#and today it’s being emphasised we’re not friends at all just acquaintances

[rowanhoney]

I’m actually gonna throw up like everyone is SO changeable with me like the social whiplash is real and i just keep thinking everything is fine and then it’s just not like WHAT

[camillemontespan]

wine & fire [12 days of fictmas]

Here is my submission for 12 Days of Fictmas! This isn’t the most typical festive fic.. 

I was inspired by the film Two Night Stand :)

Warnings: NSFW.

Starts like a romcom. Turns into NSFW.

12 Days of Fictmas Tag list

Writers : @texaskitten30 @leelee10898 @emichelle @zaffrenotes @alj4890 @burnsoslow @kat-tia801 @darley1101 @msjr0119 @annekebbphotography @god-save-the-keen @plumeriavibes @ofpixelsandscribbles @camillemontespan @ao719 @cocomaxley @cordoniansgonewild @twinkleallnight @the-soot-sprite @cordoniantrash @axwalker @innerpostmentality @lucy-268 @janezillow​ @katedrakeohd​  

Readers : @mom2000aggie​ @sfb123​ @bbrandy2002​ @debramcg1106 @desireepow-1986​ @speedyoperarascalparty​ @hopefulmoonobject​  

My tag list: @ibldw-main​ @moonlightgem7​ @marshmallowsandfire​ @marshmallowsaremyfavorite​ @jovialyouthmusic​ @sirbeepsalot​ @saivilo​ @rainbowsinthestorm​  @pug-bitch​ @gardeningourmet​ @sirbeepsalot​ 

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

‘Merry Christmas, Cordonia! Best to stay inside and open presents while curled up by the fire as today’s weather forecast has calculated a snowstorm - yes, you heard that right- a SNOWSTORM with gales and hail! This is not exactly the perfect White Christmas we were hoping for! Please stay safe and stay indoors-’

Still half asleep, Olivia slammed the OFF button on her radio and snuggled deeper into her blankets. She stretched out her legs, enjoying the warmth of her bed and the space she had all to herself. 

Until her foot hit something hard, prompting someone to shout out loud. 

‘OW!’

Olivia bolted up, simultaneously grabbing the dagger that she kept under her pillow, before turning to find the source of the noise. 

There was a man in her bed.

And not just any man.

Leo. 

Fucking Leo. 

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

The memory of last night came flooding back. Olivia remembered there had been red wine. A lot of red wine. Drake and Camille had thrown a Christmas Eve supper at Valtoria Manor for their friends - Maxwell, Hana, Liam, Aurelia, Leo and herself. Once dinner had been eaten, priorities turned to drinking, dancing and playing board games. Olivia’s priority remained on the bottles of red wine she had brought and slowly, hazily, she had become more social and had found herself in the kitchen drinking wine with Leo. 

They had gone back to Olivia’s together. 

Olivia did NOT remember their time in bed - thank God- and she casually thought that Leo must be shit in the bedroom if she couldn’t remember bumping uglies. But she knew they had because here he was, in her bed, and she was naked. 

‘Leo, get the fuck out of my bed,’ she greeted him sharply. ‘Now.’

Leo scowled at her as he rubbed his leg that had now developed a pink bruise from Olivia’s foot. Shame. She had hoped he would have been more injured. She must try harder next time. 

‘Merry Christmas to you too, Liv,’ he muttered, clambering out of her bed. Olivia averted her eyes but she still caught a glimpse of his toned ass. What a lovely image for her poor retinas. 

Quickly, Leo got dressed, throwing on a forest green knit sweater and dark blue jeans. The green of his sweater only emphasised his golden skin and the green of his eyes. Olivia bit the inside of her cheek.

‘So, how are you spending today?’ Leo asked, rubbing his hands through his blonde hair. ‘Torturing a prisoner? Throwing knives at your servants? Thinking about our liaison last night? I know what I’ll be doing and FYI, it’s not the first two options.’ 

Without warning, Olivia threw her dagger at Leo, who ducked down just in time to see the weapon hit the wall behind him. 

‘LIV!’ he shouted, his voice breaking slightly due to his shock. ‘What the hell?!’

To say that Leo and Olivia weren’t friends was an understatement. 

The issue was that Leo, for the most part, did try to get along with her. Hell, he even flirted with her a little bit. Leo got along with everyone and always wanted to be well liked - years of being in the public eye had influenced the way he viewed his identity. So when Olivia made it clear that she didn’t like him, Leo tried to win her over, again and again. But they weren’t friends. They were acquaintances through Leo’s brother, Liam, and Olivia wished that her drunken self hadn’t hopped into bed with him.

She didn’t like Leo because of two things. One: he treated women like they were objects. Two: he had abandoned his country and his brother when he suddenly announced his abdication from the Cordonian throne. Liam had been a deer caught in the head lights when Leo had suddenly blurted out at breakfast that he wasn’t going to be King anymore. And so, he ran away with his tail between his legs, like a coward, leaving Liam to pick up the pieces. Olivia would never forgive him for that.

So how had she ended up in his bed?

Olivia swore to herself that she would stop drinking wine. She didn’t want to give up drinking wine but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. For the greater good. 

‘Do you have coffee in this fortress of solitude?’ Leo asked once he had recovered from his near death experience. 

Olivia scowled at him. ‘No way,’ she said. ‘You are not having coffee here. You are leaving.’

‘But it’s Christmas!’ Leo tried to persuade her. ‘A time of goodwill and peace to all men!’

Olivia wrapped the duvet around her as she clambered out of bed to pull on her dressing gown. She could feel Leo’s eyes on her as she tried her best not to show him more of her body. Finally decent, Olivia opened the bedroom door and grabbed Leo by the collar. 

Leo chuckled. ‘Ready for round two?’ he teased. 

‘Go home, Leo!’ she cried, pulling him out of the room. With sheer strength, Olivia pulled him downstairs to the front door and threw the door open. 

She couldn’t see the courtyard or the vast mountains of Lythikos. She couldn’t see anything except white. 

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

Leo cleared his throat. ‘Am I fuck going out in that,’ he simply stated.

Olivia’s jaw clenched as she surveyed the situation. The ground was covered in three foot snow. The wind was howling and snow was still falling from the sky. Olivia knew that she would be able to navigate the harsh terrain; she was from Lythikos after all. But Leo? Not so much. He would probably set one foot on the ground and scream that he was going to die from frostbite.

Olivia checked the weather report on her phone. All guidance said to stay safe and stay home; all of Cordonia was hit by this snowstorm. 

