#because i have a VERY loose plan in that the next two chapters will the battle trial and ua break in then usj

[cressidagrey]

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White Horse - Chapter 17: May 2024 - Part 1

Pairing: Max Verstappen x Isabelle Leclerc (Original Character)

Summary:

Max Verstappen is a World Champion. Isabelle Leclerc is invisible.

She watched her family give up everything for Charles’ career—Arthur’s karting, their father’s savings, even her childhood horse. She understood. She never asked for more.

But Max does. He notices the things no one else does, listens when no one else will, and puts her first in ways she never imagined. With him, she isn’t an afterthought—she’s a choice. And for the first time, she realizes she doesn’t have to be invisible.

Warnings and Notes: 

we have now moved on from Charles bashing to bashing his whole family, Discussions of toxic past relationships, talk about loosing a childhood pet, toxic families, mention of the loss of a parent

As always big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble

Leclerc Sibling Group Chat

 (Members: Arthur, Isabelle, Charles, and Lorenzo)

Charles: Maman’s birthday next week—what’s the plan?

Arthur: Isabelle? You usually handle it.

Isabelle: Not this year.

Lorenzo: Sorry, what?

Arthur: Lol okay, very funny. What’s the plan?

Isabelle: I’m serious. I’m not doing it this year.

Charles: Wait. What do you mean you’re not doing it?

Isabelle: I mean you three can plan it this time. I’m not the family secretary. Not anymore.

Charles: Since when?

Isabelle: Since I realized I’m the only one who ever does it, and you all expect it like it’s a given. I’m not your personal event planner.

Arthur: Okay, but… you like that stuff.

Isabelle: I like when people contribute. I don’t like being taken for granted.

Charles: Whoa.

Arthur: Is this because I forgot to Venmo you for the gift last year?

Isabelle: That was two years ago, Arthur. And you still haven’t.

Lorenzo: This feels aggressive.

Isabelle: It’s not. It’s a boundary.

Charles: Okay but can’t you set it… after Maman’s birthday?

Arthur: Yeah. This is really inconvenient.

Isabelle: It’s not supposed to be convenient for you.

Charles: I don’t like this version of you.

Belle: I don’t like being the only adult in the room. So I guess we’re even.

Arthur: So you’re really not doing anything?

Isabelle: I am getting flowers from all of us. I am ordering the cake. I am doing my own gift for Maman. If you three want to do a joint gift, you can do that, but I am not planning it. One of you can book the restaurant.   

Lorenzo: This feels like a test.

Isabelle: It’s not. But you’re definitely failing it.

Charles: I feel emotionally manipulated.

Lorenzo: I feel abandoned.

Arthur: I miss the old Isabelle. The one who covered for us.

Isabelle: I don’t. She was a doormat. ***

Leclerc Brothers Group Chat

(Members: Arthur, Charles and Lorenzo)

Arthur: Okay so we still don’t have a gift for Maman and Isabelle is being stubborn.

Charles: She said “boundaries.” Since when does she have boundaries?

Lorenzo: She said she’s not helping. She meant it.

Arthur: This feels personal.

Charles: I feel abandoned. I feel like I’ve been emotionally left on read.

Lorenzo: We should’ve started this earlier.

Arthur: We always start this last-minute and it’s fine because Isabelle does everything.

Charles: She’s so good at it though. She likes organizing things.

Lorenzo: We need to be strategic. What would Isabelle get?

Arthur: Peace. Quiet. 

Charles: So a spa day?

Lorenzo: We’re not sending our mother to the spa again. She’s starting to think we believe she’s stressed.

Arthur: She is stressed. We exist.

Charles: I had an idea last night. What about a puppy?

Lorenzo: Absolutely not.

Arthur: What if we just… get her a necklace? Generic. Safe. Shiny.

Charles: No creativity. She’ll know we panicked.

Lorenzo: We are panicking.

Arthur: You know what would solve this? If Isabelle told us what to do.

Arthur:  I feel like a neglected plant.

Charles: I feel like the plant someone gave Isabelle to water, and now she’s like “it’s not my plant.”

Arthur: Cool cool cool. So we’re getting Maman a plant and pretending we planned it?

Lorenzo: ...We’re hopeless.

***

Text Messages: Isabelle Leclerc & Charles Leclerc

Charles: Okay but hear me out: What about a pottery class for her and her friends?

Isabelle: Charles it’s 2am

Isabelle: Go to sleep.

Isabelle: Maman doesn’t even like pottery. 

Charles: How about a goat?

Isabelle: A what?

Charles: A goat. Like a cute little goat. They’re trendy right now.

Isabelle: She lives in an apartment, Charles.

Charles: A small goat.

Isabelle: No.

Charles: You said I had to contribute. This is me contributing.

Isabelle: This is you spiraling.

Charles: Okay but this looks nice right?? (sends link)

Isabelle: That is a garden gnome wine holder, Charles. 

***

Group Chat: HELP ME

 (Members: Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz Jr., George Russell, Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg)

Oscar: HE DID IT

George: HE ACTUALLY DID IT

Carlos: LAAAAAAAAAANDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Alex: My BOY MY TWITCH STREAMER MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT CHAOTIC SUNBEAM

Daniel: I’M CRYING IN PUBLIC WHO LET HIM BE THIS FAST WHO ALLOWED THIS WHO HANDED HIM A TROPHY AND SAID “YEAH, OKAY”

Lando: guys…

Carlos: YOU’RE HERE? GO POP CHAMPAGNE

Oscar: Put your phone down. Go cry. We’re doing it for you.

Nico H: Congrats, man. Seriously. That was a hell of a drive.

Lewis: Five years. FIVE YEARS. You deserve this.

Daniel: Do we throw him a party? Do we kidnap him and fly to Ibiza?

Alex: Yes. Obviously. We ride at dawn.

Carlos: He’s never allowed to say “I’m not good enough” again. I will slap him.

Lando: Okay okay okay 😭😭 I just… can’t believe it happened I thought I was gonna throw up before the last lap

Daniel: I’m gonna rewatch the podium 14 times. You SMILED. Like, real smiled. Oscar was lowkey crying. Don’t let him lie.

Oscar: I WASN’T …shut up

Lewis: See? You’re loved. You’re really loved.

Sebastian: This is what we call earned joy. Enjoy every second, Lando. I’m so, so happy for you 🧡

Daniel: I’m printing out today’s timing sheet and framing it

Alex: We were on Norris Watch for years. YEARS.

Checo: Congrats, man. You’ve waited a long time for this. Really happy for you.

Nico R: You’ve had the pace for a while. Today you had the moment. Bravo.

Oscar: And now he’s won. And he’s still just a slightly dehydrated raccoon in designer sunglasses

Lando: I can’t even be mad

Kimi: Took you long enough.

George: Okay but do we start placing bets on win #2 now?

Carlos: Let him breathe 😭

Lewis: Enjoy it, mate. Every second. You earned this.

Fernando: It was inevitable. That’s all.

George: Do we throw him a party? I vote party.

Mark: He’s in Miami. The party’s coming to him.

Sebastian: Just don’t let Daniel plan the itinerary.

Daniel: I’M A DELIGHTFUL PARTY PLANNER. I’VE MATURED.

Lewis: No you haven’t.

Alex: Absolutely not.

Oscar: Zero evidence of that.

Lando: I love you guys. Thank you. Seriously

George: We’re gonna get so insufferable about this

Lando:I’m gonna go sob in the shower and then drink a really big coconut

***

Text Messages: Isabelle Leclerc & Lando Norris

Isabelle:  You did it. 🧡

Isabelle: You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know… I’m really, really proud of you.

Isabelle: You earned this. Every second. Every race you stayed calm. Every joke you cracked when you were hurting. Every time you smiled for fans even when you didn’t feel like it. You never gave up. And today? It all paid off.

Lando: …you’re gonna make me cry again and I’ve already cried twice.  that’s my limit for the year

Belle: Sorry 😌 I’ll save the long, emotional voice note for later

Lando: Don’t you dare Actually Do it

Isabelle:  I will. After you finish that coconut

Lando: HOW DO YOU KNOW I’M DRINKING A COCONUT

Belle: Because I know you. And you looked like you were already planning it the second you stepped on the podium

Lando: okay fair thank you, Belle really

Belle: Always. Now go celebrate. I’ll be cheering from here.

Lando: From Monaco?

Belle: From the rooftop. With our cats. They’re proud of you too.

***

Text Messages: Max Verstappen & Isabelle Leclerc

Max: Going out with Lando for a bit. Post-win celebration. He earned it.

Isabelle: Aww 🧡 That’s sweet of you. Be nice to him.

Max: I am nice. I’m bringing him shots. That’s nice.

Isabelle: That’s dangerous. Try not to start a bar fight.

Max: Promise. Love you. 

[Monday, Much, Much Later]

Max: BELLE

Max: U R SO PRETTY

Max: LIKE. ACTUALLY. PRETTY PRETTY

Max: U should be here u’d hate it but like also u’d look SO HOT in this lighting

Max: lando said i’m soft now bc i said ur voice is my favorite sound so i punched him in the arm

Max: soft???? bro i’m in love what does he want me to do. deny it???

Max: anyway ur eyes r the best part of monaco u can quote me

Max: i miss u

[Much, Much Later]

Isabelle: Good morning, poetic disaster 💋 How’s the head?

Max: 🥲 Loud. Everything is loud. Why does my soul feel hungover.

Isabelle: Probably because you told me my eyes were the best part of Monaco and then threatened to fight Lando for calling you soft.

Max: …Did I actually type that?

Belle: Verbatim. You also called me “pretty pretty” and claimed I’d look “SO HOT in this lighting.” Capitals included.

Max: I hate myself

Isabelle: Don’t. It was very charming. Drunk and feral, but charming.

Isabelle: You did tell me my voice was your favorite sound.

Max: Okay that one stands. I mean it.

Isabelle: I know you do. Still going to make you suffer for the rest though.

Max: I was vulnerable. Weak. In my tequila era.

Isabelle: You were in love and dramatic. It was kind of perfect.

Max: You still love me?

Isabelle: Soft bro, I’m in love. What do you want me to do, deny it?

Max: 😤 Uncalled for.

Isabelle: Call me when you’re functional. 

Max: You’re too good to me.

Isabelle: I know. I’m Monaco’s best feature, after all.

Max: Can confirm. ***

Text Messages: Emilie Abadie & Isabelle Leclerc

Emilie: Okay so… Question

Isabelle: That’s always a dangerous start.

Emilie: Who is this Lando person And why is everyone crying because he won something

Isabelle: Oh my God. You really don’t know anything about F1, do you?

Emilie: Absolutely not. I know Max drives fast, and you’re too pretty to be emotionally stable, that’s it.

Isabelle: Valid.

Emilie: But seriously. My entire timeline is full of sweaty orange hats and people screaming “HE FINALLY DID IT.” What did he do? Did he climb a mountain? Invent a vaccine?

Isabelle: He won his first Formula 1 Grand Prix. He’s been in F1 for five years. Always came close. Never quite made it.Everyone’s been waiting for this.He’s a good guy. Deserved it.

Emilie: Huh. He’s the guy with the curly hair, right?

Isabelle: Yes.

Emilie: And the jawbones?

Isabelle: Yes.

Emilie: And the voice that’s suspiciously hot for someone named Lando?

Isabelle: …Why do you care?

Emilie: I don’t!!

Isabelle: You do. You’ve never asked me about a single driver. Not once. And now you’re googling him like a concerned historian.

Emilie: I’m just… doing research. You know. investigating the cultural phenomenon

Isabelle: Uh-huh. Is this cultural phenomenon wearing a papaya-colored race suit and has curly hair?

Emilie: Fine. He’s cute. He looked happy. The bar is so low.

Isabelle: He is cute. And he should be happy. He’s a good guy.

Emilie: You sound like you’re trying to sell me a family dog.

Isabelle: He’s very sweet! Loyal! Thoughtful! Max calls him chaotic sunshine. I call him emotionally transparent. You’d like him.

Emilie: So a golden retriever.

Isabelle: With slightly better hair.

Emilie: Does he bite?

Isabelle: Only when provoked. Or when Max makes a joke about his height.

Emilie: Hmm.

Isabelle: Oh no.

Emilie: What?

Isabelle: You’re thinking about him.

Emilie: Absolutely not.

Emilie: This is slander.

Isabelle: This is me knowing you better than you know yourself. And I’m telling you: he’s a good one. A little chaotic. But real.

Emilie: He smiled like…like he waited years for this. I noticed that. I hate that I noticed that.

Belle: Yeah. That’s why people cried. It wasn’t just about the win—it was about him. He needed it. And he earned it.

Emilie: …Okay maybe I get the hats now.

Isabelle: Give it three days. You’ll be watching fan edits on TikTok and pretending it’s research. I have been there. 

***

Belle had done what she said she would do—and no more.

She’d ordered the cake. She’d picked up her mother’s favorite flowers that morning: cream roses and blue hydrangeas, wrapped in soft white paper. She’d even arrived early to set them on the table herself, with care, because that was the kind of daughter she was. Or used to be.

Now, she was the kind of daughter who kept her word but stopped letting herself be steamrolled.

Pascale arrived right on time, kissed Belle on both cheeks, and immediately gave the restaurant a once-over.

“This place wasn’t my first choice.”

Belle smiled tightly. “Arthur booked it.”

“Ah. Well.” Her mother’s eyes skimmed the mirrored walls, the packed tables. “At least it’s… clean.”

Belle gestured to the bouquet from all of them, and the beautifully chosen gift bag she had chosen for her gift to her mother. It was a hand painted silk scarf from her mother’s favourite small boutique in Nice.  “Happy birthday, Maman.”

“Oh, thank you, darling.” Pascale barely glanced at them. “How thoughtful. Did you and the boys coordinate?”

“No,” Belle said evenly. “They’re doing their own gifts this year.”

Pascale’s brow twitched. “Oh?”

“I told them weeks ago.”

“Hm.” She lifted the bag without really looking at it. “Just from you?”

“Yes. Just me.”

The rest arrived five to ten minutes late, as if they’d all agreed to stagger themselves and then forgot the timing. Arthur looked panicked, Charles like he was trying too hard not to look panicked, and Lorenzo came with Charlotte in tow, who smiled politely and looked like she already regretted it. Alexandra walked in beside Charles and kissed Pascale on the cheek like a diplomat entering a war zone.

“Happy birthday, Pascale” Alexandra said. “You look wonderful.”

Pascale’s smile returned. “Merci, cherie. You always say the right things.”

“Unlike your sons,” Charlotte muttered under her breath, loud enough for Belle to hear.

Charles sat beside Belle and leaned toward her. “So… I take it the restaurant’s not a hit.”

Belle didn’t even glance at him. “What gave it away? The menu or Maman’s expression?”

As the waiter listed off the specials—every one of them garnished with fennel—Belle watched her mother’s face tighten.

“I thought I said last year I hated fennel,” Pascale said lightly.

Arthur mumbled, “It was the only place with a table.”

Charlotte’s voice was gentle. “It’s a beautiful spot though.”

“Yes,” Pascale said with a tilt of her head. “But not terribly thoughtful. I would’ve preferred a nice picnic at home,” Pascale muttered, opening her menu as though it had personally offended her.

Belle stayed quiet. She wasn’t the one who chose this.

Though the one thing she agreed with: Even the wine tasted horrific in this restaurant. She pushed her white wine glass far away from her, the acidic smell hitting her nose and making her want to scrunch her nose. 

The gifts came next. Or rather, the lack of them.

Arthur had hastily shoved a gift bag onto the table with the receipt still inside. Lorenzo offered wine. 

And Charles? Charles offered nothing but a vague “It’s arriving later, it’s like... experiential.”

“Experiential?” Pascale repeated, arching a brow.

“It’s a class,” Charles added quickly. “Pottery.”

Their mother stared at him like he had sprouted wings. 

“Pottery?!” Pascale asked and Charles swallowed, nodding, looking like he was regretting all his life choices. 

Belle didn’t look up, but Alexandra choked into her water and muttered, “I told you.”

Belle sipped her water.

“Oh,” Pascale continued, “and what’s this?” She picked up the card. “Just from you, Isabelle?”

“Yes,” Belle said simply.

“No group gift this year?”

“I asked everyone to handle their own,” she replied. “I did the flowers and the cake. And the card. That was enough.”

Pascale gave a little hum of amusement. “Well, I suppose you have become very independent lately.”

Belle met her mother’s gaze. “I’m not sure that’s a bad thing.”

“No, no, of course not,” Pascale said, voice breezy. “It’s just… you used to take such pride in pulling everything together. You were always so good at it.”

“That was the problem.”

Arthur cleared his throat. “To be fair, you didn’t exactly help us this year.”

“I told you what I was doing. You just didn’t listen,” Belle said calmly.

“You used to remind us,” Charles mumbled. “You used to care.”

Belle’s jaw twitched. “I still care. I just don’t want to be treated like the family secretary anymore.”

“I think she misses being in control,” Lorenzo muttered, just loud enough to be heard.

Charlotte glanced at him, sharp. “Or maybe she’s just tired of being taken advantage of.”

“Exactly,” Alexandra said. “God forbid she set a boundary.”

Pascale, still smiling, turned to Belle. “Cherie, no one’s saying you have to do everything. It’s just… you’re so capable. When you stop doing it, everything falls apart.”

“Maybe that means everyone else should step up,” Belle replied.

Pascale gave a laugh that sounded delicate and dismissive all at once. “Well, clearly no one stepped up today.”

She said it like a joke. Like a shrug. Like it wasn’t her sons who had forgotten, scrambled, improvised. Like it was somehow Belle’s fault for letting them fail.

Belle felt the burn in her chest—not anger, not really. Just exhaustion.

She’d done her part. More than her part. But it would never be enough, because the moment she stopped doing everything, the blame quietly shifted to her.

“You could’ve reminded them,” Pascale said again, softer now. “You know how your brothers are.”

“Yes,” Belle said. “I do.”

“Well,” she said lightly. “I suppose this is what adulthood looks like. Everyone suddenly too busy to remember their mother.”

“I remembered,” Belle said.

“You always do, darling. It’s just that this year… you remembered differently.”

And there it was.

Not cruelty. Not even anger.

Just the kind of soft-edged disappointment Belle had spent most of her life trying to avoid.

The rest of lunch passed in half-hearted conversation and clumsy attempts at jokes. The cake arrived—beautiful, perfect, and, predictably, unacknowledged.

Belle watched her brothers clap, watched her mother blow out the candles, watched it all carry on like nothing had happened.

Like she hadn’t just been told—kindly, sweetly, carelessly—that she was the glue, and glue isn’t allowed to come undone.

Alexandra leaned closer, her voice low. “You okay?”

Belle forced a smile. “I will be.”

As they all stood to leave, Pascale leaned in and kissed her cheek again.

“Next year, maybe we go back to the usual way. Less… disjointed.”

Belle didn’t answer.

Because she wasn’t sure the old way would ever return.

And maybe, just maybe, that was the point.

***

Text Messages: Isabelle Leclerc & Emilie Abadie

Isabelle: I survived.

Emilie: Emotionally or just physically?

Isabelle: ...Barely both.

Emilie: How bad?

Isabelle: Let’s just say the cake was perfect and no one noticed. Arthur brought a gift bag with the receipt still inside. Charles gave her a pottery class. A POTTERY CLASS. And Lorenzo recycled a bottle of wine she gave him last year.

Emilie: I’m sorry. Did they try to offer her used wrapping paper too?

Isabelle: Honestly wouldn’t have been surprised. She looked at the card—my card—and asked if it was just from me. Then she said everyone was too busy to remember their mother. I reminded her that I remembered. She said: “You always do, darling. It’s just that this year… you remembered differently.”

Emilie: … Wow. Soft weaponized guilt in its final form.

Isabelle: I’m so tired. I did what I said I would. Flowers. Cake. My own gift. I set boundaries. And it still felt like it was my fault everything else fell apart.

Emilie: That’s because it isn’t about the gifts. It’s about control. You stopped doing everything, and instead of realizing they need to grow up, they decided you were the problem.

Isabelle: She said things “fell apart” because I stopped doing it all. Like it was inevitable.

Emilie: Because no one in your family wants to believe they’re part of the problem. It’s easier to blame the glue than to learn how to hold things together.

Isabelle: I didn’t cry. I thought I would. But I didn’t.

Emilie: That’s not because it didn’t hurt. It’s because you’re exhausted from caring so hard for so long. And you knew exactly how today would go.

Isabelle: Yeah.

Emilie: I’m proud of you, by the way.

Isabelle: For what? Ruining lunch?

Emilie: No. For not letting them pull you back in. You didn’t break your boundary. You kept your head high. You even brought the right cake like a damn queen.

Isabelle: I don’t feel like a queen. I feel like… a disappointed intern who can’t quit because the office is run by her family.

Emilie: Then consider this your resignation letter. Effective immediately. From now on, you only show up to enjoy the cake—not to organize the entire damn bakery.

***

The apartment was unusually quiet.

Max pushed the door open slowly, balancing a paper bag in one hand—her favorite pastries from that little place by the port—and shut the door behind him with a soft click.

“Belle?” he called.

No answer.

He kicked off his shoes and padded through the hallway. Her shoes were by the door, her bag hanging from the hook. She was home. But the lights were still off, the curtains half-drawn.

He stepped into the living room, expecting to find her reading or curled up with her laptop.

Instead, he found her asleep on the couch.

Belle never napped. She was the kind of person who filled silence with tasks, who felt guilty if she rested too long. Her idea of downtime usually involved organizing something or researching a new fabric for a client.

But now?

Now she was curled up in the corner of the couch, one arm tucked under her cheek, her breathing slow and steady. She’d kicked off her heels, and one strap of her dress had slipped slightly down her shoulder. Her brow was furrowed, even in sleep.

And all three cats were piled on top of her.

Jimmy was sprawled across her legs, completely dead weight. Lilly was curled protectively against her stomach, one paw gently resting on her arm. And Sassy—who rarely let anyone touch her—was nestled against her neck, purring like a motor.

Max smiled softly.

The cats knew. Of course they did.

He moved quietly, setting the bag of pastries down on the counter and crouching beside the couch. He didn’t wake her. He just watched her for a moment—her lashes dark against her cheeks, the faint smudge of exhaustion still lingering under her eyes. There was something heartbreakingly small about the way she’d folded in on herself. Like she’d tried to make herself take up less space.

He reached out and gently brushed her hair back behind her ear.

Belle stirred, but didn’t wake. Lilly opened one eye, flicked her tail, and went back to purring.

Max exhaled and whispered, “I’m sorry it was shit.”

She didn’t need to tell him. He’d seen the signs before she left: the tight smile, the perfectly chosen scarf, the way she’d stood just a little too straight. He knew Pascale. He knew her brothers. And he knew the weight Belle carried when they made her feel invisible for having a spine.

He reached for the blanket draped over the back of the couch and pulled it over her gently, tucking it in around the cats. Jimmy let out a tiny grunt but didn’t move.

Max kissed her temple. Light. Barely there.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured.

He sat on the floor beside her, leaning against the couch, and let his hand rest on hers, careful not to disturb the cats. She shifted slightly, her fingers curling instinctively into his.

The apartment stayed quiet, but now it felt full. Safe.

Eventually, Belle would wake up. Eventually, she’d downplay it all, say she was fine, say it wasn’t that bad.

But Max would remember the way she napped in the middle of the day like her body had finally crashed, like she’d had to hold herself together for too long.

***

She woke up slowly.

There was warmth on her legs. Something heavy on her chest. A light pressure on her hand.

For a moment, she didn’t move—just let herself feel the quiet. The absence of expectations. The strange relief of not having to speak.

Then she blinked and registered the familiar weight of Jimmy on her thighs, Lilly tucked into her side, and—

Sassy. On her shoulder. Sassy, who hated everyone except Max and her. 

She turned her head slightly and saw Max sitting on the floor beside the couch, head tilted back against the cushion, his fingers still laced with hers. His thumb stroked over her knuckles slowly, rhythmically, like he’d been doing it the whole time she slept.

“How long have you been there?” she whispered.

His eyes opened. “Long enough to be offended none of the cats chose me.”

Belle gave a weak, sleepy laugh. “You didn’t bring treats.”

“I brought toys last week. I feel that earns me some credit.”

She stretched, only a little, careful not to disturb the cats. Her throat tightened unexpectedly. She looked down at their hands. Her voice was quiet when she said, “It was awful.”

Max didn’t respond right away. He waited.

“I knew it would be,” she continued. “I was ready for it. I thought I was. But—” She paused. “It still got to me.”

“Of course it did,” he said gently. “Because you’re not made of stone, no matter how good you are at pretending.”

She swallowed. “She didn’t yell. None of them did. That’s the worst part. Just these… little jabs. Like I ruined things by not doing what I always do.”

He brushed his thumb along the back of her hand again. “Because they don’t want to admit how much they rely on you. It’s easier to pretend you’re being difficult than to admit they’ve taken you for granted.”

“I felt like the villain for saying no.”

“You weren’t,” he said firmly. “You were the only one who showed up the way she deserved.”

“She said I remembered differently.”

“You remembered honestly,” Max said. “And with boundaries. That’s a good thing.”

Belle exhaled slowly. “I hate how tired I am.”

“That’s what happens when you carry everyone else’s expectations for fifteen years.”

She closed her eyes. “I just wanted her to notice. Not the card. Not the scarf. Me.”

Max was silent for a long beat. Then he shifted, stood, and gently sat on the edge of the couch beside her, nudging Jimmy out of the way with minimal protest.

“You know what I noticed?” he asked softly.

Belle looked up at him.

“You walked into that lunch knowing it would suck. You still brought the cake. You still picked out the flowers and got there early and remembered everything that matters. But you also stood your ground. You didn’t shrink. You didn’t apologize for having limits.”

She blinked fast.

Max reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

“You didn’t fail them, Belle. They failed you. And she—she missed the point. But I didn’t.”

She let out a breath that trembled more than she wanted.

Belle reached for him then—slowly, tiredly—and he leaned down so she could rest her forehead against his chest. His arms came around her without hesitation, strong and warm and steady.

And for the first time all day, Belle didn’t feel like she had to hold anything together.

***

Text Messages: Max Verstappen & Emilie Abadie

Max: The horse is here.

Emilie: WAIT WHAT???

Max: She’s perfect. Big eyes. Very soft nose. Looks at me like she knows I have no idea what I’m doing.

Emilie: Oh my god. Congrats! You now own 1.5 sentient drama llamas! I didn’t think you’d pull it off this fast!!

Max: Neither did I. I just nodded and wired the money whenever someone looked at me confused.

Emilie: Bold of you to admit that. How’s Fleur settling in?

Max: Good so far. The stable manager is in love with her. She’s very sweet…very gentle. But listen—can you help me with something?

Emilie: That depends. Do I need a forklift?

Max: No forklifts. But maybe a… horse stylist?

Emilie: ...Max.

Max: I want to get her everything she needs. Feed, brushes, gear, blankets, treats, toys, whatever. But I don’t trust myself not to forget something vital and end up buying her a dog collar by mistake.

Emilie: You think a grooming kit is the same thing as a dog leash???

Max: I bought a horse off emotional impulse, Emilie. Anything’s possible.

Emilie: Fair. Okay. Emergency horse wardrobe coming right up.

Max: You’re a lifesaver.

Emilie: I know. What’s the budget?

Max: No budget.

Emilie: …Max.

Max: Buy her the kind of things you’d buy if you were spoiling a horse for someone you love. Go full chaos. Embroidered halter, custom saddle pads. I don’t care.

Emilie: You just said the words “go full chaos” to me. You realize this is going to spiral.

Max: If the horse ends up with a Swarovski encrusted hoof pick, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.

Emilie: I’m making a list. She needs turnout rugs. Stable rugs. Lightweight blankets. Fly masks. Brushing boots. Halter. Lead rope. Hay net. Saddle pad. Grooming kit. Oh—and a personalized nameplate. Obviously.

Max: I’m overwhelmed.

Emilie: I haven’t even started color coordination yet.

Max: Color coordination???

Emilie: You think I’m putting Belle’s horse in random mismatched gear like some common gelding??

Max: …No?

Emilie: Good answer.

Max: Make her look like she belongs to someone who loves her.

Emilie: That’s easy. She does.

Max: Also... get something for the foal too. It’s still baking, but I want it to have everything once it shows up.

Emilie: You're going to be the most unhinged horse dad in the south of France.

Max: That’s the goal.

Emilie: Okay. I’ll drop everything and build Fleur’s shopping cart of dreams. Expect a delivery van full of horse nonsense by tomorrow.

Max: Thank you. Seriously. I just want everything to be perfect.

Emilie: It will be. She’s going to lose it. In the best way.

Max: That’s the plan.

***

Text Messages: Max Verstappen & Lando Norris

Max: Hey. You know about horses, right?

Lando: … Why would I know about horses?

Max: Because your sister and your mum ride. That makes you, like… horse adjacent.

Lando: Max. MAX. Being horse adjacent is not the same as being a horse expert.

Max: Do you know how to tell if a pregnant horse is okay?

Lando: MAX WHAT

Max: I got Belle a horse. Actually two. Well, one horse, and she’s pregnant, so technically 1.5 horses.

Lando: I’m sorry back up- You WHAT? YOU BOUGHT A PREGNANT HORSE???

Max: Yes. For her birthday. It’s the foal of her childhood horse. The horse passed away, but the daughter is alive. So I bought her. Fleur. That’s her name.

Lando: Jesus Christ.

Max: She’s perfect. But she’s in foal and due later this summer and now I’m spiraling.

Lando: Okay okay okay. Deep breaths. Why are you spiraling??

Max: Is it normal for her to not eat as much hay? She was eating like crazy when she arrived and now she’s just… slower. Max:  She seems fine. She’s drinking. She let me pet her today. Max:  But what if she’s not fine and I miss something and the foal is in danger and Belle gets attached and then—

Lando: MAX

Max: WHAT IF I’M A BAD HORSE DAD

Lando: Okay first of all: You are very much not a horse dad. You are a stressed boyfriend with access to wire transfers and too much emotional capacity

Max: Unhelpful.

Lando: Second: Flo and my mum both ride. Hang on, I’ll ask.

(Two minutes pass.)

Lando: Okay. Flo says: “Mares get weird when they’re in late pregnancy. Appetite changes, temperament shifts, they get clingy or distant. As long as she’s drinking water and not acting colicky or in pain, she’s probably fine.”

Max: What does colicky mean?

Lando: Horse tummy ache apparently. Signs: pawing at the ground, lying down and getting up a lot, rolling on her side, not passing gas or poop.

Max: She’s not doing any of that.

Lando: Cool. Then Flo says you can stop freaking out and maybe go touch grass.

Max: I would but I’m watching her through the stall window to make sure she blinks evenly.

Lando: You need a hobby.

Max: This is my hobby now. I’m going to be the best horse dad Monaco’s ever seen.

Lando: You’re terrifying. Flo says you should talk to a vet if you’re this stressed. There are equine pregnancy specialists.

Max: I already booked one. They’re coming Thursday. And I bought her a new salt lick. And a bigger water bucket. And more bedding. Just in case she’s nesting.

Lando: Nest??? You think she’s a raccoon now???

Max: SHE’S CARRYING A TINY HORSE INSIDE HER I DON’T KNOW WHAT SHE NEEDS

Lando: Okay wow. This is actually incredible You’re losing your mind and it’s so pure

Max: She’s not just a horse. She’s Belle’s horse. She’s family now. And her foal will be, too

Lando: Max Verstappen, 3x World Champion, is scared of a pregnant horse.

Max: You don’t understand. If anything happens to that horse, Belle will never recover. And I’ll never forgive myself.

Lando: Okay, I’m texting Flo again. You need like. A Horse Dad Hotline. She’s gonna make a guide. Expect a PDF.

Max: Perfect. I’ll print it. And laminate it.

Lando: You’re completely unhinged and I love it. Belle has no idea what she’s in for, does she?

Max: Nope. But I do. And I’m not screwing this up.

***

Group Chat: HELP ME

 (Members: Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz Jr., George Russell, Alex Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, David Coulthard, Sergio Pérez, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen)

Lando: UPDATE. Max has officially entered his next evolutionary stage: Horse Dad

Carlos: what???

George: what do you mean Horse Dad.

Lando: HE TEXTED ME FOR HORSE ADVICE. Apparently  he bought Belle a horse for her birthday next week…and said horse is pregnant. AND NOW HE’S SPIRALING.

Oscar: he bought her a pregnant horse???

Lewis: This man does not know how to do things at 50%.

Alex: Imagine being an unborn foal and your literal horse granddad is Max Verstappen.

Daniel: What was he panicking about ?

Lando: "Is it normal for her to eat less hay?" "She blinked too slowly." "Am I a bad horse dad." "I think she’s nesting." "I bought her a new salt lick just in case."

Oscar: nesting?? she’s a horse not a squirrel??

Sebastian: This is beautiful. I love this for him. And for the horse.

Checo: Didn’t he just buy this horse last week???

Lando: YEP. And he’s already at the stage of “watching her breathe through the stall window like a Victorian widow.”

David: I’m crying. Verstappen, World Champion, afraid of pregnant mare.

Checo: He deserves this stress. This is what happens when you spend 300k on a pregnant horse with no clue what you’re doing.

Mark: That foal is going to be raised like equine royalty.

Fernando: It will be a champion. I can feel it.

Alex: Do NOT let Max hear that. He’ll start building it a trophy shelf.

George: How did we get here

Lando: Anyway I told Flo and my mum and now they’re making him a Horse Dad PDF Guide

Alex: Max Verstappen: Race car driver, emotionally fragile boyfriend, horse dad with laminated charts.

Nico H: I’ve never been more afraid of him

Oscar: I just want to see Belle’s face when she finds out

Lewis: She's going to cry

 And then thank him And then cry again And then probably cry on the horse

Lando: And Max will cry because she’s crying. And the horse will just blink slowly like “why are the loud mammals leaking”

Oscar: i love love.

Fernando: We are watching the evolution of a man.

Daniel: Max Verstappen used to destroy the grid. Now he panics about hay consumption

Sebastian: This is growth.

Sebastian: Should we all send baby gifts for the foal?

Lewis: You mean we’re not already?

Fernando: I have already arranged a custom halter and embroidered blanket.

***

Text Messages: Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri

Lando: Okay this might be a stupid question

Oscar: Those are your specialty, go on

Lando: Should we get Belle a birthday gift?

Oscar: Like… us? Together??

Lando: Yeah. Like a joint thing. I don’t know. A friend gift. A “we know your family’s exhausting but we like you” gift.

Oscar: Honestly? I like it. She deserves it. Especially after Max went full Horse Dad™

Lando: Right?? Like, I’m not trying to compete with two horses but like… a little gift?

Oscar: Yeah, yeah. Something thoughtful. Wait—hang on. Lily’s reading this over my shoulder now.

Lily (via Oscar): YES. GET HER SOMETHING. I LOVE HER.

Lando: I mean that tracks. Everyone who meets Belle ends up weirdly attached.

Oscar: Max didn’t even stand a chance

Lily (still hijacking): Ask your sister for horse-related gift ideas!!!

Lando: You mean Flo?

Oscar: Yeah, Lily says she’ll know what would be good for a new horse owner or something cute Belle can use at the stable.

Lily (via Oscar):  Or something for the baby horse!!! They imprint, right??? GET THE FOAL TO IMPRINT ON YOU GUYS.

Lando: I don’t think we can plan imprinting, Lily.

Oscar: She says that sounds like quitter energy.

Lando: Okay but seriously I will text Flo.

Oscar: We could do like… a fancy grooming kit?

Lando: Or like a custom halter for the foal? 

Oscar: That’s actually so cute. What if we get it in Max’s helmet colors?

Lando: STOP I’M EMOTIONAL

Oscar: Lily is now googling “tiny horse birthday hats” so things are escalating. 

Lando: Belle gets Max, two horses, and emotional support F1 drivers

Oscar: Our love language is semi-coordinated panic

Lando: Okay. I’ll ask Flo for ideas. Lily can continue the hat research.

Oscar: She’s already measuring things on the screen. I think we’re locked in.

***

Belle closed her laptop with a soft sigh, the click of the hinge sounding louder than it should’ve. The apartment was calm—Max behind her, drying dishes from dinner—but inside her head, everything felt overfull.

She crossed to the counter, reached for a glass, and filled it slowly at the sink. Her shoulders ached. Her chest felt tight. Not in a dramatic way—just… tired. The kind of tired that curled up somewhere inside and stayed, no matter how many hours of sleep she got.

Max’s voice was gentle, behind her. “You okay?”

She nodded before answering. “I ordered something for Mother’s Day.”

He turned from the cupboard, brow raised. “For your mother?”

Belle hesitated, and that was enough for him to catch it.

“Yes,” she said, carefully. “For Maman. From all of us.”

There was a pause. She could feel his eyes on her even as she kept hers on the water glass.

“From you and your brothers?” Max asked quietly.

Belle nodded again. “Yeah.”

Another pause.

When she glanced back, Max was just watching her. Not angry. Not judgmental. Just… knowing.

“You’re still saving them,” he said.

Belle straightened slightly. “I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m not,” she repeated, too fast. “I just… I don’t want another disaster. I don’t have the energy for more awkwardness or guilt. I just want it to be done. Clean.”

“You’re the only reason it won’t be a disaster,” Max said softly.

Belle looked down at the water glass. Her hand was trembling slightly. She hadn’t realized.

“I’m just so tired, Max,” she said, and the words came out smaller than she meant them to. Like admitting it made her feel even more fragile.

Max stepped toward her and touched her wrist, grounding her.

“Then why spend what little energy you have on something that only drains you more?”

“Because if I don’t,” she whispered, “Maman will be disappointed. And my brothers will make jokes. And the silence will feel like blame. It’s easier this way.”

“It’s not easier,” Max said. “It’s just more familiar.”

Belle didn’t answer. Her throat felt tight.

Max pulled her gently into his arms, wrapping her in the kind of hug that made everything quiet for a second. Belle leaned into it like someone letting go of something heavy she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying.

“You don’t have to fix everything to be a good daughter,” he murmured into her hair. “Or a good sister.”

She closed her eyes.

“Don’t remind them,” he added, quietly but firmly.

She pulled back slightly to look up at him. “What?”

“Don’t message the group chat. Don’t nudge them. Don’t drop hints. Let them forget. Let them feel what it’s like when you don’t carry it for them.”

She looked up at him, wide-eyed. “They’ll blame me.”

“Then let them,” Max said, brushing her hair back from her face. “You don’t owe them your peace.”

“I don’t know if I can ignore it,” she whispered. “It’ll just sit there in my chest like a rock. The whole day.”

“Then I’ll carry it,” he said. “Let me carry it for you.”

Belle’s eyes burned.

“Maybe next year,” she said softly. “Maybe next year I’ll be strong enough not to do it at all.”

Max didn’t push. He just nodded, kissed her temple, and held her tighter.

She didn’t have to say thank you. He already knew.

***

Text Messages: Max Verstappen & Sophie Kumpen

Max: Happy Mother’s Day, Mama ❤️ Hope you’re relaxing this morning.

Sophie: Thank you, sweetheart 💕 Just had breakfast with Tom & Victoria. Luka made me a card 🥹

Max: He’s a better artist than me already 😂 Your gift should’ve arrived by now. Did it get there?

Sophie: Yes! Just opened it ☺️You didn’t have to get me anything 😌

Max: Yeah, but you deserve it. Spa weekend for you and Vic—Belle helped me pick it. She remembered you mentioned it in passing once.

Sophie: Wait, the place in Provence? With the mineral baths?

Max: That’s the one. Belle remembered the name and everything. She’s… kinda incredible at that.

Sophie: Belle remembered that from months ago?

Max: She remembers everything. She’s scary-good at it.

Sophie:She really is the sweetest. You should’ve booked for three. Belle should come with us.

Max: I suggested it. She said she didn’t want to intrude.

Sophie: She would say that 😤 Tell her I’m demanding she join. It’s non-negotiable.

Max: …You sure? You and Vic don’t want a mother-daughter trip?

Sophie: She is like a daughter to me, Max. And Victoria loves her. You know that.

Max: Okay, okay. I’ll tell her.

Sophie:  I’m adore her. She fits. Like she’s always been here.

Max: Yeah. Feels like that to me too.

Sophie: So bring her over soon. I want to give her a proper hug for this gift. And for looking after you.

Max: I’ll try to drag her away from the horses. 

Sophie: Of course she is. Tell her thank you from me. Truly.

Max: Will do ❤️ Love you.

Sophie: Love you too, Maxie. ***

Text Messages: Charles Leclerc & Alexandra Saint Mleux

Charles: Merde. Is it Mother’s Day today???

Alexandra: Yes.

Charles: No one said anything?! Isabelle didn’t remind us this year. She always reminds us.

Alexandra: She’s not your personal assistant, Charles.

Charles: But she knows I forget stuff like this. She usually sends the group chat the schedule with reminders and emoji codes and—

Alexandra: She shouldn’t have to. You’re almost thirty. You should know when Mother’s Day is without your sister hand-holding you through it.

Charles: Okay, but she always does it. And this year she suddenly decides she’s “setting boundaries” and just lets me walk off a cliff??

Alexandra: You forgot your mother. That’s on you. Don’t you dare try to make it Isabelle’s fault because she finally decided to stop mothering you.

Charles: Wow. Okay. Didn’t realize you were on her side.

Alexandra: I’m not “taking sides.” I’m telling you that blaming your sister for your failure is weak. And unfair.

Charles: I’m stressed, okay? I forgot, I feel like crap, and now you’re yelling at me.

Alexandra: No. I’m calling you out because this isn’t the first time you’ve pulled this. The second something goes wrong, you look for someone else to blame.

Charles: That’s not fair.

Alexandra: Isn’t it? Last month it was your trainer’s fault for not updating your calendar. Before that, it was your PR team for not reminding you about a shoot. Now it’s your sister for not telling you Mother’s Day was coming?

Charles: I just didn’t expect this from you.

Alexandra: You mean honesty? Accountability?

Charles: I don’t need a lecture right now.

Alexandra: Maybe not. But you need to grow up.

Charles: Are you seriously turning this into a moral crisis?

Alexandra: You forgot Mother’s Day. You blamed the one person who used to quietly make sure you didn’t screw it up. And when I told you the truth, you made me the problem too.

Charles: Alex…

Alexandra: I love you, but I’m not going to pretend this version of you isn’t exhausting sometimes. Figure it out, Charles.

Charles: Wait—are you seriously mad enough to—

Alexandra: I’m not leaving. But I’m done coddling you.

Charles: ...Okay.

Alexandra: Start with a phone call to your mother.

Charles: Yeah. Okay.

***

Leclerc Sibling Group Chat

 (Members: Arthur, Isabelle, Charles, and Lorenzo)

Charles: So… today’s Mother’s Day.

Arthur: Yeah. Not that anyone would’ve remembered.

Lorenzo: Would’ve been nice to get a heads-up this year.

Arthur: Right? A little calendar emoji would’ve gone a long way.

Charles: You always used to remind us, Isabelle.

Lorenzo: Kind of your thing.

Isabelle: I’m not doing that anymore.

Charles: We noticed.

Arthur: You could’ve at least said something.

Isabelle: I did. Before Maman’s birthday. I said I wasn’t organizing family events anymore. I meant it.

Lorenzo: Yeah, but Mother’s Day’s different.

Charles: It’s not like we’re asking you to do everything. Just a reminder. One message.

Arthur: Instead we’re all waking up to guilt and no plan.

Isabelle: Then maybe next year, plan ahead. Put it in your phones like everyone else.

Lorenzo: You didn’t even mention it once this week.

Isabelle: Because it’s not my job.

Charles: You used to care about this kind of thing.

Isabelle: I still care. I just care about my own mental health too.

Arthur: So what, we just look like idiots today?

Isabelle: I sent a gift from all of us. Card, flowers, everything.

Charles: Wait… seriously?

Isabelle: Yes.

Lorenzo: You didn’t tell us.

Isabelle: I just did it because I didn’t want her to feel forgotten.

Arthur: That’s kind of manipulative, Belle. Doing it and not telling us.

Isabelle: What’s manipulative is expecting me to do everything, and then blaming me when I don’t.

Charles: You’re really different lately.

Isabelle: I’m tired. So I handled it, one last time. You’re welcome.

Lorenzo: Well. Thanks, I guess.

Arthur: Next year maybe give us a little warning?

***

Leclerc Family Group Chat

(Members: Arthur, Isabelle, Charles, Lorenzo and Pascale)

Pascale: My darlings ❤️ Thank you so much for the beautiful flowers and the card. They arrived this morning and made me cry (in the best way). You always know just what I love. I feel so lucky to have you. 💐✨

Charles: Aw, Maman ❤️ You deserve it!!

Arthur: Glad you liked it 🥹 Happy Mother’s Day!

Lorenzo: Only the best for you, Maman 😘

Pascale: You boys did so well! So thoughtful. And the message in the card… so sweet. Isabelle, you must’ve helped them pick it, didn’t you? It had your touch.

Lorenzo: We definitely had it covered 😌

Charles: Worked as a team.

Arthur: Isabelle deserves the credit though. She’s always the best at that stuff.

Pascale: Well, however you did it—thank you. I feel very loved. The flowers were perfect. Isabelle: Glad you liked them, Maman. Happy Mother’s Day.

Pascale: Love you all. 💕

***

Text Messages: Max Verstappen & Emilie Abadie

Max: She sent the Mother’s Day gift from all of them.

Emilie: Of course she did. Let me guess: they acted surprised and then took credit?

Max: Yep. Pascale sent a thank-you in the group chat. Her brothers responded like they’d done something.

Emilie: I’m going to scream into a pillow.

Max: Belle didn’t say anything. Just said she was glad Pascale liked it.

Emilie: She’s still saving them.

Max: I know. And they still don’t see it.

Emilie: They don’t want to. It’s easier to let her carry it all and pretend that’s normal.

