#and i don't agree with that take on him at all even setting gisele aside

[thewritingofspencerrose]

Risky Romance: A Series

A Helping Hand

maximilian verstappen I don't know what to wear for this dinner

giselle wolff bring three options to danny's and my room and we'll help you pick! he's should be out of the shower any minute

maximilian verstappen ok be down in five

"Babe! Hurry up, Max needs help picking an outfit," I call out, holding my robe tighter to my body as I move to the door, not nearly ready myself. Pulling open the door, I can't help but smile at the sight in front of me.

Max Verstappen is not a man that gets clearly nervous, but he's also a man who's eyes you can read.

And the concept of this dinner has him anxious.

"Max, this isn't life or death. It's dinner with my parents, Lewis, George, Carmen and Mick. There's no reason to be worried," I try to sooth, but his brows furrow, the little crinkly look he gets when he's uncomfortable clear as day.

"I'm not worried, I just needed a second opinion," He denies, holding up the hangers in his hand as if this makes him more believable.

"Whatever you say lion boy, come on in, Dan's just finishing in the shower and I was just looking for what we should wear," I explain, taking his free hand and pulling in him, the door shutting behind us just as I push him into sitting on the end of the bed. "What are your options?"

He holds out the shirts, this time in offering, and I take them, letting go of the sides of my robe and letting it open slightly as I hold the shirts in front of myself. With how they're held they are blocking any sight of my bra and panties, my attempt to be sure I don't cross a line Max won't be comfortable with, but with how intensely Max is staring at me, almost trying to set fire to the shirts that are blocking his path.

"Okay, so I'm going to set aside the Redbull polo because, seriously?" I can't help but ask, throwing the shirt at him and making him chuckle at my commentary.

"What are you doing baby?" Danny's voice rings in my ear, just as his body heat becomes apparent behind me, hands finding my hips and lips finding the crown of my head. He pulls away in a robe of his own, walking over to Max and patting him on the shoulder, taking a seat beside him. "Good to see you could make it."

"Almost changed my mind when I didn't know what to wear, but I texted Elle and now I'm here," is Max's response, his eyes drifting over Danny's body before coming back to meet my own, his cheeks tinging pink at being caught.

"Don't worry, you're in great hands, Gigi picks out all my outfits and I'd like to think I always look great," Dan assures, standing promptly to grab the floral dress I had put aside, the tangerine, burnt orange and white flowers set on a sage base, the sage being the same color as Danny's shirt we had chosen earlier.

"Dan you're a genius," I giggle excitedly, looking between the confused Australian who still holds our outfits, an even more confused Dutchman looking with his eyebrows meeting his hair. "Max, how do you feel about matching us?"

"Matching... the two of you?" He asks, pointing between Dan and I slowly as Danny makes his way closer, laying my dress on the bed above my heels for when I'm ready.

"Well, in a way," Is my attempt at backtracking in how direct I just was, "You'd just be wearing your white button up," I explain, holding it in front of the baby blue one that was his other option. "And it would sort of look like we planned it, since both you and Danny would be wearing a shirt that matches an aspect of my dress."

And you can see the smile slowly start to come to his face.

"Yeah, that'd be ok," He agrees, making my smile widen if even possible.

"Okay, put this on," I instruct, handing over his shirt back into his hands, patting his chest before turning to Dan, "Baby, can I have my dress?"

"Do you really need it?" He asks with a smirk, and I can hear Max cough in shock from beside me.

"Daniel," My tone is scolding although both men know I'd never mean it. "Dress, please."

"Yes ma'am," He relents, although still with a cocky smile as he hands it over, "Are you going to change in here?"

The question makes me pause, because ever since Danny and I got together, more accurately slept together, we've felt plenty comfortable changing in front of one another. But Max is in here, and the suggestion of changing with him in here should make us all uncomfortable, except for the fact that it feels so normal for him to be in here, getting ready with us.

"It's your room, I can step out," Max offers, sensing my hesitation.

It's not that I'm uncomfortable, it's that I don't want him to be. While I've been lose about keeping my robe shut, it only has showed a sliver, not my whole body.

"Or you can just change," Is his next offer, a small smirk coming to his face. "I'll try not to look."

I can't help the blush that rises to my cheeks, or the heat settling in my stomach as I realize both of them are watching me. Dan has made some progress, managing to get his jeans on in the time Max and I took in deciding his shirt.

"Fine. But you two need to get ready if we're going to be on time."

"Babe," Danny begins, taking his shirt off the hanger as Max reaches for the hem of his shirt, it rising slowly in his pull over his head, revealing just how gorgeous he continues to be. "The restaurant is in the hotel, we're putting our shirts on and all you need if your dress and heels. We'll be on time."

I nod, because he's right, there really is no concern on time. So I pull my robe off my shoulders, turning around as it falls to take my dress off the hanger. The robe hits the floor as I have the zipper undone, turning around slowly to find the eyes of both boys on my body.

