#and occasionally remember to post them here

[delilahsturniolo]

‎ . ݁⋆ ꫂ᭪ ݁˖ . ݁ RED, WHITE, AND YOU.

── lovergirl!reader teasing neighbor!fwb!matt by the pool at a fourth of july party

⤷ warnings . . . smut, boob play, clit play, fingering, unprotected sex, missionary, kissing, dirty talk, degradation, use of pet names, some fluff at the end.

⤷ written by @delilahsturniolo. do not copy, steal, or modify my works. if you are taking any inspiration from this, please ask me first before posting and credit me in your description. happy reading! :)

the fourth of july hits like it always does on your street. too loud, too hot, and absolutely filled with people. the kind of people you’ve grown up waving to from driveways and across fences. same barbecue, same folding chairs, same faded red-white-and-blue decorations. but this year’s different.

this year, you’re eighteen and lounging by the pool in a red bikini that could barely pass the fingertip rule. glossed lips. damp hair. freshly lotioned legs stretched over your towel. and a certain neighbor who can’t seem to stop staring from across the yard. matt.

he’s trying to play it cool, acting like he doesn’t care. sitting with his brothers and pretending not to look over at you every five seconds, but you can feel his eyes tracing every inch of your skin. like he’s remembering exactly what you feel like under him. you dip your legs in the pool, arch your back just enough to shift your top, and sip slowly from your iced drink. he swallows hard from across the yard, jaw clenched.

you catch him staring and smile softly. he shakes his head. looks away. but not for long. later, the sun dips lower, the sky completely dark, the crowd thins. fireworks are being set up in the cul-de-sac. his brothers are distracted. and you’re still by the pool, alone now, lazily swirling your feet in the water.

until you hear the gate creak. “this what you wanted?” matt’s voice is low, rough. he’s behind you now, his shadow falling over your bare back. “sitting here like that. teasing me all day.”you look over your shoulder, wide-eyed and fake-innocent. “i was just tanning, matt.”

he scoffs. steps closer. his fingers brush your spine. “nah. you were begging me to come over here.” your breath catches. you stand slowly, droplets rolling down your thighs as you face him, chest to chest. your bikini clings to every curve, the air thick with chlorine and something warmer.

“maybe i was,” you whisper, tugging on the hem of his shirt. “what are you gonna do about—“ he kisses you before you finish the sentence, deep and hot and hungry. hands on your waist, walking you backwards until your back hits the fence. you gasp against his mouth and he smirks, because he knows he’s got you exactly where you wanted him.

his mouth doesn’t disconnect from yours as he grabs your waist, laying you down on the ground beside the pool and pulling his shirt off in a swift movement. you gasp as matt grabbed your boob through your bikini, he slowly pushed the fabric to the side and latched his mouth onto your nipple, slowly sucking before pulling away, tugging down the underwear of your bikini, revealing your absolutely soaked pussy.

“you like that baby? you think you can get away with teasing me? hm?” matt murmured, his silver chain hanging and brushing across your nose occasionally, the blue water of the pool reflecting across the side of your face flawlessly.

“so soaked for me love…” matt groaned at the sight, you moaned into his ear as his head dipped down to the side of your neck, kissing and sucking the skin as his other hand toyed with your wet slit. “tell me what you want baby, apologize for teasin’ me earlier..bein’ a little slut, showing off in front of everyone..” matt taunted, his fingers circling your clit, you let out a mix between a gasp and moan, reaching up to tangle your hands in his hair, you can hear fireworks crackling in the distance, and see them in the sky.

“fuck—please fuck me matt—m’sorry…” you whine, matt doesn’t respond. he only plunges two fingers into you, thrusting in and out, collecting your slick. his free hand clamps over your mouth as your moans grow louder. “sh sh—don’t want everyone else hearing how desperate you are, yeah?” he mutters, pulling his fingers out of you and sucking them clean. you sit up slightly and help matt pull his boxers down, his hardened cock that you were oh so familiar with springing out.

matt slid into you with ease, leaning down to kiss you again, his lips hot against yours as his hips moved in a constant speed. the occasional crackle of fireworks and your moans mixed together filled the air. matt started increasing his speed, your pussy clenching around him. god—this was so wrong. fucking while everyone else was at the fireworks show? in his backyard? his mom thinking the both of you were just tired and didn’t wanna come? it made you feel horrible. but oh my gosh—it was so fucking worth it.

“close baby?” matt groaned against your lips, you nodded eagerly. “cum f’me love.” and you did. you didn’t hold back. his hand came back to cover your mouth as you screamed against it, your orgasm triggering his own. matt gave your neck a few more kisses before pulling away, pulling out of you with a slick sound, slowly sliding the bottoms to your bikini back on. you were still softly panting, another big crackle with a bright firework lighting the sky. matt laid next to you, looking up at the sky with you.

“you okay?” matt asked you, his voice gentler. you nodded, scooting away from the pool so you don’t fall in. “everyone’s probably wondering where we are right now.” you laughed, sitting up, and so did matt. “we’ve got a better view from here anyways.” matt chuckled, throwing his shirt back on and picking his phone up, the light illuminating his soft features. matt’s eyes widened, seeing the missed calls from marylou. you might’ve missed the firework show, but you and matt had your very own show right here.

© delilahsturniolo

💌: happy 4th of july to those who celebrate!

[whisperedmeg]

LONG DIVISION ―.✦ s.r. soft animal series ∘ part xii

pairing: spencer reid x fem!nurse!reader

summary: they misstep, misjudge, say the wrong things, and fall quiet in separate spaces. in the days that follow, silence becomes the hardest problem to solve.

genre: angst (a little fluff and hurt/comfort at the beginning but yeah, mostly angst srry) | w/c: 2.8k

tags/warnings: post-prison spencer, PTSD, panic attacks, arguing, spencer says something kinda icky he didn’t mean, frustration/tension/lots of emotion, fight left unresolved, slight cliffhanger

a/n: heeeey… don’t kill me for this one pls! still got one part left and you knowww I love them too much to let them be unhappy for too long 🥲. the final chapter of soft animal will be out next week (tbd on day). if you’ve stuck around this long, I truly don’t have the words to express how much I appreciate you. can’t believe it’s almost over. ily 🫶🏼

series masterlist

“I don’t need to be good at it, right?” Spencer asked, eyeing the gym bag on the floor like it might bite him.

“God, no,” I said, adjusting my ponytail in the mirror. “If it helps, most of the people who go to my gym are middle-aged teachers and a guy named Tony who brings a towel embroidered with flames.”

“That does help,” he said dryly, pulling off one of his socks and starting over.

It had been a few months since Rossi’s party — since the balcony, the journal, the move-in. Since all the sweetness and certainty that followed. And for the most part, things were good. Really good. Not perfect, not without the occasional misstep, but wonderfully, amazingly good. We shared toothpaste and bookshelves, played scrabble every Thursday, and argued over furniture placement. There was laughter. Sex. Quiet mornings.

But something shifted after the holidays. Slowly, then all at once. A string of hard cases. A few too many sleepless nights. A look in his eyes that said he was somewhere I couldn’t follow. He didn’t say much about it — Spencer never did — but I could feel it in the way he held his breath more often, the way he’d sit up at night, staring at the ceiling like he was waiting for it to crack.

After he got home from a long case involving a missing kid, I watched him pace our apartment like a ghost — all kinetic energy with nowhere to land. I tried and tried, but none of my usual methods to bring him back to himself had been working, so I went out on a limb and suggested the gym. I told him it wasn’t about fitness at all — that I loved his body exactly how it was now and wasn’t trying to change it — but rather, it was about motion. About trying something rhythmic, physical, grounding. I’d read about how trauma lives in the body, and sometimes healing means letting it move. He’d finally relented with a sigh and the world’s grumpiest nod, like he was agreeing to be sent into a war zone instead of a workout.

But now, as I handed him a granola bar and watched him lace up his shoes, I felt strangely proud. He had dressed in the new workout clothes I bought him. He’d packed water. He was trying.

“Come on,” I said, tossing him a hoodie. “Time to activate those mysterious leg muscles of yours.”

“Tell my mysterious leg muscles I hate them,” he muttered.

—

The gym was tucked into the ground floor of a brick building downtown. It was eclectic and slightly chaotic and filled with the kind of warmth you get from handwritten chalkboard signs and mismatched yoga mats.

We signed in at the front, and I could feel the nervous energy radiating off of Spencer beside me.

“Just remember,” I said, “you’re hot and brilliant and if you die here, I’ll avenge you.”

“Thank you,” he said gravely. “I want my eulogy to mention that I attempted cardio for love.”

—

Spencer stood in front of the gym mirror, stretching his arms overhead like he was preparing to scale Everest. He wore a look of deep suspicion.

“The creature approaches the elliptical with territorial caution. Observe its trembling limbs as it navigates the hostile terrain,” he said, only loud enough for me to hear, as he stared warily at the machine.

I choked on a laugh. “Are you seriously narrating your own workout like it’s a nature documentary?”

He nodded, stepping onto the elliptical with the tentative grace of a newborn deer. “I am. Sir David Attenborough deserves a day off.”

He fiddled with the settings and started moving. “Notice the male adjusting the resistance to level one, not because he’s weak, but because he’s conserving energy for hypothetical predator evasion.”

“Stop it,” I whispered, laughing so hard under my breath I had to slow the speed on my treadmill. It was ridiculous and charming and entirely him.

For a few minutes, things felt almost normal. An ordinary Saturday morning with the man I loved, goofily narrating cardio like a BBC special.

But then, someone across the gym dropped a dumbbell on the floor after their set. Spencer’s head shot up, and something shifted.

I noticed it in the way his breath shortened — too quickly. The way his shoulders hunched in, his jaw tensed. His eyes weren’t on the display screen anymore. They were fixed on a point in the distance, unblinking.

Another weight dropped on the mat behind us with a sharp clang. Spencer flinched.

One more slam and he was off the elliptical, breath ragged, barreling toward the locker room like the floor was burning his feet.

I followed — slowly at first, then faster.

I found him sitting on the tile floor near the lockers, back against the wall, knees pulled up like he needed to shield his ribs. He wasn’t crying, but his hands were shaking.

“Hey,” I said gently, crouching beside him. “Spence. You’re okay.”

His eyes flicked to mine. “The noises—” he started, then stopped. Swallowed. “It sounded so much like the yard at the prison.”

I nodded, heart breaking slow and quiet.

“I’m sorry. I—god, I thought I was past this. It’s been almost eight months since I got out.”

I shook my head softly, taking his hand in mine. “Stop that, you don’t need to be sorry. You don’t have to be fine all of the time. I’m here, okay?”

He nodded, and I didn’t try to fix it. I just sat beside him until his hands stopped trembling.

—

The next time it happened was while he was away on a case, so I only saw the aftermath. He came home pale and silent, dropped his go-bag on the floor, and stood in the middle of the kitchen in front of me like he didn’t remember how to exist inside walls that weren’t covered in metal bars.

“I had to interview a serial killer,” he said, voice flat. “In a prison.”

I stood very still.

“It smelled the same as Millburn did. I knew it would, but I wasn’t ready. And when I sat down across from him, I couldn’t hear anything over the sound of my own pulse.”

I reached for his hand. “You got through it.”

“I kept thinking about the sound the doors made when they shut. And then I couldn’t breathe right for hours. Even after I left. Even on the jet. Even now.”

He looked at me, like he was bracing for disappointment. Like telling me this might make me leave.

Instead, I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on tight. “You got through it,” I repeated.

—

There were more instances over the next few weeks — smaller ones. A nightmare where he woke up tangled in sheets, hyperventilating, coated in sweat. A startle response so sharp in the grocery store that he knocked over a towering display of cereal boxes. We laughed at it then, tried to make light of it, but I saw the way his hands shook as he cleaned it up.

Trauma doesn’t follow rules. Healing isn’t linear. But I kept hoping, irrationally, that if I just loved him hard enough, the patterns would flatten out.

I wanted to help. But the math wasn’t working.

—

The final break happened on a Tuesday.

He’d just gotten back from a long stretch of back-to-back cases. He looked… hollow. Like something had been scraped out of him and never filled back in.

I knelt in front of him, palms resting on his knees, trying to find his eyes.

“Spence,” I said, softly, “I’m worried about you.”

He blinked. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

Silence.

I reached for his hand. “I think you should talk to someone. A professional.”

His whole body tensed. His face shuttered, and he stood. “Oh, so you think I’m broken now?”

I paused, taken aback by his reaction. “That is not what I said.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“Spencer—”

He crossed the room, putting distance between us like a shield. “I don’t need someone poking around in my head telling me I’m traumatized like that’s news.”

I took a few steps closer and shook my head. “I’m not saying you’re broken. I don’t think that at all. I’m saying you’re hurting, and you deserve to heal.”

He flinched. “You want to fix me,” he said flatly.

“I just want you to be okay.”

“I’m never going to be okay,” he snapped. “This is who I am now. You can either choose to deal with it or to not.”

The air cracked.

His words cut like a knife, and I took a few steps towards him. “Don’t do that. Don’t push me away because you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared.”

“Yes, you are, Spencer. And you don’t get to tell me what I want, or what I can handle. I love you.”

“I never asked you to,” he snapped.

That stung.

I blinked, stunned into silence. I looked up at him with hurt in my eyes, and all I saw was distance. I searched for words that never came.

“You think I haven’t tried?” he said. “You think I haven’t been over this with professionals already? Do you know how many Bureau-mandated evaluations I had to sit through? How many times I talked about my ‘feelings’ so someone could check a box and tell some suit in a corner office that I was fit to rejoin a team I’d already been a part of for over thirteen years?”

I stood now, the floor cold under my feet. “I’m not them,” I said. “I’m not checking boxes.”

“Then stop trying to diagnose me,” he bit out. “You want to play nurse again? Write up my chart?”

That one landed hard. I blinked. “That’s what you think this is? You think I still see you as my patient?”

“I don’t know,” he said, voice cracking. “Maybe I don’t know how to be anything else to you. Maybe I’m just another project for you to fix. Sometimes you look at me like I’m this fragile thing, like I’ll fall apart if you touch me wrong.”

“Because sometimes you do!” I shot back. “You shut down. You disappear into your head. And I don’t know how to reach you when that happens.”

He stepped back. “Maybe we’re not ready for this.”

The words echoed louder than either of us expected. We both froze.

“That’s not fair,” I said, voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t get to say that like it’s a fact, like it’s decided. Just because I pushed you to get help—”

“I don’t need help.”

“Yes, you do!” I said, shaking now. “And it doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.”

He turned away again, pacing. “I’ve had enough people tell me what I am. I don’t need the woman I’m sleeping with doing it too.”

I stopped breathing. Those words felt like a slap — loud and sharp and deeply personal.

“Wow,” I said, voice cracking. “That’s what I am to you? Just someone you sleep with?”

His face shifted instantly, regret flashing through his eyes. “No. No no no, that’s not—”

“You chose those words, Spencer,” I cut in, louder now. “Not ‘my girlfriend,’ not ‘my partner,’ not ‘the girl I love’ or ‘the woman I live with and talk about a shared future with on a daily basis.’ Just… ‘the woman I’m sleeping with.’ After everything, that’s what you call me?”

“I didn’t mean it,” he said, softer, but not moving closer. “I’m not making sense. I’m exhausted. I’m saying things I don’t mean. I’m too angry.”

“Yeah. And now so am I,” I whispered. “Because I’m not just the woman you’re sleeping with. I love you. I’ve been trying. I’m still trying. And if trying too hard makes me a villain in your story right now, fine. But don’t reduce me to just sex.”

His jaw moved like he wanted to speak, to apologize, to take it all back. But nothing came out.

So we let the silence finish the argument for us.

We didn’t speak for the rest of the night. He went to bed early and didn’t reach for me when I slid in beside him.

When my alarm went off the next morning, I reached for Spencer instinctively — but his side of the bed was already cold. Not just warm-body-left-ten-minutes-ago cold. No — it was long-gone cold.

He’d left.

—

The days after were unbearable.

I didn’t hear from him. Didn’t see him. I went to work, came home, stared at the door like it might open. It didn’t.

The math of grief is cruel. I kept trying to solve for X. I tried running equations in my head — if I’d phrased it differently, if I’d waited a day, if I hadn’t brought up therapy at all, would he have stayed?

But the problem wasn’t the equation. It was the absence.

Spencer had always been a variable I couldn’t quite pin down. Beautiful, complex, unsolvable. But I didn’t want to solve him — I just wanted to be with him. To carry the remainders together.

—

I started to unravel on day two.

Instead of reaching out, I cleaned. I reorganized the bookshelves by spine color and then by height and then finally by the Dewey Decimal System, because I knew he’d find it funny and I hated how much I wanted him to notice. I walked three miles before remembering where I was supposed to be going. I cooked a meal I didn’t eat. Washed dishes I hadn’t used and folded laundry I hadn’t worn.

By day four, I felt nauseous with worry.

I sat on the living room floor for an hour staring at a dried tea ring on the coffee table, wondering if love was always supposed to feel like this — like a variable you couldn’t isolate. Like an equation you knew how to write but couldn’t solve.

I showered at noon and didn’t bother with makeup. I dug out an old sweatshirt I hadn’t worn in months, one that said CHESTNUT HILL GENERAL HOSPITAL in faded letters across the front, even though I’d never worked there. I wore it simply because it was mine, because I knew the smell of Spencer’s clothes on my body would break me. Just looking at his side of the closet was awful enough.

I still couldn’t eat. There was something about a knot in your stomach that didn’t leave much room for anything else.

Outside, it had started to rain — a thin, apologetic drizzle. I wondered if he was somewhere stuck in it, hoping he’d brought an umbrella.

By mid-afternoon, the rain had thickened to a steady shower and I stopped pretending to be busy. I curled up on the couch with my knees drawn to my chest, and I let myself cry.

I replayed the conversation in loops. Not the big parts — those were easy to recall. It was the quiet things that haunted me. The pauses. The dropped eye contact. The absence of breath between one thought and the next.

I knew what prison had done to him. I was the one who had monitored his vitals. I was the one who’d given him a place to rest his head and pretended it was protocol. I was the first person he’d called when the quiet of his release crept in. I’d watched him learn how to laugh again. To cook. To joke. To sleep through the night. And yet I still managed to break the one rule I’d set for myself, one I never spoke aloud: never make him feel like a project.

Evening hit, and the light had shifted — that soft, gray kind that made everything feel like the end of something. I was still on the couch, my body sore from sitting too long in the same position.

I thought about texting him. Just one line: Are you okay?

But I didn’t.

Instead, I curled tighter beneath the blanket and closed my eyes. Not to sleep — I couldn’t really do that without him — but just to make the world go quiet for a moment.

And finally, I let myself admit it:

I didn’t know if he was coming back.

I missed him — not just his presence, not just the comfort of his body beside mine — but him. The crooked smile he didn’t know he made when he read something interesting. The obscure trivia tidbits he couldn’t help but share. The way he mumbled my name when he was half-asleep. The catch in his breath when he found a dirty joke I’d jotted down on a post-it and hid for him. The way his nose scrunched up when he grinned goofily for a Polaroid picture.

I missed the way he looked at me like I was something worth staying for. I wanted to believe he still would.

Throughout all of his struggles, I kept trying to work through his trauma like it was solvable. But love isn’t clean like basic math — it’s messy and complicated. Sometimes you divide and divide and divide and still never find the solution.

Right now, all I had was the quiet. And outside, the rain kept falling.

ᝰ.ᐟ

PSA: likes do very little for promoting posts on tumblr! if you'd like to support a fic, please reblog!

[heyclickadee]

There’s this binary set of attitudes I occasionally come across when talking to people who rarely come across wild animals any bigger or more varied than a robin or a squirrel.

