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#and today we reached the finale of season 4
pastafossa · 2 days
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Something really special and tear inducing happened with Pip today.
(TW for pet loss, not mine but someone else's)
So we were going into the vet for a quick shot he needed, and for a final check on the cut on his leg. So me and him got there pretty close to closing (final appointment of the day), around 3:45 when it closed at 4. And as I'm walking in, I pass a woman hurrying out. She's in tears, and my heart just breaks for her. She gives Pippin a quick, 'hi puppy' and shaky pet in passing.
But then we go through the door into the waiting room. And another woman is sitting there on the bench, cradling a small collar and just sobbing. Sure enough, the little candle is lit up on the counter for pet loss. And I'm not sure what to do - do I offer a hug? Tell her I'm sorry for her loss?
But Pippin decided he knew what to do.
I need you to understand Pip for a second. He has been with us for 3 weeks. The rescue/foster before us had him for 6. This dog is only 9 weeks removed from that horrible farm where he was beaten, neglected, and left outside by himself at all hours and seasons. He did not have love or training. So, he's learning. He still jumps a bit, paws at people. He walks ok on a leash, like he'll pull but not yank, and he's easily distracted. Easily excited by love or attention because he's not used to it. I do not think this dog has ever seen someone cry. He has not been trained to know what to do when someone is upset.
So there's Pip, seeing this distraught woman sobbing in front of him, with - as far as we know - no experience or context he could make a decision by.
In a heartbeat, I'm yanked across the room - something he does not do - so he can reach this woman. He abruptly slows for the final approach, tail gently wagging, and very softly nuzzles at her in a way I haven't seen him do before. And this poor woman reaches down, carefully cradles Pip's head, and whispers, "hi baby, soft boy. My boy was soft too."
And then she just... cries with him, her head on his.
I glance at the receptionist (who may have teared a little like I had) and I kinda tip my head towards them, a 'can I wait to check in?'. I get a nod, and a mouthed, 'we can wait.'
So I just sat down quietly next to her. Let her cry and pet him. He'd done his big lean on her legs with his head in her lap, carefully adjusting whenever she did. After about five minutes she told us - me and Pip - about her dog. 18 years old, one she'd had since he was a puppy. She showed Pip her dog's collar, and showed me pictures on her phone of this dog, a cute little white fluffball with a HUGE doggy grin. And she pets Pippin more, and asks about him - his name, how long we've had him, whether he can sit yet because her boy took a bit to learn. We talk about Pip's skinny head and I get a watery laugh out of her when I tell her I call him corndog brain since I'm pretty sure the only way a brain could fit in his long narrow head was if it was corndog-shaped and went down his snout. We're there for about fifteen minutes before a tech comes out with nose and paw prints and she stands up. Pippin stays right with her, leaning calmly against her side as she takes the prints, her fingers buried in all the fluff around his neck. She gets a hug from the tech, and then leans down to do the same to Pip. And before she goes (Pippin trying very much to follow), she looks at me and just quietly says, '...thank you for letting me borrow him. I needed that.'
I have no idea how Pippin knew what to do, or how he can be like this even after being treated the way he was. But I'm really glad he could help that woman.
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kuulpenguin · 7 months
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”Look at the sky! It’s looking back!”
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cherry-leclerc · 4 months
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star-crossed ☆ mv1
genre: angst, fluff, humor, lots of back and forth, smut
word count: 9.1k
Fixated, you and Max struggle to stay away from one another. All the while, everyone tries to convince you that it won't ever work out.
nsfw warning under the cut!
18+...penetrative sex, fingering
inspired by this !
cherry here!...as a wise person once told me: footnotes = crumbs. hope that helps!! enjoy :)
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The table was long, practically going for miles, but not really—it was just your closest friends. They all converse with one another, talking about the upcoming season, the upcoming season, and oh, what’s that? The upcoming season. And you’ve had enough of it, he can tell, so he gently rubs his thumb over your hand, easing your nervous tick. 
White florals lay neatly on the wooden top, fairy lights hang up above your heads, and Frank Sinatra plays from your fiancé’s phone, connected to the Bluetooth. 
Pierre stands up firmly, clinking his glass with a spoon. When it doesn’t seem to get anyones attention, Alex lets out a loud whistle. Everyone’s heads turn. “Merde—finally. Well, first of all, welcome on behalf of the groom's best man!” Crickets. His smile drops. “I-Its me. I’m the best man.”
“More like Best Party Killer. Sit down,” Daniel yells, aiming a peony at his friend's head. 
The Frenchman swats it away, to which Kika glares as it hits her. He nervously chuckles, pecking her cheek, swiftly. “Comme je le disais…we’re here to celebrate two very important people. Can ya take a guess?”
“Why did you choose Pierre as your best man again?” you whisper to the twenty-six year old. He shrugs, hushing you once before his watercolor eyes flicker back to his friend. 
“Any more guesses?”
“Okay, thank you!” you yelp, standing up and motioning him down. “Thank you, Pierre, for saying a whole lot of nothing, really.”
The blue eyed boy silently pleads, hands pressed together in prayer. “Oui, oui, I’m done, I’m done.” A warm hand snakes to wrap around your wrist and you sigh, sitting back down onto his lap. He clears his throat. “I thought we could go around and…share some stories about the soon-to-be husband and wife. I’ll start.”
“Great,” Kika groans, massaging her temples. 
“September 4, 2022.”
-
Circuit Zandvoort—September 4, 2022 (Dutch Grand Prix)
“You said it would be warm!”
Lissie squeals when you reach out to pinch her forearm. “I said slightly warm. More so cool.” A harsh glare. She winces. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”
Despite the evident goosebumps, you march your way over to the pen, awaiting your first interview. Lissie stands besides you, raising two thumbs up and a toothy grin. You got this! Your stomach churns as you fix your set up. She’s right, you’ve worked for this moment, day and night. You weren't going to mess up for any reas—
“Should I just come back later or…”
Blinking, your heart stops beating as your mouth runs completely dry. He looks around for his publicist who just sighs and starts tugging him away. 
And we’re here with Max Verstappen, Lissie hisses—assisists. Coughing loudly, you bring up the microphone to your lips. “Max Verstappen!” The RedBull driver turns back to face you, clearly puzzled. You cringe at your sudden outburst, but continue. “So nice to see you. Saw you had a magnificent drive.”
Blue eyes pierce basically through your soul. He smiles, shoulders relaxing, hands leaning against the barrier. “Yeah. We did have a lot of luck on our side today. Plenty.”
It wasn’t that hard to pick up from there, question after question being basically given to you, to which he answers with professional ease. His dimples even pop out with every punctuation, it makes your chest swell. You clear your throat, eyes flickering to your list that now narrows down to one last inquiry. 
“Everyone nowadays fears you, it seems like.” He laughs, rolling his eyes. “But I do have one question—how does it feel to be the villain in all of Formula One?”
His smile slips away. “Sorry?”
“Uh-oh,” Lissie mutters.
But you don’t catch onto it, his sudden defensive tone, his dark glare. Beaming like the sun on the earth, you nod. “Well you aren’t the most liked, per se. Often hated by others. Do you think your dominance has affected your relationship with the drivers on the grid?”
When you finally look up, you clearly notice his change in demeanor, and that makes you flinch. We should get going, his publicist squeaks, already pushing him away. Let’s not air that last question, thank you. 
Fiercely, you turn to face your friend. “I still had a minute left!”
“Why would you say that?” she screeches. “Why, why, why?”
You blink. “I’m lost. What did I do wrong?”
The brunette sighs, brown orbs analyzing the short clip. “You got on Max Verstappen’s bad side, that’s what.”
-
“Their relationship had started rather…rocky,” Pierre announces, swaying his hands back and forth for emphasis. “But don’t you worry! I. Fixed. Everything.”
-
“She really said that?” 
Max whips his head to Checo, then to Yuki, then to Pierre. Each wears a loopy smile. He scowls. “She’s new here, she must be—I’ve never seen her before. Who does she think she is?”
“A legend, that’s who,” the Frenchman retorts, almost high and mighty. 
Max takes a long sip of his energy drink before scoffing. “I don’t care if she’s royalty, I’m never willingly doing an interview with her ever again.”
A few hours have now rolled by and you’ve finally realized—you messed up. Here you go, basically painting him out to be the bad guy, when really, he’s just a strong driver. No one thinks he’s a villain, you think he’s a villain. 
“You think he’s going to protest against me? Get me fired? Boycott? Hates me?”
Lissie giggles, tidying up the equipment from the last round. “No. No. No. Maybe?”
Groaning, you hit your forehead over and over again with your clipboard before a sharp accent makes you stop. “Hello.”
“Oh! Hi!”
His lips stretch, then steps closer to you. “I’m Pierre—”
“I know who you are,” you cut him off. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m—”
“New?”
Your cheeks burn up at his accuracy. “Yes?”
“I thought so,” he pronounced with a goofy grin. Annoyance builds up inside of you but hold back and bite your tongue. The Frenchman fixes his sunglasses that lay on the bridge of his nose. “So…I’m going to take the chance and say that what you asked wasn’t meant to hurt his feelings?”
You soften up quickly. “I hurt his feelings?”
A nose scrunch. “Let me backtrack; Max doesn’t have feelings, therefore there’s nothing to hurt, but he does hold killer grudges, so yeah.” He lifts the frames. “He doesn’t like you.”
“Lovely,” Lissie mumbles from her spot besides you. “Is there a way…we…can fix all this misunderstanding? Because that’s what this is! A misunderstanding!”
The Alpha Tauri driver clicks his tongue in deep thought. “There’s not much to do other than apologize. Explain yourselves, maybe? He’s very Old-Fashioned.”
“Okay, yes.” You scurry down the paddock. “I could do that! I could so do that.” 
“Other way!” he yells. Turning around, you see him pointing you down to the right. You giggle, nervously, and continue your sprint.
You catch him quite fast; his tall stature and blond hair are pretty easy to spot. “Hey—hi!” Gasping for air, you clutch onto your side. “H-hello. Again.”
His jaw ticks once, and in an eerie motion, a warm smile forms. You shudder. “Yes?”
“I just wanted to apologize about before. That was not the right thing to say, I am so sorry…please don’t demand for my release.”
A dark brow quirks up, looks around, then back down to you. “I’m not here to ruin your life, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
You sigh in relief. “God. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” 
Crouching down to you, he tilts his head to the side with a sly grin. “You’re very welcome, but that doesn’t mean I like you.”
Your breath hitches, shivers spreading like a wildfire. “Sorry?”
“Yeah.” He steps away. “You already said that.”
-
“He was a bit guarded. Definitely guarded.”
“Isn’t this supposed to make me look good?” your fiancé grunts, dark eyes narrowing down on the Frenchman. “You know what? Just sit down.”
Pierre smirks. “See? Guarded.”
-
Autodromo Nazionale Monza—September 11, 2022 (Italian Grand Prix)
“I’m not a quitter.”
“There we go!”
“But he makes me want to quit.” “Oh, well now we’re back to square one,” Pierre groans. “He’s being hard headed, that’s all. I’ll talk to him again, don’t worry.”
And he does. 
It happens during one of the worst moments in your life; you weren’t wearing makeup. 
“You look—”
“Hideous?” You blush. “Yeah, don’t even mention it.”
He swallows, digging his hands deep into his pockets. “I wanted to apologize… for the way I reacted. It was immature.”
“N-no, you had every right to be upset. I crossed the line and I’m sorry.”
Max nods, Adam’s Apple dancing up, then down. “Truce?” 
Staring down at his large hand, you smile and slip yours past it. “Truce.”
And as a rare occasion, his smile meets his eyes, crinkles and all. The RedBull driver disconnects first, then rubs his jaw once before signaling down to your wet hair. “Pool day, I see? Enjoying the benefits?”
With a cheesy look, you shrug. “It’s one way to relieve stress.”
“Yeah—and what’s another?”
His tone is sultry and irresistible, you can’t help but rip your gaze away. “Anything that brings thrill, I suppose.” A tick. “Whatever that may be.”
“And what if it’s something bad? Does that still count?”
You laugh, throwing your head back. The Dutchman’s lips wobble as a weak attempt to not smile. “You’re not a bad person, so yes.”
His tongue clicks. “Uh, I don't know. As I recall, you called me a villain?”
Groaning, you gently smack his chest. “Will you ever let it go?”
“Might take me a while…”
Just as you’re about to respond, your phone rings and you smile. “L-Lissie.”
 The blue eyed boy nods. “Are you going to be interviewing me from now on?”
“Ah—is my ban lifted?”
“Yes.”
You roll your eyes. “Then yes.” Strolling past him, you wave. “See you around. And put on some sunscreen. It’s good for you.”
-
“Where are you even going with any of this?” Lewis hollers from the end of the table, taking a sip of wine. “You’ve just been talking about yourself, not them.”
Pierre scowls. “I’m getting there!” He returns his attention to the couple, gleaming. “So, as you can imagine, once I weaseled my way in and fixed their problems—your welcome, by the way—a certain spark came through. It was clearly evident.”
-
Marina Bay Street Circuit—October 2, 2022 (Singapore Grand Prix)
“Nepo-Baby?”
You hum. “They all are.”
Lissie groans. “So how will I know which one?”
“Oh, you’ll know.” Squinting accusingly, the British girl sticks her tongue out before standing up, hands on her hips. She yawns. “I have to go find Will. Something about—whatever, you probably don’t even care.”
You giggle. “Nope. Have fun.”
Silence engulfs you as you close your eyes momentarily, pulling your coat over your chest. 
“Don’t you have to watch the race in order to report back on it? Ask questions?”
“Dude, I was just falling asleep…” You peek an eye open. “And yes. But it hasn’t started, so I'm clear.”
Max whistles, unimpressed. Falling down next to you on the fluffy couch, he places his hands over his stomach, closing his eyes, too. You try not to laugh and instead do the same. 
“Haven’t seen you around much.”
“Been hiding from you.”
“Seems like. Don’t do that.”
“Fine.” You grin, sitting up straight. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”
“Probably.”
You snicker, pink tongue poking from in between your teeth. The cold air makes you snuggle deeper into your wannabe-blanket and he can’t help but take occasional glances. Teeth chatter. “C’mon. I’ll walk you.”
“...and I turned and said, isn’t that Celine Dion?” Lissie waves her hands back and forth, swaying like a Fly Guy. She pouts, stopping her movements. “Turns out I was just really freaking high.” Will laughs, jotting down God knows what onto a piece of paper as she continues cluttering herself with an obnoxious amount of wires. The British girl huffs. “Y’know, sometimes I wonder if it was—” A sharp gasp. “Him? Oh my—it’s him!”
“Don’t you mean her?” Will hums from his spot, still not looking up.
But wide-eyed Lissie stares with her jaw on the floor as you and Max cross by, laughing and pushing each other as you make your way down the paddock. As soon as you blush when he winks, it becomes all the more real. The young reporter nods, curled hair bobbing up and down. 
“R-right—her.”
-
Autódromo José Carlos Pace—November 13, 2022 (Brazilian Grand Prix)
“Is he cute? Yeah, maybe.” A finger pinches her top lip before releasing. “In a weird way.”
“Hey,” you warn.
“Is he your type? Don’t know why, but yes. I could see why you’re into him.”
“Great…”
“But is he the right choice? No. Not at all.”
“...and fantastic.” Flopping down onto your towel, you groan. Suddenly the blazing sun wasn’t the worst feeling because Lissie was right. It’s unbearable, almost. You prop up, facing her with a scrunched nose and squinted eyes. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit too harsh?”
“Oh no.” A sip of coconut water. She purses her lips. “God no.” You sigh, slowly, then sprawl back down with a sour snarl. You can hear her debate; muttering, mumbling. Still, that doesn’t get rid of your bad mood. The brunette pokes your thigh gently, nibbling her bottom lip. “He’s just so—and you’re just so—” A beat. “I’m just looking out for you.”
“Yeah.” Waves crash harder. Sun beams brighter. You open up the bottle of sunscreen, spurting some onto your burnt legs. You rub briskly; up, down. She flinches. “Yeah, I know.”
-
“And for a while, that was that,” Pierre announces, feigning indifference. “No more love birds.”
“Oh,” George blurts. Dark brows pinch up, teasing smile playing out. “Then why are we here?”
“Oh God,” you groan, digging your face into the nape of the twenty-six year old. You can faintly sniff out his musk scent, clean and so him. It makes you smile like a teen. “What if we just elope?”
He chuckles, vibrating and sending you on your own personal rollercoaster. “We always can. Is that what you want?” And he asks because he knows—no. That’s not what you want. Separating yourself to peck his cheek, you shake your head with a playful pout. “No. That’s not what I want.” 
“Good.” Watercolor eyes flicker to where Pierre finally gets yanked down and Lissie takes over with a proud smile. “Because I think this is actually going somewhere.”
-
Bahrain International Circuit—-March 5, 2023 (Bahrain Grand Prix)
So you kept your distance, and oddly enough, he did too. For plenty of reasons. And it wasn’t even that hard, really. He spent his summer break traveling and you spent yours as a homebody. No texts, no calls, no nothing.
“Heads or tails?”
“Tails.”
A sly grin. The silver coins flips a couple rounds before jumping up and down, clapping. “Heads! Go on, Coffee Boy. Oh, and make it extra sweet.”
“You’re going to get a sugar high and not be able to sleep later.”
“Until I can feel my teeth rot,” you retort, slipping your tongue over your pearly whites. 
Answering a few emails, you perch onto a chair. It’s too stiff, so you twist and turn until you ultimately decide to just stand. A gust of wind salutes you as your orbs flicker up to the sudden shadow. A breath catches. 
Max tilts his head in greeting. “Working hard already?” Your lips part. “The season’s barely begun.”
And just like that, your world tilts on its axis, but this time with more to lose. 
-
“As your best friend—” Lissie points clumsily at Carmen who giggles while the British girl furrows her thick brows. She glances around before spotting you dying with laughter on your fiancé’s lap. She claps. “I knew straight away—he was the one for you.”
-
Miami International Autodrome—-May 7, 2023 (Miami Grand Prix)
“How long has this been going on for?” she hisses, disappointed eyes challenging both you and Max. She gags at the hickeys on your neck and his tousled hair. 
With wobbly legs, you take her hands into yours. “A week—”
“No.”
“Well, two—”
Green paints her face. “No.”
“One month,” he murmurs from his corner in the elevator. Watercolor eyes flicker up, loopy. “It’s been a month. Ever since—”
“Azerbaijan.” Shamefully, you look down at your shoes and nearly scream bloody murder when you spot your thong just a few steps behind her. “Ew, gross,” Lissie gasps, shutting her eyes in despair. Taking in the opportunity, you scatter down and retrieve the thin fabric. The Dutchman releases a laugh, but bites down when the British girl glares hard. She curls a brow at your breathless state. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Giggling nervously from your place on the floor, you keep your hands behind your back; out of sight, out of mind. “Begging for forgiveness?”
“Oh stop it, a piece of land is what I need in order to forgive you for being dumb as shit.”
You frown, but quickly stand up when she exits the elevator. You can hear him follow with a bored expression. “Lissie, wait!”
Like a spinning top, she turns back, long layers slapping her pink face. “You two know this isn’t a good idea, right?”
“Yes—”
“For a million different reasons—”
“I-I’m aware,” you stutter. 
“Then why did you do it?” she whispers. 
And the truth is, you don’t know. All you know is that nothing else matters when you're with him. It’s sickening how blindsighted you get. Anxious eyes twirl over to the blue eyed boy who shared the same expression despite being unbothered a few seconds ago. 
Licking your lips, you play with the fabric. “That’s it. We’re done.” You turn to the RedBull driver. “Tell her.”
“Done.”
For a moment, you almost let yourself flinch from how fast and easy he’s able to say that one word. Lissie’s judgmental eyes look at you, then him, then sighs, reluctantly nodding. An awkward moment ticks by and then she’s focused, appalled. 
“Are those your panties?”
-
“You were like a dog who couldn’t bear the idea of leaving its bone.” Everyone snickers while you throw the same peony Daniel had aimed at Pierre to shut him up. She laughs, raising her arms up in defense. “And I know—I know—I came in like a monster, warning you off of all the drivers because like it or not, they’re scumbags—” 
“Ey. Watch it,” Carlos deadpans from the corner, brown eyes playfully glaring. 
She shrugs. “But I no longer liked playing the role of an evil step-sister so…” Tears brim and you choke on a wet sob. “I’m just so happy that you’re happy.” A pause. “That you're both happy.”
Leaping off his thick lap, you rush over, embracing her. She laughs, returning the gesture. “I love you,” you start. I know. “And I’m so happy that you never—”
A knowing smile. “I’d do anything for you.” 
-
Circuit de Monaco—May 28, 2023 (Monaco Grand Prix)
Sneaking into his motorhome, you moan as soon as he gets his hands on your; sliding up and down your body with urgency. Heat radiates off of him and onto you. All of this— the cramped room, his lips attacking your neck—makes you dizzy. Clutching onto his sweaty hair, you arch, completely to him and for him. 
“We s-shouldn’t.” You gasp. Long fingers tease your aching pussy as you whine. He instantly slaps a large hand over your mouth as he continues his movements. The stretch burns, but it's fairly familiar that you don’t even cry out, just stare back with knitted brows and an open mouth that he can’t see, but can feel expand beneath his palm. 
“You’re probably right.” A steady stroke. “You should be out there.” His knuckles curl as he reaches your g-spot. “Preparing those foolish questions.” A muffled moan. “But you’re here, because you know that this excites you as much as it does me.”
Calloused pads push down before drawing figure eights deep inside. “You’ve been a bit uptight. Could it be—”
“No,” you cut him off. “Don’t even try and blame it on—”
“Fine, then answer me one thing; is this stress reliever a bad thing?” 
Feeling your orgasm rolling in is one thing, but your snarkiness is another. Gritting your teeth, you force him down to kiss you, teeth and all, and then rip away with a sultry smile. “Maybe, but who cares?”
You’re not completely off. At that moment in time, neither of you cared about the consequences. It’s just that as soon as a room of watchful eyes flicker to you two, you swallow a low wince. 
Grabbing your microphone, you fix your disheveled hair. Lissie’s eyes flicker between you and him, slow and scary. Like she’s reading right through you and your lies.
Beaming at the awaiting grid, you raise your chin up. “Who’s ready?”
-
“Finally,” Daniel yells, rolling his cuffed sleeves. “Someone with an actual story to tell.” A wide smile has never made you more nervous than at this very instant, so reasonably so, you swallow the entire glass of—
“Vodka, baby! That was my vodka—your champagne is right there.”
Blinking, you giggle, wiping your plump lips with the back of your hand. “What yours is mine, no? Isn’t that what marriage is all about?”
He chuckles. Lean arms wrap around your waist like a harness. “Keep this up and you’re not going to be able to sleep later.”
“The opposite, actually,” you state as a matter-of-fact. “Just need to get blackout drunk.”
He cocks his head to the side. “That’s not like you.” “...should have seen her! She was wasted as shit!” the Australian yelps, buzzing with excitement. You nip at the air all while he raises his voice an additional octave. “I found her there, at the bar, close to getting alcohol poisoning, but you know what they say—only drunks and children tell the truth.”
-
Red Bull Ring—July 2, 2023 (Austrian Grand Prix)
“Oui, the beer! Fucking amazing,” Pierre declares with a mouthful. 
“Say it, don’t spray it,” someone screeches, and is quickly identified to be Alex when he wipes his shimmery forehead. You laugh, taking baby sips from your drink. Shirley Temple, because contrary to belief, you weren’t a nasty drunk.
The Frenchman pouts, tapping his fingers against the brown glass. He turns to you with a sheepish grin. “I read your article.”
“Yeah?”
He nods. “Have to admit, it's kind of boring. It’s not your fault though. Max Verstappen's domination has made the sport sort of…” He pretends to wilt, to which you toss your head back with laughter. 
“Your time will come, Pierre, your time will come.”
“Shit, shit, shit! Bathroom!” Lissie’s long legs wobble like a plate of jello as you hurry over to catch her. 
“Crap—you smell like shit.”
The British girl squeals, yanking her hair, dancing from side to side. “I smoked a fat blunt, but never mind that, if I don’t find a loo in approximately five seconds, then I will smell like actual shit.”
A nose scrunch. “That’s not very lady-like.” She paces some more. “Let’s go.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the crowded room, Max watches as the two journalists slip away. He keeps a close eye for a while until a certain brunette swoops in right next to him with a loopy grin and crinkly eyes. 
“You should talk to her. Seems like you really like her.”
“What? What makes you say that? What makes you think that?”
Daniel shrugs, rotating his blunt back into his mouth. “Dilation.”
The Dutchman gags. “What…like when a woman gives birth?”
A sore laugh. “As in your eyes.” Another hit. “Y’know…they just look—different. When you look at her, I mean.”
And he hopes it is not apparent that these words make him swallow. For the past year, he’s tried his best to hide his feelings for the sake of not making a fool out of himself, and later for a whole other, but…
He licks his sudden dry lips. “Hm. Doesn’t matter if my eyes fucking shine or not, she’s not my type.”
The Australian frowns. “Sucks. Lissie’s really cool.” His eyes flicker over to the RedBull driver in a nonchalant manner, but when he blinks back with rose tinted cheeks, despite not having a sip of alcohol, he chokes on his puff. “Oh shit, no…”
In a flash, Max yanks the blunt away, dipping it into an anonymous drink. “You’re right, she is so cool—”
Brown eyes narrow down in accusation, brows knitted sharply. “Right, but we’re not talking about Lissie…” A wince. “Mate, you can’t…you know you can’t.”
And just like that, Daniel notices the blown out pupils revert back to its original shape. Small and empty. “Yeah. Of course.” He plops back down onto his stiff seat, rubs his eyes, then smiles. “I know that. I-I-I was never going to—yeah.” 
-
“He—” Daniel points over to the broad twenty-six year old who sits with a timid smile. “...didn't have a single sip of beer that night because he was too focused looking after her.” A whistle. “And if that isn’t love, then I don’t know what is.”
“Wow, congrats,” George says to your fiancé. “For not being an alcoholic, really, that's impressive.” You can hear the humor that coats his voice and you can’t help but giggle. Calloused fingers slip up to pinch your thigh as you laugh harder. 
“That’s why I drank twice as much that day,” Pierre announces with a firm voice. “Because he was missing out on some fantastic beer.”
“Drunkard,” Alex whispers to Lily who stifles a snicker. 
The tall Australian clicks his tongue. “So who was the wasted one who confessed their little white lies?”
Everyone’s eyes turn to face you as you burn up with mortification.
“What the fuck, I barely even drink!”
-
Red Bull Ring—July 2, 2023 (Austrian Grand Prix)
“You.”
“Me?”
You snarl, stomping over. “She's a lightweight, dumbass. Why would you get her high? Jesus, we have a flight in eight hours.”
Daniel cackles, clapping as if delighted at the fact. “She kept insisting! I felt bad.”
An eye roll. “Douche.”
He tries to make it up to you with a drink. “Pierre says they’re good.” You eye the bottle hesitantly. He sighs. “Come on, trust me.” He eventually sneaks off for a minute, but returns with a new blunt. 
“Did you pull another one out of your ass or where did you get that from?”
“Oh no. How many did you drink?”
Squinting, you motion him to take a seat. He does, but he can’t even smoke in peace now that you sway from side to side, despite being seated. “I don’t know. Too many.” He groans, large hands tugging his hair. You take a long sip, then raise your glass like some wannabe. “He told me he loves me. Tonight. Right when you left. And you know what I told him?” Another sip. “I told him I love him too.”
The Australian chuckles. “I didn’t expect you to fall for someone like him.”
“Me either. But I fell—tumbled.” You frown. “I’m just not sure this is the right thing to feel, y’know?”
His orbs flicker to the twenty-six year old who huddles with a bunch of the other drivers. He smiles, tilting his head. “Why not?”
“Because everytime I look at him, I fear the way my heart beats. He laughs, I laugh, and it feels wrong. He smiles, I smile, and it feels wrong. He makes one of our inside jokes, I understand, and it feels wrong.” A shaky laugh. “And something that should feel fucking right, doesn’t.” Glossy eyes switch over to him. “Does that make sense?”
“Not really.” 
“Great,” you let out, wiping your tears away. “It’s fine, I didn’t expect you to understand.”
Daniel smiles, fondly, like an older brother. “It doesn’t, and you want to know why?”
“Why?”
A second passes by before he leans back against his chair. “Because it looks like you really—really—like him, so why should any of that matter? Just let yourself be happy, fuck everything else.”
You scoff, furrowing your brows. “You’re a bad influence.”
“Why?”
“Because it would never work out.”
“And why not? You’re giving up too eas—oh.” Almost robotically, he drops his blunt into your beer bottle. “You can’t…”
“Yeah. I know.” A pause. “Beer’s ass, by the way.”
-
Daniel taps his fingers against his chin, comedically. His orbs flicker between you two who stare up at him in deep focus, awaiting for his next words. He grins. “You two, it works. It always has.”
-
Circuit Zandvoort—August 27, 2023 (Dutch Grand Prix)
“Oh fuck,” he grunts, thrusting into you harder as you cling onto his arm, eyes screwed shut. “H-holy fucking—hell.”
You moan, mouth hung wide open. “Feel so good, Maxie, so, so good.”
Blue eyes admire the way you arch towards him like some sort of warm invitation. The way your legs lazily drape over his sweaty waist, how your scent hugs him like no one else. It’s all so familiar, and nice, and right. Your soft palm grazing his jaw makes him alert in an instant, desperate to not miss a single thing that lives inside this moment. 
He furrows his dark brows. “We-We’re not made for one another.”
“I know.” He grunts, animalistically. “They warned me about you.”
“They told me to stay away from you.” His tip brushes against your g-spot and your head lolls back, a loud sound. “But God, it’s been impossible.” 
“Max, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck—I’m close.”
He grins, rubs your clit, and whimpers when he feels you reach your orgasm. You shudder when he follows soon after, face digging into the nape of your neck. Your heart pounds like a ticking time bomb, but still, you run your fingers through his dirty blond waves. 
“Lissie…Daniel…they’re—”
“Right?” You choke up. “Yeah, you don’t know how much I hate that they are.”
He pulls away, and somehow, his watercolor eyes appear more blue than ever before. Black, almost—nearly. And you’re sure yours do too. 
Max plays with your hair, tracing it like a map. He gulps. “So do I.” A tug. “I love you. Y-you weren’t some fuck buddy to me…you’ve always been more than that. And…I hate that too.”