Max: She told them she wasn’t going to be the family secretary anymore. Then she quietly handled everything anyway. Because she knew they’d drop it. And she didn’t want Pascale to feel forgotten.

Emilie: That’s the curse of being the responsible one. You’re punished whether you do it or not.

Max: Exactly. And now they’ll just expect it again next year.

Emilie: She deserves better.

Max: I keep telling her that.

Emilie: It’s not just about hearing it. She has to believe it. And she doesn’t. Not deep down.

Max: Yeah. I know.

Emilie: How is she?

Max: Quiet. Too quiet. She’s not upset, exactly—just… hollow. Like it’s easier to feel nothing than admit she’s hurt.

Emilie: I hate that I know exactly what that looks like on her.

Max: She just sat down after lunch and said, “It’s done now. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Emilie: That’s Belle for “I’m hanging on by a thread but don’t want to be a burden.”

Max: I wanted to say something. Call them out for her. But she just looked so tired.

Emilie: You’re doing more for her by holding her right now than anything they’ve ever done.

Max: I still wish I could do more.

Emilie: You do more just by noticing. By seeing her.

Max: I don’t want her to keep being the one who holds everything together.

Emilie: Then be the one who holds her together. That’s what she needs. Someone who won’t let her feel invisible.

Max: Yeah. That I can do.

Emilie: Good. Because I swear, if I see another “thanks for the flowers, guys!” message in that family group chat, I’m throwing someone into the harbor.

Max: I’ll drive the boat.

***

The water was warm from the sun, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue, and the city below hummed with distant life—Monaco moving through another glittering afternoon like it always did.

Max floated lazily on his back, eyes closed, one hand trailing through the water, while Belle sat on the pool steps, scowling down at the knot of her bikini top.

She tugged at the strap again, muttering, “This thing is definitely tighter than last time.”

“You said that last week too,” Max murmured without opening his eyes.

“Because it keeps getting tighter.” She frowned down at herself. “Did it shrink in the wash?”

Max cracked one eye open. “You sure it’s the bikini and not you?”

She gave him a look. “Subtle.”

“I’m just saying, maybe the girls are staging a growth spurt.”

Belle rolled her eyes, but her fingers paused against the fabric. They were… sore. More than usual. And she’d been bloated for days. And tired.

It was probably hormones. Or stress. Or the five cookies she’d eaten for lunch.

Max swam closer and rested his arms on the edge of the step beside her, his chin propped lazily against them. “If it’s bothering you, just take it off. No one can see up here.”

She arched an eyebrow. “You wish.”

“I absolutely do,” he said cheerfully.

She flicked water at him and leaned back, letting the sun warm her shoulders. The strap still dug in a little, but she tried to ignore it.

Max let his eyes drift closed again. “This is nice. Quiet. Feels like we’re the only people up here.”

Belle sighed. “We kinda are. You made sure of it, remember? ‘Private rooftop pool, non-negotiable.’”

“Worth every euro.”

She reached out and laced her fingers with his underwater. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

After a moment, she said, “You know my birthday’s on Monaco GP weekend this year?”

He groaned softly. “That’s criminal scheduling.”

She smiled faintly. “Right? Sunday. Race day.”

He looked at her. “Do you want to celebrate after the race? I could try to arrange something small—”

“No,” she interrupted, shaking her head. “No pressure. Let’s just do something the day after. Quiet. Just us.”

Max tilted his head. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” She kicked her legs slowly in the water. “Honestly, I don’t care about parties. I just want to sleep in, eat something sweet, and maybe hang out with the horses.”

He grinned. “You want a Belle Day.”

“Exactly.”

“I can deliver a Belle Day,” he said. “I will make an itinerary. I’ll laminate it.”

She laughed, and he leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose.

“Day after Monaco,” he said. “It’s yours.”

***

Meanwhile on Twitter: 

@/OscarPiastri: Searching my family tree to find any trace of Monégasque roots

@/Charles_Leclerc: I can adopt you if needed. 

@/OscarPiastri: No need, mate — your sister already agreed to!

@/Charles_Leclerc: what

@/F1fanatic91: I’m sorry. WHAT.

@/girlsonpole: charles's WHAT????

@/chaoticprancinghorse: Isabelle Leclerc SAID SHE WOULD ADOPT OSCAR??? excuse me??????

@OscarPiastri (replying to himself a few minutes later): for context: Belle showed me around monaco when i first moved. Gave me the full tour. Taught me where to find the best bakery, the best dry cleaners, and which shortcuts avoid tourists. Basically made it feel like home. honorary monegasque confirmed. (Also later adopted my girlfriend, who I am quite sure, she likes more than me.) 

@/raceweekendchaos: charles offering to adopt oscar like a good pal only for oscar to casually reveal he’s already been adopted by belle leclerc is SENDING me

@/tifositalks: charles: i can adopt you oscar: too late mate your sister said yes charles: error 404 charles.exe has stopped working

@/piastriblues: i have been alive for 21 years and never felt this much secondhand embarrassment for charles leclerc

@/f1fluff:  this is so accidentally wholesome it hurts

@/gridgossip: ISABELLE GAVE OSCAR A WELCOME TO MONACO TOUR??? ARE YOU KIDDING THAT'S SO CUTE

@monacominis:  oscar piastri having isabelle leclerc as a big sister figure is EXACTLY the kind of off-track crossover i live for

@chillycharles: charles was offering adoption papers but isabelle already issued a citizenship through pastries and dry cleaning recs. elite move.

@/Charles_Leclerc (finally replying):  I see I am no longer needed. (Enjoy the bakery recommendations, they are very good.)

@/OscarPiastri: Thanks, mate. You're a great backup option.

@/scuderiawifey: ok but this is actually adorable??? like belle really just took oscar under her wing????

@/wheelnutsanon: also charles reacting like he just learned he has a secret second sibling is killing me

@/gridgossip: BREAKING: Oscar Piastri has been unofficially adopted into the Leclerc family. Charles found out through Twitter.

***

Leclerc Sibling Group Chat

 (Members: Arthur, Isabelle, Charles, and Lorenzo)

Charles: What is this about you “adopting” Oscar??

Isabelle: Hello to you too, Charles.

Charles: Seriously, Isabelle. Twitter thinks you’ve absorbed him into the family. You couldn’t mention that?

Isabelle: He asked me where to get pastries when he moved here. I answered. That’s not exactly international news.

Lorenzo: So you adopted him through croissants and Google Maps. Makes sense.

Charles: And the internet’s obsessed with it. Again. This is exactly how the Lando rumors started.

Isabelle: Charles.

Charles: No—don’t “Charles” me. You’re always like this. You do some tiny thing in public, the fans lose their minds, and I get blindsided before quali.

Charles: This is not a joke. It’s race weekend. At home. I don’t need distractions right now.

Isabelle: Then maybe stop scrolling Twitter two hours before FP?

Charles: I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t always causing speculation.

Lorenzo: Are we back on the “Belle is dating Lando” thing?

Charles: YES. Because people think she adopted Oscar and is soft-launching into the Norris family.

Isabelle: I’m not dating Lando. Or Oscar. Or anyone in orange.

Charles: Can you just be low-profile until Sunday? 

Charles: I want to win at home without the press asking if my sister is secretly engaged to my teammate’s former teammate. Is that too much to ask?

Isabelle: Don’t worry, Charles. I’ll keep a low profile.

***

Belle exhaled slowly, settling onto a high stool of McLaren’s hospitality.

“This is so much calmer than Ferrari,” she murmured.

Lily tilted her head. “Too much espresso and shouting over there?”

“Too much everything. Ferrari feels like performance art fueled by adrenaline and barely restrained stress. The walls are tense. Even the coffee judges you.”

Lily laughed. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. Our chaos is cozy. Loud, but cozy.”

They sipped their drinks in silence for a moment, letting the hum of track activity drift over them.

They sat in companionable silence for a while. Then, casually—too casually—Belle said, “So… do you happen to know if Lando is single?”

Lily blinked, turned her head very slowly. “I beg your what?”

Belle smiled innocently behind her sunglasses. “Just curious.”

“Is this like... a casual curiosity or a capital-C Conspiracy curiosity?”

“It’s for a friend,” Belle said sweetly.

“Oh my god.” Lily’s grin widened. “Your Emilie?! The one with the arched eyebrow and emotional X-ray vision?!”

“The very same. She asked about him after Miami and then insult-complimented him. Which means she’s intrigued.”

Lily gasped. “That’s basically a declaration of intent.”

“I thought so too,” Belle said smugly.

“She’d eat him alive.”

“He’d love it.”

Lily clutched her chest. “This is my favorite subplot of the season. And yes, as far as I know… Lando is tragically, gloriously single.”

Belle grinned. “Perfect. I’m just collecting data. Like a responsible friend.”

“You’re terrifying.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Belle finished the last sip of her iced coffee and stood, stretching slightly before reaching for her sunglasses case.

“I should head back,” she said, a little regret in her voice. “If I’m gone too long, someone at Ferrari will think I’ve defected.”

Lily grinned. “You’d be welcome. Just saying.”

Belle gave her a wink. “Good to know.”

They hugged briefly, and Belle made her way down the narrow stairs of the McLaren motorhome, back toward the paddock’s center. The roar of engines was slightly muffled here—just enough to hear the hum of conversation, the clicking of photographers resetting lenses, the low static of radios. She moved easily, weaving between teams and team staff.

She’d just passed the Pirelli tent when she spotted him, unmistakable despite the sunglasses and cap—Jos Verstappen, chatting with a Red Bull staffer, nodding at something on a clipboard. He looked up as she approached, pausing mid-sentence.

He was not an easy man—everyone knew it.

She’d seen the way people stiffened when he walked past. Heard the stories. Max never sugarcoated them. His childhood hadn’t been easy; Jos was hard, demanding, relentless. Too much, sometimes.

And yet, Max still loved him.

Not blindly. Not without scars. But intentionally.

Max called him after every race. He texted him when things went wrong

Max loved him.

That was the part Belle always circled back to. Not in blind forgiveness—but in this fierce, complicated loyalty that had shaped who he was. Max could talk about his father’s mistakes and still want to protect him in the same breath.

And Belle, Belle who had lost her own father earlier than she should have…she understood that. The absence still ached. Quietly. Persistently.

Belle had never been on the receiving end of Jos’s temper. Never once. He’d been gruff, sure—especially the first time they met. But not unkind. Not to her.

She suspected that made her an exception.

The paddock thought Jos was all bark, all judgment. But Belle had sat beside him during lunch more than once, sipping coffee while he quizzed Max on fuel mapping like it was a Sunday crossword. She’d seen the sharpness soften when Max smiled, heard the pride he buried under complaints about tire strategy.

It was strange, maybe, but she liked him. Not in a warm, fuzzy way—but in the way you respect a hurricane for what it is and appreciate it when it spares your house.

There was a rare kind of steadiness in people who didn’t lie to themselves about who they were. And Jos knew exactly who he was.

He’d been brutal with Max at times. Too harsh, too strict. But Belle had watched Max pour all that pressure into discipline, pour all that history into determination—and then let her be the place where he could rest.

And Jos saw that. Maybe that’s why he liked her.

He looked up as she approached, the stern line of his mouth twitching into something just short of a smile. For him, it might as well have been a beam of sunshine.

“Belle,” Jos said, his voice rough but warm. “There you are.”

“Hello, Jos,” she greeted, easy and open.

He stepped toward her with the kind of casual nod that could almost pass for affection. “Thought you were with Ferrari.”

“I was. Took a detour.”

Jos huffed. “McLaren has better lighting. Can’t blame you.”

They stepped to the side, out of the path of two mechanics wheeling a cart. Belle found herself watching him for a moment—his weathered face, the tightness still in his shoulders. 

She knew what people said about him, knew what he’d been like with Max as a child. Strict to the point of brutal. All pressure, all fire.

But Max still called him Papa sometimes, when he was tired or fond.

Still lit up when Jos showed up on a race weekend, even if he didn’t say it.

Love could look strange from the outside. And still be real.

She never pretended to understand it. But she respected it.

“You look good,” Jos said, nodding to her. “Max said Monaco’s treating you both well. ”

Belle smiled slightly, brushing a wind-blown strand of hair behind her ear. “It has been.”

Jos made a noise that might’ve been agreement—or amusement. “How’s Lilly settling in?”

“Still a menace,” Belle replied, smirking. “She shredded one of Max’s Red Bull shirts last week. Looked very pleased with herself afterward.”

He studied her then, for a long moment. Not judging—just weighing. Jos never said anything he didn’t mean. Which made what he said next hit harder than it had any right to.

“I know I wasn’t an easy father,” Jos said, eyes fixed ahead, as if the admission would be easier without eye contact. “I pushed too hard. Got too angry. Expected too much.”

Belle didn’t speak. She knew better than to fill silence when someone like Jos offered it willingly.

“But Max…” Jos exhaled. “He still calls. Still wants me at races. Still makes space.”

“He loves you,” Belle said quietly.

Jos nodded once, jaw tight. “He tells me things now,” he said quietly. “Little things. What you made for dinner. What you said when he had a bad sim race. How the cats sleep on your side of the bed.”

Belle felt her chest tighten—but not in a bad way. Just in that quiet, overwhelming way that meant this mattered.

“I used to worry,” Jos went on. “That he’d burn out. Too much, too soon. Like I pushed him past something soft he was supposed to keep. But with you...”

He trailed off. Didn’t finish the sentence. Jos didn’t need to.

Belle understood anyway.

With her, Max had something soft again. Something to rest in. Something to hold.

“I don’t want to be the only soft thing in his life,” Belle said gently. “But I’ll be there, if he needs it.”

Jos nodded. “He does.”

A pause. He looked at her again. “I’m glad it’s you.”

Belle’s throat tightened. “Thank you.”

“He’s steadier with you,” Jos added. “Not softer. But anchored. Like he knows where to land.”

Belle blinked away the sudden sting in her eyes. “He does the same for me.”

Jos’s mouth curved, just a little. “That’s how it should be.”

They stood like that for another few seconds, in the shifting quiet of the paddock—engines humming, people passing, a thousand things moving around them. But it felt still.

Then, as if remembering who he was, Jos cleared his throat and stepped back. “Go on, before someone accuses you of defecting to Red Bull.”

“I’ll deny everything,” Belle promised.

Jos nodded once, a final farewell. “Tell Max to call this evening. He never remembers.”

“He does,” Belle said, turning away with a small smile. “He just likes when you remind him.”

***

Meanwhile on Twitter: 

@/MonacoMadness:

Someone zoom in on this pic. She’s laughing at something Lily said.

THE EYE CONTACT.

WAKE UP SHEEPLE.

@/GarageGhouls: Me: they’re just friends. Also me: builds color-coded map of Belle’s appearances near Lando over 18 months

@/SprinkleTheory:

REMEMBER THE SPRINKLE CONVERSATION???

Don’t act like y’all forgot the sprinkles.

Lando and Belle. Ice cream. Eye contact. ENDGAME.

@/CharlesStan97:

Charles could be on fire and no one would notice because y’all are too busy shipping his sister with Lando.

@/OscarPSpyCam:

Meanwhile Oscar is just thrilled his girlfriend and Lando’s or Max’s maybe-girlfriend are bonding over iced coffee and judging everyone.

@/LandoNation94: She was with Lily later too??? Like fully laughing at something together like besties??? What do they know

@/BelleWatch2025: Everyone: She’s dating Max. Me, seeing her chat and giggle with Lily: 👀👀👀

@/MonacoMadness: Belle is either: a) secretly dating Lando b) adopting the entire McLaren team as her emotional support family c) both

@/RedFlaggedRomance: I’m telling you. Belle being with Oscar’s girlfriend all before qualifying?? That’s some soft launch energy

@/OpenYourEyesF1: She’s in the papaya now. The soft colors. The oat milk lattes. The laughing. Ferrari could never.

@/PapayaTheory: So what you’re saying is: Isabelle is now friends with Lily AND STILL INSISTS SHE’S “JUST A FRIEND” Right.

@/gridgossip: DID I JUST SEE ISABELLE LECLERC CHATTING WITH JOS VERSTAPPEN??? and like… smiling??? And he WAS TOO???

@/chaoticprancinghorse: That man growled at a cameraman last year and now he’s out here looking friendly because Belle showed up??? What kind of soft power diplomacy is this???

@/f1girldetective: Belle. Babe. What spell did you cast on Jos Verstappen and is it available in serum form??

@/paddockcryptid: you’re telling me jos verstappen—the same man who looks like he’s planning a coup 80% of the time—was out here smiling??? Because of isabelle leclerc??? i’m ascending

@/maxsmiletracker: First the wallpaper, now they are chatting in the paddock?!?

@/wheelnutsanon: BREAKING: Jos Verstappen spotted having a pleasant conversation with Isabelle Leclerc. Charles Leclerc reportedly still screaming into a pillow somewhere

***

Belle had barely stepped through the glass doors of Ferrari hospitality when Charles turned on her like a heat-seeking missile.

“Why were you talking to Jos Verstappen?”

She blinked. “Hi, Charles. I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

He stalked toward her, cap slightly askew, eyes wild in that very specific way he only got during Monaco weekend meltdown mode™.

“No, seriously. I just saw you outside. With Jos. Why?”

Belle exhaled slowly. “Because we ran into each other. We exchanged words. As people sometimes do.”

Charles narrowed his eyes. “It looked longer than words. You were smiling.”

She dropped her bag onto one of the hospitality chairs with more force than necessary. “What exactly do you think is happening here, Charles? Spell it out. Because first it was GP, then Lando, and now—now—you think I’m flirting with Max’s father?!”

“You smiled at him, Belle!”

“I also smile at dogs, coffee, and your PR assistant. That doesn’t mean I’m planning a romantic future with any of them.”

Charles scowled. “You don’t understand. The whole paddock watches you. They speculate. And it distracts me.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry my existence is personally offensive to your championship hopes,” Belle said flatly. “Do you want me to start wearing a paper bag over my head?”

Charles blinked. “That’s not—”

“You’re stressed. I get that. Monaco is important to you. But I’m not the enemy here, Charles. I’m not out there giving interviews or calling press conferences. I was walking back from McLaren. I ran into Jos. We talked. That’s it.”

“He’s Max’s dad,” Charles said, like it was the punchline to a joke she didn’t get.

“And Max is a person I know,” Belle replied, tone tight. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

Charles narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”

Belle gave him a long, unimpressed look. “Nothing. Because I’m not doing this with you.”

“Belle—”

“No, Charles.” Her voice dropped, low and firm. “You’re rude. You’re exhausted. And instead of admitting that, you’re picking a fight with me.”

Charles faltered. “I didn’t mean—”

“You did. But it’s fine. You’ll be insufferable until Sunday and then pretend none of this happened.”

She walked past him, brushing lightly against his shoulder. “Next time, just say you’re scared of losing and stop dragging my coffee chats into it.”

Charles stood frozen, holding his espresso cup like it had betrayed him.

Belle didn’t look back.

[citrustan]

dating girl (jjk) #2.2

pairing: jungkook x reader

summary: you try to convince yourself that you're really okay with 'casually dating' your crush.

genre & note: college au, fwb kinda thing but more than friends ygm? angst! - here are the links for the original and the follow-up parts to be read before this one - it's giving filler chapter... 🤐

It's awkward.

You look around for a moment, trying not to feel like a loser who got ditched.

There are very few seatings available and none of them were occupied currently. You felt like even bigger of a loser because you'd be the only girl just sitting there. Nor do you want men to take it as a hint to approach you. You're rethinking coming at all.

You blow air out of your mouth as a self-soothing gesture, deciding to go grab another drink.

Suddenly remembering that you had other friends at this party, you decide to text them asking if they were around. You loosely recollect reading about their bar hopping plan on the group chat, so you're not sure. You'd have joined in if you had Jungkook to tag along. He's fun to cling to when you're drunk.

Sometimes you fake being so piss drunk that you can't move by yourself just so Jungkook would hold you up or lift you in his arms.

Thinking about this is really ruining your mood though. Because tonight, that other chick is going to enjoy his company while you act like a cunt towards your date because you can't stand up for yourself.

As you make your way back to the table, you spot Jungkook not too far from it.

Boy, is he just everywhere tonight or what.

You freeze for a moment, unsure if you should approach Jungkook, or if you’d rather just stay out of his way. But before you can make up your mind, he’s already walking to you.

“Hey,” he says, lowly, as he stops a few inches beside you.

You give him a tight smile, trying to keep your tone neutral, “Hi.”

He looks around, almost as if he’s unsure of what to say next. “Mr. Tooth Fairy had to leave?”

You hum, glancing toward the door where Hoseok disappeared. “Yeah, something came up.”

Jungkook nods, his eyes flicking back to you, “I see.”

An awkward silence stretched between the two of you like a thin, fragile thread.

Finally, Jungkook clears his throat, breaking the tension, “Listen... about earlier-”

You hold up a hand, cutting him off, “Yeah, I'm sorry, I did not mean to do that. It was uncalled for."

This was too awkward. You don't know how to act around him. All you want to do it grab his head and smush your lips together.

"No, you're fine. I meant to text you back, you know?"

Right.

"Yeah, well, either way, I get the message loud and clear," you reply simply, staring him down.

"I wasn't sending any messages, _____."

"Well, yeah!"

"_____..."

"Can we not do this? I told you I hear you loud and clear. Let's move on." You were agitated.

Jungkook knows you've misunderstood his silence but he doesn't want to piss you off anymore today.

He sighs softly, tilting his head as if to study you. “Hoseok, huh?”

“Yeah,” you say, almost defensively. “He’s nice.”

“Nice,” Jungkook echoes, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, though you can’t tell if it’s amusement or something else entirely. “That’s good. You deserve... nice.”

The way he says it makes your stomach twist. You ball your hands into a fist. You wish he'd stop rubbing it in.

“Is that supposed to mean something?” you ask, sharper than you intend.

Jungkook raises his eyebrows, his expression unreadable, “No. Just a statement.”

You let out a breath through your nose, already feeling the hair on your nape stand, “You know, if you’re trying to say something, you could just say it instead of whatever... this is.” You wave a finger at him.

Jungkook’s jaw ticks slightly, and for a moment, you think he’s going to brush you off. Instead, he takes a step closer, “Fine. I don’t like him.”

Your eyes snap to his. “Excuse me?”

“I don’t like him,” Jungkook repeats, slower this time.

"Yes, you do? He's YOUR friend." You're stunned.

"Yeah, well, I don't like him around you." He'd almost seem childish if it weren't for the way he was looking at you. Like a... predator? Not in a creepy way because this was very invited.

Your brain scrambles to process his words but all you can focus on is how it makes you feel. A shiver runs down your spine.

“Jungkook,” you say finally, forcing your voice to stay calm, “you don’t get to have an opinion about that.”

He opens his mouth like he’s about to argue, but you cut him off before he can speak--- “You’re the one who wants this,” you speak a bit quieter, "-but I..." You abruptly stop yourself, biting the inside of your cheek.

"You what?"

You hesitate, but there’s no point in holding back now. “I didn’t want this,” you admit. You could hear your heart pounding. “And I didn’t have a choice, did I? Because if I said no, you would’ve walked away. And I didn’t want that either.”

Jungkook stares at you, his jaw tight and brows furrowed, like he’s holding himself back from saying something he’ll regret.

Jungkook looked genuinely confused, “That’s not fair. You can't put this on me."

You let out a bitter laugh, shaking your head. "I know. I'm not blaming you."

There's another moment of silence.

"I didn’t want to hurt you,” he says finally, his voice was more gentle now, leaning towards apologetic.

You nod.

“Then maybe we shouldn’t have started this,” you could barely get the words out.

“I didn’t think it would get this complicated,” Jungkook admits, almost like he’s talking to himself.

You almost want to ask to be exclusive. Just the two of you. You really needed to retire that kind of wishful thinking.

Jungkook looks away and chugs his drink in a go. You hadn't noticed he even had one.

He avoids looking at you, choosing to observe random partygoers instead. You want to know what he's thinking.

You glance at his hand tucked into his pocket, briefly contemplating grabbing it.

Just when you slyly begin to inch your fingers closer to his, a third hand blocks you. It links itself with Jungkook's. You can only stupidly stare at their arms joined together, while yours hangs awkwardly mid-way.

Floor open. Swallow. Into the ground. Anytime now would be great.

"Jungkook, I'm ready to go. Take me home?" The blonde from earlier begins massaging his shoulder while you stare at the couple, dumbfounded.

Jungkook looked just as confused as you did, "Now?"

She leans in closer to whisper something into his ear, at the same time, allowing her hand to freely rub his chest, letting out a sensual giggle.

It's so obvious what she's trying to do here. Putting on a show just for you. She must see you as threat.

Jungkook briefly pulls away and glances back at the blonde, "Fine. Wait for me by the door?"

Her smile drops a little but she recovers with an exaggerated pout, "I don't know if I can be left unaccompanied any longer. Like five guys have tried to talk to me already. But I told them I'm here with you." She pokes his cheek.

That wasn't a very subtle jab at you and Hoseok.

As much as you want to push her off of Jungkook, you can admit she's not wrong. He's here with her. And the man you came with has left (momentarily or not, he still left the party.)

You don't know what you're doing standing there. There's no need for you to watch them, especially when Jungkook hasn't said a word to you in over five minutes.

Even though your conversation is long from over, it was apparent that nothing was happening today. It makes the most sense for you to walk away from them before you start crying.

Feigning disinterest, you pull your phone up and shoot Hoseok a quick text explaining your absence.

The party spirit has officially been sucked out of you by Jungkook through a giant straw jammed into your skull.

Jungkook's still speaking to his date but you've forcefully tuned them out, thinking about how you're going to take a long hot shower and change into freshly laundered clothes and hop into your comfy bed.

It's only when you abruptly walk away that you hear him call out to you. He sounded almost frantic.

"Is Hoseok back?"

You pause at that, "No, I'm heading back home as well."

"We'll walk you." Jungkook offers. It was more of a statement though.

You consider it just because of how pissed off his date looked. Her smile has been wiped off and she glared at you, daring you to accept Jungkook's offer.

Well, you guess you're both going to be having a bad night now.

"You know what? I'd like that."

note: so like it's my birthday (woohoo 🎉) and this is a little gift from me to you.... 🧍‍♀️

[jessjad]

Rightfully deceived

Chapter 1

Summary: When a marriage promise forces Y/N to step up for her younger sister, she gets something she always wanted. But when the truth comes out, her new husband Dean is not so happy about the mix-up. Will she loose it all? Or will she be surprised in the end?

Pairing: AU!Dean Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 3487

Warnings: 18+ only!!! arranged marriage, lying, some nerves, smut, lost of virginity, first time

A/N: Ya'll get this chapter a day early, because I have two weeks off of work now! 🥳 Okay, here we go. Let's see how this wedding went down. All mistakes are mine! Enjoy! 😊

Series Masterlist My Masterlist

The day before...

"Please, Y/N! You need to help me out here."

The noise in the castle had become significantly louder after the guests had arrived two hours ago. Dean Winchester only had a few men with him, but that didn't make them any less loud. The wedding preparations were largely complete and soon they would have to go downstairs for the evening's feast.

But Helena didn't want to go down. She didn't even want to go through with the marriage the next morning. The younger woman was holding Y/N's hands like a plea with tears in her eyes and had just revealed her great plan of escaping the gruesome future their father had sold her to. Which were Helenas words, not hers.

Apparently she and the young man she was activly seeing in the last months wanted to elope and get married on their own. Y/N had known that these two were very fond of eachother, but she had never thought that it was that serious. Especially not when you have a man like Dean Winchester on your side that shows interest in you.

"Listen, Y/N... " spoke Helena again and brought her back out of her thoughts. "... there is now way this can go wrong. Noone's going to know until the next morning."

"Helena..."

"He won't see you until late in the night. If he's even able to get up the stairs to your bedroom after the wedding celebration." she tried to reason.

"But eventually he will find out that I'm the wrong bride!"

"But then you're already married!"

Y/N huffed and freed her hands out of her sisters grip. This was ridiculous.

"And you think that will make him soften and forget the fact that he got betrayed?"

Now Helena was a little lost for words. "Well... it's not... really betrayal..."

"Yes, it is, Lena! It is betrayal. And what do you think he will do with the arrangment he made with our father? Have you thought about that?"

Silence filled the room, but Y/N could see that Helena was a little fuming inside. Of course her sister did not think about the consequences of her actions and just wanted to do what she wanted. And as the older one Y/N should just say no. But this was Dean they were talking about. Her heart was a little biased here.

"I'm sorry. Y/N. But I'm not going to marry him. I love Peter and he will come and pick me up tonight."

"What?"

"I will be gone in the morning. And if you really care about me, you will let me go and help me out."

Over this revelation Y/N was just stunned and watched Helena turned around and leave the room.

Now...

They all had to be in the chapel in an hour and Helena had made her promise true. Last evening at the feast she was sitting next to Dean, talking to him and being her usual self. And to everyone else very visible, Dean was only even more fond of her as he already had been. It had broken Y/N's heart to watch the scene. Before they went to bed Y/N again had tried to reason with her, but as she knew her younger sister she remained stubborn.

"Where is your sister, Y/N?" her father came over and asked. "She needs to dress and her maid is nowhere to be found."

A little panic rose in her chest. As soon as she was awake, Y/N had looked for Helena, but she was really gone. If she was honest, she could not entirely blame her for going after her heart. She knew how it felt to be in love. It just had been the worst moment to do so. And now, she was running out of time.

"Just... sent Millicent to her. She can help her getting dressed."

Millicent was her own maid and once she was in Helenas room she would understand. Y/N made a decision then and there. After her father left again she ran as fast as she could over to her sisters room and hid in there, waiting for Millie. The dress and veil was already laying on the bed and her heart squeezed a little upon that sight. A knock on the door made her hide behind the screen before she asked who was outside. Whe she heared the voice of her maid she released a relieved sigh.

"Come in and close the door behind you." Y/N said and waited before she came back out from behind the screen.

"Mylady? What..."

"Let noone else enter the room until I'm fully dressed in the gown."

Whilst Millicent's eyes widened in surprise, Y/N already tried to get out of her own dress. After a few seconds of struggleling her maid rushed forward to help her.

"But why are you putting on the dress that belongs to your sister?"

With a small huff Y/N turned to her maid. In the safe space of an empty room with only them two alone in it, they could drop the formal speech and behave freely like the friends they had become over the years.

"She's gone. My sister's gone, Millie."

"What?" came Millie's shocked response. "When?"

Y/N finally stepped into the wedding dress and pulled it up her body over her shoulders. It was a beautiful dress. Red and gold. Expensive. Heavy. And she fitted barely into it. Not only was she a little shorter than her sister, Helena had always been the skinnier one of the two.

"Last night. She didn't want to marry Dean and ran away."

"With this Peter guy?"

"Yeah..."

Millie began to close the dress up on the back and Y/N started to think again. This would only be a temporary fix for the current situation. The calm before the storm.

"So... what is the plan?" the maid asked into the silence.

"Get through the day. Marry Dean... and hope he doesn't completely freak out tomorrow."

Millicent came back around, flatening the fabric on her shoulders before reaching for the veil. The two women looked at eachother for a moment and Y/N knew that her friend understood her internal struggle. She was the only one Y/N had told that she was in love with Dean and it dawned on both that this was going to be a big deal.

A sudden knock on the door startled them and Millie hurried to get the veil over Y/N's head just in time, before the door opened. Her father was stepping in to see if the bride to be was finally ready.

"Oh Helena... you look so beautiful." he smiled and looked so proud. Y/N' stomache started to turn.

"Thanks." she whispered and tried to mimic her sisters lighter voice.

"Well. it's time to go. Your husband is waiting!" he exclaimed excited and left the room again, totaly oblivious to the tension that had build up with every passing second.

Once the women were alone again, Y/N closed her eyes under the veil and took some deep breaths. But when she felt the veil lift a little she opned them back up again and saw Millicent look at her worried.

"Are you ready?" the woman asked quietly.

"No."

Dean's hands were warm. His smile was gentle and he looked really happy. And just for a second Y/N thought it was because of her. Looking up into his smiling face made her heart burst with love for this man who had no idea that he was getting betrayed right at this moment. And just like that the guilt sat in, making her feel bad for doing this in an instant.

"I do." she heard him say with his rich, dark voice before he turned his head back again to the woman by his side.

Now it was her turn to say it. The pastor was already finished with his speech and everyone was waiting for her to answer. She looked back into the room full of people she loved and cared about. Her father already beckoning her to say something with his eyes. She turned her head back to Dean and tears started to sting her eyes.

If he only would've looked at her more than once. If he only would've tried to get to know her too. Maybe he would've fallen in love with her as well. She was not like Helena. Not so pretty and skinny and beautiful. She knew that. But Y/N had always tried to engage in the conversations with him. To make him notice her, see her too. However, it never really worked the way she wished for. But at least for this moment, no matter how short it would be, she wanted to try and make him happy. She wanted to be the woman by his side.

"I do."

Dean felt good. Really good. He was married to a woman that he was truly fond of. She was younger, sure, but that did not seem to bother her too. And now, they could officially be together. To that he had to smile. He reached for his cup and drank a big sip of the whiskey, whilst he looked around the room.

The celebration of his wedding were only midway through, but Helena had already excused herself. She seemed to be a little nervous and obviously wanted to get a little alone time with the other women. He could not blame her. This night would be special, for both of them. Eventhough he already knew what was coming.

"You got a pretty big smile on there, brother."

At that Dean had to chuckle. His younger brother Sam sat down in the empty chair nex to his and sported a smug smile on his face.

"I'm married, Sammy. I've been waiting for this a little while."

"Yeah, but at home were women too that would've married you on the spot."

Dean did not need to ask who he meant. They both knew Sam was talking about Cassie.

"But I always wanted Helena. And now she's my wife."

They both cheered with eachother. Everyone was in a good mood.

"Are you happy?" Sam asked after a couple of moments and Dean turned back to his brother.

"Yes. Yes, I am."

Within the next hour the music got a little louder and people drank more and more. It was an exuberant evening. And even though Dean tried not to drink too much alcohol himself, he couldn't hold back because of the good mood. Sam stayed by his side the entire time and a few other of his men joined them to drink and celebrate. It was fun, but he still noticed something.

"Have you seen Y/N?"

Upon that question Sam let his gaze roam over the other participants, but he too could not see her.

"No. Why?"

"I don't know. It's just... I have not seen her all day."

"Okay... so what?" Sam asked. "She's probably busy with other things. She'll have to say goodbye to her sister tomorrow and she's surely with Helena right now." To that Dean nodded his head. "Just like her maid."

"Her maid?" now it was Dean's turn to look at his brother a little surprised. "You mean Millicent?"

"Urm... yeah... if... if that's her name." Sam answered and cleared his throat.

"Ooohh, Sammy! Do you like her?" Dean grined.

"No! Just... shut up." he protested, but the slight red tinge on his cheeks told otherwise.

Dean laughed and kept quiet. But only for a moment.

"Technically she would be older than you."

"Dean, I swear!"

"Okay, okay!"

The older Winchester held his hands up in defeat, but he could not stop the smile on his face. His brother was never a good liar.

Y/N had left the celebration shortly after the food was served. Her nerves had gotten the best of her. She was sweating under the veil and with Dean so close to her she had a really hard time not to give away that it was her and not Helena. But her husband had fun and she did not wanted to ruin it for him.

When she arrived at the new bedroom, Millicent was already there and had prepared a bath for her. The roaring fire in the fireplace had heated up the room nicely. Winter was starting to come around and the nights got colder and colder.

After getting out of the heavy wedding dress and sliding into the hot bath she felt like she could breath again. Millicent stayed with her until she was ready to fall face first into the bed and just sleep the day away. Which seemed to work, but not for long.

It was already late at night and the fire was out long ago, when Y/N heared the door opening to the now shared room. Heavy footsteps followed and she started to hold her breath. To her luck she was laying with her face to the door, away from the window. If she was honest to herself, she had hoped she would be left alone tonight. That Dean maybe would drink so much that he fell asleep in the dining hall. But it seems she was out of luck here.

He stumbled through the room, hitting his foot once or twice on the side of the bed. It was pretty cloudy so there was not much moonlight to illuminate the room. He kicked off his boots and it sounded like he sat down in the armchair near the window.

"Urgh... 'shouldn't have the last drink..." Dean slurred which was followed by a smacking sound.

The next thing she heard was fabric falling to the ground. That was it, right? Now it would happen. Her heart started to beat faster and when she felt the bed dip next to her, she tried to stay as still as possible. After a few seconds the room fell silent again. Only when she started to hear light snoring from behind her, she allowed herself to relax again and drift back to sleep.

The next thing that startled her awake was the warm feeling on her back. It had gotten cold in the room, it was still dark outside and she tried to lean in more into the warm feeling. The heavy arm that was laying over her middle hiked up a little higher, pressing her more to the warm chest.

Upon that realization Y/N opened abruptly her eyes, her heart starting to pick up speed again. But she was not the only one who was awake now. Dean started to kiss softly along her neckline and down to her shoulder. His lips touched her light as a feather and still it set her skin on fire. Then his scent hit her nose. He smelled like wood, whiskey and something warm.

What was she supposed to do now? Noone had really talked to her about every detail with this. What was expected from her and what she had to do. Dean's hands began slowly to explore her body. Careful and gentle. But as soon as his warm hand touched her bare leg she could not hold back a soft moan. His hands felt rough and a little calloused but still his touches were soft.

Dean layed one of his legs over hears so that she had to turn on her back. A little nervous again she did not look into his face. Yes, it was dark, but somehow she feared he would recognize her anyways. With soft fingertips on her cheek Dean turned her face towards him and touched her nose with his, before his lips landed on hers. This feeling was new and almost overwhelming.

On reflex she pressed her hands on his chest only to feel that he was not wearing any clothes. A thrill went through her veins and she let her hands wander over his firm, strong chest. Dean groaned softly and deepened the kiss. Surprised by his actions she opened her lips a little and the man waisted no time to let his tounge slip into her mouth. The only thing she could do was mimic his actions and it felt so good. She did not know if she was doing it right and if, Dean did not let it show.

Now Dean got more adventurous. He rolled on top of her, cageing her in with his arms and nestled between her legs. Y/N could feel something hard against her thigh and there was only one explanation what it could be. It made her feel funny between her legs and somehow it scared her a little. She broke from the kiss, taking deep breaths in and Dean seemed to sense the small change in her.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be gentle. I promise."

Y/N did not really know what he meant by that and before she could really think about it, one of his hands made their way down between her legs. Oh god, he was about to feel that something was going on there. She tried to close er legs but it was nearly impossible with him laying in between and holding her legs apart with his own.

Another moan left her lips when his fingers touched her sex, massaging her heated core and rubbing soft circles over a certain point that made her feel even better. She began to buckle her hips a little and Dean hummed satisfied before he kissed her again.

His hand picked up speed and she started to feel something build up deep withhin her. She felt one of his fingers enter her but it did not hurt. It only intensified this feeling that had her thriving underneath him now.

"That's it. Yeah, let me feel you."

Dean whispered in her ear and then she couldn't hold it anymore. The sensation was just to much to handle, her moans had become louder and louder and it felt like a hot liquid poured through her body and made her shake, before she collapsed. Her chest was heaving and for a moment she did not understand what had happend just now.

Dean kissed down her jaw to her collarbone and sucked the skin into his mouth. Slowly she came down from this high, but her husband did not stop just there. His lips sucking in her skin distraced her enough before she felt the pressure against her entrance. This was it. This was consummating the marriage.

"Take a deep breath for me." and she did as Dean told her.

With one calculated thrust of his hips he was deep insight her. There was a small sting of pain that did not fade away so fast, but the pressure inside her was the one thing that she really had to get used to. Dean held still, his hands were stroking softly through her hair and when he felt her relax again, he started to move.

Slow at first, so that she had time to adjust to him but that did not take long. He picked up his pace and with every move it started to feel good again. The pain turned into something more and then the coil and pressure in her middle was there again. Now Dean moaned louder as well and she held onto his shoulders.

Just when Y/N thought she could not handle it anymore, she felt Dean's movements get a little out of rhythm and his breathing got heavier. And with his last poweful thrust he took her with him over the edge again while he spilled his hot seed deep insight her with a groan. His forehead landed on her shoulder and Y/N stroked a hand through his hair. Dean kissed her again slow and sloppy, before he rolled down from her and layed on his back.

The slight disappointment that settle in on her upon losing the skin to skin contact with the man she loved, did not surprise her. This was not how she had imagined it, it was better. It was to much and not enough at the same time. So she tried to relish in this bliss that she felt and turned on her sight to face him.

Exhaustion was pulling on her and it got harder and harder to stay awake. Eventually she gave in and closed her eyes with the feeling of an heavy arm on her hip that pulled her close again.

When she woke up the next morning she felt good. Tired and a little sore, but good. The sun was already high up and provided a little warmth. She opened her eyes and saw Dean's face first. He was still laying on his side and supported his head on his hand, looking down at her.

She smiled and was ready to greet him, when the memories flooded back into her conciousness. Her eyes widened in shock as she heard him talk.

"And who do we have here?"

A/N: It all went well until... it didn't. 🙈 The cat's out. What will happen next? Let me know what you think. Feedback is very much appreciated! 💜

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[dazaih]

wingman - luke skywalker x reader

chapter one, two, three, four, five

chapter six -> the bedroom

your university roommate han solo finds a rival (and love interest) in student council president leia skywalker, but both of them are too stubborn to admit that they have feelings for each other. luckily, you and her twin brother, luke, devise a plan to get the two of them to spend more time together. challenges arise, however, when you start to develop a crush on him.

chapter warnings: hospitals and mentions of injuries, suggestive content, ummm and also very brief nipple play lolol

Their driver had taken you to your apartment first, where you ran into Chewie. He didn’t say a word to you, but he opened his arms immediately, and you fell into them without hesitation. You stood hugging in the living room for several minutes, the familiarity of both your apartment and your roommate providing some relief.

You changed into some comfortable clothes after that and brushed your teeth, feeling slightly more like yourself in your own attire.

“You should get some rest,” you told Chewie when you entered the living room again, “I’ll go stay with him at the hospital. I can take the van.”

He looked unimpressed as he stared at your injured hand.

“I can drive with one hand,” you argued, reaching for Han’s keys.

He stopped you and shook his head, insisting that he call an Uber for you to get there and promising to pick you up later. You relented only because you knew deep down that driving in your condition was a bad idea. You grabbed your backpack, chargers, and some of Han’s toiletries and clothes in case he was cognizant enough to want any of it, and then you were on your way.

Hospitals made you nauseous. The bright lights made your head pound, and you tried to calm the anxiety bubbling in your chest as you checked in at the front desk. The elevator ride was equally as torturous, and when you finally made it to his floor, you had to force your legs to carry you to his room. Upon entering, your heart sank. There was Han, eyes closed but hardly looking serene at all, foreign wires traveling up and down his arms and stitches poking out around his eyebrow. His nose had been fitted into a splint, and his shallow breaths seemed to rattle in his rib cage.

It was hard to believe. Since you’d known him, Han had been the pinnacle of strength to you. He never even caught the common cold, so seeing him like this—well, it was surreal. Sighing, you put down your stuff and sat in the seemingly comfortable chair that Chewie had presumably dragged next to his bedside, prepared to wait as long as you needed to for him to wake up.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

You had dozed off in your chair, the exhaustion of the night before having caught up with you. You awoke to the feeling of fingers moving your hair behind your ears, your head resting on the railing of Han’s bed. When you opened your eyes, you were met with Han’s drowsy, lidded stare.

“You’re invading my personal space,” he greeted you, voice raspy and weak, “As always.”

You lurched forward to pull him into the gentlest side hug you could manage, loosely fitting your arms around his shoulders and avoiding his ribs entirely.

“Easy, kid,” he murmured, hand now resting on your shoulder. When you didn’t say anything, he gently pushed you back a little to study your face, which was now streaked with tears. He sighed and wiped one of them from the corner of your eye with the rough pad of his thumb, once again tucking your hair behind your ears.

“Hey,” he said softly, “I’m alright. See? It ain’t something you should be crying over.”

“Fuck off,” you replied quietly, taking his free hand in yours and tangling your fingers together, “I thought I was watching you die.”

He sighed again, this one much shakier than the last, and gave your hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Kid, I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry—“

“Don’t be sorry,” you told him, frowning, “I don’t need you to apologize to me for that. You were attacked.”

“Because of some bad choices I made a long time ago,” he confessed, sounding tired, “I want to explain all of it to you, and I promise that’ll be the first thing I do once I’m off of these painkillers, but for now I at least want you to know that I’ve never been more sorry for anything in my life. I was giving you so much shit about staying safe all night, when I’m the one who ended up putting you in harm’s way. I promise I’ll never let anything like that happen again.”

This level of sincerity and emotion from Han was unheard of, and you felt overwhelmed by the harrowing reality of the situation. You didn’t need him to explain, really. You could put the pieces together. He was in debt to someone dangerous, and he apparently used to transport drugs. Those two factors combined only spelled more trouble, but you tried not to let your reunion be tainted by your anxiety towards the future.

“You didn’t put me in danger, Han,” you reasoned, “You didn’t even know me when you got involved in that stuff. And I hope you know that I would never judge you for your past. You’re like a brother to me. Nothing will change that.”

He paused for a second, undoubtedly caught off guard by your honesty, before scoffing, “Well, I’ve been a pretty lousy brother then, huh?”

“Don’t you dare use this situation as an excuse to be self destructive. That’s not fair to anyone, and it’s especially not fair to you.”

“Don’t psychoanalyze me,” he snapped, though he gave your hand another affectionate squeeze, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” you insisted, flashing him your cast, “Check this out, though. I’m gonna see how many signatures I can get.”

He rolled his eyes, and then studied your appearance. You were glad he didn’t see you last night; now you had at least been able to shower and sleep. Still, you probably looked worse for wear, and you didn’t miss the small frown that appeared on his face.

“Shit, kid,” he said quietly, an uncharacteristic sadness seeping into his tone, “I’m sorry you got hurt.”