On the one end, you’ll get people who think any carnivorous animal bigger than a fox is just itching to murder every living thing that comes across its path—especially the humans. I beta-read a story written by this guy who had grown up in suburban England. He had one chapter where his protagonist had to fight lions, another where he had to fight wolves, another where he had to fight a bear. And each time the animals really were just out to kill because the writer saw “kill” as an automatic action these animals would take; they came at this guy’s protagonist in CoD-esque waves just because.

I actually came across the same thing a lot while working at a state park; people would come up to me incensed that we allowed bobcats (yes, they would complain about the bobcats) and rattlesnakes in the park. Didn’t we know those things attacked people?

Pushing the idea that the state park staff needed to make sure *checks notes* animals were not present in their natural habitat in what was basically a nature preserve…well, yes, animal attacks do happen, and they can be dangerous or even deadly, but they usually happen for a specific reason. Humans are big, kinda weird animals, and there are not that many predators left that see us as prey (though they do exist). Hiking in some (some) parts of North America you’re a lot more likely to be attacked by a large herbivore like a moose than a large predator like a mountain lion (it’s still not that likely, but even so). Something like a rattlesnake isn’t going to going to attack you because it’s wired to kill.

The other side of this I’ll come across sometimes is that all animals are harmless, misunderstood puppies who want scritches. It’s maybe more common in the internet, but it bleeds over into real life sometimes. You get people trying to pet bears and bison. And I get it—we’re just human. We try to pack bond with everything and bears and the like really are just so damn fluffy.

But that’s really just the opposite end of the same misunderstanding. Barring an outlier in personality, wild animals aren’t murder machines, but they aren’t harmless, either. They’re just animals trying to live. Many animals—from insects and arthropods to big mammals—will attack if pressed by the right circumstances.

A prairie rattlesnake, for example, is rarely be actively aggressive. They’re shy, we’re large and more or less impossible for them to eat, biting us for no reason is a waste of energy—they rattle to get predators and larger animals to back off before they have to—and they’d just as soon leave us alone. That’s not the same thing as saying a prairie rattlesnake poses no danger; they do. Get in a rattlesnake’s face or step on it by accident, and it will bite you, because you’re a threat and it’s trying to stay alive.

I don’t know. Something something about not replacing the idea that wildlife is out for murder with the idea that wildlife is fully domesticated. Something about understanding, distance, and respect.

[something-about-sunflowers]

That's fair. It's entirely possible that any of the things you suggested are the reason it skewed that way; I just think it's kinda harmless to say 'hm, that's kinda odd statistically, lemme see if it happens more than once', particularly about something like 'what is your eye color'.

It's kind of like a social experiment imo?

Also, re: this tag > #And what's the alternative? Brown eyed people lying? Idk seems even weirder than a poll just being popular in a subset of people

Not actually all that weird! In the notes of that original post there were plenty of people who voted 'no' because 'my eyes are hazel' or 'my eyes are black' because people tend to view brown eyes as plain and unappealing, despite hazel and black eyes both fitting under the umbrella of 'brown'.

I remember a good while back seeing posts going around occasionally on here talking about how brown eyed people should be able to appreciate them more, especially because of how common they are among poc who are already made to feel lesser due to eurocentric beauty standards.

the recent eye color post on yesornopolls is intriguing me a lot bc. well. statistically more people should be answering yes to the question here than they are. but obvs the point of yesornopolls is yes or no questions so we can’t exactly do a follow up there. so i’m going into more depth here because i can do what i want

obvs this poll isn’t gonna get as much traction as the poll blog’s will, but it’ll still be interesting to look at the results of it and compare them methinks

(bee tee dubs if your eyes change color based on lighting answer with the color they are most often. pick whatever color you’d put on a legal ID. also the heterochromia button is there with complete heterochromia in mind but if you have central/sectoral heterochromia and feel none of the other options fit you then. go for it i suppose)

i know i forgot gray eyes can you all please relax about it. this is a poll on tumblr dot com it is not the end of the world if i forgot your eye color

[britneyshakespeare]

throughout the series of drake and josh it pretty consistently implies that josh nichols is a christian (josh peck is jewish) and in the finale of the series helen (played by yvette nicole brown, not jewish[?]) is portrayed as a practicing jew

[itstimeforstarwars]

Looking into plant-based lifestyles will have you googling shit like "is store-bought blueberry juice vegan" and sometimes the answer is no.

[fierykitten2]

Sometime two years ago (I specifically remember it was so early on in the SV hype cycle we didn’t know Paldea’s name yet. So basically anytime in the first two thirds) I made a post where I assigned starters to the trio I refer to as “the Afterthoughts” (Falcon, Samus and Fox. I call them that because Nintendo doesn’t seem to like their sci-fi series much. Metroid’s an exception now but it’s had some problems with it in the past too). Now, I want to assign starters to the characters I ship them with the most - Robert, Madeline and Falco for the sake of this post I’m gonna pretend I prefer SamusxMadeline to FalconxSamus. There are some patterns again I’ve unintentionally fallen into - Falco almost always has the same starter as Falcon even in regions without a birb start, Madeline frequently has the same starter as Samus and Robert… well I guess he tends to default to Fox’s starter but I’m not really noticing when that happens as much as I am with the other two (I am slowly noticing every time I fall into that trap). Also I could have waited an extra few months so that I could make sure to assign them starters in a way so that they each get a Z-A starter like how I’m doing for both trios with the Hisui starter trio but I came up with the idea today so I’m doing it today

Kanto:

Robert gets Bulbasaur

Madeline gets Squirtle

Falco is left with Charmander

Johto:

For some reason I’m really tempted to give Robert Cyndaquil (this has nothing to do with their eyes I just think until it evolves Cyndaquil gives off some kind of Fennekin vibes and there’s no way I’m missing the opportunity to pair the guy who owns the Golden Fox with a starter that reminds me of Fennekin)

Madeline gets Chikorita

Falco is left with Totodile (I swear I’m not always saving him til last)

Hoenn:

Falco has to have Torchic

The other two are hard to pair up but I think Madeline only just works better with Mudkip than any of the other three possible pairs

Robert ends up with Treecko. This annoys me because this is who I paired Falcon up with (for reference he does end up with Blaziken it’s just I decided there would be a whole trade thing going on in Hoenn after they’ve all had the chance to fully-evolve their starters). The strange thing is, this is the only pair in Hoenn that annoys me for that reason despite all of them having the same starter as their partners pre-trade (Samus starts with Mudkip and ends up with Sceptile while Madeline gets Mudkip, Fox starts with Torchic and ends up with Swampert while Falco gets Torchic, Falcon starts with Treecko and ends up with Blaziken while Robert gets Treecko)

Sinnoh:

Falco gets Piplup

I just think Robert makes most sense with Turtwig out of all the Sinnoh starters (even Piplup)

Madeline is left with Chimchar. I hate it too but someone has to have that ugly monkey

Unova:

Robert and Snivy

This is mainly because I worked out the other two Hisui starters first but Madeline gets Oshawott

Falco is left with Tepig. I don’t understand this pairing either

Kalos:

Robert has Fennekin. There is no way he doesn’t get Fennekin

I guess Madeline and Chespin makes sense. Why not

Falco is once again left with the starter I paired up with Falcon - Froakie

Alola:

Falco and Rowlet (this one was obvious bc birb but can I please pair him up with a starter that I haven’t paired Falcon with)

Somehow I just think Madeline most makes sense with Primarina so she gets Popplio. She’s either nicknaming it Melissa or Samus even though it’s most likely male

This leaves Robert with Litten. Given out of the three of them he matches Incineroar’s build most… idk what to say about that I just wanted to point that out

Galar:

I’ll be honest this one was the hardest to pair up. Robert and Madeline both seem like they’d be sympathetic enough to choose Sobble but in the end I decided to pair Robert with Sobble

Madeline gets Grookey

Falco finally doesn’t share a starter with Falcon as he gets Scorbunny instead (genuinely this is the only region he doesn’t share with Falcon. No one shares with their partner in this region bc they all get the starter weak to their partner’s choice. Also somehow I forgot that my ships and who seems to align most starter-wise is not the same for the blue birbs and gold foxes so I accidentally ignored how both Robert and Fox have ended up with Sobble)

Paldea:

Falco once again shares a starter with Falcon - Quaxly (good choice though. Not that I ever give them a bad choice the two worst starters belong to Samus/Madeline although I don’t like Totodile that much)

Robert and Sprigatito. It makes slightly less sense but I actually prefer pairing him up with Spriggie than I do pairing him up with Fennekin (few reasons: a) I prefer the Sprigatito line, b) it matches my insistence on Falcon having a Quaxly/Quaquaval, c) I tend to ignore Skeledirge’s existence while thinking about Meowscarada and Quaquaval and this just gives me an excuse to do that)

Madeline is left with Fuecoco. Once again, I hate that I have to do this but someone has to end up with the ugly croc

And then Hisui is Robert with Cyndaquil, Madeline with Oshawott and Falco with Rowlet

Yeah sure I can count up just how many times Robert shares with Fox, Madeline shares with Samus and Falco shares with Falcon:

Robert shares five six out of eleven (I’m gonna count Hisui separately and I’m counting Hoenn twice) with Fox - Bulbasaur, Turtwig, Fennekin, Litten, Sobble and Sprigatito

Madeline shares six out of eleven with Samus - Squirtle, Mudkip (pre-trade), Chimchar, Chespin, Popplio and Fuecoco

Falco shares nine out of eleven with Falcon - Charmander, Totodile, Blaziken (post-trade), Piplup, Tepig, Froakie, Rowlet, Rowlet again and Quaxly

[coridallasmultipass]

i love how much you talk in tags. i love reading your words and how you talk and what about. might sound strange but its true. i like your mouth words dawg.

Technically, they're finger words.

[angelseraphines]

ೃ⁀➷ playing dangerous ˗ˏˋ꒰ 🦢 ꒱

╰┈➤ hwang in-ho x player!reader imagine

a/n: i would like to give a special thank you to @lumillsie for the layout of this post and for the filter used on the header!

˚ ༘♡ player 177. your assigned number. the three digits stitched in stark white thread on the coarse forest-green tracksuit now clinging to your body. you didn’t remember putting it on. you didn’t remember anything between falling asleep in your cramped apartment and waking up in this sterile, alabaster void. the tracksuit was loose in some places, tight in others, the fabric rough against your skin, a similar sensation for the discomfort that had settled deep into your bones.

˚ ༘♡ the air here was heavy, oppressive. tension hung over the room like a storm cloud, pressing down on everyone in its path. you sat on the thin mattress of your cot, the iron bars of the bedframe biting into your back as you leaned against them. your throat was dry, your lips chapped, and a faint crust of dried blood clung to the edge of your mouth, an unpleasant reminder of the chaos you’d barely survived. in your lap rested a cold metal bento box, unopened. the thought of eating its contents of rubbery eggs and starchy rice, made your stomach churn. it wasn’t hunger gnawing at you but dread. eating felt like acknowledging the possibility of another day here, in this place where death lingered so close you could almost taste it.

˚ ༘♡ death. it wasn’t something you’d ever had to think about seriously before. you were young, healthy enough, aside from the occasional winter flu. life’s struggles had been mundane, bills, work, nothing quite noteworthy. you’d thought financial trouble was the worst of your problems. how naive that seemed now. the sharp crack of gunfire still rang in your ears, and the memory of bodies crumpling mid-run played in an endless loop in your mind. every scream, every desperate gasp for air as life left someone’s body, was etched into your mind.

˚ ༘♡ this wasn’t life. it was survival, twisted into something grotesque. children’s games weaponized against desperate people for the amusement of others, with the promise of money as bait. one hundred million won for every life taken. your own life, reduced to a figure on a balance sheet. you’d survived the first game, the horrifying version of red light, green light, but at what cost? surely, after witnessing such carnage, the others would have voted to leave. you’d been certain of it. but the desperation was stronger. greed was stronger. most players had chosen to stay, ignoring the horrors of what lay ahead.

˚ ༘♡ “the next game,” player 456 had said, “will be cutting shapes out of dalgona candy. pick the triangle. it’s the easiest.” his voice had carried a strange conviction, and he claimed to know these games intimately, even to have won before. but how could you trust him? maybe he was lying, or maybe it didn’t matter. maybe none of you were meant to leave this place alive.

˚ ༘♡ “hey, 177!” the crude voice shattered your thoughts, dragging you back to the present.

˚ ༘♡ you glanced up to see player 230, “thanos,” as he called himself, sauntering toward you. his garish purple hair stood out like a bruise against the sterile backdrop, and his brightly colored nails flashed as he gestured. he’d painted them to match the infinity stones, leaning fully into the nickname he’d given himself. behind him, player 124 followed, all sharp angles and slicked-back hair, his grin as eager and sly as ever.

˚ ༘♡ “why didn’t you vote for one more game, huh?” thanos sneered, his voice laced with mockery. “you had no problem playing foul last round.”

˚ ༘♡ you frowned, rising slowly to your feet. “you and i both know it was an accident,” you replied steadily. “everyone was running for their lives. i didn’t block your way on purpose. we both finished in time, didn’t we? no harm done.”

˚ ༘♡ he rolled his eyes, his expression exaggerated and spontaneous. “yeah, sure, whatever. typical cold-hearted bitch behavior.”

˚ ༘♡ player 124 cackled at the insult, his laughter harsh and grating. “that’s right. cold, stuck-up bitch,” he echoed, his voice dripping with scorn.

˚ ༘♡ their taunts were designed to provoke you, but you refused to give them the satisfaction. your hands curled into fists, but you forced yourself to relax them, forced yourself to breathe. these two thrived on conflict, and the best thing you could do was walk away. you turned on your heel, ignoring their shouts, and started to move toward the far corner of the room.

˚ ༘♡ “hey! i’m talking to you!” thanos barked, stumbling after you with heavy, uncoordinated steps. he didn’t get far. player 001 stepped into his path, his expression stoic and unyielding.

˚ ༘♡ “don’t you boys have any respect?” player 001 asked, his voice quiet but firm. there was something about him, an emanation of authority that made everyone within earshot pause.

˚ ༘♡ thanos bristled, his arrogance faltering for just a moment. “mind your own damn business, old man,” he snapped, jerking forward.

˚ ༘♡ player 001 didn’t flinch. when thanos lunged at him, the older man moved with startling precision, sidestepping the punch with ease. he grabbed thanos by the wrist mid-swing and twisted sharply, forcing a guttural yelp from the younger man as his knees buckled. with a swift motion, player 001 yanked him forward and drove an elbow into his chest, the dull, cracking impact echoing in the room. thanos collapsed onto the floor, clutching his ribs and coughing violently.

˚ ༘♡ player 124 scrambled forward, his face twisted in fury. “bastard!” he yelled, charging with reckless abandon. player 001 turned just in time, catching the younger man by the collar and using his momentum against him. a sharp twist and a well-placed shove sent player 124 sprawling into the edge of a nearby cot, the metal frame rattling as he hit it with a thud.

˚ ༘♡ the fight wasn’t over. thanos struggled to his feet, his face contorted in pain and rage. “you’re gonna regret that, old man,” he spat, lunging again. this time, player 001’s response was more deliberate. he ducked under thanos’s wild swing, stepped inside his reach, and delivered a devastating blow to his lower torso. the younger man doubled over, gasping, before player 001 swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor once more.

˚ ༘♡ not finished, player 124 staggered up again, charging at player 001 with fists raised. the older man sidestepped and grabbed player 124 by the arm, wrenching it behind his back and forcing him to the ground with a hoarse cry of pain. he planted a knee firmly against player 124’s spine, holding him there as the younger man squirmed and cursed.

˚ ༘♡ thanos, blood now trickling from his nose, crawled toward his friend, wheezing apologies and swearing obscenities all at once. player 001 released player 124 with a shove, stepping back as the two younger men lay crumpled together on the floor.

˚ ༘♡ the room was silent, every player watching in stunned awe. then, slowly, the silence broke into cheers and clapping. player 001 straightened his posture, his expression as calm and inscrutable as ever. without a word, he turned and walked back to where player 456 and a few others were gathered, leaving the two troublemakers to nurse their wounds.

˚ ༘♡ you hesitated, then followed him. when you reached his side, you spoke softly. “i wanted to thank you, sir. if you hadn’t stepped in, they wouldn’t have stopped harassing me and disturbing the peace. you’ve done us all a favor.”

˚ ༘♡ player 001 turned to look at you, his dark eyes meeting yours briefly before he nodded. he said nothing, his expression unreadable. there was something deeply weary about him, a weight that seemed to press down on his shoulders. his posture was rigid, his face lined with exhaustion, and though he was relatively handsome, it was the kind of masculine appeal eroded by time and hardship.

˚ ༘♡ you wondered what had brought him here, what had led him to the point where he’d chosen, or been pushed into, to enter this place. you didn’t ask. prying into his past would be an impolite gesture and an indignity for what he had done for you.

a/n: my first squid game fanfiction! i definitely want to write more for hwang in-ho in the future so let me know if you have any requests! 🤍

[sparklebabybear]

Toys/Stuffies PSA!

Here’s a few things I wanted to remind you about your toys and plushies! It’s important to remember!

✨ Your toys love you so much!!! You are their best friend, don’t forget that!

✨ Toy Story is fictional! Your toys don’t feel sad or upset when you don’t play with them for a while! They understand, and they’re happy regardless. When you get new toys, they’re happy to have new friends!

✨ Stuffies need to be washed. Make sure you give them a nice warm, relaxing bath occasionally. Stuffies don’t breathe like we do, so they enjoy being soaked underwater sometimes. They’re also very flexible! Ringing water out of them and scrubbing them is like a nice massage!

✨ They like the washer and dryer! It’s like a theme park ride! Just make sure it’s gentle, you don’t want them getting hurt!

✨ If you wake up, and a plushie is on the floor, don’t feel bad! That means they went on a super secret mission to make sure there were no monsters hiding anywhere

✨ There are plenty of ways to play! There is no one way to play, so don’t feel bad if you don’t interact with your toys the same way as someone else, or even if you don’t have any toys! Here’s a post on some non pretend play ideas!

✨ If you can’t keep a toy, don’t worry, they’re not upset! It’s just the beginning of a new adventure for them!

✨ It’s okay if you struggle to give your toys names and personalities! As long as you like them, that’s what matters!

Personally, I love thrifting my plushies and toys! It’s like reaching an animal from a shelter, versus a pet store! :3 all toys deserve love 🩵

[purplereina11]

You spent your childhood drifting through foster homes, with nothing but a worn photo of two little girls and a note on the back: Your sisters, Alexia and Alba. You never imagined that at 25, after starting a new job, you'd meet them, through your boss who was your sister's girlfriend.

Wordcount: 15.8k

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

You’re two months in, and you’re still not sure how Olga Rios manages to be everywhere at once.

She’s answering emails while editing a reel. She’s sketching out a content calendar with one hand and handing you a matcha latte with the other because she remembers that you don’t do coffee, and that still surprises you a little.

Her loft-office smells like lavender and old books, even though the work is anything but quiet. There’s a gentle hum of creativity in the air half Spotify playlists, half the occasional bark from her dog, Nala, who has her own Instagram account with better engagement than most influencers you know.

You sit across from her at a wide wooden table covered in sticky notes, open laptops, two ring lights, and exactly one succulent that’s definitely fake but somehow not thriving. She’s got that kind of energy, Olga. She makes things grow, unless you're fake.

“You’re getting faster,” she says without looking up from her screen. Her voice is warm, honeyed, soft in the way that makes you want to lean closer, like she’s letting you in on something. “The captions today? I liked them. You’re starting to sound less like a brand, and more like a human. That’s good.”

You try not to grin too much, but it’s hard not to. Praise from Olga is never handed out like candy it’s measured, genuine, and usually comes with a Post-it note suggestion five minutes later, but when she says something’s good, she means it.