A wet laugh. “I love you, too.” Wobbly smile. “And it’s because I love you that I know what comes after this.”
He hums. “What would that be?”
“Nothing.”
-
“I know many of you guys are wondering why I’m best man—”
“Not wondering, more like questioning,” Carlos quips with a sly smirk.
Pierre flips him off and you laugh at the immature interaction between the drivers. “Because it really could have easily been anyone else. Ha! Even you Carlos.” The Spaniard mocks him with a shady, playful, look. 
“Then again, who would have thrown a better rehearsal dinner for Charles and his bride-to-be?”
-
Circuit Zandvoort—September 4, 2022 (Dutch Grand Prix)
"You got on Max Verstappen’s bad side, that’s what."
“It’s probably nothing or he’s just a sensitive little pussy,” you shoot back defensively. 
Lissie snickers, hushing you, orbs scanning the pen. “You can’t say shit like that! Any of it, actually,” she adds. “Just…think before saying anything.”
You huff, arms crossed, stubbornly. “Fine.”
As the open area starts filling up more and more, by some miracle, your nerves start dying down.
Or so you thought.
“Before I let you go, I do have one more question.” Charles smiles down at you, shy dimples poking through. You return the gesture. “Would you consider yourself Ferrari’s savior or their scapegoat?”
“Jesus,” the British girl groans, covering her eyes with second-hand embarrassment. 
The Monegasque lets out a nervous laugh, turning to face his publicist who simply tippy toes and whispers something into his ear. He nods. “I-I-I actually have another interview set up, but thank you for your…questions.” Pink tints his ears as he looks at you one more time before strolling away.
“Alrighty then,” Lissie hollers. She sneaks the microphone away. “Jitters, totally normal, but yeah, you’re done for today.”
-
“I don’t care if she’s royalty, I’m never willingly doing an interview with her ever again.”
“Would you look at that?” Pierre gloats with a wicked grin. “Max Verstappen got butthurt.”
The Dutchman scoffs. “No, I did not. I just don’t like stupid questions, and she made one.”
Yuki snickers at his wary response. Pierre rolls his eyes. “I could talk to her, if you want me to. I love shit like this.”
“I don’t.”
“Well too bad, I’m going to.”
-
“Yeah. You already said that.”
Dumbfounded, you blink as he walks away, wet towel draped over his head. If you had known he was this much of a shithead, then you wouldn’t have bothered to try and apologize. Clicking your tongue, you burn with fury as you glare, but as soon as the Ferrari driver brushes past you, you fall back from your trance. 
“Hey!”
He turns, green eyes furrowed with confusion. “Hey.”
A wince. “I’m sorry about my ignorant question from earlier. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” 
Charles blushes. “Am I that easy to read?”
“No, but Pierre let me know.” You awkwardly kick your shoe against the pavement and his eyes follow. You stop. “I sort of pissed off two of the most important drivers on the grid today. You, uh, just happen to be one of them.”
He softens like ice cream on a hot summer day. “I’m not pissed.” You almost let out a giggle from how foreign his accent makes the curse sound. He stammers. “You just caught me off guard, that’s all. Plus, I can’t answer questions like those. It would make all of us look bad.”
“Oh. Duh. Of course.” Now you burn up. “I should have known. And it’s no excuse, but I’m new and I’m just…figuring it out.”
His eyes crinkle as he nods. “Who was the other driver?”
You groan. “Max.”
He winces, shaking his hands, theatrically. “Yikes. Yeah, now he’s probably pissed.”
-
Autodromo Nazionale Monza—September 11, 2022 (Italian Grand Prix)
 “Will you ever let it go?”
“Might take me a while…”
As soon as your phone dings, vibrating against your palm, he curls a brow. “L-Lissie,” you fill in with a subtle smile. “See you around. And put on some sunscreen. It’s good for you.”
Rushing back to the pool with a new bottle of SPF, you grin as he aims a deadpan expression. “A little Vitamin D is always necessary.”
“Don’t care, I don’t want to look like a peanut in two years.” You plop some onto his hand as he childishly swipes it over his face. You squirm with the way droplets slither down his toned chest.
Charles extends his hands. “Can I have some more?”
You laugh, wet hair tossing back like a curtain. “Hypocrite.” 
Green eyes glare down, playfully.
-
Marina Bay Street Circuit—October 2, 2022 (Singapore Grand Prix)
“I can’t believe someone’s rocking your boat,” Lissie yelps, clutching onto your hand desperately. “This is monumental.” A teasing giggle. “We should definitely document this.”
As soon as she pulls out her phone, you flip her off. “And this, my dear, dear friend, is why I’ve been keeping this a secret.” She zooms in as you laugh, brushing her away. “Quit!”
The British girl groans, slipping it into her back pocket, then wiggles her thick brows. “Can I guess who it is?”
“No.”
“It’ll be fun!”
You spin around. “No, Lissie—no.”
“Nepo-Baby?”
Flustered, you twirl your necklace and hum. “They all are.”
“Fucking hell. So how will I know which one?”
A mocking laugh. “Oh, you’ll know.”
The brunette stays wondering despite being in the middle of telling her story from last week at the pub. She traces back to every possible driver, but they’re all natural flirts, so fuck that, how would she ever even be able to guess that—
“Oh my—it’s him!” She gasps with hawk eyes as she watches you two keep a careful distance from one another, as if temptation burns within the gap. Lissie lets out a delirious laugh as she turns to Will, who is still rather focused on his task. “I, um, will be right back!”
Wearing a goofy smile, you make your way back to the pen, but squeal when a firm grip wraps around your waist, tugging you into a cramped bathroom. You cringe at the suffocated smell. On the other hand, Lissie jumps from corner to corner. “How did I not notice? I mean, shit, you’re eyes—they’re huge!”
You frown. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
With a toothy grin, she pokes your ribs. “It means I know who it is.”
Your heart stops, then bite the inside of your cheek, feigning indifference. “We’re just getting to know each other, but he’s really kind, and I…I really like him.”
“Oh, I bet you do,” she whispers in a seductive manner, jeweled hands slapping your ass. You chuckle, opening the door, and turning back. “You get lost in his eyes, don’t you? Heard that could happen.” A swoon. “So what? Are they like the ocean? Like a blueberry Laffy Taffy?”
“Hm. No. More like green apple.”
She halts, mid-shimmy. “What do you mean green? His eyes are blue. And I would know—they scare me half of the time.”
“What are you talking about? Charles’ eyes are green.” The brunette gapes, mouth hung wide open as she pushes herself to speak, but can’t find the strength. You knit your brows, neat and high. “I told you not to scroll through your phone at three a.m. anymore. See? Jet lag is catching up to you.”
-
Autódromo José Carlos Pace—November 13, 2022 (Brazilian Grand Prix)
“I’m just looking out for you.”
“Yeah, I know.” Tired eyes squint over at the blue waves, then at the kids who build sandcastles. 
She sighs, propping herself to face you with a sorrowful smile. “It’s okay to be confused about your feelings.”
“You don’t have to sugarcoat it, I know its as bad as it sounds.” You raise your straw onto your plump lips, sucking. “But they’re just so different from one another. I mean, Charles makes me feel giddy. Like really giddy. It’s nauseating. He’s sweet, and caring, and he's snappy but it’s endearing.” A soft smile and dreamy eyes. “He even helps with my notes.”
“But Max…he’s hot tempered. It drives me nuts. He never asks for help and always hides behind some brick wall. It isn’t like him to show me that he’s interested in getting to know me, but…” Cries ring through the hot air as a wave washes the sandcastle. “I want to get to know him. The real him.”
Lissie’s lips turn downwards at your broken tone. You act uninterested, but she knows it just for show, and that might be the worst torture of all. 
She bumps your head with her shoulder, softly, and you instantly pout. “You’ll know what to do, babe. But if we’re being realistic here, Charles won’t wait forever.” Pause. “And Max isn’t the kind to grovel for anything other than podiums.”
-
Bahrain International Circuit—March 5, 2023 (Bahrain Grand Prix)
“Heads! Go on, Coffee Boy. Oh, and make it extra sweet.”
Charles lets out a heavy sigh, shoulders drooping as he strolls away. You pick and choose emails to respond to before leaning against one leg, typing away fiercely. You even have time to get back to your sister who begs for a souvenir. Any, she adds with a thousand smiley faces. 
“Working hard already? The season’s barely begun.” Your breath catches so sharply that it hurts your throat for a second. His voice is somehow deeper, but it could be because you haven’t seen or heard from him in about forever. Max steps closer. “H-how was your summer break?”
Your berry lips open, then close, then repeat. It’s embarrassing. “Never bad to get ahead, and I—had a good one. Much needed.” He nods attentively. “You look—” You stop before admitting. “Healthy. You look really healthy”
A booming chuckle. “Thanks. You look really healthy, too.”
Blue eyes linger for a second too long and that fills you up with unwanted adrenaline. “Why are you here?” Pink expands through your cheekbones as you grimace. “I mean—here.” You point at the tiny tent as if it weren’t obvious what you were referring to. “Here, here.”
The Dutchman’s lips dance, fondly. “Well I was walking by, saw you, and wanted to say hi.” He looks around with a subtle frown. “Is now a bad time?”
“Well—”
“Mate,” a sweet accent rings through the air as you screw your eyes shut. Max turns to face Charles with a slow grin. The Monegasque tilts his head in greeting, hands occupied with your beverage and his. “How have you been?”
“So, so. Yourself?”
“Good. Refreshed.” 
“For me?” he jokes. The brunette chuckles, raising the coffee cups with bright orbs. “Lazy Carlos, always sending you, right?”
The Ferrari driver shakes his head, curls following, then hands it to you. You hesitantly take it from him as you avoid eye contact. “Thank you, Charles.”
His smile widens, pecking your lips. “Still don’t think you should drink it on a daily basis, but hey, you’re welcome.”
Max blinks. “W-when did this happen?”
The green eyed boy hums, lips twisting against his straw. “Over break.”
“Oh.” Gaze slips over to where you bite your cheek. “You spent it in Monaco?”
A harsh tick. “Yes.” With an open mouth, he nods, like a muppet. You purse your lips, facing your boyfriend with pleading eyes. “Do you want to start making your way over? I don’t want Carlos to say anything about being late. You know how he is.”
Charles snickers, then intertwines his fingers through yours. “See you on track?”
The RedBull driver released a low breath, cracking a smile that looked more like a snarl. And while Charles doesn’t notice it, you do. Of course you do.
“See you on track.”
-
Miami International Autodrome—May 7, 2023
“Then why did you do it?” she whispers. The judgment and confusion that radiates off of Lissie is enough for you to grow gray. She rolls her tongue. “You can’t be doing stuff like this anymore, you have a boyfriend.” Her eyes screw shut, then snap open. “He adores the ground you walk on, are you insane?”
Tears well up at her truthful words. They sting all at once, and you carelessly crumble as your numb lips start to wobble. “Lissie—”
“No. Just—stop. Stop talking.” Max raises his eyebrows at the journalist and her sternness, but feels bad as you inch back, heels clicking. She huffs, pacing the hall. When she comes to a stop, she glares at the Dutchman. “How could you do this, too?”
“I never meant any harm—”
“Bullshit! Both of you are so stupid, it’s worrisome.” Shame fills your veins as you look down, pinching your undergarment as some coping mechanism. The British girl sighs. “You have to tell him.”
“No.”
“What do you mean no? He deserves to know.”
Decreasing the gap between you two, you sniffle, shaky hands clutching harder. “It’s going to kill him, Lissie. I can’t do that.”
And you can tell she’s running through her options because she’s your best friend. And above all, you were hers. With hesitance, she nods. “This has to end.”
You nod, desperately. “That’s it. We’re done.”
-
Circuit de Monaco—May 28, 2023 (Monaco Grand Prix)
“You’ve been a bit uptight. Could it be Charles that’s making you feel that way?”
“No. Don’t even try and blame it on him.”
He pinches your nipple, then licks your humid skin. You whine at the sensation. “You’re not getting anything in return for lying. It’s pathetic.”
You hiss when your climax tempts to fall. “What's the lie?”
“That you love him.”
“I do love him—”
He groans into your neck. “You sound so pretty.” A sloppy thrust. “When you choke around my cock, my spit, my cum.” Your eyes roll back when he pushes against your g-spot at a different angle. “Admit it, you’ve always enjoyed it.”
“You’re sick."
“Maybe, but you’re well worth it.” 
You clench around his length and he hisses like a snake. In pain. In lust. Doesn’t matter. “You’re a shitty friend—”
Jaw clenches. “You’re a shitty girlfriend.” When you cry out in pleasure, he smirks. “Fine, then answer me one thing; is this stress reliever a bad thing?” 
“Maybe, but who cares?” 
And there's nothing left for him to do, simply smiling down at you like the Cheshire Cat, somehow scarier than The Joker. If not more. 
-
Red Bull Ring—July 2, 2023 (Austrian Grand Prix)
“Right, but we’re not talking about Lissie. Mate, you can’t…you know you can’t.” Daniel grimaces. “She’s taken.”
“I know,” Max stutters. “Who do you take me for?”
The Australian is easy to tell when he laughs genuinely, but even the RedBull driver can spot the difference to the one exiting his mouth right now. “You think she’s pretty—that’s all.”
“That’s all,” he confirms. 
“And that’s not a weird thing to admit because she is a pretty girl,” the brunette tries to help as Max nods happily. 
“Exactly.” A pause. “You get it.”
Daniel brings the blunt up to his mouth, taking a hit, then blows out. “Y-yeah…because it’d be bad if you liked her, liked her.” 
“I know that. I-I-I was never going to—yeah.” His heart pounds fast against his ribs when you giggle, pecking Charles’s neck, all while conversing with Lissie, Kika, and Pierre. He directs his attention back to the Australian and lets out a raw laugh. 
“I wouldn’t be that stupid.”
-
“You’re a bad influence.”
“Why?”
“Because it would never work out.”
“And why not? You’re giving up too eas—oh.” In an instant, his brown eyes follow yours, and it makes his heart drop. Because it’s not Charles that you’ve suddenly realized that you love, but Max. “You can’t…” Somewhere close by, Pierre yells, cheering with a group of older ladies as Kika glares, shaking her head. He inches closer. “You can’t do that to Charles. He loves you.”
“And I love him,” you announce, brushing your hair back. Timidly, you peek over at him. “I’m not a saint, I know that, but I would appreciate it if we kept this between us.” A sore chuckle. “W-what matters is that I choose Charles. He’s the love of my life.”
And Daniel knows he probably shouldn’t agree to any of this, and yet, he finds himself nodding, curls bouncing. “Just between us.”
You smile gently, going in for another sip before laughing at the blunt that sticks inside. 
 “Beer’s ass, by the way.”
-
Circuit Zandvoort—August 27, 2023 (Dutch Grand Prix)
 “I love you. Y-you weren’t some fuck buddy to me…you’ve always been more than that. And…I hate that too.”
“I love you, too. And it’s because I love you that I know what comes after this.”
“What would that be?”
“Nothing.”
He flinches. “I-it doesn’t have to be that way. You could lea—”
You sigh, pulling your dress up as he zip his race suit. “I can’t leave him, Max. It’s not that easy.”
He pants, blue eyes tracing your face anxiously. “A-and why not? Why can’t it be that easy?”
A cruel laugh wiggles up your throat as you dig your nails into your palm. “Because I’m engaged!”
He ricochets with a scoff. “Oh, what? Now you suddenly care about not being called a cheater?” You look away and he chuckles. “Because that’s what you are—a fucking cheater.”
Your face patches into a shade of pink as you breathe heavily, refusing to let the tears fall. “And what does that make you?”
“I am not a cheater.”
You snarl. “No, but you’re a God awful friend.”
He steps back, large hand running against his lips, drying them out, getting rid of your saliva. “You’re just—you know what? Fuck you.”
You gasp. “No. Fuck you.”
Max rolls his blue eyes, finally reaching his breaking point as he pushes you against the wall to his motorhome. “You’re scared, aren’t you? Of realizing what we actually are.”
Heavy pants. Orbs flicker down to his rosy lips. He almost smiles. “What are we? A cheater and a bad friend?”
“No. A villain and their accomplice.” That seems to do it. A strong tide takes over as you sob against his grip. And it doesn’t hurt, it’s not tight. It’s only secure. He continues with a dark look swirling his orbs. “You know, you were always the first one to point out someone as a bad person, when in reality, it's you.”
“Okay, stop—”
“And I’m not innocent either—I’m well aware—but I’m not the one with a ring around their finger.”
“Stop!” you yell, pushing him away harshly. It should feel foreign, the fury and the shame, but that’s all you seem to know these days. Or ever since you met him. “You’re right. We’re two rotten apples, or whatever the fuck you want to call it, but can you blame me? You’re fucking with my head, Max!”
He softens, and for a moment, its pure silence, other than your tiny cries. Licking his lips, he pats his thigh. “You already know I’m wrongfully in love with you. I just actually thought I stood a chance. That it would be me.”
“Max…”
He winces in pain with how sweet your voice sounds pronouncing his name. It’s always been that way. When you first interviewed him a year ago, to when you first kissed him back and gasped his name. But it only got dirtier and dirtier throughout the course of time. 
“Be honest with me, please.” Bloodshot eyes look up at him. “Is he your safest option? Is that what this is?”
And with one final, tormented look, you open your lips to breathe out. 
“He’s someone I could envision a future with, Max.” A beat. “And you’re just a footnote.”
-
“Voilá!” Charles cheers as he claps loudly against your ear. You yelp at the sudden sound all while trying to reach for his hands to stop his movements. He grins, deep dimples imprinting like feet on sand. “That was beautiful, really, it really was.”
Rubbing your ass against his bulge is the only way you think you can get him to shut up, and he does, immediately letting out a strained chuckle. Smiling sweetly at your friends, you shrug. “I had my doubts, Pierre, but this was pretty cute. Thank you.”
The Frenchman gloats, clicking his fingers. I told you, I told you they’d like it! Your fiancé kisses your cheek. “That’s why I chose him.” A playful frown. “You see, mon amour? You never hold any faith in my decisions.”
Rolling your eyes, you stick your pink tongue out at him. “I still think you should have chosen one of your brothers.” A stern look. “Like Lorenzo—wasn’t he the one that helped you buy the ring?”
“Yes, but that would have been unfair to Arthur. He would’ve felt left out.”
“Arthur’s too distracted trying to figure out the difference between left and right!” The Monegasque tosses his head back and you admire with a soft glow. “I lo—”
“Wait,” Carlos hollers, deep accent ringing. You and Charles turn, bubble bursting. “We all went around sharing but Max.”
“Yeah,” Lily ponders, fingers tracing her lips. “Yeah, you’re right.”
Pierre hums. “Mate?”
Max blinks, shaking his head. “Ah, it’s alright. We’ve heard enough, don’t you think?” His joke is meant to be easy going, but it comes out dry, and even to this day, you can notice it. Licking your already glossed lips, you flip your gaze to Lissie and Daniel who share the same worried expression.
Because Lissie was your best friend. She would carry your secret to the grave.
Because Daniel was Max’s best friend. He would carry his secret to the grave.
But the Dutchman himself didn't care. He honestly felt like he had nothing else to lose.
“Okay then,” he whispers, wiping his sweaty palms against his jeans. He slightly tilts his head to the open sky, as if wondering when it would swallow him whole. He was secretly hoping it would. Beady, excited, and petrified eyes stare back at him as he smiles awkwardly. “I…”
“He doesn’t want to,” you declare, twisting to signal the Frenchman. “If he doesn’t want to, then he doesn’t have to say anything, it’s fine.”
“No.” Blue eyes darken as he places his drink down onto the wooden table. “I want y—” He bites his tongue, immediately tasting metallic. “I want to.”
“Let him,” Charles says, chuckling softly. “Don’t kill his stride.”
So, with neat brows drawn together, clammy fingers playing with your silver band, you sit back down. Like a force of nature, the Monegasque hugs you from behind. You gulp, leaning the back of your head against his shoulder. 
“I think it’s crazy how one minor decision can change absolutely fucking everything.” 
“Oh shit,” Lissie and Daniel mutter next to each other, exchanging the blunt back and forth. 
Your face twists up like a wrinkled shirt. “If you’re not going to say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say,” he instantly shoots back, but feverishly deflates when Charles furrows his dark brows like some Doberman. Astonished at his cold tone, you blink, lashes fluttering like a notebook. He almost swoons at the sight, but amazingly holds back. 
“If you hadn’t taken Pierre’s advice and apologized to Charles, then we wouldn't be here. If you hadn’t spent summer break with him, then we wouldn’t be here. If you hadn't fallen in love, then we wouldn’t be here.” He swallows. “It’s the little things.”
“And, um...what makes a relationship work out is the commitment. If one person commits and the other doesn’t then it won’t ever work out, but you two…” You nibble on your bottom lip harshly, holding your breath as he looks into your bright eyes. He releases a forced chuckle, as if it would help get rid of his splintered heart. “You two chose each other, so…cheers to that.”
“Wow,” Charles hums, blankly. “That was surprisingly heartfelt…” A sheepish grin. “Thank you, mate.”
It’s as if he’s suddenly admitting defeat to someone who didn’t know they had him as an opponent to begin with; the way he throws the peony at the Monegasque, who catches it with ease. “Don’t mention it.” 
So, as Max sits alone, with no date, he begins to wonder that maybe—just maybe—you were right all along. 
He gave his speech last.
He was the footnote.
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lqvesoph · 6 months
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She‘s WHOSE daughter??? || LN4
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gif by @formulaonedirection
lando norris x webber!reader
summary: After releasing your new album you go to the Bahrain Grand Prix to finally see your two favorite Aussie’s. What you didn’t expect is to meet a certain Brit as well.
part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5
masterlist | taglist
Part 1
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yn.adams: Thank you for all the love on GUTS!!! Tour is coming I promissssse but now off to Bahrain🏁
comments:
gracieabrams: YOURE UNREAL
rachelzegler: all american t*ts frr
danielricciardo: Okay who am I fighting today🥊
oscarpiastri: See u in Bahrain (finally)
> yn.adams: FINALLY!!!
> oscarpiastri: You‘ve become busy since becoming a world star🥲
fan: SHES COMING TO BAHRAIN!!!
> fan: FINALLY!! Its been ages
fan: Has she ever been to a race??
> fan: Well… I mean obviously LMAO😭
fan: U supporting Red Bull or Mclaren this weekend?
> yn.adams: Rbr obviously!! Not even Oscar can get me into that orange Garage🤨
> oscarpiastri: It’s PAPAYA!!!
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*~*~*~*~*~*
"GOOD MORNING!!!", an australian accent yelled into your ear just moments after you entered the Bahrain paddock.
You flinched, immediately slapping the person’s arm. "Daniel!!!", you called and pushed the driver away from you as he tried to pull you into a hug.
"I‘ve missed you so much", he mumbled, pressing you close to him and ruffling your hair after, which made you slap his hand away from your head.
"You seen Osc yet?“, you asked, looking around you, spotting a few photographers whose camera’s where direct to you. Daniel shook his head. "Nope, I thought you‘d come together. I‘m surprised you’re only here now."
You rolled your eyes and kept walking with Daniel. "I was on a video call with my team, discussing the upcoming tour. We gotta work out a schedule and call the venues and stuff", you replied. "We‘ve been on there even before the album came out and I still haven’t completely made up my mind."
"Indecisive little shit", Daniel laughed, making you slap his arm with a chuckle. You made your way to the Red Bull hospitality, Daniel waving at a few people from Mclaren that he was still friends with even after he left the team at the end of the 2022 season.
"I think Kelly and P are in there", he told you before hugging you goodbye. "If you see Oscar, tell him I‘m looking for him", you said, smiling and ruffling through Daniel‘s hair as some sorta revenge, before quickly stepping back and running up the stairs to the entrance.
Daniel laughed and pointed a finger at you. "I‘m gonna get you back!" You giggled and waved as you walked backwards into the hospitality.
Looking around the room you quickly spotted Kelly with her daughter Penelope sitting on a creme coloured couch.
"Heyy, honey", she greeted you and got up to hug you. "Hey, darling", you then said and lifted Penelope up who was reaching her arms out to you.
Just when you sat down, your phone chimed with a new message.
Osc🧡: Meet me in front of Mclaren
You: I‘m not going in tho
Osc🧡: Well I can’t really walk into Red Bull can I?
You: 🙄okay
"I‘ll be back soon, Oscar just texted", you let Kelly know and high fived P who giggled as you did. Jeez, how much you missed that little sunshine!
You glanced around the front porch of Mclaren‘s hospitality but didn’t spot Oscar. And as you didn’t just want to walk into the building you stayed where you were, next to the steps leading up to the entrance.
"You walked in with Danny, right?", someone spoke behind you, making you turn around. The confused expression on your face quickly leaving when you came face to face with the other Mclaren driver.
He sat at one of the tables with another curly haired guy and a blonde girl.
You nodded. "Yeah", you simply said. "You wanna come up here?", he asked, gesturing to the empty chair next to him.
You‘ve never spoken to Lando Norris, all you knew about him was through stories from either Oscar or Daniel. You knew that he spent some of his winterbreak with Danny and Martin in Australia. Daniel had asked you to come along as well but you were busy with the release of your new album so you had to decline.
You looked around you one last time, trying to find Oscar but failed, so you nodded and took the few stairs up to the table the three of them were sitting at.
As you stood directly in front of them, you saw how the blonde girl recognized you. You‘ve always been good at reading people but over the last years you‘ve become incredibly good at telling whether people recognized you when facing them. Even if they try their hardest to hide it, that small second when their eyes widen in realization was enough for you to tell.
"I‘m Lando", he introduced himself, holding a hand out to greet you. "Y/n, nice to meet you", you smiled, trying to ignore the urge to tell him 'I know, I‘m friends with Daniel and Oscar'. "Max and Pietra, friends of me", he then gestured over to the people sitting across from you.
"So, how do you know Daniel?", Lando asked, crossing his arms on the table. "I‘ve known him since I was 8 years old, I think", you smiled, remembering tiny 8 year old you giggling and blushing when first talking to Daniel at the British Grand Prix. "Really?", his eyes widened. "How did you meet?" "Uh, through my dad, he‘s from Australia as well", you answered, leaving out most of the details.
"You‘re australian?", Lando questioned with raised eyesbrows. "No no, my dad is. My mom‘s from America and I kinda grew up between California and Canberra", you explained.
"However, for some reason she likes to ignore her australian origin", a voice said behind you, making you smirk as you recognized the familiar Melbourne accent.
You turned around in your chair and stood up before wrapping your arms around Oscar. "Hey, princess", he laughed. "How‘ve you been?"
"Bit stressful with Tour at the minute but it feels so good to be back here!", you grinned.
As you turned back to the other three, you couldn’t help but notice Lando‘s confused face. Maybe it was the fact you basically jumped Oscar or that he‘d called you 'princess', something he‘s been doing ever since your first Tour when you got gifted a little crown from your fans because it matched the dress you were wearing on stage.
"I se you‘ve made friends already, might wanna stay here for the race?", Oscar asked with a smirk. You slapped the back of his head in an affectionate way. "Nuh uh, nice try, Piastri", you chuckled. "I‘ll be watching from Red Bull, you know that."
The confused expression on Lando‘s face only seemed to deepen with everything you said so you gave him a quick explanation. "My father used to work at Red Bull, so it‘s the team I‘ve grown up with and I‘m not leaving that."
Oscar snorted at you little white lie but you rammed your elbow into his side to get him to keep quiet.
Lando nodded, still slightly confused by the way you and Oscar acted with each other but before he could question it, a team member walked out of the door and told the two drivers to start getting ready for the race.
"I‘ll see you later, okay? You‘re driving back with Daniel?", your best friend asked. "I haven’t talked to him about it but-" "Okay, then I‘m taking you back to the hotel", he interrupted you with a grin.
"Jeez, splitting my time with you two like you‘re my parents", you laughed but agreed and hugged the driver goodbye.
"Bye, bye!", you waved to Lando, Max and Pietra before walking back over to Red Bull.
*~*~*~*~*~*
After the race and all the podium celebrations, you waited in front of the Mclaren hospitality for Oscar, scrolling mindlessly on your Twitter while ignoring the 22 unread messages from your management.
"Hey, Y/n", a voice said behind you, making you look up from your phone. "Lando, hi. Congrats on your race", you smiled. "Thanks, could’ve been better but we‘ll try again next week", he shrugged.
"Jeddah, right?", you asked, not having memorized the calendar quite yet. The driver nodded and played around with the orange lanyard in his hands.
"You coming?", he dared to ask after a few seconds and from the way his fingers fiddled with the orange band faster, you could tell how nervous he was. You shrugged. "I don’t know yet, I’m quite busy with work at the minute, so probably no. But I‘ll definitely be in Melbourne", you replied, trying to lighten the mood by adding the last sentence.
"Pietra told me you’re a singer", he revealed, making you smile at the memory of the blonde girl. "I could tell she recognized me", you admitted. Lando chuckled. "She said she tried her hardest to not let it show but was freaking out on the inside! She‘s actually quite mad at herself for not asking you for a picture!"
You giggled again and shook your head. "She could’ve asked, I wouldn’t have minded", you said with a small smile. "If she’s at a Grand Prix just let me know and I promise I‘ll find her." "I‘ll let her know", he nodded and looked to the ground with the cutest smile you have seen in a while.
The combination of the brunette curly hair, the british accent, the smile and his dimples, drove you crazy and made you heart skip a few beats. But you tried your best to keep it together.
Little did you know that Lando quite literally felt the same about you. Your long hair, along with the color of your eyes and especially your smile made his heart beat a little faster as well.
You stayed in silence for a few seconds, just looking at each other admiringly before a voice interrupted your starring.
"Princess!! Sorry for being late!", Oscar called while walking out of the hospitality with Lily‘s hand in his. You smiled at the sight of your best friend’s girlfriend and send her a little wave which she returned with the hand that wasn’t wrapped in Oscar‘s.
"That‘s okay, I had Lando to keep me company", you chuckled, making the brit smile a little. "You ready?", Oscar asked and you nodded.
He said goodbye to Lando and started walking down the stairs.
"I’ll see you in Australia?", Lando asked one last time. You nodded your head with a smile. "Oh for sure, I wouldn’t miss this race for the world!", you chuckled. "Great!", Lando whispered under his breath and gave you a little wave which you returned before following Oscar and Lily.