“I’ll be okay. I’m tough.”

“Sure. You cried during Bridge to Terabithia.”

“Because it was sad!”

The two of you talked for the next thirty minutes until a nurse came by to give Han more medication, at which point he was unable to fight off sleep any longer and eventually dozed off. You did some homework in the meantime, happy to be by his side at least. Later that night, he was discharged, having been handed countless papers instructing him on how to best care for his wounds. He was also given a good amount of painkillers, which he would certainly be stubborn about taking.

Chewie returned with the van to drive you back to your apartment, and you made Han’s bed for him before forcing him to sleep once more. With everyone back where they belonged, you excused yourself to a much needed shower, crawling into your own bed shortly after.

You were almost asleep yourself when your ringer—which was still turned all the way up, just in case—startled you.

2 new notifications

Unknown: heyyy

Unknown: oh sorry this is luke btw! leia gave me your number. i hope that’s ok! just wanted to check in and see how you were doing :)

You blinked hard, trying to make sure you read that message right. After not even telling you goodbye earlier, Luke Skywalker was texting you at 11 o’clock at night on a Sunday. And he used three y’s. Deciding to be cordial, you replied.

You: hey luke tysm for reaching out! han was discharged from the hospital about two hours ago. at this point they can’t really do much for him except administer more painkillers, and he was hellbent on getting out of there, so now we’re all home

His reply was immediate. This felt surreal.

Luke: oohhh damn that was kind of fast but yeah i guess if he doesn’t need surgery or anything it’s probably better for him to be back home. glad he’s well enough to have been discharged tho!!

Luke: leia said u texted her earlier. thank u for doing that btw she was worried af

You: keeping her updated is the least i can do lol but i’m glad it eased her nerves a little

Luke: yaaaa she was worried about u (and han hehe)

Luke: speaking of being worried about u…how are u feeling?

You blinked again, rereading the text a couple of times. Was he implying that he was worried about you? You shook your head, unsure of how to reply.

So, you didn’t. In a moment of panic, you tossed your phone to the side of your bed, rolling over and burying yourself further into your covers. Sleep overtook you not long after.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

You didn’t check your phone when you woke up. Instead, you opened the door to Han’s room, relieved to see him fast asleep. You refilled the glass of water you had put at his bedside and let him be, opting to go into the kitchen and fix yourself breakfast.

You had been granted extenuating circumstances, so you would be able to miss the next few days of class without any penalty. However, given the rigor of your school and coursework, falling behind wasn’t an option, even if you were injured. You spent the morning reviewing materials you had missed, sipping a cup of coffee to fight off your exhaustion.

This is how you spent the next few days. Another benefit of being home was that you could ensure that Han took his medicine on schedule, and you were able to monitor his recovery while Chewie was in class. He started to get restless before long, so you made a bed for him on the couch to at least give him the chance to be in a different area of the house. He, too, had been granted excused absences, but the demands of his major were extreme, and much to your dismay, he began catching up on school work after just a couple of days of rest. Still, he remained in the apartment, and he wasn’t stubborn about cleaning around his splint or wounds. He was taking good care of himself.

One morning, your bland routine was interrupted. You were cleaning the kitchen and he was sitting in the living room doing homework.

“Hey,” he said, having taken a break to look at his phone, “Why the hell are the Skywalkers trending on Twitter?”

You paused, letting the bowl you were washing drop back into the sink with a small clatter. You scurried over to the couch, bending down to look at Han’s phone. Sure enough, Skywalker was in the top trending tags.

“Should I click on it?” he asked, thumb hovering over that daunting last name.

“I don’t know,” you murmured, “We know these people now. It’s weird.”

“Yeah, guess it is weird for you since you’ve been fucking one of them.”

You wanted to smack him, but you had to restrain yourself due to his injuries. The audacity he had to accuse you of sleeping with a Skywalker when the only reason you and Luke were even talking was because he was hopelessly in love with Leia—it was irritating, to say the least.

“I’m not fucking him,” you countered with a tired sigh, “Fine then. Click on it.”

He did, and immediately his timeline was filled with retweets of an article and several zoomed in photos of Luke’s face.

“Holy shit. It is the one you’re fucking. What a surprise.”

Despite his crudeness, Han had a point. Luke and Leia hardly ever made headlines, as they themselves weren’t celebrities—yet. Most online gossip about the family centered around Anakin, as he was the one starring in blockbuster films. Padme had her own moments in political pieces, but being a rising figure in Hollywood who famously had an attitude, Anakin appealed more to the general public. For that reason, you did a double take when you saw Luke’s name and image appear.

@PopBase: Photos of Luke Skywalker taking an evening stroll raise concerns for his well-being

Below the tweet, two images were attached. Luke was clearly trying to fly under the radar, his usual pristine sweaters swapped for a gray hoodie and matching sweatpants. Perhaps he had hoped that the hood would conceal most of his face, but he was still recognizable to the paparazzi. In the first photo, he was turned to the side, but you could still make out the traces of his black eye and the stitches adorning his lip. In the second, he was more front facing, and his injuries were quite clear. He looked better than he had when you’d last seen him, but to most people, this was probably a worrisome development. Han said nothing, but continued to scroll through the tag.

@starryanakinz: holy fuck what happened to luke skywalker 😭 king r u going thru something??

@annnnixoxo: ik he’s an athlete or whatever but that is not a sports injury. totally got into a fight lol anakin is def gonna kick someone’s ass later if he hasn’t alr 🤭

@skywa1kiiing: wait why is that kind of hot…do sexy scars run in the family??

@luvliani: i was so focused on the gray sweatpants that i barely noticed his face bruh i’m going to hell 😭

You were appalled, burying your face in your hands and groaning. Leia had been right to harbor concerns about her father’s fans perverting Luke’s situation.

“These people are delusional,” you remarked, dramatically sliding down onto the floor.

“I think it’s funny,” Han replied, continuing to scroll, “All of this concern for his health being directly tied to people wanting to fuck his dad. Come on, that’s hilarious.”

“It’s weird,” you argued, “And you shouldn’t be making fun of him. He got those injuries defending you.”

“Whatever,” Han murmured, though you knew he really did feel bad about Luke getting hurt, “I guess I do owe him one. Hope his parents don’t kill me for endangering their son.”

“They won’t. They’re nice.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked, acting like you had personally insulted him, “Did you meet them?”

“They FaceTimed Leia when I was staying with the twins. They were really sweet.”

Han rolled his eyes, disbelief etched all over his features. Before he could reply, though, a sharp knock sounded at your door. You were about to stand to open it, but before you could, Han hollered, “It’s unlocked.”

“It isn’t,” you told him.

“It is. I got something from the van earlier and left the door unlocked for Chewie because he told me he forgot his keys. That’s probably him.”

“Why would he knock? And you shouldn’t leave the door unlocked when you were jumped last week.”

“Nah, it’s fine. If someone wanted to fuck me up in my own home, I don’t think they’d care if I locked the door or not.”

You rolled your eyes, watching as the door handle twisted. When the door finally cracked open, however, you were surprised to see Leia’s face peaking through.

“Why is your door unlocked?” she asked, pushing it the rest of the way open to reveal Luke standing behind her.

“Why are you sitting on the floor?” Luke added, staring at you curiously with a large, rectangular box in his hands.

“Yeah, please come in and give us an earful of shit for what we decide to do in our own home. That’s exactly what we were hoping for this morning,” Han snapped tiredly, standing from the couch and offering you a hand.

It was only after you stood that you realized Han was shirtless. You obviously hadn’t thought much of it before; you were roommates, and he was injured. It was probably easier for him to know when the bandages around his ribs needed to be changed if he wasn’t wearing a shirt. However, the atmosphere shifted greatly when Leia had entered the room. Her eyes trailed from his bare chest to his biceps, which were as tan and well defined as the rest of him. She seemed to be doing this unintentionally, but that didn’t matter to Han. Once he caught her, he would never let it go.

“Don’t tell me you’ve got a thing for the rugged bad boy types, Princess. Or have you just never seen man with hair on his chest before?”

Leia was immediately pulled from her staring, and to her credit, she recovered quickly.

“Is that what you think you are? A rugged bad boy type?” she replied, sounding bored and uninterested.

“Well, that’s what it looks like, ain’t it? With all the bandages and stitches. You’re the one who’s been staring, so maybe you can enlighten me.”

“I was staring because you look horrible,” she snapped, crossing her arms and glaring at him coldly.

As they continued to bicker, you turned your attention to Luke. He was wearing the same outfit you’d seen in the pictures, and you had now grown very curious about his outing today. When you met his eyes, you realized that he had already been staring at you, his lips tugging upwards into a soft smile.

“Hi,” he greeted you, “Brought you something.”

Something about the way he said it was almost shy, which was an emotion you weren’t used to seeing on him. He gestured to the box he had placed on your counter, and you hesitantly opened it. When you did, you were met with the sweet aroma of expensive chocolates, the smell flooding your senses in the most delightful way.

“I’ve been craving something sweet, and I’m apparently not allowed to think too hard, so I can’t bake anything. I remembered that you really liked those donuts I brought the other day, so I thought you might wanna share these with me. Unless you were just being polite and you don’t actually have a sweet tooth, which is also totally fine! No pressure either way.”

You giggled at his uncertainty, touched by the thoughtful gesture.

“I do have a sweet tooth. Are you sure it’s okay for me to have some? These look expensive.”

“Obviously I want you to have some. That’s why we’re here. Well, and also because Leia was really worried about Han but was too stubborn to text him. I told her it might be nice of us to stop by, and she didn’t need much more convincing than that. Sorry for showing up unannounced.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like we’re going anywhere,” you replied, looking over your shoulder and sighing, “Do you think they’re just arguing because other people are around, or do they do this when they’re alone too?”

“We can find out,” he said suddenly, as if he had just been struck by a great epiphany, “We can sneak away for a little bit and let them think it’s because I wanna get you alone. They might get along better if they’re not worrying about keeping up appearances.”

You contemplated his proposal for a moment, looking between him and the couple in your kitchen.

“Why do you care so much about whether or not I lock the door? I’m not seeing how it’s any of your business,” Han argued, hands on his hips as he looked down at Leia, the height difference between them not at all detracting from her ferocity.

“Maybe you’re right,” you muttered tiredly, turning your attention back to Luke, “We can go to my room then? Unless that’s weird.”

“Why would it be weird?” he asked innocently, but you weren’t fooled. If there was an inappropriate implication to a situation, Luke was several steps ahead of anyone else in identifying it. You rolled your eyes at him, letting him know that you weren’t falling for his faux cluelessness.

“Bring the chocolates,” you told him.

“Sure. Anything you want,” he replied, grinning at you as you led him down the hallway.

When you entered your room, you suddenly felt self conscious. Movie posters and knickknacks filed the space, and although you didn’t think your room was cluttered, it certainly had more of a lived-in feeling than the spare bedroom you had stayed in at his place. You thanked your past self for having made your bed. At least it was clean.

“Cute,” Luke mused as he studied every inch of your space, much like you had anticipated.

“Thanks,” you murmured quietly, awkwardly taking a seat on the edge of your bed and folding your hands in your lap.

Once he was done looking at your walls, he turned his focus back to you. Any hopes you had of hiding your nerves were shattered, as you immediately knew that he had already clocked you. Fine, having Luke Skywalker in your bedroom did make you feel a little anxious. Who could blame you?

“Can we eat these on your bed?” he asked, the admission that he wasn’t going to be sitting in your desk chair surprising you a little.

“Just don’t make a mess,” you replied, not making eye contact with him. He giggled and took a seat near the top of your bed, making himself comfortable as he leaned back into your pillows. Taking the lid off of the box of chocolates, he pulled one out, handing it to you.

“I want you to try this one,” he stated, as if he knew you’d do anything he asked, “It’s my favorite.”

You took a bite from the chocolate, and although you’d anticipated the taste being incredible, it was truly otherworldly.

“Shit,” you whispered, staring at the remaining half in awe, “That’s amazing.”

He beamed at you, leaning forward and taking the other half for himself. Plopping the chocolate into his mouth, he sighed so dramatically that it sounded like a moan, and before you could stop yourself, you lurched forward, shoving a hand over his mouth. He stared at you with wide eyes for a second before gently grasping your wrist and moving your hand from his face, looking more amused than surprised.

“Are you alright?” he asked, trying to sound genuine but clearly holding back laughter. Your face flushed and you leaned back, putting space between you again.

“Sorry,” you apologized, rubbing your tired eyes and sighing, “Just—you can’t come into my room with me and start moaning. Han already thinks we’re fucking, and your sister is out there, so—“

“Isn’t that the point?” he countered, relaxing further into your pillows, “And does he actually? What did you tell him to make him think that?”

“Nothing!” you exclaimed, cheeks red as you tried to defend yourself, “I didn’t—I don’t know, okay? He just said something about it earlier.”

It was so unfair that he could look so comfortable in your bed, completely unfazed while you struggled to piece together complete sentences. He raised an eyebrow at you, a smug gesture that also encouraged you to continue speaking, and you sighed once more.

“Listen,” you tried again, “I’m not like you. It’s already out of character for me to be as touchy with someone as I have been with you, and Han picks up on that sort of thing. If we’re not careful, he’s gonna see through us. Or he’s gonna think I’m head over heels for you and get worried about my ability to make rational choices.”

“You’re not like me,” Luke repeated, the corner of his lip twitching up into a small grin, “What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t tell me you’re calling me a whore.”

You groaned, burying your face in your hands as you shook your head. He was only teasing you, you could recognize that now, but you were playing into his palm all the same.

“You know that’s not what I’m saying.”

“I don’t think that’s what you’re trying to say,” he replied calmly, “But that’s the implication, isn’t it? It’s alright if you think that, you know. I don’t really care. But where are you getting that idea from?”

“It’s just obvious,” you muttered, feeling defeated and embarrassed, “In the same way that it’s obvious that I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“I’d say you’re pretty convincing. You grabbed my waist in the kitchen a few days ago.”

You blushed at the memory, but he had a point. You supposed your nerves weren’t as obvious to everyone else as you’d assumed.

“It’s easier when other people are around,” you told him quietly, like it was a secret, “I get confused when we’re alone.”

You didn’t mean for it to sound as serious as it did, but when he didn’t immediately respond, you knew that he’d sensed some kind of underlying emotion in your tone. You looked down at your hands as he studied you, but you couldn’t stop your eyes from wandering. At some point, he had stretched out enough for a small expanse of his stomach to become exposed to you, his sweatshirt bunching up just enough for you to see his abs. You swallowed hard and hoped that he hadn’t noticed your staring. But of course, you couldn’t be so lucky. You knew you’d been caught when you felt his fingers wrap around your wrist, guiding your hand to be in between the two of you. You weren’t quite sure what his intentions were yet, but your breathing quickened nonetheless.

“You sure this is all out of character for you? Can’t even have a serious conversation with me without looking under my shirt,” he teased, though the quiet tone of his voice made it clear that he wasn’t making fun of you.

“Hey,” you said, pouting slightly, “You’re messing with me.”

“Maybe a little,” he confessed, his fingertips trailing up your wrist and making you shiver, “You’re fun to mess with. So, my abs look good?”

You laughed at his lack of shame, his humor giving you enough confidence to meet his eyes again. When you did, you saw that he was smiling at you, and you started to relax.

“Yeah,” you admitted, rolling your eyes, “Your abs look good, Luke. I’m sure I’m not the first person to tell you that.”

“I dunno,” he replied, pretending to be in deep thought, “I’m not sure if you got a good look. Maybe you should check again before you make your final judgment.”

“Luke,” you warned, though it probably sounded more like disbelief.

“Sorry. This is just the most you’ve ever given me to go off of. You’re hard to read, y’know?”

“I’m hard to read?” you echoed, shocked by that accusation, “You’re impossible to read.”

“I’ve been pretty clear. You, on the other hand, haven’t even answered my text from several days ago. The one saying I was worried about you. Do you recall that one?”

He had you there. You had been so bewildered by the idea that he was worried about you that you had completely forgotten to reply. Still, that wasn’t intentional. Him disappearing and not telling you goodbye as you left, on the other hand, was a conscious choice that he made. Deciding to take the high road, you didn’t bring that up. Instead, you just shook your head.

“I forgot,” you told him, your heart rate increasing as he continued tracing patterns into your wrist, “I’ve been busy here. Han won’t take care of himself if I’m not on his ass about it.”

It was partly true. Luke only chuckled at your discomfort, and despite finding yourself in a seemingly intimate situation with the most unobtainable man at your university, you felt more excited than nervous, though you weren’t quite sure why.

“It’s alright. You aren’t obligated to text me back, y’know.”

You knew, but his reassurance was still sweet.

“Don’t worry. I know that I’m not obligated to do anything,” you assured him, leaning forward a bit as you grew more comfortable.

“I’m glad to hear you say that,” he admitted, his fingers having made their way up to your elbow, “You’ll tell me if you wanna stop doing all of this, right? If you think it’s going too far, or if you get an actual boyfriend who doesn’t like it when you stare at my abs—for any reason, you’ll tell me, won’t you?”

You realized then that he was subtly moving you closer to him by having you gradually lean into his touch, and you were once again overwhelmed by how strategic he was in all of this, how experienced he seemed.

“Of course,” you replied, mindlessly looking down at his exposed stomach once more at his mention of it. Your eyes caught on the hem of his sweatpants, and you briefly recalled the tweet about his attire that Han had forced you to read earlier. As much as you hated to agree with those people, you had to admit that the gray sweatpants were a good look on him. His fingers wrapped around your wrist again, and he pulled your hand upwards slightly, bringing your attention back to his face.

“Do you see what I mean about you being hard to read?” he asked, snapping you out of your trance, “One second you’re policing how I eat chocolate because you’re worried it’s gonna sound inappropriate, and the next you’re staring at my dick.”

The accusation made you sit up a little straighter, and even though your cheeks flushed a deep crimson with embarrassment, you felt like you were being challenged. You and Luke had done this before, this game of flirting back and forth until one of you eventually got too flustered and gave up. You’d done it a little at the bar, and on his couch. You recalled how he’d been a bit bashful himself that night at his apartment, and you were wondering if you could get that reaction out of him again. It wouldn’t hurt to try, you supposed.

“I was trying to look at your abs again,” you confessed, smiling at him sheepishly.

“Yeah?” he asked in that flirtatious way of his, bringing your hand down to rest in front of his lower abdomen, “You can do more than look, y’know.”

You froze. Time seemed to stand still as he gently held your hand there, having guided you downwards but giving you the opportunity to pull back before you actually touched him. You looked into his eyes to ensure that he was being serious, that this wasn’t some kind of joke, but you found no indication that he was just being cruel to you.

“Only if you want to,” he added softly, “But if you’re interested and you’re just trying to justify it to yourself, then I would argue that you should be comfortable touching me if we’re gonna continue trying to convince Han and Leia that we’re into each other.”

“Well, when you put it like that,” you whispered, giving him the tiniest of grins as you slipped your hand under his shirt, leaning in even more to gain access to his body. He sat up to meet you halfway, knowing that you couldn’t lean over him and touch him at the same time due to your wrist being broken. Your knees were touching now, and you didn’t miss his sharp inhale when you finally pressed your palm against him. You gently traced your fingertips along his defined abdomen, taking your time as you felt the way his skin rippled over the tight muscles there. He sighed, the sound making your cheeks flush. Your touch trailed upwards, softly brushing against his ribs. He winced a little, and you paused your movements, your chest tightening at the thought of him being in pain from his injuries.

“Does it hurt?” you asked, recalling how his ribs had been bruised from the fight.

“Yeah,” he replied with a shaky exhale, “It hurts when I laugh and stuff. And when I’m trying to sleep.”

“Does it hurt when I touch you?”

“No!” he said quickly, making you chuckle quietly, “Sorry, no. You’re not hurting me. Just a little sensitive.”

You took that as a sign to continue your exploration, and as your hand trailed higher, you couldn’t stop yourself from experimentally ghosting your thumb across his nipple. His reaction was immediate and surprising, a choked gasp leaving his lips as he pressed his forehead against yours. You were shocked by how reactive he was to such a simple touch, especially considering his experience and general confidence when it came to things like this. You wondered if this was just an especially sensitive area for him, and without considering the consequences, you pinched the small bud between your fingertips.

“Fuck,” he gasped, hand gripping your shoulder tightly as he rested his forehead against yours, “You know, when I told you that you could touch me, I thought we would make out or something. I wasn’t expecting you to—“

“That’s not what you asked for,” you cut him off, lips dangerously close to his as you spoke, “You asked if I wanted to touch you, and that’s what I’m doing.”

He laughed, the sound airy due to his shallow breathing. It made you feel warm, and you wanted to hear it over and over again.

“You’re ridiculous,” he replied with a happy sigh, his right hand settling on your chin and his thumb coming up to ghost across your bottom lip, “I’m not above begging, you know. Can I kiss you? Please?”

You tried not to think too hard about the fact that this was Luke Skywalker of all people. If the reality set in, you would surely grow too nervous to continue. You supposed that kissing him really wasn’t any worse than feeling him up in your bedroom while his sister argued with your roommate, but something about it felt much more intimidating. Still, you couldn’t say no to Luke, whose beauty was so radiant that simply touching him made you feel warm. How could you ever turn town the opportunity to kiss someone so divine?

“I wouldn’t mind,” you told him, anticipation bubbling in your chest as you felt his breath fan across your lips, so close and yet still not quite touching.

He caressed your cheek then, and you gladly melted into his touch, letting him move your face nearer to his.

“You wouldn’t mind?” he repeated teasingly as his face inched closer, and you could feel his lips lightly brushing against your own as he spoke, the tension between you stretching thin.

But of course, you couldn’t be so fortunate. Just then, a loud knock sounded at your bedroom door.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Luke groaned, closing his eyes and sighing dramatically. When he opened them again, he genuinely looked irritated, and the idea that he had wanted to kiss you enough to be mad about being denied it felt like a small victory.

“Luke,” Leia’s voice rang out, “We have to meet Ben for lunch soon. We need to go. We can’t be late because I have practice afterwards.”

Sighing again, Luke let his hand drop back to his side, but not before brushing a strand of your hair behind your ear. It didn’t feel brotherly or platonic like when Han did it, especially given the way that his fingertips lingered on your neck for a moment as he pulled his hand away.

“Pretend to be embarrassed if they say anything suggestive, and I’ll act smug. Is that in character enough?” he asked, putting the lid back on the chocolates and placing them on your nightstand. You watched as he adjusted his pants slightly, messing with the fabric below the hem. You couldn’t be fully sure that he was concealing anything, however, because you had been snapped back into reality, far too removed from the facade of intimacy you all had just engaged in to satisfy any of your sexual curiosities by glancing again.

“Sounds good,” you managed to sputter, standing up and smoothing the covers of your bed to make it look more inconspicuous.

“I’ll see you again soon, okay? I’m going back to class in a few days, so I’ll be on campus again. How about you?”

The question surprised you, as did the implication that he would want to be seen with you at school.

“Um, I’m gonna head back in a few days too. Might go to my Friday lectures, but I’m not sure yet.”

“Let me know when you’re back and we can grab lunch or something,” he offered casually, as if it made any sense at all for the two of you to do that. You supposed that you might see Han and Leia on campus, or other people might see you both together and start speculating on whether or not something was brewing between you.

“I will,” you assured him nervously, the two of you walking out of your bedroom and back into the kitchen where Leia had also returned to.

“Thanks for stopping by!” you told them, grateful that they cared enough to check in.

“Of course,” Leia said, and her cheeks were slightly flushed in a way that made you suspicious, “Let us know if you need anything.”

“And keep those chocolates,” Luke added, winking at you. Han rolled his eyes.

“Thank you,” you said again. You felt bad that Luke kept buying you expensive sweets, but you at least knew that he could afford it.

He gave you a cheery wave as they left, trailing behind Leia who glanced back at Han nervously. Interesting. When the door shut behind them, you immediately turned to Han.

“She was acting weird,” you noted, eyeing him skeptically.

“She’s always like that,” he scoffed, pouring himself a glass of water and just looking generally offended, as he often did.

“Think it was because you’re shirtless?”

“What?” he sputtered, choking a bit on his water.

“I’m just asking. You’re the one who always talks up how much women want you.”

“First of all, I do not do that,” he said sternly, finger in the air to make his point, “And second of all, even if that were true, Leia isn’t one of them. She stood there and bitched at me for not locking the door, then she bitched at me for doing schoolwork, then she bitched at me for—“

“Do you ever think that she might just be worried about you?” you posited, testing the waters to see his reaction.

“I think she’s worried about her project grade and her reputation. Nothin’ else.”

“She let me use her shower, borrow her pajamas, made a bed for me, and then cooked me breakfast,” you countered.

“Well, that was for you. That wasn’t for me.”

“But I don’t think she did that because she cares about your project that much. I think she’s just sweet.”

“Sweet,” he echoed, rolling his eyes, “Yeah, sure. And I’m giving up gambling.”

You sighed, feeling defeated but hoping that you at least planted some seeds in his head.

“Hey,” he said suddenly, now putting you on the spot, “You two weren’t fuckin’ in there, were you?”

“Han.”

“You snuck away and shut your bedroom door. What am I supposed to think?”

“We went to my room because we couldn’t have a conversation with all of your arguing,” you asserted, crossing your arms.

“Likely story.”

“How long did it take you to notice we were gone? We left within three minutes of them being here.”

When he took pause at that, you knew you had him.

“Fuck off,” he muttered, “You’re messing with me.”

“You didn’t even notice. You were in your own little world,” you hummed, pointing your finger at him now, “Talking to Leia.”

“Whatever you’re implying, drop it.”

“Who said I was implying anything?”

“Kid,” he warned, moving behind you to open the fridge.

“You better not be getting a beer.”

“Why is everybody trying to tell me what to do today? Lock the door, Han. Come over next weekend and I’ll catch you up on the lectures you missed, Han. Don’t drink any beer, Han. Just one goddamn second of peace is all I ask for. This is why I keep Chewie around.”

“She offered to tutor you?” you asked, deliberately ignoring his other complaints.

“More like she ordered me to listen to her rub how far behind I am in my face,” he grumbled, grabbing a soda from the fridge instead.

“Han,” you said, pinching the bridge of your nose, astounded by his ignorance, “You realize she’s doing that to be nice, right? She wants to help you get back on track.”

Han looked at you skeptically, popping the tab on his beverage as loudly as he could and then ripping it off, letting it make a grating noise as he tossed it onto the countertop.

“Fuckin' that boy is brainwashing you. You're gonna be worshipping the entire family pretty soon."

"I’m not fucking him, Han,” you repeated, rubbing your temples, “Can you just treat them both like normal people? Whatever resentment you have towards them is screwing with your head, and it’s driving me crazy. You’d feel a lot better if you chilled the fuck out every now and then.”

“I am chill,” he mumbled quietly to himself, clearly affronted.

However, even though he would never admit it, Han did listen to you from time to time.

“She’s reacting to your energy, Han. In fact, I think she’s shown remarkable self restraint in not losing her mind over how you always assume the worst about her. Can you just try to be a little less rude next time we see the twins? Please?”

He deliberated for a moment, staring at his hands and messing with the aluminum soda tab on the counter. Finally, he relented, muttering a small, “Fine, but you can’t ask me not to defend myself.”

You nodded, knowing that was all you were going to get for the time being. You hoped that something would give between Han and Leia soon, because he was starting to breech the territory of being irrational, and you were going crazy.

[illiterateaffairs]

DISTRACTIONS III | YOU’RE KINDA CUTE

pairing: jamie tartt x f!reader (ted lasso)

rating: T

word count: 5,528

summary: so you’ve just had a one night stand with one of the star footballers on the team you work for. you can be totally normal about it, right? 

A/N: ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO IS READING AND LEAVING THE NICEST AND FUNNIEST COMMENTS, I ADORE YOU ALL! this is kind of a long one, and i finally dip into jamie’s POV, which I’ll do more in the upcoming chapters. also as you can tell, this series takes place in season 3, but very loosely. like, roy is just going to have to deal with sharing jamie with the reader and not hogging him for training :)

distractions masterlist | previous chapter

Waking up the next morning is harder than you thought it would be. It's not because of the champagne flutes you were knocking back at Sam’s restaurant. In fact, you feel the most comfortable and well rested you have in a long time. It’s because of this that you absolutely loathe the idea of opening your eyes and getting out of bed when your alarm goes off at 7AM. Instinctually, you’re quick to turn off the grating noise, but when you begrudgingly try to sit up, you’re held down by a weight you don’t recognize. Opening one eye, you see it’s a person and their arm is wrapped securely around you. And not just any person; Jamie fucking Tartt. 

After pushing through your grogginess, you’re able to recall the events of last night; driving home with Jamie, kissing him and inviting him inside, sleeping with him. It was so out of character for you to hook up with a guy you barely knew. Sure, Jamie wasn’t a stranger and he wasn’t a complete jerk, but normally you wouldn’t even consider having sex until at least the third date. Not that you were planning on dating Jamie. That would be absurd. 

You didn’t regret it though. If there was one thing about Jamie’s reputation that he could be proud of, it was that he was indeed good in bed. Excellent even. It's probably why you slept so well last night. Even if Jamie came off as a bit self-centered, he definitely wasn’t when it came to knowing how to please you. 

Your eyes narrow, flashing back to a brief moment last night after the two of you finished round three. Did you say…thank you? God, you hope it was just something you thought in the haze of it all before falling asleep. 

Brushing past that, you angle yourself toward him more, as well as you can pinned under his left arm. Your eyes scan his face as he sleeps soundly beside you. He didn’t seem at all disturbed by your phone alarm a few moments ago. You’re not used to seeing the man so relaxed, because when you’re with him he’s either focused on playing football or annoyed with Zava. But right now he looks at peace. Glancing over, you also take note of his sleeve tattoo for the first time, tracing the designs on his arms lightly with your fingers. You’re once again confronted with the fact that you know so little about this man, and yet here you were in one of the most intimate situations you can be with a person. Observing his face again, you wonder what the two of you will do now. Jamie’s probably done this a million times, but you certainly haven’t. And you work together; you’ll see him everyday. 

You’re momentarily pulled from your anxious thoughts as Jamie lets out a long, quiet breath, but doesn’t wake. For a second, you’re distracted by how cute you find him in this moment. No. No. You are not getting attached to Jamie. This was a one time thing. That's all you wanted. That’s probably all he ever wanted. And you’re in no shape for a relationship right now. 

You take the risk to test just how heavy of a sleeper Jamie is, sliding out from beneath his arm. You mentally cheer when he just rolls over and continues sleeping. You quickly throw on a robe and some clean underwear before tiptoeing out of the room. In an effort to calm your nerves ahead of an impending conversation when he does wake up, you decide to make breakfast. Normally on work mornings you’d settle for something light, like toast or oatmeal. However, those meals will not take long enough to provide ample distraction from your racing thoughts. So, you decide in addition to toast that you’ll make some omelets. And bacon for good measure; Jamie probably likes bacon. You also wash some fruit because why the hell not. 

Everything is plated on your kitchen table when you hear movement from back in your bedroom. You’re pouring yourself a glass of juice when Jamie wanders into the room, buttoning up his shirt from last night. Before turning to face him, you psych yourself up and plaster a smile on your face. Be casual. However, once the two of you make eye contact, you both freeze and say nothing.

After a few seconds of silence that feel like hours, you force words to come out of your mouth.

“Apple juice?” Nice.

Jamie’s head jerks back in surprise, but a barely there smile forms on his face. “Apple juice? That’s what you’re offering?”

You shrug, deciding to push past how bizarre this is and try to roll with it, “What? It's the superior juice. Sorry I don’t have tea. I don’t really know how to make it- or care to- since, you know, it's disgusting.”

Jamie laughs softly, but gives you a curious look. You must’ve not done a good job at acting normal, because it seems he caught onto your nervousness, “You alright?”

You let your shoulders drop and decide to be honest, “I’m sorry, I just…I’ve never had a one night stand before.”

Jamie quirks an eyebrow, “You don’t say?”

You smile in spite of yourself, “I know, such a shocker, right?”

The footballer takes a moment to glance at the table behind you, “Well, first thing you should know is that most people don’t make breakfast for their one night stands.”

Despite saying that, Jamie takes a seat at your table and starts chewing on a strip of bacon. You roll your eyes playfully, but join him.

“I cook when I’m nervous,” not letting him linger on that admission you question him, “What about you? Do people usually stay the night after a one night stand?”

Jamie smiles through mouthfuls of egg and cheese. “Are you kicking me out?”

“No!” You assure too quickly, “I guess I’m just wondering what you’re thinking. And wondering how I’m going to look you in the eye at work to be honest. Like I said, I don't usually do this kind of thing.”

“I won’t tell anyone if that’s what you’re worried about. And I promise it won’t be weird. We can just carry on and keep making fun of how annoyed Roy gets at Ted’s jokes.” 

You let yourself laugh as you push a grape around your plate with your fork. 

“But last night was okay?” Jamie asks, showing his first hint of unsureness, “It was good for you, yeah?

“Oh yeah,” you nod eagerly, touched that he was a little nervous too, “Last night was…really great.” 

“Good,” he smiles again, “Just want to make sure it was at least a step up from the last guy.”

You snort, “Try five steps. At least.” You turn back to Jamie and a satisfied smirk is growing on his face, “Oh, don’t let that go to your head. That is not a difficult accomplishment, trust me.” 

“Well, like I said, it’s good you left him.” You nod in agreement. 

The two of you chat for a few more minutes as you finish up your breakfast. You get up, wanting to grab a shower before work. 

“Can I walk you out?” you ask.

Jamie shakes his head, “I think I remember the way.”

You nod with a tiny smile as he heads toward the kitchen doorway, “So, I’ll see you at the club then later, probably?”

“You will.”

You bid each other a goodbye, but as you turn to put your dishes in the sink, Jamie speaks up again.

“Oh, and one more thing. You’re welcome.” Jamie shoots you a wink before leaving you alone. 

Fuck, I did say that out loud. 

You know you’re being paranoid but it feels like everyone is staring at you when you arrive at the club later that morning. There is no reason anyone would know that you hooked up with Jamie last night but you can’t help but feel your face get hot as you pass coworkers on your way through the halls. You’re so in your head that you fully run into Sam on the way to your office. You can hardly meet his eye as he enthusiastically greets you. 

“I hope you slept well last night.”

“What?” your eyes bulge in panic and you laugh awkwardly, “Why would you ask that?”

Sam gives you a weird look, “When you were leaving, you said you had been exhausted so I was just wondering if you were more rested today.”

You relax; you did say that. “Oh, right. Yes, thank you, I slept great last night. Amazingly. Not too amazing. Just a normal good night's sleep. Snug in my bed. Alone.”

Sam still seems confused by your energy, but nevertheless smiles again. He seems none the wiser as he jogs off to the locker rooms before training. However, once he’s out of your view, your eyes lock onto Rebecca’s who had been watching on from behind him. Her expression lets on that she’s definitely onto you. 

“Good morning,” she greets pleasantly, with a mischievous look, “Can I walk you to your office?” 

You don’t even try to argue as you lead her down the hallway in silence. You try not to roll your eyes as she makes a show of getting comfortable on the couch in your office. 

She wastes no time once you shut the door. “So, you had sex last night.”

You groan, lightly pressing your head to your office door, “How could you possibly know that?”

“I always know,” Rebecca shrugs, “You look a lot less tense today.”

You turn to her sharply, “You’re saying I looked tense before?” 

“Not in a bad way. You just look lighter today. And very suspicious.” 

You walk over to her, crossing your arms. “Okay fine. I slept with someone. But I’m not telling you who it was.”

Rebecca stares at you for all of five seconds before she says, “Jamie?”

You let out an exasperated sigh as you plop down on the couch, burying your face in a cushion, “How do you do that?”

The blonde woman gasps and sits up a bit straighter, “I was going to say it's a gift, but maybe it's a curse. Jamie was just a hunch, since he left the restaurant last night a couple minutes after you did. You actually had sex with Jamie Tartt?”

You peek out at her from behind the pillow, “Yes?”

“Oh, sweetheart,” she sighs.

“What's so wrong about that?” you move to sit up, hugging the pillow to your chest. “I haven’t been with anyone since Mason, and the opportunity presented itself with Jamie. Don’t I deserve a good time every once in a while?”

“Of course but with Jamie?”

“He’s not that bad,” you protest softly.

Rebecca nods, “I know that. Jamie is a good guy. I just wonder if he’s good for you. When he was with Keeley-”

“Oh, my God, he dated Keeley?” you gasp, covering your face with the pillow again. Muffled you murmur, “Is she going to hate me?”

“No, Keeley will not hate you,” Rebecca assures, playing with a few pieces of your hair to coax you back up to her, “I’m sure she could care less what Jamie does. That’s my point - he was not a good boyfriend when they were together. 

“Well, that’s my point. I’m not looking for a boyfriend. It was just a one time thing. I just needed to distract myself from spiraling over Mason.” 

Rebecca still feels unsure, but she gives you a tight smile and nods. “That's fair.” She reaches out to take your hand, “I know you don’t like talking about it, but if you ever need to vent or talk through anything regarding your breakup, I’m always here. You know that I get what all that's like.”

You smile, giving her hand a squeeze. “I know. I appreciate it, but I think I’m alright for now.” 

“Good.”

“One more thing though. Can you not tell…”

“I promise I will not tell Ted.”

You grimace, “Okay, him too. I was actually going to say Keeley. I know that's asking a lot since she’s your best friend, but I don’t want to risk losing her friendship over a dumb one night stand.”

Rebecca gives you another reassuring smile, “I won’t tell her either.”

“Thank you.”

“Just call me Rebecca Welton: keeper of your secrets.” 

“Oh, my God, I am so sorry.” you sigh, “I need to stop doing things I don’t want other people to know.”

Rebecca laughs, squeezing your hand one last time before standing up, “You are fine. You’re young. You’re allowed to be messy and have secrets.” She smooths out her attire as she grabs the doorknob. “But you need to relax and stop acting so weird around the office. You had sex, so what? That's not a bad thing. You don’t need to shout it from the rooftops but you can be proud of it.”

“I’ll do my best,” you laugh. She nods encouragingly before heading out the door. 

You do feel yourself walk with your head held a bit higher after that. 

The rest of your work day goes a lot better. You help Rebecca with some paperwork, shadow the team during training, and round out the evening by having dinner in your office with Ted. The only time you saw Jamie was during their practice. He didn’t act out of the ordinary, so you didn’t either, both of you exchanging polite smiles like you always did. 

You don’t notice the way he looks over at you a few times between drills. 

Now you and Keeley were headed to the locker rooms, with coffees in hand, to assist Shandy with the Bantr video shoot. You’re proud that you play it totally cool and don’t manage to accidentally confess you’d hooked up with her ex last night. 

As if Father Time knew when you were coming, Jamie is the next player to hop in front of the camera. You smile unconsciously as he gets touch ups, before snapping yourself out of it to refocus on the conversation Shandy and Keeley were having. It was about Jamie of course. 

You start to find your cardboard coffee cup really interesting when Shandy comments on how attractive Jamie is. And you try not to sweat as Keeley starts listing off his red flags, only to follow up with comments about how he’s grown recently. You peak over at her as she looks at him on the monitor. Please, please don’t still have feelings for him. If you get back together I really won’t be able to look either of you in the eye. 

“He only thinks with his dick,” Keeley muses jokingly before continuing thoughtfully, “Yet, I don’t think he’s seen anyone in ages.”

You busy yourself by taking a sip of coffee so you don’t pull a face.

Shandy gives Keeley a look, “I just want to know if I can bang him, babe.”

You almost choke on your drink. 

“Oh,” Keeley manages a laugh, “I don’t know, you should probably ask him. It’s his dick.”

Shandy laughs along with her, nudging your arm. “What do you think?”

You try not to let your eyes become saucers. “Who, me?” She nods as if that's a dumb question - which it is. “I hardly know the guy. But like Keeley said, it's his dick. Consent is key.”

Shandy smirks, “Alright works for me. I’ll have to see what he’s doing later.”

You try not to be bothered by that. 

Later, Keeley and Shandy let you head out while they close up shop on the shoot. Most of the team has cleared out, but you say goodnight to the few players you pass on the way back to your office to pick up your things. You’re caught off guard when you find Jamie waiting in one of the chairs in front of your desk. 

“Hey, what’s up?” you ask curiously, shutting your door behind you. “Thought you left after you shot your promo.”

Jamie shook his head, “Nah, wanted to check on you first.” 

That makes you feel nothing. 

“Oh? Why?”

“I dunno. I knew you were feeling weird about everything this morning. Wanted to know how your day went.”

You smile softly at him, “I appreciate that.” You recall Rebecca’s pep talk this morning, “But, I’m feeling a lot better. In fact I feel great.” 

“Good, you should,” Jamie smirks standing up, “And just so you know, I had a good time last night, too. You were also much better than the last girl I was with.”

You almost feel flattered, before your face twists in disgust, “Please don’t tell me that girl was Keely. Not that I need to know where I stand in comparison to Keeley, because I really do not, but I do feel weird knowing you two used to date.”

While Jamie is amused by your nervous rambling, he also appears a bit dejected at the mention of his ex, “No, Keeley was not the last person I was with. You also do not need to worry about that. Keeley could not give less of a shit what I do anymore, I’m sure.”

Both he and Rebecca made a similar comment to that effect. You’re dying to know more but you know it's none of your business. So you give him a reassuring smile instead, “Okay, cool. How was the rest of your day?”

Jamie shrugs, “Not as good as it started,” he winks, “but alright I guess. Roy has me doing extra training between practices now.”

You ignore his cheeky remark, “Really? That sounds awful.”

“S’not so bad. If I want to be the best player on the team, I got to put in the work.”

You nod thoughtfully, “Well if it means anything, and I'm sure it doesn’t since I don’t know shit about football, but I think you’re already pretty great.”

An unfamiliar expression casts over Jamie’s face as he blinks at you. He awkwardly breaks eye contact before responding, “Um, thank you.”

“‘Course,” you let the silence blanket the room for a bit before you’re making a comment you know you’ll regret later. “So, I think you were right. Shandy definitely does want to take a bite out of you.”

Jamie lets out a surprised huff, looking back up at you, “What? Why do you say that?”

“She was really enjoying your promo video earlier.”

Jamie hums, nodding. “And what did you think?”

You shrug innocently, “I thought it was fine.” 

“Uh-huh. And if you saw me on Bantr, would you swipe right?”

“Not how that app works,” Jamie gives you a look and you give him one right back, “I think you already know my answer.” 

“Hmm,” he smiled, pleased with himself. 

“Would you-?”

“Swipe right on you? Thousand percent.”

“No,” you roll your eyes but bite back a smile, “On Shandy?”

“Oh.” he pauses, “Would it bother you if I did?”

You shake your head semi-quickly, “I’ll remind you, we just had a one night stand. I have no jurisdiction over any of your other nights.”

The side of Jamie’s lips quirk up, “Fair enough. Well, I will leave you to it then. I’d offer to drive you, but I have to meet Roy soon for another training session and he’ll be even more grumpy if I’m late.” 

“You’re going to train again?” you ask in disbelief as he opens your office door.

“Yeah.”

“God, I can’t even get myself to work out once a week.”

“I dunno, you were pretty athletic last night.”

You groan, shoving him through the door, “Okay, get the fuck out of here, Tartt.”

“I’m really glad we can joke about this.” 

“Get out!”

He laughs as he strolls down the hallway and around the corner, you unable to not watch as he goes. 

You can’t help but note he never confirmed or denied interest in Shandy. Once again, you try not to be bothered by it.

When you leave a few minutes later, though, you catch Shandy and Keeley in the parking lot, and note that Jamie’s car is already gone. This time, you try not to be pleased with this information. 

On Saturday, you join Rebecca and Keeley in a suite for Richmond’s match against West Ham. You learned this match was a big deal for two reasons.

One: Rebecca’s ex-husband, Rupert, owned the club. As soon as Rebecca introduces him when you run into him and his new wife, Bex, a chill runs down your spine. Even through forced pleasantries, he just oozes sliminess. 

Two: Their head coach used to be an assistant coach for Richmond; Nathan Shelley. A few weeks after you moved, Beard informed you that the man blew up at Ted for some reason. That was only after he leaked information to the press about Ted having a panic attack during the game. Beard made you swear you wouldn’t tell Ted that he’d told you this. Not because Ted wouldn’t want you know about his anxiety; you’d actually had a sweet conversation with him after the news broke last year, even confiding in him about your own mental health struggles. But Beard knew that Ted wouldn’t want you worrying about the Nate situation. So you promised his best friend you wouldn’t mention it. 

That still didn’t stop you from rooting for his- and Rupert’s- imminent demise. On the field, of course. 

You sneak away from Rebecca and Keeley to grab some locker room footage for AFC Richmond’s socials. When you arrive in the doorway, you look to Ted for a signal that everyone is decent before entering. The energy in the room immediately feels different than usual, especially following their win streak. You know they’re going into today’s game with something to prove. You knock on a locker softly to grab their attention and two dozen pairs of eyes land on you. 

“Hey boys. I don’t want to keep you, but would a few of you be open to doing some videos for our stories?”

A few team members including Sam, Zoreaux (who’s going by Van Damme now), and Jamie for some reason kindly volunteer, and you pull them off to the side. One by one, you have the boys record a video on how they’re feeling about today’s match, that you’ll post to Instagram. You don’t know if you do it on purpose or not, but you save Jamie for last. You hope he doesn’t notice the cadence. Now, just the two of you, he flashes you a grin before you record his segment. 

“Can I see?” he asks after you’re done, “Got to make sure you’ve got my angles right.”

You snort, but nod him over to look at your phone. You hold your breath momentarily as he leans in next to you. Nodding after the video replays, he turns to look at you, your faces inches apart.

“Looks good.”

“Yeah,” you breath out, “You’re a one take wonder.”