You glance at your own screen three drafts open, analytics humming in a separate tab. You're starting to notice patterns, pick up her shorthand, even anticipate when she’s about to say, “We can do better.” You’re getting the rhythm now. It feels like learning a dance. Awkward at first, but now... now you’re finding your footing.

“Do you ever sleep?” you ask, half-joking, because she’s been up since six and somehow still looks like she floated here on a sunbeam.

She laughs, a soft, melodic thing that fills the loft. “Only when a campaign’s not launching. So… not often. But I love this. I love seeing things come to life.” She sips her tea, eyes crinkling at the corners. “And I think you’re going to be really good at this.” Something about the way she says it makes your heart lift. A couple of month in, and you’re already certain, this isn’t just an internship. This is the beginning of something.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

It’s a quiet afternoon, the kind that settles like soft dust. The usual buzz of Olga’s workspace is muted no clients calling, no urgent edits, just the rhythmic clack of keys and the occasional sigh from Nala, curled up under the table like she owns the place.

You’re working side by side on a campaign for a small bookstore that’s trying to grow its online presence. Olga is fine-tuning the carousel post for tomorrow, and you’re adjusting the tone of the captions trying to thread that fine line between charming and trying-too-hard. It’s nice. Peaceful, even.

Olga breaks the silence without looking away from her screen. “Do you have anyone in your family who loves books like this?”

You pause. The cursor blinks in front of you. The question is soft, casual, not meant to dig but it hits something that feels like hollow wood. “I…” You swallow. “I don’t know.”

Olga looks up immediately.

You don’t say anything else at first. The words stall. It’s not that you haven’t talked about it before it’s just that people usually don’t ask, not really.

She tilts her head slightly, brows gently furrowed. Her voice lowers. “Hey. You okay?”

You nod automatically, out of habit. But then, without quite meaning to, you add, “I didn’t grow up with a family. I was left at a children’s home when I was a baby.”

The air in the room shifts not heavier, exactly, just… slower. Softer.

Olga doesn’t gasp, or overreact, or flood you with sympathy that feels too bright and uncomfortable. She just sets her phone down and gives you her full attention.

“I’m sorry,” she says. Quiet. Real.

You shrug, though it feels awkward. “It’s fine. I mean, it’s just… how it was. I don't really think about it much now. I just… didn’t have anyone to ask questions like that about.”

Olga nods slowly, like she’s letting your words settle inside her before responding. Then, gently “Well, just so you know any time you want to say, ‘My 'mentor' once told me this,’ you can go ahead and start with me.”

You let out a soft laugh, surprised.

She smiles, warm and a little wistful. “I know it’s not the same. But you’re not on your own here, okay? Not while you’re working with me.”

For a moment, you’re not thinking about metrics or content calendars or trending audios. You’re just sitting across from someone who sees you not just as an assistant or intern, but as a person.

The knock on the door is light but confident. You barely register it at first lost in the middle of scheduling posts for a new client who sells handmade ceramic earrings until Olga perks up with that unmistakable sparkle in her eyes.

She glances at the clock, then at you. “That’ll be Alexia.”

You blink. “Alexia…?”

Before she can answer, the door swings open and there she is.

Alexia Putellas. That Alexia Putellas.

Even if you don’t follow football religiously, her face is familiar. The captain, the icon, the Ballon d'Or winner. The kind of person whose highlight reels show up on your feed whether you asked for them or not. And now she’s in Olga’s office, wearing a simple hoodie, black joggers, and the kind of calm confidence that doesn't need to shout to be heard.

She smiles when she sees Olga, and everything about Olga posture, eyes, even the way she exhales shifts in the softest way. Like a house when someone finally comes home.

Olga stands, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Ale, this is the one I’ve been telling you about.”

You freeze. Alexia’s gaze lands on you, kind and curious. “So you’re the apprentice,” she says, her accent smooth but clear, the kind that could make any sentence feel like a secret. “Olga’s been bragging.”

You blink again. “She—she has?”

Olga shrugs like it’s nothing. “Only a little. Maybe a lot.”

Alexia steps forward and offers her hand. “It’s really nice to meet you. I’ve heard you’re doing great work.”

You shake her hand her grip is strong, grounded and try not to look like you’re meeting a living legend, because you are. But she’s also incredibly down-to-earth, her presence somehow both intimidating and totally easy to be around.

Olga comes around the desk and gently bumps Alexia’s shoulder with hers. “She only comes here to raid my snack drawer and steal my playlists,” she says, teasing.

Alexia grins. “Also because I love you.”

There’s a beat of warmth between them that you feel rather than see, like watching sunlight fall through a window. “Do you want me to go?” you ask, half-joking.

Olga laughs. “No way. Ale's just here to say hi before training. You’re family now. Might as well meet the boss.”

Alexia raises an eyebrow. “I’m the boss?”

Olga winks. “In football, yes. In here, you just eat all my almonds.”

You watch them and feel something shift inside you again like the quiet redefinition of what ‘family’ might look like. Not always blood. Sometimes it's someone who believes in you. Someone who shares their space with you. Someone who brings light with them, just by walking through the door.

You glance at your screen, then back at the two of them.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

You invite Olga over to work because it feels normal now. Familiar. Safe, even.

It’s late almost midnight. You’ve both been bouncing between drafts for a new campaign and clips from a client shoot. Nala is curled up on your bed, half-snoring, and there’s the comfort of shared silence between you, broken only by the occasional sound of keys or a soft “Wait, this transition’s better” from Olga.

She gets up to stretch, as she often does when she’s been sitting too long. Paces a little. You barely notice her eyes scanning your bookshelf until you hear her voice. Low. Surprised. “…Wait. What?”

You glance over. She’s holding the small, slightly curled photo that’s been with you for as long as you can remember. You’ve had it since before you could read. Two little girls. One smiling, the other not so much.

You never knew their names. Never knew why the photo was with your things. It was just… always there. Something old, something yours, but now Olga is frozen, staring at it. “Why do you have this?” she asks, but the softness in her voice is already cracking.

You sit up straighter. “What do you mean?”

She turns the frame toward you, her eyes sharp now. “This is Alexia. And her sister Alba. This photo’s from when they were kids. I’ve never seen this before, how do you have this?.”

Your mouth opens slowly. “What?”

She steps closer. “Don’t play dumb.”

You shake your head, heart beginning to pound. “I’m not. I didn’t know who they were. I’ve had that photo since I was dropped off at the home. It was in a box with my baby things, I never even knew there names.”

Olga stares at you like she doesn’t believe you.

“I swear,” you say, voice trembling now. “I never knew. I didn’t know.”

But she isn’t hearing you. Not fully. Her jaw clenches. “So you mean to tell me this is just some random coincidence? You had a photo of my girlfriend and her sister, and you never knew?”

“I didn’t know!” you say louder now, trying to push through the panic rising in your chest. “Olga, I didn’t. They were just two girls in a picture I’ve had it since I was a baby! One of my foster parents told me they were my sisters once but I could never see the resemblance but I, I don't know I just could never throw it away, it was left with me for a reason, I couldn't-”

“You expect me to believe that?” she snaps interrupting, eyes suddenly fierce. “You knew who Alexia was. Everyone does. You had the photo, you applied for this job, and you never once thought to say a word.”

Your breath catches. “I didn’t even connect them to say something. Please why would I lie to you?”

But she’s shaking her head, stepping back, betrayal flashing in her eyes. “I trusted you. I let you into my space. My life. And now I find this?”

She turns, grabs the frame, and holds it tightly like she’s afraid it might disappear. You stand, reaching toward her helplessly. “Please, Olga. I’m not using you. I didn’t know. I swear to you.”

But her voice cuts through the air like glass. “Don’t say another word.”

She storms toward the door. “Olga—please!”

Her hand is on the knob already. “Do not tell anyone about this. Not Alexia. Not anyone. I mean it.” And just like that, she’s gone door slamming behind her, the photo still clutched in her hand.

You stand frozen in your tiny apartment, the silence left in her wake louder than anything you've ever heard.

You don’t remember sitting down. Just that suddenly you’re on the floor, legs folded awkwardly beneath you, and the room feels too still.

The candle you lit earlier is still flickering on the desk, scenting the air with warm vanilla, like any normal night, but everything has changed.

The photo’s gone. She took it.

You wrap your arms around yourself, unsure if you’re cold or just empty. Your hands are shaking. Your chest feels tight, like someone filled it with wet sand. You can’t stop replaying the last ten minutes Olga’s face, the anger, the betrayal in her voice. The way she looked at you like you were a stranger. Worse—like a lie.

“I didn’t know,” you whisper, to no one. Your own voice sounds small, cracked open. “I didn’t know.” But the silence doesn’t answer. It just presses in around you.

You don’t know how that photo ended up with your baby things. You never questioned it. It was just… part of the mystery of you. You’d imagined a hundred stories for it as a kid. A fantasy life you were left out of. Two unknown little girls you'd prop up when you had tea parties alone, two faces you talked to when no one else would listen but it never felt real. Not like this.

You wipe at your face and realise you’ve been crying without noticing, not loudly, just slow, quiet tears that slip out like steam from a cracked mug.

You try to work. To check a calendar, finish a caption, edit a reel, but everything blurs. Your fingers hover over the keys, useless. More tears come. Not steady, but suddenly rising without warning like waves. You press your hand to your mouth, like that might stop the sob that’s already too far out to swallow back.

You don’t know what hurts more: the fear that she won’t believe you or the feeling that she already doesn’t, and underneath that, a newer, stranger thought creeps in:

What if the photo really does mean something? What if you're connected to them in some way you never imagined?

You don’t know how to hold that. You don’t even know if you want to.

The night stretches long and quiet. You cry again, not always with sound. Sometimes just with breath that shakes too hard, or thoughts that spiral too fast. You think about messaging Olga. You almost do, but what would you say that you haven’t already begged her to believe?

Eventually, curled in bed, your chest aching and eyes sore, the exhaustion takes over.

You fall asleep and as your breathing evens out in the dark, the photo lives somewhere else now, in her hands.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

You shouldn’t go in to work, you know that.

You didn’t sleep more than a couple of hours, and when you looked in the mirror this morning, your reflection startled you, pale, red-eyed, shadows under your eyes like bruises that haven’t fully bloomed. You look like someone who’s been crying on and off for eight hours, because you have, but not going in make it look like you had something to hide, and you loved your job.

So you pull yourself together barely. Tie your hair back. Splash water on your face. Avoid your own eyes as you grab your bag and head out the door.

The walk to Olga’s office feels longer than usual. Everything’s sharp, the sound of your own footsteps, the brightness of the morning, the hum of people who don’t know your world just came apart. You keep your head down.

When you get there, the door is already unlocked, she was here already, you step inside slowly. Olga’s at her desk. Laptop open, headphones around her neck, Nala curled up on the rug at her feet. She looks up instinctively when you enter.

For a moment, nothing moves, then her eyes scan your face and she sees it. The red around your eyes. The way your shoulders hang. The hollow tiredness you didn’t have to fake.

Her mouth parts slightly, like she might say something, but she doesn’t. Instead, she looks back down at her screen.

You nod stiffly, not that she’s looking, and cross the room to your usual seat. Every movement feels brittle. Too careful. You place your laptop on the table as quietly as you can, like noise might crack what’s left between you.

You don’t speak. Neither does she.

The silence is different today. Not the peaceful kind. It’s tight. Pressurised. You can feel her not looking at you, can feel her tension radiating from behind her screen like heat.

Your stomach twists. You open your laptop. Try to focus on the client folder. Everything blurs.

You can’t stop thinking about the way she stormed out. The photo in her hand. The fear in her eyes. The disbelief in her voice.

And now, she’s right there but she may as well be a hundred miles away. You steal a glance at her. She’s typing something. Her jaw is tight. Her ponytail is a little messy, like she didn’t sleep well either.

You want to say something. Apologise again. Explain again. Beg if you have to, but the air around her says not to.

So you sit in the quiet. Trying to work. Trying not to cry. Trying not to lose the one place that ever felt like it might become home.

You’re halfway through pretending to work when the door clicks open behind you. Your heart stops, you know that sound now. You know who it is before she says a word.

“Hola,” Alexia calls out gently, cheerful but quiet, as if she’s stepping into a place where someone might be asleep or upset.

You stay frozen for a half second too long, then shift your body slightly in your chair. Not enough to seem rude, but just enough to make your back the most visible part of you.

Don’t make eye contact. Don’t breathe too loudly. Don’t be more than necessary.

Olga looks up, and the change in her voice is immediate.

“Ale…”

Alexia steps in fully now, holding a brown paper bag and a takeaway cup tray. “You were tossing all night,” she says softly, “so I figured you could use some sugar and espresso.” She walks over, places the treats beside Olga with care. “I got that oat milk one you like. And a croissant, because I know you never remember to eat when you’re stressed.”

Her voice is so easy. So full of quiet affection. It makes your throat tighten. Olga stares at the bag for a moment before letting out a breath you didn’t know she was holding. She smiles, faint but real, and says, “Thanks.”

Alexia leans down and kisses her cheek. It’s a small, domestic gesture. One that would’ve felt sweet yesterday.

Now it’s a stone in your stomach.

They talk for a minute, low and warm too low for you to hear clearly. It sounds like a small exchange about sleep, and schedules, and if Olga’s eaten yet. You keep your eyes fixed on your screen, even though the words are swimming and nothing’s going in.

Then Alexia shifts, you feel her glance in your direction. “Hey,” she says kindly, and you can hear the smile in her voice. “Nice to see you again.”

You muster every scrap of civility you can find and turn your head slightly, just enough to meet her eyes for a breath of a second.

You smile a tiny, exhausted curve of your mouth and lift your hand in a half-wave.

She nods back, just as polite. Just as unaware. “Bueno,” she says, brushing her hand against Olga’s arm. “I’ll leave you both to it.”

Olga doesn’t look at you as Alexia turns to go. She just murmurs a soft, “Thank you,”

"How do you take your coffee?" Alexia stops at your desk, she swallow as you look up at her, Olga watching intently.

"I um. I don't drink coffee"

"How come? Don't like it?"

"No.. I um, I can't have caffeine at all.. I um, its complicated but I have a heart condition so I-"

"My papa was the same," she nodded and your heart pulled, Olga must of sensed it and she spoke

"Amor, Y/N and I are very busy"

Alexia held her hands up, bid you both a goodbye, Olga eyed you before she watches her leave.

The door clicks shut. You exhale through your nose, slow and quiet.

Olga says nothing. She unwraps the croissant with deliberate care, and takes a small bite, her eyes still on the table, on her work, on anywhere but you and the silence that follows is full of everything neither of you are ready to say.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

Olga doesn’t go straight home after work, she drives in silence. No music. No podcast. Just the low hum of the road beneath her tires and the sound of her own pulse in her ears.

She should’ve gone home, she doesn’t go to the flat she shares with Alexia, or to a café to decompress, or even to the beach where she sometimes walks when her mind needs quiet.

She drives, to a quiet cul-de-sac on the outskirts of Mollet, where the streetlights buzz low and orange, and the houses are tucked behind tired gardens and climbing vines. She parks without turning off the engine at first. Just sits there, heart tapping a steady, uneven rhythm behind her ribs.

Eli’s car is in the driveway. She’s home. Alone. Just like Olga knew she would be. Olga takes the photo from the glove compartment. It’s still in its cracked, worn frame. She hasn’t looked at it since that night in the apartment. She doesn’t need to. She remembers it perfectly.

She breathes in. Breathes out. Kills the engine.

Then knocks on the door, it opens almost immediately, Eli answers the door in slippers and a cardigan.

“Olga?” Eli’s face brightens with warm surprise. “Qué haces aquí, cariño? Alexia isn’t with you?”

“No,” Olga says quietly. “She’s at home.”

Eli frowns a little. “Is everything alright?”

“I just…” Olga hesitates, standing just beyond the threshold. Then says, “Can I come in?”

Eli steps aside, instantly serious. “Of course, hija. You’re always welcome.”

The house smells the same as always lavender, old wood, something faintly sweet in the kitchen. A candle flickers on the sideboard. Family photos line the shelves,  birthdays, holidays, the girls growing older in frames that haven’t moved in years.

They sit in the living room. Olga perches on the edge of the couch, she doesn’t take off her coat, her fingers are tight around something in her bag. Eli watches her closely now, concern pinching the corners of her mouth.

“I have to ask you something,” Olga says, voice steady but low. “And if it’s nothing then we never have to talk about it again. I’ll forget it. We’ll both forget it.”

Eli nods, cautious. “Okay…” Eli’s brow furrows. “What is it?”

Olga doesn’t speak. She just reaches into her bag and pulls out the frame. Holds it gently in both hands and turns it around. Eli’s breath stops halfway through her chest. The change in her is instant so small and devastating you’d miss it if you weren’t looking for it. Her hands freeze on her knees. Her face goes white, then pale-blue cold, like all the warmth was drained out in an instant.

Her lips part, but no sound comes. The silence says everything. Olga watches her. Doesn’t blink. Eli’s hand, which had been loosely curled around her teacup, goes limp. Her entire face drains of colour not just pale, but hollow, like a piece of her just dropped through the floor.

Olga doesn’t move. She watches the shift. The silence that thickens around it.

“Where.. Where did you get this?”

Olga doesn’t answer, she just says, “You know who this has come from don’t you”

“I’ve not seen that in twenty five years,” Her voice catches, “After.. After” Olga nods once, jaw tight. Her throat burns with questions, but she asks none of them and still, Eli presses gently, almost begging, “Olga. Please. Where did this come from?”

“It’s true isn’t it,” Olga whispers. “You have another daughter”

Eli closes her eyes. A beat. A breath and then, very softly, very brokenly, “Yes” Olga’s throat tightens. Eli’s voice is barely there. “We left that with her”

“I don’t understand how you could do it!” Eli sits frozen on the couch, hands clasped tightly in her lap. She looks older than she did twenty minutes ago. Like every word being spoken is peeling something back she’s kept buried too long. “You gave up your own daughter,” Olga spits, gesturing wildly to the photo still lying on the coffee table like it’s cursed. “And just carried on like she didn’t exist? How?”

“I didn’t carry on,” Eli says, voice low and shaking. “Don’t you dare think it didn’t break me.”

“Then why?” Olga demands. “Why didn’t you fight for her? Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Olga’s voice cracks, sharp with disbelief, her hands clenched at her sides. She’s standing now, breath short, pacing Eli’s living room like she’s trying to outrun what she just heard. She hadn’t planned to stay only to ask one question, but the answer shattered everything.

Eli is curled forward on the couch, her hands white-knuckled in her lap, her eyes wide and shining. “You don’t understand what it was like,” she says quietly, pleading. “She was born with a heart condition. We didn’t know what it was at first, she was so small always struggling to breathe. She couldn’t even cry properly with out her lips turning blue.”

Olga stares at her, hollowed out. “So you gave her away.”

“I thought she’d get help,” Eli whispers. “We couldn’t afford the surgeries. We didn’t have insurance or savings, I wasn’t working at the time. My parents wouldn’t help. We thought… we thought someone else could save her. I loved her enough to let her go.”

Olga’s breath catches, just for a second, because she knows Eli means that. And still, it’s not enough. “She grew up in multiple children’s home,” she says bitterly. “With no one.” Eli flinches like she’s been slapped. “You’re the one who taught Alexia how to be gentle,” Olga says, voice shaking. “You tell everyone family is everything. You cry at Christmas commercials, for God’s sake. And now I find out that there was another child and you just… gave her up?”

Eli’s eyes are glassy. Her face is pale. “You think that was easy for me?” she says, hoarse. “You think I didn’t wake up every night for years hearing her cry even though I hadn’t seen her since she was—”

“Don’t,” Olga snaps, tears brimming. “Don’t make yourself the victim in this. I think about her alone every night now,” Olga goes on, tears clinging to her lashes. “I see her sitting in that place, wondering why no one ever came back for her. Why her parents the people who are meant to love her unconditionally let her go.”

