants of a burning pet shop (saving the snakes for last because he’s scared of them) and ends up at the premiere of a Hollywood movie about himself.

Pee-wee’s nasal voice and honking laugh seemed cultivated to irritate every bit as much as his playground rejoinders (such as “I know you are, but what am I?” repeated ad infinitum). But Reubens’s single-minded focus on playing him utterly straight – if that’s not the wrong word for a character steeped in camp – was vital to his success, which ballooned with the children’s TV show Pee-wee’s Playhouse (1986-90).

“We never tried to do ‘a-kids’-show-but-weird,’” he said in 2014. “I feel like my commitment to Pee-wee, the concentration required to stay in that character, makes it real to me.

“It’s a throwback and has lots of homage elements to it, but I always considered it a full-on real kids’ show even though it had all this adult humour in it. I took a lot of pride in being able to figure out ways to do stuff that could be seen by kids and grownups.”

Pee-wee’s Playhouse pushed the surrealism of the film even further. In one episode, Pee-wee marries a bowl of fruit salad, which is wearing a wedding veil. Years later, the scene was held up as an example of the character’s progressiveness, though in truth it would be a challenge to find a moment from Pee-wee’s oeuvre that did not serve that function.

Whether filling his 1988 Christmas special with LGBT+ performers and allies such as Grace Jones, kd lang, Cher and Little Richard, or hiring strapping, shirtless construction workers to build an extension made of fruitcake on the side of his playhouse, Pee-wee personified queerness without frightening the horses. One of the show’s messages, said Reubens, was that “nonconformity isn’t bad”.

Bumps in the road arrived in the form of a lacklustre film sequel, Big Top Pee-wee (1988), and two scandals: the first in 1991 when Reubens was arrested and fined for masturbating in an adult cinema, and then in 2002 when a police search of his collection of vintage erotica resulted in a misdemeanour charge for possession of child pornography, later reduced to probation for possession of obscene material.

He was born in Peekskill, New York, to Judy (nee Rosen), a teacher, and Milton Rubenfeld, a former founding pilot of the Israeli air force, who went on to sell cars and to own a lamp store. When Reubens was nine, the family moved to Sarasota, Florida. He was educated at Sarasota high school and Boston University, and studied acting at the California Institute of the Arts, where his classmates included David Hasselhoff.

He became a regular fixture on the comedy club circuit, and appeared 14 times on The Gong Show, the competitive TV variety series. “You could go on more than once if you were in disguise,” Reubens explained; he acquired membership of the Screen Actors Guild after winning the contest.

It was as part of the Los Angeles improvisational comedy group the Groundlings that he first developed Pee-wee Herman. He also went on The Dating Game (known to UK audiences as Blind Date) as Pee-wee, having filled out the application form and auditioned entirely in character.

After failing an audition for the 1980-81 season of Saturday Night Live, Reubens borrowed $5,000 from his parents to produce The Pee-wee Herman Show. It ran for five months in Los Angeles, later touring the US, and led to a one-off HBO special as well as absurdist turns on Late Night with David Letterman, during which Reubens never broke character.

“I always felt it was conceptual art, but no one knew that except me,” he said. “I went out of my way to make people feel Pee-wee was a real person. It worked way better if people were going: ‘Who the hell is that?’”

His non-Pee-wee appearances were largely restricted to the years after Pee-wee’s Playhouse ended in 1990. Burton gave him a cameo as the Penguin’s father in Batman Returns, and he played a vampire in the original film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (both 1992).

He starred in the family comedies Dunston Checks In and Matilda (both 1996) and played a flatulent superhero in the comedy Mystery Men (1999) as well as a pot-dealing hairdresser in the crime drama Blow (2001). Most of his subsequent roles took the form of animation voice-work or eccentric guest spots on sitcoms, such as 30 Rock (2007) and What We Do in the Shadows (2019).

Pee-wee’s periodic returns were always greeted with affection. A new version of The Pee-wee Herman Show, which reached the stage in 2010, and the delightful, Judd Apatow-produced Netflix film Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (2016), gave Reubens a chance to repair definitively any lingering damage done by his arrests.

“I wrecked it to some degree, you know?” he told the New York Times. “It got made into something different. The shine got taken off it. At a certain point, I just wanted to have a better end to my career.”

He is survived by his sister, Abby, and brother, Luke.