His lips turn into a smirk. Neither of you say anything for a while, as your eyes study each other's faces. You wonder what he’s thinking. You know what you’re thinking; his eyes are somehow really pretty in this terrible fluorescent locker room lighting. 

You blink for maybe the first time in sixty seconds as you hear Ted calling for the team to huddle up for a pre-game pep talk. 

“That’s my cue,” you whisper. “Good luck out there today, Jamie.”

His smirk melts into a genuine smile, “Thank you.”

You return the gesture before pulling yourself out of his orbit. You skip past the rest of the team, wishing them all luck. Beard and Ted give you nods and you high five Sam on the way out.

Back in Rebecca’s suite, you join her, Keeley, Higgins and some of Keeley’s coworkers. One of them turns out to own the company that finance’s Keely’s PR firm, Jack. After sipping on some drinks, your group settles into your box seats. You clock Rupert a couple boxes over. Glancing at Rebecca, you see that she’s noticed the same thing. You subtly squeeze her hand and lean over. 

“No matter what happens today, he’s still going to be the only loser between the two of you.” you quip softly. 

You’re pleased when you see her visibly relax. She gives you a grateful smile and squeezes your hand back. 

Unfortunately, her relaxed state doesn’t last very long. At half time West Ham is up by one. The match had been tough to watch. At one point, Richmond had the opportunity to score, had Jamie passed to Zava, but you felt your stomach twist when Jamie went for the goal himself and ended up missing. You could understand why he did it, but you wanted to see them win this game. You knew he and the whole team must be feeling the pressure three times as much as you were. You never thought you’d care this much about sports.

You and your friends try to make small talk while the teams regroup in the locker room, but everyone’s still feeling the stress of the game. Rebecca had even left to go who-knows-where to shake off her anxieties. Although, you get a moment of reprieve when Keeley asks Shandy if she’d gone out with Jamie yet, and the girl exasperatedly informs everyone that he turned her down. You manage not to outwardly smile. 

Everyone in your section is immediately alert a few minutes later when both teams start making their way back to the pitch. West Ham enters first, energy high, followed by the Greyhounds who look…less than thrilled. You can feel the tension radiating off of them from your seat, as they all seem to throw death glares at Nate. 

You’re not sure what happened in the locker room to cause this shift in attitude, but you hoped it meant they’d play tougher this half. 

Oh how wrong you were. 

The team was practically feral, pushing, shoving and literally throwing the West Ham players to the ground. You found yourself wincing on multiple occasions at the violence. You were shocked that even Sam was engaging in the aggression. By the end of the game, Richmond was down half their players and lost the match 4 to 1. 

You can barely comprehend what you just witnessed. After digesting everything, and hopefully giving everyone time to cool down, you let Keeley know you’d meet her and Rebecca out front, Rebecca having already vacated the suite, mumbling expletives in her wake. You head down to the locker room again to find the team in what could only be described as different states of denial. They also looked a bit…ashamed. 

As if sensing your presence, Jamie’s eyes snap up and land on your figure. Despite the fact that he feels like absolute shit right now, seeing you alleviates half of his stress. He nearly stands to meet you in the doorway, when Sam approaches you and you engulf him in a hug. Jamie’s nervous energy shifts into a feeling he doesn’t recognize. All he knows is he wishes there was someone that could comfort him after this loss, or any loss, really. But he doesn’t have the relationship with you that you do with Sam. Maybe if you got to know each other better, you’d consider him a closer friend; one you’d go to when you knew he felt shitty. One he could go to when he wanted to talk about something. Anything. But you weren’t those kinds of friends yet. He briefly wonders if you even consider him a friend, but he’s not lingering on that thought right now. 

He tries not to stare as you continue talking to Sam, before Sam leaves to hit the showers. You exchange what he imagines are words of affirmation with Colin and Isaac, too, before you’re heading back to the door. You pause and turn around again, eyes scanning the room before they land on his, as if that were their destination. He lifts his head out of its place in his hand. You only give him a sad smile and a head nod before you’re turning around again. You nearly run into Ted when you do. He watches as you and Ted exchange words briefly, before you squeeze the coach's arm and disappear around the corner. 

Jamie sighs. You’ve had sex with him and all he gets is a fucking head nod, while Ted Lasso gets a pat on the arm. 

He doesn’t think the day can get much worse, until Zava sashays into the room, with a disappointed look plastered across his face. He doesn’t waste any time hiding his frustrations with the team for their actions in the second half, as if he’s never done anything wrong in his life. Jamie rolls his eyes and heads to the showers himself. 

Jamie slugs through the rest of the evening in a daze. He barely registers going from the match to the bus, and then back to his home. He tries to find something on TV to distract himself from his anxious energy, but he can’t focus on anything. He briefly considers going out to some bar or club, but he’s really not in the mood. He settles on texting Roy to see if he’s up for a late night workout, but for some reason the guy chooses tonight to be a reasonable human being and tells Jamie to take the night off. 

He’s pacing around his living room when he gets one last idea. It's not a great idea, and he’s definitely going to regret it, regardless if it went well or not. But before he can talk himself out of it, he’s grabbing his keys and slamming his front door shut. 

You’re camped out on your couch as one of your favorite The Nanny reruns plays on the TV. You find yourself zoning out, though, replaying the events of the match. 

Sam had given you insight on what went down with him and the team. He informed you during half time, they learned that Nate had destroyed the Believe sign that hung in their locker room. While ripping a piece of paper hardly seemed like a reason to go full attack-mode, you understood when Sam explained that the sign, and Ted’s belief system, had been what began to unite them as a team a couple years ago. Your heart warmed at how much Ted clearly meant to Sam and the team, and while their methods may have not been perfect, you admired how protective they were over your uncle. 

You wonder how Jamie’s taking it. Even though you’ve become a lot more comfortable around him, you still felt awkward approaching him in the locker room in front of the team. But you secretly longed to ask how he was. Despite not knowing a whole lot about him, he always seemed especially attached to Ted, so you could only imagine how he’d taken everything this afternoon. Although, you don’t remember him participating in most of the fighting. He’d just played a bit more aggressively. 

You’re typing and retyping a text to Jamie, figuring out the best way to check in without seeming invasive. Before you have the chance to debate your words any longer, there’s a knock on your door. Your heart rate spikes. Who the hell would be knocking on your door at 10PM? You slowly approach the door, your mind making up some crap about London being a crime-free city to put your anxieties at ease. You quietly peek through the peep-hole. Letting out a loud sigh of relief, you unlock the door and pull it open. 

“Jamie, what are you doing here? Are you okay?”

The footballer gives you a once over before shaking his head decidedly, “No.”

Worried, you part your mouth to respond, but don’t get the chance when he’s suddenly cupping your face and kissing you, firmly but gently. Your hands automatically find his arms to steady yourself, as the two of you stumble further into your apartment. You kiss him back for a few more seconds, before parting slightly.

“Jamie,” you whisper in question against his lips.

“I’m sorry, I know you wanted this to be a one time thing but do you think you can make an exception tonight?” he breathes heavily, nestling his forehead to yours, “Today was shit and I just, I need…”

You nod furiously, not needing him to continue, “I know, it's okay.” You kiss him once, twice. “I can do a two-time thing.” 

He huffs out a laugh in relief before pulling you closer for an even more passionate kiss. He kicks your door shut before pushing you in the direction of your bedroom. 

Later that night when you’re both coming down from your highs, and Jamie’s laying on top of you, with his head buried in your neck, you hear him whisper cheekily, “Thank you.”

Leave it to Jamie to make you flush with embarrassment and laugh out loud, as your naked bodies tangle together. 

What a fucking prick. 

A/N: CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR WHAT Y’ALL THINK! also this gif, hello??

[roger-that-cap]

running back to home base (you)

part two (2/4)

destiel highschool/college/work AU

Chapter Summary: Dean runs into Castiel at his local diner years after everything goes down in college. It doesn't end well for Dean, but Cas? Well, he's as cool as a cucumber, and as pretty as ever. But luckily for us, it's our turn to look at whatever the hell it is that Dean has been doing.

word count: between 5.8 and 6k! not sure anymore guys this thing will not turn me loose

I changed it from three parts to four because this one was getting absolutely ginormous (12k unedited). The plan is four, but if the fourth part gets away from me, then five might be the way to go. Happy reading!

Dean Winchester had a lot of recurring dreams. Most of the time, they were pleasant. They were mostly of his glory days, the days when all that mattered was if he could swing his bat. He would dream about running the whole field, charging past every base and going home every time. He would dream about being in the dugout, or being surrounded by his favorite teammates from high school and college alike, like he was in some sort of mixed timeline. He had those dreams over and over enough to remind him of simpler times. 

And then there were the recurring dreams that were more like nightmares. 

They weren’t nightmares because they were scary. He didn’t wake up terrified, or in cold sweats, crying. He didn’t wake up reaching for a light or trembling. He woke up from these dreams with a sinking feeling in his gut, one close to guilt and even closer to loss. 

He hated it. 

These dreams were different, but they were all the same. They were all sweet, and that was what was haunting him. And they were so close to his real memories, the ones he suppressed in the daytime because they threatened to push him to insanity. 

They all involved Castiel Novak. 

It was a name that bounced around his head as much as he allowed it to. It was trapped behind iron bars, thrown in a metal box that had a key that Dean convinced himself was thrown away and buried. His dreamscape always opened it without problem, always when he felt he had traveled far away enough from the burial site. 

The dreams themselves were relatively normal. It would be him and Cas, kicking around rocks or throwing them into the lake, trying to see who could skip the most. The next dream would be something like them fake wrestling, or rolling down hills, sneaking out just to go to a late movie, skinny dipping in the same lake that ruled all of their summers. They were normal things. They should have made him feel normal things. He should have been able to brush them off and move on with his day. 

Dean felt anything but normal every time he woke up and remembered what his mind had forced him to relive. 

Castiel was years in the past. He was Dean’s high school best friend, his rock, the boy that understood him more than his own mother did. Castiel was Dean’s favorite person in the world for a very long time, and he supposed his dreams hadn’t quite let go of that yet. 

He wasn’t sure if he let go of it, either.

The five minutes after he woke up from one of those dreams, he let himself think. It was a dangerous game, him sitting in silence after a dream like that, but he did it every time. He let himself dwell, let his mind trail off into the killer what-ifs. He went down paths that would have never amounted to anything in the comfort of his own mind for five minutes, and then he forced himself to move on.  

But he never really did move on. Even if he didn’t realize it. 

He hadn’t moved on, not as he went through women like they were pages in a book. Not as he left college and mellowed out and tried to settle with the first one who didn’t like him just for his looks. Not as he left her and was alone for a while, building up his career. Dean was convinced he had left it all behind, baseball and Castiel Novak alike, until he was sitting by himself, all alone. 

Or worse, sitting across from a kind, smart, beautiful woman and realizing that she just… wasn’t enough. 

He was enough of an adult to recognize that the problem wasn’t the women. They were all kind, all sweet, and he couldn’t ever point out any negative traits. He knew that he was the problem. He was the problem, and something else that he couldn’t put his finger on was the problem, too. But he wasn’t dumb or cruel enough to put the blame on them. 

Another thing about Dean Winchester was that he was successful. He was big in finance, he had money, he had a place of his own. He had a job where people depended on him, and he was respected. He even lived in the same town as Sam. On paper, Dean lived the best version of his life that he could. 

But once again, something was still missing. 

He figured it was a companion, so naturally, he tried for that. Dating apps, meeting organically, blind dates. He tried them all, and even if he had fun, it just… wasn’t enough. 

There were so many beautiful women who were also smart who wanted to be with him. He had been set up with so many of them, too. But they never clicked. It never worked. Dean would shrug it off like it didn’t bother him year after year, but he was getting older and still, he had no one to come home to. He had no one to bring home to his mom at Thanksgiving. He had a place that was big enough for a whole family, but his house was hardly a home. 

Sammy had Jessica, a really sweet blonde woman who he had met in college. They were sweethearts from the start, and it worked out beautifully. Dean loved watching it unfold from afar and giving his little brother advice that he would have never followed himself, but it all worked out. Dean expected nothing less cookie cutter than that for Sam, and he was infinitely happy for his brother. He got the cool lawyer job, he got the girl, he got the white picket fence with a dog. He had everything that Dean didn’t. 

Dean wasn’t jealous of Sam. He was happy for him. All he ever wanted was for Sam to be happy, and he was. But he couldn’t lie and say that he didn’t sometimes look at Sam and Jess, watch them hug and kiss and look at each other like they both had hung the stars for each other, and ask himself why he couldn’t have that, too. 

Dean was at Sam’s house on a random Wednesday night. He typically came around once a week, and Wednesdays were usually the night that worked for the both of them. Sam had offered to grill up some steaks and Jess was cooking the rest, and Dean couldn’t say no to that. A nice little three-person dinner, and he didn’t have to cook? He was there. 

The grill was on and so was the music in the background, and Dean stood there watching Sam man the grill. It was quiet between them, but comfortable. Dean was thinking about work, throwing his mind into it as a distraction, and he didn’t even realize Sam was talking to him until he turned. 

“Dean?” 

“Huh?”

“Do you think you’ll try to call him one day?” 

Dean was so focused on work that he wracked his mind for any person from his job that Sam could have been talking about. He lifted a brow.  “Call who?” 

“Cas.”

Dean’s head whipped up. “What?” 

“I mean, Castiel,” Sam said like it was a name they always said, a name that was constantly in rotation. It was in Dean’s head, of course it was, but in recent years, Sam hasn’t dared to bring him up. “When are you gonna call him?” 

Call Castiel? What the hell? “Why on earth would I call him?” 

“Because you’re successful, and you have a lot of money, and you’re a handsome and extremely eligible bachelor with more women at your feet than ever,” Sam said, and Dean frowned, “and you’re still miserable.” 

“Me being miserable has nothing to do with Castiel from high school,” Dean scoffed. 

Sam flipped the steaks. “Are you sure?” He asked casually. 

“Sam,” Dean said, taking in a deep breath, “why did you just bring him up?” 

“I haven’t brought him up in years.” 

“Exactly, so why in the hell are you bringing up a friend from highschool right now?” Dean scoffed defensively, and if his tone didn’t give it away, the way he crossed his arms did. “Don’t do that again.”

Sam shrugged his shoulders and nodded, giving Dean that face that meant that he understood, but he still thought he knew best. It pissed Dean off to no end. “Okay.” 

“He’s… he’s in the past.” 

“Alright.” 

“It’s over with us. It’s been over a decade.” 

“Mhm.” 

“And besides, there’s no-”

“It’s clearly not over for you, Dean,” Sam said, “you’re still talking about it.” 

“I’m trying to explain it to you, Sam,”  Dean spat back. 

“Maybe you should…” Sam trailed off. “Meet up with him. Even if he has someone now, he knows you. Maybe it would help you to talk to someone who you can connect with. And I know you feel bad for what you did to him.” 

“What?” 

“Him seeing you with those girls, telling him you didn’t love him when you did-”

“I wasn’t in-”

“You were, Dean. You were,” Sam said. “You probably still are. That’s why you’re miserable.” 

It was a slap in the face. It was weighted, and it was a slap that he had been waiting on for years. “Sam, where the fuck is all this coming from?” 

“You know it’s okay to be gay, Dean. Like, no one cares.” Dean’s eyes went wide. Sam had always been honest with him, always straight forward, but it was rare that Sam outright said exactly what was eating at Dean, hitting the head on his biggest regret and insecurity all in one. “No one would give a damn about you liking men. No one.” 

“Leave it.” Dean looked away from his brother. “And it’s not like he’a around here, anyway. He’s long gone. He’s… he’s probably far away from here, now.” He had always talked about getting away from their home state, branching out. “He’s gone.” 

Sam didn’t say another word. 

The weekend was either one thing or the other for Dean; a time to relax and recharge after a long week, or a time to go out hunting for a woman that he would spend the night with and never see again. As he left the building on Friday night, he could feel in his bones exactly what type of weekend it was going to be. 

It took no work at all for him to look decent enough to go to the bar. That was his main spot, anyway. He bar-hopped each weekend that he went out, rotating each bar for the night, trying not to dip his toes in the same pool too often. He ended up at the one closest to his house, single and incredibly ready to lose himself, and before he knew it, he was knocking back drinks and winking at the bartender. 

He couldn’t help but think about his brother’s words. Castiel was a huge part of his past, but that’s where he had to say. In the past. Dean had no other choice but to leave him there, trapped in a deep corner of Dean’s mind like a pretty bird in a cage. A bird with wilted feathers. Or maybe it was taking care of its wings on its own, out of his sight. He'd never know.

There were pretty women everywhere. It was a big city. There were so many to pick from, so many throwing themselves at him, but he couldn’t commit to more than small talk and flirty eyes with any one of them until he was no less than four shots deep. Even then, there was something nagging at him in the back of his mind, something scratching at his skull and wiggling around in his stomach, voicing discomfort. 

He eventually found a girl with dark hair and blue eyes and ignored all the feelings, anyway. He agreed to go back to her place because it made her feel safer, and he fucking hated that he wasn’t as into it as he should have been. He despised it. But he went through the motions anyway, he relished in the touch of someone else, he laid in the warmth of another person just for the sake of doing it. 

For a moment, a fleeting moment or two he swore that the arms around him were enough. It felt real. She felt close enough. She felt good enough. And just like all the other times, just like every other attempt, he crashed from his high and realized it wasn’t. He was chasing something, something he didn’t even know anymore. 

He kissed her on the mouth like she mattered, like any of it mattered, and laid down next to her as she settled into the bed, and he was entirely too distracted by the dark hair on the pillow next to him to get a good sleep. 

She looks like the real thing 

Dean shot up, head pounding as he ran a hand over his face. There was someone next to him, and judging by the vanilla scent surrounding them both, it was a woman. His memory came back to him as she sat up in the bed, and he blinked as he looked at the naked woman in bed with him. 

She tastes like the real thing 

The woman started to stir next to him. Dean’s eyes went wide as the lyrics settled into his skin, sinking into every pore and rattling his blood. “Who-” Dean choked on his question for a moment. “Who is playing that?” 

“Ugh, my roommate,” the woman said, running a hand through her hair. “She cleans every Sunday morning. I told her not to, who even plays Radiohead anymore?” 

Dean blinked a few times, as if that could take the despair away. He felt sick to his stomach as he forced himself to nod, to accept his situation, and he pulled the blankets off of himself. He was thankful that he wasn’t too hungover as he stood up out of the bed, immediately searching for his clothes. 

“Hey, don’t you want breakfast, or something?” 

“Oh, no, no,” he said, giving a small smile that he was certain was unconvincing. “I’ve got uh, a busy morning. Thank you, uh,” he stuttered out, and he gave her a nod as he pulled his jeans on. He left right out of her bedroom door in the most awkward exit he had ever done, thanking God that he was a creature of habit even while drunk as he grabbed his car keys off of her kitchen table. 

The second he got home, he took a shower and scrubbed down. He wanted to scrub his braid, to scrape the ache off of his heart, but he knew that was impossible. So he stood under the scalding hot water for what felt like hours, got dressed, and sat on the couch in silence, unable to escape his own thoughts. 

He fucking hated Sundays.

Monday morning came too quickly, but it was a nice change. Sunday had been full of reflection that Dean figured was unnecessary. He wasn’t ever really good at sitting with himself and digesting his life. He was ready for Tuesday, to watch some baseball and sit and think about what his life could have been if he kept going after college. He was ready to eat with Sammy and Jess on Wednesday. He was ready to do anything but have another weekend when his only choices were sleeping with someone who didn’t matter to him or sitting alone at his house. 

Now, Dean had no problem going out to eat alone. He was a businessman, and he traveled often by himself. He ate in restaurants and sat at bars and went to hotel breakfasts all alone, and he never had a problem with it. He didn’t have one as he sat at the local diner, ready to eat a cheeseburger at his favorite restaurant in much needed yet much avoided silence. 

Dean wasn’t looking as he opened the door to the restaurant. He was on his phone, aggressively texting back a client, when he felt the door push open while he pulled. He shuffled to the side, letting the other person out first. 

“Wow.”

That one word was familiar. It was deep and gravely, mature even, and it sent a chill down his spine. Dean’s head whipped up, and he had to bite his tongue to stop from screaming when he saw who was standing in front of him. 

It had been years since he had seen Castiel. Not in person, not on Facebook, not on fucking LinkedIn. Nothing. His image of Castiel was of how he looked twelve years ago, the very last time he saw him. 

The time when Castiel saw him kiss a girl in the bar after he broke up with him. 

It had been years and years, and Castiel looked different. He was still gorgeous, but he was older. Dean wouldn’t admit that the aging made him look even better, not even to himself. His eyes, still that brilliant blue, seemed to be lighter. Like there was less weight on his shoulders. Dean had a million questions, a million things to say, but he couldn’t find any words more than just one, a name he hadn’t dared to mutter in years. 

“Cas?” 

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel said, and then casually, as if he hadn’t just ruined Dean’s entire fucking day or threw his entire thought process off course for the next month, he stepped to the side of the door and let it close. They were outside together, and Dean was standing in front of Castiel. “How are you?” 

How was he? How was he? Dean didn’t have an answer for himself, let alone his high school ex… whatever, who was clearly happier without him. 

“I’m…” he couldn’t get the lie out. “What are you doing here?” 

“Well, I live here now,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. He looked so carefree. “I was in California, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the heat and the trash. So, I moved back closer to home.” 

“Oh.” 

“You look fancy,” Castiel said, looking him up and down once, and Dean wondered why. When they were kids, Cas would look at him for what felt like hours.

“I uh, I’m on my lunch.” 

“You must be some sort of…” Castiel trailed off. “Finance bro? That’s what you called it, right? Didn’t you want that?” 

Didn’t he? Was that even a question? That was all Dean had talked about besides being a baseball star. How in the world had he forgotten? 

Dean hadn’t forgotten a goddamn thing that Cas had ever told him. 

“Uh, yeah. I work in finance now.” 

And then Castiel smiled. He beamed, like he was truly happy for him. “That’s great, Dean!” 

“Yeah.” It was. On paper, it was. He made a lot of money and he was grateful for his job, but that didn’t change the fact that his apartment was empty. There were paintings hanging on the wall for decoration, but they weren’t Castiel’s. There was a bookshelf that was full of papers and documents, not of Castiel’s favorites, or of the ones he had written and printed out himself. “Um, are you still painting?” 

“Yes, I do it as a hobby.” That shattered Dean’s heart. He had always hoped Cas made his dream a reality. “But I’m a writer now.” 

Dean’s heart jumped. That was always his second favorite thing to do. Castiel was always creating something, always forming something whether it was words on a page or clay. “Wow, that’s… that’s really good. Um, you sellin’ any copies?” 

Castiel chuckled. “Yes. My books have been doing really well. They’re my livelihood.” Dean was terrified to even ask what the books were called. He didn’t want to know, because then he would have to find them. He wasn’t sure he could stomach buying them one day, having a piece of Castiel and his brain and his words inside his home, shoved onto a shelf- “I’m very happy.” 

“I can tell.” Dean could practically see it radiating off of him. Castiel’s joy was the same color as the sunlight that seemed to be absorbing into his skin as they stood outside, and Dean both wanted to never look at Castiel again and never stop. “You look happy.” 

For a moment, Castiel just looked at him with his interrogative blue eyes, and Dean heard the sounds of traffic between their silence. Dean let Castiel look despite how uncomfortable he felt under his stare, because he had missed those eyes. He had missed them so much, even as they looked at him with a guarded expression that he had never seen in them before. 

“Well, I’m gonna go ahead and order my burger,” Dean said, gesturing toward the door, and Cas smiled at him again. 

“Sure,” Castiel said as if Dean needed permission, “it was good to see you.” 

Good to see you. That was what two people who used to sit next to each other in chemistry years ago said. That was what acquaintances said to each other when they intended on never seeing each other again. That wasn’t what Castiel was supposed to say to Dean. 

How fucking painful. 

“You too, Cas,” he said, and he hated the way that the last word faded out. Dean opened the door to the diner and was about to step in when he heard Castiel take in a breath. 

“Hey, Dean?”

Dean’s entire body tensed up at that, and he turned around, hoping that it wasn’t obvious that he was about to fall apart. “Yeah?”

“I hope you’re doing alright.” And then, he watched Castiel give him a small smile, and walk right away from him all over again, with a certain light jog to his step that was new to Dean, leaving him to walk into the diner with a dazed look on his face, and tears in his eyes the second he finished ordering. 

Dean ate his lunch in silence. His burger tasted like ash in his mouth as he thought about the bridge he was sure he had sent crashing down in flames years and years ago. His hands shook, almost like they used to all the way back in middle school when he stopped up to the plate to bat. His heart was racing in his chest, and when he realized his time was up, he left enough money to pay for the tip and left without saying goodbye to his favorite waitress. 

As the day went on, most of what Dean did, he did in silence. Where he would usually be talking or being charismatic, he was a blank sheet of paper. Whether that was the breakroom or the printing area, he didn’t say a word. He clicked away at the computer on his desk with no music on, no background noise, and his door was completely closed. 

On his drive home in his Baby, he didn’t turn the music on. That was a first as he drove right to the liquor store, lost in thought and letting his muscle memory guide him. He went right in, grabbed what he needed, paid, and then walked right out, and before he even realized it, he was home and slipping his key into his apartment door. 

Dean’s house was empty. Of course it was. It was clean, but there was practically nothing in there. There was nothing that stood out. There was no personality. He could imagine that it was the absolute opposite of what Cas’s place looked like. He stomped to his prized cabinet and slammed it open, trying not to think of how there would be at least seven paintings hanging up in his hallway if Castiel shared his space. 

He slammed the liquor bottle down on the table just to open it. He stomped to the cabinet and took out a glass way too big for what was about to be poured into it, and he got to it. He didn’t feel the burn, and he wasn’t sure if it was because he was simply used to it, or because it blended in with the agony that he already felt. 

There was too much to think about. He had blocked out so much, ran from so much, that it was all catching up to him in one night. His entire kingdom of not being lonely was crumbling, and it was crumbling because of one sighting. His whole adult life, all that he had built without any consideration of who he once was, was being dismantled because he saw the ghost of his past once. Once. 

As Dean sat at his small kitchen table, he thought about the way Castiel’s eyes had looked years ago when he said the words that broke both of their hearts. He thought about the ache in his own chest while he watched his best friend, his something more, walk out of his bedroom for the last time. 

Seeing Castiel again was like a round of rock salt to the chest, and it had him regretting that it wasn’t a real bullet to put him out of his misery. 

They had dreams together. They had spoken about it under the stars. There were so many that they had thrown out there like most kids in high school did, but the dream was for Dean to be exactly what Castiel had almost not remembered, a “finance bro” who had money. And Castiel wanted to be a painter or an author, and Dean always believed that he could. He was always so good at it. And they were supposed to do it all together.

He remembered when Castiel used to believe in him, too. Used to believe that he could do good, that he could be strong enough to play through a minor injury, that he could pass all his tests. That he could be a good partner. A good man. 

It all crashed over him at one, and he reached out and threw the bottle into the wall. “Fuck!” It shattered, and instead of it bringing him back down to earth, he got even more angry. He looked down at the table, and he was hit with memories from the summer of junior year, when his dad let him and Castiel paint an old table. Cas had made that old, light brown wood into an entirely new piece, transforming it into a beautiful landscape of a garden. Of course Castiel could make regular wood into something worthy enough of being in a museum. He had tried to do the same with Dean, but Dean was just the wood that wouldn’t be sanded down into something smooth, the wood that was too warped-

“Goddamn it!” He shouted, and he punched the table as hard as he could. He ignored the way his knuckles cracked, and he flipped the entire table in a fit of rage, sending glass flying. He picked up the nearest chair and flung it right into the wall, and he was shocked by how easily the legs shattered.

He was losing it. He could feel his mind spiraling faster and faster, like water in a whirlpool, and he felt like he was seconds away from getting sucked right to the bottom. He put the heels of his hands against his eyes, pressing hard, as if that could rid his eyes of the burning of his tears and the images of Castiel, the ghost that haunted every corner of his mind. 

Dean wasn’t an idiot. He knew when he was getting to the point of no return. It was rare he needed help, and even more rare when he wanted it, but he could feel himself starting to hyperventilate, and he knew that he didn’t have a lot of time left before the real descent into despair kicked in, and there was only one person who could even begin to help him. 

 He grabbed his phone, scrolling for one name and one name only. The phone rang three times before it picked up. His hands shook, and his breath was ragged as he tried to speak. “Sammy, I need you to come here.” He offered no explanation and hung up, sliding down to the floor with his head in his hands. 

Dean sat there with his hands cradling his head against the wall silently crying to himself. It was the first time he had openly cried in a long time, let alone about Castiel. His heart was heavy as he leaned against the wall, and his mind was racing with so many thoughts that he didn’t even notice Sam come in until he was being touched. 

“Woah, Dean,” Sam said, putting his hand on his shoulder, “what- are you okay? What the fuck happened?” 

Dean could see his brother looking around the room at the disaster he had caused. Sam looked so concerned that it made Dean’s heart clench even more. He must have looked like shit. “I saw Castiel.” 

Sam’s brows shot up. “I’m sorry, you- what?” 

“I saw Castiel.” He repeated it just the same, shaking his head. “I fuckin’ saw him at the diner.” 

It was quiet for a few moments, and Sam’s hand left his shoulder. “He’s back in town, that’s right,” Sam murmured, and Dean slowly turned his head to look at his brother. 

“What do you mean, ‘that’s right’?” 

“I keep up with him,” Sam admitted with a shrug, and Dean’s heart dropped. “I knew he was moving back in the area, but I didn’t think you would run into each other. Not so soon, either.” 

“You knew?” Dean asked, and he felt his temper rising. How in the hell could Sam know that Castiel Novak of all people was coming back and not mention it?  “You should have told me he was coming back.” 

“In my defense, every time I pitched the idea of you talking to him, you lost your mind.” Sam looked around again, and Dean didn’t need him to speak to know that he was using his current state as an example. 

Dean’s mind made him circle back to one of the first things Sam said. “You keep up with him?” 

“He was my friend too, Dean,” Sam defended. “I knew him too.” 

“So, what, do you two text each other, or something?” 

“I call him on holidays,” Sam said casually, and Dean’s eyes bugged out of his skull. 

“Really, Sam?” 

“Castiel’s family wasn’t too nice when we were kids and it only got worse,” Sam said, “he doesn’t have a ton of people to go home to during holidays like we do, Dean. I thought you would have remembered that.” 

The anger swirled through Dean again. “You think I fucking forgot anything about him?” How could he? Why did everyone think that Dean had just miraculously forgotten everything? Why did everyone think that he didn’t give a fuck? “I didn’t forget, Sam.” 

“Well then, you should know why it’s a good idea to call an old friend at Christmastime, Dean.” 

They sat there in silence, shoulder to shoulder in brotherly camaraderie. The quiet was nice, even as the urge to scream again started to swell inside of Dean. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, begging to be released from the sight of Castiel in his mind. He was seeing images of him from when he was younger, and he was seeing the newest version, the way he looked now. It was all too much. 

“I think that…” Sam sighed. “I think that you should try to meet up with him, Dean.” 

“I don’t know if he wants to see me.” Dean wasn’t sure if he could stomach seeing Castiel so close to him again, either. Not without throwing up all over his shoes. Not without falling to his knees and letting the guilt and regret take him. 

“I didn’t say that he would say yes,” Sam said, holding his hands up. “But I think you should try. This is… clearly something that’s been sitting on your chest for years. Years.” 

“It’s not his job to clear my conscience.” 

“Exactly. And I think you know that now,” Sam said candidly. “I think… for the first few years you were feeling more guilt than anything else. You weren’t ready then. But recently it seems like you finally realized that the sinking feeling in your gut isn’t pity.” 

He was already sick of Sam and his little therapist act, and he was ready to rip his own fucking hair out. “What?”

“I think you’re finally understanding why nothing helps,” Sam said vaguely. “It's a regret that you’re feeling now. You regret leaving. And I don’t think you’re ever going to be able to move on unless Castiel slams the door on you himself.” 

Dean’s heart stuttered. “Slams-”

“He may open it, who knows? But you hurt him real bad.” 

“I know.” 

“The last memory he has of you is of you hating yourself for being gay.” 

“I’m not-”

“You’re gonna have to cut out that denial thing, and you better do ti fast,” Sam said, shaking his head. “You like men and you like women. You can’t keep a girl around because you miss one man in particular. I get it. It's no big deal.”

For a moment, all Dean could do was look at his brother, his little brother who was taller than him, and even more to Dean’s disdain, smarter than him. Emotionally and otherwise. And he knew Sam was right. He knew that he was, but that didn’t change the fact that he was in his millionth year of fighting a battle he never thought he could win. 

“I… it’s hard, Sammy.” 

“I know it is,” Sam said quietly. “But it’ll be okay. I just want you to be happy, and I think that talking to Castiel might really help you. Whatever it leads to, I really want you to try. I think that one day you two might be able to be on speaking terms. Is that… something you think you would want?”

It was a hard question. Did Dean even want to live knowing Castiel was back in the area, knowing that they wouldn’t ever be anything but cordial if they saw each other again? Or would he rather be his friend, be someone that Castiel smiled at but held at arm’s length? What was worse? Was there a better option? And then Dean remembered how sick he felt when he saw him unprepared, and Dean nodded his head slowly. 

“But before you try, Dean,” Sam said, “you have to do some work on yourself. You have to. Or you’re just gonna make it worse. Sit with yourself for a while, okay? Get your mind straight, come to some conclusions. Ask for help if you need to. And when you’re ready, ask me for his number. Alright?”

Dean hardly remembered agreeing, but he must have muttered something, because his brother patted him on the back, sat with him for a few more minutes, and then got up to leave. Dean looked at the nearly empty bottle of liquor from where he was on the floor, and he turned his head away from it.

********

heyyyy people 🤪 i needed this out of the drafts IMMEDIATELY and it was ready!! the next part shouldn’t take long at all, especially because it’s mostly already done. i’m gonna try to catch up on the fourth (and likely last part, unless it runs away from me yet again lol). but yeah if you enjoyed this let me know!! thank you so much for reading 💕💕

@actuallymothman here ya go!! 💕💕

[lareinita]

Doctor who? Chapter I

Evening! So I tried my best putting a start of an idea to paper - obviously, this is fiction and I do not intend to picture someone in false light. Let me know what you think and if you wish the story to continue?

The Opium in Barcelona. The evening’s young, just after 11 pm. Present for now, are only the little ones hyping the newest hip hop beats to press away their stressful school week.

It was wild in a club like this, tons of different lights, crowded dance floors and a variety of drinks to chose from at several bars. Usually, one would not think about finding love, someone true and adorable, who you would spend years of your life with in a place like this. Sometimes, Karma plans differently though and surprises you with not just a short-term treat but an actual cheesy love story…

Alexia.

Alexia Putellas. La reina. Queen of Barcelona, is not one to lose it completely on a night like this, but in order to worship another great win, she agreed on joining the team to celebrate. Her and Irene decided to drive together, targeting the club directly, since the the kids of the team seemed to be eager to pre-drink at one of the girl’s places before throwing themselves into the night.

Getting into the facility easily (there have to be some advantages of being popular footballers), they approach the main bar in the middle of club right away. It's quiet, still some spots left to sit down and enjoy one or two drinks. As the two take their chance to get a quick refresher, they only notice a few couples lost in deep conversation ... or other activities, around them.

“Hi, can we get an Old fashioned and a Gin tonic, please?” - Irene orders, already looking forward to letting out some steam and spending some quality time with her second family.

Vibing to the fancy music in the background while waiting for their order, she suddenly notices a completely absent Alexia hovering next to her. She’s almost losing her eyes on a special target or rather ... a special someone. Nudging her carefully, Irene tries to confront her friend about the delicate situation: “Hey, are you okay, Ale?”

“Sí, yeah, just …” - “... undressing that girl over there in your mind?”, Irene finishes with a smirk.

“Oye, callaté!” Alexia grumbles. Grabbing her drink, she leaves to join some of the girls from the team, who have meanwhile arrived and occupied a quiet, more private area of the club.

Noelle.

Working in Barcelona after graduating seemed like a very good idea. Reconnecting with her birth country and finally being able to put her crazy language skills to good use, drove her to the eastern coast of Spain, into a new chapter of life.

After only two weeks of a grueling induction period at her new job, it seemed almost impossible to get used to so much work, so much drama and most of all, so much responsibility.

Needing to get her mind off stress and self doubts, it seemed to be a great idea joining a few work mates partying in a very prestigious club. Although being on call, Noelle wanted to at least have some fun and be around people, who did not desperately demanded attention for severe health issues.

Since The Opium was quite popular, the group decided to get in early, in order to secure a nice seating area. Talking to another newcomer at the Vall d’Hebron, Noelle was nursing a Sprite at the bar, when she, out of nothing, noticed a familiar looking woman staring her down. She was stunning. Blond hair falling loosely around her strong face lines, her clear eyes making her very, very attractive. “Chica, what’s with your side eye? Are you planning on hooking up with someone?” Thalia asked shamelessly. “No. I just like the looks of that woman over there. I’m not sure, but I think I've seen her somewhere.”

Thalia couldn’t even catch a glimpse at the blonde, because moments later, she almost fell over her own feet, seeming to be startled by her friend. Slightly embarrassed she rushed towards a group of women sitting in one of the more private areas of the club.

"Well, so much for hooking up with someone", Noelle whispered to herself. Focusing on the ongoing conversation again, she lost track of the swarming glances, Alexia continued to give her across the club.

Alexia.

About an hour later, the team was in overdrive, joking around and laughing in order to celebrate the joined achievements! "Pina!" a very tipsy María blurted out. "I dare you to get a bottle of vodka from the bar and to not pay for it!" "What? You know I love this game, but how am I supposed to do that?" She answered surprised. "Guess you have to come up with something," Mapi answered with a mischievous grin.

Being successful, only god knows how she did that, Pina returned with her treasure and the group started drinking shots and playing along with the game until it was Alexia's turn to master a dare.

By now, a couple of the girls have noticed her sneakingly watching a pretty woman a couple of tables away. So Jana took her chance to shove her captain in the direction of an adventure:

"Ale, I dare you to invite someone not from our team to have a drink with you! How about the hot woman, you've been staring at since we got here?"

Smash. Jana had busted her. She hated this.

But maybe, this stupid game could be a chance to approach the attractive brunette after all. Alexia downed one more shot of vodka. She took a deep breath and moved towards the bar, looking confident as always - but inside, she felt absolutely helpless, having no clue how to impress her teammates and more importantly, approach her person of interest.

She slid on an open seat, mind racing in order to make a plan, when it hit her. She remembered watching one of those stupid romances with her sister the other night and pulled an idea she had been impressed by since: "Sorry, um, do you by any chance remember, what the girl over there ordered throughout the evening?", she motioned carefully to the group of strangers, Noelle being one of them. "Yeah, she's keeping it clean tonight, she ordered a couple of soft drinks", the bartender answered right away. "Could you prep a coke then and maybe offer her, bill's on me though." Alexia asked politely, but very satisfied with her move. "Sure, no problem!" With a wink, he was on his way to the dark haired woman.

Noelle.

Enjoying the ease of the night, Noelle loosened up more and more, forgetting about the actual chaos in her brain. Suddenly, one of the bartenders came over and placed another ice cold coke in front of her.

“Gracias, but I didn’t …” - "Someone at the bar seems to be very interested in you", the bartender said excitedly, motioning in Alexia's direction. Everyone just stared. The group was silent for a moment, before they erupted in excitement. "What the ... It's her, she was starring at you earlier, remember?" Thalia shot. "How'd you do that", someone else through in.

"Gosh, relax, she's probably just playing it cool in front of her friends. Just another nice Spanish women, like everyone in this town!" Noelle tried to downplay the situation, completely unaware about who just send her that drink. "Noie, you know who that is, don’t you?" Ruben, another intern, asked stunned. "She looked familiar, but i could not remember her earlier..." - "Noie, that is Alexia Putellas - Queen of soccer, Barcelona's golden girl! How can you not recognize her, tonta!", he tried to make his friend aware of who just randomly offered her very personal meet and greet.

Awareness kicking in slowly, Noelle felt her cheeks flush, heat slowly creeping up her neck. Thank god, that it was dark in that club, only strobes and neon lights allowing contours of the crowd. Otherwise, every single person in this hall could have seen her glow from excitement.

Should she really head over to that superwomen in front of everyone watching? Within seconds she decided to play along. She stood up slowly, walked towards the blonde, her entourage whistling and cheering in the background. The closer she got, the better and indeed, sharper was her watch for that stunning superstar. "Hey there", she started hesitantly. Alexia smiled, almost shy as she answered "Hola bonita. Um, I did not think this would actually work…" "Well, I guess you got my attention now"!

The music was blasting through the club, bass thudding deep and the rhythm of the current song inviting more and more people to move on the dance floor, which was packed by now.

Conversation between the two women at the bar was flowing easily, both of them ignoring their friends watching and teasing from their respective seats.

"So, you live here, or are you just visiting Barcelona?" Alexia asked genuinely curious. "I just moved here a couple of weeks ago, found a good job after graduation. But to be honest, this city is crazy - beautiful and charming, but also very overwhelming! I have experienced so much new stuff in such a short time, I have to admit, I'm gonna need a while to adjust. Haven't even found a new apartment yet."

"Well maybe you just need a good guide! You know, someone, who knows all the good places, away from the crazy mainstream..." Alexia answered. "Coincidently, I happen to know someone, who would be willing to offer some time for a new resident in Barcelona", she added smirking.

Getting over the usual small talk, they really hit it off, talking more about the city and popular spots, but also about food and restaurants, which made Noelle really looking forward to not just be successful in Barcelona, but also to maybe actually building a life here. With Alexia present, she even spent some quick thoughts about building a life with a partner, which would fulfill her personal life-dream pretty accurately.

Time passed quickly.

"Ale, would you excuse me for a minute? I really need to um, you know ..." - "Sure, you know where to find me". The minute Noelle left the bar, half the team raced to their captain, dying to hear about the obviously tingling situation between the two women. "Capi, you hitting it off with the beautiful girl!" - "Yeah, phase 2? Are you gonna kiss her?" - "She obviously likes you, Ale, you need to do something! Take action!"

"Chicas, chicas, calm down! It's so comfortable with her. I'm not gonna destroy that by becoming all touchy!" The women continued shouting out moves, that Alexia was supposed to play and started betting about how far Alexia would push this night. They knew their friend well, so they also were aware of Alexia not having had dates or hook ups for months now and they wished nothing else but satisfaction for her…

Through all the craziness in the group, Alexia felt her hand being pulled and notices the slim figure of her interest.

Being very, very close to hear ear, Noelle whispered: "thought I should rescue you out of this madness", chuckling in the most adorable way. "Dance with me?"

With that bold move, Alexia felt herself heat up. This beautiful (still) stranger leading her onto a steamy dance floor with some really hot rhythms playing loud and suggestive. Letting herself being pulled into the crowed, away from the curious eyes, Alexia didn’t notice her hands moving completely on autopilot, finally resting on Noelles hips. Her curves felt so freaking good under the footballer’s fingertips. They swayed together, even synching their bodies, both aware of how comfortable this felt.

A slower song started to play, when Noelle took the chance to move her fingers up Alexia’s arms, resting them behind her neck. There were no words needed, both knowing they were drawn to each other.

Alexia surely thought about going further, glimpsing at some very kissable looking lips from time to time, only to then loose herself in that beautiful laugh with the cute dimples once again.

Disturbing the pink bubble, these two were in, a quite strong buzz arose. A phone? Her phone. Maybe a wing-friend, checking if she was alright?

She felt Noelle sigh deeply, and saw her reaching in her back pocket. Taking in the situation, Alexia also noticed her hands being very, very close to the girl's back pockets - that was okay, was it? She hadn’t shown any discomfort…

Not even looking up from her screen, Noelle started moving quickly. “I am so sorry, I have to leave. Now.” She let go of the footballer’s body, leaving her feel cold and alone all of the sudden. Alexia reacted, chased her through the crowd, watching her new “friend” looking for her group. Arriving at their table, two other women were already grabbing their things, saying quick goodbyes to the remaining and moved towards the door - followed by an almost overwhelmed Noelle.

“Wait” What’s going on, don’t leave now!”, Alexia grabbed her arm, holding her back and tried to get the slightest explanation for the sudden rush.

“I’m sorry, I can’t - I …” - “Noelle, move it!” An almost angry looking woman screamed in their direction.

And with that, she was out of sight. Alexia was literally perplex - not having the tiniest idea, what just happened.

With an almost cowered posture, she made her way towards the remaining girls of her team. Not saying a single word, she let herself fall next to Irene, who noticed her friend’s discomfort immediately.

“Tía, what happened? Where’s your girl?” - The table went silent, everybody waiting on a statement. “She’s gone.”

“Gone? What do you mean?” - “Have you done something?” - “Did she do something?”

Alexia, obviously overwhelmed by the interrogation, only brought out a “no, no, she didn’t do anything wrong, just had to leave suddenly.” - “Do you have her number at least?” a speechless María asked with wide eyes.

“No.”

[formula-nyoom]

Stars Racing Past-7

Summary: With the revelation that the slave trader from (Y/N)'s past is on Naboo, (Y/N) and Max must form a plan to put a stop to his dealings. But with emotions running high, is there a chance that (Y/N) may go too far in wanting to see this man be brought to justice?

Warnings: Child abuse, slavery, child imprisonment, minor character death, loose interpretation of The Force and how it works

A/N: I'm back bitches, if anyone still cares about this series. This chapter is dedicated to @elegantweird-orchest who's comments on the last chapter made me want to continue with this series. Turns out this chapter was almost finish when I stopped working on it. But hey, comments and feedback are what keep me going so I was able to finish it. No idea when the next chapter will be out. Hope you enjoy!