“Stop,” Eli whispers. “Please, stop.”

Olga stares at her, breathing hard, voice strangled. “And you never told Alexia. Or Alba.”

Eli looks down at the floor like it might save her. “They were so young they didn’t need to know, have that burden.”

“You gave up your baby,” Olga says, gesturing to the photo on the table between them. “You let her disappear into the system, and you never looked for her. Never even told your daughters they had a sister.”

“I didn’t let her disappear,” Eli says, voice shaking. “She was born sick. Her heart Olga, she needed something me and her father couldn’t give her! We did what we thought was best for her!”

Olga stops in her tracks, eyes wide with pain. “So you just gave her away and pretended she never existed?”

“She would’ve died if I’d kept her!” Eli cries. “We couldn’t afford treatment we thought a hospital might place her with someone who could help. It wasn’t abandonment, it was the only mercy I had left to give her.”

Olga’s voice rises. “And you’ve told no one. For twenty-five years. No one.”

Eli’s hands shake now. “Because I didn’t want this. This moment. This shame. This wreckage.”

“Well, it’s here now,” Olga whispers. “She grew up in a children’s home, Eli. Alone. She had no one, she doesn’t understand the meaning of family, I don’t even think she’s ever felt what it’s like to be loved. Do you understand that?”

Eli explodes raw, desperate. “Leave it alone!” The words come like a slap, louder than anything yet. “Just—shut up!” she screams. “You don’t understand what it cost me! You don’t get to stand there judging when you weren’t there!”

The front door slams open. “What the hell is going on?” Alba’s voice slices through the room like lightning. She’s standing in the doorway, flushed from running, alarmed and out of breath. “I could hear you both shouting from the street.” She looks from Eli, who is crumbling in her chair, to Olga, who’s barely holding herself upright. “What the hell is going on?”

Olga turns away, shoulders hunched, face blotched with tears. She’s trying to breathe, but she can’t steady herself. She just shakes her head, mutely.

Eli goes silent, too. Like she forgot anyone else existed. Her face folds in on itself caught red-handed by her own daughter. “Why were you yelling at her?” Alba asks, stepping in, confused and suddenly afraid. “What did she do?”

“She didn’t do anything,” Eli croaks out, broken.

“Then what—?” Alba’s voice wavers. “Why is everyone crying?” No one answers.

Olga breathes in sharply through her nose, sinks onto the armrest of the sofa, her shoulders shaking, barely holding in the sobs now.

Alba doesn’t understand what this is, what it means but something in her bones tells her exactly what to do. She pulls her phone from her pocket, thumb trembling as she finds her sister’s name. She steps back into the hallway and presses the call.

Alexia answers almost instantly. “Albs?”

Her voice is warm, calm, but Alba’s isn’t.

“Ale,” she says quickly, “you need to come to mamá’s. Now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I—I don’t know, but Olga’s here, and she’s crying, and mamá’s… something’s wrong. I think it’s big mamá was screaming at her I heard her from the street”

There’s a pause. Then, “I’m on my way,” Alexia says, sharp and sure. Alba hangs up, heart pounding, and returns to the living room where the air feels too heavy to breathe. Olga is quiet now, face buried in her hands. Eli sits motionless and Alba stands between them, caught in the middle of a secret she doesn’t yet understand only knowing that whatever it is, her sister will make sense of it.

The knock is soft, but the tension in the room makes it sound like thunder. Alba leaps to open the door, her heart in her throat. Alexia steps inside, face creased with concern, eyes sharp, already scanning the room like something in her gut told her this wasn’t just a misunderstanding.

She’s still in joggers and a hoodie, her hair tied back loosely, eyes sharp and searching. She takes one look at her sister and then scans the room freezes when she sees her mother, crumpled on the sofa. Her gaze lands first on her mother, who’s slumped on the sofa, visibly shaken, hands clasped tightly in her lap like she’s bracing for something else to hit. Then her eyes flick to Olga standing stiff and silent by the window, her back half-turned, her coat still on.

“Olga?” Alexia says gently, walking toward her. Olga doesn't turn. Her arms are crossed tight, like she's holding herself together by sheer will.

“What happened?” Alexia asks again, slower now, as her eyes dart back to her mother. “Is someone hurt? What—?”

She steps closer, reaches out, instinctively placing her hand on Olga’s arm but Olga flinches. Not dramatically. Just enough and then she pulls away. Alexia’s breath catches. She stares at her, confused hurt.

“Olga…” No response.

Alexia’s eyes flick between them again her partner and her mother, both visibly wrecked.

“Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” she says, louder now, tension rising in her voice. “Mamá? Olga? Talk to me.” Still, no one speaks.

Olga finally moves. Slowly, she reaches for the door, her hand trembling just slightly. “I need some air,” she mutters, almost to herself.

Eli rises instinctively. “Olga please, wait—”

Olga stops, her hand still on the doorknob. She turns slowly and what’s on her face is something Alexia’s never seen before. Grief. Betrayal. Disgust. “I can’t even look at you right now,” Olga says, her voice hollow, strained. Her eyes fixed on Eli, who seems to shrink under the weight of it. “You are not the person I thought you were.”

Alexia’s breath hitches, heart pounding. She looks at her mother, sees the quiet devastation spreading across her face, and she’s suddenly terrified. “Wait—Olga, please—just… what happened?” Alexia pleads, reaching after her again, but the door opens and Olga is gone.

Silence crashes back in. Alexia stands frozen, her hand still in the air, her heart breaking without knowing why. She turns to her mother. “Mamá,” she says, voice trembling. “What did you do?”

Eli doesn’t answer, she sinks down slowly, like the weight of those words took her legs out from under her. She covers her mouth with her hands, eyes spilling over with silent tears.

And Alexia stuck between the two most important women in her life—feels the walls close in, a thousand questions pressing against her chest. Alba looks at her sister, whose hands are balled into fists at her sides. Alexia is staring at the door, stunned, shaken, she’s never seen Olga like that. Never seen her walk away and whatever happened here, whatever broke her, Alexia knows it isn’t just something they can fix. It’s something that changed everything.

The cool night air hits Olga’s face like a slap sharp and biting. She walks until the porch ends, then stops, clutching the railing with both hands, trying to breathe past the chaos inside her.

She hears the door creak open behind her, soft footsteps following.

“Olga,” Eli calls gently. “Please. Just come inside. Let’s talk, mi amor.” Olga doesn’t turn. Her knuckles are white on the railing. A long silence stretches between them.

Then quietly, without venom, only pain Olga speaks. “Please tell me… their father at least knew.”

Eli stands still behind her, silence falling heavy again. Then a nod.

“Yes,” Eli whispers. “He knew.”

Olga finally turns, slow and rigid, her eyes burning. “And he still let her go?”

Eli’s voice cracks. “He didn’t want to. God, Olga, he held her all night the day she was born. He cried like I’d never seen before, he just he knew we couldn’t give to her what she needed. We didn’t have the money, or the support. We thought it was the only way she had a chance. Giving her up broke him Olga, he was never the same after that day, his spirit, his health, everything”

Olga presses her lips together, shaking her head, tears gathering again. “They lost him when they were barely out of childhood, god Alba was a child” she says hoarsely. Eli nods, tears now running freely. Olga blinks through the tears. “So you gave away your baby and because of that, you think it eventually killed your husband.”

Eli swallows a sob, covering her mouth, Olga turns away again, shoulders rising and falling, behind her, Eli stands on the threshold exposed, crumbling and inside the house, through the windows, Alexia is still watching, not understanding everything, but beginning to feel how deep this fracture runs.

The living room is too quiet when they step back inside. Eli gently closes the door behind Olga, whose eyes are red and raw. She doesn’t move far from the entryway. Her arms are crossed tightly again, a self-made cage.

Alexia is still standing, tense, waiting. Alba sits curled up in the corner of the sofa, chewing the inside of her cheek, a nervous habit from childhood.

Eli breathes in deep like the confession she’s about to make might crush her lungs if she doesn’t hold herself steady. “Sit down,” she says softly, looking to both daughters.

Alexia hesitates. “Mamá, what is this?”

“Please,” Eli says. “Just… sit.” Reluctantly, Alexia lowers herself onto the arm of the sofa, her eyes locked on Olga on the way she trembles. She’s crying again, and that frightens her more than anything. Eli moves to stand in front of them, hands clasped like she’s in church, waiting to confess. “I never thought I’d have to say this out loud,” she begins, voice shaking. “I thought I had buried it deep enough that none of you would ever know.”

Alba shifts uncomfortably. “What do you mean?”

Eli’s lips tremble, but she goes on. “You had a sister. A younger one, she was born 3 years after you Alba”

The silence detonates. Alba blinks. “What? You… you’re joking, right?” she asks, glancing at Alexia and then back to Eli. “Is this some weird joke or—?”

“No,” Eli says. “It’s not a joke.”

Alba’s face falls. “No. No, that can’t be true. I don’t remember—”

“You wouldn’t,” Eli cuts in gently. “You were just a toddler, Alba. We, your father and I, gave her up. She was born with a heart condition. We couldn’t afford the care she needed. We thought it was the only way she’d survive.”

Alba stares at her, blinking hard like the words won’t compute. “No,” she whispers again. “No. That’s not—you wouldn’t do that. You’re not like that.”

“I did,” Eli says, her voice cracking. “We made the only choice we thought we had.”

Alba suddenly covers her mouth, her eyes wide and brimming with tears. She makes a small, broken sound as if something inside her just split clean down the middle.

Alexia, meanwhile, is still too still, she stares at her mother, jaw tight, eyes sharp with disbelief. “You lied to us,” she says, flat and cold. “Our whole lives.”

Eli looks up, stricken. “Alexia—”

“You let us grow up thinking we were the only ones. Thinking that Dad died with no secrets. That we came from love. From honesty.”

“You did,” Eli pleads. “I loved you every day of your lives.”

Alexia stands suddenly, shaking her head. “But not her.”

“No,” Eli whispers, ashamed. “Not like I should have.”

Alba sobs now, curling into herself on the sofa, shaking. Olga breaks down again. She tries to wipe her face but can’t stop the tears. “I didn’t want this,” she says hoarsely. “I didn’t want to be the one who broke you. I’m so sorry.”

Alexia looks at her, confused, wounded. “You knew?”

Olga opens her mouth, but no sound comes out. “I found out by accident,” she finally manages. “I-I—God, Alexia, I didn’t want to know.”

Alexia’s eyes narrow slightly, not in cruelty but in disbelief. She looks like someone just pulled the rug from beneath her entire identity.

And still, Alba cries softly in the corner, whispering, “A little sister... we had a little sister…” And across from her, Olga thinks of you. Alone in your apartment. Crying into the quiet, not knowing that the truth is finally breaking wide open—and that it’s going to change everything.

The room feels heavy, thick with silence and unsaid things. Alba sits on the sofa, knees pulled close to her chest, eyes fixed on the floor. She doesn’t cry anymore just quiet. Unreachable, curled inward, eyes fixed on the floor, refusing comfort when Olga cautiously reaches out.

“No,” Alba murmurs, voice barely audible. “Not now.” Olga pulls back, defeated, sitting down quietly a few feet away.

Alexia, however, is a storm, pacing, fists clenched, voice rising, “How could you know and say nothing?” she snaps at Olga, eyes burning. “You found out and just kept it to yourself? Do you have any idea how long we lived in the dark? How much this changes everything?”

Olga meets her gaze, her own eyes shining with tears. “I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure. Until I spoke to Eli and confirmed it. Like you, I had a hard time believing it myself.”

Eli steps forward, voice pleading. “Alexia, please. Olga didn’t keep this from you to hurt you—”

Alexia was now directing her frustration at her mother, firing questions at Eli with a mix of desperation and anger.

“Why didn’t you tell us? How could you keep this from us for so long? Why didn’t you try harder? What about Dad, did he know everything? Did you ever try to find her again? What—what was her name?”

Eli swallows, unable to meet any of Alexia’s eyes. “I—I don’t know,” she admits finally. “We… we thought it was better to keep it quiet. We gave her a name but the home just called her ‘Baby Girl.’ It’s probably been changed”

Alexia stops pacing, stunned by the silence, the gaps in answers.

Eli has tears pooling again. Alexia looks at Olga, whose face is streaked with fresh tears. Then Alba remains silent, distant, lost somewhere inside herself. The room is fractured everyone aching, separated by secrets and grief, caught in a web of loss no one can untangle yet, and Alexia can’t see her family healing from this.

The room is heavy with silence. Alba hasn’t moved from her place on the sofa, arms wrapped tightly around herself. She’s staring into some unseen distance, tears dried on her cheeks, her expression blank.

Alexia still stands, breath shallow, torn between betrayal and sorrow.

Then, quietly, she moves.

She walks over and sits down beside Olga, not saying a word. The weight of her presence is everything and nothing at all. Her shoulder barely brushes Olga’s. The contact is light, but to Olga, it’s enough to keep her breathing.

“I need to see her,” Alexia says suddenly, softly. “I need to know she was real.”

Her voice cracks on the last word. Eli blinks, startled. “What?”

“A photo,” Alexia says, turning slowly to her mother. “Do you have one? Anything?”

Eli stares at her daughters one silent and broken, the other just barely holding herself together then nods. She disappears into the hallway. For a long while, the only sounds are Alba’s sniffles and the soft creak of the floorboards as Eli moves in the other room. Then she returns. In her arms is an old, battered shoebox edges torn, the lid soft with age.

She kneels in front of the girls and opens it slowly, like unsealing a grave.

Inside theres a small bundle of ultrasound scans, worn at the corners, black-and-white ghosts of a baby not yet born. A tiny, creased hospital card with faded blue ink: "Baby Girl Putellas Segura." Her weight. Her length. The time she arrived. A white card stamped with one perfect footprint and one tiny handprint, pink and curled like a blossom. And then the photos.

There aren’t many. The first few show Eli and her husband in the hospital room, holding a swaddled newborn between them. They're smiling, tentatively, cautiously, but with something fragile and full in their eyes.

In the next few, the smiles are gone. Eli looks down at the baby with red-rimmed eyes. Her husband kisses the baby’s forehead, his face twisted into something halfway between a smile and a sob.

In the last photo, Eli is no longer holding the baby. She is standing by the hospital bed, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her husband has one hand on her back, but his other is empty. They both look like people trying to memorise the little girl on the bed before it’s taken away.

No one speaks. Olga covers her mouth with her hand, tears falling silently, the pain was radiating from the photos.

Alexia reaches forward, touching the photo gently with her fingertips, like she’s afraid it might disappear. “She looks like, us,” she whispers. “Her nose. The shape of her eyes.”

Eli nods, wiping her face. “I only looked at these once,” she says. “Then I put them in a box. I never looked at them again. I couldn’t.”

Alexia glances at her mother eyes still confused, still hurt but quieter now. “She was real,” she says, mostly to herself. “She was ours.” next to her, Olga presses her hand against her chest, trying to breathe through the ache.

Alexia holds the photo delicately, as though it might crumble if she breathes too hard. Her thumb hovers over the image her parents, younger and terrified, their arms newly empty.

She glances sideways. Alba hasn’t moved. She’s still curled in on herself, her chin on her knees, her arms wrapped tight like a shield. Her eyes are open but empty, staring into the middle of the floor, if she’s heard anything, it’s impossible to tell.

“Alba…” Alexia says softly. No response, she turns more fully, holding the photo just a little closer in Alba’s direction. “Do you want to see her?” Her voice is quiet, careful. Not pushing. Just offering.

Alba doesn’t answer. For a long moment, she doesn’t even blink, but then her eyes flicker, just barely, toward the photo in Alexia’s hand. She doesn’t reach for it. Doesn’t move, but that one glance is enough to crack something.

Alexia sees it. She leans a little closer. “She looks like you,” she whispers. “When you were little.”

Alba’s lower lip trembles. Her breath shudders out of her like it physically hurts to take in air. “Why didn’t she get to stay?” she says finally, voice fragile and small.

Eli’s breath catches in her throat. She opens her mouth to answer but no words come. Olga whispers for her, “She was sick, your parents did what they thought was best for her”

Alba turns slowly toward the photo, then reaches out, her hand trembling as she takes it. She looks at it for a long time and then, in a barely-there voice that cracks in the middle, she whispers, “She had Papa's chin.”

It breaks Eli. She covers her mouth, sobbing quietly, and Olga gently moves to wrap her arm around her. Alba doesn’t cry. She just keeps looking, at the baby, at the past, at the sister she never got to love. 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

You sit on the floor of your apartment, your laptop closed on the coffee table, long forgotten. The untouched sandwich from earlier is still in its wrapper, resting near your elbow. You haven’t moved much since you got home. Haven’t wanted to.

The apartment feels emptier than usual. Not just quiet but hollow. Like something inside you cracked open when Olga left, and now the silence has a place to live.

You’ve replayed that moment over and over. The look in her eyes when she saw the photo. The way she snapped. The disbelief. The accusation.

You’d tried to speak, to explain, but she wouldn’t let you. Wouldn’t hear you. She thought you’d used her. That you’d known. That the photo meant something you’d kept hidden, but you hadn’t known. You still don’t know.

That picture had always been a strange little mystery to you. Left in the file the home had when you were a baby. Just two smiling girls, a sense of something warm and long-lost. You’d stared at it often growing up. Not because you knew who they were but because they felt like a possibility. Like maybe, once, someone had loved you and now that photo’s gone. Torn out of your hands and taken into someone else’s truth.

You wipe at your eyes again, but they won’t stop watering. Your throat aches from holding back sobs that keep forcing their way through.

You don’t know what’s happening.

You don’t know what to do.

You just keep sitting there, waiting for a knock that might never come. A message. A clue. Something, but there’s nothing. Just the faint hum of your fridge and the quiet ache in your chest.

It’s almost midnight by the time you stop pacing your apartment. Your hands shake as you hold the phone. You scroll past a few names none feel right. Not now. Not after everything.

Then your thumb hovers over hers. Patri 💕

You haven’t told anyone about her. Not even Olga. It was easier that way kept things uncomplicated. Casual. Hidden, but now… nothing feels simple or safe.

You press call.

She picks up quickly. “Hey,” she says, voice warm and soft.“Everything okay, you never call this late?”

You don’t answer right away. Your throat’s too tight. “Can you come over?” you manage. “Please?”

She hears it. Whatever's in your voice. “I’m on my way.”

You don’t move from your spot near the window until you hear her knock. When you open the door, she doesn’t ask questions. She just sees your face red-eyed, exhausted, cracked wide open and steps in with arms that don’t hesitate.

You fall into her without a word. Her hand runs gently down your back, grounding you.

Minutes pass before you pull away, wiping your face with your sleeve. “I’m sorry,” you whisper. “I just… I didn’t know who else to call.”

Patri nods, patient. “You can always call me. You know that.”

You sit on the couch. She sits beside you, close but not crowding you. Waiting. You breathe in deep. Out. And then, “I think…” You pause, heart hammering. “I think Alexia Putellas is my sister.”

Silence. Patri doesn’t laugh. Doesn’t flinch. Her brow furrows, but her eyes stay soft.

You look down at your hands. “There was this photo. Two girls. I had it my whole life it was left with me when I was dropped off at the children's home. I never knew who they were” You shake your head, tears rising again. “Olga saw it and lost it. Thought I’d known all along it was Alexia and her sister. Took the photo. Stormed out. She hasn’t answered my messages. I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t even know if I’m going crazy.”

Patri takes your hand in both of hers. “You’re not crazy,” she says softly. “And even if it sounds impossible… it might not be.”

“I don’t want anything from them,” you say quickly. “I didn’t even know. I just… I want to understand. Why I was left. Who I was before I was just… no one.”

You’re crying again, but you don’t try to stop it now, Patri squeezes your hand, steady and sure, you don’t say anything, but when you lean your head on her shoulder, it’s the first moment you’ve felt even a little less alone.