🔔 Paul Reubens (Paul Rubenfeld), actor and writer, born 27 August 1952; died 30 July 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[belit0]

Table

Friends, if any of you have a request/prompt for me with the pairings I work here, don't hesitate to drop it on the comments!! (I don't accept MadaTobi)

Pairing: Senju Hashirama / Uchiha Izuna / Senju Tobirama

“Indra called me today.”

“And what did he want?”

“He offered me a very interesting job.”

“Where?”

Izuna unlocks his cell phone and shows Madara the information his uncle sent him today during the day. It’s not unexpected for Indra to request Izuna, being one of the most famous strippers at the moment.

“Otouto... who are you going to work for? Indra said that to you?”

“Anonymous clients, apparently. They’re presumably trusted by him.”

“Izuna.”

“Aniki, I know, I will not be in any danger. If the fucker sends me to some lunatics, I’ll have you on speed dial.”

“I don’t feel you should accept.”

“And I believe we need the money. We’re short, Madara. Look at the number they’ re offering me and you tell me if it’s not worth it?”

Even though Aniki hates it, Izuna gets his way, and a limousine picks him up the next night.

People’ money soliciting his services is clear when an imposing mansion pops up ahead and the driver ushers him down at the door.

A servant guides him inside, and Izuna feels deeply nervous because no one told him what he was supposed to do here.

Typically, most nights he undresses in front of the hungry eyes of the bar crowd he works for, where men and women throw money at him for each inch of skin he reveals.

When luck is on his side, he is hired for private parties, where he does lap dances for a couple of people and gets paid a good amount of money.

Getting his uncle, the yakuza leader, to call him and request his services for a pair of his colleagues, however, is fresh.

Izuna has worked under Indra’s orders in the past, stripping and dancing for whoever he asked, but always with explicit instructions beforehand.

Here everything is mysterious.

He does not know who his clients are, nor what he must do to cash his pay. So he taps the shoulder of the servant who guides him and asks timidly.

“Uh... do you have any idea what my function is today?”

“Sir, I will only ask you not to speak or make any sound. Under no circumstances.”

That’s the only instruction.

Izuna is led into a huge dining room, filled with expensive decorations and silverware. 

Several extra servants appear with trays of food, succulent dishes of a wide variety of ingredients.

“Take off your clothes and lie down on the table.” The servant guiding him shows, as he places a tablecloth embroidered with gold threads on the surface where Izuna is to lie down.

He complies with the commands smoothly, accustomed to people seeing him unclothed when they are all still dressed. 

A feeling of discomfort takes over his gut when the servants place food on his flesh, taking it from their respective trays and arranging it on his body so that no part of his skin is exposed.

Izuna never thought he would one day become an appetizer, but this seemed to be the definition of it.

Everyone withdraws as the feast is upon him, and one servant announces, “ Table is served, my lords.” then exits the dining room.

Two men in suits enter when there is no one left other than him and his thoughts, the urge to move tickling his every form but unable to do so lest he ruin the work of the servants.

“Oh! Tobi! Look how lovely our little table is today!”

“I wouldn’t call it lovely, Anija.”

The two sit across from each other, Izuna in the middle covered up to his neck in various treats. He could answer a thousand things to that sarcastic comment, but he was instructed not to speak. And he’s a professional.

“Hungry, Tobi?”

“Fairly.”

And how he wished someone had told him what was going to happen, for he hoped the men would use silverware. Both of them rise from their chairs and lean over Izuna, eating directly with their mouths on different dishes.

The white-haired man’s teeth brush against his nipple as he removes a piece of sushi, the long-haired man’s tongue licking a bit of sauce spilled on his stomach.

Izuna lets out a moan at the sudden sensations. Not expecting anything these two were going to do could feel so good.

“Tables aren’t supposed to make sound.”

“Easy Tobi... Indra said he would send the most obedient boy he had...I’m sure he’s a good boy, right?”

And Izuna desperately wants to say yes, yes he would be the best boy if that tongue comes back to lick him like that but he’s not supposed to talk and fuck!

“I can't tell, Anija. It seems like the quality of the product is rather bad this time.”

The white-haired man’s mouth now approaches his groin and withdraws a piece of food from there, as Izuna is sure he feels a tongue brush against his semi-hard length.

A growl locks in his throat and the other grins mischievously, knowing he got what he wanted.

Food disappears all too quickly, exposing his body shamelessly in front of the two diners.

And now Izuna doesn’t know what to do, as the meal is over and both men sit down again to talk about trivial things, ignoring him completely.

And his striking erection.