‘Fucking hell..’ Olivia muttered.

She felt Leo sidle closer to her and her body stiffened.

‘So… coffee?’ he asked, his voice lilting in her ear, teasing and mocking her. 

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

Leo curled himself up in the corner of Olivia’s red sofa with his feet tucked under himself. He held a mug of steaming coffee in his hand and he looked very pleased with himself. 

Olivia wrinkled her nose at him. ‘Why do you look so smug?’ she asked him. ‘I thought that after a one night stand you would escape at your earliest convenience.’

Leo pretended to be offended. ‘What on earth made you think that?’ he asked, widening his eyes.

‘Kiara told me,’ Olivia said dryly.

Leo chuckled. ‘Ah, Kiki..’ he murmured. ‘Good times.’

Olivia shuddered. Edging further away from Leo as she could, she turned on the TV so they could watch for updates on the weather. The sooner the snowstorm cleared, she thought, the sooner this walking human STI would leave her home.

But the updates weren’t hopeful. 

‘Looks like I’m here all day!’ Leo crowed. ‘Shall we exchange presents?’

Olivia sighed. ‘Seriously, why are you so happy?’

Leo gave her a lazy smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. ‘I quite like watching you all riled up,’ he told her. ‘It’s fun pissing you off.’

‘You fucker-’

‘God, you really do rise to the bait, don’t you!’ Leo laughed, shaking his head. ‘Jesus, Liv, you gotta learn to loosen up. Relax. Release the tension from your shoulders, inhale, exhale, breathe…’

Olivia stared at him coldly. ‘Didn’t know I was dealing with Gandhi,’ she said. 

Leo shrugged. ‘I’m just a chill person,’ he told her. ‘You could learn a lot from me.’

Olivia turned the volume of the TV up higher to drown out Leo’s voice.

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

‘Okay, let’s call a truce,’ Leo said after he finished his coffee. ‘I promise to stop being an asshole if you promise not to kill me with a dagger. The way I see it, as we’re stuck together for the foreseeable future until this storm clears,  we may as well try and get along. It’s Christmas. Let’s do Christmassy shit. What do you do for Christmas?’

Olivia sighed. ‘I’m not telling you.’

‘Are you like the Grinch?’ Leo asked. ‘Or Scrooge?’ He raised his head up to the ceiling and adopted a dramatic tone as he quoted A Christmas Carol. ‘If he's like to die, he better do it and decrease the surplus population!’ 

Olivia threw a velvet cushion at him. ‘Shut up, I love Christmas!’ she cried.

Leo blinked. ‘You do?’ 

Olivia nodded furiously. ‘Yes. I adore Christmas,’ she said. ‘I know it’s not expected of me but this is the time of year where I can just embrace the cheesiness, the schmaltz and the festivities. Lythikos always throws a festival and it’s been the highlight of my year ever since I was a kid.’

A slow smile creeped up on Leo’s face. Olivia turned away, refusing to look at him. But Leo couldn’t stop looking at her. She had surprised him. Leo liked that.

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

Olivia made the decision to go about her day as if Leo wasn’t there, Leo-ing it up. She loved Christmas. She wanted to have a festive day and damn it, she was going to do it. Without a word, she left the living room to go to her dressing room where she rifled through her wardrobe for her Christmas outfit. 

She had bought the red silk dress specially. The neckline was low, accentuating her cleavage which she emphasised with a long emerald pendant that settled comfortably between her breasts. Gently sliding the dress over her head, she felt the cool silk cover her ivory skin. Carefully, she slipped on a pair of black stilettos and made her way to her dressing table to fix her hair and makeup. Giving herself the once over, she smiled. The dress was perfect.

Next, she went downstairs to the kitchen where she poured herself a glass of champagne - because you always had to drink champagne at Christmas- and strutted back through to the living room where her unwelcome guest was sitting watching the weather report on TV.

He looked up when he heard her stilettos against the floor. His eyes widened as he took her in.

‘Woah..’ he breathed. ‘You look..’

Olivia tossed her champagne down her throat. ‘I know,’ she said, her voice cool. ‘I look awesome.’

Leo swallowed. ‘I was gonna say beautiful.’

Olivia blinked in surprise. She felt a blush creep up on her cheeks; quickly, she finished her champagne to distract herself. 

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

Leo eyed Olivia’s second glass of champagne. He didn’t want to be an annoying guest but he was feeling rather thirsty..

Olivia sighed, aware of Leo’s gaze that was fixed on her glass. ‘God, fine.  Do you want a glass of champagne?’

Leo grinned wolfishly.  ‘Yes please.’

Olivia dragged herself up from the sofa and traipsed to the kitchen with Leo following her.

‘You’re like a puppy,’ Olivia said. ‘Following me around like this.’

‘You’re getting me alcohol,’ Leo replied dryly. ‘Excuse me for being excited.’

Olivia rolled her eyes but Leo caught the glimpse of a smile on her lips as she opened the fridge to retrieve the bottle. He leaned against the counter and watched as Olivia poured him a glass and passed him it.

‘There,’ she said. ‘Don’t say I never give you anything.’

Leo chuckled and raised his glass in a toast. ‘Merry Christmas, Liv,’ he said. 

Olivia clinked her glass against his. Their eyes met; forest green looking into ice blue. Desperate to cut the tension, Olivia sipped her drink, tearing her eyes away from his. 

Leo reached out. Startled, Olivia grabbed him by the wrist. ‘What the fuck are you doing?’

He smiled softly. ‘You have a drop of champagne on your lips,’ he told her. ‘I was gonna wipe it away for you.’

Olivia watched him in mute shock as he continued to reach out. His fingertip touched her bottom lip, wiping away the champagne. With a twinkle in his eye, Leo placed his fingertip in his mouth and licked, not once taking his eyes off Olivia. 

She could feel the heat in the pit of her stomach that was slowly engulfing her core. Memories of the night before were now flooding her mind; she was remembering. Leo’s hot kisses against her skin. His hands clasping hers above her head, holding her down as he ravaged her. He had been an animal and Olivia had liked it. 

‘You’re unbelievable,’ she croaked, breaking the silence.

Leo smiled his lazy smile. ‘You enjoy me.’

‘No I don’t.’

Leo’s eyes bore into hers. It was as if he had taken up the entire room. All Olivia was aware of was him, how close he was to her, how green his eyes were, how gold his skin was, how expensive he smelled. 

‘You sure about that, trouble?’ he asked. 