Patri’s fingers thread gently through yours, her thumb brushing your knuckles. Your eyes are swollen, throat raw, barely holding it together. Then, in the quiet, she leans a little closer. Her voice barely above a whisper, warm and solid against the chaos inside you. “You’re not no one to me.”

It stops your breath, you lift your head just slightly, eyes meeting hers. There’s no pity in her face. No fear. Just quiet certainty.

“You hear me?” she says again, firmer now. “You’re not nothing. I don’t care if you don’t know who you were before. I care who you are now and I see you.”

Your eyes fill again, but this time, the tears feel different. Not jagged or spiralling just full.

You nod. A small one. But it’s real. “Thank you,” you manage, your voice breaking.

Patri leans in, gently presses her lips to your forehead. “We’ll figure this out,” she says. “Together. Okay?” And in that moment, just for a heartbeat, you believe her. 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

The sun creeps in slowly through your curtains, tracing thin golden lines across the floor. You barely slept, but with Patri beside you, the night didn’t feel quite as endless. She stirs first, brushing a strand of hair from your face. You open your eyes to find her watching you, soft and steady.

“Come on,” she says gently. “I’m taking you to breakfast before we face the world.”

You want to protest, you don’t look like yourself, your stomach is a knot, and the idea of being in public right now feels impossible but she’s already pulling the covers back and reaching for your pre hung up work clothes like it’s not up for debate.

So you let her.

The café is small, tucked on a quiet corner near the training grounds and your office with Olga. No jerseys, no fans. Just warmth, fresh bread, and the clink of mugs being set on tables.

You sit across from her, both of you nursing hot drinks. Patri tears a croissant in half and sets one piece on your plate without asking after you said you didn't want anything.

“You don’t have to talk,” she says, watching you. “Just eat something. One small normal thing before everything gets… complicated again.”

You nod, barely able to hold her gaze, but grateful, after a few bites that were dry, tasteless in your mouth, you whisper, “What if she never forgives me?”

Patri doesn’t hesitate. “Then she doesn’t deserve to be in your life." You blink at her. “She’s hurt,” Patri adds, softening. “I get that, but if she can’t believe you, if she won’t even try to, then that’s on her. Not you.”

You glance down at your coffee. “It just… it meant something working with her, i thought I finally had… something that made sense.”

Patri reaches across the table, hooks her pinky around yours. “You do,” she says. “You have me and I’m not going anywhere.”

You nod, holding onto that, even if everything else is spinning, this feels real. When you check the time, you realise it's almost time to head in. Patri downs the rest of her coffee and stands.

She pulls you up with her, smooths your jacket at the shoulders, and presses a quick kiss to your temple. “You’ve got this,” she whispers. “Text me when you’re done. No matter how it goes.”

You nod. She squeezes your hand once before heading toward the training facility down the block. You turn toward the office. Stomach heavy. Heart heavier but not quite as alone.

You step away from the café, the last of Patri’s warmth still clinging to your jacket like a hug that hasn't fully let go. The morning air is cool, quiet. You take a breath, try to let the calm hold for just a second longer. Then you see her, Olga, she’s over the road, leaning against the side of a closed bookstore, arms crossed tight, shoulders hunched like she hasn’t slept either. You freeze mid-step, her eyes are on you, it hits you like a punch. She saw. She was watching, maybe the whole time.

You don’t know what she saw exactly, but in your gut it doesn’t matter whatever flicker of healing you’d just started to believe in crumbles under your feet.

She looks up, your eyes meet, her expression doesn’t shift. No relief. No kindness. No fury either just something unreadable, and somehow that’s worse.

You almost step toward her, almost say her name, but the shame wraps around your ribs like wire. The same helpless, spiralling thought churns, I’ve made it worse.

You lower your eyes, quicken your pace, and cross the street without another glance back, by the time you reach the office door, your hands are shaking again.

The walls have started to ease back up, the ache in your chest back in full force and the photo, the truth, all of it… still just out of reach.

The office is cold when you step in, or maybe it’s just you. Either way, you don’t take off your coat.

You slide into your desk, boot up your laptop, and stare at the screen without seeing a word. You hear her before you see her, the soft click of the door, the measured steps. She moves past without a glance. You hold your breath.

She settles into her chair, the rustle of fabric as she crosses one leg over the other, her keys clinking gently on her desk. Then after what feels like an entire hour folded into thirty seconds "How did you meet Patri?"

Her voice is calm, almost too calm, you glance over. She’s not looking at you, her fingers are gently tapping her mug, as though it’s just any other morning.

You swallow. “I, um…” Your throat is dry. “I met her in a bar. A few weeks ago. After work.”

You watch her profile, trying to read her, but she gives you nothing.

“She didn’t know who I was,” you add. “To you. I didn’t tell her. At first”

Silence, you brace for something accusation, coldness, anything, but all she says is, “Do you love her?”

The question stuns you, not because you hadn’t thought about it, but because you never expected her to ask. “I don’t know,” you say honestly. “Maybe. It’s a bit early for that yet. We've not even had sex”

Another beat of silence. Then Olga nods, just once, like she’s filing it away somewhere.

You sit there, confused, the tension still knotted in your chest, but she doesn���t push. Doesn’t snap, just sips from her mug and opens her inbox like this conversation never happened and somehow… that quiet is the most painful sound of all.

The silence between you stretches thin but neither of you moves.

You pretend to work, Olga pretends not to notice your shaking hands. Then she speaks, her voice soft. Measured. “I spoke to Alexia’s mami.”

You freeze, your cursor blinks on the screen, forgotten.

You turn slowly, but she’s not looking at you. Her eyes are locked on the mug in her hands, fingers curling tight around the ceramic like she needs to anchor herself to something.

Your voice barely makes it out. “You did?”

She nods once. “Yeah.”

You wait. The silence stretches again, heavy with everything she hasn’t said yet. “I showed her the photo,” Olga continues, still soft. “The one you had. She went pale. I didn’t even have to ask anything. I knew just by her reaction to the photo.”

A breath shudders out of you. “I didn’t know,” you whisper. “Olga, I swear to you—”

“I know,” she cuts in.

Your eyes snap to hers, she's finally looking at you and in that look is a whole storm grief, disbelief, pain, exhaustion.

“You were just a baby,” she says quietly. “Left with a photo and nothing else.”

You blink back fresh tears. “Then it’s true.”

Olga nods, slowly. “They gave you up, because of your heart, because they couldn’t afford the care you needed. Your—” She pauses, breath catching. “—your father… he knew. He died when Alexia and Alba were teenagers.”

You cover your mouth with your hand, the ache in your chest pulsing to life again.

“They loved you,” Olga says. “You were their baby. I saw the pictures. The scans. A card with your footprints. They held you. Smiled with you.” She swallows hard, and now it’s her turn to look away. “But they left the hospital without you because they thought that would give you the best chance in life.”

The room is still. The weight of twenty-five years settling over your shoulders like fog.

You whisper, “What was my name?”

Olga’s voice trembles. “They didn't get to name you.”

You close your eyes, it doesn’t feel real and yet it explains everything.

Olga stands. You watch her cross the room slowly, quietly, something reverent in the way she moves as if she’s carrying something sacred and she is.

She reaches into her bag, then gently places the photo frame down on your desk in front of you. The same one that had once been your only clue to anything real. It feels heavier now.

“They know,” she says, barely above a whisper. “Alexia. Alba.”

You stare at the photo. Two little girls. You touch the glass. Your fingers don’t shake this time, but your breath catches.

“I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure,” Olga continues. “Until I had the truth.”

“And now they know.” You say it aloud. Like you’re testing it. Like it might disappear.

Olga nods.

“They didn’t before?” you ask.

She shakes her head slowly. “They had no idea. Eli kept it from them all this time.”

You stare at her. “What did they say?”

Her lips press together for a moment. “Alba was… broken. She didn’t believe it at first, then she just went quiet, typically her.”

Your chest tightens.

“And Alexia…” Olga’s voice trails off, her gaze dropping. “She was angry. Confused. At Eli. At me.”

You wince. “At you?”

Olga meets your eyes. “She didn’t understand why I didn’t tell her soon as I found the picture. Why I didn’t come to her the second I suspected.”

You nod slowly, taking that in.

“I told her I needed to be sure,” Olga says softly. “I owed that to everyone.”

Something cracks in your chest at that. You look down at the photo again, then whisper, “Do they… want to see me?”

There’s a pause and then “Yes,” Olga says. “They do.”

You look up at her. You nod, blinking fast. You stare down at the photo. Your throat tightens as you try to find the words that don’t sound like a betrayal of how much this means, how much it changes. You swallow hard, your voice barely there. “I need time.”

Olga doesn’t speak, so you glance up half-expecting disappointment, or worse, pity, but there’s none, she just nods. “Of course,” she says gently.

“I just…” you start, then stop. Try again. “It’s a lot. I’m still trying to believe it’s real.”

Her eyes soften, her shoulders releasing tension you didn’t realise she’d been holding. “You don’t owe anyone speed,” she says, and again, that name hits different. Warmer now. Anchoring.

You nod slowly.

Olga walks back to her desk, sits quietly, like she’s giving you both physical and emotional space. No pushing. No pressure.

Just… waiting.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

Patri’s apartment smells faintly of rosemary and whatever candle she always has burning. It’s quiet except for the soft sound of her socks on the wood floors and the occasional clink of mugs as she makes tea without asking like she already knows you won’t have the appetite for anything more.

You’re curled on her couch, legs pulled to your chest, the familiar soft throw blanket wrapped tight around you. The photo’s not in your bag anymore, but it may as well be it’s burned into your thoughts.

Patri walks over, hands you a mug you barely manage to hold, then settles beside you without touching close enough to feel, but not crowding.

You stare down at the tea. “I have family.”

The words barely leave your mouth. They feel surreal still, like you’re saying them for someone else. Patri doesn’t speak. She waits.

You exhale shakily. “People I’m related to. By blood. I’ve never had that before, never even let myself imagine what it could be like.”

She glances at you, softly, kindly.

You keep going, voice fragile. “They want to meet me. Alexia. Alba. My sisters.” You taste the word, and it stings and warms at the same time. “But I don’t know if I can do it.”

Patri tilts her head. “Why?”

You blink hard. “Because I’m not who they think they lost. I grew up different to them. I have… pieces, but they don’t fit right. What if I’m a disappointment? What if they only want who I could’ve been, not who I actually am?”

The tears come quick this time. Quiet and raw.

“I don’t know how to be someone’s sister. I don’t even know how to be someone’s daughter.”

Patri shifts closer, gently, until your knee brushes hers. She doesn't reach for your hand just gives you space to fall apart without pressure.

When you finally look up at her, eyes glassy, voice cracking, you whisper, “What if I ruin it just by showing up?”

She leans forward then, soft but certain. “Baby,” she says slow, “You ruin nothing by existing. If anything, you’re the one thing that might put something broken back together.”

You don’t reply, but you lean against her, and when she wraps her arms around you, you let yourself fall into the quiet. Not healed. Not ready, but no longer alone.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

The bedroom is dim, lit only by the soft glow of the city outside filtering through sheer curtains. Alexia is already in bed, lying on her side, scrolling idly through her phone. Her hair’s a little damp from the shower, and the covers are pulled up around her shoulders like she’s cocooning herself from the day.

Olga steps in quietly, brushing her teeth finished, sleep tugging at her limbs but her thoughts too loud for rest.

She climbs into bed slowly, careful not to disturb the peace too much.

Alexia hums, sensing something. “Everything okay?”

Olga hesitates, settles on her side to face her, elbow bent, cheek resting against her hand. “I need to tell you something,” she says softly. "It's been eating me all day and I just need to off load it to someone"

Alexia’s eyes flick up from her phone. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Olga assures quickly. “Just… weird and you have to promise not to freak out.”

Alexia raises a brow. “That’s never a comforting preface.”

Olga gives her a tired, warning look. “I’m serious. No confronting anyone. No speeches. Just… listen.”

Alexia sets her phone down. She shifts onto her back, sighs dramatically. “Fine. I solemnly swear. Go.”

Olga stares at the ceiling for a second. Then “My assistant, the one you met at the office… she’s the girl Patri’s been seeing.”

Alexia blinks. “Wait. What?”

“Shh,” Olga hushes quickly, placing a hand gently on Alexia’s arm. “You promised. No freaking out.”

Alexia sits up a little against the headboard, clearly working through it. “Wait. Your assistant is Patri’s girl? She's the one who everyone’s been speculating about in the locker room for weeks?”

Olga nods slowly. “Yeah. I saw them this morning. Having breakfast together. Just… looked like a date.”

Alexia stares at her, mouth open slightly. “And you’re just telling me this now?”

Olga shrugs. “I didn’t know until today. I wasn’t spying. I was just... walking. Processing.”

Alexia laughs once, disbelieving. “Dios. Patri and your assistant. That’s… wow.” She pauses. Then narrows her eyes. “Is she even Patri’s type?”

Olga gives her a flat look. “You’ve met her once, and all you said was she seemed ‘too polite.’”

Alexia shrugs, but she’s smiling now. “Polite and dating Patri? That girl must have hidden layers.”

Olga hums. She rests her head on Alexia’s shoulder, a little quieter again.

After a beat, Alexia asks, “Is that all? Or is there a reason you brought it up now?”

Olga closes her eyes. “There’s more to it… just not for tonight.”

Alexia tilts her head, trying to read her. “Okay…”

Olga squeezes her hand gently. “Just don’t mention anything at training. Let Patri have her privacy.”

Alexia rolls her eyes. “You act like I’m the drama.”

Olga just smiles, eyes still closed. “You’re the captain and the drama.”

Alexia laughs softly and presses a kiss to Olga’s forehead. “Fine. I’ll behave.”

But even as they settle into silence, you linger in Alexia’s thoughts just a little longer than before.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

You’re mid-call, headset on, trying to sound confident while walking a particularly demanding client through a social rollout calendar. Your laptop is open, filled with colour-coded chaos, and you’re scribbling notes on a pad beside you.

Patri is lounging, because that’s the only word for it, in the visitor’s chair next to your desk. She’s got one ankle lazily hooked over her knee, phone in hand, sunglasses perched on her nose even though you’re indoors. She hasn’t said a word in ten minutes, just keeping you company like some smirking silent bodyguard.

You flick your eyes toward her for a second and she just wiggles her eyebrows. You try not to laugh but the door clicks open.

Olga strides in, crisp and purposeful, folders tucked under her arm and a cappuccino in hand. She looks up, clearly expecting her usual quiet workspace and then spots Patri.

She stops Patri glances up from her phone, sees her, and grins “Hola, jefa.”

Olga narrows her eyes. “Patri.”

You freeze mid-sentence on your call. “—Yes, we’ll have the draft by Friday, absolutely. Thank you, I’ll follow up with the design team. Okay. Bye now.”

You click off and rip off the headset, slowly swivelling toward Olga

“Hey,” you say, cautiously.

Olga looks between the two of you, arms crossed, brow lifted in that unimpressed way that’s both maternal and mildly terrifying. “You know this isn’t a café, right?” she says to Patri, deadpan.

Patri shrugs, completely unbothered. “Had the morning off. Thought I’d escort your best employee through their incredibly stressful workday.”

Olga glances at you, unamused. “Is that true?”

You give her a tight, sheepish smile. “I didn’t know she was coming.”

Patri snorts, Olga sets her folders down on her desk, sipping her coffee. “Well, now that you’re here, maybe you’d like to help sort through thirty Instagram DMs from a dog food sponsor who doesn’t understand what a brand kit is.”

Patri puts a hand to her heart, mock-wounded. “That sounds horrifying.”

Olga deadpans, “Welcome to my life.”

You try not to smile but fail miserably, and Olga catches it her expression softening just for a second.

“Fifteen more minutes,” she says to Patri. “Then she’s mine again.”

Patri gives you a wink. “I’ll take what I can get.”

Olga rolls her eyes and turns back to her desk, but not before you catch the tiniest smirk twitch at the corner of her mouth.

The office quiets again after Patri leaves she kisses your temple before she goes, murmuring something only for you, and you hold onto the warmth of it like a tether. But it fades fast once the door closes behind her.

Olga doesn’t look at you right away. She’s working or pretending to. You sit for a while. Typing. Staring. Breathing. Trying to decide if the knot in your chest will ever untangle itself.

You think about the photo. About the scans in the box. About Eli’s face when she realised who you were. About Olga saying your sisters know now. That they want to meet you.

You think about what you said to Patri and then, softly, “Olga?”

She looks up immediately, her eyes are calm, steady gentle in the way only someone who’s known heartbreak can manage.

You clear your throat. Your hands tremble a little in your lap. “I think…” You hesitate, then push through. “I want to meet them.”

Olga doesn't move for a second. Then she slowly exhales, and something loosens in her shoulders. Not relief something quieter. Respect, maybe. Care. “Okay,” she says, her voice low, warm. “I’ll let them know.”

You nod, once. It still scares you. You’re still not sure who you’ll be to them or who they’ll be to you. Sisters. Strangers. Something in between, but you’re ready to try and maybe, for now, that’s enough.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

The home Olga and Alexia share is quiet and vast, tucked away, the kind of place with balconies full of trailing plants and old tiled floors. Olga brings you up the driveway, but she doesn’t say much. Just walks beside you, shoulder brushing yours once or twice, letting the silence be whatever you need it to be.

You stop in front of the door, your hands are cold, you didn’t realise you were shaking until you saw the key tremble in Olga’s hand. She glances at you. “They’re all here.”

You nod once. Like if you say anything, you’ll turn around and run Olga squeezes your shoulder gently. Then opens the door.

The flat smells like coffee and lavender. Eli’s sitting at the dining table. She rises when she sees you, hands twitching like she wants to reach for you but she doesn’t. Not yet. Behind her, Alba leans in a doorway, arms folded tight, guarded and uncertain. Her expression is blank but her eyes are anything but, and then there’s Alexia.

She’s sitting on the sofa. Casual, almost too casual hoodie sleeves pushed up, hair tied back, one leg bouncing anxiously. She stands up when you come in, and for a second, nobody breathes.

This is it. You’ve imagined this moment so many times and never, not once, like this.

Alexia speaks first. “Hi.” Just that. One syllable, but her voice is soft.

You nod. “Hi.”

Olga touches your back gently, guiding you toward the sofa. You perch on the edge, knees close together, hands tight in your lap.

Alba stays back.

Alesia sits back down and studies you like she’s trying to make sense of what’s right in front of her and still can’t believe it. “I didn’t know,” she says. “Until last week, I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t either,” you whisper.

You look at her really look at her. She’s familiar in ways that don’t make sense. The shape of her nose. The arch of her brow. The curve of her mouth when she frowns like yours in the mirror.

Eli clears her throat. “This is yours,” she says quietly, and sets the shoebox down on the table in front of you.

You don’t open it yet. You’re too afraid of what it is will make real, and you really didn't want to cry in front of these people.

Instead, you look at Alexia again and then to Alba, whose jaw is clenched, whose arms are still crossed like armour.

“I’m not here to take anything,” you say, your voice shaking. “I’m not trying to force myself into your lives. I don’t even know how to do this. I just… I wanted to meet you.”

Alba looks away, Alexia doesn’t, she leans forward and when she speaks again, it’s quieter. “I don’t know how to do this either,” she says. “But I want to try.”

Your breath hitches. You nod. Once and when she reaches out, you let her take your hand and time passes in silence, Olga offers you a drink, and the only noise is clanking of glasses in the kitchen,

Alexia hasn’t let go of your hand even when Olga puts your drink on the coffee table in front of you.

It rests between hers, light but sure, a quiet anchor as you sit across from her on the low coffee table. She doesn’t look like a football legend right now. She looks like someone trying not to break apart a thousand different ways.

Olga sits beside you right beside you. So close her thigh presses against yours, one of her hands resting on your back as if she’s afraid you might suddenly vanish.