Series Masterlist

~~~

“Can’t we just go and arrest him?”

 “There needs to be sufficient evidence that this man is a slave trader. I don’t doubt (Y/N)’s recognition of this man, but we are on Naboo and the government isn’t just going to accept a recounting of when she was a child.”

It had been an hour after the market. Max and Kelly were quick to get (Y/N) out of thre and back to Kelly’s house. Now, after Penelope had been put down for a nap, Max and Kelly were arguing on how to approach the situation in regards to the slave trader from (Y/N)’s past. 

 “As Jedi, me and (Y/N) have authority to arrest him.” Max said. He was ready to apprehend the man on the spot.

 “You’re not listening to me Max! Just because you’re a Jedi doesn’t mean you can enforce your authority everywhere without reason.” Kelly said.

 “Senator Piquet is right.”

(Y/N) hadn’t said anything since they left the market, until now. Max and Kelly both looked at her, a bit of shock on Max’s face.

“He could still be in the business of slave trading force sensitive kids. If we go and arrest him now, we won't be able to help those he’s trading. I want to see him brought to justice but we have to be smart about this.”(Y/N) explained.

 “(Y/N)’s right. We can’t be impulsive.” Kelly said, looking at Max.

“I’m just worried about taking too long to confront this man. We don’t know if he’s living here on Naboo or just visiting for possible business. If we wait too long, he could be gone by the time we act.”

 “I don’t disagree with you on that, Max. But we need a plan.” Kelly said. “(Y/N), you know him best, do you have any ideas?”

 The two looked back at (Y/N) as she looked down at the floor. Max could tell that she wasn’t very present to the conversation and turned back to Kelly.

“Can you give us a moment alone?” Max asked her. Kelly glanced at (Y/N) for a brief moment before looking back at Max. She nodded her head and left to go check on Penelope. 

Once Kelly was out of the room, Max walked over to (Y/N).

“Are you ok?” He asked. (Y/N) hesitated in answering before shaking her head.

“No.”

 “I know that this is a lot for you and just seeing the man affected you in a major way. But to be able to stop him, or bring him in, or just bring justice to all the harm he caused you and others in the past…(Y/N) we’re going to need information about him.” Max told her.

 “It’s…it’s just hard. Seeing him again. I thought I would never come across him again…and to see him here, on Naboo…”(Y/N)’s sentence trailed off. Max could see the pain on the girl’s face and wanted to stop the conversation there. But there are things he needed to know.

“How did you end up with him?” He asked. 

 “I don’t know.” was (Y/N)’s immediate response

“What do you mean?” Max asked. (Y/N) looked up at him.

“When you're a slave, you learn to block out most things that are unpleasant or terrible during that time.” (Y/N) said. “But I guess dreams have a way of tearing down the progress I had made, since I keep dreaming about him.”

(Y/N) sighed.

 “So you have no memory of things that happened before that man?”

“The earliest memory I have is when I’m three. I’m sitting in a cage and his face is staring back at me with a cruel smile.” (Y/N) said. She ran a hand through her hair, something Max knew she did when she was frustrated.

“I don’t know where I was born. I don’t know who my parents are. I don’t know if that man took me from them or if they gave me up willingly. I remember bits and pieces of the time before I was sold on Tatooine…but I don’t remember everything of my time with that man.”(Y/N) said. She sat down on one of the couches and looked down at her hands. Max could see the conflicted look on her face. He never asks (Y/N) questions about her past, especially considering the circumstance she was in before Seb and Kimi found her. Max always felt that if (Y/N) wanted to tell him things about her past, she would do so in her own time. 

But not being able to remember one’s past is another thing. 

“Would you…want to try and remember?” (Y/N) looked up at Max confused.

 “What?” Max sat down next to (Y/N) and fully faced her.

“During meditation, Jedi are able to recall things with better clarity. By using The Force, you may be able to remember something you’ve forgotten.” Max said. “And if we do it together, you may be able to show me.”

(Y/N) looked back down at her hands, thinking it over.

“I’m only suggesting this, so that we can be better prepared in facing this man.” Max said. “But if you don’t want to , we can find another way to-”

“Ok.” (Y/N) said, cutting Max off.

 “Are you sure?” He asked her. (Y/N) nodded.

“You’re right. We need to be smart about this.” She told him, but a hint of concern still showed on her face. “We can give it a shot. But Max, some things are best left forgotten.”

“I know. This may not work, but if it does, just know that you can stop it at any time.” Max told her. “You don’t have to show me anything you don’t want me to see.” 

They moved down to the floor and sat crossed legged, opposite each other. (Y/N) took a deep breath before closing her eyes and focusing on The Force. Max looked at her for a second, seeing the calm wash over her face as she entered mediation, before he closed his eyes and started meditating as well. 

Max felt (Y/N)’s presence in The Force and centered his focus on it. He could feel a bit of hesitation from his padawan, but eventually felt that his presence was welcomed as (Y/N) focused on trying to remember. 

(Y/N) didn’t like thinking about the memories she had before Seb and Kimi found her. Those were times when (Y/N) was weak and hopeless, times that reminded (Y/N) of how cruel the galaxy could be. (Y/N) almost felt scared at the thought of delving into her past, her brain blocked out things for a reason. But if she was going to confront this man, she needed a reminder of what she was dealing with.

(Y/N) took a deep breath and focused on trying to remember her life before she became a Jedi, before Tatoonie. 

Something around them seemed to shift.

Max opens his eyes and sees not the (Y/N) he knows now, but a 4 year old version of his padawan standing in front of him. She looks at him confused.

“Max…” 

Her voice is so small

Suddenly the 4 year old version of (Y/N) is thrown against a wall and the surroundings come into clear view. They are standing in a dimly lit room with stone walls and various cages strewn about. If Max were to squint he would be able to vaguely make out a figure or two in the cages. But his eyes are focused on his padawan as she lies curled up on the floor. Standing in front of her is the same man Max saw at the market.

“Pathetic. All that work I did to obtain you and you can’t make a lousy box move!” The man yelled. (Y/N) lets out a sob and the man kneels down in front of her. He grabs her by the neck and slams her against the wall.

 “I’m supposed to make good money off of you. And I can’t do that if your fancy powers are useless to potential buyers.”

“I can do it! Please! Just let me try again!” (Y/N) sobs. She grabs at the hand holding her neck but doesn’t fight to try and pry it away.

Anger boils in Max’s chest seeing how (Y/N) was being treated. He tries to run towards the man, grab his shoulders and throw him to the ground. But Max can’t move. It’s a memory after all. He is just a witness to a memory that isn’t his own. 

The man drops (Y/N). Her sob and the sound she makes when she hits the floor echoes in Max’s ears.

 “Do it again. Make it move!”

Max’s surroundings shift again as he stands in a sandstone building. The air around him feels hot and Max notices there are no windows in this building. 

Max watches as the man leads a couple to one of the nearby cages.

“She’s the best one I have.” He says. Max looks closer and sees a now six year old (Y/N) sitting in the cage, hugging her knees. Bruises littered her arms and she didn’t look up to meet the faces of those that stood in front of her cage.

 “Can we see a demonstration?”

“To prevent any of them from turning loose on me, I have to keep them in these cages that are equipped with force dampeners. You know how powerful “these kind” can be.” The man said, speaking as if the girl caged in front of her wasn’t human. The couple with the man looked at (Y/N) like she wasn’t human. Like she was an appealing product they may be interested in buying.

“How much?”

Before Max can hear the answer, his surroundings shift again.

The only thing that Max can focus on is the man landing a swift kick to five-year old (Y/N)’s stomach. She sobs and the man kicks again.

“That little escape attempt of yours is going to cost you!”

Again Max tries to move his legs, but he is still frozen in place. The man kicks again, harder this time and Max see’s blood fly out of (Y/N)’s mouth. 

“It’s not real (Y/N)! It’s just a memory!” Max yells. “You can make it stop!”

Yelling seemed to be the only thing that he could try and do to get through to his padawan, as he tried to move his legs again. (Y/N) didn’t seem to hear Max as she let out another sob.

 “You should be grateful! Without me, you’d be living on the streets! Hungry and helpless!” The man said. 

What the man said, seemed to spark something in (Y/N), probably with how untrue his words were. 

Before the man could let out another kick, (Y/N) let out a yell and the man flew backwards, pushed away by an unseen force. Max felt like he could finally move and bolted towards (Y/N). He kneeled in front of his padawan and took her face in his hands.

 “(Y/N), it’s Max! We don’t need to see anymore! We can stop!” Max said. Tears streamed down (Y/N)’s face but she blinked them away as her and Max made eye contact. Suddenly (Y/N) is no longer 5 years old, but back to her present day self. She pulls Max close and holds him tight like something is about to tear her away from him at any moment.

The barren walls and horrid cages faded away and soon their surroundings changed to the living room of Kelly’s house and the only sound Max can hear is the sobs of his padawan. (Y/N) clung to Max as she sobbed into his shoulder. He rubbed her back and gently cooed to try and calm her down.

“It’s over, (Y/N). It’s ok. You’re safe.” He quietly said. As much as what Max had seen was helpful, he now wished that (Y/N) had never agreed to go through with it.

“I’m sorry for even suggesting the idea. I shouldn’t have made you go through and relive stuff like that.” Max told her. 

~~~

Max goes back to the market later the next day, intent on finding The Slavetrader. A seed of rage had planted itself in Max’s stomach after what he had witnessed that man do to (Y/N) in the past. Max has half the mind to hunt this man down but he, Kelly and (Y/N) had agreed to a plan. That’s how Max found himself dressed in clothes that Kelly’s ex-husband had left behind. He also doesn’t have his lightsaber, since the clothes he’s wearing doesn’t allow for him to properly hide it. Max hated that he was without his saber, but he needed to look like a foreigner, not a Jedi. 

He was able to find The Slavetrader and followed him all the way to a cantina. Max waited a bit after The Slavetrader walked in before going in himself. It wasn’t a crowded cantina, with it being midday and too early for people to start drinking. Which was perfect for Max and what he was about to do. 

Instead of walking over to the booth that The Slavetrader sat in, Max walked over to the bar and ordered a drink. 

 “You from out of town?” The barkeep asked him.

“Yea. I’m a moisture farmer from Tatoonie.”

 “We don’t get many people from that desert planet here on Naboo. What brings you here?” The barkeep asked.

 “Well, business has been piling up on the farm and it’s becoming too much for just me to handle. I’ve been trying to hire someone to help me out on the farm but had no luck on finding someone on Tatooine, so I decided to look elsewhere.” Max said to the barkeep. Max couldn’t turn around, but he could guess that the man sitting in the booth was listening in on what Max was saying.

 “Don’t know why you would come to Naboo looking for help. You would have better luck back in the Outer Rim.” The barkeep said to Max before moving away to help another patron. Max took another sip of his drink. He had planted the bait, now all he had to do was wait.  

Max heard the sound of footsteps approach him and soon The Slavetrader took a seat next to Max.

“You said you were looking for help on your farm?” The Slavetrader asked as he took a sip of his own drink. It takes everything in Max to not punch the man as soon as he turns to face him.

‘Calm down Max. You need him alive right now to get information.’

The seed of rage burns inside Max but he has to steel himself.

 “Yea. Are you offering to help or know where I can find some?” The Slavetrader smiled. 

“I’m a provider of “special help” for those that need an extra set of hands.” He said.

 “What kind of help?” Max asked, trying to act oblivious. The Slavetrader leaned in closer to Max.

“You know those space wizards who tote about the galaxy, claiming to be bringers of peace?” The man asked, his voice a whisper. Max had to suppress an eye roll and gave the man a nod.

 “I’ve got a couple of kids who’ve got the same ability as those space wizards. They’re really handy when it comes to manual labor, like the work you do on your farm.”

‘What I wouldn’t give to bash your skull in.’ Max thought to himself. He cleared his throat and tried to choose his next words carefully.

 “And what if I was interested in the “extra help” you were offering?” Max asked The Slave Trader. The Slave Trader grabbed a nearby napkin and took out a pen from his pocket. He scribbled something down on the napkin before handing it to Max.

“Meet me at this location after dark if you want to pursue my "wares". The Slave Trader said, before finishing the rest of his drink and walking out of the bar. Max watched him leave, a glare imminent on his face, before looking back at the napkin. 

He now had all the information he needed. And that seed of rage sprouted a bit more.

~~~

After Max had told her that The Slave Trader was still dealing with force sensitive kids, (Y/N) almost wanted to vomit. But at the same time she wasn’t surprised. No one had probably tried to put a stop to this man. But that was all going to change tonight.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Max asked (Y/N) as they waited for some of Senator Piquet’s guards to arrive to act as her protection while Max and (Y/N) were away. (Y/N) gave Max a pointed look.

 “There’s a bunch of force sensitive children being sold as slaves by the same man that sold me. Of course I want to do this Max.” She said.

 “I mean, are you sure you’re ready to face him?” Max asked. 

(Y/N)’s face softened a bit as she hesitated to answer. She sighed.

 “I don’t think I’ll really know until I’m standing right in front of him.” She looked down at the lightsaber in her hand. Max placed his hands on (Y/N)’s shoulders and made her look at him. 

“(Y/N)...you are not a slave anymore. You are a jedi. A brave, strong Jedi. You have the power to face him again.” Max told her. “He can’t hurt you anymore.” 

‘I won’t let him’

(Y/N) looked down at her saber again. One thing she knew was that she was going to put an end to The Slave Trader’s operation. Some would say that (Y/N) was going to take revenge. But revenge is not the way of the Jedi. She was going to bring justice. For herself and for all the other kids that man had hurt. 

With confirmation that there was a child slave trader on Naboo, Kelly was able to get some Nabooian guards to accompany Max and (Y/N) in arresting The Slave Trader. The location given to Max was a closed down packing building in the lesser populated city area of Naboo. (Y/N) wasn’t surprised. He always chose a location away from any presence of authority.

The plan was simple: Max and (Y/N) would go through the front, three guards would enter from the back to try and cover the back exit, while the other two guards would wait at the entrance in case anyone tried to escape from the front. (Y/N) did advise that The Slave Trader may have a couple people working for him, so a fight was imminent.

“Are you ready?” Max asked (Y/N) as they paused in front of the main door. (Y/N) took a deep breath, unclipping her saber and squaring her shoulders.

 “I’m ready.” She said. Wordlessly, she used The Force to open the door and her and Max stepped inside.

A couple men looked up at the two as they entered the room. Hirelings no doubt. There was a brief second of confusion before recognition set in and the men frantically grabbed their blasters and started aiming at the Jedi and his padawan. Max and (Y/N) activated their lightsabers and made quick work of the hirelings, deflecting their fire and sending them into various walls. Though the scuffle was anything but quiet.

“What the hell is going on in here?” The Slave Trader entered the room from an adjoining hallway. He looked at the scene before him, at all the unconscious hirelings before his eyes landed on (Y/N)

The two made eye contact and (Y/N)’s blood ran cold. For a second, she felt like the scared five-year old that this man had once owned. But the heavy weight of her saber and Max’s presence as he moved closer to her reminded (Y/N) that she was not five years old and a slave. She was sixteen and a Jedi. This man was not going to cause her fear any longer.

Recognition dawned on The Slave Trader’s face as he looked at Max and Max couldn’t help but smile at the fear that briefly flashed on the man’s face. 

Before he turned and ran down the hallway he had just come from. 

(Y/N) instinctively bolted after The Slave Trader, with Max right on her heels. The Slave Trader sporadically threw down shelves and boxes as he ran past to try and create obstacles in hopes of slowing his pursuers, but it didn’t do much to stop the two. (Y/N) vaulted over them easily and Max sent them flying back into their upright position. They ran past various other rooms as they chased the man, but they barely caught a glimpse of what was inside, both (Y/N) and Max’s attention were honed in on The Slave Trader.

 ‘You’re not getting away that easily-’

As (Y/N) was running down the hallway, her eyes caught a glimpse of something as she passed a room that made her stop in her tracks. Max crashed into her, not expecting her to suddenly stop but was able to prevent either of them from falling over.

 “Why’d you stop? He’s getting away!” Max urgently said. But (Y/N)’s attention was now on the room in front of her. She moved into the room’s entryway, hoping that what she saw was wrong about what she saw. But the sight in front of her was as real as day.

When Max had told her that there were “a couple of kids”, (Y/N) expected 4 or 5. There were at least 20 kids in this room, all locked up in cages. Max had followed his padawan’s gaze and now understood why she had halted her chase so abruptly.

 “(Y/N)...we can come back for them later.” Max said, lightly tugging at (Y/N)’s wrist so they could pursue their chase. But (Y/N) pulled her wrist away and moved towards one of the cages. 

Inside was a young boy with curly brown hair. His face was dirty and (Y/N) could see a bruise on his cheek. She kneeled in front of the cage and made eye contact with the boy.

“What's your name?” (Y/N) quietly asked.

 “Kimi.” The boy said.

(Y/N)’s heart practically shattered and something inside her started to boil. Anger. Kimi could be no older than 6. The same age (Y/N) was when she was sold. The kids in other cages looked to be of various ages, some younger, some older. It didn’t matter, (Y/N) knew they didn’t belong here.

“We need to help them Max.” (Y/N) said, standing up. 

 “(Y/N), the more time we spend in here, the more time he could escape. The Nabooian guards can help set them free.” Max said. He sounded frustrated. (Y/N) ignored him.

“Tell the guards to expect a bunch of children coming out of the building.”(Y/N) ignited her lightsaber and slashed at the lock on Kimi’s cage. She then started to do the same with all the other cages. Even though Max knew that they were just giving more time for The Slave Trader to get away, he also knew that to (Y/N) this was more important. He spoke to his communicator, informing the guards about the situation, then started to help (Y/N) to make the process go faster. 

 “Go out that door, take a left, and then go all the way down the hall and out the door. There will be guards that will help you.” (Y/N) said as she opened all doors to the cages. All the kids had started to make their way out the room. Some needed assistance, being helped by the other kids as they left the room.

Eventually Kimi was the only one left, even though he was the first one to be freed.

“You’re free now! Go!” (Y/N) exclaimed, trying to usher the boy out of the room. Kimi suddenly hugged (Y/N), catching the teen off guard.

 “Thank you for helping us.” Kimi whispered. (Y/N) felt tears forming in her eyes but didn’t let them fall as she gently wrapped an arm around Kimi.

“You didn’t deserve to be treated like this. None of you did.” (Y/N) quietly said to Kimi before finally ushering the kid towards the door. It wasn’t until the boy was finally out of the room that (Y/N) wiped the tears away. Max placed a hand on her shoulder.

 “C’mon, let’s finish this.” He said. (Y/N) nodded her head and Max saw something change in (Y/N)’s face that he had never seen in her before. Anger? Rage? Hatred? A mixture of all three seemed to be found on (Y/N)’s face as she gripped her lightsaber tightly. It was almost scary.

“That man’s gonna pay for what he did to these children.” (Y/N) said before running out of the room and resuming the chase.

Despite the extra time he had, The Slave Trader didn’t seem to get far. As soon as (Y/N) burst into what she assumed was the man’s office, she saw him start to climb out a raised window. (Y/N) threw up her hand and sent the man flying backwards, away from the window, before slamming him into a wall. 

The anger (Y/N) felt before had come to the forefront as she finally got a proper look at the man. Despite the noticeable aging since she last saw him, he still looked cruel and cocky. 

(Y/N) looked at him with hatred.

He only looked at her with slight confusion.

 “Do you remember me?” (Y/N) asked.

“If you’ve chased me all the way down as one of those space wizards now, I must have made good money off of you.” He said. His eyes shifted to Max and he let out a scoff.

 “Should have known you weren't an actual farmer.”

The man was slammed into the wall once again by (Y/N) with The Force and that’s when Max felt the energy in the room shift. He could not only sense the overwhelming and almost suffocating presence of The Force that was radiating off of (Y/N), but he could also sense her anger and hatred. And as (Y/N) walked over to The Slave Trader, he seemed to stay pinned to the wall. Max stayed by the doorway, just watching what was to unfold. 

“You caused me so much pain. You stole away my childhood and that of countless other children.”

(Y/N) ignited her lightsaber as she stalked closer. 

  “What makes you think you have the right to keep children in cages and sell them for profit?” (Y/N) asked the man. He didn’t answer. (Y/N) scoffed.

 “It’s a stupid question to ask you. Men like you only care about themselves.” She said. Anger burned with her as she got closer to the man. He couldn’t move, he was helpless. A small part of (Y/N) felt a sense of satisfaction at that. That this man was now the helpless one, not her.

 “You should have known…that one of these days, one of us was bound to come after you and make you pay for what you have done.” (Y/N) said.

She stared into the man’s eyes. There was fear in them.

She held her saber to his neck, a green hue casting over his face. One push and it would all be over. One slice and the man that tormented her life and dreams would be no longer. One easy action and (Y/N) could live her life in peace.

But taking his life away, as he had figuratively done to her when she was a child, would make her just as bad as him. The anger and hatred that was at the forefront of all this had almost blinded her from what she was. 

Jedi don’t kill out of anger and hatred.

(Y/N) gave the man one last shove against the wall before lowering her saber.

 “You’ll rot in a jail cell for the rest of your life. Isolated and alone. It can’t make up for everything that you did to me or other force sensitive kids, but killing you would just give you an easy way out. Now you’ll be the one locked in a cage.” She told him before turning around and heading towards the door.

 “The Nabooian guards can deal with him.” She said to Max, before leaving the room.

Max didn’t follow her. 

“Pathetic…” The slave trader mumbled. Max glared at the man.

 “What did you say?”

“She’s Pathetic!” The Slave trader laughed. “She had the chance to kill me and she didn’t take it!”

Max clenched his fist. That seed, now sapling, was quickly blooming and now Max felt the anger rise and it’s presence spread throughout the room.

“You’re the one who’s pathetic. You don’t know how much pain you’ve caused her. All the abuse you put her through.  You’ve robbed her of sleep, all because you wanted money!” Max said as he clenched one fist around his saber, the other grasping nothing but air. He walked towards the man

The Slave Trader was finding it hard to breathe as an unseen force closed around his throat as Max got closer.

“She showed you a kindness by sparing her life.”

Branches of rage and anger stretched out, across Max’s lungs, wrapping around his ribs and poking at his heart. Anger was the only thing Max felt in this moment.

In one swift motion, Max ignited his lightsaber and drove it through The Slave Trader’s gut.

 “You don’t deserve kindness.”

Max watched the man’s body slump to the ground and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Justice had finally been delivered. 

But despite the fact that Max felt justified in his actions, the tree that had planted itself in Max’s chest quickly withered and died as Max continued to stare at the body in front of him. With the now present absent of that anger, Max was now faced with the fact that he had just killed a man.

That fact followed Max all the way back to Kelly’s house. It left a pit in his stomach as his mind swirled with conflicted thoughts. 

Anger and hate were two feelings that were constantly told to Jedi to not let it control them and yet that was what Max had let happen. He had let his anger blind him, and even if it was temporary, it didn’t erase the body he left at the warehouse. 

 ‘If he continued living, he would always have a chance at harming force sensitive kids like (Y/N) again.’

That was what Max kept telling himself every time the image of the man’s dead body appeared in his head. But no matter how much he tried to tell himself, he still didn’t feel justified. 

As he stepped foot into Senator Piquet’s bedroom, Max was hoping that Kelly could help ease his worries, tell him that what he did was justified and that he did the right thing. But her expression mirrored his own as worry was present on her face.

 “What’s wrong?” he asked her.

“My guards informed me what happened.” Kelly said. 

Max froze. Kelly’s gaze seemed to pierce right through him and instantly made him feel guilty. He didn’t know how to respond to her, and Kelly continued after Max’s continuous silence. 

“They told me that  when they got there to apprehend him…they found him dead. It was clear that he was killed by a lightsaber.” Keylly said. “And they told me that (Y/N) had come out of the building, and you weren’t with her. You didn’t leave the building until a couple of minutes after (Y/N).”

Kelly stepped forward, the worry growing on her face. 

 “(Y/N) said you'd bring him in alive,” Kelly said. “What happened, Max?”

Max stepped closer to Kelly.

 “I did what I had to Kelly. You saw how much this man’s very presence affected (Y/N)...and the amount of children he had locked in cages. He couldn’t be left alive! Even if he was arrested and thrown in a jail cell, there was always the possibility that he could get out and continue harming kids!”

Kelly closed the distance between her and Max and gently grabbed his hands. Max couldn’t meet her eyes.

“But I feel like…I didn’t do the right thing.” Max said. “The guilt isn’t going away Kelly. I don’t know what to do. Jedi aren’t supposed to kill unless in self defense and no matter how much I justify it, this feeling won’t go away. And the anger I felt…I thought it was going to consume me…it didn’t go away till that man was dead.”

 “Does (Y/N) know…that you killed him?”

“No. I’m worried about her though…I had never seen her that angry before.” 

Max doesn’t tell Kelly about how close it had almost gotten to (Y/N) being the one to kill The Slavetrader. That was something that stayed between him and (Y/N).

 “I think you should tell her. She has a right to know that the man who tormented her as a child is dead.” Kelly said. Max nodded his head.

“I need to check up on her anyway.” He said. Still not meeting Kelly’s eyes, he gently kissed her cheek before pulling away and leaving to find his padawan. 

It wasn’t hard to find (Y/N) as she sat outside on the back porch. She almost looked calm as she stared up at the stars, but Max could sense her unease. 

“Hey…” Max quietly said to get her attention. 

 “Hey…” (Y/N) briefly looked at him before looking back at the stars. Max walked over and took a seat next to her, also deciding to gaze at the stars.

“How are you feeling?” He asked. (Y/N) looked down at her hands.

“I’m…ok…i guess.” She said, 

 “Are you sure?”

(Y/N) shook her head.

 “I know I should feel some sense of relief, that it’s all over and that man won’t hurt anyone again. But I can’t keep thinking about how I felt, back in that room.”(Y/N) said. Max turned and looked at (Y/N).

“I almost lost myself in there, Max. I was so caught up in all the anger and pain that that man had caused me, that I almost let it control me and kill him. I know that you and Seb have taught me countless times to not let my emotions control my actions and I’m terrified that this could happen again.” She told him, now turning to look at him.  

 ‘It won’t’ That’s what Max was supposed to tell her. That even though she had the capabilities of her anger overpowering her thinking, that it wouldn’t happen again as long she continued to control her emotions. Max would have told her that…if the same thing didn’t happen to him. And that’s why he was sitting in front of her right now. 

“(Y/N), I need to tell you something…”

 “What is it?”

Max knew that telling (Y/N) about what he had done to that slave trader may ease the guilt that was eating him from the inside, relieve him of some of the stress or at least help him comprehend what exactly he had done. She had a right to know.

“I…I uh…”

Max looked at (Y/N) with an expression that made it hard for him to even speak the words that he needed to say.

“I’m dating Senator Piquet”

~~~

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[eirakairos]

Rendezvous Chapter 6

Summary: It has been a couple of months since you returned to the city with Sylus and your daughter. He got everything prepared, all he needed was your approval.

A/N: Thank you so much for tuning in to Rendezvous! This took a while as I was busy for the holidays. It was slow at first, but the spirit of the holidays and 4 hours of classical music made my brain cells work lol

I was planning this would be the last chapter story-wise, maybe a couple of separate side stories in the future. Maybe some drabbles about the vacation, the wedding, or the honeymoon!

Tags: a bit fluff and comfort, MC is a mother, and Sylus and her have a daughter!, pulling heartstrings if you knew about the context esp the myth, Sylus is a girl dad hands down, traveling

It has been a couple of months since you returned to the city with Sylus and your daughter. He is glad that everything is smooth. His daughter is settling in nicely in N109 Zone while you are back working in the Hunter’s Association, but it is remote office work. You return to Linkon for a week, appearing to Tara and other colleagues. It was a joyous reunion as they cannot believe you survived after all those years. Tara was beyond excited about finally meeting your daughter, teasing that she looks more like Skye than you. 

Meanwhile, Skye was amused, watching them from his VIP room. After all, the cafe where you decided to meet them was his. They respected your decision not to return as a Deepspace hunter but offered an office job opening since they can consider your condition if you decide to go for it. Sylus gave you the liberty to do so, despite stating that you don’t have to work that hard anymore because he will take care of everything.

“Why is Mama not with us?” his daughter asked. The waiter served pasta and wine for Sylus, while his daughter got a sandwich and a peach drink.

“She is going to meet her friend Tara today, girl’s day and all,” he responded. “Then, why are we here in the cafe?” she asked. Sylus hummed and patted her head. “Very inquisitive, my daughter,” She looked at him, he seemed to be a bit nervous. “We are here because…” Her father pulls out a black box and places it on the table. She gasped. “As my daughter, I would like to ask your permission, to marry your mother,” Your daughter opened the box and it was a ring of a red gem with a black band surrounded by diamonds. “That day… I was going to spend a long vacation with her and ask her hand in marriage,” he said, remembering that fateful event. “Then I lost you two, now that you’re here, I think it's time to pick up the loose ends,”

“Papa,” Your daughter said in a serious tone. “Just marry Mama! Of course, I’m happy for you two!” Sylus blinked and chuckled. He was a bit nervous the whole day because he was not sure what his daughter thought, he still had yet to know her more. “I only wish Mama and you get married faster!” He chuckled again. “Well, that is if your Mama will say yes and if she wants to,” he said. Your daughter was confused. “Papa, of course, she will say yes. Do you want to marry her already?” Sylus shook his head, it's like dealing with a mini kitten. “Of course, sweetie. If I can marry her the next day after the proposal, I would,” he followed. “Papa, you’re just nervous,” The little girl giggled. “Thank you for the encouragement,” he said, patting her head again. She looks at the ring. “This is the ring before getting married, right, Papa?” she asked. “Yes, an engagement ring. We don’t have wedding rings yet,” he said. “She has to say yes first,”

“Oh! What if I do the rings, Papa?” she asked excitedly. “What do you mean?” he said. “I’ll draw and maybe find someone to make it! Or I’ll choose a good one! Don’t worry, Mama will let me!” She said proudly. Sylus just smiled at his daughter’s enthusiasm. It would also give a deeper meaning, sealed in matrimony till death and the next under their daughter’s hand.

“After our lunch, we will be out today,” Sylus said. “Where are we going?” you asked. “Our daughter asked to go to the mall today. Maybe she wanted new books to read, might as well use this for us to shop as well,”

Your daughter is amazed once again by how luxurious the mall is. It is big and has a lot of nice food and things to offer. Sylus opened his wallet, you saw that the photo in his wallet was a sonogram. You gasped quietly as he turned to you and handed over his black card. “Here, buy whatever you like. Luke and Kieran already have my other card for her,” he looks at the little girl, having fun with the twins as they accompany her. You hold the black card, knowing this is virtually limitless in amount but you notice something else. “That sonogram…” You pointed out his wallet. Sylus blinked and looked at it. “I learned about it from the medical file Luke and Kieran found. It was the only item I had about her,” he responded. He held onto that photo for many years and it did reward him. You smiled. “We can take a photo in a studio or a photobooth together. You can put it beside it,”

You looked at Sylus. He couldn’t stop looking at his wallet. They had just had a photoshoot with their daughter and he now has a new photo beside the sonogram, a solo picture of her. You felt your heart swell in him being happy looking at it as you two are resting in a cafe.

“I hope our little one is enjoying herself,” You said. You missed shopping, but you see the high prices everywhere. Sylus keeps insisting that you get them if you fancy them. “I feel she would like going to a place like a bookstore than in clothes,” he said, making you smile. Sylus shifted, looking serious as he held your hand. “Kitten, I… I would like to bring you somewhere nice. Treat it as a couple's vacation,” he followed. You are surprised, you do want to spend time with him alone, after years of being away from each other. But you remembered your daughter.

“Don’t worry,” he said, placing his hand on top of yours. Our daughter did agree. Luke and Kieran will take care of her… After our trip, we will go with her to another place, and she can choose wherever.” Sylus looked at you; there was a glimmer that he hoped you’d agree.

“Well, okay. This is our first vacation after years,” you said. “Let’s just enjoy it, alright? You deserve it the most,” Sylus said. It is also his first vacation since your disappearance. He got everything prepared, all he needed was your approval.

Now, all is set.

“No sweets after 8 PM alright?” You reminded your daughter. You are at the door giving reminders while Sylus is getting the car ready. “Do call me for emergencies and-”

“Mama, you told me this ten times already! Just enjoy your vacation with Papa, I’ll be alright here with Uncle Luke and Kieran,” You sighed but smiled. This is also the first time that you’ll leave your daughter.

“Alright,” you hugged your daughter and kissed her forehead. Sylus followed and did the same. “We won’t be long, sweetie, I feel a week will be fast at your pace,” he said. He then looked at the twins and nodded. The twins nodded back, alerted, an order to guard her at all costs.

The three waved as Sylus drove away. As the car was in the far distance, the three got excited. “Oh, I hope Missus says yes!”

“She will, you dummy!”

“Yeah! Mama is obviously in love with Papa!” Your daughter crossed her arms, pouting at them. “Okay, time to do our secret wedding plan!”

You are in the private jet with Sylus, you two have been traveling for almost two hours now. You are feeling a bit nervous again as your maternal instincts occupy your thoughts. “Kitten, I can hear your thoughts. Our daughter is fine, I’ll make sure of it,” Sylus said. You smiled at his reassurance. “Sorry, I… I know that,” you replied. “Where are we going anyway?” Sylus gestured for you to look out the window. You did as follows and saw an island. “We’re going to this island?!” You looked in amazement and shock. You heard of this island before, many years ago, you wanted to go here because you heard it is a hidden gem amongst the other getaway islands. You remembered you mentioned it to Sylus at some time many years ago. Your mood completely shifted as you were excited, the view of the island was getting closer as the jet would land soon.

After landing, you are like a little kid, giggling and smiling. You two are being welcomed warmly by the staff, as Sylus lets them carry the luggage. You’re not used to this kind of treatment as Sylus’ hand went to your shoulder. “Sweetie, just enjoy being on your island. We can go on many adventures if you want,” You blinked and looked at him. “What do you mean “your island”?” you said. Sylus walked ahead of you to go to the limousine. “Sylus!” you ran to get to him. “What do you mean by that?!” you huffed. “It’s your island,” he said as he looked down at you. “I… What?!” you stuttered. You’re unable to comprehend what you just heard, this island, this entire island, is yours. “I bought it for you many years ago,” he replied. You just blinked as he guided you to the car, being speechless in the revelation. “How?! Why?! An island?!” you yelled. Sylus rolled his eyes and was irritated but in a teasing way. He poked your forehead before going inside the car. “Because you desired it,”

You still can’t get over that Sylus bought this island, especially since it is for you. You arrive at the resort, which is very lavish. You’re still not used to the special treatment as you shyly follow Sylus to the suite. A few guests are in the lobby using the resort's amenities; they seem very esteemed. You gasp when you see the suite. It is intricate and huge; it looks like a small house already. You ran and looked around the suite like a little kid, amazed at the amenities and the small kitchen where you can cook food. Sylus is amused, feeling a bit of pride that you are enjoying.

“Kitten,” you stopped and turned around as Sylus walked closer and ruffled your hair. “You can use all of the facilities, do pamper yourself before our dinner tonight,”

After that long travel, you used the jacuzzi to relax your nerves. You hear the faint noise of the violin being played in the study room, as Sylus plays music while doing some work. You felt your body relax by the warm water and bubbles beneath you.

“Care for me to join?” you gasped a little and looked behind Sylus with only a towel wrapped around his waist. You blushed in response to his perfectly formed body despite him getting older, trying not to slap yourself so that you don’t need to blush that much in seeing him naked, you two have a child already! You nodded gently as he chuckled and walked towards you. You looked away as you felt the water splash and a heavier body presence was beside you. “Still shy, kitten?” he whispered. “It’s only been a while, but nothing changed between us, is that correct?” He followed. You peeked at him, his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. Your thoughts wander, and you are surprised that nothing sensual has happened between Sylus and you since he found you, maybe he is waiting for you to adjust. You smiled that he was understanding. But it seemed to be a long while indeed. You leaned onto his shoulder as an answer. He hummed, wrapped his arm around your waist, and lifted you to his lap. You squeaked, you thought that he would just put his arm there. “Sylus!”

“Kitten…” He said with his deep voice. His head went to your shoulder. “Just… Let me recharge,” he followed. He was busy the past week, maybe finishing some of his deals before going out on vacation with you. You let the gentle water soothe you both as he seemed to have fallen asleep, he was that tired, you thought. You kissed him on the forehead.

“Thank you, my beloved, for everything,”

You let Sylus rest as you wandered around the island. The staff gladly takes you to a boutique to buy a dress for dinner tonight. As usual, you are surprised by the prices, but the dresses are so pretty. The staff recognized you and assisted instantly, probably Sylus gave an order to them. After roaming the store, you saw a nice short red dress in the corner. It reminded you of Sylus because of the black streaks around the waist. You tried it on and wowed yourself as you twirled around in the fitting room. You go around to get accessories and shoes, especially those black heels with few diamonds, what you love the most is the red bottoms of the shoes.

You then went to a salon to get your hair, nails, and makeup done. You were surprised that it was all paid for, probably by Sylus. By the time you were done, it started raining. Your phone started to ring and it was Sylus (with a red heart at the end of his name).

“Sylus?”

“Kitten, are you outside of the salon?”

“Huh? How did you-” You stopped before realizing this is Sylus you’re talking about. “Okay, okay never mind that… Yes, why?”

“Okay, go back to our suite,”

“I thought we were going to have dinner?”

Sylus sighed. “Kitten, I’ll explain when you get here,” He sounded a bit agitated.

“Alright, I’ll be going there,”

“Okay, ask the staff to accompany you,”

You arrived back at the suite dry and alright. Based on Sylus’ tone on the phone earlier, you felt something was up. You opened the door and saw Sylus wearing a nice red and black suit. “Sylus? Is everything alright?” you asked. In knowing him for years, you can sense his distraught despite his calm demeanor. “Sylus?”

He sighed. “Well, the dinner program was outside but since it was raining, it would be canceled for tonight,” You looked at him, he was probably planning it on this trip and was disappointed with it. “Maybe we can go to the restaurant nearby,” he asked. You hummed and thought. “Or we can have dinner here in the suite! I’ll cook!” Sylus looked at her bewildered then shook his head, he could just suggest they could have room service but… He would want your cooking better.

You started to cook something quick but good enough as a fancy meal. It's the only thing you could do so Sylus won’t be that much mopey. He was probably looking forward to that dinner and watching the sunset together. “Sylus, the meal is done,” you walked to the living room and gasped. The lights are low and there are flowers all around the room. Classical music was playing from his vinyl player, a much more romantic theme this time, complementing the rain pitter-pattering outside. “Oh…” You said as Sylus helped you set the table. You both stared at the table with plates of steak and potatoes with glasses of wine. You managed to get some nice pastries from the nearby patisserie shop.

“I think we did a good job!” You said in glee.

Sylus smiled and felt a good silence between you two, only the slow orchestral music was playing. He offered your hand. “May I have this dance, Miss?” he asked. You chuckled and took his hand. “Of course, though I might step on your foot,” Sylus hummed as he took your hand and held your waist with his other hand. “I’d rather have you step on my foot many times than lose you,” he smirked as he led you on and you blushed in his response. You two circle the room in a waltz, under the music and the rain.

“I still can’t believe you bought an island,” you huffed. “I can give you a planet if you like,” he said, smirking. “What about the universe?” you teased. He spins you in melody, and both of your hearts soar as you breathe at this moment, reminiscing of all the hardships you went through over the years. And still, in the end, he found you through the impossible. “Well, it will take a while, but if that is my beloved’s desire,” You looked at his eyes, from the eyes of menace to the eyes of longing, and now the eyes of eternal love. “I’m okay with anything and anywhere, as long as I’m with you,” you giggled as it was cheesy. He swayed you and did a dip on you. “Then, whether you like it or not, you’ll have me till the end of time,” You gazed at each other, and you thanked the gods that his soul was intertwined with yours in this lifetime, hopefully forever. He brings you back to his arms, slightly panting due to dancing. He gently kissed your hand. You two smiled as he gestured to the table.

“I feel you are famished, let’s have the dinner,”

You are happy seeing Sylus’ mood improve and seem to appreciate your cooking. You are happy just being in the suite with him, eating steak, and listening to soothing classical music. Outside, the rain has stopped as well. You are tired as you yawn, tired from the traveling and dancing. Sylus smiled. You felt he wanted to do more or say something. “Come on, you need to rest. Let’s retire for the night,” he says as he carries you.

You did sleep for a couple of hours. You rouse and see Sylus reading a book. You’re getting his night owl habits when you get together again, but you were really tired yesterday. “Had a nice sleep, sweetie?” he asked. You nodded as you went closer to him, lying your head on his chest.

“Where are we supposed to go to anyway if it wasn’t raining?” you wondered. He stopped and looked away before his eyes went back to you. “Well, I can show you right now, but it rained last night and will be dampened,” You look outside, and you can see the night sky is getting lighter. “It is already dawn, we can check it out,” you smiled. He sighed and smiled. “Alright… Dress nice,” he reminded you.

You and Sylus arrived at a row of trees and an intricate fence in front. You are wearing one of Sylus’ favorite dresses, it is a similar dress to the one when you first danced with him many years ago, while Sylus wears another customized red suit. You thanked the staff for giving you a ride from the hotel’s car. “Let’s go,” he said as he held your hand and entered the fence, then walking through the vast rows of trees. You looked around, it was peaceful and lush. The sunlight is still peeking to the end of the forest, showing the view piece by piece as you get closer. You felt your breath was taken away as you stepped out of the forest. A field of red datura flowers is scattered under you as the sun slowly rises. Everything was damped but it doesn’t matter. No wonder Sylus wanted to go here, it is beautiful.

“Oh! It's so wonderful here, Sylus! So many flowers!” You yelled as you let the breeze touch your skin. You turn around and see Sylus not standing.

But kneeling on one knee, holding a small box.

You blinked, you felt the air being knocked out of your lungs, your heart beating fast as you processed what was happening. It felt like time stood still, petals from flowers wisping around you and him.

“My beloved,” Sylus looked at you and opened the box, revealing the red gem ring. “Will you bind your heart and soul with mine for eternity?” You smiled as tears fell from your cheeks, and you quickly pounced on him, screaming “Yes!”. He was surprised as his reflexes went in sync and caught you as you both rolled together. You ended up being on top of him. He chuckled, smiling wider than usual. He is relieved he held onto the box, he plucked the ring and held your hand, slowly inserting the ring into your ring finger. You stared at the ring, sinking in that you are now engaged. You realized little by little why Sylus was looking a bit nervous and was disappointed the dinner plan didn’t go well. But it did end well from your point of view.

You and Sylus felt immense joy, he looked relaxed now. You plucked three flowers and placed one on his head and one on his shoulder. He hummed and smiled, tucking the last one in your ear. “You know, our daughter wanted us to marry faster,” he said. You chuckled as he wiped your happy tears. “I told her that it is your decision, but if I were asked, I would want it as soon as possible, too,” You laughed and gazed at him with adoration, as he guided your head to move closer to him and kissed. It felt right, like everything was in place again, like a promise being delivered. You parted panting, as it was getting a bit intense.

You smiled mischievously. 

“We did our waiting… Okay then, let’s get married after this,”

Back in the N109 Zone base, screams of laughter and cheers were heard from the twins and your daughter as they looked happily from a screen being recorded live by a particular crow flying above.

[bomberqueen17]

fic update: double feature!

I decided to double-update I Have Not A Crest and mark it complete because the last two chapters are the Fun With Portal Shenanigans storyline I started sketching out in mid-2022 and it seemed fitting to just wrap that all up. The next storyline starts after a short break, though there is one loose end standalone I will post early next year prior to that, and then I have to do a bunch of catching up over in the Peace-Tied series because then the serieses have to come together. V exciting.

Anyway

chapter 6 on AO3, with 7 immediately following!

Two chapters for the low, low price of one, featuring The Gang Portals To Novigrad To Smoke Weed basically, an adventure I had come up with very early and have been dying to write ever since.

I know people don't have a ton of time to read fic right now but it will be there when you're done with your holiday plans, LOL. I'll post a reminder when I put up the intermediate scene next year when we're all bored in the dark in January, no fear.

“It stands to reason I’d have Nilfgaardian friends now,” Ciri said, amused as she clearly identified what exactly was perturbing the dwarf. “I promise we’re not so bad,” Morvran said. “We’ll behave ourselves for you, at least.” “At least you’re not the cavalry,” Zoltan said, eyeing Morvran’s ostensibly-not-military clothing. Morvran grimaced briefly at Lu, noting that Zoltan’s attention lingered on those telltale signs of the tassets on his trousers. “Have they been giving trouble?” Ciri asked. “No more than anyone,” Zoltan said, “but there’s a group of Nilf cavalrymen who like to drink here, and we’re in danger of becoming their favorite watering hole, which is not what we wanted.” “Do they tip well?” Ciri asked. “Well,” Zoltan said, “they do, and that’s the problem really.” Morvran laughed. “Good customers?” he said. “They’re excellent customers,” Zoltan said, scowling, “and they pay their bills, and sometimes bring friends, and while I won’t say they’re polite exactly, they generally behave themselves. And are genuine fans of the theater. So I can’t kick them out.” “That’s terrible,” Ciri said. “Well, we’re all having to learn to live with the Black Ones.”

[flowery-mess]

WINGS AND EMBERS

chapter 2

series masterlist

Summary: You and Bradley met for the first time when accident happened on the base. Bob and Nat had emergency landing, because their plane was on fire. At the scene yours and Bradleys paths crossed for the first time and since then your relationship was full of embers, and planes.

Warnings: 18+ MDNI! / unprotected sex / oral sex / flying / english is not my first language / let me know if I need to tag anything else

Pairing: firefighter!Y/N x Bradley Bradshaw

Word count: 6,7k

Author's note: let me know your thoughts on this story, please! I have ideas for one or maybe two more chapters, so your ideas are welcomed if you'd like to read more! Hopefully the next chapter won't take me months to write again, sorry!💗

Two days later, but still no text from Bradley. You started to think that either he’s planning the biggest date ever or that he lost interest in you. You tried to be fine with the second option, but it wasn’t easy. After long time you found interest in someone. Not just someone, he is handsome, smart, mature and seemed to have similar visions for future.