Olivia slammed her glass down onto the kitchen counter. Before Leo could react, Olivia threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him down so their lips crashed together.

She could blame this on the champagne. But Olivia wasn’t a lightweight and she knew that this was something more than alcohol that was making her do this. Fire burst through her veins like adrenaline as she pulled Leo close, admitting through her actions that the attraction for him was there. 

Because Olivia had been the one to initiate things last night. She had kissed him first. She was the one who invited him home for a nightcap. It had always been Olivia.

Why?

Maybe because Leo was the only man who made her feel like he really saw her. While most men were terrified of Olivia, Leo was not. He saw through her harsh exterior, as harsh as the snow and ice of Lythikos, and he saw the girl behind the wall. 

He knew how deeply his brother had hurt her. He knew how hard Olivia tried to push her feelings down as a result. Even though Leo liked to press her buttons, he knew which ones to avoid. For some reason, he understood Olivia more than anyone else. 

Olivia could let her guard down and Leo wouldn’t recoil. Because he knew he wasn’t perfect either. But everyone expected Olivia to be this perfect block of ice carved into human form and Leo knew that that wasn’t Olivia. She may bear the Nevrakis name but she was so much more than her ancestor’s legacy. She was human. 

She felt his hands rake through her red hair and the involuntary butterflies that were flying in her stomach.

No. She couldn’t act like this with Leo of all people. She made that mistake last night and she wasn’t prepared to do it again. Quickly, she wrenched away from him.

Leo was blinking at her, his lips swollen from kissing.

‘..Liv?’

Olivia closed her eyes and gently pushed Leo away. 

‘The servants need to continue preparing dinner,’ she croaked. 

She spun on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen, cursing herself for being stupid. She really ought to check for weather updates. 

Leo watched her go, his eyes wide as he tried to process what had just happened. Without a word, he reached out for the bottle of champagne, his hands shaking, and he took a deep gulp, not even bothering to pour himself a glass. 

Olivia did things to him. She made him.. Different. Sure, he was still a flirt but he found that he craved her attention. He wanted to make her smile. He wanted to feel like the only one who could elicit that rare reaction from her. But why? 

As the champagne bubbles exploded in his mouth, Leo knew why. Because Olivia was different from all of the others. She was on another level. She made Leo’s heart beat a little faster. She made him nervous. And Leo liked it.

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

With the snow storm still blowing outside, Olivia resigned herself to spending Christmas with Leo. 

Olivia let him eat as much turkey as he wanted to stop him from teasing her about their kissing in the kitchen. As long as Leo ate, the more silent and preoccupied he was. Handling him was like handling a toddler sometimes.

Leo was just surprised that Olivia let him eat. 

After dinner, they retired to the drawing room.

Olivia’s favourite place in her home was the drawing room. It was a room off the foyer where a grand marble fireplace stood pride of place against the back wall. A red velvet chaise lounge stood in front of the fireplace where velvet cushions and blankets were scattered across it. Candles were always lit in the drawing room, casting the walls in a golden glow. 

Leo sat down on one side of the chaise lounge and watched Olivia as she made her way across the room to an oak cupboard. She opened the doors to unveil a vast collection of red wine. 

‘What shall we drink?’ Olivia mused. ‘I think the Chateau Latour..’ 

Leo shrugged. ‘It’s alcohol, I genuinely don’t mind.’

Olivia rolled her eyes and selected a bottle. Taking two wine glasses out of another cupboard, she poured the wine and handed Leo a glass. 

Leo grinned and was ready to toss the drink down his throat. Her eyes widening in alarm, Olivia reached out to grab his wrist before he could do so.

‘No!’ she shouted.

Leo blinked. ‘You offered me a drink, I’m going to drink-’

‘You need to appreciate it!’ Olivia scolded. ‘It’s fine wine!’

Leo sighed. ‘Liv, don’t be so fucking pretentious.’

‘I’m not,’ she said. ‘But you’re in Lythikos and we love our wine. Please respect our traditions and appreciate the wine we offer you.’

Leo rolled his eyes but he waited for Olivia to calm down. Once she was calmer, he waited for her instruction.

‘First, you look at the wine,’ Olivia said in a silky smooth voice. ‘Note the deep burgundy colour of the wine.’

Leo studied the wine. Almost like she was confessing a secret, Olivia spoke in low tones. ‘Now, you smell the wine. Do you smell the blackberry notes? And the sweet vanilla that offsets the harshness?’

Leo could smell the blackberry and the vanilla. His senses were heightened. He could smell the fruit of the wine and he could smell the musk of Olivia’s perfume as she sat closer to him to speak. Her knee touched his. 

‘Now, we taste,’ Olivia whispered. ‘Focus on the texture. Our tongues will sense the texture of the wine.’

Leo felt his throat tighten. Now he was just thinking about Olivia’s tongue. As if she could read his thoughts, Olivia’s eyes looked into his above the rim of her wine glass. Together, they sipped their wine, not once tearing their eyes away from each other.

‘This is good wine,’ Leo croaked. 

Olivia leaned forward to place her wine glass on the side table. ‘That’s because I have good taste,’ she told him. 

Leo smirked. ‘You do, don’t you?’

Olivia stood up and wandered towards the fireplace, reaching out to adjust the clock on the mantle. The fire lit up her body, the flames illuminating the silk of her dress. Leo swallowed and set his glass down, standing to join Olivia at the fireplace. 

They both looked down into the fire, the flames mirrored in their eyes. They were standing so close to each other; achingly close. Tentatively, Leo reached out to graze Olivia’s pinkie with his own. He heard her let out a breath. 

‘Leo..’ she murmured, keeping her eyes on the fire. 

Without a word, Leo wrapped his hand around her wrist and gently pulled her towards him. Her blue eyes met his. Her porcelain skin was turning golden from the fire and her red hair was glowing. She looked beautiful. She always looked beautiful.

Leo leaned down and cupped her face in his hands. Olivia leaned up voluntarily and their lips brushed. 

He could feel the softness of her skin under his palms. As the kiss deepened, Leo’s hands wandered down her back, gripping hold of the silk of her dress. He could taste wine on Olivia’s tongue.

‘Jesus Christ..’ he groaned against her mouth. He felt a smile curl around Olivia’s lips. Encouraged, Leo kissed her deeper. 

Things changed when Olivia’s teeth tugged on his lower lip. 

Leo loved biting. 