"What do you think of him?", Oscar asked as soon as Lando was out of hearing range. "Lando? He’s pretty cute", you simply stated, not daring to mention the other words floating around your head. Nice, pretty, gorgeous, hot and handsome were just a few examples.
"Why do you ask?"
Oscar smirked. "No reason, really!"
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tagged: redbullracing, danielricciardo, oscarpiastri
yn.adams: bahrain dump (feat. my two favorite aussies)
comments:
oscarpiastri: You‘re an aussie as well…
> yn.adams: But I‘m not tho…🤷‍♀️
> oscarpiastri: Y/n🤨
danielricciardo: I‘m shown before Oscar
> yn.adams: rolling my eyes as we speak
> fan: LMAOOO
fan: Am I seeing you in the Mclaren garage?
> yn.adams: JUST FOR A SECOND!!!
fan: The race weekend is better when ur there
liked by yn.adams
fan: How does she know Oscar and Daniel??
> fan: Through her dad obviously
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Part 2
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decayedgloria · 1 year
Text
sundress szn
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ft. Capitano, Dottore, Columbina, and Arlecchino
Summer’s finally come, so you decide to wear something that fit the occasion- much to your lover’s excitement.
Tags: First 4 harbingers x afab!reader (minus Pierro and Pulcinella), nsfw under cut, established relationships, Capitano may be ooc bc we have nothing on this man lmao, mdni
Word count: ~2.2K, not proofread
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Capitano
Capitano was ever the hard worker. If he wasn’t in his office at Zapolyarny Palace, then he was off fighting in the name of the Tsaritsa, far away from your home in Snezhnaya. Naturally, you miss him dearly- and clearly he had observed how you seem to linger around him more often when he’s around, or how much more clingy and desperate you’ve become in bed. Arranging for a short trip to Natlan, his home nation, you had hoped to reclaim the time you lost with your husband.
The climate in Natlan was drastically different from Snezhnaya. It was warm all year round, and this time it happened to be particularly hotter than any other season. You had packed clothes accordingly, though it was hard as weather like that never shows itself in the coldest nation in Teyvat. Though there was one piece you purchased that caught your attention, and you knew for sure your husband would absolutely love it on you.
Capitano sat on the edge of the bed, patiently waiting for you to get ready. His hands found themselves fiddling with the hem of the loose linen shirt he donned, which appeared to be tight on his massive, defined body, though he did not mind. He was proud of his physique, even more so at the fact you seemed almost obsessed with his broad shoulders and muscled arms. Chuckling to himself, Capitano finds it hard to resist you, his little wife.
“Dear, are you ready? We have the whole day ahead of us.” Capitano called out. You shuffled around in the bathroom, putting on the final touches of your makeup and making sure everything is in place before you emerge. Immediately, his eyes were on you- more specifically, the garment that you had chosen to wear. It was a sundress, of course. It was sheer, but not so much that it didn’t cover anything. It was perfect for the hot weather, especially its length, or lack thereof. Barely reaching over your ass, in fact.
Somewhat shyly, you give a little twirl in front of your husband. “Do you think this outfit is okay? I wasn’t sure it was my size so…” He had foregone his mask for the day, which gave away to his surprised face, blushing and staring as if he was hungry.
“You look amazing, my dear.” As you turn back to face Capitano, you were suddenly greeted with your husband’s chest. Leaning down, he places his large hands on your hips, giving them a light squeeze that illicited a giggle from you. He buried his face into the crook of your neck, taking in your tantalizing scent and grinning as you pull him closer towards you. 
“Irresistible, in fact. I think this is just the right size for you.” His voice was low, almost muffled as he placed light kisses on your skin. You sigh, running your fingers through his long hair, traveling lower onto his chest and then feeling the familiar shape beginning to form in your husband’s pants. You almost laughed when Capitano groaned at your touch, who unconsciously moved closer to you to relieve himself some.
“I thought we had plans for today?” Your honeyed voice only added to his increasingly needy gestures. He couldn’t help but let his hands roam across your body, touching and squeezing at your curves through the dress. Your small stature, so soft against his, in a dress that accentuated everything he loved about you…
Well, he did say that you both had the whole day, so why not spare a few more hours together?
Dottore
As his lovely lab assistant and partner, Dottore decided to bring you along with him to an expedition in Sumeru to collect some sample for his latest research endeavor. At first, you were hesitant and a bit confused as to why he didn’t just send one of his clones or subordinates to go fetch it instead, but he had insisted that the sample was of “utmost importance” and that only he would be able to verify its integrity, whatever that meant.
So that’s how you found yourself in the sweltering desert heat, sitting in a tent that barely blocked out the sun. Your sweat had drenched your clothing since the early morning, so a change of attire was in order. As you sift through your belongings, you groaned as you realized you’d only been packed clothes that the Fatui deemed “suitable” for Snezhnayan summers- that is, clothes that were still too thick to wear. 
You sigh as your eyes scan the room for another solution, stopping at the shopping bag you had left on your desk. The little free time you had before entering the desert was spent shopping around Port Ormos, in which you had purchased a dress you thought was cute. You weren’t expecting to wear it so soon, but it wasn’t like you had much of a choice…
Dottore worked on his paperwork, writing his report in a different tent from your shared one. Engrossed in his research, he barely noticed your presence enter the tent, nor did he notice the dress that barely clung onto your body. He hummed in response to your greeting, hearing you shuffle around and do the tasks you were assigned. 
It just so happens that the moment Dottore looks up happens to be the same moment you bend over to pick up some books on the floor, much to his wide-eyed pleasure. Your behind was deliciously accentuated in the new garment you wore, barely peeking out of the dress. In a flash, Dottore’s focus was taken away from the papers in his hands and instead was aimed at you, his cute little lab assistant.
With not much noise he rose, making his way over to you in silence as you gather all the books in your hands. You hadn’t noticed your lover’s presence until you feel a firm grip on your hips, suddenly knocking you against Dottore’s familiar legs. You let out something in between a gasp and a sigh as you crane your neck to look at him, slightly embarrassed as you felt his growing erection rub your ass.
“Now, you know I’m a busy man, darling.” Dottore’s husky voice sent a shiver down your spine. “So what’s with the distraction?”
“Look, it’s how outside and this is the only thing I can wear-“ A moan escaped your throat as you felt a sharp smack land on the plush of your behind. He smirked, shushing you as he pressed you closer against him. His hands grew erratic as they clawed at your dress, almost ripping it apart while he touch any and every port of your soft skin.
“A punishment is in order, don’t you think?”
Columbina
You sighed as you walked through the Palace greenhouse, on what seemed like your tenth lap of the day. Columbina had promised to meet you there after meeting with the Tsaritsa, but it had been hours- surely, a meeting wouldn’t take that long would it? 
You gaze dejectedly at the lily flowers by your side, blooming in spite of the coolness outside. The greenhouse felt like summer all year round, allowing for plants like the one you had in your hands to bloom effortlessly every year. It was quite impressive, such a large structure protecting plants from all over Teyvat from Snezhnaya’s cold. 
Given that, it really wouldn’t make sense to wear your normal Fatui uniform here, so you opted for a dress that you hadn’t worn in ages, and clearly it showed: the dress was a little tighter on you than you had remembered, accounting for the muscles you had gained while training, and it certainly was too short to comfortably move in, but the humidity of the room left you little to no choice. 
Your mind was somewhere else when you feel a hand snake around your waist from behind, relaxing when you catch a glimpse of magenta strands from the corner of your eye. Columbina made herself comfortable holding you so, nuzzling into your neck. Her quiet, melodic hums filled the air as you turned to look at your lover, a smile blooming on your face.
“What took you so long, love?” You gently tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, admiring her beauty. She chuckled, pleasant and light, before burying herself into you once more. 
“The meeting is still going,” she purred, her hands now barely grazing your hips and waist. You blush as you realize what she’s doing, glancing around to make sure there weren’t any idle soldiers or officers. “it was too dreadful. Sneaking out to see my lovely wife was much more important than some trivial talk of war tactics.” Oblivious to your growing panic, Columbina pulls you closer as she moves her lips against your own, smiling gently.
It didn’t take long for the kiss to turn passionate, with gentle pecks now turning into harsh smacks as your tongues worked against each other. With each kiss, your hands clawed at Columbina’s clothes, shredding off layers as her hands tug at your hair. 
Haphazardly, you both managed to find a nearby bench to continue your liaison on more comfortably. As you breathe heavily through your swollen lips, Columbina places herself over you, smiling as she dips down for a kiss one more time.
Arlecchino
Ever since Arlecchino was dispatched to Fontaine by the Tsaritsa, her mind was utterly consumed by you. Not that it normally wasn’t, thoughts of you always permeated her brain one way or another, but at least in Snezhnaya she was able to have you physically there to meet her demands- wether it was an affectionate cuddle or something more intimate, your presence was always just a call away.
However, ever since landing in Fontaine, Arlecchino’s thoughts only consisted of two things: the mission at hand, and you. How she missed the way you would saunter up to her, tease her in a way nobody else would dare, and how your legs would stay quiver and shake around her cheeks every time her tongue explored inside you-
Ah, she was getting carried away again. Arlecchino groaned internally at the paperwork that was placed in front of her, glaring as if it were an enemy. Well, in her mind, anything that kept you away from her was considered an enemy to an extent…
A knock on her office door snapped her out of her thoughts. Sighing, Arlecchino commanded them to come in, placing her chin on her palm, bored as ever. Her face must have conveyed some sort of annoyance as the poor fatui agent that came in visibly shivered a little, lowering their head as they said their greetings.
“What is it?”
“There’s a letter from Senzhnaya, my lady.” She did not miss the quiver in their voice, “It’s from Lady (Y/N).” As the agent reached out to give her the envelope, Arlecchino all but snatched it from their hands, all of her attention now devoted to the piece of paper in front of her.
“Leave.” Her voice left no room for reply, with the agent thankfully getting the hint and scurrying away. Once the heavy doors of her office closed, her ruby eyes inspected the envelope intently, taking in every detail that you may have left her. Just as quickly as she snatched the letter, she opened it, revealing its contents: a neatly folded letter, and what looked like a thin sheet wrapped with something.
She wasted no time in unfolding the letter, taking a note of the way the package smelled just like you- sweet, almost sickening. Her lips curled into a grin as she read the words that danced across the page, her heart leaping at all the praise and sweet nothings you seemed to litter across the paragraphs that you had written. How much you missed her, and yearned for her; all of it made Arlecchino’s head dizzy with pride and delight.
She was too absorbed in reading and rereading your letter that she had forgotten about the other item that you had delivered. Tilting her head, she gathered the thing in her hands gently, taking off the wrapping to reveal a picture taken with a camera- a picture of you, clad in what Arlecchino could only describe as barely a dress. A sheer fabric that did little to conceal your cleavage or your thighs as you pose, somewhat scantily, in a move she was sure was made in order to highlight your curves.
Arlecchino’s fingers subconsciously gripped the photo tighter, a shot of warmth suddenly coursing through her body. She sighed heavily, pink dusting her sheeks as she felt the familiar sensation of aching in between her legs. Tentatively, she took off her gloves and slowly travelled her fingers to the zipper of her pants, breathing growing ragged as she frantically tried to relieve whatever spell you had cast on her.
What a tease.
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A/N: here it is! writing this lowkey killed me :,) but i really hope yall liked it. its not full on smut (i dont trust myself to write those with the harbingers just yet for fear of mischaracterization) but its what i can manage. really, im just testing out the waters.
can you guys tell i have a favorite? lol. itll have to be split into two parts since its long enough.
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starsinthesky5 · 6 months
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wanna get out of here? | joe burrow x reader
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description: an impromptu getaway is exactly what you and joe needed
a/n: ahhh my second fic!! all the love on my first one gave me the motivation to go and write another one :) i hope you all like this one!
warnings: smut (hope it’s not too bad since it’s my first time writing it LOL), language
word count: 6 k
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Wednesday 
The sounds of hammering rain and thunder were all you could focus on as you were sitting on the couch, curled up in a blanket trying to finish an overly complex project for work. You had been trying to finish the final section for the past week but you simply could not get rid of the restless feeling that had engulfed you over the past few days. 
Joe, on the other hand, was sitting right next to you. He was staring at the TV which had on some random rerun episode of The Office. Normally, he’d be laughing along to the show no matter how many times he had seen the episode, but today he was quiet & agitated. He had been overwhelmed this past month with intense rehab for his wrist injury; on top of which he had his off-season workouts every day which had also been incredibly vigorous. He was mentally and physically burnt out and needed something to take his mind off of everything. He noticed that you also had been swamped with work which caused you to be on edge the whole week, preventing you two from having any real 1 on 1 time like you usually do, and he wasn’t having it. 
You were typing away on your computer, another idea that would probably lead to nothing, before you heard the TV turn off. 
You turned your head to Joe and saw his blank face. “Everything Okay?” you questioned while reaching for his hand. 
“Wanna get out of here?” he asked while interlocking your hands, still looking expressionless. 
“Joey there is literally a monsoon happening outside right now,” you deadpanned as you squeezed his hand. 
“Not out there. I mean do you wanna get out of Ohio?”.
“Who are you and what have you done with my fiancee,” you laughed. 
“What?” he asked, looking quizzical as if he had no idea why you said that.
“You, the same man that never leaves his house unless it’s business or football related. And sometimes due to a forced social activity, or occasionally to have fun, wants to leave Ohio? You’re practically a turtle that stays in its shell all day,” you say before going back to your work project. 
Joe is slightly taken aback by what you said. Deep down he knows you aren’t wrong, he doesn’t go out very often, which made what he said next even more necessary. 
“Let’s go to the Bahamas this weekend. I can call up Ted and get a jet here and we can leave Friday morning. I’m thinking we stay at a lowkey house on a private beach for maybe 4 days,” he says.
You think he’s just messing with you but when you look over at him, he looks serious. 
“Where is this coming from?” you say with worry in your voice. In the 5 years, you and Joe have been together, he’d never sprung an idea of a vacation on you by himself, it was always mutual. And you’d never left the States before either. You close your computer and turn to face him. 
“I’m just so fucking tired,” he says with a sigh. “These past few weeks have been really intense and I just need a break.” 
Your face drops as he continues. He’d been under so much pressure lately with OTA’s slowly approaching and training amping up; plus all the background noise. He’d start throwing in the next month or so and deep down he was nervous. He didn’t know how it was going to go and if all this rehab was even worth it if he was never going to be able to get back to where he was. 
“And you’ve been stressed out all week because of work and it feels like we haven’t had just ‘us’ time,” he adds. 
Joe was right. He’d be gone all day with either rehab or workouts and the only time you two would get together would be dinner. And by dinner, you’d be too exhausted to do anything but eat and rush off to bed. 
You spend a few moments contemplating his offer. It would be nice to get away for a few days and you both needed the change of environment badly. 
“Okay, let’s do it," you say with a smile as you pull him in for a hug. 
“But just so you know, since we’d be leaving in 2 days, I’m going to be an absolute nightmare when it comes to packing,” you say before planting a kiss on his cheek. 
“Oh, I'm well aware. You only get 2 days to stress about packing and not a whole week like usual,” he laughs. 
Thursday Evening 
You both spent the majority of the day planning your impromptu vacation. You found the perfect beach house on the other side of Nassau, away from the main part of the island. It was hidden by palm trees and had a private beach which made it easy to unwind without any prying eyes. You would spend the week there and pick out a few activities nearby to occupy your time. You also chose a few places to eat although you both decided to cook at home for the majority of your stay. 
Currently, you were sitting on your closet floor attempting to pack your suitcase but were majorly failing. Packing was never your strong suit, especially if you had to pack the day before a trip. The closet looked like a war zone, things were everywhere. 
“This is the wrong time to not be able to find anything,” you say to yourself while getting up once again to hunt for missing items. 
Joe walked into the closet and saw you frantically pacing back and forth looking for something. 
“Babe, are you Okay?” He asked while sitting down on the stool. 
“Have you seen my new white bikini? Or my sunglasses? Or my tank tops?” You asked, aggravated that you couldn’t find your stuff.
“I literally cannot find anything,” You added before giving Joe a look. He knew that look all too well, you were 1 misplaced item away from having a full breakdown. 
He got up from the stool and walked over to where you were, put his hands on your shoulders, and said “Y/N you could wear a potato sack and still look amazing. Stop stressing about it, this vacation is supposed to get rid of the stress. Not add onto it,”
You let out a deep breath and say “You’re right. It’s just us anyway. I’ll just pack some nice dresses and stuff whatever in the suitcase,” 
“The fewer clothes the better,” Joe smirks and says before leaning in and planting a kiss on your lips. 
“You’re insatiable,” you say against his lips. 
After you finish packing your suitcase, you get ready for bed since you have a fairly early flight. It took Joe about 15 minutes to pack his things, which came as no surprise since he is the biggest outfit repeater you know. You’re just about ready to doze off before you feel Joe’s hand creep up your leg and squeeze your thigh.
“Mmm Joe not right now,” you say half asleeply. “Go to bed,”
“Not that,” he states. “I can’t fall asleep,” he mumbles. 
You let out a sigh before turning to face him. No way you’re getting any sleep now. “What’s wrong,” you say as you move his messy curls out of his eyes. 
“I don’t know, I just can’t fall asleep,” he says. 
You knew Joe too well to know when something was bothering him. His confession earlier was only the tip of the iceberg. Something was bugging him and you needed him to talk to you.
“What’s going on in that brain of yours,” you say as you play with his curls. 
He stayed silent for a few heartbeats, not knowing if he should unload his heavy thoughts on you right before a vacation. But he knew that it was just you. You’d always listen to whatever he had to say, no matter the time or place. 
“Just everything.” He says, meeting your eyes. “Rehab has been going great and training has been too, and I should be happy about that but I just can’t get rid of that feeling,”
“What feeling?” You question.
“Feeling like I won’t be good enough. I know what people are saying; overpaid, overrated, no rings, injury-prone. And they aren’t wrong. I don’t have anything to back up why people think I’m a top 3 quarterback,” 
Your heart breaks as he continues to talk. The fact that Joe feels like he isn’t good enough is mind-boggling to you. He’s one of the best damn players you’ve ever seen and you wish you could do something to get rid of his doubts, but you knew that that was something he had to do on his own. 
“But you do have things to back it up. You had one of the greatest college football seasons ever. Winning the Natty and the Heisman was only the start of your legacy. You were drafted by an organization that was in desperate need of saving and you made an impact that not many could have done,” you say as you see a small smile on his face.
“You had a shitty rookie season with tearing basically everything in your knee, but you worked hard and came back better than ever fucking before. You went on and led the team to their first playoff win in 30 years and went to the fucking Super Bowl in your first full season,” you add.
“Yeah, you didn’t win. But you put the entire league on notice and showed them who the hell you are. And then you did it again next year even though you didn’t go all the way. This past year was rough and didn’t go the way anyone would have expected, but this is part of what makes you, you.” you say with a smile as he stares deeply into your eyes. 
“You thrive when there’s adversity. It makes you work harder for what you want and it always pays off one way or another. You always come out better and stronger. You are a great quarterback and are absolutely more than good enough. You’re going to have your moment soon, and I know it,” you conclude. 
Joe stares into your eyes for a few more heartbeats. You knew exactly what to say to bring him back down from whatever cloud he was stuck on and he was so thankful for you. 
“I love you,” he said as he pulled you onto his lap, pressing kisses all over your face. 
“I love you more, always,” you laugh as he kisses the hell out of you. 
You two spent the rest of the night in each other's embrace. You finally felt at peace once you heard Joe’s soft snores fill the room and finally got some sleep.
Friday
You both got up pretty early for your flight, taking a quick shower before packing the car and heading to the airport. After boarding the plane you both took off your shoes, pulled out your fav blanket, and got comfy. 
“Are you excited?” Joe beams.
“Excited is an understatement, Burrow,” you smirk. “Getting you out of Ohio might be my favorite part,”. 
“I’m so looking forward to getting some sun and swimming in that big pool,” he says, referring to the massive pool that’s a part of the house you rented.  
“It’s like you’re a whole new person,” you smile while leaning your head on his shoulder. He smiles and kisses your forehead before pulling out his laptop to turn on a movie. 
“Oooo what are we gonna watch?” you excitedly question. 
“I was thinking of either ‘Grown-Ups’ or ‘21 Jump Street’,” he responds.
“Hmm, let’s do Jump Street, it’s been a while since we watched that,” you say. 
You spent the rest of the flight watching movies, playing a few card games, and eventually taking a small nap before the plane landed. 
A few hours later
After the plane landed, you both drove to your house for the week and it was like something out of a fairytale. The house overlooked the beach and the crystal blue water. Lush green palm trees surrounding the house provided ample privacy, especially for the large open pool in the backyard. You two settled into the house before changing into your swimsuits for a nice afternoon dip in the pool. You did end up finding your new white bikini, which was perfect for the occasion. 
Joe walked out of the bathroom and saw you brushing your hair in the mirror. His eyes trailed down to your bare legs, up to your perfect ass, then to your toned stomach, and straight to your chest. You looked so sexy and he was in heaven. He walked up to you and hugged you from behind, his warmth causing you to melt into his arms. 
Your eyes met his in the mirror, “Like what you see, Burrow?” you teased. 
“Absolutely,” he chuckled as he swayed you two back and forth, pressing a kiss on the back of your shoulder while sliding his hand down to your ass. Joe was grinning like a love-struck fool as he watched you close your eyes and melt into his embrace. He was making you feel more relaxed than you’d ever been before and you both were loving it. 
You both ventured out to the pool and sat down on the pool chairs, hoping to get a quick tanning sesh in before a swim. A few minutes in, Joe found himself staring at the pool when he got an idea. 
“I’m gonna jump into the pool,” he casually said.
You quickly turned your head to him and said, “Are you crazy, the water will get everywhere,” You gasped.
“It’s just us though, nobody around to complain. Besides, I can’t do it in the pool at home since we spent way too much money on redoing the backyard. At least here there isn’t any vegetable garden at risk of being destroyed,” he smirked before quickly running back to the patio door and launching himself into the pool, not giving you a moment to lecture him. 
The water did in fact get everywhere but it was worth it when you saw Joe come up from the water. He shook his head back and forth to get the water out of his hair before he took his hand and attempted to slick it back. Your eyes navigated to his muscular chest which had stray water droplets sliding down his abdomen, back into the water. God, he looked so hot like this. 
“Like what you see, Burrow,” he teased as he noticed your expression. 
“Yes, in fact I do. Very much actually,” you say while getting off the chair. “And I’m not a ‘Burrow’ yet, still gotta wait a few months before that,” you say as you make your way into the pool. 
“Well, you’re practically already my wifey sooo,” he trails off before swimming over to the steps and helping you into the pool. 
You giggle at his words. He couldn’t wait to marry you and he never failed to make it known. 
You immediately latch onto him when you're in the pool. This was pretty normal for you both. You’d always use him as a floatie and make him do all the work while you just lay on him and relaxed. 
A few moments later you release yourself from his embrace, making him slightly confused at the sudden loss of contact. 
“Y/N come back,” he whines out.
“Someone’s clingy today,” you say while playfully rolling your eyes and swimming away from him. 
He stared at you for a few moments, a sad look on his face while you continued to swim around and away from him. You felt bad that you’d left him hanging but you were having too much fun teasing him. 
“Come and catch me shiesty,” you yelled. He hated it when you called him that. That nickname was only for football-related individuals to use and he thought it was a little cringe whenever you would use it. Not in a bad way, it’s just he preferred you calling him other names that football-related people can’t use. You knew how he felt about it but you also knew that this would for sure set him off. 
“Oh you’re done for,” he playfully growled before swimming after you. The pool was massive so you had just enough space to get away from him. 
You two were swimming circles around each other, occasionally splashing water into each other's faces in hopes of catching each other off guard. Your arms began to get tired of swimming around so you stopped by the ledge to take a breather while Joe was settled on the other side of the pool. 
Before you knew it, Joe had swum over to you and pulled you back into his arms. 
“Got you,” you whispered against your ear. 
“I guess you did,” you whispered back. 
“You look absolutely gorgeous by the way,” he said looking down into your eyes. “I love this bikini on you,” 
You blushed at his sweet comments. He never failed to tell you how pretty you looked. 
“Ya know, I look even better with it off,” you tease. 
Joe’s face dropped immediately when you said that. He’d been horny since he saw you in that bikini but had to compose himself since you both were looking forward to swimming in the pool. But now that you’d gotten your swim time in, nothing was stopping him. 
He slowly pressed you against the wall of the pool and kissed his way up your neck right up to your sweet spot. 
“Joe,” you moaned out. 
“What baby?” He asked, knowing exactly what you wanted.
“I need you,” you whined.
He looked at you momentarily before lifting you out of the pool and rushing you inside to the large bedroom. You let out a squeal as he pushed you back onto the bed. Joe climbed over you and situated his body in between your thighs, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss. You stayed kissing each other for a few minutes before you felt something hard poke at your stomach.
“Getting eager now aren’t we,” you tease. 
“Please, I’ve been waiting to get you in this bed since I saw you in this bikini,” he grinned. 
“Then I suggest you do something about it,” you replied.
Joe smiled and started to untie the strands of your bikini top before tossing it to the side. He kissed his way down to your perfect breasts, swirling his lips around your sensitive bud which caused you to let out a breathy moan.
“Joe,” you moaned out while shoving your hands in his hair. 
He spent a few moments sucking on your breasts before he continued his way down. He pressed a few sloppy kisses on your stomach before eventually making his way down to where you needed him the most. He slowly peeled off your bottoms which was driving you insane.
“Joe please,” you whined out.
“Patience is key, baby,” he teased. 
He threw your bottoms to the side as he made his way back up to your heat. “You’re so wet,” he says while ghosting his fingers over your folds.
“Joe I swear to god-,” You suddenly felt his warm tongue lapping at your folds which caused you to let out another moan, “Ohh Fuck”. 
He buried his warm tongue inside your core as he continued to eat you out like a starved man. He moved one of his hands up to cup your breast as the other was firmly on your thigh. Joe moved up and started to rhythmically suck on your clit which made you see stars; something which he made you see often. “Joey, fuck don’t stop,” you said breathlessly.
“You like that?” he chuckled against your core, sending vibrations throughout your body. Those 3 words always managed to get you more horny than you already were. "Yeah," you whispered.
He went back to lapping at your folds as he used his thumb to rub your clit. The combination of his mouth and fingers was sending you over the edge. You started to arch your back which caused you to lift your hips slightly but Joe pushed them back down as he continued to send you into a frenzy. You fisted your hands into his hair and started to pull on the loose curls which caused Joe to let out a soft moan against you. 
“Joe I’m so close,” you whispered as you pushed his head closer to your core. You felt a familiar warmth in your belly as you were moaning Joe’s name out (which was driving him insane). Joe thrusted one of his fingers into you, causing the imaginary rubber band in your lower belly to snap; feeling a familiar gush of liquid pool below you. You were overcome with a feeling of pure pleasure and satisfaction as he cleaned up your mess with his skillful mouth. He pressed delicate kisses on the insides of your thighs before moving back up and pushing his lips against yours again. 
“You’re so hot,” he said in between kisses. 
You felt a blush creep up on your face. “I’m flattered Mr. Burrow, but have you seen yourself”. 
“Shut up,” he chuckled before going back to kissing you. You stopped kissing him after a few moments and said “Joe, I need you inside me.”
“Your wish is my command babe,” he replied as he pulled down his swim trunks and threw them to the side. His cock was rock hard and the sight of it had you sizzling with anticipation. 
Your core was slick with your arousal which made it easy for him to push his dick into you. The tip slowly teasing your folds before he buries himself inside of you, causing you to let out a loud moan. You will never get tired of the feeling of him inside you. 
He started slowly thrusting into you which made you wrap your legs around him, wanting him deeper asap. 
“Joe, Fuck,” you moaned out. “Faster baby,”. 
He began snapping his hips against you, faster & harder than before. “God, you feel so good Y/N,” he moaned out. You brought him in for another kiss, this time quick, messy, and sloppy. He continued thrusting into you and you bucked your hips each time to match his movements. The sound of your arousal and skin-hitting skin filled the room as you two were caught up in the euphoria that was happening between you. 
Joe buried his face into your neck, sucking on your sweet spot, as your hands found themselves in his hair again. You were on Cloud 9 right now and it was all because of him.
“Joe, don’t stop. Shit, you feel too good,” you moaned. You felt him move deeper inside of you as he repeatedly hit your cervix. 
He continued to pound into you, making you feel like nothing else mattered but this moment. You both felt your arousal building up, begging to be released. 
“Fuck Y/N, I’m close,” he panted as he slowed down.
“Me too,” you whimpered. 
He picked up the pace of his thrusts once again, this time moving one of his hands down to your heat, toying with your clit. “Fuck,” you moaned out for what seemed like the hundredth time. “I’m gonna cum,” you whimpered. You felt your walls clench around him, signaling you were almost there. Joe felt you clench around him and pinched your clit which set off your orgasm. Your chest heaved up and down as you whimpered out his name while seeing stars again. He continued to thrust into you, chasing his pleasure. 
“Y/N,” Joe moaned out. You knew he was close by the way his thrusts started to become sporadic. 
“Come on baby,” you encouraged while pulling at his hair and kissing his neck. 
After a few rough thrusts, Joe let out a loud moan as you felt hot spurts of his cum fill you up. He collapsed on top of you as you both panted, needing a moment to recover after the workout you two just had. You moved one of your hands to his back, softly sliding it up and down to help him relax.
“I love you,” he softly said as he kissed your cheek, making you smile. 
“I love you more,” you whisper in his ear as he buries his face into your neck again. 
The next day 
The next morning was pretty chill for you both. You had breakfast at the local beachside cafe, stuffing your faces with delicious fresh fruit from the island before embarking on a pleasant morning walk on the beach. 
“This is nice,” Joe says as you both walk hand in hand alongside the water, a content look on his face.
You look up at him and smile, “Very nice,” you giggle. “Although, I don’t know how you’re not uncomfortable with walking on the beach in shoes,” you question while looking at your bare feet and then his shoes. 
“You never know when a crab might come up and pinch your toes,” he says with a straight face. 
“Righhhht,” you say while relishing the feeling of sand between your toes. 
“So, what should we do today? We pretty much have the whole day since we’re cooking at home tonight,” he says while squeezing your hand. 
“Hmmm,” you wonder for a second. “We could go out on one of the boats?” you carefully question while looking up at your fiancee. 