Mistreatment was always a turn-on for him, and having them both act as if his nakedness meant nothing, as if his displayed body little interested them, makes Izuna want to touch himself and finish.

Skin bristles as a finger runs down his chest, the long-haired man propped up on one elbow and playing with scraps of leftover food as he continues to speak.

Legs tremble reflexively when the palm of a hand runs along his member, neither squeezing nor quite touching.

From one moment to the next, the long-haired man’s lips are on his and a powerful, demanding tongue enters his mouth.

“Anija....always so impatient.... Table, down on all fours here on the floor.”

The one who kisses him whimpers as Izuna sits up and lowers himself to the ground.

As soon as his knees touch the floor,  the sole of an expensive shoe pushes his back and makes him fall onto his chest, his ass in the air.

“Tobi! We said you’d be kind after last time!”

“I lied.”

A tongue slides across his most intimate area as two muscular hands hold him by the waist, nails digging unnecessarily into his skin only for sadistic pleasure courtesy of the roughest of them.

Izuna moans loudly, pain instigating feelings throughout his body as one of them engages him from behind.

“Let’s see what those pretty lips of yours can do, shall we?”

Sweet, almost innocent is the question, and he nods eagerly as the long-haired man kneels in front of him, undoing his belt and unzipping his pants.

One of the largest cocks Izuna ever saw enters his mouth, and the parsimony which the man carried until now disappears as he holds his hair with both hands and fucks his face.

Izuna relaxes his jaw and does his best to maintain eye contact, an impossible task when a pair of fingers enter his ass and a spank leaves a red mark on his skin.

“Look at this Tobi, look how cute he is.”

Izuna’s stifled moans intensify as a second cock contacts his body, pleasure tinged with pain while the white-haired man achieves his entrance into him.

Simultaneously, who keeps his mouth busy locks his thick shaft against the back of his throat for several seconds, squeezing his nose to prevent him from breathing. The gag reflex causes the man to pull back, releasing him and stroking his hair as Izuna spits out saliva and tries to catch his breath.

He doesn’t even notice when the same bastard gets under him, slipping between his spread legs and lifting his arms effortlessly. The other helps from behind, not leaving Izuna’s interior for a second.

“You are such a good boy... So pretty as we ravish you...”

If his mind were clear and not plagued by millions of sensations he would realize how the man within him applies a monumental amount of lubricant to his entrance, even while already being in there.

Only notices pain as a second dick penetrates him, aided by the help of the other one present.

Izuna screams and collapses on the chest of the man underneath him, unable to resist his completion. His own member releases shot after shot while trapped between his abdomen and that of the man holding him with two powerful arms.

“He is done, correct?”

“Move Tobi, or I’ll finish just the same.”

Both members move in and out of his ass in different rhythms, gaining not only friction with him but with themselves as well. Moans fill the whole place but Izuna screams the loudest, pleading for them to stop the over stimulation and let him get up.

His prostate can’t take any more rubbing and none of them seem to mind, as they continue their uneven pace and try to achieve their own release.

Izuna comes again without even wanting to, the other two reaching their orgasms at the same time. 

His insides are plagued with both men’s seed, fouling his thighs and spilling out.

“What do you think, Tobi? Do you like this one? For I am in love...”

“Yes Anija, I think we can keep him...”

[leopoldainter]

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you look like lady gaga

thanksbi just thru it on more ok

we'll shoot on site in italy

Yes, A star is born!

and stephine gsrmablabla is no korean bbq

what kind of gym

hits the trackUranus

digital reference remember me not your friends

jijimon's jouset a couple try get one off surface

and drill cave

To burry Upwards is canyon

fishing instructions koelmon if you can catcj

marineangemon you are watching youtube

try a tims flyer and get arrested

jerk you got bits

house zelda do it see through Window lookin frame its mario ok Easter eggs fair game

amd hp chip nice amd agumon the item cointer

destinarion assured I have the space you need

for all your extra items

finish

but button head flash

wind

he traded his butterfree on the ss anne but alas

was it not caterpie that reminded misty that frogs

dont dance

eat and be merry

gotta catchem all its tips excluded

dining

then moonlight sonata by beethoveb

so claire de lune

fountain bublé

im not refilming the motor

cycle seen flips out

thats where you rest an hour and sure enoiugh

you got

that one

jolt you need

at the gym before

poops or bed time

what a board the waterfall

run then beg to guess luck

so another melody punchline

And thats HP.some attk maybe

settle the sclre20

nice rox

and put onder the front mat if i have tp hear what my feet thinks so welcoming id go broke

she has to plexiglass everywhere now

then she tries from eraser

gomme et facile its french for

me im who my mom hired for your party

planer itchy zStop poochie

Tess was looking at Dalia Royce alone on her bed now

just a sec my moms calling espresso from the back seat

do you have cups

the little cups for espresso of course i do get in here.

and so they were there lost in space.