The pace quickened. Hands travelled over skin and under clothes; Olivia’s hands rested under his shirt, placed on his broad chest, feeling his warm skin. Leo pulled his shirt over his head, exposing his torso. Olivia’s lips kissed his collarbone, her hands fluttering across his chest and hard stomach. Leo let out another groan and pulled at the zip on the back of her dress. 

The dress pooled down to the floor around Olivia’s feet.

Leo stepped back to study Olivia for a long, heated moment.  She stood clad in red lace lingerie. She looked like a phoenix rising from the embers. She looked like fire itself. 

‘Fucking hell, you’re beautiful,’ he whispered. 

Olivia raised her chin defiantly, straightening her posture so she looked more powerful than usual. 

‘Take off your pants,’ she ordered. 

Leo didn’t need to be told twice. Quickly, he unbuckled his belt and pulled off his jeans along with his boxers. He was now completely naked in front of her. 

Olivia raised an eyebrow. Leo watched her as she unclipped her bra, not once taking her eyes off him. Her fingers hooked through the delicate string of her lace thong and her eyes remained fixed on his as she pulled the thong down to the floor. 

She stepped towards him. 

Leo grabbed her, not caring that his fingers dug into her arms that would probably leave bruises. He had a feeling that Olivia liked to be left branded. 

‘Fuck me,’ she whispered in his ear. 

Leo pulled her down to the floor. 

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

Teeth grazed warm skin. Hands clasped together. Legs intertwined. Hard kisses left lips swollen. Fingernails cut scratches into skin. Perfume and cologne mixed together. Porcelain pressed against gold. 

Olivia and Leo had become fire. 

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

‘What’s your favourite Christmas movie?’ Leo asked afterwards, twirling a coil of Olivia’s hair around his finger. They were lying on the floor with Olivia curled into Leo, her breath warm against his neck. 

Olivia considered the question. ‘Well…’

Leo grinned. ‘Is it Die Hard? Oh my god, please say it is. It would make so much sense with your violent tendencies.’

Olivia laughed harshly. ‘Oh Leo, you have no idea,’ she said. ‘Die Hard is not the most violent Christmas film. But you are right that my favourite Christmas film is partly due to my violent tendencies.’

Leo’s eyebrows furrowed as he tried to think of the film she meant. Olivia watched him, a smug smile on her face. 

Leo’s eyes lit up with his realisation. ‘Oh my god..’ he said. ‘No way! No fucking way! Home Alone is your favourite Christmas film?!’

Olivia rolled her eyes. ‘Merry Christmas ya filthy animal,’ she said, making Leo cackle with joy. 

‘What’s your favourite Christmas movie?’ Olivia asked. ‘Are you gonna be the typical male cliche and say it’s Die Hard?’

Leo chuckled warmly. ‘Nah,’ he said. ‘I won’t be a cliche. It’s a great movie, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not even in my Top 3.’

Olivia frowned. ‘So what’s your favourite?’

Leo eyed her. ‘You’ll judge me.’

‘I judge you anyway.’

Leo rolled his eyes. ‘Gah, fine,’ he said. ‘Don’t tell anyone, okay?’

‘Leo..’

He adjusted his body so he was facing her and extended his pinkie. ‘Pinkie promise me,’ he whispered.

Olivia curled her lip in disgust. ‘Leo, I’m not four.’

‘Liv, do you want to know or not?’

Olivia groaned. ‘Fine.’

They pinkie swore. Satisfied, Leo sat back and studied her for a long moment before speaking.

‘I fucking love The Holiday.’

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

After Leo’s revelation that his favourite Christmas film was The Holiday, Olivia had screamed with laughter.

‘There’s nothing wrong with a guy liking The Holiday!’ Leo protested.

‘Oh, I know,’ Olivia said. ‘But it’s comical that it happens to be your favourite Christmas film. It’s so… romantic. And nauseating. And sugary.’

Leo sighed. ‘Precisely,’ he said. His body stiffened. 

Olivia blinked. Sensing she had hit a nerve, she eyed Leo.

‘Alright, what’s wrong?’ she asked. ‘Don’t give me bullshit.’

Leo turned to look at her.

‘Why is Home Alone your favourite Christmas film?’

Olivia bit her fingernail, a habit she had when she was nervous. But this was Leo, she shouldn’t be nervous. As she thought about her feelings, she realised it was the question that made her nervous. 

‘It’s about a kid who protects his home with all the weapons at his disposal,’ she said, her voice cool, as she examined her bitten fingernail. ‘He’s a badass who shows those burglars who’s boss and he protects himself. He was brave.’

Leo studied her for a long time in silence. Olivia could feel her cheeks begin to burn. 

‘You’re Kevin McAllister,’ Leo said softly. 

Olivia’s eyes widened. ‘Fuck, no!’ she replied. ‘You’re reading too much into this-’

‘You didn’t have your parents,’ Leo said. ‘You lived alone with servants. You had to learn how to fight and defend your home without protection of adults. Christmas is your favourite time of year but with no family there to celebrate, you turned to this film because you see yourself in Kevin.’

Olivia looked up at the ceiling, refusing to look at him. ‘Leo, stop it.’

‘I’m right though,’ he said, his voice low. 

Olivia let out a frustrated sigh and sat up, gathering a blanket around her body. ‘Fine, let’s put you under the microscope,’ she said. ‘You like The Holiday because it shows you the kind of Christmas you could have if you let yourself fall in love. You could have that cosy cottage with a woman who looks like Cameron fucking Diaz. You could stop being an asshole to women and let down your fucking walls so that someone can see the real you.’

Leo laughed without humour. ‘And who is the real me?’

Olivia raised her chin. You are a man who is known to be such a manwhore but you actually have romantic feelings. You act like an unfeeling robot most of the time but really, you are sensitive and perceptive. If given the chance, you will worship the woman you are with because it’s the one time you can let his guard down. You can blame it on alcohol or the heat of the moment, but really, Leo, you like to be yourself in the dark. You enjoy being with someone because at least it means that for one night you’re not alone. You take all the passion within you and you let it all out. That is why you have such a long and successful track record with women, why you are popular with them. You make them feel things. You worship them.’

‘Are you saying I worshipped you?’ Leo asked cooly.

Olivia smirked. ‘Are you saying you didn’t?’

Leo looked down. Olivia raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to respond. Leo rolled his eyes and leaned back on his arms, stretching out his body. 

‘Fine, you got me,’ he murmured, giving her a small smile. ‘I worshipped you.’ 