Joe did not like going on boats. He hated the idea of being out on the open water with no way of getting back to shore other than using the boat. He always questioned what you would do if the boat broke down or even started sinking. You always told him the sinking part was highly unlikely, but you blamed yourself for that worry because you’ve made him watch Titanic with you one too many times. He also didn’t like how you couldn’t see what was in the water. But lucky for you, the water in the Bahamas was crystal clear. 
He stayed silent for a few moments, making you a little sad since you wanted to experience something new with him. 
“Let’s do it,” he says while flashing you a smile. 
You looked up at him, a little surprised. “Really?” you beam. 
“Yes, now let’s go before I change my mind,” he says before stopping to pick you up. He doesn’t give you a moment to respond because he throws you over his shoulders causing you to let out a squeal. He leads you both back to the house so you can get freshened up.
You both got changed into your swimsuits before walking over to the docks and renting a boat for the day. You weren’t sure how you managed to get Joe to go on the boat, but you certainly were not complaining. 
The driver had taken the boat not too far from shore, which kept Joe’s mind at ease. You swam in the water for a little bit and enjoyed a few drinks. 
“Mmm, this like the best Mai Tai I’ve ever had,” you say while taking another sip. Joe was currently in the water in front of you, while you were seated on the steps of the boat, legs partially in the water. 
“Come in the water,” Joe says while splashing some water onto you. 
“Mmm, I think I’m good up here,” you tease while placing your drink to the side.
Joe swam closer to you and said “Nope.”
You were confused at what he meant but then you felt his wet hand wrap around your wrist. 
“Joe, don’t even think about it,” you playfully growled, knowing exactly what he was about to do. He didn’t listen and pulled you into the water, causing a big splash. You came back up to the surface with a frown.
“Someone’s mad,” Joe laughs. You swim over to him while he is fully anticipating an ass-kicking but is pleasantly surprised when you wrap your arms around his neck and kiss his cheek.
You laugh and say, “If this is mad, let me be mad more often,”.
A few hours pass and you both are sitting on the boat in the net seating area that was right above the water. Joe had put on one of his many bucket hats and shades and was laid flat against the net, soaking in the golden sun. You were applying another layer of sunscreen before noticing his chest turning red. You knew he’d be a pain in the ass if he got sunburnt so you took the bottle and moved closer to him. 
You squeezed out a dab of sunscreen and started applying it to his chest. He flinched at the sudden contact before realizing it was just you. 
You felt him flinch and laughed, “Daydreaming, Burrow?”. 
“Maybe,” he smiles while taking off his shades. He looks down and sees you applying sunscreen on him, “Oh, thanks,” he says while meeting your eyes. 
You let out a playful sigh and say, “What would you do without me,”.
“For real,” he says. “I’d be walking around like a tomato,” he laughs. 
After applying the rest of the sunscreen, you lay back against the net and Joe lifts one of his arms, motioning for you to curl up next to him. He rests his hand on the small of your back while you tangle your legs with his. 
You lay there briefly, soaking up the perfect scene before breaking the silence. “Are you enjoying this? I know boats aren’t really your thing and I hope I didn’t force you into this,” you softly say. 
“Of course, I’m enjoying this. I will admit, I was a little nervy when getting on but you’re here with me so I’m fine. Besides, If the boat breaks down at least we’d be stranded together,” he jokes. 
“I guess that’s true. Better than being stranded with a bunch of randos too. I’m glad we could get a boat just for the two of us,” you reply. 
“Yup. This isn’t as bad as I thought. I can see everything below us too so no risk of a random shark popping out,” he deadpans.
“Like that would actually happen,” you say while softly hitting his chest.
“You never know,” he says while shaking your shoulder in an attempt to scare you.
You spent a few minutes messing around with each other before the driver came out to tell you that you were heading back to the island. You both got up and sat on the bench, your back pressed into Joe’s chest and stared out into the open waters, taking in the view before it was time to go back. You were mindlessly sliding your hand along Joe’s leg while he had his arms around your waist, gently squeezing your soft skin. Everything about this moment was peaceful. Joe felt at ease for the first time in a long time and he had his favorite person to thank for it. 
Once you got back to the house, you both took a nice shared shower before starting your dinner prep. Before arriving at the house yesterday, you had stopped at the local market to pick up some groceries. 
“So, what are we making tonight,” Joe asked as he sat down on one of the barstools. 
“I was thinking of shrimp-avocado tostadas and some of that wine we picked up yesterday?”
“Sounds delicious,” he said while rubbing his belly.
You let Joe fry the tortillas and make the avocado mixture while you cooked the shrimp and assembled the tostadas. While you were assembling the dish, Joe found a few candles in the cabinet and got an idea. He went outside to the backyard and set up the candles on one of the patio tables, setting the scene for a nice sunset dinner. He picked out a few flowers from the front of the house and put them in a vase to use as a centerpiece. He then poured the wine into 2 glasses, setting one on each side. 
You had finished plating the tostadas and didn’t see Joe anywhere. “Joe? Where are you,” you yelled out.
“Out here! Bring the plates outside,” he yelled back. 
You were a little confused but went along with it. You walked outside with your dinner and saw Joe setting the table and your heart melted. 
“Joe, this is so romantic,” you cooed while putting the plates on the table. 
He gave you a warm smile before pulling out one of the chairs for you to sit in. You sat down as he settled into the chair across from you. You both devoured the tostadas while making small talk about your plans for tomorrow. After you finished eating, Joe took the plates and set them inside; he suggested you both finish up your wine on the daybed since you would get a comfier view of the sky. 
Later that night, per your suggestion, you and Joe were sitting in the bathtub surrounded by bubbles and a few candles. You felt so relaxed even though you’d only been here for 2 days, and it was all because of Joe.
“I’m glad we finally get to have ‘us’ time,” Joe says while rubbing your thigh under the water. “I missed just being able to sit with you and do nothing. This past month felt so repetitive, I feel like we barely saw each other,” 
“Me too. We needed this,” you said as you pressed yourself into his chest a little more. Your back was to his chest and both your legs were tangled under the water. This was your favorite position; the warmth radiating off of his body felt like a big hug. 
“Thank you for doing this by the way,” you add.
“Doing what?” He questioned.
“This trip. I needed it more than I thought I did. Getting away from home and the change of environment was much needed. I think if I stayed in Ohio for another day I might have spontaneously exploded,” you joked, causing him to let out a soft chuckle. 
“Anytime,” he replied while kissing the nape of your neck.
“Do you feel better?” You asked. “I hope you were able to get your mind off of things. Your stuff was a lot heavier than mine,”
He lets out a content sigh and says, “Actually, yeah I do feel better. I think I just needed to get out of the chaos and get out of my head. This trip has helped me decompress and realize that not everything has to be so stuffy all the time,” Joe says. 
“Exactly,” you chirp as you lean your head back to place a kiss on his neck.
“I can’t do anything about what people are saying, they’ll always talk. But what I can do is work hard to get back to where I’m supposed to be. And I won’t be able to get there if I’m constantly pressuring myself,” he says. “Letting loose and having fun is a part of that journey. I need that balance,” he adds.
“And this is a great start,” you say while smiling up at Joe
“Yes it is,” Joe says while pressing another kiss to your forehead. 
You both had spent the rest of the night talking about the rest of your exciting activities planned for the final 2 days of the trip. You even talked about a few fun things you could do around Cincinnati when you get back home so that you could keep the work-life balance that you both so desperately needed. 
“This impromptu vacation might have been the best idea you’ve had so far,” you tell Joe as you both are about to fall asleep. 
“We should get away more often,” Joe grins.
--The End--
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wosoluver · 5 months
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Celebration
Claudia Pina x reader, Barça femeni x reader
-> this last game, Clau wasn't able to score, but you helped her chill and celebrate the league's win >>
Claudia Pina Masterlist
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You could see the frustration plastered onto her face. Not once, not twice, but over five shots. None of them would hit the back of the net.
First being taken down in the penalty box, on a very promising chance, making sure we got a penalty.
Frido hit it perfectly, placing it right in the goal. Making it 1-4.
At 85' Clau kicked the ball, but it went straight into the Granada goalkeeper's hands.
Then Brugts made an amazing cross, but she missed it, by so little. Someone was able to get a rebound, and still, it just wouldn't go in.
Next Hansen passed her the ball, but she had fallen down after another player had harshly pushed her.
At the stoppage time, she dribbled well, but the ball was deflected, now getting a chance from a corner. But nothing. Like every play after that.
You were already winning the game.
But Claudia felt an extreme need to prove herself. Even knowing she was one of the best in the team, and definitely the future of Barça.
And you weren't saying this just because she's your girlfriend. Everyone saw it too.
When the final whistle blew, instead of instantly celebrating, she sat on the grass with her hands on her head.
You ran from the bench straight to her.
"Amor you did amazing. Don't be so hard on yourself." you kneeled down in between her legs.
"I missed all my fucking chances!"
"You did everything in your reach. They did some good defending. And overall, the rest of the team could have done better too. Esmee and Bruna also made some mistakes."
"I know, I just can't believe I couldn't do anything."
"You almost scored the first pass you got after entering the game!
But I know no matter how much I try, I won't convince you, so.
How about we celebrate our league title tonight, your amazing 12 goals this season and when we are back home we can work on your finishes and do some practice?"
"Deal." she said giving you a small smile. That didn't quite reach her eyes. But you were determined to change that.
You pulled her up and instantly jumped on her back.
"VAMOOOS! CAMPEONES!" you screamed from the top of your lungs.
You got down to hug the other girls, getting ready to take the celebration picture, sitting on the ground in between Vicky and Ona.
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You went in to the bathroom, needing to pee, but when coming out of the stall, you were sprayed in the face by Patri and Lucy, who were jumping around euphoric.
"Goddamn! It stings!" you yelled while being pulled in by the girls.
"Amor, close your eyes." she asked you, while using her shirt to clean your eyes. "There."
"Thank you."
You proceeded to jump around in a mosh pit, along with your friends. Then Patri had the brilliant idea to go around the hallway dancing and singing. She held the speaker in one hand and the phone on the other, as everyone trailed behind her, you held onto your girlfriend.
"IZQUIERDA, DERECHA, IZQUIERDA, DERECHA, AYE VAMOS!"
And while the team was somewhat distracted, you pulled Clau back into the locker room.
You both did the best you could to keep professional during work. But today felt okay to let go.
"Another one! Together." you said grabbing two tiny bottles of champagne, handling her one. "Cheers."
"Cheers mi amor!" she pulled you in for a kiss. "I love you."
"Y yo a ti." with your hands around her neck, kissing once again.
But you were rudely interrupted.
"Oye!" said Ona walking in with Lucy.
"Oh don't start! What were you two walking in here for? Together?" you teased them.
"Yeah, the party is outside. Unless you were here for the same as us." your girlfriend joined you, while wiggling her brows.
"What? No!" they said at the same time, nervously.
"Come on! We already know!" laughter erupted in the room as everyone walked back in.
The next thing you knew, Cata was slip' n sliding in beer. Claudia joining her, and you knew this wouldn't end well.
As you turned to talk to Patri, you felt yourself being taken down. Your girlfriend had basically stricked you down like a bowling pin. And ended up under you.
"CLAUDIA!" you yelled out, as a drunk Cata, could only laugh, looking at the whole situation.
As Salma filmed everything, and the girls cheered on.
"Fuck! My hand!" you whispered.
"I'm so sorry!" she said helping you up. "Are you okay?"
"No, I think I might have broken my hand."
At the start of the night you all knew, you were in for some partying, but not that everyone would take the flight next day with an insane hangover, Cata still wasted, and you with a cast on your hand.
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I know some of you expected some smut, and it's not. But I can confidently say there is a Pina smut coming! 🩷
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mournings-stars · 7 months
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all i've ever known
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part 3 and second part of the prelude "little songbird" to my orpheus and eurydice angst fic "doubt comes in"
includes: heaven lucifer ofc, a little lore, some blending of greek mythology, still a little ambiguous but not really, luci is still a hopeless romantic, lots of fluff warning: yall may hate me in the next chapter (which may also be the final one)
part 4 (prelude pt. 3) part 5/finale (semi-alt ending)
tags: @lxkeee @viannasthings @majonla
Peace in Heaven brought peace on Earth, everyone knew it. Which was why, usually, there was no discord among the angels.
Today, however, there had been. You went down to Earth because of it, hoping to escape the lectures that ensued after the other Virtues learned that you let Lucifer help you change the seasons. Only lower ranking angels seemed to be truly upset, but the talk of balance, respect, and entitlement had started to make your mind go numb. You were confident in upholding your virtue. You were never prideful, you didn’t boast, you always looked for what you could do better. You’d never cheated, and you didn’t think of this as such, but it was becoming a debate. 
You had no reason to listen to any of the younger angels, but once the sky started to change you knew the conversation had reached higher up. The sky darkened, and you knew it meant the other Virtues were arguing. When thunder rumbled, you knew the arguing had reached the Ophanim. It started to rain, the Cherubim must know too. 
You thought to get home before chaos could erupt on Earth, but the moment you took to the sky, lightning struck. No matter where you went, it was nearly impossible to dodge and as the storm grew stronger, you knew that you weren’t strong enough to outrun it. You needed to hide, finding somewhere to cower and cover your ears as you hummed a song to try and soothe the Earth. 
But nothing worked — nothing would work when things were just as bad in Heaven. 
“This is ridiculous,” Lucifer told Sera and Emily, the youngest of the Seraphim, who was always by Sera’s side, as they sat in a meeting room. “The seasons have always been this beautiful—“
“We all know you think Humility is beautiful,” Emily said, laughing to herself as Lucifer raised a brow. 
“Virtues were made to be beautiful,” Sera said, looking at Emily pointedly as the other two Seraphim snickered. 
The meeting was interrupted by Temperance, bursting through the doors despite warnings from other Virtues. “There’s a storm on Earth,” she said, panicked. The Seraphim looked at her, confused. “Humility is missing—“
Before she could even finish, Lucifer was standing to leave. Sera stood as well. “You can’t fly in the storm if it’s that bad,” she told him. “Humility can control elements. It’s what Virtues do—“ Even they heard the thunder when she said that, making them all pause. 
“We can’t control this,” said Temperance, and Lucifer didn’t need another reason to leave, flying down as fast as he could. 
It was worse than when you tried, Lucifer avoiding lighting left and right as he looked around The Garden. He called your name, but it was drowned out in the sound of the storm, which just kept getting worse. There was no stopping a storm when it was born from all of Heaven in debate, which meant you must’ve been waiting it out. 
And that meant he had no idea where you’d be; you knew Earth better than he ever could, how could he possibly find you — how could he possibly find somewhere to wait this out—?
A golden leaf caught his eye, whipping in the wind. It shimmered despite the lack of light, heading in a deliberate path. He followed after it, swerving and dodging the storm and fighting against the winds pushing him in opposite directions. 
The leaf led him to a small cave, warm light flickering from within. As soon as he entered, the leaf turned to dust and he made his way toward the glow of fire. 
He called your name. “Are you there?”
He heard the sound of footsteps. “Lucifer?” He couldn’t help the smile that came when he realized you recognized his voice. It widened when you walked over to him, glad to see you weren’t harmed by the storm. “Goodness, you’re soaked.”
He laughed at your concern, “I’m alright–”
But he followed you as you took his hand and led him deeper into the cave. “We should get you warmed up.” You sat him down. “I’d summon you a blanket, but everything is so out of balance, I don’t think I could even do that.”
“Is that why you didn’t create a portal?” He tried to summon a blanket when you nodded, but his powers were just as confused as yours, gold sparking from his fingers and creating a blanket of moss all across the cave. 
“This is very beautiful… and soft,” you attempted to compliment, “but not exactly the blanket I was thinking of.” Your reassurance was met with laughter, making you smile as you asked, “Is that why you came down? Because I didn’t come back up?”
“Temperance was worried,” he said awkwardly, holding his hands over the fire. He wasn't going to tell you that he was worried, too. It wasn’t his place, but he couldn’t help the concern that came the moment he heard you were in a storm even you couldn’t control. 
“I see…” You nodded slowly. “You shouldn’t have come—“
“You might’ve been hurt—“ He quickly stopped himself, looking over at your coy smile and sighing. “I was… concerned; Temperance isn’t the type to panic.”
“Yes, of course.” He gave you a pointed look and you continued, “Temperance losing her… temper is always cause for concern.“
“Very funny,” he groaned, making you laugh to yourself. 
There was a long pause before you said, “Thank you for worrying about me.” Then, “I’m glad I don’t have to wait this out alone.” And you were glad you’d be waiting it out with him. You couldn’t deny that you enjoyed his company, even if it caused the lecture that led to this in the first place. 
He smiled as he removed his robe, the sopping wet garment making him colder than he needed to be. Luckily, his suit was dry. You waved your hand when you noticed him shiver, a warm breeze circling through the cave and making him sigh. “Thank you.” You gave a smile.
“How did you know to send a guide?” He asked, referencing the golden leaf. 
“If someone says our true name, it’s like a call,” you explained. “I couldn’t hear you, but I knew someone was out there and needed help… There’s a reason we don’t give our names to everyone, but it can be useful.”
“Why me?”
You shrugged. “It felt right… you feel very familiar—“
“Do I?” He grinned, a look on his face that made you shake your head. “I thought the same thing,” he then said, laughing to himself. “Like we should know each other.”
You smiled very gently, looking over at him from across the fire. “I’d like to know you.”
“Would you?” There wasn’t any teasing laced in his question, if anything, he seemed surprised to hear that from you, so you nodded. “I’d like that, too.”
And suddenly, bright and warm, sunlight seeped into the cave, brightening the mossy surroundings and illuminating the small area. You both frowned, standing and looking out from the entrance. The storm had stopped, only a light drizzle falling from the sky as the sun beamed down on you. In the distance, you could see the rainbow that came after every storm, telling you it was truly over. 
“How odd,” was your observation, making Lucifer chuckle. You left the cave, flying up into the gentle rain to look around. The world felt calmer, and the winds were singing the song they always did, circling around you and heading on their way. The plants were still thriving, not a single one broken or hurt. It looked as if the storm never happened. 
Lucifer watched as you went to the burrows and hollowed tree stumps, checking on animals, soothing them if they were frightened, or bringing them out of hiding to show them it was safe. He couldn’t help but smile; so much care went into your work — you didn’t even think of it as work, he could tell by the way The Garden brightened as you continued to check on it, how winds and birds sang, how animals followed you. They could all feel the love you had for the Earth, and when you sang, he could feel it, too. 
You sang a very quiet tune, the same one to change the seasons, but it only made the gentle winds help to dry off a poor animal you were holding, which you lovingly showed to him, calling him over and letting him hold the animal, too. 
And since that day, Lucifer was much more forward. He was sure of how he wanted to know you now, and he only hoped you felt the same. He held up on his promise of gifts, even giving you replicas of the flowers you made while fall took them away. If you said you missed hydrangeas and he’d create one for you by the next time you met, encasing it in a glass jar where it blossomed endlessly, along with any other flower you mentioned. 
But your meetings were few and far between. You had to prepare to change autumn to winter, and spring after that, leading to you spending most of your time in your greenhouse, creating new flowers or practicing frosting them over. You found yourself creating flowers you knew Lucifer would like, setting aside several to give to him. 
One day, after several hours of work, a pale yellow bird came swooping in. You recognized it, laughing as you said, “Hello, little songbird,” and picked one of the many flowers you set aside for Lucifer to hold out to the supposed bird. “What do you think?” With a soft poof the bird transformed into the angel you suspected. Your wings fluttered. “What a surprise!” You smiled as his red cheeks tinted gold. 
“You don’t actually seem all that surprised that I’m here,” he said, taking the flower from you and sticking it into his lapel. 
“Were you hoping to surprise me?” Before you could take your hand away, he took it gently in his, kissing the back of it as he always did when he greeted you now.
He looked up at you and shrugged. “Maybe.”
You quickly took your hand away from his as your cheeks shined, making him stifle a prideful laugh. “Well, I’m happy you’re here — does that make up for the lack of surprise?” You asked as you went back to your work, now burying seedlings in golden dust. You didn’t tell him the many flowers set aside were for him, hoping to space them out so you had a reason to see him more often. 
“That’s even better,” he answered surely, the gold of his cheeks growing before he cleared his throat. “I thought you might like some company — of course, Sera said to leave you alone.”
“And you’re not listening to her, because…?”
“I wanted to see you,” he said simply, looking around the greenhouse and spotting the flowers you set aside. 
His visits to the greenhouse became more frequent, sometimes aiding, sometimes distracting, but you enjoyed them either way. After turning autumn to winter, his kisses on the hand became brazen, then casual, kisses on the cheek as he held your hand. His visits, though still spontaneous, became scheduled and prepared for. He’d make you dinner some nights, or come over for lunch, where you gave him the flowers you set aside and asked his opinions. 
There were days you went down to Earth together, flying and playing in the snow. You’d throw snow at one another, or race each other through a beautiful blizzard. Your wings were made to handle the elements, so you often won, but he was quick to make a portal appear in front of you and send you back several feet so he could have a lousy win. But as a prize, he simply asked for a kiss on the cheek, which you couldn’t deny, shielding it with your wings as you did. 
There was a day when a blizzard became too hard to see through, so you went to that same mossy cave you did before, the only place where it still felt like summer; the warm breeze you created having never left. 
On the mossy cave walls, you traced your hand along it and watched as flowers blossomed wherever you touched. “I can’t wait for spring,” you told him. 
“I’m sure it’ll be beautiful,” he said, watching the flowers you made bloom. “It always is.”
You smiled, cheeks slowly becoming gold. “What flower will you collect this time?”
“I’m not sure yet,” he told you, and he told you that, because he couldn’t tell you that Sera forbade him from doing so, saying he’d become a distraction by being so forward, yet not outright trying to pursue you. 
So when spring did come, and you witnessed the first bloom alone, you collected a small bouquet before heading back to Heaven and straight to Lucifer’s doorstep. You knocked, waiting patiently before he opened the door, smiling immediately. “It’s you!”
“It’s me,” you laughed, holding the bouquet out to him with fluttering wings. “I brought something for you, since you weren’t there to distract me…”
He was speechless, wings fluttering behind him as he looked at the bouquet in awe. He carefully waved a hand around it, encasing it in glass before snapping his fingers and transporting it to his office. 
He looked up at you and said, “thank you for the beautiful gift,” hand taking yours as he leaned in. 
But he didn’t kiss your cheek. Instead, he placed his lips tentatively on yours as his fluttering wings involuntarily lifted him from the ground. 
You were too shocked to do anything before he pulled away and said, “I’m sure you have important work to do.”
“Your work is far more important than mine.” He laughed, squeezing your hand before he let go. “I’ll see you at the Celebration, right?”
“I couldn’t miss it.”
And just a few days later, another Seasons Celebration came around. It was the same, angels rejoicing; singing, dancing, indulging in heavenly spirits. 
And, again, Lucifer arrived late, but he went straight to you. You let the pale bird he’d taken the form of whistle a tune that you hummed along to before he appeared, smiling as he offered his hand to dance. 
Maybe it was the confidence alcohol gave you, or you attempting to crush the nerves that stopped you from doing anything when you went to visit him, but you took his hand and pulled him forward, planting a very deliberate kiss on his lips. He didn’t waste time, hands going to your waist as he kissed you back. His arms circled around you, wings shielding your faces and privatizing the moment as your hands went to his cheek and shoulder. 
“Finally,” muttered Patience, making you laugh before pulling back. 
“Come home with me,” Lucifer blurted breathlessly before his brain could even stop his mouth. He cleared his throat, pausing for a moment, in shock of what he just said. The other Virtues were snickering, Sera looked appalled, and Emily choked on her drink — all while your hands simply fell and brows raised in anticipation of seeing what he might have to say to fix that. He shook his head to get his thoughts in order and quickly remembered Sera’s warning, adding, “Would you like to… For dinner…?” as he moved his hands to your hips, then your hands to make sure he wasn’t coming on too strong. 
“For dinner?” He nodded as you quirked a brow at him.
“Or whatever you want,” he said just as dumbly as his first suggestion, his composure leaving him as his eyes flitted between yours, a small smile coming to his lips. 
“I want to dance.” His smile widened. You lowered your voice and asked, “How about you take me home after that?”
His hands went to your face as yours gently held his wrists, his thumbs stroking your cheeks. “Whatever you want.”
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taahko · 7 months
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I just found your blog today can you please explain or point out a post that explains the MASH timeloop thing? I love the show but I've never heard anyone talk abt it that way before
oh yay hurray ive been waiting for an excuse to talk about this lmao sorry this is long
ok so basically maeve (my gf) and i started watching mash for the first time about a month ago and we started joking about it being like the characters were stuck in a time loop mostly because the same basic episode format is repeated over and over, because it's a sitcom from the 70s and the episodes arent meant to be watched en masse where you can start noticing all the little repetitions and plot holes and inconsistencies that naturally occur in longform tv
but then i started to pay attention to the dates being mentioned in the show - famously the korean war never technically ended, but american troops were involved in active on the ground fighting between 1950 and 1953, so the entire 11 seasons of mash have to be squeezed into that three year period. with 251 episodes occurring within 1,129 days, that gives every episode about 4.5 days of real time. so it works right? no time loop right? well wait a sec
for the first 5 seasons or so of mash they give very consistent dates about when things are happening. for example, bj arrives in korea in september of 1952, at the start of season 4. colonel potter arrives about a week after him, and talks about how he has 18 months left before his retirement. that gives us about 7 months for the shows final 7 seasons to take place in, meaning that by the episode 'point of view' in season 7 we should be around december of 1952. in that episode the pov character starts writing a letter home and in the corner he writes the date:
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september of 1951. ok, could be that this episode isn't meant to take place in the regular timeline of the season - maybe for some reason its just like, a random flashback episode. but bj, charles, and potter are all present, even though none of them got to korea until 1952. now i KNOW that this is not like, the True Hidden Secret Lore of MASH, this is the writers realizing they were running out of road and turning back the clock a bit to accommodate for how long the show was running on. but play in my time loop space with me please
more talking points:
consistent jokes about time zones and how difficult it is to call the states because "our today is their yesterday but if you call them now it might not reach them until our tomorrow and by that point our yesterday will be their today"
hawkeye's increasing mania over the seasons and his conviction that the war will never end, comparing the camp to dante's inferno multiple times. maeve once pointed out that the closer hawkeye comes to realizing that he's trapped in a time loop the closer he gets to being institutionalized - and what does the series finale cold open onto ? hawkeye in a mental institution. the only way out is to lose yourself etc. sidenote frank also escaped the time loop by going insane and getting institutionalized
in a war for all seasons bj potter and charles are all present at the 1951 new years party as well as the 1952 new years party
there are three christmas episodes, two of which bj is present for even though he should only have spent one christmas in korea
details of people's families and lives shift around - sometimes potter's got multiple grandchildren, sometimes he only has one, sometimes its a girl, sometimes its a boy, sometimes she's 5, sometimes he's 2
we're not the first people to talk about this either, here's a good video compilation posted a couple yrs ago of time loop moments
overall ive been using the time loop thesis to add another layer to my mash viewing experience. it increases the already present sense of constant dread, anger, frustration, and disgust with their situation that the characters feel, plus it feels like a very poignant take on the united states' constant warmongering and violent existence. it really never ends, it just goes on an on. the future's been canceled by the war department- we're just gonna replay the past.
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enchantedbarnes · 1 year
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Uncle Buck • Part 5
Meddlingpunkitis
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Single Aunt!Reader
Word Count: 5.7k
Masterlist: One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven
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Benji shot up from bed first thing in the morning, excited to see your first reaction after setting up his movie night.
He sat at the kitchen table waiting. You eventually walk in to grab a drink from the fridge and then walk back out as if it was a regular morning. Why did he only get a passing noogie?
Benji quickly looks over at his dad sitting next to him, "Aren't people in love supposed to be like, floating and all dopey looking??"
Theo finishes a sip of his coffee, "Not necessarily. If you're talking about your aunt, I've never seen her, as you describe, 'dopey in love.' Also, it is 6 in the morning. It's a miracle she's even awake right now. If you see her looking happy and 'floating' at 6am, I think we have a body snatching case to worry about instead."
Benji let's out an annoyed grunt as he scoops up the last of his eggs into his mouth and storms out of the kitchen.
Theo shrugs to himself, taking another sip of coffee while scrolling through emails on his laptop.
"That should be promising," he mutters to himself.
Benji stops in your doorway, "Are you and Bucky official yet?"
"Official...ly human? I'd say 90-99% for sure. Verdict is still out."
"Is he your boyfriend now?" He clarifies with a huff.
You shrug while sipping your drink, looking through your closet for today's outfit.
"You're the most frustrating person alive," he stomps off.
-----
Strolling through the aisles, you and Benji were out on a shopping trip after you picked him up from school to pick out decorations for the upcoming holiday season and your annual Christmas party.
Benji riding at the front of the cart, his feet on the basket underneath and hands holding onto the front while pointing which direction you should steer and which aisles to stop at next.
"Sorry dude, 6 bags of family size sour patch kids didn't make the budget cut." You stop him as his arms reach out to grab as many as they can hold.
"How about 4?"
"You can grab one," you hold up a finger, "of the smaller sharable sizes, final answer."
"Fiiiine," he tosses the smaller bag into the cart, "What about peanut slim shady's?"
"Alright, one bag of peanut slim shady's too," you agree.
You told him when he was around 4 years old that M&M's were called Slim Shady's because the rapper Eminem invented them. None of you have had the heart to correct him or teach him otherwise as he got older and you hope he never stops calling them Slim Shady's.
The look on his little face when you had joined in taking him trick or treating shortly after that...
Benji gleefully skips over to you in his little werewolf costume while shouting, "Looks! I got slim shady's!" Holding the tiny packet of candy up to you, waving it over his head.
"The real slim shady's?!" You asked in reply, trying to keep a straight face.
He nodded back enthusiastically.
"We need to grab some new string lights since we used some for the movie room. Maybe a new tree topper too.." you listed off.
"No! We can't replace tree monster!"
"I thought you hated tree monster?"
"It's a part of the tradition now!"
"Okay, okay. Tree monster rides again another year then. How about a new tree skirt? Does the Christmas Tradition Committee agree with that?"
"Mm…. Yeah, that should be fine."
"Your mom texted with a reminder to grab more garlands for the stairs banister," you read aloud while looking at your phone.
You texted Bucky earlier before you left on your shopping adventure with a quick hello to check in with him and see how his day was going, sharing that you were picking Benji up from school.