You feel both of them, like weights you can lean on. Eli sits a few feet away, silent, hands clasped in her lap. Her eyes are rimmed with red, lips pressed in a line. Alba leans against the far wall, arms still crossed, distant but listening.

The shoebox sits unopened on the table. Alexia breaks the silence first.

“So…” she starts, glancing between you and Olga, “You work for my girlfriend. That’s wild.”

You blink, a little startled by the shift but you’re grateful for comfortable small talk. It’s a rope thrown into the storm. You nod. “Yeah. Almost three months now.”

Olga leans in just enough for her temple to graze your shoulder. “She’s brilliant,” she murmurs. “Takes her job too seriously, though.”

You roll your eyes, a small smile tugging at your lips despite everything. “Says the woman who once scheduled tweets from the bathtub.”

Alexia barks a laugh genuine, caught off guard. “She would.”

“She did,” "I did" you and Olga say in unison, and for a beat, it feels like a normal moment between friends.

Then silence creeps in again, you fiddle with the hem of your sleeve.

“You guys are close,” Alexia says softly, looking between you and Olga.

You nod. “She’s been… I don’t even know what I’d call it. Kind. Patient. The first person who made me feel like I wasn’t just… passing through.”

You feel Olga’s fingers tighten briefly at your back. A silent I’m still here. Alexia’s expression softens. “I get that,” she murmurs.

You look at her carefully. “Is that why you’re… so good to Alba?”

She looks over at her little sister still silent, still watching and her whole face changes. It’s not obvious, not loud, but it’s there the sharp tenderness, the unspoken devotion.

“She’s mine,” Alexia says simply. “Always has been.”

You nod slowly, your throat tightens, and suddenly you can’t speak Olga shifts beside you, gently leaning into your side, just enough to steady you.

You don’t say anything more, neither does Alexia, not right away, but something’s changing in the room. Not resolved not fixed but thawing.

Across the space, Alba watches it all with unreadable eyes and Eli quiet and still presses a hand to her mouth, as if afraid her emotions might spill out and ruin this fragile moment.

You look at your sister, she smiles at you. Small. Real and you smile back.

It’s quiet again now, not the awkward kind it’s something else. Something rawer.

You feel Olga still beside you, warm and steady. Alexia hasn’t moved far either, perched on the sofa her fingers tap silently against her knee, like she wants to speak but knows this moment isn’t hers.

You’re looking at Eli. She hasn’t looked at you once. Not really. Not since you walked through the door. She sits rigid in her chair, her body folded in on itself like she’s trying to be smaller, her hands twist in her lap, restless and unanchored. Her lips are pressed together like she’s keeping a dam sealed with sheer will.

You watch the way her thumbs rub over one another.

You do that.

You watch the way her brow creases when she’s thinking too loud to speak.

You do that too.

It strikes you all at once not in your chest but in your gut, like something old and invisible pulling taut.

You’re hers you always have been, your voice, when it breaks the silence, surprises even you. Soft. Uncertain. “You look like you need a hug.”

Her head lifts, slowly, slowly, she meets your eyes.

Everything in her face is shaking. Guilt. Hope. Fear. Regret. Love, too but buried beneath years of silence and sorrow.

Her mouth parts, but no words come out, the others don’t move. Not Alba. Not Alexia. Not even Olga.

You don’t push her, you just let the words sit in the space between you Eli swallows. Her eyes fill before a single tear escapes. Her hands go still and then quietly, brokenly “I do”

You stand placing your bag down, she seems surprised by your action but she stands and when you take steps forward she meets you halfway.

She hugs you like she’s terrified you’ll disappear again, her arms wrap around you, trembling, and your face presses into her shoulder. You breathe her in lavender and something warm beneath it. Something familiar you didn’t even know you missed.

Her whole body shudders as she quietly cries, you don’t say anything, you just hold her back, you don’t know what you’re forgiving. There was nothing to forgive for you, you don’t know what still needs to be mended, but in this moment, you’re not lost. You’re held.

The security buzzer goes, you swallow as you and Eli pull away at the same time, "I'll get it that, that'll be" Olga stops herself she knew Patri was coming for you, but she didn't know whether you wanted everyone knowing.

You nod with a little smile, you look to Alexia, "I take it you know"

She nods, "She talks about you a lot, I just didn't know, you were, you, until yesterday"

Patri’s car pulls up as the door is opened just as the sky softens into twilight you stand near the door, jacket pulled around your shoulders, feeling the air shift as the visit comes to a close.

Olga helps you gather your things gentle, wordless, still keeping close like she’s afraid too much space might crack something in you. Alexia lingers near Patri's car they have a quiet conversation you don't catch, her arms folded but her expression soft, uncertain when it turns back to you. Alba follows behind at a distance, watching still wary, still processing, but here that was something.

Eli hasn’t said much since the hug. She’s been quieter than ever, her movements slowed like the emotion has worn her thin, but she’s remained close, watching you with eyes too full for casual conversation.

You hold the letter in your hand for a long time before you finally turn to her.

It’s folded neatly. Ink smudged in one corner from where your hand trembled. You hadn’t planned to give it to her but there were too many things you couldn’t get out in front of everyone. Things too complicated. Too raw. And you wrote it for that circumstance.

You step closer. Offer it with both hands. She looks down at the paper like it might burn her fingers.

You speak quietly, for her only. “I didn’t know how to say it all. So I wrote it instead.”

Eli’s hand reaches out slowly, like she’s afraid if she moves too fast you’ll vanish again. She takes the letter her fingers press around it like it’s fragile like you are.

She nods, eyes shining, lips parting but she doesn’t speak. Just holds it close to her chest.

"Ready to go babe?" Patri smiles, "Pina and her sister are already there"

You nod and turn, your eyes meet Alexia’s, she gives you the faintest smile, then steps aside to let you go. Olga brushes her hand over your back as you move past her, a silent I’m proud of yo and as you walk around Patri's car to get in, Alba finally looks up.

She doesn’t say anything but for the first time, she doesn’t look away.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

The front door clicked shut behind you, and with it goes the last of the tension you carried into this house hours ago. The echo of your presence lingers in the room, the kind that doesn’t fade easily. The kind that changes things.

Eli stands where you left her, still holding the letter like it’s made of glass.

Her eyes don’t lift from it Alexia gently steps toward her. “Mami?" but Eli barely hears. Her lips move, soundless.

“I can’t,” she whispers finally. “I can’t read it. I don’t know if I can take what it says.”

Olga watches her closely, her fingers curled around the hem of her jumper, but she doesn’t interrupt. She’s already said what she needed to say today.

Alba, who hasn’t said a word in what feels like forever, finally pushes off the arm of the couch. Her voice is soft, a little raspy.

“Do you want me to read it to you?”

Eli looks up, startled, Alba doesn’t smile. Doesn’t flinch. She just holds out her hand. Eli hesitates for a moment, eyes searching her daughter’s face. And then, wordlessly, she presses the letter into her youngest’s palm.

Alba walks to the center of the room and sits down on the couch, tucking one leg beneath her. She opens the paper carefully, smoothing the creases with tender fingers.

She clears her throat as everyone takes a seat and begins.

I don't even know where to start with this I feel for years of my life I always wanted this moment, the opportunity to have my say, so this probably won't flow or make much sense but I'm going to vulnerably honest and true to myself.

I never blamed you, growing up I never resented you, disliked you, or hated you for the decision you made. I would always wonder what I did wrong. Why I wasn't good enough. The reason you couldn't keep me and love me like parents should, I was always focused on me and my short comings, I never spoke or thought negatively for the decision you made.

I saw everyday the pain giving a child up caused, I heard my carers talk of the despair and sheer pain they would witness when children were removed from the care of their parents. I would hope you didn't ever have to feel that because it wasn't a choice you had made but I understand the gravity of the decision that was made to leave me at the hospital for you and your husband.

I obviously now know the reason for your decision, and I think it's important for you to know, I did get that help I needed and that you may be interested in the journey that took. I had five surgeries before my second birthday, to try and mend the heart I have, I spent the first three years of my life living in the hospital you left me at, before I was discharged to my first foster family but I had very complex medical needs and they couldn't deal with that so I was moved on. I moved I think 5 times before I was 10 and deemed fit enough to live in a communal home where I stayed until I was 12 but then I needed to move again due to my age to what they call a half way house until I was 18.

Tangent lol, back to the heart, its never going to be a fully working healthy heart, I can't eat certain foods I can't have certain drinks and I work everyday to just be the healthiest I can be to give my heart the best chance of being able to sustain me and make the need for a transplant stayed off for as long as possible. That's a case of when and not if.

Olga explained to me of the passing of your husband, I am truly sorry for you Alexia and Alba's loss, I couldn't begin to imagine the pain it caused to loose such a big part of your lives.

I'm not here to ask anything from any of you, I don't know what any of us want from what we've learned, or what any of us expect to happen.

I just hope that this doesn't affect the relationship you have with your daughters because even before I learned what I know now, from the stories I heard from Olga you sounded like such a warm loving tight nit family. It may not be my place to say but I hope it doesn't change what they think and see of you, you are still the mother they know and love that hasn't changed because they learned of me. You are still that same person, and if anything it just shows what strength you have to make the hardest decision a parent can make along with your husband and carry on and raise two amazing people.

I hope you can begin to heal and most of all forgive yourself for the decision you made all those years ago.

You made the right decision, for me and for your family.

I wouldn't be here today without the decision and sacrifice you made so,

Thank You

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

You’re not expecting her.

The quiet of the office is a comfort today, Olga’s out in meetings, the afternoon sun is casting soft shadows across your desk, and the rhythm of your tasks is keeping your mind anchored. Or at leas distracted.

Then the bell above the door chimes, you glance up.

Alba lingers awkwardly by the entrance, her eyes scanning the space like she might still change her mind. She’s dressed simply jeans, oversized tee, hair up in a messy knot and something about her posture makes her look younger than she is. Vulnerable.

You stand slowly, heart thudding. “Hey…”

Alba walks in a few paces, stopping near the front counter. Her hands are shoved deep in her pockets. “I know Olga’s not here,” she says quickly, like a disclaimer. “I waited. I didn’t want to… ambush or anything.”

You nod, unsure what to say yet. She’s clearly nervous, more than you thought she would be from the stories you'd heard of her from Olga.

“I just…” She exhales through her nose, avoiding your eyes. “I wanted to talk. To you. If that’s okay.”

You gesture gently toward the small seating area. “Of course.”

You both sit, but she perches on the edge of the chair, like she’s ready to bolt. She doesn’t look at you, not directly, but her voice is soft and unfiltered. “I don’t know how to do this,” she admits. “I’ve been all messed up since we found out. It’s like everything I ever knew just cracked and now I keep wondering what it means. For me. For us.”

You nod, letting her speak without interruption.

“I guess I just…” She finally glances at you. Her eyes are rimmed red. “I want to get to know you, because out of anyone it's really not your fault, but I don’t know where to start.”

Your voice is quiet but steady. “Maybe we don’t have to know. Maybe we just try.” Alba blinks. You smile, just a little. “We could… start with dinner? No pressure. No heavy talks unless you want to. Just two people who might be something to each other, seeing what that feels like.”

Alba gives the tiniest laugh, almost a scoff at herself. “I haven’t felt this nervous about dinner since my first crush in high school.”

You grin. “Should I be flattered or terrified?”

She laughs again, fuller this time. “Maybe both.”

You reach for your notebook, tearing off a corner and scribbling. You hand it to her a small list of places you can eat in the city and your phone number"

“Pick one. You text me when you're ready. No pressure. Just… dinner.”

Alba looks at the paper in her hands like it’s more than just ink and names. She nods slowly. “Okay,” she says, quieter now. “Okay.” She stands after a moment, lingers at the door again like she’s debating something. Then she turns back. “Thank you. For not making it harder.”

You offer her a warm, careful smile. “We’ve both had hard. I’d rather try something else.”

She nods and then she’s gone.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

The restaurant is quiet and tucked away one of those cozy little places with exposed brick, warm lighting, and waitstaff that treat you like family. You’re early. You’d rather wait than arrive to faces you’re not quite sure how to greet yet, but you don’t wait long.

Alba arrives first.

She spots you at the table and offers a small, shy smile as she slides into the seat across from you. She’s dressed casually, but there's something softer in her eyes than the last time less guarded.

You’re about to say something when you hear a familiar voice at the hostess stand. “Alba!”

Alexia. Your heart stutters. You weren’t expecting her. Alba glances at you, a half-smile creeping in. “I may have… invited someone.”

Alexia arrives at the table with a warm grin and no hesitation at all as she kisses both your cheeks like she’s always done it. “Hi,” she says, taking the seat beside you. “I figured, three sisters is better than two, no?”

It’s strange how easy the word sisters rolls out of her mouth. You blink at her, then at Alba, then you smile. “Yeah. I guess it is.”

The conversation starts simple, menus, drinks, Alexia teasing Alba about how she always orders the same pasta everywhere she goes. You laugh when Alexia makes a terrible pun in Spanish that Alba groans at. You’re hesitant at first, still watching the way they interact like a spectator, until Alba nudges your arm and mimics your confused face when you try to translate the joke. You burst out laughing.

It surprises even you.

A bottle of wine appears. Glasses are poured. Somewhere between the bread basket and the main course, something shifts. It’s light, natural, unforced.

You find yourself talking, not deeply, not yet, but honestly. Sharing silly work stories, how you met Patri—

“Okay, wait,” Alba cuts in, grinning now, fork paused mid-air. “You’re the secret girl Patri’s been sneaking around with all this time?”

Your face heats instantly. “It wasn’t sneaking,” you say through a laugh. “She just wasn't exactly wanting it announcing it to the locker room.”

Alexia shakes her head, amused. “Patri is awful at subtle. She was glowing at training after she met you. G-L-O-W-I-N-G.”

You laugh, covering your face for a second. “Oh god.”

Alba leans in slightly, her tone playful but with an edge of sincerity. “Just so you know… if she hurts you, I’ll kick her ass.”

You snort into your wine.

Alexia raises a brow. “Alba, Patri is my teammate.”

Alba shrugs, utterly unbothered. “Don’t care. I like her, but blood is blood.”

You’re laughing now, genuinely, shaking your head. “I’ll be sure to tell her she’s been warned.”

Alba points at you with her fork. “Do that. I want her scared.”

Alexia mutters something about drama queen, and Alba throws a breadstick at her. It misses, barely.

You’re still smiling, Alba leans back in her seat, glass in hand, her grin a little wicked.

“So…” she begins slowly, eyeing you over the rim of her glass, “how’s the sex with Patri?”

Alexia nearly chokes on her wine.

You blink, stunned, heat rushing to your cheeks. “Alba!”

“What?” she laughs. “I’m curious!”

Alexia looks horrified. “You can’t ask her that!”

“I just did,” Alba smirks.

You’re giggling now, one hand covering your face as you try to recover. “God, okay, um… we haven’t… actually done that yet.”

Alba’s face flickers with surprise. “Really?”

You nod, a little shy but honest. “Yeah. She’s been… really respectful. Which is kind of adorable.”

Alexia leans back, visibly relaxing. “That’s sweet. Patri’s always been a softie underneath the sarcasm.”

You bite your lip, then laugh quietly. “It is sweet. But sometimes I just… want to be disrespected, you know?”

There’s a moment of silence, Alexia’s eyes go wide, Alba hollers with laughter and you shrink back slightly, eyes darting between them realising who they are to you as your face burns. “Oh my God wait. I can’t talk like that in front of you, can I?”

Alexia makes a strangled noise, waving her hand like she needs to shut her ears. “No. You absolutely cannot. Your my baby sister”

Alba wipes a tear from her eye. “Too late.”

You all dissolve into laughter, the kind that makes your ribs hurt. The kind that breaks through walls you didn’t even realise were still up. You glance at them Alexia still slightly horrified, Alba grinning like she won the lottery.

Alexia rests her chin in her hand, watching the two of you with a soft, content look on her face. “You know,” she says, her voice quieter now, “I really didn’t know what to expect when I found out. I was angry. Hurt. But right now?” She looks between you both. “This feels right.”

You meet her gaze. “It does.”

Alba’s smile isn’t wide, but it’s real. There’s still so much to say, still so much to feel, still so much to learn, but for now, there’s wine, warmth, and the first real night where you don’t feel like a stranger.

Just a sister.

[rafesgreasycurtainbangs]

i should’ve known - rafe cameron x pregnant!pogue!reader

series masterlist

warnings: suggestive language, talk of drugs and alcohol, pregnancy, fluff

au: i wrote this on a separate post from the request i got but ill put a photo of it😭

word count: 1.01k

The early afternoon sun bore down on the country club, the heat rising off the pavement in lazy waves. It was busy today—too busy. The sounds of clinking glasses, low conversations, and the occasional burst of laughter blended together into a dull hum. Rafe hadn’t even wanted to come.

The whole thing—the social scene, the rich kids wasting their parents’ money on overpriced drinks, the fake smiles—it used to be his playground. Now, it felt suffocating. But he was here because Ward had asked him to be, trying to keep up the image that he was doing better. That he had his life together. That he wasn’t just barely keeping himself from unraveling at the seams.

His fingers itched for something—anything. A smoke, a drink, a line, something to keep him occupied. But he didn’t let himself. Not anymore. Not when he was trying. Not when you were the sole positive aspect of his life. He was halfway through draining a glass of water, mindlessly staring out at the golf course, when something caught his attention.

Your name.

It wasn’t spoken to him, but it was enough to make his ears tune in like a radio locking onto a signal. “I swear, I still have her ultrasound,” a girl’s voice giggled from the next table over. “She showed it to me when she first found out, and I took a picture ‘cause I couldn’t believe it. She’s due in the summer.” Rafe’s body went rigid. He felt his heartbeat pound in his ears, a deep thud echoing through his chest. His grip on the glass tightened. You. Pregnant? It had to be a mistake. There was no way. If you were pregnant, you would have told him. Right? His stomach twisted, the water in his mouth suddenly tasting like acid. He barely registered the rest of the girls’ conversation, his mind racing, running through every possible scenario. There only one.

That night, weeks ago—no, months ago—when neither of you had thought twice about being reckless. When his hands had gripped your hips, when your lips had ghosted over his ear, when he had lost himself in you in a way that made him forget everything else. Neither of you had brought it up after. He shoved his chair back with a screech, standing so abruptly that a few heads turned. He ignored them, ignored everything, as he strode out of the club with only one thought in his mind. He had to find you.

—

The front door of your house nearly came off the hinges when Rafe shoved it open, his heart still hammering against his ribs.

“y/n!”

Silence.

His chest heaved as he scanned the living room, the faint sound of music drifting from down the hall. The bathroom. Rafe moved before he could think, following the sound. The door was cracked open, steam curling from the gap, and inside—You stood in front of the mirror, wrapped in only a towel, your damp skin still dewy from the shower. Your hands were resting on your stomach.

Not flat. Not the way he remembered.

His breath caught in his throat. You saw him in the mirror before you turned. Your eyes widened, your body tensing. “Rafe—” “When were you gonna tell me?” His voice came out rough, uneven. His hands curled into fists at his sides, not out of anger but because he didn’t know what else to do. You swallowed, your throat bobbing. “I—I was going to.”

“When?” Your silence was enough of an answer. Rafe exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face as he stepped further into the bathroom. “So it’s true,” he muttered. “You’re—you’re pregnant?” Your arms instinctively wrapped around your stomach, like you were trying to shield yourself from whatever reaction was coming. “Yes.” His pulse roared in his ears. He should’ve sat down. He should’ve done something other than stand there like an idiot, staring at you like he didn’t recognize you. But he did. God, he did. And his baby was carrying his baby.