The flames from the fire reflected in Olivia’s eyes as she studied him. Gently, she let the blanket she was holding around her naked body fall to the floor so she was exposed to Leo again. 

‘Worship me again,’ she said, her voice thick. 

Leo reached out to cup her chin in his hand. His lips brushed hers delicately, making her skin bloom with goosebumps.

‘With pleasure,’ he murmured, gently tugging on her lower lip with his teeth. 

Olivia pulled him down onto her so his body was suspended over hers.  The flames of the fire cast her in its glow, lighting up her porcelain skin, lighting up Leo’s gold. 

The weather continued to turn Cordonia into a world of ice and snow. But Olivia and Leo were unaffected. The fire burned all night as Leo worshipped Olivia again and again. 

[florianwirtz]

Better - Ben Chilwell & James Maddison

(I swear the pic looked better in my program lmao) The aim of uploading something before the year ends has been achieved whew! Hope you like it :)

warnings: strong language, mentions of drug use

"Don't make such a face, it's gonna be fun!"

Abruptly, you turned your face to your friend who sat just beside you in the taxi, driving you to an unknown destination.

"I was looking out of the window, you weren't even able to see my face!" You protested while rolling your eyes even though you knew that lying was pointless.

Because her frown already showed that she didn't believe a single word you said.

"The fact that I had to practically force you out of the house and your decisiveness to stay home has already proved me enough that you weren't so keen to attend today's party. But you can't stay in forever! Uni just started and you already forgot how to have fun."

A little annoyed already, you shook your head. "You're forcing me to a birthday party from a guy I haven't spoken in ages. Not only that, but he's a rich footballer who earns more money in a year than I ever will, meaning I can't even gift him something which he could afford by himself."

"As if he cares! Jack will be happy regardless and obviously, he invited dozens of people so he rented out a whole club. Just rich people things, don't you worry.” She said with a slight chuckle and you couldn't help but form a little smile as well

Your friend wasn't kidding when she said that Jack rented out a whole club. The security only let you enter through a guest list and additionally asked for your ID. And when he couldn't find your name, he immediately pointed to the exit.

“Madam, this is a private party and I strictly got the order to only let invited guests in. Mr Grealish doesn't need any unnecessary press so please, leave. Your friend, however,” He gave her a nod. ��She can stay.”

Without any resistance, you accepted your destiny. You haven't heard of Jack for years now and even back then you hadn't been that close. Sure, you still followed each other on social media and sometimes when the news showed sports, you heard about his team’s result, but you couldn't remember when the last time was you talked to each other in person. Other than your friend, who managed to keep in touch with him due to being the girlfriend of one of his former teammates. It only made sense that he didn't invite you.

However, you still found it amusing that he wanted to avoid press so badly after all something will get leaked through social media anyway

If it wasn't for your friend’s persistence, you would've already been on your way to the bus station, but she didn't stop discussing with the security guard so you felt obligated to stay with her.

“Look, can't you just bring Jack here? He can confirm that she's an acquaintance.”

At first, he refused to do anything but since your friend didn't accept a no as an answer, after 10 minutes, he finally disappeared in the crowd, leaving you two in the cold.

“You didn't have to do this. There is probably a reason he didn't invite me and that's cool,” you assured her but she wasn't even open for a discussion.

“I didn't drag you outside and let you come all fancy just to let some security guard say you can't enter.” Then she rolled her eyes judgementally. “Well, you could've at least work a bit more on that fancy part.”

“Hey, I think my outfit is just fine! And maybe you should've told me earlier that we're going to a club, I couldn't predict that cause you're always dolled up,” You grinned as you folded your arms around your washed out pullover and took a look on your jeans full of holes.

It didn't take as long as you expected until Jack arrived with a few of his friends in his back.

As soon as he saw you both, his face brightened up and he greeted you warmly.

“Yo, long time no see! So glad, you are here! He said to you while hugging you tightly and showed the guard a sign of approval.

“I know her, she can come in.”

Doubtfully, the guard asked again. “Sir, are you sure?”

Admittedly, Jack already looked a bit tipsy so you definitely understood why the security guard was questioning his decision-making. Not even you expected such a cordial welcome, given the fact that you barely talked over the years.

“Yes yes yes, let her in, she's a good person,” Jack emphasised once again and finally, the guard freed the way, but not without giving you a suspicious frown, which you answered with a cheeky grin.

Inside the club, the warmth immediately hit your body after having to freeze outside. Jack and your friend already exchanged words excitedly and after that, you finally had the chance to congratulate him on his birthday.

“Happy late birthday, Greasylish!” With a small smile, you gave him a hug which he accepted with a heartfelt laugh at the mention of the nickname.

"Will you ever stop calling me this stupid nickname? Look, my hair isn't even greasy anymore!" He attempted to sound mad but his grinning expression betrayed him as he ran his fingers through his hair full of gel which made you die of laughter because of how ridiculous his gesture looked.

And suddenly, for a short moment, you understood why you once had called him one of your closest friends as the two of you continued to banter and chat. It didn't feel awkward at all like you had first expected, in the end, you were just two friends catching up on each other's life. You were genuinely happy to learn that he was playing in the Premier League at his boyhood club and while the results were not so great at the moment, he was confident that his team would only get better with time.

"Jaaaaaack!" A female voice screamed over the loud music and soon your conversation with Jack was interrupted by one of his friends.

Immediately, you noticed how the huge smile of the girl changed to a cool gaze, obviously directed to you. After that, she blabbered with him continuously but her eyeing you up from time to time didn't escape your view and you really tried hard to refrain from laughter.

She either thought you were or attempted to be his girlfriend and Jack was too dense to notice because he was just as tipsy as the girl probably was. Either way, you took it as a sign to leave them alone and stood up from the chair before Jack stopped the conversation and touched your shoulder lightly. Confused by the gesture, you looked at him which he answered with a small grin.

"We need to take a picture together, gotta tell the others you still exist!"

While he didn't exactly say who he meant with the others, you had a brief idea and there were some acquaintances of him you wanted to hear of again.

Nevertheless, you accepted his proposal and positioned yourself beside him. Your smile probably looked a bit forced but it didn't really matter as Jack's expression likely showed indications of being hammered as well. You just hoped it didn't end up all over social media as you didn't want to start any speculations.

"See you later, then." This time you put on a genuine smile which he returned before he focused on the conversation with the girl again.