You notice a reply from him that says,
'Stuck with Samuel today 🙄'
"Look at this pillow! It looks like a dinosaur chicken nugget!" Benji lifts the pillow up to your face.
"It's the most beautiful chicken nugget pillow I've ever seen."
"We should get it for Monty! Do you think they have french fries too???"
"If that's what you would like to get him, sure. Add it to the cart, bud."
"Yessss!" He cheers as he hops back onto the cart while singing a made up song about chicken nuggets.
Turning the corner to leave the aisle you slow down so you don't push Benji and the cart into anyone. Benji looks around the corner for you, "Clear!"
"Thank you, co-pilot."
You make your way over to the Christmas decorations finally.
"How about this ornament?" Benji asks with a wide grin while holding up a large ornament that says "Just Married" on the back of a car window.
"You're hilarious. Hold on while I search for an 'in memoriam' option," you playfully glare down at him.
"She likes it," he smirks to himself as he skips down the aisle.
"Hey, get back over here. Put that back, you gremlin!"
He giggles and turns out of the aisle.
"Benji, you know better than to leave out of my eyesi-"
"NO WAYYY! AHHHHH!" You hear Benji shout from the next aisle.
You ditch the cart and take off after him assuming the worst from his shouting.
You stop short when you turn the corner and see what the shouting was about.
"LOOK AUNT Y/N!"
"Heyyy Aunt Y/n," Sam grins while holding onto Benji who jumped up in an attack hug.
You breathe a sigh of relief, "Oh hey, Sam! Glad to see you here and not some stranger dragging this one screaming out of the store," you greet back with a relieved smile, "Benj you can't run off and start shouting like that. Can you give Sam his personal space back now please? Thank yooou."
Benji hops down, "Are you shopping for decorations too??" He asks excitedly.
"We were just-"
Benji let's out an exceptionally loud gasp as he looks ahead down the main aisle, "Future. Uncle. Buckyyy!!!" He takes off running again across the store.
Bucky's eyes widen as he spins around. He catches the projectile 8-year-old leaping at him with his right arm, while the left holds his shopping basket with items he was carrying.
Benji releases his arms from his death grip hug and cups his hands on both sides of Bucky's face, squeezing his cheeks till his mouth puckers.
"I'm so happy to see you!!!"
"M ha-py t' see y'too," Bucky muffles back. "What do you have there?" He asks once his face is released, nodding at the ornament Benji is still clutching between his fingers.
"If I show you, Aunt Y/n is going to make me sleep outside in a tent for a week."
"Is that so?" He looks over at you with an eyebrow raised while lowering Benji back to the ground.
"For the record, I never said that," you hold your hands up in defense, "but I wouldn't rule that option out completely," you shrug while walking over quickly and snatching the ornament, crossing your arms so it's tucked under and unseen.
Another awkward encounter to add to the tally.
"We're shopping for decorations," Benji grins while Bucky places his basket down next to him. "We have a Christmas party coming up! You'll come, right??"
Bucky is bent down at eye level with Benji, "Well, I'm not sure -"
"It's the Saturday the week before Christmas!" Benji starts rattling off the date and time of the party, listing who is expected to be there.
Bucky looks over at you, his eyebrows raised.
You shrug again, "Don't look at me, it's his world, we're just living in it. But yes, you're absolutely invited if you don't already have any plans. You too, Sam." You smile at them.
"Would it be rude if I bring a plus three? My sister and nephews are visiting," Sam asks.
"Are they Benji's age? We'd love to have them join too."
Benji pumps his fists, cheering to himself. "Yesss!" He skips ahead pulling Sam along, directing him towards the next few aisles while firing away questions about his nephews.
Bucky stands up and leans against the nearest end cap with a smirk on his face.
"Hi," his eyes narrow in suspicion as he quickly looks over at your crossed arms, "Are you really not going to show me whatever it is you're hiding?"
"Absolutely fucking not, thank you so much for asking."
He laughs at your answer while you try to think what to do next. "Fancy meeting you here though. What did Sam do to convince you to go shopping?"
"Oh, you know, good ol' fashion lies and deception."
"Ah, yes. Of course," you step closer, "The promise of food and future solitude to lure you out? And then the classic 'gotta make a quick pitstop' announcement halfway?"
He snaps his fingers and points your way, "That's the one."
You grin and hold your arms out in an invitation for a hug, making sure the ornament is tucked into your hand and sleeve. His smile softens when you step closer again and he accepts your hug.
"Happens to the best of us," you answer while trying to play it cool. With your arms around him, you give a slight squeeze that he returns. Reaching out your right arm very slowly to try and tuck the ornament on the shelf behind him discreetly. Your plan was to hide the ornament behind the larger items on the shelf behind him. Nothing gets by the super soldier though. As he goes to turn his head to see what you're up to, you have to think fast on a distraction and quickly leave a peck on his cheek that was now in front of you.
His eyes widen slightly as his head swivels back over at you and then narrow in suspicion. You finally drop the ornament as quietly and quickly as you can. He goes to turn again, this time lifting you off the ground and turning both of you for him to better see. Grabbing his face with both your hands now you continue to plant quick kisses all over.
"Is it that bad?!" He laughs, beaming over at you.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm also just so happy to see you," you feign innocence while trying to pull away. He squeezes you closer while tickling at your sides. You break into laughter as you continue to try and break free.
Sam and Benji both poke their heads around the aisle and smirk at each other, sharing in a discreet high five, before ducking back into the aisle out of sight.
Ornament now forgotten, Bucky doesn't take his eyes off you as you both smile warmly at each other. He quickly lifts you again and starts walking you both towards the direction the other two went. Pausing quickly he leans in with a smirk and gives you a quick kiss before continuing to shuffle the both of you forward.
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You send a warning text off to Bucky the morning of the Christmas party:
'hi... just a quick heads up for tonight (and I mean that warning literally...) Benji has covered the house in mistletoe. Latest scheme seems to be getting us under all of them at some point. How would you like to proceed?'
'10 - 4. Do we get to mess with him?'
'Absolutely. 🫡 See ya tonight, friend.'
'Later, pal 🙄'
-----
Walking into the living room carrying a plate of snacks, a knock on the door grabs your attention and you hurry over to open it. Opening the door with one hand, while still balancing the snacks in the other. You spot the giant kissing ball hanging above the porch and roll your eyes.
Bucky and the Wilson's arrive at the same time as one of Theos's coworkers. You quickly greet them and usher them all through the door.
"Daaang, look at you. Your hair is so long," Sam comments walking in.
"Don't get used to this. I do not have the patience for this. Prudence insisted on straightening and styling it for me."
"Noted," he chuckles, "Did you add more colors, or were these always there and hidden in the curls?"
"I added more in. Benji used to tell his friends at school I was part My Little Pony."
"You had a pony..? I think I'm missing a reference," Bucky asks.
"It was a popular set of toys and an animated show called My Little Pony. It was colorful ponies with bright colored hair."
"Right...of course..."
This gets a small laugh from you as you place the snack tray on one of the many tables set up.
"YOU CAME!" Benji shouts running into the room.
Greetings and introductions made, Nora rushes over to say her own hellos and takes the Wilson's to meet the other kids that have arrived so far. Benji looks up at you expectantly. There's another sprig hanging above nearby, you just have to take 4 or 5 steps closer towards Bucky.
You stare back at Benji, not moving from your spot. "What are you lookin' at?"
He huffs and goes to catch up with Nora.
You move closer and kiss Bucky on the cheek, "This should be fun." Nodding your head up, "Quick recap, I've counted 6 so far. Best placed one is over by that bookcase," you tilt your head towards it, "He angled it juuust right so you don't notice it until you directly stand in that corner there."
"I don't know, you look very beautiful all dolled up. Might not be able to stick to this plan."
"You clean up pretty well yourself, but I'm not letting him win. Sorry." You pat his shoulder as Prudence and Monty steal Bucky away and you finish setting the last of the snacks and napkins out.
The front door opens as more people arrive.
Included in the latest arrivals is your neighbor Frank who walks in with his niece.
Benji walks by Bucky nodding his head "discreetly" towards the door and mouths, "Frank." He then mimes sticking his finger in his mouth and gagging while he continues to scramble away and stand near Nora once again.
-----
You're chatting with Sarah on the couch. Benji walks up and throws himself dramatically across your lap. "Hi, are you going to sit here all night?" He asks.
"Maybe, what's it to you?"
"Can we make gingerbread houses?"
"Prudence already set everything up on the kitchen counter, knock yourself out."
"But I need adult supervision."
"For what? To stop you from eating frosting? There's no tools involved."
"Moral support and guidance in knowing I'm doing something right. What if I put up 5 walls by accident?"
"Then I'd be very impressed from afar at your architectural brilliance."
He groans and rolls off your lap, walking away.
"The drama," you roll your eyes, "Do you think Aj and Cass would like to join him? We have plenty of kits."
"I'm sure they'd love that. I'll go ask them, thank you so much."
-----
You were now standing no more than three feet from the kitchen entry that had a bundle of mistletoe hanging above it. Sam and Nora standing to the left of you, the kitchen entry to your right. A table is behind you with a bowl of family friendly egg nog set up on it. Frank approaches you and the table. You greet eachother with friendly hellos and you introduce him to Sam. As they shake hands you take a few steps back to move out of the way of the table, offering Frank an empty cup.
In taking those steps back you were now dangerously close to the mistletoe-trapped entry with Frank still next to you. As you're asking how his niece is doing, you feel something hit the back of your head. Nora tries to discreetly cover her mouth to shield her reaction.
Your hand flies up to brush through your hair as you look at the ground. At your feet you see a gumdrop and a small gingerbread chunk laying there. You whip your head up and glare into the kitchen.
Benji's hands fly up in fake surrender, "It slipped! I told you I need adult supervision! These gingerbread pieces are crazy!"
The group of kids giggle as they pause their decorating to watch.
"Oh, I'll show you something crazy," you step into the kitchen and Benji takes off, ducking around you to escape. He slips in front of Theo and his co-workers playing it up like he was intently listening to their conversation, as if he had been there the whole time fake nodding along.
"Stop terrorizing your aunt," Theo says without even needing to assess the situation.
Benji clutches his chest, "I would never."
Bucky smirks into his drink as he watches from across the room. Quickly returning his attention to Monty and Prudence next to him.
Benji eventually sneaks his way back into the kitchen when all eyes and attention were finally off him.
-----
A couple times now you have taken turns in frustrating Benji to no end.
You're currently standing innocently under one of the many mistletoe, taking a sip from your glass in hand. You could see Benji in the corner of your peripheral trying to hide under a table. Bucky then walks by slowly. Benji's hands clench into anxious little fists in front of him, his small head poking up from the table ever so slightly. You and Bucky exchange a quick passing pleasantry to each other as he continues to walk by without stopping. Benji drops his head to the floor, groaning in frustration.
You smirk into your drink as you take another sip.
Nora and Theo have taken a different approach for the night and keep purposefully stepping under every mistletoe near Benji and giving each other exaggerated loud kisses. "Ugh, gross. Will you two stop it!" He crawls out from under the table and takes off across the room.
-----
"Hey, Y/n? Question for you..." You and Bucky both walk over to Sam who was standing by your decorated tree, "What am I looking at here?" He points to the top of the tree.
Bucky squints at the tree, his head tilting in confusion.
"That's tree monster..." You answer with a shrug.
"Tree what now?"
"We didn't have an official topper for our tree. Every year we'd just use a random toy up there. Benji came home from kindergarten one day with this masterpiece. I don't know what toy it used to be, but he sure did a number on it. And then I jokingly stuck wings to it thinking 'surely this will make us rethink this situation and get something else' but I was very mistaken. Theo added some googly eyes. Nora added the halo and reinforced it a bit...It's a complete abomination but we love him."
"It's deeply unsettling to look at, but I'm happy you have expressed your creative side as a family."
"I disagree," Bucky answers, "I think every store should have one, so that all families can enjoy having such a creative nightmare on their trees as well."
"Aww, thanks Bucky. I'm sure we could whip something up for you!" You joke.
"Ya know, I don't have a tree. So, darn...won't be needing one. Thanks for the offer."
"You don't have a tree??"
"A crypt has more decorations than this man's home. His place looks like someone moved out yesterday and left behind what they couldn't fit in the U-Haul."
"Thank you, Samuel."
-----
Your cousin Andrew arrives fashionably late with his wife Elyse and their 6 year old daughter Phoebe.
Phoebe squeals and runs up to Benji, throwing her adorable pudgey arms around him in a tight hug. His arms still at his sides while she squeezes tight, giggling with tiny glee. Benji always pretends to be annoyed but you all know he loves the attention. He pulls one of his arms free, patting her on the top of her head. "Hello, Phoebe. I'm glad you're here, I have a mission for you."
"Me??" She grins up at him while jumping up slightly.
"Ohh yeah, definitely you," he guides her across the room away from the adults.
"Andy!" You greet him with a hug when he walks up to you with Elyse, "Where's my Phoebs?" You look around his legs.
"She's -" he looks down and around the room, "She's in the building, she walked in before me. She saw Benji and took off with him."
"That can't be good," you laugh and introduce Andy and Elyse to Bucky, Sam, and Sarah.
During your conversation Bucky suddenly catches his balance and looks down as he feels a small body crash into him and wrap their arms around his legs.
Bright hazel eyes with a Cheshire smile beam up at him, the large grin showcasing her missing front bottom tooth.
"Hello there," Bucky laughs, greeting his new small friend.
"Hi, Uncle Bucky!" she giggles while Bucky's eyes widen.
"Oh no, it's contagious. Meddlingpunkitis has spread to the next youngest," you gasp dramatically while bending down to scoop up the giggling little blonde, "What will we dooooo?!" You cry out, "Not my little Phoebe!" You bend over again with her in your arms, hanging her upside down while tickling into her sides.
She giggles and squirms, trying to escape.
-----
Benji walks up with his gingerbread creation in hand on a platter. "Ta-daaaa," he sings, holding it up to you.
"Wow! Great job, Mr. I Need Supervision. Is that...?"
Benji rotates the plate so the front is now in better view. "It's a chapel!" He grins.
"That better be Mr. and Mrs. Claus..."
Closer inspection revealed one gingerbread figure with a black and yellow frosting lined arm and a bowtie, the other decorated with multi color frosting hair in a white outline "dress".
”You're exhausting, you know that? One part of me is really proud of you, because you did an amazing job on this. The other part really wants to smother you....with love of course," you give him a side eye, "Go put that back in the kitchen and never speak of this again."
Benji grins as he turns and retreats back towards the kitchen area, sneaking in a quick detour to show Sam his handywork. Sam immediately pulls his phone out to snap a quick picture of Benji holding it up to the camera with a grin.
-----
"I have an idea but it might be a tiny bit of a gamble and slightly outrageous.." you whisper to Bucky as you finally reunite in the same area.
Nora had just finished forcing everybody to gather around to take a series of group photos.
You've successfully dodged all the mistletoe encounters so far.
"How outrageous are we talking? I'm not kissing Sam."
"Oh come on, I wasn't asking that - unless-" you hold up your fingers to your chin in thought.
"No." He points a quick finger towards you.
"Okay, okaay. Fine."
You lean in closer and fill him in on your next plan.
"...you want me to kiss your neighbor?"
"Obviously the objective here is to avoid you actually needing to kiss her, but it's a sacrifice for the greater good here if it's unavoidable, Buck. Or we could go back to your Sam plan," you smile as sweetly as you can over at him.
"Y'know, at first I didn't recognize it, but now I definitely see that same evil little twinkle that's usually in Benji's eyes, and let me tell you," he leans closer, bending slightly to reach your height and points at your eyes, "It's absolutely genetic. You should see yourself right now."
"You think my eyes twinkle?" you grin up at him.
"Y/n," he sighs but starts to laugh.
"Pleeeease," you unleash the pout.
"That," he points at you again, "is even worse. You're serious?"
"Aren't you like, trained in stealth? You can do it!"
"Thank you so much for the pep talk, but I still don't understand why you want me to kiss your neighbor."
"You are so hung up on that tiny detail! I can assure you, it will not get that far. I had baked goods and candy launched at my head when I got too close earlier, I can't even begin to imagine what stunt will happen if you get close enough. He's probably gonna lower himself down from the ceiling somehow like something out of Mission Impossible. Oooor, if you don't wanna kiss Sam, I'll just gooo--" you start to step away but a hand shoots out and stops you, pulling you back to your original spot.
He glares over at you, "Not funny."
"A little funny?" You squint while pinching your fingers.
"Unbelievable," he places a quick kiss to your temple and releases your arm as he storms off towards the next target area.
"Go get 'em, tiger!" You call after him, just loud enough so only he's the one to hear you.
"It's white wolf," he mutters back.
"For real?"
Bucky starts to approach your neighbor who is standing under one of the many mistlebombs hanging around, this one strung up above a popular gathering area of the living room.
Before he can get within 3ft of dear sweet unsuspecting Sylvia, yelling erupts in the room with a chorus of AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!s. Suddenly 3 small bodies take down the super soldier. Benji leading the charge grabs onto an arm and attempts to climb up Bucky's back while Sarah's boys both tackle a leg of their own, making sure to get him at the back of the knees in their takedown.
Your eyes widen as you watch the group of them land in a heap on the floor.
You hold your breath waiting to see if you should run over and check on them but let out a relieved sigh when Bucky gives a dramatic roar and starts play fighting back with them while sitting up. The boys giggling and continuing their shouting and attack.
"Tiny savages," you shake your head.
"Should we help?" Nora asks walking up to you.
"Nah, I'm sure they're fine," as soon as the words are out of your mouth, sweet little Phoebe, not wanting to be left out of the excitement, joins in and hops onto Bucky's back, throwing her little arms around his neck.
"Oh shit. Hey, White Wolf? Ya good?" You hold your thumb up and then down.
You see a vibranium thumb pop up.
"See? He's got this."
-----
It was starting to get late. Most of the guests have already left. You're finishing up clearing off some of the tables with help from Bucky.
"You're our guest, you're not supposed to be doing clean up labor."
He shrugs, "I don't mind."
"Where'd you get the bracelet?" You laugh noticing the multi color beads circling his wrist.
"Phoebe gave it to me on their way out," he twists his wrist so the rest of it is in view.
"So stylish," you compliment while stacking some plates together.
Sam walks up with a tired AJ carried on his back.
"Y/n, as always, it's been a pleasure. Thank you so much for inviting all of us."
Sarah walks up carrying Cass who is already knocked out.
"Of course!" You pull him in for a hug, "Thank you so much for coming. It was an absolute pleasure having you all with us. Bye AJ, it was nice meeting you," you reach up to give him a fist bump that he sleepily returns.
"I hope you all can visit again soon," you pull Sarah in for a hug next and run your hand along sleeping Cass' back, "Merry Christmas!"
"Do you guys need any help?" Bucky asks while passing Sarah her bag and another bag filled with cookies the boys decorated.
"Nope, we're good. Theo is grabbing a taxi for us. You coming with?"
Bucky looks at his watch and nods with a shrug, "Probably a good idea."
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night," Sam waves while walking off towards the door.
"Wait!" Benji rushes down the stairs with two red envelopes.
"For you," he hands one over to Sam, "Merry Christmas!" He jumps up for a high five.
"Is this my wedding invitation finally?" Sam holds the envelope up to the light.
You give him a push towards the door, "It's a Christmas card. Get out of here."
"Sure, sure. See you at the wedding!" He smirks while stepping outside.
You shake your head and start to follow them out.
"Cab should be here in 5," Theo announces by the doorway before going back inside.
You step out onto the porch and give the Wilson's a final wave while they wait by the curb, checking out the neighbors light displays and decorations.
The large kissing ball with multiple mistletoe jammed in there hangs above you, dangling from the short roof over the porch.
Benji hops out onto the porch with Bucky following behind, pulling his leather jacket on.
"For you!" Benji hands the last envelope to Bucky, "Merrryyy Christmas!" He wraps his arms around Bucky's waist.
"Merry Christmas, bud. Thanks for the card."
Benji stares at him expectantly and then looks over at you.
"Am..I.. supposed to open it now??" Bucky asks.
Benji shrugs, still staring you both down, "You don't have to."
You scratch at your neck and try to discreetly point up, signaling to Bucky why the stare down was happening. His eyes follow up and you see him realize what's going on.
"Ok, I'll save it for later then. See ya," Bucky holds his hand up for a high five to Benji, who gladly winds back his arm to give the strongest high five he could.
Benji quickly realizes standing right there isn't going to get him the results he wants and he starts walking slowly back inside, "See ya, F.U.B.!"
Bucky's eyebrows scrunch while looking at you.
"I'm assuming that's Future Uncle Bucky," you sigh and answer for him.
"Ah," he grins, "Thanks again for having us, pal."
"You're very welcome, friend. One more fake out for the road?"
Bucky leans in close, you both tilt your heads, he slowly lifts his hand.. and pretends to pluck an eyelash off your cheek.
"Got it," Bucky jokes while pulling back, pretending to blow the lash off his finger.
"OH MY GOD! WILL YOU JUST KISS ALREADY?!" Benji throws his arms up in exasperation, closing the front door with a loud thump behind him.
You both try to hold in your laughter and keep a straight face, but Sam's laughter echos loud and clear. You peak over and see Benji ducking down from the window.
Keeping your platonic facade going, you both give an exaggerated firm hand shake. You can feel the intense laser focus stare coming at you from the windows again.
"Goodnight, ol' chum. Let me know when you get home safe, please."
He gives you a salute and you go to turn the doorknob but nothing happens. You shake it and push against the door.
"Locked you out?"
"Yuuup," you pull your phone out and pull up your bank app. Nodding to yourself, "Yup, okay. Bucky, break the window."
"..What?"
"Break the window," you point to the pane of glass, more specifically the one you know the watch guard was staring out of behind the sheer curtain.
"What??"
"I'm going to pay for it, come on."
He stares at you like you've grown an extra head.
"Fine, we can use the spare key if you wanna be all boring about it. I'm going to need a boost," you step closer to the edge of the porch, looking up at the roof covering the porch.
"A boost?"
"What? You think we keep our spare key under the mat like a bunch of fools?"
"Or, hear me out..." He reasons, "You call Nora and you can use the door without the need to scale your roof or smash in a window."
"Booo," you pout up at him.
"There is another option..." he steps closer.
"I'm listening..."
He gives a subtle nod to the door where no doubt you can still feel a pair of eyes burning into your head through the window.
"Aw man, but then the tiny tyrant will win."
"Does it still count if you kiss this guy?" He reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulls out a Ziploc bag, holding up the "Bucky" gingerbread man Benji decorated.
"Oh my god," you laugh and swat the cookie away from your face.
"Fine, I'll put him back with the missus," he lifts up another Ziploc bag high enough so you can see the colorful "hair" frosting peak out of the pocket signalling he also has your gingerbread person in there and tucks both back into the pocket.
"Unbelievable, do you have the building in there too?"
He grabs your right hand and pulls you in closer, wrapping your arm around his neck. "Nah, left that for the next confectionery nuptials."
You shake your head with a laugh and bring your other arm around his neck.
"Thanks for dealing with us, once again," you smile up at him.
"Phoebe was a nice addition this time. Do you get to see her often?"
"Just the occasional family gathering and birthdays. Definitely not often enough. I'm sure Andy would be more than willing to pawn her off for a night or two if asked. She's just as mischievous as Benji though. Her mischief is more animal based. Her teachers call her a Disney princess because she tries to befriend every animal she sees. She also tries luring many squirrels and wild life into their house."
"Yikes," he laughs.
"Ride's here, Buck!" Sam announces while helping Sarah and the boys get in.
He gently grabs your waist with his vibranium hand and brings his right hand up your neck, moving to cradle the back of your head. You see a bright flash of light come from the window and before you can investigate further Bucky quickly dips you backwards while giving you a sweet and tender kiss. Your grip tightens around him, giggling in surprise.
"I want a copy of that," Bucky points towards the door when he lifts you back up.
"Copy of what?" You ask, a little dazed still.
Benji cracks open the door with Nora's camera in hand, "We have a ring doorbell too. I'll send the video link with it."
"Excellent, thanks. Goodnight, Doll." He smirks and gives you another quick kiss before turning to meet up with the waiting taxi.
-----
The next day you receive a text:
'This is getting framed.'
Attached was a picture of Benji's Christmas card stuck to Bucky's refrigerator by a magnet.
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Sorry for the long wait! You rush a miracle, you get rotten miracles. If you'd like to see more, send me your ideas. 😉
Dividers I believe were from @firefly-graphics
Next: Part 6 I Caught Fire
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kylian mbappe headcanons on what it would be like to date him?
Dating Kylian
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(speaking from first hand experience of course 🤭) (Also i literally cant help myself i had to do a “how did you start dating”)
You meet Kylian at your distant cousin’s wedding, you weren’t even supposed to be there, but your mum had come down with something last minute and forced you to attend in her place
You’re at the bar at the reception with a caramel apple martini mocktail planning your escape when a handsome guy comes up to the bar orders the exact same drink
“I think you’re the first guy today to order that.” You say as he’s about to leave
He turns to you with a raised eyebrow
god he’s so handsome
“Not a dark liquor type of guy?” You ask
“Ew” He scrunches his face. “Definitely not, I like sweet things.”
“Ditto.” You raise your glass at him, nodding
And with that interaction, you find yourself in his car 30 minutes later headed back to the city, which is a whole 3 hour drive
He’d also been looking for an excuse to leave so he offered you a ride
You didn’t know this man or why he was being so generous but you were so desperate to get out, you hated weddings, especially when you know almost no one, so you took him up on it
Off topic: Mbappe driving…🧎‍♀️
You figure out who he was 2 hours into the drive when “Ramenez a la coupe de la maison” blares out through the speaker and you gasp so loudly when you realise he laughs
“My brother is going to lose his SHIT when he finds out THEE Mbappe drove me home.”
“Give me your phone.” He says when you finally reach your apartment. He punches his number into it
“Proof for your brother.” He winks, and suddenly you feel shy under his gaze
Fast forward to 4 days later and Mbappe is definitely sure you’re ghosting him
He’s venting to Neymar who just laughs at him because finally Kylian couldn’t bag a chick he wanted and Achraf being the voice of reason saying perhaps you were busy
It’s not for another week until he gets a text from you
“It’s Y/N’s brother. Prove you’re Mbappe and call her.”
He wastes no time ringing and the first thing he sees is you screaming at your brother to give the phone back
“Holy shit Y/N, you weren’t lying.” Your brother says
“You owe me 20 euros, dickhead.” Your face comes into view and you’re flushed and looking frustrated
“Hi.” You say to him. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Kylian laughs. “I’m glad your brother called, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Oh.” You blush
2 weeks later you’re going on your first date and for some reason Kylian is nervous
Kylian is confident, he knows what he wants and how to get it, never sweaty, never shy, never nervous but for some reason he wanted to impress you so much he works himself up over it
He picks you up with a bouquet of roses in his sweaty hand and you greet him with a kiss on the cheek which drives him slightly insane
Your date goes very well and you have another, and another and before you know it you’re his girlfriend
OKAY NOW TO THE DATING AKSHJSKSJS SORRY
KYLIAN IS A GOLDEN RETRIEVER/SUNSHINE BOYFRIEND AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL (my king of aeygo 🫶🏿)
Whenever you hang out at his or your place he’s basically on your leg like a koala
You can’t leave or enter the room without giving him a kiss first or he’ll pout and whine until you do
He absolutely loves cuddling, he’s the big spoon always (Alexa play cuffing season by sza)
Hugs from behind >>> he’ll just randomly wrap his arms around your waist and place his chin in the crook of your neck or pepper kisses across your neck instead
He also likes lying his head on your lap so you can give him head massages, he’s loves them a lot
Kylian spoils you way too much
“Hey babe remember that necklace we saw last week in the window you said you liked”
“Kylian that was just a passing comment please don’t tell me you-“
And he always presents the gifts with the cutest smile on his face, both his dimples shining so you can’t be mad at him
He knows you can’t be mad at him when he smiles like that and you know he won’t return anything you ask him to
He’s even worse on your birthday and valentine’s
You absolutely don’t know how he rents out the entire louvre for your first valentine’s together but he somehow does
“Baby, I’m Kylian Mbappe.”
Cocky little shit.
It’s the best date you’ve ever had, a candlelit picnic set up on the floor of the museum
You both hate fancy dinners however so your regular dates are always fun things like amusement parks, or roller skating, visiting new cities when he has the time and arcades
He’s a TERRIBLE loser btw kylian absolutely does not like to lose grumpy boy
You kicked his ass at fifa once and he gave you the silent treatment for a few hours
It never lasts longer than that because he’s missing you then he’s all over you again
Kylian loves kissing you, ik that boy is a phenomenal kisser i know it
Horny as fuck too.
He cannot keep his hands to himself however hard he tries, especially in public when you’re trying to not look obvious
He’ll put his hand in your back pocket, he’ll pull you into an alley and kiss you senseless, he’ll whisper in your ear for absolutely no reason because he likes seeing you hot and bothered
Your relationship is still private so he makes sure he pays you a lot of attention behind closed doors
He always makes sure you’re pleased first, he loves the way you moan his name and the sounds you make
Your lucky day is anytime he scores a hatrick, he makes sure you reach at least 7 big O’s in honour of his jersey number
You in his jersey - drives him CRAZY
You wearing his clothes in general, his favourite thing to see, especially first thing in the morning
You don’t argue a lot, but it happens, and you’re both stubborn af
He’s always the first to apologise though, especially if it’s when he’s come from a bad game or training session and that’s what causes the argument
As mentioned, Kylian doesn’t take loses very well, and sometimes he takes it out on you, but he doesn’t mean to
You do your best to be there for him in those times
There was a particularly bad argument because of a tabloid post and you went 4 days without a word to each other and he thought he was going to die
The make up sex is- *call drops*
He always holds you extra tight after
Your family absolutely love him, your mum especially
“You and Kylian are coming over this weekend? Is his favourite food still _____? I must go shopping.”
He always gifts your brother tickets to his games, you’ve gone a couple of times together and Kylian will always look up in the stands for you with a smile
Of course no one knows who he’s looking for
Until they do
The day your relationship is leaked was probably the worst day of your life, you had to take a few days off work because the paps wouldn’t leave you alone it was an absolute nightmare
Kylian was there for you the whole time, assuring you, loving you, making sure you knew he wasn’t going anywhere
Once the media moved onto someone else, the relief of not having to hide anymore felt great
Especially for Kylian because he could now hold you hand and kiss you wherever he wanted, which he made sure he definitely did
He’s not possessive but he’s absolutely jealous, he knows you’re stunning and people look at you whenever you’re out
Makes a point of PDA when he notices someone staring
“Kyky they’re probably staring at you, not me.”