Rafe swallowed, his voice quieter now. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Your lip trembled slightly, but you lifted your chin. “I didn’t know how you’d handle it.�� Something in his chest cracked. “You think I wouldn’t handle it?” You looked away, biting your lip. “I thought it would stress you out too much,” you admitted. “I was scared it would make you… relapse.” Rafe flinched. You weren’t wrong. The old him would’ve spiraled. He would’ve drowned himself in whatever Barry could give him—coke, weed, alcohol—until he felt nothing.

But he wasn’t the old him.

At least, he was trying not to be.

A shaky breath left him as he ran a hand through his hair, trying to gather the storm inside of him. “Do you even want this?” His voice was quiet, his throat tight. Your brows furrowed. “What?” “This.” He gestured toward your stomach. “Do you even want this?” You hesitated. But when you spoke, your voice was firm. “Yes.” Rafe exhaled slowly.

Then, before you could stop him, he was in front of you. His hands were tentative as they settled on your waist, warm and solid, grounding you in a way you hadn’t realized you needed. His fingers brushed against your stomach, barely touching, like he wasn’t sure he was allowed. Your breath hitched. “I should’ve been here,” he murmured, voice raw. “I should’ve known.” Tears pricked your eyes. “I didn’t mean to shut you out,” you whispered. “I was just scared.” His jaw clenched, his fingers tightening slightly on your skin. “You don’t have to be.”

You searched his face, and for the first time in weeks—maybe longer—you let yourself believe him. His lips ghosted over your forehead, lingering. Then, without a word, he sank to his knees in front of you, his hands still holding you like you might slip away. And when his lips pressed softly, reverently, against your stomach, you broke. Because for all his flaws, for all the mistakes, you knew one thing for sure.

Rafe Cameron would never let you face this alone.

[teaeodora]

PICK YOUR DOMESTIC HUSBAND 🛒

WHICH HUSBAND IS ON THE DOMESTICITY MENU TODAY?

featuring: diluc, alhaitham, zhongli, wriothesley, neuvillette.

synopsis: glimpses into married life with the genshin men.

warnings: implied fem!reader, occasional pet names, ooc (I have a sparse idea how diluc works, mention of "activities" (just mention I can't write smut pls), silly goofy ah loser coded men, mild swearing (damn, heck)

a/n: *stretching my back and crunching my neck.* I'm back from the dead. apologies for the choppy writing. thanks for the support on the other posts, if only I could write 50-page essays thanking everyone. <33 :')) not proofread.

DILUC 🍷

PRODUCT NAME: BREAKFAST AND KISSES IN BED. Diluc always hated the Knights of Favonius… 

He hated how most of them just stand around like buffoons and do not partake in any actual work that involves saving Mondstadt. He wouldn’t admit that he enjoys playing Batman. He hated them all except for one.

One he was willing to forgive all flaws of. "Knight of Favonius…always so inefficient,”  He scoffed at the pathetic sight of the hilichurls trying to dry roast a few knights roped to a wooden stick for their dinner. “Seriously, You’re so right Master Diluc.” Diluc’s head turned so fast at the sound of a new voice. When did you get here? Were you always there and how did he not sense you around?

That’s simply how you always were. A hard worker amidst slackers – he always termed despite Jean trying to explain that others work hard too. Perhaps that’s what caught his attention, honestly, he would never know what did. “G’morning…” He murmured against your skin, head buried in the crook of your neck, your flushed bare back pressed against him. “5 more minutes…” he heard your soft and groggy voice evoking a chuckle from the usually passive man. “Have I ever told you…how beautiful you are?” Diluc muttered against your skin. You smiled and turned around, “You always do. I remember my Dark-Knight Hero crying at the altar.” You pressed a finger against his chest, while he scoffed at the memory. “Don’t remind me about that, Kaeya doesn’t let me live that down…” He sighed, his brother consistently brought up the matter of him crying whenever he was losing an argument. Foul play if you ask anyone. “So…breakfast downstairs or in the bed?” He planted a kiss on your cheek while you hummed out a response, “Bed, you didn’t exactly go easy on me the previous night.” You recalled the events of the passionate night the day before. The honeymoon phase never seemed to end. “I am so sorry–” He panicked,” You're not in pain are you? I promise I’ll be gentle– I knew I should’ve been more considerat–” You stopped him by pressing a kiss against his lips. He groaned at the feeling of your soft lips touching his hands tangling themselves in your hair.

“I’m kidding silly… you should stop taking things so seriously unless you want me to start searching for grey hairs amidst those red locks of yours.” You snickered out seeing him release a breath of relief.

If the Darknight Hero really does exist, he's probably just someone in disguise. When he gets up in the morning to brush his teeth, it's the real him. He was his real him in front of you. People may call him a loser for such vulnerability…he was a loser for you.

ALHAITHAM 🌱

PRODUCT NAME: READING BOOKS OUT LOUD. One would say married to someone like Alhaitham was nothing short of a nightmare. They weren't 100% right. Shrouded beneath the aloof and meticulous personality resided someone who was in complete denial towards being loved. He loves it.

Who was he kidding? Nobody in a million years thought someone could put up with his insufferable personality — said Kaveh, his unpaying tenant. That was until he ran into you during his time as the newly appointed Scribe. You were like a painter, splashing heaps of paint in his 90s black-and-white life. Was eating ice cream always this enjoyable or was it because it was with you? Was the gossip between co-workers always this interesting or was it because it included you?

Why was his heart having an entire Queen’s rock and roll concert talking to you? Was it cardiac arrest or– He almost shuddered at the thought of it being what they called love.

“You’ve got flour on your face, sweetheart.” His teal eyes blinked amusingly into yours, a faint smile curling up his lips. You must have saved a nation in your previous life to land this man as your husband. Beige shirt perfectly sculpting around his abs – contrary to him calling himself “feeble,” hair slightly tousled and slight sleepiness in his eyes. He might not act like it but he was a little child whose needs had to be tended to like the coffee mug in his hands which you made, like usual. You wouldn’t want a cranky Alhaitham now, would you? “Hmpf, not my fault, this cooking book is completely bogus!” You rubbed your cheeks with the back of your hand, wiping away any remaining flour. “This is so boring…if only someone could provide their poor wife with some entertainment.” You always resorted to theatrics to get him to do things for you, albeit begrudgingly. “No, the same tactic is not going to work again.” “Please…” “No…” He groaned, tone almost pleading not to put him through the torture again. “During better or worse!” You resorted to the ace up to your sleeve. WEDDING VOWS! “Stop quoting the wedding vows.” He sighed in defeat. The most intellectually gifted man in the nation couldn't win against his own wife. Ironical. He got up and grabbed a book out of the bookshelf; a small fraction of his much larger library.

“Miss Elizabeth,” Alhaitham lazily flipped through the pages earning a rebuke. “More emotion! You are ruining the scene.” Alhaitham sighed and cleared his throat, “I love you most ardently…” His tone was feathery soft, emotion surging in it. A smile crept up as he stared at you endearingly.

“That’s much better. Though I seriously think Mr Darcy should’ve said– Miss Elizabeth, allow me to kiseth thy lovely lips.” You mimicked the deep voice of the character with the failing British accent. “Please have mercy on Jane Austen’s ghost and let her enjoy the afterlife.” Alhaitham chuckled and continued reading as you continued baking.  It was a shame that a man of such talent only paid attention to the truth itself and not to the people around him. If only the searching eyes of the ordinary say the exception to his indifference, you.

This was your biosphere, just you, him, novels and food encapsulated inside your small home.

ZHONGLI 🪨

PRODUCT NAME: ALWAYS ON HIS MIND. What is the best but the most useless flex you have? Being married to the Geo Archon. The inability to just tell the whole world that you are married to the frigging god was painful. You yourself were surprised by your ability to control yourself. Zhongli was a man of carefully curated words. Instead of words, straight-up poetry flew out of his mouth. Everyone knew how much he adored his wife, every vendor, every acquaintance, heck even Venti. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's mysterious consultant. Handsome, elegant, and surpassingly learned. Excellent memory. A master of courtesy and rules. The amount of poor women who have tried to grab his attention. "Mr.Zhongli, how does this look?" the woman, who he remembered meeting over a history discussion 17 days ago. "Hm?" his amber eyes shifted to gaze at the hairpiece the lady was holding. "Most exquisite.." He remarked, seemingly going into deep thought. Instead of a compliment, he said something that made the woman back away, "Such beautiful craftsmanship...may I ask you to tell me where you found this? I wish to buy one for my wife–" he paused, seeing the lady vanished after pointing at the shop where she got it from. "Zhongli, you should be able to tell why people approach you..." Hutao sighed, standing beside the rather oblivious gentleman. "Let's just continue...we've got customers to find!" Hutao started walking alongside the railing, hoping to find people in need of funeral services. "Maybe we should go and ask peopl– Zhongli??" Hutao looked around for the Consultant, who was caught up chatting with a shopkeeper over some earrings. "Zhongli!" Hutao called out to him, causing his head to turn towards the director. "Oh, apologies...It seems I got too carried away. These earrings caught my eye...I'm sure [Name} would love them.." he mumbled, staring at the jewellery. "I'll take them." "Mister Zhongli? What about the payment..." The shopkeeper meekly asked, causing Zhongli to turn his head fully at Hutao; gazing expectantly. Hutao should've expected this... "Zhongli, we are out here to find customers! Not buying gifts for [Name], her birthday is months away!" "They say the best things should be done first. After all, why must I wait for one specific day to express my love for my beloved?" Zhongli asked curiously and Hutao shaked her head; love was clearly out of her expertise. Zhongli, he is particular about everything. He only attended the best operas and focused on the perfect ratio for the creation of an authentic dish.  On a typical day, all you will glean from him is a few pieces of useless trivia, because he particularly enjoys sharing these fun tidbits with you. He was particular about you and your likings. A smile on your face was what he wanted by the end of the day. For being someone alive for 6000 years, he could proudly say that he loved and cherished something– someone.

"Wait here, Director Hu...Perhaps I should get those flowers over there to accompany the hairpin and earrings..."

WRIOTHESLEY 🐺

PRODUCT NAME: BATTLE TO BUY A DOG OR NOT.

"Wriothesley, I want a dog!" You crossed your arms, staring down at the Duke who was glued to the chair in his office. “But why? That’s just unnecessary responsibility…” Wriothesley sighed, rubbing his temples. This was the 3rd time this month you’ve brought up this topic. Was he that incompetent in terms of filling his role as your significant other? Perhaps not with the never-ending paperwork. Oh, how he wished people would just stop committing crimes. “I get lonely in the Fortress…I want a child.” You put forth your point by using the term ’ child’. Child, dog same thing. You hoped to finally convince him this time.

“We have Sigewinne.” Wriothesley pointed at the head nurse prepping tea in the room with the back of his pen. “I am sorry, Your Grace but playing the role of the child is out of my job description.” The Melusine replied indifferently, pouring freshly seeped tea into the three cups. “Fine, we will go get one…I’ll schedule a meeting with the owner of the pet shelter. Happy?” He asked you, chin resting on his palm. Perhaps getting a dog was a good idea as he was guilty of being unable to spend quality time with you… “No way…” “Isn’t that..?” “The Duke of the Meropide–” “He rarely appears in public..” Wriothesley held out the door to the shelter for you, hoping you would go in and it would finally save him from the gaze of curious onlookers. The two of you walked in, only to be pounced upon by a big dog. “Kal! You sly dog! I knew I shouldn’t have let you out!” The caretaker yelled at the big ball of black fur who had tackled Wriothesley to the floor and was aggressively licking his face, tail wagging in delight. “Are you okay?” You asked your fallen husband, who just chuckled in response. “I am good just– Okay stop! I understand your gesture of love.” Wriothesley got up as the dog encircled him. “This one is so adorable…” you gasped at the cuteness radiating from the dog and its big brown eyes. “You’ve got a keen eye! This is Kal, Shiloh Shepard, one of the finest dogs out there.” The caretaker combed her fingers through the thick and groomed black coat of the canine. “He seems to have taken a liking to the Duke.” The caretaker continued as the dog ran back to Wriothesley, peppering his face with licks. “He even looks like you.” You teased as Wriothesley stared at you in disbelief. You did not just compare him to a dog…he even did a double take at the dog to confirm. “We will take this one then…” He chuckled in amusement. Never had he imagined marrying you and on top of that getting a four-legged beast. Needless to say, Wriothesley proudly walked out of the shelter, holding the big dog in his hands like a child. It felt complete ever since getting Kal; like your own little family. Wriothesley wouldn’t admit it but he loved the dog, despite it hogging all of your love and attention. He didn’t expect to be fighting over cuddling rights with a dog!? 

He watched you and Kal sleep peacefully on the couch, keeping him company while he finished up his work. He felt a sense of gratitude…people of the Fortress knew little of the crime he once committed. The only one who still remembers it like yesterday is Wriothesley himself. And no matter how much glory or repute he has earned, he still considers himself to be the same old Wriothesley he's always known.Neither a good person nor a complete villain. He's just another soul, still living on in this world. However, your eyes always reassured him in ways he couldn’t describe. Everything was perfect…

[Name]!! YOURDAMN DOG PISSED ON MY COAT!! Maybe not that perfect…whoops.

NEUVILLETTE 🌊

PRODUCT NAME: HELPING THE OTHER DRESS.

Monsieur Neuvillette, The Iudex of Fontaine, always wondered how his life had come to this. 500 years of serving his position as the Beacon of Justice, a lovely, beaming baker somehow broke the monotony. Well, calling you just a baker was now an insult. With your ring finger bejewelled, with one of the rarest gems– an ode to his undying loyalty and representation of his eternal love. “It’s astounding how a covert mission conducted by melusines could’ve landed someone such as myself a lady like her…” He muttered to himself, seeing his full form in the mirror. “Talking to yourself, again?” You leaned against the door frame, lopsidedly smiling at the peculiar antics of Fontaine’s most distinguished man. “Ah, apologies…I didn’t think you would notice me conversing with myself. Now I find myself in a rather awkward predicament.” He chuckled. Dear god, this man was so beautiful that his beauty was almost blinding with the morning sun perfectly hitting his face.

“Say ah,” You requested and he complied. Who better to take constructive criticism from other than your husband? “New filling?” He covered his mouth while chewing on the croissant. “Yup, how is it? I was experimenting with some Rainbow Roses and these Inazuman berries I bought.” You blinked curiously, waiting for some input. “Hmm it is very pleasant, it is fascinating how you manage to maintain the freshness of the fruit…” You smiled at his compliment, before noticing him struggling with the jabot around his neck. “Need help?” You offered and he nodded his head. “This is absurd..it usually isn’t this difficult.” He frustrated replied, it was amusing to see the cool and collected man all worked up about clothing. “I suggest simplifying your outfit.” You attached the jabot and secured it in with the teardrop brooch, fixing the ruffles. 

“Thank you. I do prefer my outfit as it conveys the message I wish for it to convey.” He explained before staring at you. You knew that look, he looked at you with his eyebrows slightly creased when he was hesitating from saying something. “What is it?” “Do I get a goodbye kiss before I leave?” “Pfft! I didn’t think you would take that seriously!” Conclusion: this man was wayyy to cute.

Neuvillette is a solitary person. Neuvillette is not known for his personal desires.

He was deemed as someone with unassailable impartiality. If only they knew that perhaps the Iudex was just a wee bit biased.

a/n 2.0: the crust will come off...hopefully. i wonder if it's possible to guess which one of them is my favourite??

don't steal, copy, plagiarise, or translate.

©definitelysel

[farfromharry]

Years in the making | Lando Norris

Summary: Lando has been in love with you since his brother introduced you to the family when he was 6, but he’s never had the guts nor opportunity to make a move. What about when he finally does almost 2 decades later?

w/c 3489

warnings - a shitty bf i guess, the name jack

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The Norris family had been in her life for as long as she could remember. She and Ollie had met in Primary school and been inseparable ever since. She was close with the whole family, having spent most of her childhood in their home, but there had always been something different about Lando.

Lando was convinced he’d been in love with her since before he even knew what love was. He vividly remembered the day he saw her for the first time. He was 6, she and Ollie were 8. She was coming over to play and from the second she had climbed into the car beside Lando, he was starstruck. He thought she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

That admiration he had with her never went away. There had just never been an opportunity for him to act on his feelings. 

Life got busy when Lando made it to Formula 1. His time at home decreased, he wasn’t seeing his family as much and he couldn’t remember the last time he saw her. On the lonely days he still longed for her, thought about opening Instagram and shooting her a quick message to ask how she was doing. But he never had the guts. Instead he lurked, liked her posts and lit up at every brief mention of her he got from his brother. 

So when it got to the final race of the 2024 season and he saw a familiar figure standing with his brother just outside the garage, he thought he was dreaming.

The sight of her standing there, flowery orange dress clinging to her skin, hair curled and smile as radiant as the day he met her, it all came flooding back. He remembered everything. All the times he’d dreamed about, every time his heart had raced when she touched him or flashed him a smile. Every feeling he had ever felt towards her was carving out a place in his chest again. They weren’t new feelings– they were ones that had never gone away. 

The smile on his face was nothing short of dopey. Who could blame a guy when seeing his first love again?

He came bounding over to the duo, practically throwing his arms around her when he was close enough. She laughed loudly, a sound he could only describe as angelic. He wanted to hear it again and again for the rest of his life. 

He was the first to pull back, feeling like he had gone too long without seeing her face. Now that he had got her back, he didn’t ever want to stop seeing her. “Hi.”

She smiled brightly. “Hi. That was quite the greeting.”

His cheeks flushed, the skin tinting a light pink. “Missed you,” he shrugged. “It’s been a while.” Far too long in his opinion. He was finding it a little hard to believe she was here now if he was being honest. When he got time he would have to thank Ollie for bringing her. 

“It has, hasn’t it. Last time I saw you, you were like this-” She held her hand beside her waist, exaggerating his height just a little, “tall.”

He rolled his eyes. “Shut up, no I wasn’t.”

Y/N’s eyes shifted to Ollie, asking for backup. “It is kind of true.” Lando couldn’t believe his brother, his own flesh and blood wasn’t taking his side in this. “You were a baby.”

“I was 18!” 

She chuckled. The moment was cut short by someone else joining them. Lando hadn’t ever met him, but he’d seen him in the occasional post or story. Jack. The boyfriend. They had been together almost a year. Not too long, but long enough that Lando felt threatened by him. It was probably weird considering Y/N had only ever seen him as her friend’s little brother, but he always hoped he could be more. Jack was getting in the way of that. 

The atmosphere visibly shifted when he fell into place beside Y/N, his arm nudging hers. No longer was it just 3 old friends catching up, now it was awkward. 

She felt the need to try and make it a little less awkward. “Oh, Lan, this is Jack. Jack, this is Lando.” The 2 men nodded at each other. There was something clearly underlying between them. He didn’t trust the F1 driver and the F1 driver didn’t like him. But only one of them was going to make the effort to keep Y/N happy.  

“Well, I better head back. Nice meeting you, mate.” 

He didn’t spare another glance at the man before he walked away. For Y/N’s sake, Lando would be civil, but he sure as hell wouldn’t be happy about it. Just as he thought his weekend was about to be brilliant, he had to show up and ruin everything. 

He was able to take his mind off it given his focus needed to be on the race. For 2 hours he was thinking of nothing but how to take corners and how to stop Max Verstappen from overtaking him. As soon as he pulled into Parc Ferme in 2nd place, his mind was back on her. He hoped she was proud of him. 

His family were all standing together when he climbed out of the car. Lando congratulated his teammate and Max on their finishing positions, then made a beeline for them. His parents pulled him into a hug first and he could never put into words the joy that bloomed in his chest. His siblings ruffled his hair and offered their congrats. Then there was her.

She was grinning and he swore there were tears in her eyes. She had attended a couple Formula One races in the past, but never one where he’d finished so high up. A win would have been nice, but he was glad she got to see him do well regardless. Clearly she was full of pride for him. She knew this was everything he’d ever worked for and his dreams were really coming true. 