"Very discrete, boys," I can't help but tease, their eyes dropping down to their buttons in a near sync that makes me chuckle. Men.

Pulling my dress up over my hips, I slip the straps over my shoulders before turning my back to the boys once more. "Can one of you zip me up?"

There's a pause, but when I feel the heat of a hand on my hip, another hand slowly pulling my zipper up I don't question that it's Dan.

Until the person leans into my ear, warm lips nearly touching my ear as he says, "Let's get to that dinner, right schat?"

[elfyourmother]

So, I was wondering: in your 'verse, did Haurchefant eventually leave his position at Camp Dragonhead to become a scion? Emmanellain eventually becoming a better leader (or at least starting in that direction) would definitely give Haurch the freedom to do other things, and even help represent Ishgard in the Scions. I was wondering what your take on that was.

Yeah he did it post Dragonsong, along with Ysayle. That meeting the Scions had when they decided there wouldn’t be another Antecedent after Minfilia went a lot differently...Gisele was basically doing it anyway, and by then she was really the heart and the “face” of the group to the world, so they all decided it would be her. They still decide things largely by consensus, people still basically do their own thing and check in with their various projects and she’s very hands off. Mostly it’s a figurehead thing, for morale, given what Gisele means to everyone as Warrior of Light.

So they were talking about potential recruits in the wake of that and Gisele put forward Haurche, Ysayle, and Estinien without hesitation. Not just because she loved them, but because she strongly believed their unique skills and insights would prove extremely valuable to the Scions and their work. Ysayle was still not 100% but she gladly accepted as a way to atone.

By then, Haurchefant was entirely recovered and fighting fit again, so he jumped at the chance too, with the blessing of Count Edmont and Artoirel. Emmanellain took over Camp Dragonhead just like in the game, but the main difference is during the better part of the Dragonsong arc, Haurchefant was recovering at home in Fortemps Manor and spent a lot of time bonding with his brothers in a way he really never had. Emm’s growth was helped A LOT by that, and Haurche essentially mentoring him without even really intending to, so that when the time came, everyone felt really good about that decision and Haurche felt good about leaving Dragonhead in his hands. Knowing Haurche had absolute faith in him went a long way to helping him. He also resists the temptation to constantly give him advice, lol. “Let him stand on his own two feet and prove himself”, is Haurche’s mindset. Also, he’s just too busy being a Scion.

In his mind, he’s still looking out for Ishgard and protecting his people, just on a much larger scale. It was the Ascians behind everything that happened with the Archbishop, after all. But Coerthas is his sphere as a Scion similar to how Thancred kept an eye on Thanalan, Y’shtola in La Noscea, etc. It’s a natural fit given Natalan is a stone’s throw from Camp Dragonhead, his little brother is in charge there, and unlike Aymeric and the Temple Knights, Haurchefant most certainly had his knights keeping an eye on the Ixal. (Ysayle covers Dravania, btw.)

The truth is the “neutrality” thing doesn’t really work for the Scions anymore--they have their hands in too many pies tbh (frankly it was bullshit the second Gisele joined the Immortal Flames). They were getting supplies from House Fortemps anyway, and post War continue to get funding from Ishgard (that’s not even headcanon). And being that politics matter intensely in Ishgard, Haurche is extremely valuable to the cause being the second son of one of the High Houses, especially since post-HW the Fortemps are arguably the most powerful one now given their vast wealth and connections outside of Ishgard, and even more importantly the fact that the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords aka the de facto ruler of Ishgard eventually marries into their house. Haurche is well aware of this and doesn’t hesitate to use it to his advantage when he can.

But also, he just really wanted to go on adventures with Gisele--the only time he’d ever been jealous in his life was when Estinien got to go on the Great Dravanian Roadtrip with her. Becoming a Scion was like a dream come true for him. Once he does, he’s joined at the hip to her--his first real assignment was accompanying her to Baelsar’s Wall when all that shit went down, and he didn’t leave her side until the Exarch put the snatch on him by accident at the Ghimlyt Dark. Which, btw he was the last Scion to get yoinked to the First--Alisaie was taken right before he was. So he was with Gisele for literally all of Stormblood’s events and afterwards.

FWIW Estinien initially turned Gisele down though. Not because he didn’t want to fight at her side again, but because he needed time and space to figure out who he was, if no longer the Azure Dragoon of Ishgard. Originally I had him taking Gisele up on it and hunting down Shinryu as his assignment, but I think it works a little better with him staying on the Source.

Come Shadowbringers, Krile and Tataru didn’t especially have to bully him too hard to help out in the absence of Gisele and the others; he pretended to protest, but in reality he was relieved to do something to help Gisele and Haurchefant, because he was worried senseless for them (and Ysayle and Alphi for that matter). He joined the Scions officially after returning from Garlemald.