A few glasses of gins later you quickly realised why you couldn't stand the general circle of acquaintances of well-known people. Most of them seemed so unauthentic and superficial to you. While the people you talked to remained polite most of the time, you immediately felt how their expressions were judging you either because of your casual appearance or the way you couldn't really comment on topics like fashion, cars or even football. Was it really that strange to be friends with a footballer and not being interested in football at the same time?

Back then when you were closer to Jack, most of his friends at least had pretended to like you back but even then you've always felt so out of place. Which is why you didn't mind it that much when you stopped seeing each other. You've always felt like you had needed to act like you were somebody else.

Your friend was untraceable too so you just played with your straw from your drink and took a sip from time to time, hoping time would fly fast so you could drag your friend home soon. Partys like these just weren't your kind of thing.

"Wow, don't think I've seen you here before." A blonde-haired man approached you from behind and took a seat beside you.

You didn't even bother to take a closer look at the person since he wasn't the first who had tried to hit you up with such a pick-up line. Instead, you acted like you didn't hear him and focused on observing the crowd on the dance floor.

"Uh, not so talkative, aren't you? Or already shit-faced?" He put his face closer to yours which made you instinctively turn farther away from him.

Annoyed by his pushy behaviour, you finally took a closer look at him and gave him your coldest glance. If he wouldn't try to start a conversation desperately, you would've found him sympathetic judging by his looks as you definitely considered him attractive.

"No, I'm just immune to bad pick-up lines." You answered shortly and concentrated on your drink again.

But he didn't give up so quickly and bend himself to you again. This time you didn't move, instead, you observed his expression which still had the same goofy smile on him. You just shook your head laughingly.

"If you want to talk to me, you have to do better than to just creepily stare at me."

He raised his eyes in surprise and then nodded.

"Fair enough. You're up for a drink then?"

"Sorry no," You declined politely. "Can't trust someone strange to me to drug me potentially, sorry mate."

This time it was him who laughed at you which made you shrug your shoulders questioningly. Whatever he wanted to indicate with that, you didn't know.

"I probably get lots of negative press if I'd do that so I can assure you I won't harm you in any way."

Now he had caught your full attention and you looked at him properly for this first time during your encounter.

"Do I need to know you? Are you somewhat famous or what?"

He laughed even harder at your confused reaction and finally, introduced himself.

"Well the whole country probably knows me and you are at a party of a footballer, so I assume yeah? I'm James. James Maddison, I play football for Leicester City in the Premier League."

Finally, it made click in your brain and you nodded slowly. It all made sense now. He probably thought that you knew who he was and you just played hard to get. Still, you had to disappoint him.

"Unfortunately, I have no idea who you are as I don't know shit about football, sorry. I did hear from your team, so I'll give you that."

"What?! No way you're not interested in football!" James couldn't believe what you've just said. "How do you know Jack then?"

You chuckled a bit as you had gotten this reaction quite a few times today.

"Mutual friends. My friend who is here today is the girlfriend of one of his friends."

After that James seemed to break the ice between you two because unlike his counterparts, he was actually interested in what you did. And you had to admit that he was a pleasant conversational partner. Because you were able to hold a conversation about other topics than football and you immediately noticed that he knew that there were more important things than football and together you shared a few laughs together as well.

"Hey. Fancy to get to know my mates? I swear they're not as bad as I described them," He suggested after you both finished your drinks. "You're gonna encounter them sooner or later anyway."

You had no idea what he implied with that sentence but you knew that he surely saw more in you than a random person if he was ready to introduce you to his friends.

"Uhm sure..." You answered not as confidently as you would've liked to. Flashbacks from your time in Jack's circle of friend came to your mind. You were almost sure that it's going to end up exactly like this but of course, you couldn't tell James that. Instead, you just followed him through the crowd until you arrived at another room near the dance floor.

"Ohhh Madders who is that beauty you brought here?" Immediately, one of his friends said to you as you took a seat beside James.

You just rolled your eyes in annoyance. "The beauty can speak for herself, why don't you ask her?" You back-talked feisty and the rest of the group immediately hollered because of your reaction.

"Sorry Josh, that's a big L for you." Another one told him and this time it was you who laughed.

Most of James' friends were already tipsy so it wasn't as awkward as you expected. In fact, it was even a bit fun to try to have a conversation with them and you just pretended to understand what they were talking about when in reality, their gibberish didn't make sense to you.

It was all fun until a certain moment.

"Lads, what did I miss?" A new person arrived behind you and as you turned your head around you couldn't believe who it was.

"Ben bro, Madders found a pretty lady under Jack's friends. Not only that, she's a bold one!" Someone whose name you already had forgotten explained to him.

You, however, didn't really notice as you were still in shock in order, to realise who it was. The only person you had hoped you wouldn't meet at this party. Ben Chilwell. Your ex-boyfriend. The reason why you had broken off every contact with Jack and any other acquaintance of Ben.

And he seemed to recognise you as well since he returned your intense stare but afterwards pretended not to know you and simply took a seat beside James.

"This is Ben, my best mate in the team and also outside I guess." James introduced you two and you just forced your best smile, trying to dissemble your nervousness.

"Nice to meet you," Ben greeted you with a slight undertone which you immediately noticed and offered a handshake.

"Likewise." His grip was much harsher than you had remembered from a few years ago.

To your luck, James hadn't noticed anything weird about you two, so he just chatted normally with his best friend while you just avoided looking into Ben's face as best as possible.

From time to time, you did risk a fast sight at Ben which he returned most of the time which made you look away as fast as you could, only to repeat the procedure all over.

Lookswise, he was still like you remembered. Sure, he wore his hair different now and the beard was definitely not there a few years ago, but you still saw the same expression when he laughed or noticed how he still has the habit to scratch his head when he was thinking.

Why did you still care? You didn't know exactly.

At some point, you excused yourself from the others for a toilet break. Instead, you went outside to take a breath of fresh air. Right now, you just wanted to be alone, in order to arrange your thoughts. Seeing Ben again had affected you more than you had thought it would. Maybe it felt like that because Ben and you never really broke up officially. In fact, you never argued about anything serious. You simply started to grow apart after you had started to attend university and he started to play for the first team around the time, leaving you both busy and no time for each other. At some point, you had just stopped contacting each other and never saw each other again.

Back then, you had talked yourself into that you two weren't meant to be and it probably wouldn't have lasted long anyway as he was now a rich footballer who could get somebody better than you.

But now, suddenly, you questioned all the feelings you had suppressed all these years.

"Long time, no see."

Suddenly, the person you wanted to see the least right now, appeared in front of you which made you freeze for a minute.