“I don’t give a fuck.”
Now you’re in public relationship, you can sit with the other wags at his games so he know exactly where to find you when he wants to dedicate a goal to you
Champions league games and international friendlies are the worst when he had to travel and you can’t always go with him
He’d always call you before the game, he claims you’re his “porte bonheur” (good luck charm) or something of the sort
He comes straight to your apartment from the airport every time
His favourite days are lazy mornings with you when he doesn’t have training
He likes to cook for you sometimes, but he mostly steers clear of the kitchen
Especially after the time he almost burnt it down trying to make tacos
Also boy can he eat
You’re both big foodies, you have a spontaneous date night every week where you pick random restaurants or food truck places to try out
You’re sat on a bench at 11pm, 6 months into the two of you dating, with mouthfuls of food from a place you’d seen on tiktok when he asks you to move him with him
You’re hesitant at first because you do enjoy having your own space but you agree to it, you were over there a lot anyways, would be easier
And he said you can convert one of the spare bedrooms into your own safe space
Kylian is a huge romantic, corny too so he’ll leave little notes around the house for you
“You’re the straw to my berry” you find this in the fruit bowl
“You’re so sweet, I get a toothache just looking at you.” this was on the mirror above your bathroom sink
Stupid nicknames
“Kyks if you call me “your little avocado” or “your cheeky cotton bud” one more time, I’m calling you Donatello next time we have sex.”
He sticks to ma cherie or mon amour from then on
Living together means domestic things like cooking together and negatives like Kylian stealing your skin care products
And he absolutely has to do a face mask also everytime you do one
“Kylian this shit isn’t cheap keep your hands off!”
Next time you open your bathroom cabinet, there’s 6 of every product with a note: “I know something else that would be great for your skin, I’ll show you tonight.”
You’re very glad that night Kylian’s apartment is sound proof
Movie marathons together
Marvel and Disney especially, he’s team Iron Man 👎🏿
You absolutely cannot stand horror movies, but he loves them, you think it’s mostly because you always end up in his arms with your face in his neck to avoid watching them
Becoming really close with the other wags, especially Achraf’s wife Hiba, she becomes like a sister to you
Joking Kylian and Achraf were going to leave the two of you for each other
You and Kylian going to support Ethan at his games and babysitting his neice and nephew, he loves seeing you with him
So much so he asks you one night how you feel about having kids with him
“NOW??”
“Of course not now Y/N. Just at some point.”
You say yes
So he proposes 2 months later, he doesn’t care you’re young or have only been dating 15 months, he loves you and can’t see himself with anyone else
You say yes
2 years after your wedding you welcome your first child together, a baby girl the spitting image of Kylian and he’s never felt so content with life and how everything has turned out for him
——-
I hope this is okay 😭 I’m terrible with headcanons bc i always end up wanting to just write a fully fledged fic instead 😵‍💫
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fantasyescapes17 · 1 year
Text
Wings (Part 1)
Your debut in society was as spectacular as one could be, but nobody had prepared you for what came afterward. When you find yourself overwhelmed during your very first season and unable to keep up with the rat race to secure yourself an eligible husband, a curious mentor appears- in the form of notorious flirt and self-proclaimed rake, Mr. Kim Mingyu.
Genre: Mingyu x Female!reader. Regency!AU (It's sort of Bridgerton-esque in the sense that I give zero attention to historical accuracy and prioritize aesthetics lmao) You are Jeonghan's sibling so your last name is Yoon but the reader has no other physical characteristics.
Warnings: Reader frequently displays signs resembling (undiagnosed) social anxiety.
Word Count: 5k+
Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Series Masterlist [You WILL need to read Patience, the earlier installment in this series first in order to understand the character dynamics in this story. Reading Candle before this is also strongly recommended.]
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Your mother's grip on your arm was painfully tight. 
Today was, after all, one of the most important days of her life. Mrs. Yoon had presented one of her daughters at court a few years earlier (your elder sister) but the stakes were much, much, higher with you. 
"I never had much hope for your sister," your mother said dismissively as she fussed with the exquisite fabric of your dress. The heavily embroidered gown had been custom-ordered for today; the day of your presentation. Being presented in court before the queen was a vital ceremony that every marriage-minded young lady undertook to enter society as a debutante.
"Mother…" you said patiently, but she ignored you, too caught up in her own nerves to notice your discomfort. 
"I knew that your sister would cause trouble and look what she did- courting a widower-oh! I cannot bear to think of it. Thank goodness she is not here to ruin your debut. My darling, you have no need to worry. You are far more beautiful than your sister, and your manners are sweet and reasonable. You will make us very proud."
You may have been sweet and reasonable, as your mother liked to put it, but you were not ignorant. The weight your mother had placed on your shoulders to make a splash during your debut social season and snatch up an eligible gentleman was not easy to carry. 
Neither was the dress you wore that weighed about two tons. 
"We are next," your mother released your dress and turned her attention to your hair. "Remember what I taught you. Walk slowly and confidently. Keep your face lowered but not so low that they can't see your pretty features, and-"
Your mother did not have time to finish. The man at the entrance to the royal throne room announced your name loudly. 
"Miss Yoon, presented by her mother, Mrs. Yoon!"
Your chest tightened. Taking a deep breath, you walked forward slowly and gracefully in the same way that you had practised hundreds of times at home. The large hall was filled with quietly chattering members of the ton. The most elite society of London had their eyes on you. 
You did not look around the grand hall in fear of setting off your fragile nerves. Instead, you chose a spot on the velvet carpet at the foot of the Queen's throne and fixed your gaze firmly on it as you walked forward. You finally reached the throne and bowed deeply. 
"Hmm," the Queen said as she observed you. You did not dare lift your eyes to look at her. "A pretty little thing. She will do well."
Relief. 
You could almost feel your mother's delight radiating from a few steps behind you as you bowed once more to the queen and turned to leave. The walk back felt much easier. Although the dress was just as heavy as it had always been, some of the imaginary load had been shed and your shoulders felt lighter. 
The presentation had gone well. 
Or at least, it had not gone badly. 
Your mother embraced you once you were outside and you allowed yourself to slump against her in a mixture of exhaustion and relief. You had been dreading, dreaming and preparing for this day for weeks, and it was finally over. 
"Sister!" Jeonghan hurried out to greet you. You beamed at the sight of your half-brother. 
"Was I all right?" you asked hopefully. 
"You were excellent," Jeonghan promised you with a smile. He was accompanied by his newly wedded wife; a cheerful young lady who had been very kind and welcoming to you since your arrival in London. 
"You were the most beautiful young lady in the room," your sister-in-law told you excitedly. "The Queen only spoke to two of the other girls- so you were certainly one of her favourites. Her Highness never said anything to me during my debut," she added with a laugh. 
You found that difficult to believe. Jeonghan's wife was incredibly beautiful and charming. 
"Thank you so much-"
"All right, it is time we took our leave," your mother interrupted stiffly. 
It was no secret that your mother did not like her step-son, and she disliked his new wife equally. Your sister-in-law had unwittingly usurped your mother’s position as the lady of the Yoon household. The two women clashed on multiple subjects and could not seem to agree on anything- from the colour of the upholstery to the treatment of household staff. 
You preferred not to be caught in the middle of that particular storm. 
Jeonghan nodded. "Then we will see you at dinner. Congratulations, sister. The most difficult part is over. You will have a wonderful season ahead of you."
If only your brother had known how terribly mistaken he was. 
—-----------------------------------------------------
Dear sister,
I have heard from Jeonghan that your presentation at court was spectacular. I expected no less from you. You are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful young ladies this season. I am sorry I could not be there, but mother insists that I stay away from London for fear that my status as a spinster will raise questions and cast a shadow over your prospects.
Do not worry for me! It is peaceful here back home. Mother’s absence makes it easier for me to write to Seungcheol; and if circumstances allow, he may come visit me soon (of course Mother must never hear of this). Seungcheol sends his best regards for your first season and asks me to warn you to be wary of rakes- but I am sure Jeonghan will keep you safe from them. Once you take your pick of London’s finest, we may have a joint wedding! 
I am sure that offers for your hand will begin rolling in soon. Mother and Jeonghan shall be quite overwhelmed. Do not forget to write to me often!
Your loving sister. 
You folded the letter and tucked it safely away in your drawer. You knew that your elder sister wanted nothing but the best for you. It had been years since she had fallen in love with Choi Seungcheol- a widower and father to a young boy. But their match was unseemly and your sister had kept the courtship hidden for many years out of fear that it would tarnish your future prospects. Even now, the couple waited patiently to be married until you had secured your own matrimonial bliss. 
You were not ignorant of their sacrifice. 
Both your sister and Seungcheol were very dear to you, and although neither of them would ever say it aloud, you were the reason they could not live together as husband and wife. You considered it your responsibility to make the most of your time in London. You would secure a husband before the season ended. 
Surely it could not be so difficult? 
Your mother had insisted on putting you in the most restrictive of dresses (‘to better show your figure, my dear!’) so you felt breathless and anxious throughout the carriage ride to the Graham manor. You were on your way to the first social event of the season- the Duchess of Graham’s spectacular opening ball, where you would experience London society at its grandest for the first time. 
“Sister, are you all right?” Jeonghan asked you worriedly, as he helped you down from the carriage. 
You swallowed and nodded. “Y-yes, of course.” 
“You look rather unwell.” 
You felt unwell. The enormous Graham manor loomed before you in all its grandeur, and multiple carriages were parked on the road with various well-dressed ladies and gentlemen descending. Many paused to glance at you curiously on their way to the manor, and you felt exposed and anxious. 
It was dawning upon you how enormous this all was. Most of the people at the ball would have heard of your presentation in court. They would be watching you, judging you, talking about you. Even the smallest mistake could mean the end of your season. 
You suddenly could not breathe. 
"Come, sister," Mrs. Yoon (your sister-in-law) said. She had noticed your anxiety and took your arm in hers in a friendly manner. "Your presentation at court has caused quite the stir. There are many gentlemen eager to share a dance with you this evening, so you shall not be left wanting for dance partners.” 
“It’s only… this is my first ball…” you choked out nervously. 
“Not to worry! I was terribly nervous during my debut season as well, but you will begin to enjoy it soon!” 
You had no option but to take her word for it. There was a sea of fashionably dressed people gathered in the foyer of the manor. More than you had ever seen at once in your life, having spent most of your youth at your family’s remote countryside estate. Numerous eyes were on you. You could already feel your skin heating up underneath your heavy gown, and sweat beading on your forehead. 
“Well! If it isn’t Mr. and Mrs. Yoon Jeonghan!” 
Your brother and sister-in-law were interrupted by greetings from a pair of gentlemen. You did not recognize either of them- so you had no choice but to stop and force a smile as your brother and sister-in-law greeted them warmly. 
“I am surprised to see the Lees have arrived in London early this season,” Jeonghan said to them with a smile. 
“We could scarcely continue to hide in the shadows after our sister married a Viscount. Her marriage has given the rest of us renewed hope for our own prospects,” the taller of the two laughed jovially. He was very handsome- with a bright smile and kind eyes. Your stomach clenched in anxiety once more as he turned and his eyes fell on you. “Oh! Is this the much-anticipated debutante Miss Yoon?” 
You forced a curtsey. 
Jeonghan nodded. “Yes- this is my youngest sister Miss Yoon. She was presented in court only last week. Sister, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Lee Jihoon and Mr. Lee Seokmin. They are the brothers of Viscountess Hong, whom you may have met earlier this week.” 
You had a vague recollection of meeting the Viscountess at a ladies’ tea a few days ago. But the memory was pushed to the back of your mind when you discovered a large hand extended towards you. It belonged to Mr. Lee Seokmin- the owner of the bright smile and kind eyes. 
“We have heard so much about you, Miss Yoon. May I ask you to join me for the first dance of the evening?” Seokmin asked. 
It was as though you had forgotten how to speak. Mr. Lee Seokmin waited patiently for you to respond but despite your thoughts whirling at a hundred miles an hour, you simply could not force your lips to make any noise. There was a brief silence before your sister-in-law spoke on your behalf. 
“I am sure Miss Yoon would love to join you for a dance, Mr. Lee,” she promised. “You must simply allow us to visit the refreshment tables first. A glass of water is much needed in this warm weather.” 
Seokmin nodded in understanding. “Of course! You must wait here and we will find someone to bring you some water immediately.” 
You felt your tense shoulders relax slightly when the gentlemen disappeared into the crowd of people, and you were left alone with your sister-in-law. She turned to you with concern. 
“My dear, are you all right?” 
“I am fine,” you reassured her breathlessly. “I-I do not know what happened, my mind simply seemed to freeze and I could not think of what to say to him. He was so handsome and gentlemanly and I-I…” 
Mrs. Yoon grasped your hand and smiled. 
"You seem so nervous! You must not worry. Mr. Lee Seokmin is a very nice young gentleman- I have danced with him before myself -and I think it is an excellent idea for you to start your ball by dancing with him."
Her words felt distant. They did nothing to ease your anxiety. There were still too many eyes on you and your chest still felt tight. Your mind would not stop considering all the different scenarios in which this monumentally important evening could go terribly, terribly wrong. 
You were grateful for the silk gloves that concealed how sweaty your palms had become. 
Seokmin returned a few moments later with a glass of water for you. You accepted it with a trembling smile, and forced yourself to drink a little as your sister-in-law engaged Seokmin in polite conversation about his family.
"Ah- I believe the dancing is beginning!" Seokmin announced suddenly. The musicians had taken their places, and he held out his hand to you. "Shall we?"
You took his hand and glanced at your sister-in-law, who gave you an encouraging smile. Your feet felt numb as you followed your dance partner to the centre of the room. The ballroom was enormous. You could see other young ladies far more graceful, confident, and beautiful than you standing up to dance as well. Miss Hong, Miss Ella Williams, and even the Duchess herself stood with their dance partners. 
How could you compete? How could you stand up in a dance beside these accomplished women? Yes, your mother had paid for a tutor to teach you how to dance but she had said nothing, nothing about how positively nerve-wracking it would be to stand up in a room full of people with their eyes on you while other ladies smiled and glided effortlessly along! 
"Are you all right, Miss Yoon?" Seokmin asked you kindly as you took your place among the dancers. "You seem rather flustered."
Your throat still felt tight. "I-I am fine…"
He nodded and smiled. The music began, and Seokmin slowly led you into the dance and initiated a light conversation.
"You bear a striking resemblance to your elder sister. I knew her rather well. I and some of the other gentleman here who were privy to her… courtship with Mr. Choi often danced with her to ward off other suitors."
Mr. Lee Seokmin was not at fault. He had only done what any gentleman meeting with a new lady would do. He had found a topic of shared interest and attempted to initiate a conversation. 
He could not have known that he had said the worst possible thing to ease your nerves. 
You thought of your sister- your poor, darling sister who was depending on you to have a successful season and snatch up an eligible husband as soon as possible; your sister who had suffered through so many balls dancing with men she did not love solely for your benefit. She would be sitting at home and waiting to hear news of how you had charmed all of London's young men. 
The thought of disappointing her made you sick. 
"Miss Yoon?" Seokmin asked when you did not respond. He laughed uncomfortably. "I apologise, I did not mean to offend- perhaps this was an inappropriate setting to mention your sister or Mr. Choi…"
Your eyes widened. 
"No!" you cried. "No, I…"
*Yes?"
"I love my sister very much!" you blurted out loudly. 
Seokmin blinked, surprised at your sudden declaration. "Ah; yes, I imagine so. She spoke of you often. I understand you are very close?"
You nodded. It was your turn to speak but you could not think of anything to say to him. Your mind raced in a panic as you tried to think of something to reply with while keeping pace with the dance. You stumbled; Seokmin was surprised but managed to keep his grip on your gloved hand and ensured you did not fall. 
You were mortified. 
"I-I am so terribly sorry," you stammered. 
Seokmin chuckled. "That is perfectly all right, Miss Yoon, it happens to the best of us. Are you all right? Did you wish to sit down?"
Your ankle suddenly throbbed painfully. The stumble had thrust it into the wrong position and the sheer pain brought tears to your eyes. You blinked them back as you shook your head. 
"No, no," you said hurriedly. To sit down in the middle of your very first dance would surely attract far too much attention. You could not afford that kind of infamy. A young lady's first ball set the tone for the rest of the season, your sister-in-law had said so many times before, and you could not allow it to end like this. 
Seokmin frowned. "Miss Yoon, you really do not seem-"
"I am fine," you insisted breathlessly. You desperately tried to focus on anything but the pain in your ankle. Swallowing back your tears you looked up at Seokmin. "D-do you have any siblings of your own, Mr. Lee?"
He tilted his head in mild confusion. "Well- yes. You met my brother Jihoon earlier, and the Viscountess Hong is my sister. I also have three younger siblings who are not out in society."
Oh no. You realised your stupidity too late. Of course Seokmin had siblings, Jeonghan had told you about them mere minutes earlier! How could you ask the Viscountess' brother if he had siblings? What a fool you must have looked to ask a question that you should have known the answer to! 
"I-I apologise, I should have known-"
"Not at all. It is your first season, Miss Yoon, it is perfectly understandable that you may have been confused."
You flushed in embarrassment. You were ruined. Seokmin would tell all the other gentlemen of the ton that the younger Miss Yoon was a bumbling idiot; that she had no idea how to dance, or hold a conversation, and that she was rude enough to ask him about his siblings when she should have known them by name….
You could not look at Seokmin. The awkwardness and concern on his face was only adding to your growing dread. The pain in your ankle was becoming more and more difficult to conceal, and you could not keep your thoughts in order. Tears were springing to your eyes again. 
The dance finally came to an end. The silence that followed the last few notes of the music brought with it an immense relief, and you did not even wait to thank Mr. Lee Seokmin for the dance before you hobbled away from him. You needed to get away from the noise and the crowd and the staring eyes and judgemental faces, you needed a moment to simply breathe. 
The Duchess of Graham's manor was enormous and it was not very difficult to slip out of the ballroom relatively unnoticed. Your ankle was in incredible pain and you could not go far. You found the first door and burst out onto a deserted balcony.
The cool night breeze allowed you to take a refreshing gasp of air. The combination of the pain in your ankle and your crippling anxiety led you to simply close your eyes and lean against the barristers. You had not been able to manage one dance without panicking! How would you make it through the rest of this evening? 
Perhaps you could hide here until the dancing ended? 
It was the only option you had left. You could not-would not- go back into that crowded ballroom full of watching eyes and fashionable young men and women that were so confident and graceful and intimidating. The mere thought filled you with a deep and intense dread. Your ankle throbbed, and you slumped down with your back against the barristers and cradled it as you fought back more tears. 
You did not know how long you sat there on the balcony. The distant music from the ballroom must have stopped and restarted a few times before you suddenly heard the door to the balcony open once more. 
You froze. A tall, startlingly handsome gentleman entered the balcony with a cigar held loosely between his lips. He did not notice you immediately; he was too busy trying to light the cigar despite the gentle breeze blowing. He grumbled to himself a few times before finally managing to light it. The man took a long, satisfying drag and the balcony was filled with the smell of tobacco smoke. 
There was a sudden, sharp gust of wind that blew the smoke in your direction along with a wave of pollen from the lush, blooming garden below.
You sneezed. 
The man jumped in surprise and turned to you with wide eyes. "For heaven's sake- what are you doing down there?" he demanded. 
You were mortified. You could not speak. He squinted at you in the dim light streaming through the manors windows. 
"Are you injured?" he asked, noticing how you were clutching your ankle. He frowned and peered at you more closely. "You look very familiar… surely, you're not…ah! Are you the younger Miss Yoon? I know your sister!"
It was too much. The mention of your sister tipped you over the edge that you had been teetering on all evening. 
You burst into tears. 
The young gentleman looked horrified. He stood there for a moment with his mouth gaping open before he pulled out a handkerchief and tried to give it to you. You were too mortified to take it. You simply buried your head in your hands and sobbed your eyes out. 
You heard the gentleman leave- there was the sound of the balcony door closing, and then it opened again after less than a minute and multiple footsteps were audible. 
"Oh! Here she is- my dear, we have been looking for you everywhere!" your sister-in-law's arms came to wrap around you and you allowed yourself to relax in her warm embrace. Your brother was not far behind her. 
"What did you do, Mingyu?" Jeonghan demanded with a frown.
Mr. Kim Mingyu- the gentleman who was rapidly putting out his cigar against the balcony railing, paused and looked both bewildered and affronted.
"What did I do?" he cried. "I will not pretend as though I have never made a young lady cry, but really, Jeonghan, I barely said a word to her before she burst into tears!" 
"Nobody saw you?" Jeonghan insisted. 
"Of course not. Everyone was far too busy chatting about Miss Hong and that unfortunate business up in the library-"
"All right, all right. Thank you for calling us."
Your brother came over to help you up. Jeonghan sighed when he noticed your ankle. "Can you walk?" 
You shook your head miserably.
"All right. Here- lean on my shoulder. Your mother is going to be furious…"
—----------------------------------------------------
Your mother was furious. 
"I should never have trusted you to chaperone her!" she yelled at your sister-in-law. "How can you tell me that she danced only once- and to have allowed her to injure herself! How will she dance at the upcoming balls?"
Your sister-in-law sighed. 
"Madam, I will confess that perhaps I could have kept a closer eye on her, but really, the injury was an accident. I am not sure how you expect me to have prevented it from happening," she retorted irritably.
Your mother was incensed. "I shall certainly expect nothing more from you! I shall escort my daughter to all the balls for the rest of the season myself!"
Your eyes widened. 
"Mother, no…"
"Hush," your mother snapped. "I don't want to hear another word from you. Injuring your ankle at the very beginning of the season! As though you had never been taught to dance! I want nothing from you, except to heal that ankle as soon as possible!"
You bit your lip. "Yes, mother…"
"I am off to Mrs. Patty's to see what the rest of the ton thinks. We must count our blessings that the Viscount's sister made an absolute spectacle of herself the same night, so word of your poor debut was not the most gossip-worthy event of the evening."
You bit your lip. It seemed unkind to take relief in another young lady's misfortunes but those were the cards you had been dealt. Your mother stormed out of the parlour and your sister-in-law came closer to you. 
"Are you all right?" she asked gently. "How is your ankle?"
It was swollen. The doctor had been by and had advised you to rest for a few days and that you should be in a position to walk normally in a week's time. 
"Better," you lied.
"You look quite miserable, my dear."
"I-I dread to think of how I shall manage the next ball. Mr. Lee was so gentle and kind, but I still panicked and could not bring myself to converse normally with him. I am sure he will tell the entire ton that I am a bumbling fool!"
"I am sure he will not," Mrs. Yoon said firmly. "He is not so unkind."
"And if the next man is not as kind as him? What if I make a bigger fool of myself in front of someone far more important? How shall I ever find a husband if I cannot even dance or converse with gentlemen? Were you this nervous when you debuted?" you cried.
She sighed. "I will confess I was not. We each have skills which come more naturally to us than others. But you need not worry. That does not mean that you will never be able to charm a gentleman. It only means that you need more practice in the arts of… conversation and flirtation than others."
You blinked at her. "Will you practice with me?"
"I would love to- but it will not help. You are too comfortable with me. You need to practice under more realistic conditions with a real gentleman. But a gentleman with whom the stakes are low, and who will not mind if you make a few mistakes."
A servant entered the parlour and curtsied. "Mrs. Yoon- a Mr. Kim Mingyu has arrived to see you."
"Yes- please show him in," your sister-in-law replied before smiling at you. "Your practice gentleman is here, it seems."
You stared at her in disbelief. 
"What?"
Mr. Kim entered the room. You had not been able to see him clearly in the darkness and emotional haze of the Duchess' ball the previous night, but he appeared in front of you now, in all his present glory. 
Kim Mingyu was tall and handsome, with a charming smile and twinkling eyes that radiated a mixture of playfulness and confidence. He wore a fashionable riding coat. His dark hair was soft and brushed his forehead lightly. 
You were stunned into silence. 
"Excellent," your sister-in-law said when she noticed your horrified expression. "That look is exactly what we are hoping to ease you out of, with enough practice. Mr. Kim; come join us!"
Mingyu gracefully took a seat across from you and flashed his perfect smile.
"Miss Yoon," he greeted you. "I must apologise for my behaviour the previous night. I really did not see you on the balcony."
You opened your mouth to respond but no words came out. Clenching your fists, you forced yourself to respond calmly. "No-I mean…it was not… you did nothing wrong… I was hiding…"
Mr. Kim bit back his smile. 
"Ah," he said calmly, with a tone of understanding. "I see the problem."
Your sister-in-law turned to him. "As you can see, Miss Yoon is having some trouble engaging in conversation. I thought, as one of the more experienced bachelors of the ton in matters of flirtation and courtship, you might be persuaded to take her under your wing."
Mingyu grinned. "I would be delighted."
You stared at them. "But-but…"
"Mr. Kim is a notorious rake," your sister-in-law told you matter-of-factly. You stared at the gentleman sitting across from you in shock, expecting him to be offended by her name-calling, but Mingyu only nodded solemnly. 
You had to object. "Sister, surely he is not-"
"No, Mrs. Yoon is perfectly right," Mingyu interrupted you. "I have gathered quite the reputation for myself and it is wholly deserved."
"O-oh."
"Mr. Kim has generously offered his services," your sister-in-law continued. "He is not only prepared to teach you how to flirt and converse with gentlemen at social events, he is also prepared to enter into a public courtship with you until you are ready to venture out on your own."
"A courtship?" you demanded. 
"It is, of course, a false one," Mingyu explained to you calmly. "It may take some time until you are fully ready and confident enough to converse with your real suitors. Until then, I would be happy to play the part of a jealous, lovesick suitor who intends to keep you all to himself. I shall interfere and sweep you away from any gentlemen you are not ready to speak to. I can prevent further uncomfortable situations and act as a buffer. This way, you will not appear rude, and the blame for any unpleasant situations will fall upon me."
"I see…."
Your sister-law nodded. "Once you are ready, you may publicly end your courtship with Mr. Kim and proceed to pursue the man of your choosing. Nobody will blame you- he is a known rake, after all, and you would not be the first young lady to have her heart broken by him."
"Well," Mingyu chimed in with a gracious smile. "I will not presume that Miss Yoon wishes to have her heart broken by me. If it suits you better, I will be delighted to pretend that you were the one who broke my heart. We may orchestrate the ending of our courtship in a manner of your choosing."
You swallowed. "But my mother-"
Your sister-in-law grinned. "Mr. Kim is an only son and is the sole owner of a very wealthy estate not far from where the Chois live. Your mother will not object to him courting you. Of course, she need not know the truth."
It was an elaborate and dangerous scheme. You were not sure if it would succeed but you could see the genuineness in your sister-in-law's eyes. She really wanted to help you, and after the disaster at the Duchess of Graham's ball, you would be a fool if you did not admit that you needed all the help you could obtain. 
You would have to trust her. 
"Miss Yoon?" Mr. Kim asked with a charming smile. "Do I have your permission to court you?"
You took a deep breath and nodded. 
"Yes, Mr. Kim. You do."
—-----------------------------------------------------
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gentlebeardsbarngrill · 7 months
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03/06/2024 Daily OFMD Recap
TLDR; Cast & Crew Sightings; David Jenkins; Kristian Nairn; Ruibo Qian; Fuckeries; Watch Party Polls; Watch Party Reminders; Fan Spotlight; Cast Cards; Pink News; Q+ Magazine; Stats; #ReleaseTheJenkinsCut; Love Notes/Morale; Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika
= Cast & Crew Sightings =
== David Jenkins ==
David popped his head out today with all the Jenkins Cut talk going around. @bbviago thank you for bringing Dad out of hiding!
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Our friends at @adoptourcrew captured the fandom reaction pretty well me thinks:
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Also too, @skrifores had a really excellent point about how different the interpretations of this were. Which way were you all thinking? Any thoughts?
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== Kristian Nairn ==
Remember the book Kristian kept hinting about? It's up for preorder! It comes out Sept 24! Wanna pre-order it? Visit Kristian's Linktr.ee
Src: Kristian Nairn's Instagram
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== Ruibo Qian ==
Our pirate queen singing and playing the guitar for us. In addition... there's some clown/honking going on because of the note she added to her Instagram. *Resurrection* with 3 tiny stars, anyone? 👀
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Ruibo Qian's Instagram
== Fuckeries ==
Save OFMD Crew is calling out for some help! Please reach uot to businesses, streamers, personalities, etc today to bring in more engagement if you have a few spare minutes!
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== More Watch Party Voting! ==
We need you!
Our crew-mate @iamadequate1 implores you to come vote for the final version of the watch party hashtags! They're neck and neck!
Final Short Poppies Watch Party Hashtag Poll
Flight of the Conchords Watch Party Hashtag Poll
== Watch Party Reminders ==
= A League Of Their Own =
Tomorrow the 7th is ALOTO Episodes 6-7, and then OFMD 6-7 Time: 1-4PM EST/6-9PM GMT Where: You can watch ALOTO on Amazon Prime
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Watch Party Hashtags:
OurFlagMeansBaseball
ALeagueOfTheirOwn
SaveOFMD 
= Mar 4 - Mar 8: Wrecked Season 1 =
Don't have access? DM @iamadequate1 on Twitter or Tumblr
Season 1 watch from March 4th to March 8th. 
Times will be 10pm GMT / 5pm EST / 4pm CST / 2pm PST.
Saturday there will be a re-watch for those who need to catch up (time TBD) .
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Hashtags: 
#WreckedPirates
#SaveOFMD
#RhysDarbyFaction
== Fan Spotlight ==
= Cast Cards! =
Thank you thank you @melvisik for recognising our dear Gabriel, Nick Kroll! So glad to see some of the actors from just one episode getting some love! Another card to add to the collection!
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= Pink News =
I realise that Pink News is an actual news site, but they are joining under the fan spotlight tonight for their continued dedication to #OFMD and quality content/memes.
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= Q+ Magazine =
Our friend @spanishjenkies caught Q+ sending some incentive over to Chaos Dad 😉. Just more reasons to love Q+ for their continued support!
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== STATS STATS STATS ==
Great News Everyone Looks like Season 1 and 2 are ranking in the top 20 Comedy shows in Germany! WAY TO GO DEUTSCH CREW! Thank you @quirkysubject for the update!!