“Well done,” she squealed, tugging him into an embrace. 

Having her in his arms just felt right. It was a natural instinct for him to tuck his head into the neck of the person he was hugging, he didn’t do it maliciously because he knew her boyfriend was right there. Jack didn’t see it that way. He glared at the side of Lando’s head, up until the man pulled away from Y/N. Then he slid his arm around her, like he was staking his claim. Deep inside, Lando rolled his eyes. How could a grown man be so childish?

“Proud of you, kid.” 

She looked so happy that he was struggling to tear his eyes away from her. “You must be my lucky charm.” This wasn’t his best finish of the season, but that wasn’t important right now. He just wanted her to feel special. And if it made him a bad guy for doing so while her boyfriend was right there, then so be it.

Her cheeks burned. “Nope, it’s all you. You’re so talented, Lan and I’m glad everyone’s finally getting to see it.”

They held eye contact for longer than necessary, the tension clear in the air. Jake cleared his throat, which finally burst the bubble they’d found themselves in. He wasn’t a fan of whatever the hell they were doing. Now that it was incredibly awkward, Lando moved away, heading for his team. If he caught the way Y/N’s face hardened right after Jake whispered something into her ear, he didn’t bring it up. 

Lando wouldn’t have had much time to argue it anyway. He was being whisked away for post race interviews and then the podium ceremony. 

Standing on the podium was always a rewarding feeling, but standing there with the knowledge his family was watching made it all that more special. He looked out into the crowd as the winning anthems played, his eyes locking with hers. She was smiling, her hands clasped in front of her face like she couldn’t believe this was real life. His face unknowingly lit up with joy. 

The cheers when he lifted his 2nd place trophy were loud. Shouts of his name like music to his ears. Her voice was the loudest.

The pit lane was much quieter once the celebrations died down. Fans had gone home, engineers were packing things up. There was nothing left to do. That was why he heard the raised voices, it was too quiet. One voice in particular was familiar. He felt the need to check in.

“Grow up, Y/N, this is real life not some childhood fantasy!” 

Lando felt a burst of anger in his chest. “Everything okay over here?”

Jack scoffed and she quickly shot him a glare. It was obvious that they were fighting, but the last thing Y/N needed was for him to know what they were fighting about. It was embarrassing. “It’s fine, Lando. Shouldn’t you be celebrating?” She tried to smile.

He was still tense, looking between them like he was waiting for something to happen. He was testing Jack, silently begging him to make 1 wrong move. “Yeah, was looking for you. You’re coming, right?” He hoped she didn’t let him down. 

The look on her face was one he couldn’t place. She looked unsure, uncomfortable, but he didn’t think it was to do with him. “Of course I am. Wouldn’t miss it.” Jack rolled his eyes, something that didn’t go unseen by the other male. “We’ll meet you there, okay?” She was trying to get him to leave in the most respectful way possible. She loves Lando, but this spat was something that needed to play out in private and his presence was only feeding it. 

Luckily for her, he could tell where he wasn’t wanted. So he smiled, nodding his head. “Okay. I’ll see you later.” He shot the couple one more look and then turned on his heel to begin walking away. He had merely rounded the corner by the time they started arguing again. This time he could hear everything. Maybe he shouldn’t have eavesdropped, but he would call it being protective. The last thing he wanted was for Y/N to get hurt. 

“That is exactly what I’m talking about!”

He could picture her messing with her hair like she did when she got stressed. “You’re being ridiculous! He is a friend. I’ve known him for years.” They were talking about him. If he wasn’t intrigued before, he was now. 

“That doesn’t mean he isn’t in love with you.”

“He isn’t. And who says I’m in love with him?”  

He laughed, cruelly. “Open your fucking eyes, Y/N.” 

Lando couldn’t listen any longer. He didn’t think he wanted to hear her response. He headed back to the hospitality, intending on grabbing his bag and finding his family. Inside he got caught up talking to some of his engineers for longer than he anticipated. By the time he grabbed his stuff and headed outside, it seemed he had missed everything. 

Y/N was standing in his sister’s arms, crying into her shoulder. He could hear her sobs the moment he stepped outside the door and his heart cracked. Jack was nowhere to be seen. Usually he would think that was a good thing, but right now he had a feeling that might be the root of the problem. 

He approached his brother, fear settling in his gut. He hoped whatever happened hadn’t been too serious. “What’s going on?” His eyes darted between Y/N and his sister, to his older sibling. The tears on her face made him panic. 

Ollie placed his hand on his brother’s chest, keeping him from heading over to you. “Mate, now isn’t the time, alright?” His tone worried him. “Her and Jack just broke up.” 

He tried to hide his excitement, but he hadn’t been quick enough. The older man saw the flash of joy in his eyes just before he furrowed his brow and pretended to act concerned. “I’m not a total dickhead, mate. I just wanted to make sure she was okay.”

For years the elder of the two had tried to prevent this from happening. Ollie cherished his friendship with Y/N, just as he cherished his brother, but he knew Lando could be reckless. He wasn’t always the most mature and the last thing he needed was him hurting her and making things awkward for everyone. But maybe keeping them apart has hurt them in other ways. It meant Y/N kept getting into relationships that ended in disaster and a broken heart, and Lando continued his damaging ways. 

Oliver sighed. He needed to let this run its course. Maybe it could be something beautiful. “Fine, just… Don’t fuck this one up, okay?”

He was giving him his blessing and Lando wasn’t going to take advantage of that. For once, he was going to take this seriously. This meant a lot to him. 

Flo saw him coming and excused herself. 

He approached her with a small smile, worried he might be overstepping. If the argument really was about him then he worried he’d be rubbing salt in the wound. The last thing he wanted was to upset her any more than she already was. When she smiled back he knew he was in the clear. Still, Ollie was probably watching him like a hawk. He sat beside her, rubbing his hands together nervously. What was he even supposed to say?

“He was an arsehole.” That was a risky start. 

Luckily she laughed. “Yeah.” She sighed deeply. The guilt was eating her alive. She didn’t know he was going to be so blatantly rude to Lando. She felt responsible for his behaviour. “I’m sorry about him. This had nothing to do with you, he’s just an insecure prick.”

Lando was weighing up his options. She likely knew already that he was in love with her given the fact he had never been subtle, but confessing it to her face was a whole other thing. When was he ever going to get this chance again? It was now or never. “He wasn’t entirely wrong.” He couldn’t go back now. He was going to have to own it.

“What?”

The man sighed. “Y/N, I’ve been in love with you since I was 6.” 

She thought he might be kidding her. For years she had thought his feelings were nothing more than a silly childhood crush. She had expected it to have fizzled out by now. He was Lando Norris, big time F1 driver, rich and famous– he probably had girls throwing themselves at him everywhere he went. What would he want with her? The surprise on her face was obvious. 

“I guess I’ve always been looking for the right moment. Either I was busy or you had a boyfriend, or… I don’t even know. It just felt like we were always gonna clash.” He reached over and took her hand, cradling it in his. “But right now, what’s stopping us?”

She was quiet. Too quiet. He hadn’t addressed the fact she had literally just broken up with her boyfriend, he had gone straight in to telling her he loved her. Maybe this was a horrible idea. His heart was racing and his hands were trembling.

“Please say something.” 

“I just-“ She sighed. “I don’t understand why you’d want me. There’s so many younger, prettier, more successful women throwing themselves at you. I’m just… me.” 

He seemed genuinely upset with the way she was talking about herself, or maybe with the way she was portraying him. Lando had never really been one for the glitz and glamour of F1. Sure he had his fair share of flings, usually with some kind of model who’d had a paddock pass, but did she really think so little of him? That was having fun, convenience, this was everything. She was everything.

He sighed. “Y/N, you…” Where did he even begin? “You’re the one that got away.”

Her face softened.

“You’re my dream girl. I used to think you were perfect, as in hand crafted, inch by inch, sent to show me what I could never have. You don’t know what seeing a girl as cool as you at a young age does to a guy.” They laughed together. She was touched. “I always thought you were too out of my reach, that you could never want a guy like me. You know, you’re older, hot, so ridiculously smart and Ollie was always getting in the way. I think how I feel about you is part of the reason I’m so hard on myself. I want to impress you all the time, I’ve always wanted to.” 

She didn’t know what to say. Having Lando confess his feelings to her after the last race of the season was the last thing she thought was going to happen. This whole day had been one crazy event after another. She didn’t know how much more madness her heart could take. “So, why have you never said anything?”

“Ollie, mainly. I didn’t think he would be too happy if I made a move.” That made sense. Oliver was her best friend. He was very protective over her and the chances of Lando being the ‘right guy’ for her in his eyes was slim. “But also, I thought you knew how I felt and just weren’t saying anything. I thought you were rejecting me by avoiding it altogether.”

“I thought it was a silly crush, or convenient. We spent a lot of time together as kids, sometimes you develop feelings because of the situation, not because of the person.” For years she had thought he liked her purely because she was his brother’s friend. He knew her, but he hadn’t made an effort to get to know her deeply like one would if they were trying to pursue a relationship. She had shrugged it off as unimportant. “I didn’t mean to ignore how you felt. I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. If anything I’m sorry for not just admitting how I felt. Could have saved you a lot of shitty relationships.” 

She laughed at that. “Yeah, tell me about it.” 

A comfortable silence enveloped them. They sat side by side, shoulders touching and barely an inch of space between them. Her eyes roamed the paddock, watching some engineers chat in a group, probably about how wild the season just gone had been. Lando couldn’t take his eyes off her though. This moment was one he had been waiting for for years. He had dreamed about this countless times, especially during his teenage years. It didn’t feel real, at least not yet.

He placed his hand on the side of her face, guiding her to look at him. She went easily. Their eyes met and somewhere somehow, everything fell into place. He let out a breath, one full of nerves. He didn’t want to mess this up, he had waited far too long to ruin it now. 

“Can I?” 

She didn’t respond verbally, just took the initiative to close the gap for him. For the first time since they’d known each other, they properly crossed that line of friendship. Their lips met and things felt right. The kiss had been building for 19 years and was just as magical as they expected. People often talked about feeling sparks with the right person. Lando was experiencing an entire firework display.

She never wanted it to end. Kissing Lando was like oxygen— she needed it to breathe. 

He was the first one to pull away, but she wasn’t letting him go that easily. She chased his lips, nearly on top of him. It caught him off guard, his hands shooting to her hips to keep her steady. 

Clearly he had unleashed something in her that had been suppressed for so long.

Unfortunately at some point he needed to breathe. He couldn’t contain his laughter though. “Y/N, slow down.” His hands found themselves tangled in her hair, his thumb stretching to trace her lips that were now slightly swollen. “We’ll have all the time in the world for that.” 

Her lips curved into a smile. He had always thought she was beautiful, but right now, the way the breeze was blowing her hair, the way she was smiling down at him— the way her eyes sparkled. She had never been so gorgeous. He was even more in love now if that was possible. 

The way her fingers were rubbing against his cheekbones was incredibly distracting. “You promise?” Her words came out so quiet that he really had to be listening to hear her.

He had finally gotten everything he wanted. He would give her anything she asked for. There was no risking this. “I promise.”

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tags: @esposa-do-harry

[but-a-humble-selfshipper]

I find it kinda funny kinda silly how there's some places where I let L.L. be but I just... Can't list the characters they interact with as f/o's of ant kind bc their relationship is just... Kinda, nonexistent? Like there sure is something but it's far too complicated to treat it like one of my casual partners.

[citrustan]

omg commissions open!! how about an E2L angsty fic? maybe with jungkook, where he hates the reader at first but is drawn to her and finds her fascinating?

yessirrr, you're speaking my language 😛 the moment i read this, a scenario instantly built in my mind!! thank you for messaging :D

killah (jjk)

pairing: managing partner!jungkook x spoiled brat!reader

genre: enemies to 😛 idk bec you irk him, angst, smut, like slight fluff

warnings: hinted emotional cheating, jungkook is a taken man but 🫵 you kinda want him and he sorta kinda wants you too??? but he's fighting it bec he's got a girl already, bratty behaviour from reader (that's all for thjs part, yes there will be a follow-up)

You were standing a few feet away from the hostess' table, scrolling through Pinterest, barely blinking while your brother whisper-bickered with the staff about a table.

You had been waiting at this reservation-only restaurant for almost thirty minutes now. If you don't get seated in the next ten minutes, you're going to start tearing up.

Logan would glare at you every other minute.

It was your fault, you had forgotten to reserve a table. But in your defence, you need to be told things at least thrice for it to stick. Logan knew that. So really, he's just as to blame.

He's trying to put some sense of responsibility in you but you're... persistent. Resistent.

Because why must you work when you don't absolutely have to?

You roll your eyes, trying to drown Logan out and switch apps to complete your daily NYT Wordle.

That’s when someone spotted you.

"_____?" The figure squealed, a little too loud for the atmosphere, “I didn’t know you’d be here!”

You glanced up and smiled automatically--- wide, sweet, a little rehearsed.

Who the hell is that? You can't seem to recognise her.

The girl leans in for a small hug, but you remain frozen, politely blocking her attempt to engulf you entirely.

She backs off immediately, probably embarrassed? You can't tell.

Clearing her throat, she reintroduces herself, "It's Hyewon!"

Oh! Now it clicks. And it shows on your face.

Hyewon smiles in victory. You remembered her.

"Heyy, I could not recognise you with the new hair!" You could've sworn she was a redhead the last time you saw her.

You had first interacted with her at a mutual friend's house party.

You were seated on a faux-velvet couch, barefoot and yelling about how every colour had a personality.

"Blue is the friend who bails you out of jail," you smiled deviously at each of your friends as if you were attributing the colours to them.

"Yellow is the one who put you in there. Green is the innocent one that people suspect. And pink..." you pause to think, "Pink is who you did it for."

Everyone around you looked so engrossed.

Hyewon had never heard anyone talk like that. She had come across occasional shit-posts on Tumblr but never thought people actually had serious discussions about this stuff out loud.

She didn’t even like you at first. You were too loud. Too much.

But she couldn’t look away.

After introducing herself to you, later that night, Hyewon requests to follow you on Instagram. You accept instantly but don't follow back.

What kind of weird power play was she being subjected to?

Then you two met coincidentally a few more times, still you hadn't followed her back.

Tonight was the first time you came into contact with each other without any buffers around you.

She bit her lip in a shy smile, "Thanks." She seemed to have taken it as a compliment.

So you comment on her hair anyway, "I really like it, it frames your face well."

Your eyes fall on another figure behind her.

The first instinct you had was to stare. Because this was the sexiest man you'd ever seen. And you've seen a lot of those.

Cautiously, you look back at Hyewon, who seemed enthralled by the man too.

The man approaches you two and wraps his tattooed hand around hers.

Ah.

Whatever.

"_____, This is my boyfriend, Jeon Jungkook. Babe, this is _____ _____!"

You glance at him. “Oh. Hi.”

It’s barely a greeting. You’re more interested in your reflection in the glass.

Jungkook nods at you before looking back at his girlfriend, whispering to her about their table.

That only riles you up.

They have a table and you still don't. You feel a slight rush of entitlement taking over you.

Hyewon nods but then paused, "Oh, uh, are you leaving, _____?"

You shake your head, "Logan's trying to get us a table."

Hyewon sees this as an opportunity to get closer to you.

Just when she was about to extend an invitation to you and your brother, said brother calls out to you.

Finally. You weren't in the mood for any more small talk.

When Logan looks over at you, and in the same breath, his gaze lands on Jeon Jungkook, "Huh. Jeon, right?"

Jungkook, who had been sizing you up quietly with polite disinterest, raises a brow, "Yeah."

Then it clicks. Jungkook nods, resemblance flickering in his eyes. "Right. I’ve seen you in the elevators."

"Hard to miss a face like mine," Logan says dryly.

You roll your eyes at that.

Hyewon laughs. "I had no idea you two knew each other."

"We don’t, really," Jungkook replies. “Just hallway sightings.”

You swing your bag to your shoulder, ready to leave, when something fluffy drops to the floor. It's your bag charm.

You don't move, just stare at it.

Hyewon, without missing a beat, crouches and retrieves it for you.

"Aw, thank you," you say casually, this time sporting a genuine smile.

But Jungkook observes something else. He notices how you don't pick up after yourself. You didn’t even pretend to go for it. You just expected Hyewon to move for you.

He watched you struggle to clip it back on. You then pass it off to your brother, who successfully attaches the charm back on.

Jungkook's jaw ticks a little. As if he was holding back on telling you off.

Brat.

The hostess returns then, apologizing profusely as she attempts to guide you and your brother ahead of two other waiting couples.

No one says anything because you’re used to this kind of priority.

"I'm hungry, we're going to go in now," you announced, later adding, "See you around, Wony!"

You entangle your fingers in Hyewons, slightly swinging it as to bid goodbye, smiling cutely.

"Have fun, you guys," Hyewon says sweetly.

Logan awkwardly smiles and escorts you in.

Jungkook silently follows Hyewon to the hostess table.

Once they’re past the threshold and walking through the foyer, Hyewon peeks up at him, finding him usually quiet. "You okay?"

He shakes his head once. “Your friend’s kind of a brat.”

Hyewon snorted, "Okay."

She didn't think much of it.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

Later that night, at Jungkook's apartment. He had just stepped out of the shower.

For some reason, he kept replaying the moment he met you over and over again. It angered him.

"She’s a little ridiculous," Jungkook suddenly mutters, annoyed. "Your friend."

Hyewon lifts a brow, "_____?"

"She didn’t even reach for her own bag charm."

Hyewon raises a brow, "You’re still thinking about that?" Why the fuck was he thinking about you in the shower?

"She just stood there. Expected you to do it." He continued.

"That's just how she is. I don't know, I don't think it's that big of a deal..." Hyewon treads lightly.

"It doesn't bother you to be treated like that by your friend?" Jungkook scrunched his brows.

He seemed very intrigued.

She considers for a second. It's not like you're friends. She doesn't think you're even acquaintances. "It... doesn't, I think it almost makes her a little charming. Like she's not faking anything."

Although, Jungkook does have Hyewon rethinking her perception of you in her mind.

She tries to rationalize it, "She doesn't try to be something she's not..."

Jungkook pulls a shirt over his head, "_____ doesn't try at all."

Hyewon smiles, "But that's what makes her fun. You just don't get it."

"No, I do get it," he argues, "She's rich and a spoilt brat because nobody's ever told her no. So now she treats everyone like they're made to serve her."

Hyewon patiently watches him for a second. He looked so riled up over you.

"Well, you're rich too," she weakly adds.

"I am now, but I wasn't always... It's not the same, it's... Whatever."

"You sound like you've given this a lot of thought." Hyewon frowns.

Jungkook doesn't answer right away, choosing to deflect and instead just calls for her to return to bed after her bath quickly.

Hyewon doesn't want to think too much of it. But then her phone dings.

You had requested to follow her back.

.｡⁠*⁠♡

Back at your shared penthouse with Logan, you conduct slight research of your own.

"Who is Jeon Jungkook?" You barge into your brother's room.

Logan stills for a second. "Why?"

You shrug, "It's just a question."

Logan squints, unconvinced, but answers anyway, "He's the managing partner at Jeon, Kim & Kim."

Ohhhh. Of course, he is. You've heard of him. He really does live up to his name. You'd heard he was almost unapproachable. How in the world did Hyewon end up with someone like him?

You nod slowly. Okay.

After returning to your floor, you waste no time and look up Hyewon's Instagram. To your surprise, she had already been following you.

Oops.

You click on the follow button and toss your phone away for the night.

next: killah (jjk) [2]

note: i was listening to killah by lady gaga hence the name, now, i know the song is super groovy and the vibes do not match but!! throw me a bone here, i think the song describes the situation fairly well. and as ush, please tell me what you think of this :) is it worth following up on or is it just predictable and whatever? thanks for reading :)