“Has he texted yet?” Travis peeked his head into your opened office doors.

“Do you realize that every time you ask me that question it’s like you slap me in the face over and over again?” you exaggerated a bit, but you felt the need to make your point clear, after Travis had asked you if Bradley already texted you like a million times.

“I know, I’m sorry.” He entered the office with mug full of coffee and two cookies.

“Well, that could do as an apology.” As you were about to bite into that delicious cookie, your phone beeped.

You took a sip of coffee and then reached for your phone. Reading that text made your mood instantly better. “Speaking of the devil…” Travis reached for your phone over the table, looking more excited than you.

“Hi, it’s Bradley. I’m sorry for not texting earlier, but some shit happened at work and I got caught up. Are you free this Friday? Oh my god tell me you are free this Friday Y/N.” Travis yelled excitedly in your direction.

“Give me my phone back.” You took it out of his hand and read the text again. “The question is, should I be free the second he texts or should I give him some torture back, huh?”

“No no no, we’re not like that. Text him you are free this Friday and that it’s okay he didn’t text you the second you left the cab.” He said with irony in his voice.

“Okay.” You said with a pout that made you look like a kid that didn’t get what they wanted.

And with that you added “Bradley” in your calendar on Friday 5 PM.

----

“How do I look?” you made a twirl in front of Travis and Matt, who were having a boys night.

Bradley didn’t tell you what you’re going to do, but told you to dress comfortable. But also said to not wear skirt or dress even though he liked your choice of clothes last time.

So you went with black loose pants and black short sleeved t shirt that you tucked into the pants. Small brown bag and basic white converse, along with half up hair and make up very light, including your significant eye liner and red lipstick.

“Hot but casual.”

“Sexy but in a nice way.” Both men sitting on a couch with beer said at the same time.

“Why isn’t Liv here, she would’ve been better help. But thank you.” You sent them a kiss and went to grab your sunglasses before going outside to wait for the handsome man in his blue bronco.

---

“5 PM sharp.” You said when Bradley got out of his car to meet you at the passenger side of the car.

“Well, I’m in the Navy, right?” he chuckled.

“Man on time, I like that.” He took your face in his hands, lowering his head to yours.

“Hi.” Bradley whispered.

“Hi.” You whispered back and waited if he’s going to kiss you here, in the open space of the street you live at. You also felt four burning holes in your back, as you were sure Matt and Travis were watching the two of you.

And he did kiss you. Bradley put his lips on yours, kissing you gently. Then he gave you two small pecks and disconnected your face from his.

“You look very nice, as always.”

“Thank you, you look good too.” With that Bradley opened the passenger’s door and you jumped in. You scanned him when he jogged to the driver’s side and slid in.

“So can you tell me what’s the plan for tonight already?” you smiled at Bradley, because you couldn’t stop smiling since the minute he landed his lips at yours.

“Surprise baby, surprise.” With a smirk on his face he started the bronco and you were on your way.

“How do you like San Diego so far?” Bradley started the casual conversation when you left the street you live at.

“It’s nice. I haven’t seen much of it yet. I’ve been busy with work and getting to know everyone at the station, so I haven’t seen much of the actual city.” Your answer was the truth. Between trying to fit in the new group of fire fighters and moving all your stuff here, you haven’t had the time or energy to explore the new city.

“What a shame.” Bradley said, shaking his head in a way that told you he has something planned, you felt irony in his voice. “And how’s the new station for you?”

“It’s good so far. It always takes me a while to open up to new group of people, but it’s important for the job to get along with others. Travis was a big help in the beginning, but now I feel like a part of the family. But I don’t think I’ll change stations any time soon, that shit is tiring.” you looked out of the window and saw that you were driving away from the city centre, meaning you’re probably not going to some fancy restaurant for a dinner.

“Yeah changing places sucks. Deployment is hard, even though I always knew someone on the mission, the whole group is made of new people. And just like you said, it’s important to get along with people you work with.”

“Oh I’m such an idiot. Talking about how changing stations sucks, when you change bases on regular. Sorry.” and you really felt like an idiot, he’s in the Navy for fucks sake, of course he knows these things sucks.

“You’re not, it’s hard for everyone, no matter how many times you’ve been through it.” Bradley assured you, gently putting his hand on your thigh and giving it a squeeze.

The conversation went well for the whole drive, that continued in the direction out of the city. After another 15 minutes you started noticing the layout, you were going to the base.

“Are you taking me on tour at your job?” you laughed at that idea, turning to look at Bradley who had a smirk on his face. You took a minute to look at him properly, his sunglasses making it hard for you to see his hazel eyes. His mustache and hair were styled, he had basic black t-shirt with jean shorts and he looked so good. The setting sun making him even prettier with its golden rays shining at his face.

“I told you it’s a surprise, you have to wait baby.” Baby, he called you baby again.

You drove through big security gate until you reached Bradley’s parking spot. He made sure to be quick to open your door and help you out of the bronco.

He held his hand out for you, so you took it an let him lead the way.

“Hey Rooster!” the guy at the front desk waved to Bradley, “and hi to your company.” he said in your direction with a genuine smile on his face.

“Hi, I’m Y/N.” you introduced yourself and shook hands with the man who introduced himself as Craig.

“Craig is gonna need your ID to give you a visitor card, is it okay?”

“Of course.” so you took your ID from your purse, handed it to Craig, who gave it back with a visitor card that Bradley pinned to your t-shirt for you.

“Have fun!” you heard Craig when Bradley started to walk you down the hall.

“What does that mean, Bradley?” you were starting to get nervous, you were obviously the only one that didn’t know what’s going to happen and Bradley seemed to enjoy teasing you.

“I’m not going to spoil the surprise just minutes before it happens, why would I do that.” The smirk didn’t leave his face, and the confusion probably didn’t leave yours either.

You two walked through halls full of doors with words on them that you didn’t understand, until Bradley stopped in front of door that said “locker room 3” and opened them for you.

“So, you wait here and I’ll be back in a minute, okay?” you heard Bradley say when you looked around the room and through the window that was facing the side where the runways were.

You turned around and Bradley saw the confusion on your face, because surprises are fun and exciting, but being in unknown place and still not knowing what’s going to happen worried you a little.

“Okay.” You said with touch of worry in your voice.

“Don’t be scared, you’ll love it. I promise.” He made few steps, so he stood close to you and leaned down to kiss your forehead. You smelled his cologne, felt heat radiating from his body and felt his lips gently laying on your forehead.

“You better go and do what you need to do, or I’ll lose my mind.” You said with playful tone, feeling calmer now.

Bradley left the locker room and went into his squads locker room, where he changed into his khaki overall and then run down the hall to check with Nat that everything he asked her to prepare is ready.

She was standing next to Bradley’s aircraft and showing him her thumbs up, meaning everything was covered.

He then grabbed his and one spare helmet for you and made his way back to pick you up.

“I’m here.” You turned to face the door when Bradley started talking and you were sure he caught how your eyes scanned his tall and broad body in that overall. He looked good, really good.

Then you noticed the two helmets in his hands and suddenly you knew what your date is going to be.

“If you think I’m putting that on my head and going in the air with you, you’ll be very disappointed.” You said with a serious face. Not that you would be scared of flying, but big airplane compared to the one Bradley is flying with? Not a chance.

“Oh come on. I’ll be the pilot, you’ll just watch the sun set and the city you haven’t had the chance to explore.” Bradley started walking towards you, he put the helmet on bench next to you and put the spare khaki jacket over your shoulders. “Let’s put this on you, so you’re not cold.” He continued putting that jacket on you.

You took that as a chance to observe his face that was close to yours. His brows were furrowed as he was focused on putting that damn jacket on you. You lowered your gaze on his cheeks where you saw little scars and you almost didn’t stop yourself from touching them with your fingers. You moved your eyes to his pink lips that were slightly open. You really wanted to kiss him again.

“All done, let’s go.” He didn’t wait for your answer and just took both helmets in one of his hands and your hand in his other one.

He led you through another hallway until you reached the hangar, no one in sight, just you two and few aircrafts.

“This is my aircraft. It’s safe, we had weekly check up this morning.” Bradley wanted to make sure you’re not really scared, he wanted you to enjoy it. “You’re gonna sit in the back and won’t have to do anything, okay?” he looked for confirmation in your eyes, making sure you’re listening to what’s going to happen.

“I’ll do the job, you’ll just look at the sunset and the city. Our helmets are connected, we can talk over the mic, so if anything’s wrong or you don’t feel okay, just let me know. Ready?”

“Yeah, ready.” you let Bradley put the helmet on your head and help you inside the aircraft. When he was putting your seatbelts on, you tried not to focus on his hands touching your body over the thin fabric, remembering how they felt on your bare skin just a few days ago.

Once you were both seated, you heard Bradley asking for permission for take off and then you were on your way to the highway.

“Ready?” he asked you through the helmet mic.

“Ready.”

That was enough Bradley needed to put the aircraft in speed and take off from the ground. He heard few “shits” and “oh my gods” from you, but it made him laugh. It was everyday feeling for him, but not for you.

“We’re steady now. You doing okay back there?” he slightly turned to see if you were okay over his shoulder. He got only “mhm” as an answer, because you were busy looking down at the town. You suddenly didn’t feel scared of the height, because the view was breathtaking. You could see your station, the beach or the busy traffic.

“That’s really amazing Bradley.” You couldn’t stop staring at everything that was under you. You felt like up here nothing could hurt you. It was just you and Bradley, and the busy traffic didn’t matter, or that you had work next day didn’t matter.

“Worth the wait?”

“Absolutely.” You continued to fly over the city in comfortable silence, you took some pictures and enjoyed the perfect sunset.

But it wouldn’t be Bradley if he didn’t show you what this aircraft can do, right?

He showed you some maneuvers that got you holding on your seatbelts for your life and finished it with putting the plane in the highest speed.

“I’m gonna throw up if you do that again.” Bradley laughed at your comment.

“And we don’t want that. How about we land and move to our second part of the date?”

“There’s a second part? I’m sorry Bradley I don’t think anything can be better than this.”

“Good thing I’m not competing with myself.”

“Will you tell me what’s the second part or I’ll have to wait again.”

“Do you want me to tell you or do you want it to be surprise?”

“I’d like to know.”

“Dinner at the beach, is that okay with you?”

“More than okay.” You couldn’t help the smile forming on your face. He really is a gentleman and thought this date through.

He landed the plane very smoothly and helped you out of it. After you put the helmet and jacket back in its places, you made your way out to the parking lot.

Craig asked you how you liked the flight, confirming your theory that he knew about Bradley’s plan when you came in.

He laughed when you told him the speed made you sick, telling you you’d get used to it.

Back at the parking lot Bradley opened your door for you again, and after he got in his seat you made your way to the beach.

“It was really amazing Bradley, thank you.” You felt the urge to express your excitement to him, with that you touched his thigh gently with your hand.

“You’re very welcome, hope you’ll allow me to take you in the air again.” He took your hand in his and lifted it to his lips, kissing the palm of your hand oh so gently. “How does Chinese take out sound for you?”

“Good, I’m starving.”

So you went to pick the food and drinks. And while you two waited for your order, Bradley told you he has fruit and snacks in his car. You were actually impressed about what he planned for tonight. You thought he’s gonna take you to some restaurant to get through the date as quick as possible so he could take you to his place and have his way with you, but this made you think he probably really was interested in you.

When you arrived at the beach, you were surprised what amount of fruit and snacks he had in his trunk.

“I didn’t know what you like, so I got more options.” He told you like it was obvious.

He also had blankets and pillows that he made into comfortable place to sit on.

“Why didn’t you wear one of your Hawaiian shirts?” you teased Bradley with your question.

“Hey, you have a problem with my Hawaiian shirts?” he acted like it would offend him if you had a problem with them.

“I don’t, I just never met someone who would like them as much as you.”

“Give it a few more dates and you’ll love them as much as I do.”

“Few more dates huh?” you noticed that Bradley liked saying things like this and it got you all flustered.

“Yeah, I hope you didn’t think it was just a one time thing.” You didn’t know what you thought, you still don’t know Bradley that well to know if he’s serious about you or not.

“I don’t know, you can change your mind after tonight.”

“Can’t think of anything that would make me change my mind about you. I like you and I like spending time with you, I think few more dates will only get me to like you more.

You two finished your dinners and then laid down on the blanket you were sitting on and Bradley put another one over you. You had pillows, but somehow you ended with your head laying on Bradley’s chest.

“Did you became an aviator just because your dad was?” you asked Bradley, not sure if the mention of his dad was appropriate.

“Probably. I wanted to be just like my dad since I was a kid, I thought he was cool, so I wanted to be cool too. And when he died I felt it’s a way to still feel connected to him. It’s fun and it pays well.” He gave an honest answer. “Why did you choose firefighting?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t know what to choose for college and crisis management seemed easy so I picked that and then found a job in that field. It doesn’t pay very well, but it’s fun.”

“It’s dangerous.” Bradley added.

“Says a guy who flights fighting jets for a living.”

“Fair enough.” He laughed at your comment and then comfortable silence took over both of you. You could feel his heartbeat while laying on his chest, while he played with your hair.

The sun was already set, you were laying under the stars, both of you lost in your minds. You had so many questions you wanted to ask him, but you knew you’ll have a chance later, when he takes you out for a few more dates.

“Are you okay? Do you want another blanket or anything?” Bradley asked when he felt the wind around you.

“No, I’m fine.” You told him, his body giving you enough heat to not feel cold. You raised your head a little and looked at him.

He had his eyes closed and peaceful look on his face. He must’ve felt your stare, because he opened his eyes to look back at you.

“What?” he said in a whisper.

“Nothing, I’m just looking at you.” He didn’t know how to answer that, so he just smiled.

You leaned your head closer to his, just enough to feel his hot breath on your cheeks.

You dragged your hand over his chest into his hair, curling your fingers around his curls. Then, you reached to his cheeks, stroking your thumb gently across the scars like you wanted to do earlier. And he let you. He let you explore his face with your hand as he explored every inch of yours with his eyes. You felt something shift between the two of you and suddenly it felt more intimate than seconds before.

You lowered your hand to his lips, your thumb stroking over his lower lip now. He couldn’t stop himself from taking your hand in his and giving your palm a kiss. Then his hand reached for your neck and he pulled you close enough your lips touched.

You shared few innocent kisses, testing each other who will give in first. And he did. His kisses became more needy and his hands reached down to your waist to pull you over so were straddling his lap. He was careful enough to make sure the blanket was over your shoulder while he continued kissing you.

His hands rested on your hips, giving you gentle squeeze once in a while. You pulled away to take some breaths and saw his smirk and chest rising up and down, your make out session having the same effect on both of you.

“I don’t think this position is a good idea.” You whispered into his neck, very much aware that once you or him move, you won’t be able to stop yourself from repeating what happened in Bradley’s car.

He just chuckled and without any warning he turned you over, so you were laying under him.

You first whined at the loss of touch, but seeing him above you like this made for it quickly.

“Better?” he didn’t give you a chance to answer before he connected your lips again.

You felt his hand on your neck, giving you a gentle squeeze to test if you’re okay with it. Your reaction was biting his lip and letting out a small whine only he could hear.

“You like that huh?” he teased you, with his hand still around your neck.

“Shut up.” You kissed him this time. His hand travelled down from your neck to your breasts, where he just gently ran his palm over your shirt, teasing you. He felt your breath stuck in your throat when he did that.

“You’re so responsive baby.” He murmured with his lips still connected with yours.

He slid his hand down your side and you were scared what’s going to be your next reaction if he’s gonna go even lower, but then you felt something wet on your forehead.

It seemed like Bradley felt it too, because he pulled away from you to look around, when another raindrop fell on your forehead.

“It’s raining.” You said.

“Oh god.” Bradley said with disappointment in his voice and dropped his head on your chest.

You didn’t have a time to laugh at his reaction, because second later the rain started pouring down like crazy.

“Oh my god.” Bradley repeated himself and was quick to stand up, his hand already out for you to help you up.

“Pack the food, I’ll get the blankets.” He told you and you both started packing and taking anything you could in your hands to save it from getting wet.

You both run to the parking lot where Bradley’s bronco was parked and when you finally reached the vehicle, both of you very soaked through.

Your hair was all over your face, rain making it stick to your face, but you couldn’t help the smile on your face, it was kind of a funny situation.

Bradley took everything from your hands and threw it in the back of your car, then he opened the passenger door for you and helped you inside. His hands and his touch were hot against your cold skin which sent shivers through your body.

“Fucking weather.” Bradley murmured under his breath when he entered the car and slid behind the wheel. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh Bradley why are you apologizing? You can’t control the weather.” You reassured him you were okay, while he turned the heater on.

“I know, but I didn’t plan on our date ending like this.” He frowned a bit, which made you reach out to touch his forearm.

“It’s okay really, I had fun today.” You rubbed your fingers along his skin and comfortable silence fell over you. You looked out of the window to see the storm still going on strong, the only noises you could hear were the heater and rain falling quickly on windows.

“How do we always end up in my car, hm?” you turned to face Bradley once again after his comment, searching for a hidden meaning behind it.

You saw his smirk, obviously he was referring to what happened in his car the last time. That made your cheeks turn light shade of red, feeling ashamed once again.

“You don’t have to hide baby, I told you it was hot.” Bradley said to you after your head was once again facing the window, still feeling like you made yourself look like a horny teenager when you got off by dry humping his lap.

Bradley gently took your chin in his hand and turned your head to face him and gently stroke his thumb along your jaw.

Your heads were suddenly much closer than just a second ago and Bradley continued exploring your face with his thumb, dragging it from your jaw to your lips. First, he dragged it across your lower lip, before adding a bit of pressure to see if you’re gonna open your mouth for him, and you did.

He looked at your pretty and flustered face, before he leaned in to connect your and his lips.

You quickly gave in, returning kisses to his soft lips. His hand sneaked down from your jaw to your neck where he found comfortable place to hold you. Meanwhile one of your hand made its way to his forearm that was holding your neck, to ground yourself a little.

Bradley’s lips were fighting for dominance, which you gladly gave up. You wanted to see Bradley’s dominant side, so you tried to tease him with a gentle bite to his lower lip. His face turned into a smirk, one that mirrored yours, when he pulled just a tiny bit away to look at your face.

He didn’t feel like he needed to say something, he wanted to speak with his actions. His grip on your neck tightened when he pulled you in again, the kiss a bit harsher now. When he noticed you didn’t mind he added just a bit more pressure to your neck to see your reaction to that.

You liked that, a lot. His tight grip around your neck made your lips open and your breath quicken. He pulled away from you so he could see how you eyes closed and your face turned into something he found very sexy.

“You like that, huh?” he asked you, his voice harsh from not speaking for a while.

Your cheeks turned pink, suddenly feeling exposed. “Yeah.” you whispered back. “Take me to your place?” slipped out of your mouth before you could stop yourself. It was a question, but also a request. You really wanted him to take you to his place and spend the night with him.

“If that’s what you want?” Bradley asked, looking for confirmation.

“Yeah, it is.” He gave you one quick kiss and then turned his attention to the driving wheel.

You took a moment to look at him, his cheeks flustered from the heat of the moment, his hair a mess, which you caused when you let your hand play with it when you kissed him just a minutes ago. Your gaze slid down his body, the bulge in his pants visible to you.

The sight of him had you squeezing your thighs together, hoping his place was a quick drive.

You stopped in front of small, but nice house. The rain finally calmed down, but didn’t stop fully, so when Bradley opened your door you two jogged to his entrance.

“You can take a shower and change into some of my dry clothes.” Bradley told you after he closed the door behind you.

He was facing you, his chest going up and down while drops of water ran down his face, his neck and then under the t-shirt he was wearing, that you really wanted to take off of him.

“Sure.” you replied and he took your hand to lead you upstairs where his bathroom was.

He opened the second door on the left and turned the light above his sink on.

“Here’s the bathroom, give me a minute and I’ll be back with the clothes for you.”

You didn’t have time to reply, so you stood there looking around. There wasn’t anything except one toothbrush, toothpaste and soap on the sink. Next to it were hangers for towels and opposite the sink was a big white laundry basket. The main thing of Bradley’s bathroom was the big shower stall separated with glass wall from the rest of the room. Simple, which made sense when there is one man living alone.

“Here you go. T-shirt, shorts and underwear for you.” There was Bradley standing with a pile of clothes in his hands.

“Thank you.” you went to grab the things from his hands and felt your fingers touch his while doing so. The lust in both of you was like an unspoken thing at that moment, but screaming so loud at the same time. Both of you wanted to jump in that shower together, but none of had a courage to say it loud.

You were staring at each other for a moment before Bradley took three steps towards you, kneeled down and opened one of the cabinets under the sink. He took out a white towel and stood up. While he did all of that, he never broke eye contact with you. You literally saw this man on his knees in front of you.

“And here.” he said just a bit louder that a whisper, still standing very very close to you.

“Thank you.” you said in return and went to grab the white fabric from Bradley’s hands. Your hands connected once again, but this time both of you left them in place, neither of you letting go of that towel. You scanned his face to see any sign of what’s going on in his head, but you only saw his eyes jump from your eyes to your lips.

And when Bradley saw your lips turn into a smirk, obviously noticing where his eyes were wandering, he leaned down and connected his lips with yours.

His kisses were different this time, more hungry.

“I need to take a shower.” you whispered against his lips.

“Mhm.” with a nod was Bradley’s answer before he took your t-shirt out of your black pants, “Let me help you.” he leaned back just a bit so he could pull the t-shirt over your head, throwing it somewhere behind you.

His hands were back your body, now touching nothing but your skin on your lower back. You were cold from the rain, but Bradley’s hands were hot, his touch warming you up even without trying.

You started tugging his t-shirt off too, watching with open mouth when he took it off and you saw his naked upper body. His chest was wide and muscular, and then there was his stomach that ended with sharp V line leading to his pants.

He didn’t give you much time to stare as he went to kiss your jaw while already stripping your pants off. You kicked them off and went for his belt, both of you eager to get to the shower.

“Can I?” Bradley’s hands traced the back of your bra.

“Yes.” and it was your turn to kiss his neck, while your nads wandered down his torso, teasing the line of his boxers.

He took your bra off and your right hand went to touch his hard dick through the fabric of his boxers. You heard his breath stop for a bit, smiling to yourself for the reaction you got from him.

He didn’t waist any time and went to grab both of your boobs, while you already started taking his underwear off.

When you were both naked, he walked you backwards into the big shower and started the water.

You had a minute to scan his naked body and had to clench your thighs together from the view. Water started dripping down his body, making him even more hot.

“What you’re thinking about?” Bradley asked you when he caught you staring.

“That I prefer sex in bed, but I’m starting to really like this.” you pointed your finger in his direction and then to his big shower.

“We don’t have to have sex here, we can just take a shower and then move to my bedroom.” he made sure to point out the ‘then’ and started moving towards you.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

You enjoyed Bradley’s hands on your body in the shower, he made sure to wash every curve on your body, leaving kisses on your shoulders every once in a while. And then you really like to wash his body too, feeling his hard but also soft body under your hands. Bradley was true to his words, nothing but a few stolen kisses in the shower.

He took his time drying you with the towel he left on the sink and didn’t even bother to dry himself, before he took you in his hands and ma his way to his bedroom.

Bradley gently laid you on his bed and put himself on his elbows so he wouldn’t fully lay on you.

“If there’s something you don’t like or want me to do, just tell me. Okay?” he wanted to make sure you’re comfortable with him, enough to tell him that you don’t like what he does.

“Okay.” and with that he kissed your jaw and then for your neck. His free hand wandered down your body until he took one breast in his hand and started gently toying with it. Neck kisses and his fingers playing with your nipple were enough for you to slip out a little moan.

Bradley moved his lips to your other breast and started sucking on your skin, finding your other nipple in seconds.

When he felt you lift your hips in desperate try to get some fraction where you needed it the most, he moved his hand to push your hips back into the matters and slowly moved his mouth closer to where you wanted him.

He took his time with teasing you, giving you kisses on your thighs, gently biting you few times.

“Bradley, please.” and he didn’t need more. Hearing his name from your lips was enough for him to not let you wait for another minute.

He held your thighs open and licked you from your hole up to your clit.

“Fuck.” he heard you moan. His lips found your clit and he changed between sucking and licking on it. He paid attention to which of his movements made you hold your breath or moan his name so he could do them again and again.

Your hand slipped down into his hair and he couldn’t help but groan when you tugged on it. He liked it.

He kept going from licking your wet hole to sucking on your clit, but when he started fucking you with his tongue you felt the orgasm build in your lower belly.

“Yes Bradley, don’t stop.” and he didn’t, he kept his pace to get you to your high. When the orgasm hit you, you squeezed his head with your thigs, but that didn’t stop him from licking you few more times through your high.

He gently kissed your tummy and chest while making his way up to your face. Your eyes stayed closed, still coming down from your orgasm. He loved to see you flustered like this. When you opened your eyes and saw his smirk, you pulled him down to kiss you. You could taste yourself on his lips.

You pushed him over so you could straddle his thighs. Bradley put both of his hands behind his head and enjoyed the view he had.

You made sure to watch his face when you touched his dick, stroking the tip with your fingers.

“Oh fuck!” Bradley groaned and closed his eyes. “I’m not gonna last long like this baby.”

But you wanted to taste him, so before he could turn you both over, you leaned down and took him in your mouth. Another groan left his lips and you started to move your hand up and down while your hand played with the base of his cock.

He let you suck him for a few minutes, but then he needed to be inside you. He gently pulled you away from his member by your hair until you were facing him.

Between kisses he managed to turn you over again and you felt him collect your wetness before he pushed into you.

“Fuck.” Bradley groaned and his head fell to the crook of your neck. You only managed to open your mouth and roll your eyes to the back of your head at the feeling of him inside you.

You felt full, full of Bradley. He started moving after a while, making your head spin.

When you got a hold of yourself, you put your hands on his shoulders, squeezing him to encourage him to keep moving.

“You feel so good.” Bradley told you and then put his lips on yours.

His pace was steady, trying to last as long as he could. Until he heard you say “Harder Bradley, please.”

His hips slapped into yours, the only thing you could hear was skin on skin. Your mouth both open at this point, moaning into each other’s mouths and grabbing at each other’s body.

“I’m gonna cum baby.” Bradley said and you felt your second orgasm build up too.

Bradley felt you squeeze your walls around him, knowing your gonna cum too.

“Open your mouth.” you did as he told you and he put his two fingers in your mouth to suck on them. Then he gently lowered his hand on your clit and started moving them in small circles.

“Oh god!” was what you said before orgasm took over your body and all you could hear were Bradley’s grunts into your ear. Then you felt his hot cum on your belly and then Bradley’s body next to you.

There was silence for a few minutes, both of you still coming off from your highs.

You went to sit up, but Bradley stopped you “I’m gonna get a towel to clean you up and bring you the clothes.” and before he went to the bathroom he kissed your forehead.

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

“Do you want to stay the night or want me to drop you home?” Bradley asked you just when you slipped the spoon with ice cream into your mouth. After you got dressed he took you down for a sweet snack.

“Oh I don’t want to be a bother, you can drop me home or I can call Travis to pick me here.” You shrugged your shoulders.

“You’re not a bother, you can stay if you want.”

“I don’t have my things for sleepover, but maybe next time?” you were surprised with yourself, being this bold and presuming there is going to be a next time.

“Sleepover and a second date? I’m in.”

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

“Did you have sex with Mr. Sexy aviator?” Travis was in your face the second you closed your front door.

You and Bradley finished the ice cream and then he drove you to your place. It was 11PM and kind of hoped that Travis would be asleep so you could get away without this interrogation.

“Hi Travis. Yes the date was really nice, he took me to see and fly his plane and then we had romantic dinner at the beach. Thanks for asking.” you said with irony.

“You can give me those details later, did you have sex with that man?”

“Yes.”

“YES! Finally.”

“You’re acting like I haven’t touched a man in a decade.”

“Well, have you?” Travis said playfully.

“Shut up.” you pushed Travis out of your way and went to your room.

“I’m glad the date was nice!” you heard Travis yell after you, laughing at his reaction to the whole thing.

Later that night you caught yourself smiling while brushing your teeth. Because Travis was kinda right, this was your date after long time. A decent and very nice date.

You heard new notification on your phone, so you reached for it to see new message from Bradley.

“Thank you for tonight, hope I can take you out again. Good night xx.”

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Taglist: @emma8895eb @iamabeautifulperson18 @eternallyvenus @luckyladycreator2

[sweetestcaptainhughes]

Till Forever Falls Apart Timeline

Author's Note: I am going to be honest, this is a loose timeline, I have a more detailed one and just retracted what I didn't want to reveal yet and will be revealed in the chapters I will be posting. Good news I have started chapter 1 so yay! This is an interactive AU, so feel free to send in asks.

May 2020 - Jack met Idris at a party for the first time, it's supposed to be a one night stand and she ended up staying the weekend at Jacks. 

They end up hitting it off and Jack gets hooked after the weekend and asks for her number and she gives it to him. But she does warn him she won’t be around for the summer since she just finished her finals at NYU and plans on going home to Ann Arbor.

July 2020 - They text throughout the summer and Jack ends up inviting her his July 4th party and she surprisingly shows up. They sleep together again, and Jack swears she’s the best he ever had. 

August 2020 - So when they end up running into each other the next month, back in Jersey. They start hanging out and become true friends with benefits, because with Iddy in her junior year, she physically can’t have anything except something casual. Although even if she had time, at this point Iddy doesn’t see Jack more than a friend with benefits. 

July 2021 - Idris comes for July 4th again at the lakehouse. Quinn joking that it is becoming tradition, Iddy being at the lakehouse during the 4th. 

September 2021 - Idris found out she got pregnant. Iddy is a senior in college now, 2 semesters away from graduating. 

October 2021 - Idris decides to move out of her apartment with her roommates despite it being closer to NYU, and moves in with Jack.

December 2021 - Jack proposes over Christmas break and she says yes. But her only condition is that they don’t even think about wedding planning until she graduates and Zander is born, because she doesn’t wanna be like 8 months pregnant at her wedding.

May 2022 - Idris 6 months pregnant walks the stage graduating with honors with a double major in art history and communications. Jack is so nervous something is going to happen simply because she’s wearing heels and he knows her ankles have been very swollen lately, to which Idris simply rolls her eyes. 

July 23, 2022 - Zander born in Michigan. Idris was nervous about how Jack’s brothers would react to living with a newborn. But both brothers fell in love with little baby Zander. Idris felt truly a part of the family, especially when no one cared that her mom and sister stayed for a week when she gave birth. 

September 2022 - Idris gets clear to have sex again, and Luke agrees to watch Zander for a date night. Both get a little too wine drunk and one thing leads to another and they get pregnant with Zola. Literally the first time they have sex since Zander is born, Idris cries a lot, a lot when she finds out, a lot when she tells Jack, a lot when she does the math of how far apart the baby in tummy and 2 month old will be apart in age. 

October 2022 - They get Apollo. 

May 2023 - Zola is born, and Jack calls her the best birthday present ever since she comes a week early and two days after his birthday. 

September 2023 - Once Jack starts even just preseason, it hits Iddy how hard it is to have two kids one who JUST turned one, a dog, and starting her career. 

May 2024 - Once everyone comes home, they play house, pretend everything is okay. They celebrate Jack’s birthday with a small party with just the family. 

May 16th - they celebrate Zola’s first birthday. They have all the family over both Idris and Jack’s. Something about that day brings them together after having problems for months. 

September 2024 - Iddy asks for a break, it is a very big fight. 

Early October 2024 -  Eventually she finds an apartment she likes a few blocks away. Which is truly perfect, since Jack and her still haven’t come up with a better plan than switching every other day.

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 5

Episode 14: My Dinner With Bigfoot (SMUT)

*hola, amigos, we have a little sprinkling of smut throughout the chapter. 

Oh, yeah, this is gonna be spread out since variety is the spice of life. don't do stuff in the woods though. you will get arrested in real life. HAVE FUN!

for the less corrupted amongst us, there are some slightly spicy scenes towards the middle that aren't too bad, followed by genuine smut so look out for the warnings since we'll be going in and out of mature content*

Friday night, date night. Or at least it was supposed to be.

Things had been busy lately. Since the loss of the fifth and sixth Man Cave, there had been a lot of baloney about sorting stuff out. That new Man Cave smell was nice but it was so formal and stiff, not the kind of thing you wanted for your home, so Ray and (y/n) had made good on their promise to each other.

Not the new wardrobe thing, although Ray did take his sweet girl out shopping one afternoon and returned carrying fourteen bags just to rival every other man in the mall who was following their wife or girlfriend around like a lovesick puppy. 

Every surface. No joke. That's what he'd whispered in her ear, so that's what they'd done, desecrating their new bed as well as the shower, the guest shower, a few walls, the hall, the couch, the computer's chair, the kitchen and the tubes. Animals. 

Things were back to normal, which meant a quiet night in was needed with the two of them and a bottle of red. No funny business, that's what Ray had said, not because he didn't love fucking her whenever and wherever but because after getting scolded by Schwoz for leaving evidence strewn across the Man Cave, he decided they needed to dial it back a bit.

And that had led to them enjoying a very fine evening in their room, nothing lewd or suggestive, just the two of them curled up on the floor with a blanket next to a TV with a looped video of a fireplace on the monitor. It was a bit corny as they sipped their wine and giggled when it went to their heads, laughing when Ray fed (y/n) a strawberry and booped her nose. 

It was cute and there wasn't stuff. Ray had told Schwoz there wouldn't be and that's how it was staying. That was the plan, anyway.

"You know what this reminds me of?" the man mumbled as he watched his lover swirl the blood-red liquid in her glass before putting it down to focus on his words. He was languishing against a half-moon of pillows, arms stretched along the row and his legs spread in front of him so she could shuffle closer, curl into his side and rest her head against his chest.

"What?" 

"The first time I took you out to dinner..." he said softly and tucked a loose strand of her behind her ear when it fell from her lowering her gaze shyly. It was a bit weird, he knew that this was nothing like the first time he took her out to dinner, whether it be they were "friends" or lovers.

"What? You do know that we weren't sitting on the floor or alone in your bedroom on either occasion," (y/n) giggled, sitting up so she could look at him properly and possibly sneak a sip from the wine glass he raised to his lips, even though she had her own. 

God, her younger self would kill to know what her future held and would've died and gone to heaven at the idea of her best friend pulling her into his lap so their faces were at the same level, his hand on her bare thigh, fingers grazing under her dress innocently as he pecked her lips.

"I know, but it feels the same. But this time, you're not my friend or my girlfriend...you're my wife," Ray grinned and tilted his head forward to catch her lips once more in a slow, sloppy, uncoordinated dance that was enough to set a fire alight in (y/n)'s core. Her hips shifted and tilted to press against his clothed cock, which was barely hard, merely twitching with slight interest as his jeans gave her a glimpse of pleasure. 

They shouldn't--couldn't, she knew that. This was meant to be relaxing, a chance for them to catch up with clothes on but she couldn't help it. Call her crazy after the Christening of The Cave as it had come to be known but she wanted him. She always had and it was that which convinced her. 

Until the taste of wine became sharp and sour on her tongue and she remembered that her past self never had to contend with tipsy Ray.

"Doofus..." she giggled, pulling away from his lips, although she remained firmly on his lap, clit pulsating against the rough coolness of his zipper, "I think someone has had a little too much wine...I'm not your wife yet."

"You should be...you're so pretty and smart. My sweet girl..." he mumbled and dragged his thumb over her bottom lip as he pouted at the thought of yet more waiting. He pouted even more when she took his wine glass from his hand, the one that had been dangerously close to tipping its contents all over them as he lost himself in her honey taste, and placed it next to hers away from the blanket.

No spillages, thank you. Instead, the chilled Pinot was left to go lukewarm as her hands returned to his shoulders to keep him pushed against their pillow next and his eyebrows twitched at the sudden change in the atmosphere. 

He could feel it; the way she looked at him, the way her thighs trembled when his grip slid to her waist and how her weight seemed to shift to press against him at the right angle and make him stiffen. 

"I know what we can do in the meantime," (y/n) smirked and slotted her mouth against his, expecting him to play right into her hands and remap his territory with his typical vigour. Ray loved pinning her down, ravishing her, taking what he wanted, especially when he was given such a tempting invite, so it was a surprise when he pulled away.

"No, sweet girl, what did we say?" the man growled and held her away from him by wrapping a gentle hand around her throat. He didn't squeeze, it just rested there as a reminder that despite his reluctance to spread her out and have his fill, he was very much in charge. However, it didn't stop her from whining and rocking her cunt against him once as a protest.

"But--"

"No buts. I promised Schwoz that we just having a quiet dinner in a room, nothing that will cause him any grief," she huffed at the name of the genius, who right now was the enemy since it was his complaint that meant his free hand was clutching her pelvic bone to keep her still. 

So what if he found her bralette on top of the microwave? It was nothing he hadn't seen before but apparently, finding the matching panties hanging from a monitor in the main room was the final straw. Whoops.

"So? We'll just have to be extra careful next time we fuck in front of the TV," the heroine giggled, drawing another growl from his lips as he casually pressed butterfly kisses to her jaw. There wasn't gonna be the next time, not if he could help it, no matter how irresistible the offer was, but he figured a peck or two couldn't hurt.

"Needy little girl..."

"And besides. What we do in our room isn't up to Schwoz. If he finds something in here, then it's his fault, not mine when I want you to fuck me in our bed, in our bedroom, with the door shut," she whispered hotly into his ear, biting the lobe as she made her point and began grinding her clothed pussy into his lap, where he was getting undeniably hard from her begging.

Her dress was flimsy, thin and the sort of garment he didn't like to see her walk outside in just because she looked as if she could freeze to death at any moment, in any weather. But she didn't intend to walk away, not when she had him to keep her warm and the delightful friction between her legs, which had perfect access in the dress he hated to love. 

But even he couldn't resist bunching her dress around her thighs and pushing it up to her belly button, revealing the lacy panties she'd put on underneath. Fuck him, they were soaked, sliding over his painfully hard cock that throbbed at the sight of her rutting against him--a show only for him. 

He wasn't going back on his word, he was just looking with hooded eyes. Nothing wrong with that. 

"But I'm not gonna fuck you, darlin'. Not here, not tonight. Not after someone else got to see your panties and I had to collect them," the hero told her firmly, swallowing the lump in his throat when she wailed and sagged against him. The look in her eyes suggested mutiny as if he'd betrayed her in the worst way as her hips kept moving--almost madly now that he'd said that.

He'd be a liar if he said the thought of pushing into her wet little hole didn't make him want to cream his pants, he could tell from the mess she was making that she was desperate despite them being very...active over the past few days. But that was the problem, she wasn't there when a mortified Schwoz handed over a pile of freshly laundered underwear whilst wearing rubber gloves with him as the equally mortified recipient. 

"Wha---Ray, that's not fair! I need it--want your cock so bad! Can't you see how wet I am?" she whined, pulling at his shirt like a petulant child who couldn't get her way. Her fingers snaked to cup her mound, where she gathered an embarrassing amount of slick that had seeped through the lace on two fingers. Even through his jeans, she could make out the head of his cock straining against the denim and her mouth dropped open when it poked and teased her entrance.

"Which is why you're going to get yourself off like this. Rubbing your pretty clit and begging me for more, so come on. Make yourself cum," Ray challenged, giving her a hard stare, which she shrank under. He wasn't gonna--huh? 

She could do as he asked, with him talking so filthily in her ear, it was easy but what she desired was so close. It didn't make sense that he'd sit there and torture himself like that when it would be so easy to unzip his pants and free his cock, let her bounce on it a little until they were both falling apart. And yet here he was, gazing down at her so cockily as his hands started to pull her hips back and forth.

"But I want to ride and cum on your cock, like I did on the couch--wanna feel you so deep inside--" she muttered squeakily as her hand went inside her panties and began circling her clit in a figure of eight. He seemed pleased with how she carried out his barked orders and fondled her tit through her dress as she did until her stupid mouth got her into trouble for being bratty.

"What did I say, little one? You'll take whatever I do or don't give you and endure. I want you to cum like this," he replied harshly and the hand that had been pinching at her nipples left them alone to smack her ass harshly, causing her cunt to brush against his cock deliciously. A hiss left his lips and as much as he wanted to take care of her, was suddenly, selfishly starting to wish that he could fill her up.

This was yet another part of his game and she loved playing it no matter how frustrated she became when the stimulation on her throbbing bud wasn't enough. Poor thing, she had it too easy, thinking she would get fucked every time her pussy started aching, but he had to teach her that bad girls don't get what they want. 

"Please..." she pleaded, nuzzling her head under his jaw and kissing his pulse point in a bid to get as close to him as possible. Maybe if she reminded him that she was his good girl, his sweet girl, his cute, innocent future wife, he'd give in.

"No..." he growled, refusing to touch her any more than he already was; hands on her ass, tits and waist, lips nibbling at her neck, no more. It added to her frustration when he let groaned lowly in the back of his throat, no doubt kicking his orgasm away as she teetered on the edge of hers.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, I can't--please!" (y/n) begged. No matter how hard she tried, how quickly she rubbed, how deeply she ground, her release was always out of reach, running away as soon as she chased it and only he had what she needed to grasp it. 

Again, he denied her, helping her movements against him as if that was any help. The only real thing he did was seize the top of her panties between his two fingers and thumb before ripping the elastic. The lace was shredded, useless and able to peel away easily from her figure after that, meaning her cunt was bare and free to ruin his pants as she wished, even if the increased friction was laughable. 

"Fuck, you're soaked, sweetheart. This all for me? This the hole you want fucked?" he asked mockingly as his fingers finally stroked through her velvety slick, causing her mouth to fall open and her pussy to move against them greedily. A fingertip breached her hole and she screamed, hands balling his shirt as one digit slid into her and then another straight away.

Her head nodded weakly as she sobbed at finally having something to clench around but it was nowhere near enough. Not when she was used to stretching around his girth as he pounded the life out of her.

"More--please--need your--cock--"

"How many times, filthy girl? I'm not fucking you right now, you can cum on my hand," Ray tried to remain firm, scissoring his fingers to try and make them feel bigger. Honestly, he didn't care about Schwoz, it was his Man Cave, he'd fuck his fiancée wherever he liked but it provided a good excuse to tease her and drag their date out a little more. 

He loved her like this and had planned to woo her, bed her, make love to her during the evening, forgetting his promise to Schwoz. Although, he didn't expect to be quite like this.

"But--but you could fuck me, fuck my pussy...anywhere," his fingers stilled inside her and his eyes met hers with a steely gaze, causing her to carry on with needy confidence, "you said you would and you still haven't. Captain, why haven't you fucked my ass yet?"

The effect was instantaneous and better than she could have ever imagined. Ray's hand was ripped from her cunt and she whined at that, only to whimper when he roared and pushed her to the blanket roughly. Within seconds, he was swiftly crawling up her body whilst simultaneously fumbling to free his weeping member, which was straining after that suggestion.

That had been pushed to the back of their minds, on the table but ignored for now since they'd never had enough time to do it safely and properly but that didn't mean he wasn't desperate to try it. He still wanted to see her every hole claimed, sated and owned by him, so her teasing rose the beast within him that wanted her on all fours for him to see.

"You're so bad--bad fucking girl. My girl," he grumbled in her ear as she braced herself on her hands and knees, skirt flicked over her ass, and looked back to see his perfect, glorious cock pulled from his zipper. He was leaking, an angry-red colour and bobbing deliciously as he hissed from the cool air; it was clear that he couldn't be bothered to properly take off their clothing, not after she'd said that.

"I'm gonna fuck this pussy so hard and then, if you're lucky, I might start practising stretching this hole out, ready for my--" Ray rambled, letting himself get lost in the fantasy as his head pressed against her entrance and gently began to break her open. The burn was heavenly and (y/n) groaned throatily at the relief it provided, thinking they were the only people in the world at that moment.

That is until she looked up and saw through blurry eyes how the door handle was turning. 

With a squeal, she instinctively crawled forward and away from Ray, snatching a blanket from the pile next to their nibbled-at dinner and draped it across her lap quicker than her lover could blink or keep hold of her.

"What the fuc--" he snarled, outraged and confused that she'd moved away at such a crucial moment when he was half-cocked and dying to slip inside her walls. Seeing nothing but red, he thought that she was playing some devilish game and so, he went to grab her, intent on spanking her ass until it was red and sore and in need of her superpower to make it better. But then he saw it too.

The doorknob had made a half-rotation and he only had a fraction of a second to yank a cushion from next to her head and press it into his crotch when the door was pushed open by the one person Ray did not want to see at that moment. 

They'd fallen against the pillows, panting, sweaty and trying to appear as if they'd merely been sipping wine and not on the verge of fucking, when Jasper entered the room, staring at his phone and unaware as to what he'd walked in on. 

Of course, it was him.

"J-Jasper, what are you doing in our bedroom?" (y/n) asked breathlessly, trying to fan her warm cheeks in a subtle way that wasn't subtle at all. Anyone with half a brain could realise what had been going on just by how warm and close the air was, how warm and close they were, if they only took a minute to observe. 

"Yeah, what are you doing here?" Ray asked darkly, glaring at the boy as he felt his cock soften and the mood vanish. He was still desperate, raring to go and would give anything to slide into his sweet girl had he not rudely interrupted. 

"Oh, uh, yeah...you said that you were gonna join me and Henry tonight, remember?" the boy said, looking up from his phone to see nothing out of the ordinary.

It was damn lucky that Jasper only had a quarter of a brain, otherwise, they'd have a lot of explaining to do with very red faces. But he was oblivious to their sticky foreheads and stiff shoulders, plus the way Ray refused to move the cushion from his pants as he thought about the boy's words.