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= @AdoptOurCrew Data Updates! =
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== #ReleaseTheJenkinsCut ==
Thank you to @sweet-little-goldfish-stede (@Rowan_ofmd on twitter) for bringing this new hashtag to our attention! #ReleaseTheJenkinsCut is being used not only for fun, but to encourage streamers to #AdoptOurCrew! Please feel free to use it liberally, especially with your favorite BTS scenes! Also, kind thanks are in order for catching Jenkins trending!
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== Love Notes / Morale ==
Hey there lovelies! Today had some pretty great excitement going on! Chaos Dad popped his head out, Kristian's book got announced, our Ruibo put out a lovely song for us. All good news! Even though a lot of folks had peaks today, I know some of our crew is still having some troughs, so I wanted to send out a little reminder that it's okay to have bad days. It's okay to not be as excited as everyone else. It's also okay to be excited when others are feeling down. We are all individuals and we all have our unique experiences and struggles we deal with every day.
You don't need to compare your experience to others-- you're allowed to be exactly how you are right now. If you feel down, give yourself a hug, you don't have to come out of it right now if you're not ready, but if you are, there are plenty of things happening to give you some joy.
I was going to save this song for when I wanted to talk a bit about mistakes and dealing with them, but I think it's pretty applicable to any situation where we're feeling down. It helps keep me grounded sometimes when I'm not feeling up for things. Here's just a couple lyrics from: "It's Alright - by Mother Mother"
"It's alright, It's okay, it's alright, it's okay You're not a demon, there's a reason You behaved in that way It's alright, it's okay, it's alright, it's okay And I believe, yes I believe that you will see a better day It's alright"
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Another lovely note from @spanishjenkies I thought was really important to include tonight-- Jen is right, David didn't say stop :) Remember that whenever you're feeling like the gravy basket is feeling too deep. Chaos Dad is still fighting the good fight in the background and he hasn't told us to throw in the towel.
Goodnight/G'day Lovelies, hope you all get some rest and have a wonderful day tomorrow!
==Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika==
You can blame thank @celluloidbroomcloset for the inability to think after that Darby gif. @ofmd-ann thank you for the reaction gif for all of our brain cells in the form of Taika.
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imnotjaesblog · 11 months
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Part 4: The Supplier
Starring: Na Jaemin
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Summary: Na Jaemin the campus dealer or as he prefers “Supplier” has been growing his business since the eighth grade. Being the man who has everything you need when you need it. His small business became real popular once he started college. However after using his powers for evil Y/n kills his little business before it reaches off the ground. He’s been obsessed with her and her father since day one. Wanting and needing the life he has. So with Y/n as his ticket to the top he provides her with his finest services. Until he forced to make no other choice but take her deal.
Warnings: Smut, Angst and Lots of Fluff, Smoking, Penetration (with fingers) Oral (F. receiving). Cursing, Jaemin is a Service Dom, Y/n has sub moments throughout this part and slight mentions of misogyny.
Words: 12k
Sorry for the wait I made sure to make this one longer.
MINORS DO NOT READ!!!!!!
Enjoy :)
It wasn’t hard finding Na Jaemin. He spent most of his time in class, a business major like you. Every day he continued to grow his business on and off campus. He mainly grew popular for selling things people needed. Jaemin was the guy you “knew” when you needed something.
“It would be dope if we could get like a goat or something for a party,” you would say. And then your friend would respond with.
“I know a guy who could get us a goat,”
Jaemin became that kind of guy. Meaning besides the one class you shared you didn’t see him as much. He normally went home after class or studied with his friends. At parties, he was known for bringing “the goods” and selling to a bunch of college students. He even sold to a few professors on campus.
He was much known for Adderall. Adderall in simpler terms is known to increase your ability to pay attention, stay focused on an activity, and control behavior problems.
It may also help you to organize your tasks and improve your listening skills. Making it popular during exam season. Which made Jaemin a lot of money. Making him the only person in Si Cheng’s friend group to finally buy his apartment. Today you were visiting him there. Helping him move some pieces around, and get settled in. However, wouldn’t have been able to find it if Jisung didn’t make it so easy.
The thing about Jaemin is he’s a nice guy. He can provide you with anything you need and most time he is very quick with his deliveries. What made his name on your list was the fact that for a good price, he could give you anything.
He could get you a person's social media. He could also get you their phone number. As well as their address or even private photos of them. A long time ago Wendy had been one of the girls someone “ordered” pictures of and he delivered. After discovering this from Jisung who also disclosed Jaemin’s hideout it just made it too easy. Na Jaemin like his friends was going down.
Now if it wasn’t for Jisung finding Jaemin would have been difficult. Jaemin wasn’t someone who you could approach in the street. You had to know someone who knew someone to reach him. After his class, no one knew where he disappeared to, even after parties he wouldn’t return to his frat. Most of his friends had no idea where he’d go. Jaemin needed an extra hand delivering a bunch of bags full of marbles once and brought Jisung. Afterward, he stopped his “hideout” once he finished his job.
Turns out Jaemin’s “hideout” was just a shitty job he had at a record store.
He’d clean the doors and windows, and reorganize the records for fifteen dollars an hour. It was the first job that made Jaemin realize this was something he didn’t want to do. He wanted to make money not earn it. He wanted to be like your father. Your father earned money as well as your mother. They are still heads of the company they built from the ground up. Buying businesses and selling them for parts. As well as creating different tech equipment. Jaemin wanted that, what your father has. That's why he created his own little business supplying the students with what they needed.
You had just finished class when you found yourself outside the room waiting for Jisung alongside Jungwoo. Jungwoo leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and shades concealing his eyes. You stood beside him a curve of your hip poking outwards. You checked your nails as you both waited for him to finally leave the classroom. You checked the clock above you, one fifteen, all the doors opened and students fled their classrooms. Probably finally getting something to eat.
Jisung emerged from his class Haechan beside him. The two were talking about whatever video game design they both liked when their eyes met yours. Jisung smiled at you sending a smile wave. Haechan eyed him confused making Jisung bring his hand down. Haechan felt a small heart attack that traveled down to his stomach. You smirked at him, cherry lip gloss shiny on your lips. You pulled back your sunglasses resting them on the top of your head, creating a head ban. Jungwoo chuckled watching you send him a small wave. He huffed turning to Jisung, "I'll see you later," He said avoiding your eyes as he walked away.
You and Jungwoo both laughed high fiving each other and adding a snap at the end. Jisung chuckled seeing Haechan's reaction, as well as yours. Jungwoo's laughter died down but his smile remained when he approached Jungwoo. He punched his shoulder, "Are you trying to get us caught?" He asked eyeing Jisung. The moment of mockery was short-lived. Jisung widened his eyes holding his hands up in defense. He shook his head brown locks swaying side to side.
"Never," he said. You walked up to the two of them placing a hand on Jungwoo's shoulder. "He didn't do it on purpose. Those two always walk out of class together," You said eyes leaving Jisung's to Jungwoo's side profile. He nodded removing his hand from Jisung dusting off his shoulders. He sent him a cheeky smile. "My bad. I was just a little concerned," he said nervously. Jisung shook his head waving his hands in a "no" motion. "He won't. I promise," he said. It became silent for a moment before you spoke again.
"Okay," You said clasping your hands together. "Let's go take care of Jaemin," You said turning on your heels full of gleam.
As you walked in the middle of Jungwoo and Jisung you noticed Jisung tense up. Catching his reaction to followed his eyes seeing Jaehyun next to Johnny just down the hallway with the basketball team. Jisung got nervous. His frat wasn't supposed to see you with him, it'd give everything away. He looked around finding an empty hallway. He turned to you pointing to the hallway. You nodded watching him flee.
Jaehyun's head turned from the guy he was talking to eyes finding yours. Instantly he cut the conversation and made his way toward you. Jungwoo noticed rolling his eyes. "Here we go," he commented. Jaehyun smirked as he tried to strengthen his walk to you. He flipped his hair to the side running a hand through it. You wanted to burst out laughing at the sight. You placed a hand on your hip once he finally reached you.
"Yes Jaehyun," you said already annoyed with him. He shrugged placing a hand in his pocket. He meets your eyes with pursed lips. "It's just nice seeing you here," he flirted eyeing you up and down.
"I mean she goes here," Jungwoo threw back in his face. Putting down his attempt at flirting. Jaehyun glared at him brushing him off. He smiled turning back to you and placing a hand in his pocket. "Johnny and I are throwing a Halloween party. I wanted to invite you," he said biting the inside of his cheek waiting for your response. You looked at Jungwoo both of you holding back your laughter.
Jaehyun sighed looking around and waiting for your response.
"Okay, Okay." you began. You covered your mouth trying to conceal your giggles. You held your breath for a second recollecting yourself. He just looked so goofy to you.
"If I say yes will you walk away?" you asked.
He nodded, "Yes,"
"Okay I'll go," you responded. He felt his heart skip a beat. Now it was his turn to conceal how excited he was. He nodded his head pursing his lips and turning to his side. "Cool, cool," he said as he slowly returned to his circle of friends. You and Jungwoo both watched as he wore a proud smile on his face. His friends teased him about the interaction.
Jungwoo held your arm as the both of you walked off. He over to you with a teasing smile. "I can't believe you ever dated that guy," he commented as the two of you walked off and down the hallway Jisung disappeared into.
You found Jisung out by your car. He stood beside it waiting for you to arrive. Once you did he picked up his head from his phone removing his headphones from his ear. He smiled but brushed it off remembering you weren't here to see him. You are here to get things done. "Jisung answer me this," you asked approaching him and unlocking your car. Jungwoo squeezed past him sitting in the passenger seat. Jisung moved aside Jungwoo sending him a thankful smile.
"Yeah," he said following you around the car. You leaned on the driver's side Jisung standing at an angle from you.
"Tell me. How haven't I scared you off yet?" you asked crossing your arms over your chest. Keys dangling from your hands. Jisung shuddered feeling the cool autumn breeze rush past him. Leaves scattering on the ground. He didn't feel nervous to meet your eyes like he had before. He wasn't even nervous about your question. He shrugged placing his phone back in his pocket.
"I guess it's because I like you. You're my friend," he said. You pursed your lips nodding letting his answer sink inside you. You smiled tapping his shoulder. "Good answer," you said before you opened the car door and sat inside. Jisung smiled a scoff released from his lips. He could start to see his breath in the wind. The seasons were changing. Summer was over and Fall was over, that calmed him. He enjoyed Fall, similar to you and like you he disliked Winter.
"So where are we gonna find Jaemin?" Jungwoo asked you as you drove down the long road. You nudged your head to Jisung. "He knows where his work is. We're going there now," You said turning your attention back to the road. Jungwoo sneered at the forest that surrounded the car. "How far is it?" he asked you.
"Not far, but far enough so no one at the school would find him," Jisung said speaking up. Jungwoo nodded turning back to the window and staring at the passing trees. You sighed gripping onto the wheel.
Were you making a mistake? You had asked yourself this question over the last couple of days but now you were starting to think about it. Getting the boys to come to you, making them feel so high and then so low in a matter of seconds, and treating them like meat felt good when you were doing it, but afterward, you just felt sorry for yourself.
What if your mother knew what you were doing? She would be more than furious. She already hated your father for years of manipulation between them in their relationship so what if she knew you were doing the same? Manipulating men who hurt you, who've hurt other people including your friends. You tried to justify with that kind of logic. These men hurt people and bad people should be punished. The silence in the car made the thoughts in your brain process easier. The silence also made you feel worse. Without any noise, you could hear every thought in your mind.
You removed one of your hands from the wheel opening up the music app on your phone. Scrolling through your playlist you find your favorite by clicking shuffle. The song started and Jungwoo smiled knowing how much you loved this song. He nodded off humming the lyrics. You smiled watching him making your body feel at ease. You looked up at your mirror seeing Jisung holding up his phone to the music searching for the song. It made your cheeks grow warm seeing him shazam one of your favorite songs. He did like you.
But then you remembered that at the end of the day, he was still a part of the group of men who hurt you.
You parked your car just a block away from the store. Each other steps out and shuts the car door. It was a much breezier day today, unlike yesterday. You hugged yourself as you walked down the street next to the two boys trying to warm yourself. Jisung noticed, he was about to offer you his sweater but decided it wouldn’t be a good idea.
Jisung stepped ahead motioning his hand to the record store. You checked out the building. It was a smaller store with stained windows. The shop had been here for a minute. Jungwoo and Jisung stepped back. Jungwoo runs his fingers up and down your arm giving it a gentle squeeze. “We’ll be right here,” he assured letting go of your arm. You nodded biting onto your lip nervously.
Jaemin was probably one of the more intimidating members of his group. And next to Yuta probably one of the more mysterious. He was never seen unless he was needed. His whereabouts always remained unknown. You had to know someone to reach him. Jaemin was also dealing narcotics his main source of income.
Your hand touched the door pushing it open a small jingling. You looked towards the counter seeing no one behind it. You turned back to the middle of the room. Five rows of sleeves full of records covered in cobwebs. You gulped letting the door close behind you stepping onto the burgundy rug with an unknown dark stain. The lights had turned on once you stepped inside making few of your worries disappear. You walked further inside wiping your finger on the counter and tracing a line of dust sitting on the pad of your index finger. You dusted your hand off walking to one of the records. You flipped through a random pile labeled “P”. Not seeing anyone in the store but there is an open sign confused you.
But someone would come out if they saw you shopping.
You continued looking through different baskets of records in silence. Growing bored you looked around the room. Large windows in the front give a view of the empty sidewalk and streets. There weren’t many people walking around shopping. It gave you the chills. This downtown street area in particular empty. The silence of it all creeped you out. Your eyes in search for something to do found a record player. You looked through a few more records most from artists from the 1990s and back you selected Madonna's record opened it and placed it on the record player.
It started well. You hummed to the music and you continued to look around waiting for any employee, any person to arrive. You swayed your hips to the music enjoying the record that played of the iconic singer. You smiled a memory of your mother clouding your mind. When you were much younger she always played Madonna. The two of you dancing together, going shopping, and tried on clothes as one of her songs played. You smiled smiling at another of her records in your hand. Just as you went to place it back the record started to scratch distorting the sound.
Completely freaked out you ran over stopping the record and placing it away. As you placed it away the lights went dark. You felt your heart skip a beat. There was still no one else here with you. Without a second thought, you leaned into action heading for the front door.
“Wait wait,” someone called calmly from the darkness. You didn’t bother waiting stepping outside the sun shining brightly on your face. The door opened behind you but didn’t close. You stepped forward towards the line between the street and the sidewalk. You turned around and saw Jaemin leaning against the shop door. Bigger arms crossed over his broad chest. He tilted his head to the side a playful look in his eyes.
“Never would I have ever imagined you’d come into my shop,” he said with a small shake of his head. You played with your fingers. You had never felt this kind of nervous before. “You own this place?” You asked him motioning to the record store. He turned his head looking at the sign with a nod he turned back to you.
“I bought it from an old man two years ago. He passed away and the place was cheap. I figured it would be perfect,” he said releasing his arms from over his chest. He leaned off the side of the door pushing it open. He stood flat on the door motioning his hands for you to come inside. You gulped as you stepped forward brushing a cobweb out of your face.
When you stepped inside Jaemin had changed the store sign from Open to Closed.
You walked down the aisle behind Jaemin of dusty records. You wanted to make conversation with him. But based on Jaemin's overall vibe. He was a lot more intimidating than you thought. You assumed he'd be easy. You'd come to his shop and say you needed something but not have enough money to pay for it. Then he'd give you an offer.
Sex for Weed.
It wouldn't be the first time someone fucked for a pound. As you walked down this old, run-down record shop, you were starting to regret that plan. It was a cheap plan that would leave you feeling worse than before you arrived today. So Jaemin would have something more special planned and thought out like his friends.
He opened a wooden door leading to a wooden staircase. He held the door open letting you step in first. He sent you a smirk as you placed your foot on the first step. You looked back at him uneasy expression on your face. The staircase was dusty and smelled of mold. There were dents and nails on the steps. When you placed your foot on the second step it creaked. So you stepped down crossing your arms over your chest.
"I'm not going up those stairs," You said using your finger to point in the direction of the creepy dark staircase. Jaemin chuckled stepping ahead of you and letting the door close behind him. "If you want what I'm selling you have to go upstairs," he said already on the fifth step. He placed both hands in his pockets as he walked up. You huffed with a small pout following behind him.
"Also I wouldn't touch the railing," he commented not turning his head to you. You lifted your hand on the wooden bar confused and tensed. "Why?" you asked your hand hovering over the railing.
"It's full of spiders," he said turning left and disappearing from the staircase. You squealed running up the stairs and seeing him in front of a door holding up and key. He smirked turning away from you and to the door. "I'm assuming a girl like you is here for one thing," he said opening his office door.
You tilted your head. "What am I here for?" you asked with a smirk.
"Weed princess," he said handing you a bag from his insanely large stash. Your eyes bugled out of their socket. Arms fell as you walked further inside the room. "Woah," you said your nose wrinkling at the smell once you fully walked inside. Jaemin swatted your hand away when you went to touch the bags.
"You can look but you can't touch unless you buying," He said you scoffed but obliged letting your hand fall. You walked around the small cabinet office instead. Your mouth was agape as you stared in awe at all the weeds surrounding you. "How did you even get this much?" you asked making your way to the back the small intensifying as you made it to the small window. Looking out you could see your car. You wondered if he saw you.
Jaemin cleared his throat calling your attention. You turned seeing him place the bag in a small box. He stood by the door leaning on his side waiting for you so he could close the office door. You walked out allowing him to shut the door. He locked it handing you the box.
"I won't charge you," he said leaning closer to you with a smirk, handing you the box. You went to grab it but he pulled his hand away. "But since I am giving you this free of charge I'd like something else," he said a playful smirk on his pink lips. You scoffed crossing your arms over your chest. Just as you expected, Na Jaemin would be too easy.
"Oh really?" you asked smirking back confident you had the upper hand. "What do you want," you hushed back. He chuckled standing straight his eyes still locked with yours. Both of you are in a battle to see who would look away first. You were sure he would. He was gonna ask you to fuck him, you were sure of it.
"I'd like your number," He said with a smile followed by a shrug. "Maybe even hang out," he followed with. You widened your eyes slightly but held contact. This could still work. You nodded holding your hand out. "Okay," you said with a warm smile. He reached into his pocket handing you his open phone. You put your number in handing it back to him. You turned to walk away but he took your wrist in his large hand. He pulled you towards him leaning down to place a kiss on your neck.
"See you soon," he whispered for only your ears. You hid the tingles you felt throughout your body. Forcing the butterflies you felt in your stomach away. You pulled your hand away leaving his frame. You turned on your heels a sway in your hips as you walked down the staircase. Jaemin smiled to himself as he watched you walk away. Feeling all the butterflies in his stomach and chest.
It didn't take long for Na Jaemin to become delusional enough to believe a girl like you would be into him. He was just like his friends. Desired you, craved you, they dreamed of you.
The only thing that was different about Na Jaemin was you couldn't control him like the others.
You had gone to his record store a few days ago saying you came because you wanted to buy weed from him. He sold you the bag and slipped in his phone number. He took time responding to your text but when he did it made it hard to not wish he wasn't friends with those assholes.
4:01 pm
Na- How's your day princess?
y/n- It's been good
Na- That's good. I love to hear that. How can NaNa make it better?"
You had cringed at his obsession with addressing himself in the third person.
y/n- Come over
9:01 pm
Na - I'm sorry Princess Nana got busy. I promise I'll make it up to you. What do you like? Let Nana know how he can make it better.
y/n- Not wasting my time.
Na- I promise it won't happen again. Text me your address.
He always let you believe you were in control but here you were constantly checking your phone for his response. It had been like this the last few days. Secretly waiting for his reply.
"What's on your mind?" Wendy asked as Jungwoo rolled up beside her. You shook your head. "Nothing, I was just thinking about everything that were doing," you said with a slight shrug. You sat back on your white rug on your living floor. You leaned on your couch resting your back and bringing your knees to your chest. Ten made a side frown. Wendy frowned as well and placed her hand on your knee giving it a gentle squeeze. Jungwoo licked a stripe on the thin paper folding it around the weed.
"I mean are we doing the right thing?" you asked. Ten kept quiet causing Wendy to scoff. She looked away from him and at you.
"I think you're doing exactly what you need to do. These guys are the impiety of assholes. You remember what they did to us, to you," she said with a hint of determination in tone but sadness in her eyes. Jisung appeared from the bathroom sitting on the rug beside you and next to Ten. "What did they do?" he asked curiously. Jungwoo pulled a lighter out lighting up the joint.
"Should we tell him?" he asked the circle. Everyone looked at each other and then you for permission. You widen your eyes surprised this conversation is happening. You looked over at Jisung who's eyes were already on you. You examined him for a minute letting your gut decide if you should let your friends tell him about their past with his friend group.
Jungwoo took a hit as he waited passing it to Wendy. "Okay," you said turning away from Jisung. His lips formed a small smile feeling closer to you all even though he knew of you spoken yet. "Just leave my parts out," you said with a small frown. You held your head down, your friends nodding understanding. Jisung frowned as well. He wanted to know what his 'friends' had done but he wasn't going to force you to speak.
Wendy took it a hit and then passed it to you. You remained quiet as she spoke.
"I'll speak for myself," she said rubbing her hands on her pants as she turned to Jisung. Jisung focused his attention on her. She let out a sigh. "When I first started going to school here I met a guy," she smiled thinking of the first interaction she had with him. "He was really sweet to me. He showed me around campus and even invited me to a party he was throwing with his friend. I was so excited to go," she said remembering the rush she felt about her first college party.
She shook her head old feelings returning. "We got close. So I thought," she bit the inside of her mouth feeling the same anger again heat up throughout her body. "I thought he liked me," she said feeling her heart swell again. You placed your hand on her shoulder rubbing it gently.
"We had gotten to know each other. He took me out on cute dates and treated me like a princess. So when the day of the party arrived I put on my best outfit. I thought about it all day, I could barely focus in class. My leg bounced under the table in nervousness and excitement. Then the time finally came. I got dressed, did my hair and makeup, and went to the party," she took a pause.
"I searched for the boy finding him in the kitchen. We danced together for a moment then he brought me upstairs to his room. He kissed me and it felt good. Until I noticed something in the corner of his room," she said her voice dying out.
"What did you find?" Jisung asked fully invested in the story.
She sighed chewing on the side of her mouth. "I noticed a small red light in the corner facing the direction of the bed. I walked over to it and pushed away a t-shirt and a few books finding a fucking camera," she said a tear slipping down her cheek. Jisung gasped hand covering his mouth. He felt terrible inside having no idea how incredibly disgusting his so-called friends are. He only wondered which one it was.
Jungwoo and Ten shook their heads. You remained quiet just keeping your hand on Wendy.
"I was down to my bare body laying on his fucking bed when I found it," she said tears streaming down her face. The wounds still have not healed. The memory stung her heart. "He was angry I found the camera. I quickly got dressed and left," she said forcibly wiping her tears away with her sleeve. The room felt silent for a moment as Wendy collected herself. She took a hit from the blunt. She coughed for a bit thanking you as you handed her a glass of water.
"Luckily as I was running out I ran into Y/n," she said with a smile. She turned to you with puffy eyes. Her lip quivered as she spoke. "I bumped into her and she asked me if "I was okay?" I lied and told her yes. But she saw him at the top of the stairs and asked me again. I turned seeing him and looked back at her telling her the truth. I wasn't okay and in fact, I was scared. Scared everyone would see the video of me," she paused. "She took me home that night," she said with a smile touching your hand.
"The next day she found me in a class. I came inside sitting beside me and telling me. "I handled it," she said with a chuckle. "I was so confused," she said with a shake of her head. "But the video never got out and the boy left me alone," she said putting an end to the story. She turned away from you clearing her throat. She turned to Jisung meeting his eyes.
"That boy was Johnny and this is why I hate him so much," she confessed. "Wow," he said shaking his head. He had no idea what to say. He couldn't defend their actions he wouldn't even try. He felt nothing but pity for Wendy. He couldn't imagine being in that situation.
"I'm sorry that happened to you," he said. He felt like all he could do was apologize even if it wasn't his fault. Wendy shook her head. "It's not your fault. You didn't do anything," she said but that was the problem. He frowned shaking his head. He was at that party and didn't do anything. You noticed his face touching his knee. He met your big eyes with a sad expression. You shook your head knowing he was shitting on himself. "You didn't know. None of us did," you said to make him feel less like shit and understand that if Wendy wasn't angry at him and he had no way of knowing that he wasn't to blame. Only Johnny was to blame.
He nodded turning to Jungwoo. "And you?" he asked.
Jungwoo looked over at him. "Me?" he asked. Jisung nodded hand ghosting over yours. You smiled biting your lip to hide the expression.
"What did they do to you?" he asked. He sighed scouting closer to the coffee table resting his hands on it. "Well one they hurt my girls," he said causing both girls to laugh. Jisung smirked glancing over at you. You are so pretty when you smile.
"And some of them made my life hell in high school," he said. Jisung's eyes widened now lost. He didn't know their history went to far back. "High school?" he asked and Jungwoo nodded. "Yup. Y/n and I went to the same high school as Jaehyun, Johnny, Jeno, and Mark," he said like it was common knowledge when it very much wasn't to him.
"It was mainly Johnny and Jeno. They made comments about sexuality especially after I became friends with Y/n. They called me her pet throughout high school. They didn't beat me up or anything they were just dicks all the time to me and it was annoying so I don't like them," he said with a roll of his eyes. Jisung nodded believing every word he said because it sounded exactly like them to do something like that.
"Y/n got them to leave me alone mainly because she was dating Jaehyun," he said with a shrug. Jisung's eyes went wide. You threw a pillow at him causing his head to fly back. "I said leave me out," you said. Jungwoo scoffed fixing himself as he jerked his head at you. "My bad. I just still can't believe you two dated and like not for fake," he said causing Ten to chuckle.
"You dated Jaehyun?" he asked. You turned to him shaking your head. "It's a long story and I don't want to share," you said stopping Jisung from asking any further questions. Jungwoo chuckled throwing the pillow back on the couch. He turned to Ten slapping his arm. Ten made an ow sound rubbing his arm. "Your turn," he said.
Ding Dong
The doorbell rang. Everyone looked at one another lost.
"I didn't order any food," you said first looking over at everyone else. They all sent the same weird glance to one another. "Did you invite anyone else?" Wendy asked you. You shook your head as you stood up to see who it was. Jisung followed behind you. Jungwoo tapped Ten's leg pointing at Jisung following. "He's trying to protect her," he said causing Wendy to throw another pillow at him. Ten just chuckled at their nonsense.
You checked the peephole widening your eyes covering your mouth trying to muffle your gasp. You turned to Jisung and he shook his head confused. "What?" he asked. You met his eyes slightly backing away from the door. You pulled him with you eyeing the door and then him.
"It's Jaemin," you said just above a whisper. "I didn't invite him," you said with a shake of your head. Only you did invite Na Jaemin, you just didn't think he'd so up right now. Jisung widened his eyes heading back to the living room to warn everyone else.
Ding Dong
The doorbell rang again causing you to jump. You didn't think he was going to show up. You walked up to the door and saw him leaning against the wall rubbing his boots on the carpet. "Just a minute!" you called. He smirked shaking his head. He knew he was successful in surprising you. You probably assumed he wasn't going to respond to your text or show up at your apartment.
"Okay princess take your time!" he called pulling out his phone. You watched him for a moment hearing a rush of footsteps behind you. Jungwoo nosey as ever grabbed hold of your shoulders, bending down to see if Jaemin was there. When he pushed you slightly and replaced his eye with yours he gasped covering his mouth and stepping away.
You looked again listening as Wendy told everyone to be quiet. As you looked through the peephole again Jaemin glanced up from his phone staring straight into the small hole. Your heart skipped a beat as you backed up. Jisung looked at you worried reaching his hands out to you. You took his hands but only for a moment. "I can invite him in with them here, but not with you," you said looking into his eyes.
"What do we do?" Wendy asked you. Ten stood by the door making Jaemin smirk believing it was your shadow. "We can hide him," Jungwoo suggested. "Or we can have this conversation away from the door," said Ten. You all agreed walking back into the living room but not before you told Jaemin you'd be right there.
"Okay, so what do we do?'" Ten asked looking back at the door. He turned back to the group placing his hands on his hips. "Jungwoo did say we could hide him," he said motioning his hand to Jungwoo who stood beside him. Jungwoo nodded agreeing with him. You chewed on your lip, foot tapping on the ground. This couldn't be the end. You were growing closer by the day and now everything could fall apart. The minute Jaemin sees Jisung here with you, as friends in your apartment everything would be over.
He'd tell his friends, Si Cheng, Yangyang, and Haechan would surely question him. They'd either spill or warn the others to stay away from you and probably alienate Jisung from his home. Then everything would completely fall apart for you and your friends. You looked back at the door chewing on your lip. Your heart sinks further down your body making your stomach turn.
You couldn't let that happen.
"He can hide in my room. I'll keep the door locked and the lights off. Jaemin won't spend too much time here tonight," you said. Everyone nodded off Wendy taking him to your bedroom. She walked him down the small wooden floored hallway. She opened your bedroom door, and your dog jumped off your bed and ran past her legs. Scattered paws run down the hallway. She quickly pushed Jisung into the room. Not hard enough to hurt him or anything just enough to draw his attention back. He had been staring down the hallway waiting for Jaemin to come in.
"Okay," she said. "Don't touch anything, but if you get thirsty I'm sure Y/n won't mind if you take from the small fridge," she said pointing to the white fridge on the other side of the bedroom. Jisung nodded watching as Wendy shut the door. "Lock it," she whispered from the other side. He complied shutting off the lights as well.
You let out a breath calming yourself before you opened the door. You couldn't let Jaemin smell any ounce of nerves on you. You had to fake the confidence all over again just like you had before. So you fixed your hair and wore a bright smile. Your friends all waiting in your living room for you. You reached out for the handle of your door turning it. You opened it revealing Jaemin who leaned against the wall. His phone was long gone. He smirked pressing off the wall and coming up to you. He placed a hand on your waist bringing you closer to him. He leaned down to your lips. You played with him letting your pretty eyelashes tickle his.