"Indeed Ben, hope you are well."

"Yes, I'm good, thank you. Didn't expect you here, to be honest." His expression was unreadable, however, you noticed the way he was scratching the back of his head that he was also nervous to talk to you.

"Well, it's kinda random, I didn't plan to come." You just carried on the small talk, avoiding most eye contact effectively.

You enquired about his football career while he informed himself about your university life even though you both knew exactly what the other one was doing as you had told him everything when you had received your acceptance letter and you had been present when he had signed his first professional contract. In the end, you both only wanted to avoid talking about what you should've talked about the whole time.

"Didn't know you're hooking up with my best friend now." Suddenly his indifferent tone changed into bitterness which first caught you off guard, but you immediately answered him back with the same attacking tone.

"Didn't know you can decide now who I should talk to or not. Also, how should I've known he's your friend when you never told me in the first place? Haven't heard from you since you've become a superstar footballer, my bad."

"So suddenly it's my fault? You could've just contacted me as well. But apparently, I wasn't as important as your prestige university, huh? Probably thought I'd never make it anyway and now you're just digging after another rich person."

This statement of him hurt the most. Did he really think you only dated him because of his money and status? It was so ridiculous and you barely managed to hold back your tears. Why did he feel the need to hurt you like this?

"Who says you didn't find someone better than me after you made it? There are more than enough models and influencers in attendance, probably better to show off on social media than a university student, right?!"

This time you couldn't hold back your tears anymore and ran off to the toilet. You just couldn't bear his presence right now. You had never thought that he was capable of hurting you like this, even after all these years.

You didn't know how much time you had spent in the toilet and let your tears fall down quietly, but after a while, you received a message from James.

Where are you? Aren't you feeling well? Shall I bring you home?

If you can't go home, you can come to mine if you want?

You hesitated a bit before you answered. On the one side, it was true that you really wanted not to be here anymore and it sounded plausible to let James accompany home. On the other side, you couldn't stop thinking about how your last conversation with Ben ended. Should you try to apologise to him? Or were you in the right to feel hurt and should just go home with James?

Who’s gonna love you better? You choose. Ben or James?

[hellomissmabel]

Debut I/II

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Bucky x reader

Warnings: Someone being called a bitch and a jerk. Kicking someone in a very sensitive, male spot.

Word count: 2k

Summary: You’re a small town actress catapulted to fame when you land a role in an immensely popular TV show. After turning down the flirtations of the lead male character, the media paints you as a bitch and you end up being bullied by his fans. Struggling to stay true to yourself, you find comfort and friendship in one of actors who makes his debut on the show.

This is a two-part mini series! No tagging sorry x

All Sebastian Stan’s characters & fics can be found here

A/N: Written for @bbparker

“Y/N, babe, filming starts in ten! Please hurry up to Wanda for make-up, dear,” the producer Tony screams from the other end of the room, heatedly discussing something with the screenwriter Peggy.

Bidding goodbye to one of the extras on the show, Peter Parker, you rush to the makeup department to get touched up. Wanda is already waiting for you with a playfully stern look in her eyes, sighing exasperatingly when you finally jump into your assigned seat.

“Your hair is a mess, Y/N,” Wanda groans softly as she starts to comb through it in an attempt to tame your fake curls from last episode. “I thought I told you not to put them up in a messy bun! Now you have so many knots and I have only…” Looking down on her watch, she shrieks dramatically. “I have only six minutes left to fix this!”

“Calm down, Wanda,” the attractive brunet in the chair next to you tells your stylist. “I’m Bucky Barnes,” he introduces himself, extending a hand for you to shake.

“Y/N Y/L/N,” you smile back at the handsome stranger, “I play…”

“Harley Rains. Yeah, I instantly recognised you.” His piercing blue eyes stare straight into your soul. “The female lead. Well, Harley, meet your new co-star, August Addison.”

Wanda tugs firmly on your hair and you release a soft yelp, your face contorting in a severely unattractive expression. It seems to amuse Bucky more than it bothers you, so you continue your conversation like nothing happened. “You’re Steve’s half-brother, right? In the show, I mean.”

“Brady Hawking’s brother from another mother,” he chuckles as the make-up artist gives him a final once-over before clearing him. “Nice chatting with you, Harley. I’ll see you in a minute or two.”

The brunet leaves with a cheeky wink as Wanda rushes to raise your hair and makeup to a presentable level. When you exit the hair and makeup corner, you bump into your best friend and co-star Natasha, who funnily enough plays your on-screen nemesis, Dixie Sauvage.

“Did you already meet the fucking hot new co-star?,” she whispers into your ear as she pulls you aside. “Bucky Barnes a.k.a August Addison?” With a big, toothy grin you answer her question. “I don’t think Steve will be very happy. A lot of the girls will now be swooning over August instead of Brady.”

Maria, one of the dancers on the show, rounds the corner and stops in her tracks as she sees the two of you talking. With a foxy attitude and swaying hips, she walks up to you and flips her hair. “Guess who slept with Steve?”

Bursting into hearty laughter at her silly impersonation, the mood soon turns serious again. “No, really. Do you know who slept with Steve now?”

Both of you shake your head, curiosity peaking sky-high. “Sharon,” Maria reveals with a hushed breath. “The one and only Chanel Shaw.”

Exchanging a bewildered look with the redhead, you clasp your hand in front of your mouth to avoid screaming. “Are you kidding me? Sharon? That bitch who plays Chanel Shaw?” Natasha makes a gagging noise to emphasise her statement.

Chanel Shaw is the Barbie doll of the show, played by the screenwriter’s niece, Sharon Carter. Most of her fans are teenage girls who wouldn’t want anything more than to see her get together with Brady. Her character just happens to be Harley’s best friend on the show, but in real life you can’t stand each other, mainly because Steve never had eyes for Sharon as long as you didn’t turn him down. On top of that, Sharon’s a lousy actress and only good for numerous, pointless dramatic encounters.

“So what episode are we shooting today?,” you hear Sharon ask her niece Peggy as you, Natasha and Maria make it to the set.

Rolling your eyes with a disappointed hum, you nudge Natasha’s arm and mumble “so unprofessional, she doesn’t even know we’re shooting the Christmas special today” under your breath to the redhead.

Clapping her hands after answering Sharon, Peggy tells everyone to that we’re shooting outside and not on the set as foreseen. “Change of plans, people. Since this is still a Christmas special and there’s fresh snow outside, my personal friend and newest addition to the show, Bucky Barnes, suggested that we could shoot the outdoor scenes, in fact, outdoor.”