"Oh...yeah. That," he mumbled, sending an apologetic glace to his puzzled lover, who hadn't heard of this arrangement before. What a fool Ray was; he'd agreed to the boys' night with the teens since they rarely had any guy time. So, tonight they were gonna be reckless, dumb and crazy, keeping their youth alive. And it seemed that he'd double-booked the date too. Oh, hell.

"What? Look, Jasper, I'm sorry but Ray's gonna have to miss whatever you've planned 'cause we've still got half a bottle to finish as well as something else, so--" she laughed nervously, feeling highly uncomfortable that her dearest Curly was in the room when she was aching on the inside. 

She didn't care about whatever they'd planned, she thought Ray would choose her over a stupid night playing video games and eating candy. How wrong she was.

"So, just gimme a minute. I'll be right there," Ray told Jasper, gulping to keep his voice steady as (y/n) looked at him with shocked, wide eyes and an open mouth. The boy grinned and walked off, calling to Henry down the hall to get the popsicles from the freezer, leaving the woman to gawk in silence as they breathed again.

"Wh--what? You can't leave me here!" she gasped as she relaxed into the blanket and expected Ray to do the same, but no. When he said he'd be right there, he meant it and was already tucking himself away and doing up his zipper as she laid there, still wet and needy. 

He looked sorry, apologetic and remorseful but even so, that didn't stop him from standing up to grab a moist napkin from their dinner table to dab away any embarrassing stains and freshen himself up. 

"Precious girl, this is my fault. We arranged this night ages ago and I can't let Henry down...or the other one," Ray told her gently as he finished scrubbing himself and threw the napkin onto the tray again. She scoffed as he looked in the mirror and ran a hand through his tousled locks, smiling softly as she scowled and stamped her foot against the carpet. It was childish but she was distraught.

"But you can't leave me here without fucking me first..." the heroine muttered and grabbed the leftover wine to take a large swig--much-needed fortification to quench the blaze inside of her. The burn in her throat was unpleasant and made her eyes water but she hid the discomfort well, welcoming it to mask her frustration. How could he walk away? Was he not burning up as she was?

"I promise I'll fuck you later, yeah? Later, I swear," he insisted, deeming his appearance suitable enough to show a couple of teenagers and stepping away from the mirror. His smile met her glare and he leaned down to kiss her goodbye, probably the last one of the night since they were set to pull an all-nighter. However, (y/n) couldn't help but linger and try to swipe his tongue into his mouth--a play to entice him back that ultimately failed.

"Later. I'm holding you to that," she said to him firmly as he pulled away before his semi could return at full force. He couldn't deny that he still wanted her and was equally frustrated but he had to hide it well for the kids. They didn't need to see that.

"Later," he repeated and with one final peck on her forehead, he swept out of the room, leaving her a trembling mess in their rudimentary picnic spot. She'd finish herself off to the roaring of the fake fire but it wasn't enough. It could never be and she couldn't help but wonder.

Was Jasper an idiot or was he just being purposefully annoying?

*SAFETY AT LAST. Not my best but we've more yet to come, so stay tuned my fellow sinners--Onwards with the episode!*

~Many long hours later~

Annoying. Very annoying. They all were so damn annoying. One, two and three.

(y/n) had slept alone that night, had gone to bed in a frightful mood and all because of their stupid, ridiculous, testosterone-fuelled party. And it was a party—a big one. 

At one point, she'd woken up at three-thirty to go pee when she heard their rowdy voices in the main room, shouting something about Henry finishing an entire can of soda in eight seconds. Full sugar, no doubt, that's what they ran off for the past god knows how long. The binge hadn't stopped when the sun rose, not when their sugar highs nosedived and not when Charlotte came to work at nine to see a very grumpy woman sitting in the chaos as she'd tried to eat breakfast. 

For the life of her, Charlotte couldn't work out why the heroine was so grumpy and tetchy, it wasn't like her at all but in the end, she'd put her snide remarks and long sighs down to her being tired and moody from Ray's antics. 

Hell, she'd only been there five minutes and she was tired from their conga line, so to escape from the tornado of pizza and smelly armpits, the girls had legged it to the safety of a cafe for the morning, hoping that by the time they'd finished gossiping and sipping cappuccinos, they'd be sleeping it off on the floor or couch. That was so naive of them.

It's how they'd ended up where they were now; one of the boys, assisting in something bovine and moronic frolic that required more players than they had. What the hell even was a haircut chain?

"How's it lookin', Henry?" Jasper asked his friend as the boy stood behind him. This was their big idea; they each stand behind one another with lasers--very dangerous, highly unpredictable lasers--so that they could give each other haircuts. Yeah, Charlotte and (y/n) didn't understand either.

"Lookin' gooood!" Henry replied with a smirk as he lightly trimmed Jasper's hair so it was a gradual fade and not a severe cut. The lasers were at their weakest setting, which meant they were being irresponsibly complacent since they merely saw it as a free haircut, nothing more. "How's it lookin', Ray?"

"Lookin' ooooookay!" the man said happily as he zapped at the stray hairs on his sidekick with an experienced hand. Behind him, his sweet girl and Charlotte were doing the same to him, although the woman needed to stand on a ladder held steady by the girl to match his tall stature. She was still thrumming on the inside, she could feel it when she walked and could see it in his gaze when they'd come home but still, the wait went on. 

"How's it lookin', sweet girl? Charlotte?"

"We do not know what we're doing, doofus," she replied dryly, squinting to ensure that she was cutting in a straight line. She'd never cut her hair let alone someone else's and as it happened, she was quite fond of Ray's floppy floof. She didn't want to see it ruined so she was trying her best to not mess it up, but it was hard when she and Charlotte kept swapping to take turns on the ladder.

"What?!" Ray suddenly exclaimed and raised a hand to shield his brown locks as they ceased lasering. His hair was practically sacred, one of Captain Man's best features, to cut it without some skill was sacrilege. "Why would you mess with the Man Mane if you don't know what you're doing?"

"You told us it didn't matter!" Charlotte argued, wondering why he was being so crabby too. She didn't know if the happy couple were in the middle of a domestic or what but fifteen hours of sugar and soda had not helped the man, who was getting to be strangely antsy.

"When did I say that?" Ray asked in an innocent tone, although he remembered the precise moment quite well.

"Ten minutes ago, you doofus? Remember? When we walked out of the elevator and found you guys dancing around chanting, haircut chain, haircut chain, haircut chain!" the heroine refrained from punching his shoulder, knowing that if she did, the contact might make her spontaneously combust. The coffee was still fresh on her tongue as well as the fluttering from the butterflies after seeing him again...

~

"Haircut chain! Haircut chain! Haircut chain! Haircut chain! Haircut chain! Haircut chain!" Ray, Henry and Jasper chanted as they paraded around the Man Cave, waiting for the return of the girls.

They could hear the elevator coming down and were eagerly anticipating getting them to join, so it was quite the surprise for the two friends to step into the main room and see them so excited. As painful as it was to see them still so energetic, it warmed (y/n)'s heart to see her doofus again after four hours and three iced hazelnut lattes later; maybe it was her, but his gaze seemed ravenous for a split second before his cheerful grin resumed. 

"Hey! We're gonna cut each other's hair!" Henry exclaimed, not caring if they were still holding their final takeout cups of Jet Brew. He was on his fifteenth popsicle, caring wasn't an option anymore.

"With lasers!" Jasper shrieked and (y/n) shared a look with Charlotte when his breath practically tore their faces off, Maybe leaving them unsupervised was a bad idea, but damn, they'd needed that coffee to pull through whatever this was.

"You in?!" Henry offered with a determined glint in his eyes that they didn't share. 

"I do not know how to give a haircut with a laser."

"Yeah, me neither," they told him, wanting to make sure that they were aware that if they went near their beloved styles, there could be irreversible consequences. But as always, Ray wasn't a responsible adult and when his lover turned to look at him with fleeting eyes, he ignored any warning since it put a dampener on his spirits.

"Doesn't matter!" Well, he was the one who said it. That counted as permission in their eyes, the terms and conditions that hadn't been read but regardless, they'd accepted them. 

"Then, okay..."

"I still say this is a bad idea," (y/n) muttered and took a long sip from her latte, letting its familiar milkiness take her back to her younger days. She knew that the haircuts were gonna be a disaster just from the way the chanting started up again, although this time, lasers were fired at the ceiling.

"Haircut chain! Haircut chain! Haircut chain!" the boys shouted, firing laser after laser at the rock face above their heads. Ray only stopped to kiss his sweet girl after hours of not seeing her properly but when she went to cup his face and linger, he pulled away to start dancing with his fellow gibbons. 

You'd think he'd be a little more clingy considering that he hadn't crawled into bed with her that night and had been sorely missed by his sweet girl but that would come later, once the sugar tap had been turned off. The (y/n) withdrawal symptoms would come back with full force and so would his bone-crushing hugs and need to kiss her frequently - amongst other things. 

~

"That didn't happen," Henry shook his head and peeled his eyes away from where he was lasering to look back at the girls. He was tired, sluggish and fuzzy so they didn't believe him, even if it was three against two.

"Yes, it did!"

"Who are you going to believe, Charlotte? Your own flawed memory or three guys who've been up all night playing video games and eating popsicles?" Ray asked and pursed his lips as he recalled the long night he'd just experienced. 

Truth be told, he was getting a little too old for that kind of thing and looking at the pile of popsicle sticks on the table, he knew he'd have acid reflux at some point--it was just one of those things. Getting a good night's sleep after finishing his still unfinished business with his sweet girl sounded much better, but he was way too proud to admit that. 

"Yeah, that's not a tough choice, you morons," (y/n) said with a scoff, although her point was marred slightly when she leaned forward on the ladder to press a kiss to the nape of Ray's neck. She enjoyed watching him shiver and hoped that he was reminded about what his fun night had cost, something that highly amused Charlotte as she stopped the ladder from tipping.

"Yeah, exactly. Popsicle boys!" the kid squeaked immaturely and in a move that somewhat disturbed the insulted girls, wiggled his fingers against Ray's as they made a stupid sound. The hero might've been shaking from the inrush of cold air after his lover had her lips on him but he didn't miss a beat, unlike Henry, who missed an awful lot since his focus was elsewhere.

"You might wanna look where you're lasering," Charlotte advised. She wasn't the one on a platform like (y/n) but even from her position, she had an excellent view of Henry's lack of movement, meaning she could see how he'd been going over the same spot on Jasper's head for the past three minutes. It kinda looked like a mole rat now, smooth and fully shaved, not what the boy had asked for. 

"You better look where (y/n)'s lasering!--ah!" he retorted cockily, thinking that she was simply buying into the playful banter until his gaze wandered back to his work to see that what was once a masterpiece was now ruined. 

From his ear downwards, Jasper's hair was gone; it kinda looked like a mole rat now, smooth and fully shaved, not what the boy had asked for, meaning a horrified, squeaky gasp fell from Henry's lips. 

"What was that?" Jasper asked nervously as he felt the gentle heat on his head stop and a draft brush against his skin. It didn't feel like any other haircut he'd had given how cold everything felt and it was like he could sense their stares burning into the back of his head as if something had gone wrong. 

"Uh...nothing," Henry stammered, wondering how he was gonna fix the mistake if there was no hair left to work with when Schwoz came through the secret door, minding his own business and carrying a picnic basket. 

"No, no, no, you tiny screamed," Jasper tried to bring his focus back, knowing that his friend only screeched like that when something was wrong.

"Uh, dude, it was nothing--Hey, Schwoz! Random question...do you have anything that regrows hair?"

"What?!" The boy's hand flew to the back of his head as he heard the not-so-subtle question and even he understood that Henry was trying to say that he'd screwed up the haircut chain. The genius was so conveniently in the room now and so, Henry thought that he'd have a solution since that was his expertise and helpfully, he did. 

"Don't worry, I got something," Schwoz reassured them, seeing the utter panic on Jasper's face and the guilt on Henry's, so he pulled a tube from his pocket and tossed it to the shaved kid, "this hair-growing cream works great. I've been using it on the sides and back of my head for years."

"Any instructions for this stuff?" Jasper questioned as he looked at the tube dubiously. It didn't have any legible writing on it and Schwoz was already off out somewhere, so it didn't give him the best feeling, even if Schwoz's hair (or what was left of it) was thick and luscious. 

"Oh, yeah. Lots of 'em! But I don't have time to tell you right now because I'm late for my dinner with Bigfoot," Schwoz replied and lifted the basket over his head so he could disappear up the tube and not have to worry about Jasper and his lack of hair problem. But he couldn't leave, not after dropping a bomb like that--something about Bigfoot?

"Whaaaaat?"

"Hang on..."

"Wait, stop, stop, stop!" the remaining five rambled, focusing on the genius who rolled his eyes at their confused expressions and raised the tube again. He was getting very late and didn't have time for any questions, even if they now had a million of them. 

"What?"

"Bigfoot?!" Ray repeated as he held out a hand for (y/n) to steady herself coming off the ladder. Back on solid ground, she held onto his doofus' hand as they huddled together to grill Schwoz on how he could be friends with a mythical, rampaging thing in the woods and not tell them. They must've heard him wrong, there was no way that it was the Bigfoot. 

"Like, Bigfoot Bigfoot?"

"Yah." Or not. Schwoz wasn't laughing or holding in giggles, he was being deadly serious about meeting up with the hulking creature, something that they just couldn't believe since it was so outlandish. 

"The Bigfoot?" Jasper questioned, leaving his smooth nape alone for a minute since this had piqued his interest. Bigfoot...and people thought he was strange. 

"Like, the made-up creature who lives in the woods?" (y/n) asked, wanting to clarify that they were definitely talking about the thing that supposedly scared campers and hikers. She often prided herself on being quite open-minded, she was an engineer after all, but like the others, she was thinking one thing; Schwoz had either been sniffing glue or watching too much of the conspiracy channel again. 

"He's not made up, he dated my sister," the small replied, which both shocked them and made a lot of sense at the same time. They could get over that Bigfoot existed, but Winnie getting a date? Jeez, the poor guy probably had to give her bags of carrots instead of bunches of flowers.

"Your sister dated Bigfoot?!"

"Yeah, it didn't work out between them, he wanted kids, she didn't but I always thought he was a chill hang," Schwoz shrugged, remembering all of the drama that always ensued when a couple broke up and the drama that ensued afterwards when he and Biggie remained friends. He was glad that his favourite couple would never go through that, it's why he liked living with them despite the ickiness and incidents--no chance of it ending, not ever. 

"Can we go with you?" Henry requested eagerly. It's not that he was nosy, rather, he wanted to see if Schwoz was lying or not. Anyone would jump at a chance of seeing Bigfoot in the flesh and the others had the same mindset.

"Oh, yeah!"

"Yes, yes, please?!"

"Come on!" they clapped their hands excitedly and looked at him expectantly, which put Schwoz in an awkward position. It's not like he had anything to hide but he thought it would be awkward having all of his friends clashing, after all, there were gonna be a lot of personalities clashing. 

"I don't like to mix my work friends with my wood friends--" he tried to let them down gently, ignoring their pleading eyes and hopeful grins because he felt guilty enough. It was impossible though, he truly was outnumbered.

"Oh, come on, Schwoz! Just let us come!"

"Yeah, we can all be friends together!" Charlotte and (y/n) begged together, using their best, fluttering eyelashes and doe-like eyes to win him over--and it worked. They ground Schwoz down all too easily because he wouldn't want to make them cry, now would he? That would just be cruel. 

"Fine, let's go to dinner with Bigfoot--" the handyman conceded with a sigh to the roaring cheers of his friends, who applauded, cheered and fist-pumped their success in an almost hedonistic way that undermined Schwoz's kindness. He wanted them on their best behaviour, not screaming or shouting or being weird, Bigfoot was a very sophisticated guy. "--but don't embarrass me!"

They calmed down at that and although still buzzing with excitement, the group moved to enter the elevator, Ray happily tugging (y/n) along with a spring in his step. He refused to let go of her hand because it was the only thing keeping him cool at that moment, what with the adrenaline still streaming through his blood and the prospect of meeting a literal legend wasn't helping, neither was the sudden, unexpected alarm.

"Emergency alert!" Charlotte exclaimed as everyone looked back at the computer and saw the familiar red flash of the beacon. Right, they were technically supposed to be working right now and an impromptu trip to the woods, something that would take a couple of hours just to get there, wasn't gonna stop them from continuously coming in. 

Captain Man couldn't take time off and neither could his sidekicks and Ray was aware of that, highly so; it was just a shame that he didn't care. Shielding his eyes from the others in a not-so-noticeable way, he pulled his laser controller from his pocket and fired a single shot at the beacon, burning a hole straight through the plastic, thus ending the call, at least so that they didn't have to hear or worry about it.

"Raymond!" (y/n) whined and gave him a stern look for what he'd just done. She didn't feel right leaving whichever poor soul to suffer simply because they were curious and leaving something a mess made her stressed all the more. It made her itch in a way, knowing that it would be lying and waiting to be fixed until they came back so she was ready to scold him and Ray was braced for that. Until--

"Dinner with Bigfoot!" Henry began chanting, his booming volume swallowing whatever noise came from (y/n)'s mouth. He'd known the couple long enough to sense when they were about to argue, whether it be petty or explosive, and he did his best to stop it, which worked rather well well when Jasper and Charlotte joined as Ray fleetingly kissed his sweet girl quiet and chanted too. 

"Dinner with Bigfoot!" 

"Dinner with Bigfoot!" 

"Dinner with Bigfoot!" Strange. They thought he would've kissed her for longer. What was with those too?

~Two hours later, in the woods~

A van journey later and the group were still chanting as they approached a clearing in the woods, one where Schwoz had said was his and Bigfoot's supposed meeting place. 

Despite the long, bumpy journey, one that was still palpably tense thanks to Ray, (y/n) and whatever was going on between them, the anticipation for meeting the mythical creature was still high and the teens had been poking Schwoz since the second stop light for more information. What did he eat? Normal food. Where was he from? Swellview, duh. What was his favourite colour? What kind of question was that?

It went on and on but thankfully, it meant not much attention was paid to the front of the van, where the couple had been strangely silent, uneasy and not at all handsy--the most worrying thing. Ray didn't put his hand on (y/n)'s thigh like she was hoping, the thing he always did when he drove since the pillowy flesh was just asking for his fingertips to feel it, but that night, he was worried that the call was asking for something else and he didn't want to listen to it. Not yet, anyway. 

"Dinner with Bigfoot!" 

"Dinner with Bigfoot!" 

"Dinner with Bigfoot!" The teens chanted relentlessly as they followed Schwoz through the thick foliage, walking for a few minutes to disappear into the night that had fallen during their drive over. Bigfoot was a secretive guy and preferred to not be seen by others, which was understandable, so they carried on in single-file, Schwoz first, the kids in the middle and Ray and (y/n) walking hand-in-hand to bring up the rear.

They were trailing slightly, keeping up but going at their own pace as Ray's stride was much longer than (y/n)'s and he wanted her comfort more than anything, so it was her setting the speed. It was fine, Schwoz had everything under control at the front and they were nearly there, or so he said, so the only problem Ray was experiencing was the one in front of him. The perfect view of his sweet girl's ass as she walked--all he could do was stay back and try not to stare, which was easier said than done.

"Sweet girl?" He grumbled, surprising himself with how animalistic he sounded, akin to something they might find in those very woods, so it was no wonder that (y/n) whipped around immediately, slowing down to a mere ambling pace as she faced her dark-eyed doofus to see what was wrong. 

"Yeah?" she asked, her saccharine voice full of innocence that made Ray's abs tense. He didn't know what he was gonna say at first, he just wanted to call her name but seeing her looking at him like a lamb in front of a wolf made his next actions undeniable. He let go of her hand to grasp her wrist instead and it was damn lucky that the gasp she released when he roughly pressed her against the nearest tree wasn't heard by the others.

Henry, Charlotte and Jasper carried on merrily, not noticing that there were two missing members in their party as Ray pinned his precious girl against the scraping bark and kept her hands clasped together and above her head. 

In the moonlight, she looked so ravishing as his eyes raked down her quivering body and he could see the questioning look in her eye, a part of her wondering why he was picking his moment now. However, he could also see how she wasn't all that innocent either, pupils dilating the minute one hand went from her waist to brush between her thighs, touching nothing but the soft skin there. 

There she was, his girl, his darling lover, his future wife, waiting for his next move, panting lightly in the darkness as they were left behind and he knew that he'd been a fool to leave her for a few popsicles and to play Mario Kart, he'd been a fool for thinking he could last a whole day without her. 

"Doofus, what--"

"The second we are alone again, little girl..." he whispered in her ear, one hand cradling her jaw as the other stayed with hers against the tree. It was his promise to her and it could be left unspoken, she didn't need an explanation. They were pushing their luck as it was, staying behind as the others marched on and as tempting as it was to throw caution to the wind and feel those thighs around his waist because lord knows that he did not give a fuck, she did. 

Jasper's earlier faux pas was but a forewarning in her mind and it would not happen again, not two nights in a row, so as quick as her back had met with the harsh bark, he pulled away, taking one hand with him. 

The dazzling rush of it all had her stumbling to catch up with his long legs as he marched towards the clearing, following the voices before they were missed or he changed his mind and she had no choice but to jog behind her doofus. Her hot, moody, incredibly well-endowed doofus. 

Avoiding a tree root and a mysterious puddle of green mush, the couple made it to the back of the group again, not that anyone had noticed their slight delay. The only noticeable thing was how their breathing had quickened from the rush, although in (y/n)'s case it was something else. Paired with her red cheeks, it was kinda obvious, but the shadows hid it well and so did hiding behind Ray's shoulder. 

"Hey! That hair-growing cream worked great."

"Yeah, it looks gooooood, dude," Henry complimented Jasper when Charlotte noticed that unlike two hours previously, Jasper's hair was completely back to normal. You'd never guess that he'd had the majority of it lasered off and he was quite happy with the results of Schwoz's cream, save for one little thing. 

"Oh, nice...this worries me a little," he smiled but it was nervous and they knew why when he raised his hands to show them that not only did the cream work on scalps, it also worked on fingers and palms. Baby hairs had begun to sprout from his flesh and he was getting quite furry, which was disturbing. Really disturbing. 

"You have to wear a glove when you apply it. That's part of the instructions!" Schwoz exclaimed as the others grimaced, (y/n) burying her nose into the jacket she'd stolen from Ray.

Being the silly-billy she was, she'd only realised how cold it was out until they were well past the city's border and in the sticks, so her ever-adoring fiancé had swooped in and bundled her up in one of his huge jackets that had been slung on the backseat of the Man Van. It was huge, enough to keep her warm even in a dress and it was only made better by his cologne following her around. 

"You didn't tell me any instructions," Jasper argued as he coped with his hairy hands. He'd just assumed that the cream worked on heads, not skin in general, which was kinda bad since he'd been touching his head, face, ears and other places since using it. 

"Okay, step one--don't itch your ears!" Schwoz said when he saw the boy rubbing and searching his earholes. That would only mean more cream transfer, even if it was a little late to be giving out advice. 

"Soooo...Schwoz, where's Bigfoot?" Henry asked as Jasper stomped off to try and deal with his new hair problem. This was the meeting place but no one could see any imaginary animals or beings, meaning the kid was starting to doubt if this guy was real or not and whether Schwoz had pulled the best prank of all time. 

"Yeah, man. We've been walking around for four whole minutes. I'm starting to think you don't really know Bigfoot," Ray added, his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his sweet girl huddled to his side to try and keep the cold away. He wasn't the world's most patient man but four minutes traipsing around some bushes at night wasn't his idea of fun and he was waiting on a promise for what was. 

"Relax, let me just call him--" Schwoz told him gently and the man went back to trying to keep (y/n) warm. He knew that dress was both angelic and evil, but at least he could put his arm around her, which was good for when Schwoz ignored his phoned and abruptly summoned his friend. "BIGFOOOOOOOOT!!!"

"He's on his way," he told them, not thinking a thing of his sudden, echoing voice in the dead of night nor how he just spooked the heebie-jeebies out of them. Biggie wasn't much of a phone guy anyway. 

"If you were just gonna scream his name, then why'd you pull out your phone?" (y/n) asked as she snuggled into the cosy fuzziness of Ray's jacket. She'd seen the genius take his phone from his pocket when she was ogling her lover, which is why his bellowing had been so unexpected. 

"So I could get a picture of you guys when Bigfoot shows up," Schwoz replied in a tender voice but he had that mischievous glint in his eye like he had something up his sleeve. His phone was pointing at them and open on the camera app, so he was ready to capture their shocked, terrified expressions whenever he needed a good laugh, not that they knew that. 

"You mean if he shows up," Henry scoffed sceptically, shoulder-to-shoulder with his friends as they waited, "we've been here for five whole minutes now. I'm starting to think you don't actually know hi--"

Henry never got to finish his mini-rant. As he rambled on at the smirking genius, a big, hairy lump dropped from the overhanging willows to land in front of them, bellowing a ferocious roar. The sight of this snarling furball caused the teens and couple to shriek in terror, a moment that Schwoz swiftly captured on his phone as (y/n) practically leapt on Ray, who had his jacket clutched by Henry, flanked by Jasper cowering behind Charlotte.

But the howl eventually petered out and the beast put its arms down in a friendly slouch, meaning the group eventually stopped screaming too. Bigfoot just stood there and he wasn't quite what they were expecting as hands let go of jackets and men put down their sweet girls; he was tall and hairy with thick, sharp nails, that was a given, but apart from that, he was normal.

Well, nearly normal--he was placid with an easy-going stance, nothing like the monster some people often described him as. 

"You guys, Bigfoot is real!" Henry exclaimed as they all stood there, in awe of the living legend in front of them, who wasn't a mutant or animal like on the TV, he was just a normal guy with a lot of hair. 

"Real handsome!" Bigfoot quipped, putting them all at ease with his small joke. If he was comfortable with himself then they had no reason to fear him, especially when he laughed in that resonating baritone of his. "It's nice to meet you..."

"So...uh, this is Hen--" Schwoz started to introduce everyone, not wanting things to be awkward since he didn't have many friends and he didn't want to lose any, but Bigfoot beat him to the chase. 

"Oh, I know this guy. Henry Hart AKA Kid Danger? Feels gooooood!" The hairy man chuckled, much to Henry's excitement. 

"Bigfoot knows my thing!" The ecstatic kid hissed to the others. He thought it was wild that Bigfoot of all people knew who he was and had intimate knowledge of his personality, even his secret identity. He didn't seem to be the kinda guy to leak stuff like that, after all, Schwoz was smart enough to not be all pally with grasses, so no one worried. 

"'Course I do. Scheoz talks about you guys all the time," he revealed, making the small man blush since no one knew about his pride from working the Man Cave. 

"What?" Jasper tilted his head, stunned that Schwoz could be so sneaky and that Bigfoot knew about their crazy gang. 

"Yeah. You must be Charlotte," Bigfoot nodded, turning to the girl whose cheeks heated up when he started being all charming, "Schwoz tells me you're even smarter than he is."

"Whaaaaaat?... It's true, though," she grinned, blushing from the sentiment of Schwoz hyping her up to his other friends but it was the truth. The Man Cave would be lost without her skill with the computer and general sensibility, so it was nice to know that it was noted and appreciated.

"Oh--Jasper!"

"Yeah!" The boy nodded with a smile as Bigfoot moved on, looking at him next and punching out at him lightly in playful banter. Honestly, this guy was so cool and Jasper liked that he had also been included when he did the least out of the three teens.

"J-Dowg!"

"B-Foot!" They bantered and bumped fists as Schwoz kept snapping pictures, wanting to remember every moment of his friends becoming friends. Maybe they'd be able to hang out together as a gang and he'd be surrounded by everyone he loved--maybe a tad premature but a nice thought as they all got along so well.

"How's that girl with all the allergies?" Bigfoot asked, referring to Patina, the one Jasper took to Cactus Con and accidentally plunged into an anaphylactic fit. 

Ouch, a touchy subject in more ways than one so no one ever mentioned what had happened with her, not that Jasper ever let it bother him. 

"Oh yeah, she ghosted me! I keep texting her but she never responds!" He shrugged, tugging at (y/n)'s heartstrings as he smiled with the others but she remembered those weeks all too well. Jasper sat on the couch, texting and texting, waiting for an answer that never came until he had no choice but to move on with a sad acknowledgement for a romance that had gone so far only to be left to die. She never liked that girl. 

Speaking of moving on...

"Oh, and well, I know who this beauty is! (y/n), the sweetest girl in the world as Schwoz put it! Lovely to meet you, I know all about your engineering and how you keep the place running--oh, and of course, Miss Danger! How could I forget?" (y/n) was practically a tomato as Bigfoot moved on and grinned at her next. 

He extended his hand and she thought he was going for a handshake when he warmly pulled her in for a hug, a very soft hug as his woolly body helped her forget about the cold as he gushed about her many talents and the way the Man Cave would crash and burn without her expertise. Pulling away, her face was beaming as they crowded around Schwoz with the other three to look at the pictures and that only left Ray on the outside. 

The man loudly cleared his throat as they cooed over the funny and heartwarming photos, looking up to see him still standing there. Right, the main man as it were, the boss, the head honcho, they couldn't forget him, after all, he'd never let them. 

"And, uh, last but certainly not least..." Ray grinned, awkwardly turning to Bigfoot who removed his arm from his darling girl's shoulders and looked at him--with a blank stare like what you'd give if you were giving a stranger. Oh, lord.

"Hey..." Biggie greeted slowly, which didn't fill the hero with confidence but still, he smiled back, encouraged by (y/n), who was edged closer to them as much as she could without passing the furball, "there he is..."

"There I am!"

"This guy!" They interacted with a definite tension that made the teens frown because it was so weird that Bigfoot had been so welcoming and friendly with them, knowing specific details about their lives and personalities, only for him to have no idea who Ray was. 

"You must be, uh... Henry's dad?" The hairy man suggested, trying to find a possible identity for the mystery man that his friend had never described, but it only served to insult Ray. That was nowhere near accurate and kinda insulting since he thought he looked too young to be any teenager's dad. Come on, he wasn't even married yet. 

"Henry's dad? Are you--are you kidding me?"

"Are you...uh, Jasper's dad?" he moved on, a hint of desperation as (y/n) facepalmed in the background, itching to get to her doofus' side before his emotions started leaking but she knew how it would look if she was constantly clinging to his side. So, no matter how badly this was going, she stood still and hoped that Ray didn't do anything stupid after being called the weird kid's father. 

"Uh, I'm-I'm Ray AKA Captain Man AKA (y/n)'s fiancée!" the hero said, hoping that a few of his basic titles would spark some recognition in the legend's mind. 

Bigfoot looked genuinely surprised to hear about another superhero living with Schwoz since he didn't have a TV and never ventured into the city; he had to learn stuff by ear and when he looked back at the mention of the sweet girl, he saw her raise her left hand and point to the ring that sparkled in the starlight. Well, that confirmed it, weird how he never knew. 

"Oh, Schwoz never mentioned you! Are you new to the Schwoz Cave?" He asked politely, seeing nothing wrong with his question, so he didn't understand why the man's face erupted into anger as the woman and kids released shocked giggles behind him. Oh, that little fibre, what had he been saying?

"The Schwoz Cave?!" Ray snapped and his furious gaze landed on Schwoz, who smirked bashfully and adverted everyone's gaze. He was ashamed but also unapologetic because he loved the idea of being a superhero and messing with Ray's head, even if it was a tangled web of lies that he was now stuck in. 

"Listen, listen--" Bigfoot put a furry hand on Ray's chest to keep him from tackling Schwoz and instead, diverted their attention before things got out of hand, "I found this great campsite just past the creek. Let's all go down there and have dinner to get to know each other better.

"Yeah."

"All right, let's go," the teens nodded enthusiastically at the sound of food and a pretty area to sit, so they quickly followed after their host, who knew the way like the back of his paw--hand. Schwoz was right behind them, giggling mischievously to himself as he passed Ray, who stood like a statue with a stony expression engraved on his face. He was visibly livid from being unmentioned and the shoulder pats that the kids gave him only soured the mood. 

"That's a tough one, daddy," Henry commented jokingly as he walked past, not knowing that it was possibly the worst thing he could've said to the man, who'd been waiting all day and all night for that kind of talk. He was damn near breaking point and (y/n) knew that as she was the last to move. 

"Come on, sweetheart. Let's go eat," she whispered, stepping in front of him and smiling in the face of his grim expression. She gently reached for his hand, which unclenched when her fingers slid over his to let her in and without hesitation, Ray allowed her to grasp it. Sighing when she stroked his cheek, he allowed her to tug him towards the campsite, his heart unwilling to watch her walk away despite how sluggish his plodding feet were. 

They might have liked Bigfoot but he wasn't so keen and neither was he impressed with that good-for-nothing, low-down, double-crossing sneak, Schwoz. He'd be having words with him but for now, he was willing to indulge in one thing - his sweet girl. If the hairball didn't know who he was now, he surely would by the end of the night if it was the last thing he did. 

Her fiancé, her lover, her doofus. Always. 

Up ahead, they could hear a slight commotion since they were going quite slowly, anything so Ray could sulk in peace a little longer and cheer himself up with a little butt-staring. No doubt the amazing Bigfoot was doing something amazing with his amazing dinner because he was amazing. 

"Let's eat!"

Yeah, right, he could've done that but to avoid a scene, Ray stayed silent and kicked at the dirt as they came to another, smaller clearing, complete with rocks and stumps for rudimentary stools, a pre-lit campfire and some coolers left by the campers he scared away, one of whom Henry could swear looked like Mitch Bilsky but as he looked at the cosy spot, he couldn't find it in himself to care. 

Soon, they were huddled around the fire, Charlotte sat with Bigfoot on a fallen tree trunk, Henry with Schwoz, Jasper on his own, and then, Ray on a rock with (y/n) perched happily on his knee. Their new friend had raised his eyebrows at that, thinking they were very open about being so touchy and...kissy but the others assured him that it was normal and separating them would only lead to trouble now that the man was calmly nuzzling into her neck and hair. 

So, soon, the snacks were handed out and the stories started. Bigfoot lead them since he was the fascinating one and even Ray was able to tame his jealousy and listen as he nibbled a hotdog, offering it to his lover occasionally, another thing that they assured the legend was normal for them. 

"Sometimes, I just want to sneak into town to get that good salsa but people would see me and they'd either want a selfie or they'd try and kill me," Bigfoot sighed as everyone listened intently to how hard it was being so famous yet hated. Sure, he was legendary but most would kill to be the ones to capture Bigfoot or put the real-life Bigfoot in a zoo, and that was just horrible considering that he was such a sweet man. 

"And I hear that!" Ray piped up as (y/n) bit into their hotdog and he tightened the arm around her waist. He wasn't hated but he knew the price of popularity and it was nice to see him finally making friends, even if it was slightly self-centred, "I can't go anywhere without getting mobbed."

"Appreciate your sympathy, Ron," the behemoth gave him a polite smile and he was gracious enough to not mention the way they were snuggling like they were the only ones in the forest. All Bigfoot concentrated on was his story and the way Charlotte was braiding his fur, which was a shame because his blatant forgetting of Ray's name touched a sore spot for the egocentric man.

"Ray. It's...it's Ray," he corrected with a smile that was akin to a snarl If it wasn't for his sweet girl playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, he would've pounced and taken the hairy buffoon on himself. Was he that forgettable or had Scwhoz properly swindled him for once?

"Oh, I'm so sorry--Captain Ray!" Bigfoot was trying his best; this guy was quite techy about his image and he didn't fancy fighting with Schwoz's other friends, not when they could so easily blow his clandestine existence. However, even his best wasn't enough and Ray gritted his teeth at yet another mistake.

"No, it's Captain Man. My name is Ray," the hero laughed awkwardly and mockingly, earning himself a few hard stares as he took everything too personally, "and I just think it's hilarious that this guy has no idea who I am!" 

Everything got out of hand quite quickly and (y/n) whined indignantly when her doofus stood up abruptly, tipping her off his lap so she had to scramble to stay on her feet as he started throwing a rather embarrassing tantrum. Honestly, it was like caring for a six-year-old.

"Doofus! Ray--Raymond! Oh god, I am so sorry about him..." she had to say, giving Biggie an apologetic look and nervous smile as her lover began kicking at the dirt, complaining about anything and everything. She was used to his emotional outbursts but that didn't make them any less humiliating when their new friend looked so perplexed and almost sympathetic to her situation. God, the shame--he was thirty-seven for god's sake.

"And there's no dijon mustard for this hotdog!'

"Hey! Just chill, okay? Just relax!--" Schwoz and the teens were staring at the earth as (y/n) flattened her palm against Ray's chest and began pushing him away after he threw the half-eaten Weiner and bun to the ground. Sure, it had been a little bland and boring but it was nice for a minimalistic picnic and they'd share anything honestly, mustard or no mustard.

"Said it was a great campsite, doesn't seem so great to me! His words, not mine!" Ray growled above her incessant pleas to calm down and she started using her body to push him back quicker when he pointed straight at Bigfoot--a highly rude gesture. Such a child...

"Calm down! Just calm the hell down!"

"Ray? Ray?!" Charlotte shouted as she came over to see if she could get through to him too since the awkwardness was killing her. She joined (y/n) in begging for him to button it and folded her arms as he spat her calming words back in her face; seriously, if (y/n) was struggling to calm him down, her, his beloved fiancée, what hope did she have?

"I'm the problem, sweet girl? I'm embarrassing?! I'm embarrassing?!"

"Yes, yes, you are! You're embarrassing when you act like a child, Raymond, getting angry when things don't go your way and it's deeply humiliating!" the woman scolded, staring him down--or as down as she could get since she was so much shorter than him--as a teacher would to a rebellious student. He seemed to sober up at that, recoiling when she gave him the reality check that he was upsetting her, the kids, and everyone and that wasn't fair.

"I'm embarrassing?" he asked again and she cleared her throat when his eyes softened from the hardened glare they'd held seconds before. He never wanted to humiliate her, god knows that he only ever wanted to be proud of having him by her side and it was only because of stupid Bigfoot that he'd lost his cool. Or...maybe it was him, maybe he needed to think things through.

"Yes, Ray, so you know what? You need to calm down, so we're going to go into the forest and we're gonna take a lap," (y/n) told him firmly and took up his hand so she could march him out of the clearing before there was a punch up. Did other girls have to do this with their fiancés?

"I don't wanna take a lap!" he replied petulantly and tried to pull his hand away from his sweet girl in defiance. In his normal state of mind, he'd never do that but children often cut their noses off to spite their faces when being told off--he was no different when he was like this.

"You need to take a lap, Ray," Henry piped up this time, having stood up to come and join Charlotte in assisting the woman, even if their opinions meant very little. Still, he figured that if his boss heard it from enough people, he'd eventually stomp off with (y/n) in tow and she'd ensure that he was fully calm before coming back to their rustic yet sophisticated hangout.

"I don't need a lap! It's not my lap time!" Ray snapped at the kid, thinking he was getting them all to back off when really, he was making it worse. Did he not realise how childish he sounded? All the man wanted to do was enjoy a quiet evening with his girl and feel her squirm against him when he breathed hot air down her neck, but no. That walking carpet was ruining everything.

"If you want to act like a child, then I will treat you like one, Raymond. Come with me!" (y/n) tried to shove him again but his bulk wouldn't budge, not until someone else joined the cacophony.

"Uh, I wouldn't take a lap. It's pretty dangerous out there!" The same walking carpet said, again trying to be helpful but again failing miserably. Whilst he knew the woods like the back of his hairy hand, they didn't and he'd hated to see them step in something dangerous but to Ray, that sounded like a challenge. If Bigfoot could do it, he could do it better.

"Oh, okay! We're taking a lap!" the hero scoffed, suddenly changing his tune, much to the group's frustration. Without another word, Ray seized (y/n)'s hand and dragged her off in the direction that they'd come, grumbling as he went. She was tripping over her feet at his insane pace and all she could manage was a quick wave to the others before they'd rounded the corner and disappeared into the shrubbery.

*WEE-WOO, WEE-WOO. SMUT IMPENDING AGAIN. I PROMISE IT FINISHES AFTER THIS THOUGH. LET'S GOOOOOOO!*

"Ray! Ray! Slow down! I said a lap, not a sprint!" she gasped as he retraced their faint steps that had been trodden into the dirt, looking for one spot in particular since it would be far enough from the camp but not too dangerous for them to be caught unawares. He tried to ease up when she stumbled on a jagged rock emerging from the soil but he didn't stop, merely squeezed her hand even more to keep her following.

"Raymond! Will you just--what is with you tonight?" the heroine asked again, slightly breathless from how much ground they'd covered in such a short space of time. Trees had passed and bushes and a sign saying hunters would be prosecuted--and a sign after that said prosecutors would be hunted if they didn't keep their noses out. It felt like they'd trekked the entirety of the woods when he finally stopped, abruptly and without warning, and with no inclination that he was going to answer her question.

Like lightning, Ray pushed her against the tree for the second time that night and their surroundings once again became familiar to (y/n) as she felt the same scraping against the soft skin of her back. He'd taken her up the path to the old clearing, the one where the moon lit the path to keep the monsters away--and hopefully any snoopers too. 

She'd been hunted again, only this time, Ray intended to go through with the kill.

"I'll tell you what's with me, sweet thing," he growled and instantly had his face buried into her neck so he could nip a line down her jugular, tearing gasps and weak moans from the back of her throat, "I've done nothing but think about your pussy since last night and I need it, darlin'. Need you so bad."

Truth be told, a smile tugged at her lips when his typical, domineering snarl turned into a whining beg. He was pawing at whatever he could get his hands on; her soft neck, tits through her dress, hands brushing back the jacket to hold her waist before slipping down to knead at her ass. Most would say that he was pathetic, desperately trying to tempt her into joining him in the open, in a public place, where anyone could stumble across something.

"Whose fault is that then?" (y/n) teased, jaw dropping open when his teeth bit down on her collarbone, causing her to yank hard on his hair when her hands snaked to run her fingers through it. His lips were so distracting but through the lips of them and his wandering touch lighting fire on her skin, she could feel him against her hip, hard and throbbing, begging to be released after losing out so critically before. 

Now, it was her chance to wind him up tight like a spring and watch him squirm because that's what she'd had to do the night he left her for popsicles and buffoonery. He could've had her, could've pushed right in, god knows she'd let him, she was soaking through her panties just at the memory and yet, he'd left himself to suffer. 

Pushing the skirt of her dress up, Ray immediately grasped at her thighs and tried to widen them, hoping to get a glimpse of the delight that was waiting for him, even if he knew he didn't deserve it, not when he'd played such a cruel game. The desperation was clawing at his insides, cock begging him to fuck her soon before he exploded and so, as much as his instincts told him to have his sweet girl spread out like a feast for him and chastise her for teasing her Captain, he swallowed his pride.

"Please--please--please," he whispered over and over against her neck as he rutted his hips into her. With any luck, she'd feel what she was doing to him, how crazy the thought of her had made him over the last god knows how many hours, how he couldn't wait to fuck her tight cunt any longer. 

The drive over had been hell; anytime he looked over, she was there looking like an angel and he could swear that she'd been widening her legs just to tease him when he rested his hand on her thigh. Little minx... But what could he do? He did his best to find her sweet spots, licking and sucking at the spot below her ear and trailing his fingers closer to her core until she was trembling between him and the tree, that's when she spoke.

"What do you want, doofus?" she murmured, tilting her head back so he'd have more access. Moving down from her ear, he headed for the top of her tits, nipping as he went before he grabbed at them roughly. God, he wished they were back home or that he'd done this sooner, then he could take one into his mouth, he knew how perfect those nipples were for biting and sucking, but out here, he wasn't willing to expose more than he had to.

What did he want? A few things. He wanted her naked, on their bed in the warmth so he could get on his knees and pray for forgiveness before worshipping her like he should've done before. He wanted to hear her every sound above the rustle of the leaves. He wanted to peel her panties down her legs and fuck her hard and strong so he didn't rip someone's head off. He wanted her, he wanted her so much.

"You, sweet girl. I want you so bad--since last night," he panted, grinning against her skin when he found her clit through the soaked material under her dress and rubbed his thumb against it in tight circles. She lurched forward with a cry, bucking her hips towards him as best she could with only the tree for leverage and it reminded her that he wasn't the only one who'd been simmering since last night.

The drive over had been hell; anytime she looked over, he was there, looking like a god as one hand guided the wheel and the other stayed with her like always. She could swear that he'd crept his hand closer to her core with every passing streetlight, just to drive her insane.

"Then fuck me, you idiot," she smirked and palmed at him through his jeans, feeling how huge he was even through the denim and no sooner than the words left her mouth, they pulled apart to weakly shove any clothing out of the way. 

Her thumbs hooked the elastic of her underwear and she pulled them down her legs as their eyes stayed locked, his darkening when she slipped them past her ankles and awkwardly over her shoes. It was never like this in the movies, they made it seem so smooth but she got there eventually and pressed them into his hand, earning herself a groan when he felt the damp cotton. 

Tucking them into his back pocket, Ray lifted his sweater slightly, revealing a peek of his Adonis belt as she knelt to pop the button on his jeans and slowly bring down the zipper. He watched with hooded eyes as she gingerly reached into his briefs and pulled him free, licking her lips at the prize that lay in front of her. 

She leaned forward, ignoring how the bitter air was making her core clench when it met her bare pussy and how stones were digging into her knees as she braced against the ground but it was worth it. Dipping her tongue out, she kitten-licked at his tip before allowing the flared head to break her lips open, taking him in one, two, three times with slow bobs of her head that had him throwing his back to howl at the sky. 

It was indulgent, he knew that; her pace was tortuous and he longed to hold her face still and fuck her pretty throat but relented when she looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes that were spoiled only by his cock inflating her cheeks.

"You always look so hot with my cock in your mouth, sweet girl," he groaned and placed a hand on the back of her head to guide her movements. (y/n) moaned at the salty taste of him, loving how pliant he was in her hands, so much power and strength being controlled by her movements--it was intoxicating but not what she sorely wanted.