Dalia

Dallas Royce and removes sunglasses.

its duck hunt now or we hit the poconos

actually tessa architect moved from the city

so they made you switch schooldumas

michaelBedmas and first off dial it for long distance break off and comply

i kapeesh

careful hot espresso

careful power windows child lock in door it seems

sipacomplished

but another hand and its too good to bedsm

a.cNeat

Then her dad gets up and walks out if I'm not dead by then either

Walks home a box of elephant Mines for basic yard chores I could just get a pet and then there was a new baby came along cancer funeral arrangements sally you did good keep up the goof

Crying a little

Packing peanuts and nails at an angel I'm an unlicensed driver

Tesla

[memorableeventz]

Party Ideas for a Special Occasion

Whether it's your 18th, 21st or 81st birthday, it's always a good idea to celebrate with friends. Luckily, Sydney offers many options to help you do just that.

Get creative and host a DIY night, or go all out with a store takeover. If you love soul music, try a live band at a jazz or soul club.

Theatre

A day out at the theatre is always a winner for birthday parties, especially in Sydney. Whether you go to see the Tina Turner Musical or embrace your inner Mamma Mia dancing queen, there’s sure to be a show to delight all.

Entermission’s unique social VR with hand tracking is a fun birthday Party Ideas Sydney for kids and adults alike. It’s a perfect way to bond as a group and provide countless laughs and ‘wow, this is cool!’ moments.

Art Galleries

Art galleries are the perfect spot to soak up the culture in Sydney. You can enjoy a glass of wine while perusing the artworks, or learn to paint and sketch under a skilled tutor.

Roslyn Oxley gallery has been shaping the art scene since it opened its doors in Paddington in 1982. They showcase artists that push the envelope, both aesthetically and conceptually.

Camping

If the groom-to-be isn’t a fan of female exotic dancers and wants something more relaxing for his last night out before marriage then consider camping in Sydney. You can even book glamping spots for the ultimate experience.

Another party idea is to book a cruise. This way, you don’t have to worry about booking rooms, finding a designated driver or making food reservations. It’s a simple, stress-free option that still makes for an unforgettable night.

Boating

Boat parties are a great way to get people mingling and having fun. Whether you want to hire a luxury yacht or a casual catamaran, there are options available for every style and budget.

Fancy dress is a great way to make a party boat theme extra fun. Men can rock a Hawaiian Tropical theme and ladies can find something in their closet that’s flowery or colourful. It’s also an easy theme to organise.

Glamping

Sleeping under the stars and waking up to picturesque views of Sydney sounds like the perfect birthday party idea. Glamping is available in various sites around NSW, with packages ranging from basic campsites to erected and furnished luxury tents.

Want a bucks party that’s more exciting than the typical dinner and drinks? Activites like nude body sushi won’t disappoint. Or you could try your hand at clay target shooting – perfect for sticking it to the buck!

Brewery Tours

When planning your birthday party, you want something that will be truly unique. You want to find an activity that your friends and family will remember for years to come. And Sydney has many options that will fit the bill.

For example, you can go on a brewery tour. It's a fun way to release your inner ninja while learning about craft beer. Or, you can try a wine road trip. That's perfect for those who love to drink!

Theme Parks

Looking for a thrilling way to celebrate your birthday with your friends? Forget the old fallbacks of dinner and drinks in a bar.

Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or just wanting to get creative, Sydney events party hire has some awesome activities to offer. Climb the Harbour Bridge for a dazzling new perspective of the city, or try out axe throwing for a friendly team competition.

If you’re a foodie, why not take a cooking class? Learn a new skill and walk away with a tasty treat.

Workshops

The Best Man has a lot on his plate – he’s helping to pick out the groomsmen’s suits, providing emotional support during bridal fittings and of course planning an unforgettable Sydney Bucks party. While bar crawls and lap dances can be great options, sometimes you need something a little different.

Workshop parties are a fun and unique option that tap into teens’ love for learning new skills and fostering their creativity. Try a wheel throwing pottery class, a dumpling making workshop or even a brush lettering (very insta-worthy) class!