He smiled pressing his lips to your cheek in a soft kiss. "My princess you look so pretty for Nana," he said eyeing the outfit you wore and biting onto his lips. You were just wearing silk pants and a matching pink top. Your face is bare, not an ounce of makeup on your skin. You hadn't even done your skincare routine yet. His eyes met your hands gliding up and down your waist. "Do I Nana?" you asked with a purse of your pretty lips. Jaemin bit his lip pulling you closer to him. "Mhm. Nana missed you," he whispered pressing a small kiss on your lips.
He let go going to step into your apartment but you placed a hand on his firm chest. The boy had grown since freshman year. He was taller than you for sure but he had doubled in size. His biceps are much larger than they were before. They stood out in his black t-shirt, arms bigger than your head. Soft brown hair dusting his forehead and glossy lips. Why the fuck did Na Jaemin have to be so beautiful. It pissed you off.
He frowned hand reaching up to touch yours. "What's wrong?" he asked you looking into your eyes. "My friends are here," you responded looking into his big brown eyes. Once again cursing him out for being so stupid. You'd keep around if he wasn't friends with those people or Na Jaemin. He shrugged gently placing his hands back on your hips. "So? I don't mind," he said with a smile. You thought about it for a moment. It was probably a bad idea to keep him here. You didn't want any of the boys to have contact with anyone you knew. You wanted to decrease the risk of any of them discovering the truths of your plan.
You also didn't want to keep Jisung waiting in your bedroom alone.
But you needed to get this done.
No you couldn't, its a terrible idea.
But how could you ever get to Jeno if you were stuck on Jaemin?
You smiled grabbing Jaemin's full attention. He tilted his head at the evil smirk on your lips trying to figure out your expression. He sent you a playfully dangerous smirk. You grabbed his shirt pulling him inside your home. Jungwoo heard steps behind him taking a hint from the placing blunt he chuckled. "Is he gone?" he asked a cloud of smoke forming. Jaemin chuckled hands in his pockets walking over to where you stand shoes off.
"No she let me in," he said hair falling in front of his face as he stopped chuckling and replaced the gentle noise with a smirk. Jungwoo smoke slipped past his lips moving in Jaemin's direction. He waved his hand exposing the rest of the room to Jaemin. They all widened their eyes, Ten taking a sip of his drink. Wendy looked away from him eyes finding yours sending you a stare that could only read to you as "Are you serious?"
You sent her one back letting her know it would be worth it. She stood up rubbing her hands on her pants a forced smile on her lips. She leaned over to grab her purse taking her phone out. She checked the time then scoffed looking back up at you and Jaemin. "Well, would you look at that? I'm late to turn in my essay," she said walking towards the front door and searching for her shoes.
"Alreayd living? You've never cared about an essay before?" you asked placing a hand on your hip. Your lips pursed as you eyed her. She shrugged putting both boots on her feet. "I need to pick up my grades," she reported quickly. You chuckled walking over to her and crossing your arms over your chest. "For what class?" you asked Jaemin turning his body and watching the scene play out. He couldn't help but check you from the back either.
"English," she said. You smiled nodding your head. "I'll walk you out," you said opening your front door from in front of her. You reached your arm over and pulled it. She nodded wide eyes and a sigh left her lips. "Boys take care of him I won't be long," you said to Jungwoo and Ten. They both looked at each other nodding then stood up to "handle Jaemin".
The minute you shut the door you dropped the act.
"Seriously why did you invite him in?" she asked trying to make sense of your choice. She stared at you for a moment shocked, waiting for your response. She waved her hand brows furrowed. "Well?" she asked impatiently.
"I need him to trust me," you said with a smile on your pink lips. Wendy poked the inside of her mouth with her tongue nodding her head. She leaned back her front leg standing out, arms crossed over her chest. "So you let him inside?" she asked sarcastically. You nodded, "Yup," you responded. She thought about it for a moment but then nodded letting her arms fall. "Okay if you think it will help out your plan then you do you girl," she said walking up to you. She gave you a small hug before she waved goodbye.
Just as you went to turn to leave both Jungwoo and Ten stepped out. You raised a brow with a smirk crossing your arms over your chest. “And where are you too going?” You asked seeing Jungwoo still holding the blunt in his hand. He shrugged looking away from Ten and at you.
“We’d figure we’d give you some space,” he said rushing to move down the hallway but Ten grabbed his shirt preventing himself from moving forward. Jungwoo poured dusting his shoulder off where Ten grabbed him. Ten sighed turning to you after sending his friend a glare. “What are you gonna do about Jisung?” He asked. Your finger tapped on your arm as you chew on your lip.
“You my closet as an exit right?” You asked sarcastically. They both nodded Jungwoo making an “oh” face. “I knew that,” Ten said slightest embarrassed he forgot. You nodded turning both of them around and pushing them away. Once they left you went back inside. You walked into your living with a smile on your face ready for Jaemin but to your surprise, he was not there.
“Jaemin?” You called looking around the space. Your first thought was to walk into the kitchen. Maybe he got hungry you thought. You stepped into your kitchen the door closing behind you. The marble floors shined, spotless not a crumb in sight. The kitchen itself is decorated for the fall thanks to your maid. Pumpkins were placed around the room and fake leaves hung from the ceilings. The autumn colors stood out in your white kitchen. But Jaemin wasn’t there. You turned away thinking he may have slipped down the hallway to see the rest of your home.
You left through the back door of the kitchen. Walking down another wooden floored hallway of your penthouse. Opening the first door to the right was the movie theater. You looked inside unsuccessful in your search for Jaemin. You had turned the lights on and he was not there. With a sigh, you left the room shutting the lights off followed by the door.
Next we the door on your left. The guest bedroom. You opened it seeing the bed perfectly made and everything around the room. The computer, the small fridge, and the TV remote were untouched. You huffed closing the door and failing to find him again.
You walked down the hallway placing an ear at one of the doors. You heard no sound on the other side, not a signal breath so you didn’t open it. You were starting to get annoyed. Where could he have gone? You placed your hands on your hips frustrated. The frustration was starting to attack your body physically. The heat makes you start to sweat. The sweat became uncomfortable as it formed on the back of your neck. You walked over to a small door and opened it pushing some brooms and buckets out of the way. You shut the closet door Once you did you were exposed to a rusty, dirty white door. Without care, you turned the golden knob exposing a small pathway.
You walked down the dark pathway. It was dark a small lightbulb switch at the top. You flicked it closing the door behind you. It illuminated the small space, showing the interior of your penthouse. Piles of wood and plaster were shown to you as you walked down the small space. A small creak in the floor. A fly flying past your head. You swatted it away.
Once you reached the end you took out a key from your pocket. You pushed the key into the hole turning the lock and opening the door. You push it open hundreds of clothes on racks blocking your view. You pushed them to the side removing the key from the door you closed it. The door blends into the pink closet.
You stepped out onto the rug seeing Jisung just outside the closet looking at some of your pictures. You quickly ran to him without a thought. Pulling him inside the closet. His eyes widened not sure when you came in. You came in so quietly he thought. How long have you been there? And why from the closet?
You grabbed his hand bringing him to the closet. “You have to go Jaemin’s here,” you said to him in a rush pulling further into the closet. “How? If he’s in the living room?” He asked feeling his heart start to race. Jaemin couldn’t catch him here it would destroy everything. It made Jisung more than worried his heart pounding down his chest.
“Here,” you said handing him the small golden key. You pushed back a bunch of your fall jackets exposing the white door to him. “Go through here, when you reach the other side lock the door and leave the key on the clear shelf I’ll find it. Once you exit the broom closet go down the hallway through the kitchen and then out the front door,” you said quickly. You did not doubt in your mind that Jaemin was still here.
“Y/n?” You heard Jaemin call. Your eyes widened heart racing in fear of getting caught. You had blanked on Jisung being here forgetting you hid the boy in your room. Jisung bit his lip. He was scared of getting caught.
“Y/n!” Jaemin called again standing outside your bedroom door. You heard him jiggle the handle. You opened the escape door behind Jisung.
“Just a second!” You shouted back. Ushering Jisung to the door. Jisung looked back at you his legs unable to move. “You got to be kidding me,” you said frustrated. You took his hand guiding him down the hallway not bothering to turn the light on. When you reached the other side you took Jisung down the hallway, through the kitchen, and into the living room. Handing him his sneakers and pushing him out the door. He went to speak but you shut the door.
“I forgot my sweater,” he said quietly but didn’t bother to knock. He was upset at you for inviting Jaemin in. A part of him is jealous you rushed him out to see Jaemin. So what, even if he wouldn’t last until tomorrow he wanted to be in there with you. Letting out a frustrated huff he put on his shoes and walked off to take the bus home.
"I didn't mean to keep you waiting," you said in a rush. Jaemin shook his head stepping inside your bedroom. "No worries princess," he said as he walked over to your dresser. He placed a small box down and then continued to look around your bedroom. You closed your door standing in front of it fiddling your thumbs as you wondered why he didn't already have his hands on you.
You assumed the minute he had you to himself he's let loose. Every hope and fantasy would unleash with the same girl he's been dreaming about since freshman year of college. Jaemin took notice of your fidgets and chuckled head falling and dark strains of hair dusting his forehead. He looked over at you with a smile. "Why are you standing so far away princess?" he asked. He slowly began walking over to you placing down one of your picture frames. A photo of you and your father.
"Are you scared of Nana?" he asked your room had gotten dark rather quickly. The sun had set earlier being the change in seasons. All your lights were turned off as well. The only way you were able to see Jaemin was through the sheer moonlight from your bedroom window that pointed to the middle of your room. Your bedroom is large enough that only one window can illuminate a small part of your room.
As he walked over to you, you shook your head stepping to the side and slowly leading him in the direction of your bed. He hadn't realized what you were doing so blindly he followed. "I'm not scared," you responded backing from him.
"Then why are you moving away from me?" he asked with a playful tongue. You slightly shrugged the back of your knees reaching your bed. You fell back once he stepped in front of you. He skillfully spread your legs with his right knee. He reached into his pocket keeping his eyes on yours. You gulped seeing his hand disappear. "I want to do something special for you. Something I've wanted to do for a while, but first," he said pulling out a small bag. He opened it exposing the prerolled blunt in his hands. In his other pocket, he pulled out a lighter.
"Smoke with me," he said gesturing to the blunt. You chuckled a hand moving to dance on your tummy. Your eyebrows lifted then fell as you spoke. "What's the special thing you want to do for me?" you asked teasingly. Chuckles erupted from Jaemin's chest. He leaned down hovering over your lips. "I want to taste you," he said placing a soft, chase kiss on your lips. He pulled away your eyes remaining closed. When you opened then you saw him light up the blunt.
He held his hand out to you. You took it allowing him to sit you up. You smiled thanking him moving over for him to sit beside you. He brought the blunt to your lips after lighting it. "You get to go first," he said handing it to you. You waved your hand shaking your head. "No way you first," you said pushing it away. This wasn't your first time smoking. You've smoked with a bunch of your other friends before, mostly with Jungwoo. This however was the first time you were smoking with Jaemin and you just wanted to be safe.
"Okay," he said not fighting you. He brought the blunt to his lips placing it in between the top and bottom. Inhaling and then releasing the smoke. "See baby you safe," he said some of the smoke getting in your face. The scent started to fill your nostrils causing you to hum. He brought it back to you holding it up to your lips.
He held it for you as you wrapped your lips around where he just was. Inhaling then releasing some of the smoke in his face he chuckled. You coughed a little causing Jaemin to go to the small fridge in your room pulling out a juice. He opened the cap bringing it to your lips. He lifted the juice watching as your throat bobbed drowning in the liquid. When he removed it from your lips some spilled from the side. He laughed removing the juice from your lips.
"Thirsty girl," he commented placing the juice on your nightstand. Once he successfully placed it he came back to you. He handed you the blunt placing a soft kiss on your lips. "Now you sit back and relax okay? I'll be down here if you need me, princess," he said taking the pillow from behind you so it would sit comfortably behind your back. He smiled satisfied with how you felt and made his way to your jaw kissing his way down your body. He didn't even remove your bra, not even your shirt. He only slipped down your silk house pants and blue panties.
You knew this princess treatment was an act. He must think you only wake up and use the left side of your brain to get through your door if he believed you were convinced by his little act. Jaemin was a businessman. And a man with a poor business will do whatever he can to make it to the top. Sure you were on his list of girls he wanted to fuck but the only reason you sat at the top was jot because you had the tightest pussy on the East Coast.
It was because of your daddy.
Jisung told you about each of these men. How easy Jaemin would be as a professional ass kisser. He thought if he treated you like an absolute princess the spot in your father's company would be his. Word may have gotten out that your father did not want you to run his company and you wanted to find a man instead, so he would take over. Then your mother would give you hers and you could keep the business in your family.
Which turned you from a trophy to a ticket.
Like the others, you were Jaemin's ticket to the top. So he'd give you free weed every day of the year if it meant one day when you presented him to your father as your suitor he would never have to sell weed again. Such a well-thought-out plan on his part.
Too bad you knew every detail of it.
So this moment now your thighs spread for him, his hair tickling your skin. Placing love bites and kisses on your plush skin as he worked his way closer to your aching core would be enough to make him believe for one more night you were his.
He pulled your baby blue panties back exposing your glistening folds to the cool air. He looked up at you for a moment the smoke you exhaled floating past his cheeks. He groaned at the sight of your lips gently wrapped around the blunt. He sighed leaning back down to your glistening pussy. He leaned his arm over turning your bedside lamp on just to get a good look at you. Licking his lips he felt his mouth water at the sight of you. So pretty and wet just for him. It made the strain his pants tighten but if he wanted this he'd only take care of you tonight.
So he rested on your mattress laying his stomach flat. Strong biceps wrapped around you pulling you down for his eyes to meet your pussy. He licked a stride on your slit from your home to your clit ending the travel with a kiss on the nub. You shuddered at the sudden but final contact. He watched from below awaiting your every reaction, you were so hard to watch, and please at the same time.
He engulfed his lips around your clit flicking the nerves with his tongue and sucking it with his lips. The wetness from his tongue slipping down your pussy tickling your hole. He quickened his pace bringing his index forward and dancing around your hole. You moaned repeatedly out loud some of the smoke getting caught in your throat.
Jaemin's finger slipped inside slowly letting you adjust. "Breath baby," he teased watching you with a proud smile unfold. He felt a sense of power knowing he was the only man in school to have you like this. He brought his head back down repeating his motions with his tongue. "Fuck Jaemin how are you so good at this?" you asked through moans. You didn't need him to answer it just slipped out your mouth. He chuckled at the sound vibrating on your clit, however, he didn't answer.
You brought the blunt of your lips again feeling him quicken his pace inside you. You brought it down to him letting him take a hit which he obliged taking it from your warm hands and bringing it to his wet lips. He pushed his fingers inside you fucking you with a curling motion grazing over your spot. He almost choked seeing he hit the right spot inside you that drove you mad. Your body arching, brows furrowed and mouth open erupting in moans. "Fuck Jaemin you feel so good," you praised it all going to his head and then to his cock.
"All for you princess," he said handing you the blunt back. He placed a kiss on your lips exhaling the smoke into your mouth. He groaned when you released it again in his face a smile on your lips. He kissed you passionately slipping his tongue past your mouth. He continued fucking you with his large fingers. You gripped on his bicep, flexing under your warm touch.
"Fuck you taste so good," he praised breaking the kiss for a brief moment looking into your eyes. He quickly placed his lips on yours again. "Doing so good for Nana," he said placing a kiss on your lips as he found his spot on your mattress again engulfing your lonely clit between his lips. You smiled as you took another hit letting your hand grip onto his hair. You pushed your hips forward grinding on both his fingers and tongue.
Jaemin getting drunker on your pussy flexed his hips into your mattress quickly reaching his pathetic high. You are not too far behind him. He held your waist helping you to grind on his face groaning into your pussy every time your clit touched his nose. "Fuck Jaemin I'm so close," you moaned eyes shut. You had taken a peak before seeing his abuse making your head fall back in bliss.
You could feel the knot in your stomach seconds away from bursting. You pussy sucking up his index and middle. He groaned loudly and aggressively as he came in his pants. The vibration going straight through your body and dancing on your clit. You felt your climax burst cum oozing out of your tight hole. Jaemin hummed licking every inch of you up. Once your pussy was clean he pulled away leaning in to kiss you but only to be prevented by a cloud of smoke.
"Thank you Jaemin. Goodnight," you said your tone changing as you stood up. Drinking the rest of your juice then stepping into your bathroom to pull out a warm cloth. You cleaned yourself up throwing the cloth away. Jaemin smiled believing you two were still playing the same game. He fixed himself up walked over to you placed a hand on your waist leaning in to place a kiss on your cheek but you swirled your head. He furrowed his brows but still didn't think much of it.
He went to make a move again as you pulled the covers back on your bed but you stepped away from him again.
He huffed, "Okay princess what's wrong?" he asked. You chuckled fluffing up your pillows. "You're still here," you retorted your back turned to him. He scoffed running a hand through his hair. "I don't understand why you are so upset princess-" You dropped the pillow in your hand turning to him.
"Oh cut the act," you said with a raise of your eyebrow. You crossed your arms over your chest seeing him straighten up. You smirked seeing his reaction. "We both know why you are here," you said.
Caught. His eyes widened for a brief moment but he held a confused face. He felt your words sting at his chest. "I don't know what you're talking about-" he tried to say before you cut him off again.
"Cut the shit Jaemin. Save yourself the time and drop the act," you spat back now annoyed with his stupidity.
Trapped. His heart rate picked up. He felt his throat go dry and sweat form on his palms. He slowly backed away from you indicating to you as an invitation to follow. You raised a brow arms still crossed over your chest. "Oh? So You have no clue what I'm talking about?" you asked knowing you both knew the answer. He shook his head back landing flat on your door. He felt around for the handle. You could see his efforts to escape out of the corner of your eye.
"Try and leave and security will stop you," you said.
Captured. He let his hand fall. You grabbed onto his shirt yanking him forward and bringing him to your vanity chair. He flopped on it eyes wide as you stood before him. Seeing a whole new side of you he'd never even imagine. You were making him nervous which rarely ever happened to him. He was so used to being in control, used to being slick but now it was being thrown right back in his face.
Surrender. He put his hands up "Look I can explain-" You shook your head with a suck of your teeth. "Don't bother," You leaned down to his level eyes still locked with his. "Admit your faults and I'll let you go. The others didn't get a choice," you said sending him a glare shadowed by a friendly smile.
Lie. "I was at first using you to get to your father but after spending time with you I realized how great you are and I want to be with your princess," he spilled skipping some of the beat of the flow of his words.
No Other Choice. You shook your head. "Try again with the truth," you said annoyance in your tone. He sighed finally dropping his dumb act. "Fine bitch I was using you to get your daddy because I knew if I treated you like a pretty fucking princess that spot would be mine," he said this time hitting every beat.
Played. You smirked. He grimaced seeing your reaction. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked feeling the back of his neck become warm. "You didn't think I wasn't using you?" you said leaning back. Jaemin's eyes squinted confused. "What?" he asked. You slowly began to walk around the beige vanity chair. "Want to know why security is standing outside my door? It's not because of wealth but just to make sure I can say what I have to say and you don't run," you hushed the last part behind him close to his ear.
"What?" he asked still lost this time for real. You ended your laps standing in front of him.
"I knew your whole plan to I used you. You were never going to meet my father or my mother. The silly boy thought he could play me like I was one of the many customers he scams," you said words laced with venom. He kept his mouth shut afraid if he spoke he'd make things worse for himself. "I have enough evidence to make sure this little business never leaves the ground and I'm sure you know who my father is. He won't take too kindly to your behavior," you said checking your nails and mocking him.
"So what's the catch?" he asked. You smiled, you had him right where you wanted him.
"You tell anyone about us I'll make sure you disappear and that business of yours dies before it breaths, understand?" you asked dropping your little act. You sent him a powerful glare a lick with your teeth to follow. He gulped nodding his head.
"Now go," you said watching him gather his stuff and run out your front door. Once you heard it lock you went to bed. That is how you execute a plan. Let's hope the same blueprint works for Jeno.
Once Jaemin arrived home Jisung hesitated on checking up on the male. He instead sat alone in his shared room. Jaemin must have bumped into someone in the living room because he heard another voice. He pressed his ear to the door opening it slightly.
He could see Jaemin holding his jacket on his side standing in front of Si Cheng and Jeno.
"How'd it go?" asked Jeno. Jaemin shrugged seeing him a smirk.
"To be honest it was a hit and quit," he said causing Si Cheng to chuckle, Jeno smirked shaking his head. "I swear all the boys keep leaving here with their heads in the clouds and then you all come up back to reality," commented Si Cheng. Jisung wanted to point and laugh in their faces. He knew why deep down each man came home upset regardless of whether they wore it on their skin or not.
He chuckled as he paid close attention. Jasmine's hand curled up in a fist as he spoke about 'the night with his mystery girl'
"It seems like everyone has a mystery special girl," Jeno said to both boys. "I wonder if I'll get one. Maybe I'll do better than you," he nudged Jaemin with his shoulder. Jaemin chuckled but didn't respond to him. Jisung felt the chuckle appear in his throat again. "You'll get one but I don't how good it will be for you," he said to himself quietly. How stupid were his close friends? He thought so blinded by what was in front of them.
However, the laughter was short-lived once Jaemin spoke again. "Hey Si Cheng when you went out with Y/n did she say anything weird to you?" he asked with a curious pout. Si Cheng shook his head, "Nah but she made some interesting sounds," he said dabbing up Jeno. They both laughed but Jaemin killed their joke.
He shook his head. "No, you dumbass. I mean like did she threaten you of anything?" he asked. Si Cheng shook his head with a weird look on his face. "No. Why so many questions?" he asked walking up to Jaemin. "You went with her or something?" he asked pressing up to the bigger man. Jaemin pressed up against him. "So what? If I did what would you do? You are known for lying, you probably lied about it," he retorted back.
Si Cheng poked the inside of his mouth with his tongue shaking his head. "Fuck you," he cursed pushing him. "Guys," Jeno began. Jaemin's eyes widened pushing Si Chenge back causing him to stumble. "Fuck me? No fuck you," he said but Jeno stopped him.
"Both of you enough. You two going off over some girl?" Si Cheng scoffed fixing himself up. "You know she's not some girl," he spat Jeno huffed letting the words die on his tongue because deep down he agreed.
"What's going on here?" Jisung heard Johnny's voice from the staircase. He could feel the tension fill up in his room. He gulped hearing Johnny come down the stairs of the house. Both men backed away from each other their heads hanging low. Jeno nervously stepped forward to explain.
“Nothing they were just being stupid,” Said Jeno. His voice had changed. He was a lot more serious, more stern like most of the men got when Johnny approached them. He was like their leader, all following in his footsteps on how to become a controlling, arrogant raging asshole of the world. Johnny walked over to the trio arms crossed over his puffed chest.
“Are you lying?” He asked. Jeno put his hands behind his back fiddling his fingers. He shook his head hair swaying side to side. “They were just arguing over a game,” he lied. Johnny looked at the two silent boys.
“Jaemin, Si Cheng is that the truth?” He asked with a calm voice.
They both lifted their heads looking at one another. Nodding they straighten themselves out. Jaemin cleared his throat as Si Cheng spoke.
“Yes it was but it’s over now. Jaemin was just leaving,” he said looking away from Johnny to meet Jaemin’s eye. He followed nodded his head and picked up his jacket from the ground.
“Yes I was just heading off to bed,” he said. Johnny knew they were lying but if he punished the men for every wrong thing they did what would be the point of the freedom they had in this house? He’s just become the reason they left home to live here, their mothers.
Johnny nodded off letting his arms fall with a smile. “Very well Goodnight you three,” he said all of them running off. Jisung closed the door once they came to close. Jeno and Jaemin go into the same shared bedroom and Si Cheng takes his new room upstairs.
After he scored you he got an upgrade.
Jisung closed his bedroom door completely Haechan soon reopened it coming home from a late-night class. He threw his bag on the ground and flopped right onto his bed. YangYang soon reopened the door skateboard in his head appeared all sweaty and gross.
Jisung sat on his bed picking up his phone to send you a text. He typed a small yet detailed paragraph of what had happened. Also warning that Jaemin may be onto you. But his finger hovered over the button. He knew by helping you he was destroying his friends but what would he gain from this?
He chewed his lip deciding that tonight his thoughts came from how tired he was from the day. So he deleted the text and chose to go to you and tell you in person. He placed his phone back down pulling back the sheets and sliding inside.
“Good luck,” he said causing YangYang to pick up his head.
“Good luck for what?” He asked. Jisung froze trying to quickly come up with something in his brain.
“Uh, I heard from Haechan that you have an exam tomorrow. So before I went to bed I was wishing you good luck,” he said quickly. He hoped YangYang believed it.
Thankfully he did. Responding with a smile. “Thanks, man,” he said before gathering his things to go shower.
Jisung let out a sigh laying his head down and drifting off to sleep only thinking of you.
And how that “good luck” was for Jeno.
To Be Continued…
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I hope you guys enjoyed part 4! I’m sorry for the wait I just got really busy between work and school. But now I’m back writing again and I can’t wait for all of you to read Part 5 coming real soon!
Don’t forget to like and share with someone who may also be interested in checking out this series.
Tags: @hengicumdump @sexygrass @jakiki94 @90s-belladonna @soobiverse @ethelia @notevenheretbh1 @scarfac3 @toroufriteh @renyoungrecs @yumekowhore
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poughkeepsies · 6 months
Note
You asked so let me lay out the mental gymnastics I have done to reach buddie roomates
1. Not a single bts of that loft. I feel like we were getting loft bts all the time last year (also there were like so many loft scenes last year too so that might be why)
2. Built the biggest most expensive rolling stage thing of all time. I believe either they have to build new sets this year or rent the sets from fox = bucks loft didnt make the cut (pure spec on my part watch oliver post bts of the loft today on his ig takeover)
3. “Giving the fans what theyre asking for” in terms of buddie what the fans have been asking for (at least that I see the most and think the writers would be aware of) is buddie canon, trapped dads (which was mostly just finale spec but I do think could happen in cruise disaster), buck breakdown/therapy, buckley diaz fam content, death to bucks loft/buddie roommates. And buddie roommates not only captures 2 of those but is also my fav of them so my mind went there
4. Buck and eddie closer than ever / knowing each other on a deeper level than before (Im paraphrasing bc I cant remember all 20 devastating ryan quotes rn): from personal experience, you can be very close with someone, but living with them is a whole new experience and you learn things about people you never knew before. One of the most intimate ways to get to know someone imo
5. Kind of like a said with a newish audience, 10 ep season that includes 2ep big emergency and madney wedding, and also the fact I feel the show has never explicitly hinted at buddie (I dont count the s2 stuff tim has said was fan service and 601/612 felt like it but thats it) I dont think full buddie canon is on the table this season. But a great way to explicitly hint that buddie canon is happening at some point would be roommates storyline
In conclusion: there will probably be 30 loft scenes this season and Im dumb but one can dream
everybody take a look at this ask and learn. this is the exact kind of deranged unserious reaching that we've been missing in this fandom lately. I love you and I applaud you anon 🫵
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boltupbitches · 2 years
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Could you please do one where Joe Burrow takes his baby and his wife to his game?
Joe Burrow - #1 Fan
Jordan continued to wail loudly as he sat on his cooing grandmother's lap. His mom had stepped out to use the restroom and he was left in the suite with his doting grandparents.
"Oh, Jordy, don't cry my baby! Daddy's going to be playing soon." His grandma cooed.
Jordan continued crying until he heard his grandpa say, "look! Mama is back. There's mama!"
Within moments his crying stopped at the sight of his grinning mama. He reached up with grabby hands towards her, his baby blue eyes filled with tears as his lower lip stuck out with a pout.
"Oh, baby." His mom cooed at him as she lifted him. "I just went potty my silly boy." She tickled his belly which made him leave out a shrill giggle. At 10 months old, he was a pretty big baby. He had a head full of blonde hair that matched his dad's from childhood photos and the cutest chubby cheeks.
This was his first game this season, missing the few months last season due to COVID and Joe's fear of him getting sick.
The second Jordan Lee Burrow was brought into this world, his dad turned into a hawk, always having an eye on him when he was home, and when away, he checked in multiple times a day. It got to the point that his wife broke down and installed cameras throughout the house so Joe could access the live feed on his phone when hundreds of miles away.
At times he drove his wife crazy with his constant hovering, but she understood that it was out of love and fear of the unknown.
Funny how women are the ones painted as the over concern first-time parent, when that was Joe 1000% of the time.
While pregnant and taking her pregnancy one step at a time, Mama Burrow was enjoying her time in preparing for the delivery.
Joe? Started nesting the house within weeks of them finding out. He had a crib set up and was buying all sorts of things.
The amount of Bengals memorabilia had increased tenfold with Bengals-themed baby gear everywhere.
-- Earlier --
Finally, when Joe was preparing to come to the stadium today, he wrung his hands nervously and kept checking his watch. "So, we play at 4:30."
"I know, hun." His wife said.
"Maybe come at 3 to avoid the hecticness? I'll have someone meet you guys at the back gates where the players park."
"I know." His wife smiled at him as he went over to pick up Jordan. "I promise everything will be ok, hun. Just play your best and we'll be there cheering you on."
Joe pressed a kiss to his sons forehead. "Is that right, Jordy? You're going to come see dada play?" Joe lifted him in the air like an airplane before bringing him back down against his chest, his son giggling loudly. "I love you, buddy."
-- Now --
Jordan was well behaved throughout the game. He suckled on his pinky and cuddled into the blanky his mom had draped across the two of them. By the time his dad finished playing, he had finished his bottle and was sleeping soundly on his grandpa's lap, his blanky held tightly in his small hands.
After speaking to the media, Joe rushed his way up to the suite and felt a rush of emotion hit him. The love and happiness he felt at the sight of his parents with his wife and son was unimagineable.
He first approached his wife who greeted him with a kiss and a hug. "I'm so proud of you guys, baby. Good job."
Joe kissed her again, "Thanks babe. I love you." He gave her another squeeze before releasing her to give his mom a quick peck on the cheek and a hug.
Finally, he got to the one person he'd been waiting on hours to see. His son was napping peacefully on his dad's lap, his eyelashes fluttering as he continued to suckle on his binky peacefully.
"Hey bud." Joe whispered as he gently scooped his son up, careful to not wake him. "Hey dad." Joe said sheepishly at his dad, almost forgetting to greet him.
"Good game, son." His dad said in return with a smile.
"Thanks." Joe said as he turned towards his wife. "Ready to go home, babe?"
His wife smiled at him. "Yeah, let's go home."
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