Her statement is met with loud cheering from some of the actors, but most of the dancers cause a little disturbance as dancing in the snow certainly isn’t easy. Eventually Peggy manages to convince them by saying she’ll buy them all hot chocolate after and next Friday off.

The general outline of today’s episode is the following: Chanel takes Harley shopping for the perfect dress for Christmas Eve as she will be spending it at Brady’s house and will meet his parents for the first time. On their way from their high school to the mall, they pass a patio surrounded by snow, where there’s a guy playing Christmas songs on a piano.

Then the camera zooms in on the new guy, August, who catches the two girls staring and invites them over to join him in his carol singing. Harley absolutely adores the Christmas spirit and decides to take him up on his offer, sitting next to him at the piano and singing along. August is enthralled by Harley’s voice and they share a few looks, sharing a beautiful moment together. Cue the dancers while the camera again zooms in on August’s face.

His face is very close to Harley’s as they finish the song, their breaths visible in the cold. Their eyes lock and a pink blush raises to her cheeks, having a very romantic moment until they’re interrupted by Chanel. They make acquaintances and bid goodbye, to which August keeps playing and Harley can’t focus on the shopping trip anymore.

“Okay, guys and girls, great work! We take a five minute break and then we do it again! I want perfection and nothing less!,” Peggy exclaims as you immediately take at least a million steps away from Sharon to get yourself a glass of water.

At the stall for food and drinks, your shoulder brushes with Bucky’s and you drop your cup, the water splashing everywhere and all over Bucky. Bucky in turn also drops his cup of coffee, the hot liquid  gushing all over you as well.

“Oh shit,” you curse as you grab some napkins to dry the stains on Bucky’s shirt, more worried about his water stains than the hot coffee stains on yours.

“Nah, don’t worry doll,” he chuckles, amused that you got so flustered by a bit of water. “Let’s go to wardrobe to change. You do know where it is, don’t you? Because I don’t and otherwise we’re lost.”

That playful, boyish glint in his eyes has an instant impact on your feelings. “Yeah, I do. Follow me.”

“That was some fine acting, Y/N. I heard you were very talented but now I got to act alongside of you, I got a taste of true talent myself.”

A small smile graces your lips as you’re turning into a red tomato after receiving such a huge compliment. “Thank you. I couldn’t help but think I’ve seen you somewhere before. Is there any chance you were in Royals? The king’s son?”

Clicking his tongue and scratching the back of his neck with a shy look, he holds the door open and lets you walk in first. “Yeah, that’s me alright. Your next question will probably be if I’m gay, right? Since my character was gay and I did such a good job…”

After finding yourself a fresh shirt and jacket, you notice Bucky is standing with his back to you, shirtless. He’s changing into a new shirt too, giving you some privacy so you can do the same. “So are you? Gay?,” you call over your shoulder to your new co-star.

“I can assure you that I am a full 100% bisexual,” he winks once you’re fully dressed again and he can turn around. His reply inspires a tiny burst of happiness in your heart, as you’re obviously not entirely oblivious to his good looks and his charms.

Offering his arm to you to escort you back to the others, you gladly accept. “Can I ask you a question, too, doll? Is it true what they say about you and Steve Rogers?”

Instantly it’s like hell has frozen over. “People say a lot of things, Bucky. You gotta be more specific,” you say in a soft voice, avoiding his eyes.

Before you’re close enough so the others might hear you, Bucky comes to a halt and searches your eyes. “Did you really threaten to cut his balls off if he tried to kiss you again?”

His grave tone and neutral expression prompt a hearty laugh from your throat, bubbling up from deep in your chest. “Yes, I did, “you confirm the rumour, still quite proud you managed to finally make it clear to Steve that you weren’t interested and never will be.

Natasha waves you over, a sign that they’re starting filming again, and you walk alongside Bucky back to the crowd. Before you party ways, Bucky being called back to the patio and piano, he leans in very close to whisper into your ear. “I’m looking forward to teaching you how to play the piano, Harley.”

“Playing the piano?” You shoot him a confused look. “For the show? No-one told me I had to learn how to play the piano for the show.”

“I’m not talking about learning how to play the piano for the show, doll. Wanda told me about your resolutions for 2018. I believe learning the piano is one of them?”

Of course it was Wanda who told him. “In that case, I’m looking forward to it too then,” you smile warmly back at him, a skip in both your step as you resume your respective places.

A day of non-stop filming with only a half hour lunch break will leave you completely exhausted at the end of the day. Especially now, when Peggy insisted on filming the closing scene for the next episode early because “the light was just perfect and she wants perfection and nothing less”.

The point of this scene is actually really simple. Brady finds out his father has a child with his high school sweetheart and that this child is August, an aspiring musician and big flirt, hellbent on winning Harley. In this scene Brady and Harley stand outside on his parents’ porch while August and Brady’s father are having a father-and-long-lost-son moment inside the house. It’s Christmas Eve and Brady is having a hard time accepting his big brother. Harley is there to convince him she loves Brady and not August and that she’ll stick by his side no matter what.

It’s so cliché and filled to the brim with tooth-rotting fluff you feel you might vomit into Steve’s mouth before you get the change to make out. “I love you, baby,” you coo innocently as you cup Brady/Steve’s face in your hands, bringing his lips to yours in a sweet, chaste kiss.

When you part away, Brady/Steve looks into your eyes as his tongue speaks words of adoration, eyes gazing lovingly into yours like you’re the only woman in the whole world. “I don’t know what I would do without you, Harley.” The scene ends with another kiss before you intertwine your fingers and head back inside to make amends with August.

When Peggy calls it a day and everyone is excused, Steve’s attitude towards you changes immediately. He commands one of the assistants to give him a tissue to wipe his mouth while grimacing in your direction. “God, I can’t wait until you break up with me because you’ve got feelings for August. Will spare me the agony of kissing you again.”

With a scoff, you turn your back on him and walk up to Natasha. “If this were a movie, I would totally have chosen him. Brady is the perfect guy. Steve on the other hand… he’s just a big jerk,” the actress snarls as she pulls you with her to the locker room.

You offer her a kind smile when she hands you a sandwich to munch, figuring you must be hungry. “Fortunately, we have Bucky now to feast our eyes on.”

“Yes, indeed,” you chuckle softly, wrapping your arm around Nat’s shoulder.

PART II/II

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