With one final swipe of her tongue around his length, she pulled back, leaving them connected with nothing more than a string of saliva as she gazed up at him with cherry-red, sickened lips and doe-like eyes before asking, "will you fuck me now, sir?"

"Fuck, baby--" Ray groaned at her naive tone, admiring how small her hand looked when giving his cock a few tugs. Leaving her hair, his hand slipped under her arm and he pulled her to her feet, growling when she giggled at his eagerness. Her amusement didn't last long; pushing her against the tree once more, Ray gripped the backs of her thighs and snarled "jump" against her throat, picking her up effortlessly when she lamely tried to follow his orders.

He secured her legs around her waist and used the tree as leverage, thankful that in their horniness, he'd picked one that had grown at a slight angle so things were easier. His raw strength made her tremble as she clung to his shoulders, where his muscles felt softer through the fuzzy fabric of her sweater but she knew the power that was hidden beneath and could feel it from how he lifted her so easily. 

Rutting his hips forward, they moaned in tandem as his cock slotted against her slit and steadily rocked through her slick, brushing against her clit with every move. Her mouth was pressed against his ear so he could hear every noise she made and his grip turned to steel when he caught on her entrance, prodding so he could feel her clench but not going any further.

"Can I fuck you, sweet girl? Can I fuck you here where anyone can see what's mine?" Ray asked into her hair, sliding his head through her lips to rile his lover up even more. His abs tensed at the thought of someone stumbling across them, a lone hiker or maybe even Bigfoot himself as he came to investigate their disappearance. 

He'd never let them see anything, her pleasure-screwed face and soaked pussy were for his eyes only but a small, sadistic part of him hoped that their new "friend" caught a glimpse of him with his pants shoved down and his sweet girl wrapped in his embrace as he pumped into her. 

That would stick in his head--maybe he'd remember who he was then. The man who was entirely devoted to the sweetest girl on Earth. The man who knew that sweetness better that anyone else.

"Shit--yes, please. Fuck me, I don't care if someone sees--" (y/n) pleaded, going half-insane from the contrast of the jagged bark on her back and the soft swipes of his cock. Ray didn't need telling twice and as her cries painted a smirk on his face, he pushed forward, staring between her legs as he began to disappear inch by inch. The woman threw her head back, not caring when it thunked against the tree, all that mattered was her fucking hot fiancé and his cock that stretched her walls for miles and miles. 

He had the perfect view; her dress was bunched up around her waist and with the moon and stars to guide him, he could see how drenched she was in the dim light and how her pussy sucked him, welcoming him home. She was certain that some of her wetness had been there since the previous night, had not ceased gathering even when he left her alone with a glass of wine to nurse and nothing more and it only made it easier for him to bury himself to the hilt.

For a moment, he gave her a chance to adjust to his sheer size or maybe it was his way of masking how he was the one who needed a minute. Her walls were so damn tight around him and velvety soft, making searing white heat crawl up his spine until he got a grip on himself and started to rock into her.

"So dirty but you like it, don't you? You like having your little pussy filled in the middle of the woods," Ray said cockily, punching out each word in synch with a thrust of his hips, drawing moan after whimper from her mouth--and he sure as hell felt the way she tightened at the reminder of their surroundings. "Oh, you do, don't you? Like knowing that anyone could see you like this for me--see how you scream my name when I--"

"Fuck, Ray!" she cried when he snapped his hips into her at a different angle and hit a spot that made her see stars. Smirking when he saw the way it made jelly of her muscles, he began pummeling that spot, hearing nothing but the blood rushing through his ears and the slapslapslap of his balls against her thighs. Her squeaks and begging were music to his ears and he got lost in his sweet girl, nothing else existed apart from her, him and her tight heat as it ruined his cock.

"N-not gonna last long, darlin, not after last night--" he stuttered, feeling how tight his balls were and how they were begging to pump her full of cum before he exploded. He'd denied himself earlier and it had left him half-crazed, his body drying out for its soulmate so they could be one at last and he was finally succumbing to the call, succumbing to the sweet pull of her pussy and how it was waiting for him.

(y/n) whined something incoherent, too lost in the pleasure rippling through her body from the epicentre in her core. Steadily, she lowered one hand from his shoulders and dropped it to her clit to begin rubbing it in rough circles, her fingers slipping across soaked flesh. It was the push she needed to hurtle her towards the edge and she felt the familiar burn beginning to set in, one that began to blaze when Ray's lips brushed against hers and he captured her gaze.

"That's it, pretty girl. Rub this pussy for me, get it all nice and ready for my cum. Can you do that for me?" he asked in a teasing, condescending tone that had her nodding obediently. His thrusts increased as she doubled down on her clit, giving it light slaps like she knew he would if they were in a more comfortable setting. 

Ray's eyes followed her movements and a gasp got stuck in his throat when he saw how the diamonds in the ring he gave her sparkled with every circle. Fuck, if that didn't make him go faster then nothing would and it wasn't long before he felt the fire return to lick up his spine. Her cunt, her moans, her tight grip on his hair, the sight of his fiancée fucking himself whilst he fucked her was enough to drag him to the edge and her with him when his thrusts faltered.

"Come with me, doofus. Fill me up before we go back," (y/n) whispered before biting his earlobe to smother her loudest moan of the night when he came with a groan, triggering her own end. Ropes of pearly cum flooded her heat as he pressed her against the tree and her orgasm stretched thin when the scraping pain mixed with the bliss. Ray whined and buried his face into her neck, staying as close to her as possible as he filled her up with his most intimate claim.

The heroine sighed at the serenity and rested her forehead against his shoulder as their breathing slowed down. He stayed inside of her for a while, unwilling to remove himself from her warmth when the air around them was so chill and he was more interested in kissing up her neck and running his thumbs across her ass as held her aloft still. 

But, eventually, the chilliness of the air caught up with them and upon feeling his sweet girl shudder and snuggle into him more, Ray realised that her jacket had slipped down her arms when he was pounding into her. Not to mention the fact that she was still wearing that sorry excuse for a dress with her legs facing the elements. 

So, he planted one final kiss on her pulse point and peeled her from the tree, hearing her whimper slightly as her scratched skin smoothed over and his cock jostled against her walls. He pulled out slowly, groaning when he felt his release begin to leak now that she wasn't plugged up. 

"I've got you, sweetheart," the hero told her gently, setting her back down on shaky legs and ensuring that she didn't tumble to the forest floor. "You okay?"

"More than okay, doof. You feelin' better?" (y/n) asked with a breathy laugh. Her tummy fluttered when she felt his cum begin to ooze out of her and whilst she hated to lose it, knowing that it was there was near perfection.

"Much better but there is one thing that I need to do."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" she asked perplexed, wondering what could be so important as he tucked himself away and tugged up his zipper with a shiver. It all became clear when he smirked her way and felt into his back pocket and brought out her panties, the ones he'd tucked away for safekeeping before having his way with her. 

"Would you mind, sweet girl?" He held them open and with a giggle, (y/n) stepped into them as clumsily as she had taken them off, struggling to get her sneakers through the holes until he shimmied them up her legs. Carefully, Ray pulled them over her ass so none of his precious spend could be lost and he playfully squeezed her cheek before fixing her dress to check that she didn't walk anywhere with her butt showing.

"Does this mean I have to walk around with your cum in my underwear?" she questioned, leaning up to caress his lips with hers in a slow dance.

"Of course," Ray grinned, thoroughly in love with the idea that they had a dirty secret between them that no one would ever know but them. Perhaps he was being childish again but the thought of having one up of Bigfoot, having her as his lover since, in his eyes, any man would kill to be with her, made him gloat and preen. Speaking of the hairball...

"We should probably get back..." (y/n) mentioned and pulled his jacket across her body tighter to try and conserve some warmth. The campfire was sounding pretty nice round about now and even better if her doofus would be there to calmly snuggle with her, besides, the others were probably beginning to wonder how long one lap could take.

"You go on ahead, precious girl. I just wanna take a look at something before I go back, I won't be minute," the hero told her gently and gestured to some bushes in the direction they'd come from. 

"Okay, doofus. Don't stay out here too long. I'd hate for something to happen to you," she smiled and pecked his cheek, giving one final warning for him not to be a hero when he wasn't in uniform. Ray chuckled at that and gave her ass a small smack as she walked away, laughing when she sent him a bright-eyed glare over her shoulder. 

God, he hated watching her walk away but at least he could admire her with a longing gaze. Now, about that shiny thing he'd spotted...where was it?

*AND BREAK SCENE. THE SPICY MEATBALL IS OVER MY GUYS. THANK YOU FOR COMING, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOURSELVES, THIS IS SADLY ALL WE HAVE SPACE FOR SO, MIS INOCENTES, WELCOME BACK*

Even in the darkness, on her own and slightly intimidated by the possible Oogie-boogies lurking in the bushes, (y/n) steadily made it back to the camp. A slight left turn, straight on, past the bush that looked like Shirley Bassey and then a right to the small circle of rocks and stumps that seated her friends. 

Just act normal, tell a small white lie and don't blush--whatever you do, don't blush!

"Hey, guys!" she smiled at them as she skipped back to her and Ray's rock and plonked down on it. In her mind, nothing was out of the ordinary and she'd already thought of her story, the one she'd slightly altered to a more suitable narrative. All they needed to do was buy it.

"Hey!"

"What took you so long?"

"Where's Ray?" The teens asked as Schwoz and Bigfoot mumbled and smiled their greetings. The woman laughed nervously at the influx of questions, some of which were easier to answer than others. At least they looked happy and ignorant, that at least meant their "lap" had been far enough away for any noises to dissipate.

"Oh, you know what Ray's like, such a drama queen. He needed a bit more time to cool off so I left him to wander for a bit while I get the feeling back in my fingers," she explained quickly and thank god, it checked out. Whether it be from her steady tone or her pleasant face, the teens nodded knowingly since that did sound like their boss and (y/n) had looked cold all night in that frock of hers.

"I just hope he's okay out there. It's pretty spooky."

"And dangerous!" Bigfoot added, watching the nice lady as she warmed her hands with the fire, flexing her fingers so that the heat seeped into them. Huh, it hadn't seemed that dangerous to her, scary once you were off the beaten track since you couldn't see the hidden roots and rocks as you were walking but apart from that, the woods weren't that bad.

"Why'd you say it was so dangerous out here?" Jasper asked, flexing his fingers too, although it wasn't from a lack of warmth, more like the hair of his palms growing disturbingly long to the point where his skin felt like it was right next to the glowing embers.

"There's this hunter--S. Thompson. He's been setting traps for me all over the woods," Biggie replied and no one liked the sound of that. Not only did the idea of their new friend being caged like an animal make them feel awful, but they also didn't feel safe anymore knowing that there were claws and contraptions hidden under leaves and branches. 

And of course, their favourite idiot was out and about in it, hunting down the treasures he'd seen out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey!" Ray suddenly shouted and poked his head above the flora to show that his hunt had led him back to their vicinity...and the allure of his sweet girl too. "I found some pork chops just lying here on the ground!"

"No, no, don't--" The gentle giant tried to warn him off touching the pork chops but it was too late. 

"G'ahhhhh, it was a trap!" Ray yelped in agony as a metal claw tanged and ensnared his arm with diabolic teeth. Luckily, he was the indestructible Captain Man, so there was no medical emergency, just the wailing of a lost lonely creature who should've followed its mate instead of sticking its nose where it didn't belong. "Monkey fungus, this hurts!"

"Oh my god..."

"You all right, dude? (y/n)'s worried!" Henry called to him and held a calming hand out to (y/n) to tell her that Ray was a big boy, she didn't need to run off to mollycoddle him. She was protective, he knew that, but technically this was on the idiot who just saw something he liked and grabbed it--come on, the world was not going to respond in the same way she did when he grabbed her ass.

"I'm o-kay!" Ray announced, easing his girl's worries with one bellow of his signature phrase. The pain wasn't so bad once his skin adjusted to the pressure and hell, it was worth it for a free pork chop that had been sitting on a dirty rock for who knows how long.

"Hey, is that a bottle of root beer? I'm gonna grab it," he suddenly gasped and no sooner than he did, he was off wandering in another direction, causing his friends to cringe. Something to was the crusty pork down, nice root beer that could've contained any other substance. Delicious.

"What? No, don't grab it! That's probably another trap, you doofus!" (y/n) shrieked over her shoulder but again, Ray didn't listen until he'd stuck his hand in yet another booby trap. The second the bottle left the pressure plate, it snapped shut on his other wrist with a force that would've broken the tendons there had it been anyone else.

"Cobra-Kai, that was equally painful! G'ahhhh..."

"That's the man you want to marry?" Charlotte asked (y/n) dryly, giving her one of her dubious looks as if to tell her that she was dumb for falling for such a moron. They were polar opposites, he could do very little right and she could do very little wrong; even if they had taught her what true love looked like, it was hard to see what the woman fell for since she wasn't the type to go solely off looks.

"Yeah...he has his good moments," she replied quietly and scuffed her sneaker against the dirt. She could name a million things that made her fall in love with Ray, starting with how kind he could, how gentle he was, and how he secretly cared more than anyone, to his floppy hair, baby blue eyes and goofy grin. Amongst other things.

"Oh my god, (y/n/n), what happened to your knees?" Jasper unexpectedly exclaimed, having watched the way she scratched her shoe into the ground and caught sight of the fading bruises.

They were barely visible, almost fully healed so really, she just had some very, very minor bruises that would disappear within the next five minutes. However, if Jasper knew her superpower, and he did, he'd say that for them to be like that, she must've scuffed them up pretty badly. What had happened?

"Oh, uh...um..." the woman stuttered and prayed that the heat from her cheeks couldn't be felt by the kids over the fire. She had to think of something quickly, something that couldn't be added to the pile of reasons why she adored her doofus because it would scar all of them for life.

"Oh, uh...on the way back, I tripped on a tree root and cut them! Nothing super-regeneration can't fix, though..." was her pathetic excuse, which thankfully, went over Henry and Jasper's heads as though the scenario was plausible. They nodded and smiled sympathetically, telling her to watch where she was going in future, powers or no powers, but Charlotte didn't look so convinced. Yeah, sure, she tripped all right. Straight onto Ray's--

"People have been hunting you for years. What's so special about this guy?" Schwoz asked, turning to Bigfoot who was strangely tense after Jasper mentioned (y/n)'s banged-up legs. They were grown-ups, not idiots and the hairy man cleared his throat before continuing, sparing his and the woman's blushes with some tactful conversation.

"He's really good. He knows exactly what I like; pork chops, root beer..."

"Season two of Will & Grace on Blu-Ray!" Ray shouted once more, having spotted the small plastic box on the floor but not the trap that was undoubtedly hidden beneath the shower of dried leaves and twigs.

"That's a good season!"

"That's a great season! Maybe I can pick it up with my foot..." the hero replied, having spent many a binge session with his sweet girl to watch the famous sitcom. It was a freebie, he had to get it but this time, he was going to outsmart the trap since his hands were full, sort of.

"Ray, stop!" Schwoz yelled, hoping to get him to come back but the man was a child--he looked with his hands, not his eyes.

"AHHHHHH! Sweet Megan Mullally, when will I learn my lesson?" he whimpered as his leg was captured too, the metal threatening to impale his skin, even though it was holding out. That was a good question, when would he? Probably never, which was why it was always best to send his handler rather than let him work it out for himself.

"Someone should go get him," Charlotte suggested, eyeing Henry and (y/n) since they were the ones her boss liked best. His sidekicks could handle him, no sweat.

"On it."

"Honestly, it's like looking after a goddamn toddler," the young woman sighed as she followed Henry speedily. Hopefully, they'd get to Ray before he did something idiotic enough to land himself in serious trouble and it was annoying that she had to move again when the fire had just begun to keep her toasty.

"Anyway..." Bigfoot said sadly, standing to his enormous height and going over to get a tangerine from Schwoz's basket as he watched the boy and girl jog away around the corner, "it's only a matter of time before that hunter, S. Thompson, catches me."

"Y'know, Biggie, my friends are superheroes. Maybe they can help get this guy off your back," the genius suggested. He hated to see one of his oldest and dearest friends so gloomy and if he could, he'd do anything to help. And one of the biggest ways he could do that was getting Ray, Henry and (y/n) to flex their super muscles, intimidate this asshat a little bit to leave the woods and its residents alone.

"Hey, Henry! Grab that top hat that's randomly lying on the ground!"

"No, dude. It's a trap!"

"But look how fancy it is!"

"Raymond! You already look like a fire-damaged Lady Gaga impersonator, don't you dare set off another one of these things!" Well, they were super most of the time. Schwoz and Charlotte shook their heads as they overheard the interaction of the sidekicks trying to get the hero to follow them, only for him to reiterate how dumb he was.

"I know, I'll just kick it out of the trap really fast before it closes!"

"No, you doof, that's not gonna work!--" (y/n) begged her lover and tried to grab onto his bicep and tug him away without aggravating the claw on his arm, but once Ray had an idea in his head, he didn't snap out of it. Not even when she whined at the sight of him getting lynched.

"Yeooooowwwwwww! Mamma mia, that's a spicy bear trap!" He yowled as his other got caught, meaning he was now snatched and snipped in all four corners; the pain was near unbearable but he had his prizes, including a dashing top hat that he hoped would make his despairing sweet girl fall for him.

"See what I mean? There are traps everywhere," Bigfoot sighed and Schwoz understood his predicament. From how easy it was to fool Ray, there was a different trap every few feet, so there was no wonder that he was on edge--one wrong move could spell disaster.

"Hey!" Ray yelled as he approached the clearing again, finally having been shoved that way after Henry wrestled him away from something else interesting - another spoil of bear trap war. "Did you guys know there's a bunch of traps and a really sweet top hat in the woods?"

"Yeah, did you also know there's a massive doofus who keeps falling for them too?" (y/n) hissed as she moodily walked behind him, watching how her lover limped from the pain and weight of the metal that clung to his body. He did look cute in the top hat, though, like a huge dork that her heart couldn't help but sing for no matter how much he irritated her with his antics.

The doofus wasn't the only creature falling that night. The sweet girls were at it too.

~A while later~

After peeling Ray from the traps, a task that had required all of them working together and a monumental amount of effort, the plan to save Bigfoot was well underway.

The heroes were in their uniform, ready to pounce should this S. Thompson guy show up prematurely but apart from the electric anticipation in the air, things were smooth. 

Using one of his many contacts, Ray had brought in a large, steel booby trap, one that wasn't like one of those piddling little claw things that had got him. No, this was the real deal, something he'd used to trick criminals hundreds of times before. 

It was a box, spread out flat across the woodland floor and when lifted by several ropes, it trapped whoever was dumb enough to be standing on it like an animal. It was genius, apart from the fact that they had yet to camouflage it.

"Thanks," Jasper nodded at Henry, who had taken the time to laser off the hair on the boy's hands since they had a lick of free time now that most of the work was done. 

"Yeah, you got it," the sidekick smiled, glad to help out his buddy. Well, he'd mainly done it to stop his complaints, not to mention the fact that the sight of the ever-growing hairs was starting to freak him out.

"It was really hard to go to the bathroom with all of that hand hair."

"I don't wanna hear about it," Henry said quickly, recoiling at the image of Jasper doing stuff and then, stuff getting on things and...ew. He did not want to hear about that, too much information but it didn't deter Jasper, not at all. 

Sensing his friend's discomfort, he merely smiled and warmly patted his arm before walking off, mentioning something about enlightening poor Charlotte with his toilet troubles instead. She and (y/n) had been sent off on a very important mission whilst the guys did all of the heavy liftings with the trap; they were told to collect twigs and moss and leaves--that sort of thing--any material that would cover the metal sheets and blend it into the ground. 

"Hey, we got the pine needles you wanted to cover the trap!" Charlotte announced, shuffling back into the clearing with a fluffy mound of brown foliage. Twigs, moss and leaves weren't that easy to carry, but millions of pine needles could easily be scooped up, even if they didn't make them feel itchy and scratchy. 

Walking to the centre of the flat box, the girls dumped their loads, watching as it fluttered to the ground and covered about one per cent of the metal, which didn't help them. The needles clumped together, so all it was were two brown lumps on the ground, not the thick camo they were after.

"Oh my god, where'd the trap go?" Henry asked sarcastically, looking at the two who didn't respond well to his dry quip. He'd expected them to either bring more or at least try and spread it out, give them a bit more coverage, but frankly, it was a pathetic effort on their part.

"Seriously, sweet girl? That's all the pine needles you could get?" Ray turned to his fiancée, whose eyes narrowed at the prospect of him pointing the blame but he didn't sound mean or angry, just soft and questioning. Right, the others could be told off but never her--she was the one he was enchanted by.

"Well, doofus, we could've gotten more if maybe someone would've helped us. I don't know, maybe someone with floofy hair and thirty-two-inch biceps?" (y/n) replied frankly, her hands on her hips since she wasn't a miracle worker. 

If she was an octopus, she would've been able to carry eight times that amount, or if she was a magician, she could float them over, but she wasn't. She was just a superheroine who'd tripped a million times in her cute boots that were sadly not designed for rocky terrain and had a lover who'd been too busy strutting about like an egotistical peacock to help her and Charlotte.

"Don't worry, darlin'. I got you," he smirked and for a moment, she genuinely thought that she'd gotten through to him with her flirting and stroking of his ego but then, he had to go and ruin it, "Jasper! Schwoz! Go with Charlotte and Miss Danger and get more pine needles."

The boss had spoken and upon receiving his command, the boys and girl sloped off to go and scavenge for more needles, leaving (y/n) to give him a boring look. And people said chivalry was dead.

"Wow, Captain Man. Thanks a lot!" She exclaimed in a faux excited voice, turning lethargically on her heel but not before pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. He might have pissed her off but she'd never leave without giving him one, otherwise, she'd never be able to concentrate on anything other than the knowledge that her doofus might not know how much she loved him. And she could never have that.

"So, what's the plan?" Bigfoot asked as the woman walked off to tell Jasper not to eat any unknown substances. It was his voice that broke Ray out of his trance, having been totally in a dream as he followed her figure until it had rounded the corner completely. What? What was that? Had he been thinking about her thighs again? Certainly not!

"We're gonna trap that jerk-bag hunter," Ray replied calmly. He still wasn't awed to be in Bigfoot's presence but he could tolerate him now that his system was clear and he had a job to focus on. 

"Yeahhhhh, Bigfoot likey!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, and then, as soon as we spring the trap, Captain Man and I will pop out and he won't even remember that you're Bigfoot.

"Oh, solid plan!" The hairy man grinned as Henry explained what they were gonna do and it did sound pretty cool. The hunter couldn't hunt if he didn't know what he was hunting, which was what made it so clever, if only they were that too. After all, they were so busy chuckling that they didn't notice the predator circling them.

"How does this trap worked?" Biggie asked, distracting them yet again from their surroundings. The stalker in the bushes was good at his job as Bigfoot had described, so he knew how to muffle his footsteps and creep about in the shadows to the extent that not even the great Captain Man with all of his experience knew what was happening.

"Great question, 'Foot!"

"You're gonna stand right over there and when the hunter sees you, he's gonna be like, doo-do-doo-do-doo-do! There's Bigfoot!" Ray played it out, acting like an idiot as he scampered over to stand in the middle of the trap.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, and then, he's gonna walk over and stand right here--this spot," Henry carried on, moving to stand next to his boss so they were adjacent to the pathetic pile of pine needles. They were so dumb; Thompson was standing right there and they didn't even know it, and neither did they see how huddling together was a really crap idea.

"Right here?"

"Mhmm, right where we're standing right now," Ray nodded to the other man, who was now in the centre of the box too, looking around intently but not that intently...or carefully.

"And then, Schwoz will hit a button and he'll spring the trap."

"This trap right here?" Bigfoot pointed to the metal under their feet, just to make sure he knew what they were planning. After all, it was his safety and everything.

"The same."

"The one we're standing over right now."

"And where is this button that springs the trap we're standing on right now?" Bigfoot asked, not realising that his biggest foe was eavesdropping on every word they were saying. It was like they wanted him to know how to outwit them or like they had a death wish because Thompson was getting some great tips on how to catch the beast he'd been after for so many years.

"Another great question, 'Foot. It is riiiiiiiggggghhhtt...there," Henry slurred, looking around for the button since he hadn't been paying attention when Schwox had been setting it up. He and Ray scanned the trees and surrounding bushes before their eyes landed on one big red button that had been nailed to a tree trunk. And that's when they finally noticed the man in the high-vis vest standing next to it. 

"Hey there, fella!" Ray suddenly said in a tight, chirpy voice that didn't soothe or fool Thompson. He knew a nervous person when he cornered one or three, including his prize.

"Would you mind stepping over here to the--" Too late. Nothing Ray could've said would have convinced Thompson to do anything but whack the button; he'd waited years to catch Bigfoot and now, he had him and he'd virtually walked into a trap set by himself. He wouldn't pass up that opportunity. Immediately, the trap was sprung and a series of pulleys above their heads pulled the walls up, magnetically locking the three in a solid steel box.

"Woo!" The hunters had become the hunted.

Inside, Ray pulled a portable light from his belt and stuck it to the wall, giving them light now that the moon was hidden due to the height of the metal. It wasn't great but at least they could sort of see.

"Okay, we need a new plan..." Henry hissed to his boss, who knew that it was just a question of what. They couldn't get out, not on their own and little did Thompson know but they had two teens and a weirdo and a hot superhero out in the woods as a backup. He knew what to do.

"Scream for help?"

"Scream for help." Henry nodded and instantly, the three bawled at the top of their lungs. The noise ricocheted out and into the night air as they begged for mercy, for someone to come get them and for the hunter to not hurt them--Ray even tried thumping on the walls to no avail. All that could be heard was that hillbilly celebrating his easiest victory ever.

"Woo! Gah! Yeeewoo! Finally got Bigfoot! Yeah, gah, you're in there, boy! Woo!" He screamed and banged his fist against the steel, causing Biggie to jump at the racket as his enemy taunted him. "I'm gonna call the news right now! That's right, I'm gonna be famous! I'm definitely gonna get married now..."

"Not before I do, buddy..." Ray muttered, fully aware that the asshole couldn't hear him but still. He wasn't gonna be carted off like some freak and fail his mission there had to be some way out, after all, he had a very important date to make at some point. And even so, he doubted that any girl would want to come in three feet of a man who wanted to poach innocent beings.

"Dude, he's calling the news. What are we gonna do?" Henry questioned worriedly and ignored the murmurings that fell from his boss' mouth. He was more concerned with their current predicament than whether Thompson thought he was God's gift to women or water.

"Oh, come on. Like the news is gonna pick up..." the hero scoffed at his sidekick's worries. Not to be mean or anything but S. Thompson was a bit of a weirdo and he doubted that the news would pay attention to him at all--if anything, this would be a wake-up call for him to get a proper job.

"This is the hunter, S. Thompson and I trapped Bigfoot. Bring your cameras, you can be the first people in the world to show pictures of him!" The hunter's hushed voice came from outside and quickly, Henry gave Ray the stink eye. He just had to jinx it, didn't he?

Yeah, the news was interested, they had very little else to do, so now, Mary, Trent and probably all the other creature fanatics in Swellview were headed their way. 

"He called the news! They're on the way!" Bigfoot exclaimed in a panicky voice. He was freaking out at the thought of being exposed to the world and from the sounds of it, he was near tears at the thought of being labelled a mutant, a sideshow freak. 

"Relax, 'Foot, I'm gonna laser us outta here," Ray told him soothingly as he plucked his controller from his belt. He'd had a great idea and hell, it had once been tried in a movie so it might work now, even if in that movie, the theory hadn't panned out.

"What? No, no, no, dude, it's diamond-plated steel--" Henry tried to warn him that firing a laser could have disastrous consequences but like always, Ray didn't listen. Schwoz and (y/n) had said something about the metal being extremely durable and resistant, so a silly laser wouldn't do a thing, not even a scratch, as they were about to see.

Ray fired a small shot, not at full strength but not a mild one either, but when it came into contact with the patch of walls above their heads, the plasma bounced. It another plate and another and another, ricocheting all around them until it burned a hole in Bigfoot's fur. 

"Ow!" He yelped in pain as the heat seared away all of the hair to leave his skin underneath smooth and pale. Definitely not one of Ray's best ideas.

"Maybe if I set this thing to kill..." he muttered, again not thinking with his head. Stupidly, he didn't make the connection that a stronger laser wouldn't help, all it would do was render one of them dead, so Henry would have to wrestle to stop him before something disastrous happened...or maybe not. He'd just had a brainwave.

"Hang on a second. Dude, dudedudedudedudedudedude--"

"What? What?" Ray looked at him, agitated from all of the pesterings. Seriously, that was as annoying as (y/n) begging him for a slurp of his drinks all of the time but without any of the butterflies.

"Dude, look at his arm," Kid Danger said, pointing to Biggie's right arm, the one that had been nicked by the rogue laser.

"Yeah, it's big, but mine are way bigger," the man replied, not seeing the significance of the other guy's arms when his were superb. Come on, they made Miss Danger swoon whenever he tensed them and so, that's what he did, flexed them to make them puff up into the physique that he was well-known for. 

"What? No, that's not what I'm--" the boy shook his head and got his boss to knock it off because his name wasn't (y/n) - thirty-two-inch biceps didn't work on him. "Look at the bald spot! It looks like he's got normal skin." He redirected his attention to the lasered spot, which kinda looked like Jasper's head had been after the unfortunate incident.

"So?" Ray shrugged again, not seeing why the kid was getting so pumped over silly old Bigfoot. 

"So, this might sound crazy but...what if we shave Bigfoot with our lasers?" Henry suggested, looking at Ray with a devious smirk. Hell yeah, it was crazy and kooky but they were desperate, so maybe they needed a bit of that. 

"Okay...love that," Ray was up for it anyway. After the Jasper incident, he'd discover that seeing someone with their hair gone was pretty funny and besides, Bigfoot was known for being hairy--what would the news crews do if they turned up to a pink blob and two superheroes? Probably nothing.

"Uh...I don't know, guys. My hair is kind of my thing," the hairy man said anxiously. He had some doubts, which was understandable but it might be their only option.

"Exactly! So, if we zap your hair off, when they open this up, it'll just be three totally normal, hairless dudes just chilling in the woods!" Henry explained. Honestly, Biggie didn't know if getting caught as a beast or as one of three guys in the woods was worst--the boy did make it sound a bit weird, especially when he and Ray did their weird little hand-wiggle thing.

"Hairless boys!"

"Exactly!" They grinned and did their little high-pitched tongue noises as their fingers wiggled together before looking at the man expectantly.

"Uh, I don't know..." Bigfoot debated, sounding unsure since it had taken him a long time to get to be the walking carpet he was now. How long would it be until he got his hirsute splendour back? But then...

"Woo! Ya hear that? The news is comin'! Yeah, the world is finally gonna know the name of the hunter, S. Thompson! You're mine now, ya big, smelly hairbag!" The obnoxious poacher's voice came from outside and the southern drawl sent a shiver down Bigfoot's spine. Right, he had to remember the alternative and what would happen to him if he didn't lose his hair. It didn't bear thinking about.

"Be gentle..." Finally, he came to a decision; the hair had to go. At least if they set it to a weaker setting then the beam wouldn't be as strong or painful, and so, with the devices turned down low, Henry and Ray got to work. Biggie's eyes were squeezed shut as green light began to glide across his fur, taking it away bit by bit. 

It was just hair. It would grow back. Being bald was temporary, being trapped and experimented on was forever.

~Deeper in the woods~

Whilst all of that had been going on with the boys, (y/n) had been traipsing after Schwoz, Charlotte and Jasper for what seemed like forever. 

The boy kept seeing bright plants and flowers that he liked the look of--plants and flowers that (y/n) could swear were poisonous so she had a job keeping him alive as they each collected large armfuls of pine needles until they could carry no more. 

They'd been at it for a good ten minutes, surely, they had enough to satisfy Ray and cover the trap, besides, Charlotte and Jasper could swear that she was getting antsier the longer she was away from her doofus. Stupid love, it made them so silly.

"Hey, I got more pine needles for the trap!"

"Me too!" The girls shouted as they came stumbling back from different routes, having decided that foraging in different clearings would be the best idea. Schwoz was already stood at the meeting point and like them, could barely see over his collection it was that plentiful.

"Okay, just put them over there by the bush--" he instructed them, thinking that they were gonna return to the campsite in a moment but he didn't expect them to just dump their loads on him. As if he was some sort of pack mule, Charlotte dumped her needles on top of his and because of that, (y/n) copied her, believing that he'd kindly offered to carry them so their arms wouldn't get all itchy.

"Wait, wait, that is not--" His protests came too late and then, Jasper returned as well with yet more pine needles.

"Comin' in with needles!" He shouted, carrying another million or so and Charlotte knew exactly what to do with them, after all, they weren't heavy or anything.

"Oh, give 'em to Schwoz."

"No, do not do that!" the genius protested, thinking that he could barely see as it was, he didn't want more needles on top of him. But Jasper had a problem, one that hadn't been taken care of earlier when Henry kindly volunteered to trim his hand hair because, for the most part, it had been forgotten about.

"I can't hear with all this ear hair!" Jasper yelled at an unnecessary volume and now that they looked, the girl could see that he had long tufts of hair sprouting from inside his ears. Schwoz had said not to itch them and Henry hadn't lasered them, so he was having a hard time listening to anything--including himself.

"Give--your--pine needles--to Schwoz!" (y/n) shouted directly into his ear, hoping that she was being loud enough to penetrate the long strands. Jasper strained to catch every word and nodded as he got the just of it, much to the small man's displeasure.

"Okay!"

"Wait! Don't--arghh!" he groaned as the final pile was added and whilst one small bundle weighed practically nothing, added together, it was quite hefty, enough to make him feel a slight strain. "I know my muscles are huge but--

"Hey, guys!" A voice suddenly came from the right to cut off Schwoz. He couldn't see who it was but for (y/n), Jasper and Charlotte, it was highly familiar--Piper. (y/n) squeaked at the thought of her seeing Miss Danger in the woods, fraternising with two teens who she wasn't supposed to know and in a split second of panic, she froze and looked for a place to hide as the girl approached.

"Someone caught Bigfoot in a trap--bye!" And like that, she was gone. Piper didn't even register that a gobsmacked heroine had been in the clearing, as well as a walking haystack so it was a surreal experience until the panic set in again for a whole different reason.

"Wait, what did she say?" Schwoz asked, not having heard the shocking news above the rustling of the pine needles. Plus, it was kinda hard to believe it since they were trying to do the reverse.

"Someone taught Bigfoot how to rap!" Jasper replied loudly, getting nearly all of the words wrong thanks to his hairy ears. To be fair, Piper had only been present for all of three seconds and Charlotte had (y/n) barely caught it, so he was at a disadvantage.

"No! Someone--caught--Bigfoot--in a trap!" Charlotte yelled, sounding out each word as the heroine had done earlier so he had time to catch them. Well, that didn't sound good at all, especially since if Bigfoot was trapped, then something must've happened to Ray and Henry too. Oh, god...

"We need to get back there!" (y/n) breathed out and gestured for the kids to run after her as a chill ran down her body. Her sweet doofus, Henry, Biggie, something must've happened, so she took off running with the teens hot on her heels as Schwoz floundered with the now useless needles.

"Wait, what about the pine needles?" He called after them.

"Who cares?!" Charlotte screamed over her shoulder and by that point, she was already gone by the time Schwoz said that he did. Miss Danger would have a heart attack if anything happened to her companions, especially her soulmate, but the genius was more concerned about what they had spent so long collecting. 

But he didn't have to think about it for long because as he worried about what to do with them, a large, grumbling man emerged from the bushes, heading straight for him. In his drunken state, the man collided with Schwoz, coating himself with the needles that for some reason stuck to him like glue and when he roared from the pain, Schwoz took off running.

He knew a monster when he saw one, even if that monster looked strangely familiar, so he left it to gurgle and claw at the fuzz clinging to his skin so he could make a break for it and catch up with the others.

~

In the clearing, things had started to heat up.

True to their word to S. Thompson, the news and all of their helicopters, crews and the genuine desk had turned up for the big report, one that would make the hunter famous once and for all. Trent and Mary were here and as soon as the cameras started rolling, he'd spring it for them to see, for the entire world to see.

Not only that, but a group of enthusiasts and local busybodies had arrived, hoping to catch a glimpse of the real-life Bigfoot in the man's trap, so their phones were ready for the big moment, whenever that would come.

"This is insane..." (y/n) grumbled to Charlotte and Jasper, her arms folded as she watched the news desk be lowered from the helicopter for Trent and Mary to sit at. 

There had been a few murmured whispers about why Miss Danger had suddenly stormed onto the scene with her face like thunder and two teenagers and a weirdo following her but she was too worried to pay attention. Apparently, Bigfoot was in their trap, which had worked perfectly only on the wrong people, and she just knew that her doofus was stuck in there too--the doofus.

"That's good, Rick!" Trent shouted to the helicopter pilot once the desk was firmly on the ground for her and Mary to sit at.

"Did I miss Bigfoot?" Piper asked Mitch Bilsky, who had indeed been the terrified camper spooked by Biggie earlier. The girl had been slowed down by her dad, who'd gotten lost somewhere along the way after eating some poisonous fungus, but she'd left him behind when the whir of the helicopter sounded above her head. Bigfoot was more important.

"Nah, that guy's about to reveal him right now," Mitch replied, pointing to Thompson as he loitered around the trap, "I'm gonna get a video of me looking at his feet going, what are those?!"

"If I could have everyone's attention!" The hunter announced and looked to the crowd where Mitch was being so immature, "I'd like to give a little speech." He said tenderly, annoying the buzzing crowd who weren't much for mushy sentimentality.

"Websters defines a hero as a big sandwich...but if you look a little further down--"

"Just open it up, ya gunch!" Mitch yelled, interrupting the dumb speech that was in no way relevant or tearjerking. For once, (y/n) was grateful for his big mouth and shuffled from one foot to another as the seconds lagged. She didn't want to hear some shit about sandwiches when her friends and lover were trapped inside and about to be revealed to the world.

"Fine, I'll open it," Thompson huffed, annoyed that his glorious moment as a hero had been shot down, but the best was yet to come as he grabbed the trap's release. 

"Behold! Bigfoot!" he cried and the walls fell into their original flat position. As (y/n) had predicted, Ray and Henry had indeed gotten trapped with Bigfoot, caught by that dumbass hunter but along with the heroes was a being who blew her mind. 

The cameras flashed as everyone gawked at the guy who was supposedly Bigfoot, but he wasn't. What had been fur was now smooth, pale skin that had seen little sunlight and the teens, (y/n) and Schwoz gasped as they saw Biggie looking like a proper man. His hair and beard were clipped, as were his torso and legs save for a section around his butt that had been kept furry to save his modesty. Honestly, they were just two heroes and a guy in furry pants, what was epic about that?

"Hey, everybody!"

"Hi, people of Swellview..." Ray and Henry greeted the crowd awkwardly as Bigfoot held his breath and tried not to shiver from the newfound cold. Ray turned to wink at his sweet girl, who sighed with relief when she saw that they were all okay but he wasn't able to quell her questioning look, not without tipping off the crowd that they were in the middle of a scheme.

"Trent, Mary, how's it goin'?"

"How are you?" They then turned to news crews, who looked equally perplexed because they had been expecting Bigfoot, not the crimefighters and some random big guy with weird fashion sense. S. Thompson had gone strangely pale and quiet as he took in his prize--or lack thereof--and he couldn't work out what had happened.

"So...where's Bigfoot?" Trent asked, searching the scene but coming up empty. God, he hated hoaxes.

"He's there! He's right there, look!" S. Thompson snapped, pointing directly at Biggie, who merely appeared shrewd and harmless at such an indictment, turning around as if he was just another curious onlooker--just how Ray and Henry had told him to act. If he looked in a mirror, he wouldn't recognise himself, let alone the fanatics and journalists around them, who always saw Bigfoot in one specific light.

"Who, Eddie? This is just our friend, Eddie," Captain Man lied, brushing away the hunter's accusations with faux innocence and his signature trustworthy persona. Everyone believed their favourite heroes because they loved them so much and their cunning made Charlotte, Jasper, (y/n) and Schwoz smirk at each other.

"Hi, I'm Eddie!" Bigfoot waved to the baffled crowd with a big grin on his face. They were confused but didn't suspect a thing; perfect.

"Yeah, and Eddie here, he--he likes to wear...hair shorts."

"Which are a real thing!" Henry said and was quickly backed up by Ray when everyone's gaze fell to Bigfoot's curious attire. Well, they couldn't leave him naked and from a distance, they just looked like a peculiar garment; it wouldn't be the first time Swellview had been hit by weird fashions, the hip youth was always doing odd stuff.

"Whoa...I never heard of no hair shorts," Thompson protested, glaring at the heroes as they tried to slip his prize out from under his nose. He knew the truth, he could smell Bigfoot after so many years of studying and he wasn't going to let them convince the crowd otherwise.

"Well, I have!" (y/n) abruptly exclaimed, crossing the clearing to come and stand in between Henry and her doofus, bringing with her an opinion that the citizens of Swellview could never refuse. 

Miss Danger was often spotted in every magazine going, whether they be gossip or fashion because everyone wanted to know what she thought or wore or liked, so if she put her seal of approval on hair shorts then they would be in every boutique in the city before the next sunrise. 

"Yeah, I've heard of hair shorts and I think that they are the coolest. I have so many pairs at home!" She lied through her beaming smile as Ray stood smugly next to her and put his arm around her waist. She smiled at that, feeling her heart flutter now that she knew he was safe and sound, even if the camera flashes meant that they'd be headlining the news again as the city's hottest couple.

"Did you hear? Miss Danger says that hair shorts are the coolest!" Charlotte repeated to the crowd in a robotic voice like she was an avid fan eager to follow the heroine's way of life to a tee.

"Yeah! And she's an influencer so hair shorts have to be cool!" Jasper carried on, sending the crowd into a hush of whispers because that's how society worked in the modern era. Celebrities were the leaders and the mere mortal public were the sheep and none could be prouder than Ray as he stood on the arm of the hottest woman in town.

"I--I mean, those are the rules," Piper acknowledged. She was an internet loiterer, constantly checking and refreshing every app and website going for new trends and gossip, so she'd know what to do if one of her idols said something; follow it to the letter.

"Come on, guys. Let's go get some hair shorts!" Mitch smirked at his pack of buffoons, showing that the pack mentality was starting to work--hair shorts would be popular come tomorrow afternoon. And that did not please Thompson.

"No, wait! Don't leave!" he begged the crowd, who were beginning to lose interest now that they knew that Bigfoot was still a mystery and he a loony. "Y'all, that's Bigfoot and I found him! And I'm gonna get married!"

"Fat chance of that..." (y/n) said under her breath so only Ray and Henry could hear her. The man chuckled at her response that was along the lines of his and it was when he had pressed his lips to her temple joyfully that something came stumbling out of the undergrowth.

The crowd gasped as a hulking, moaning creature staggered into the clearing, looking like it had been in a fight with a dead bush and lost, and sounding like it was in pain--kinda like Bigfoot. He was hairy, sort of, and animalistic in his manner, so they snapped a few pictures for evidence of what was actually Mr Hart covered in a load of sap, pine needles from Schwoz, whilst slightly high from the moss that he'd eaten by mistake.

"That's Bigfoot!" Mary cried from the desk, pointing at the terrifying monster as it snarl at the stunned crowd, who quickly descended into madness as they saw what looked like a creature from a fairytale. 

As the disorientated man swayed, they charged, eager to get a hold of Bigfoot and Mr Hart ran for his life, the bleariness in his eyes making it difficult until they were all lead away from the trap. And that left the Man Cave team and "Eddie" alone at last.

"Well, that just about wraps it up," Ray said with a clap of his hands and he could honestly say that he was ready to go home. He had unfinished business with his sweet girl and the idea of falling asleep with her as they watched movies in the bed sounded heavenly.

"So..." Henry nodded, knowing that there wasn't much else for them to do now that all of the hunters were on the wrong trail and they'd met Schwoz's friend as they had set out to do. "You guys wanna go back to the Man Cave and watch Will & Grace?"

"Season two?" Biggie asked.

"Do you even have to ask?" Henry giggled and the man and boy bumped fists as everyone agreed that the plan couldn't be better. Well, that would (y/n) and Ray down to the ground, they'd fall asleep watching anything, in their room or not in their room, as long as they could cuddle, which they inevitably would. 

"Let's go!" (y/n) grinned and ushered them all to get moving so they could leave all of the drama behind. However, as the teens, Schwoz and Bigfoot turned to go, Ray's eyes wandered and spotted something shiny and interesting yet again. There were so many traps yet for him to discover...so many things for him to take.

"Ooooh, look. Some cheese titos!" he smirked deviously and wiggled his fingers, indicating that he was gonna swipe them for a binge-watching snack. He would never learn his lesson, no matter how many times he hurt himself or had his fingers smacked by his precious girl.

"What? No, dude, no!" Henry tried to stop him, not wanting to go through the same struggle again but this time, (y/n) was willing to let Ray learn for himself. After all, once bitten twice shy, right?

"No, kid, just let him. Sadly, this is the only way he'll learn," she sighed and held a hand out for him to stay where he was. He was her doofus and she loved him but she wasn't going to spend their lives together running around to wrap him in cotton wool. He couldn't be an idiot forever, he'd soon learn to keep his hands to himself.

"These things are cheesetastic!" Ray grinned and reached down to grab the bag as he kept smiling at his tired fiancée. He'd just get these and then, they could go because of course, he wasn't aware that he was the one tiring her out with his antics. 

"ARGGGGGGHHHHH!" And then came the pain. The claw closed on his hand as the others had and it was like his hand was being ripped off constantly but refusing to let go of his wrist. "Crunchy snacks, that smarts!"

His friends cringed but as the pain passed, they assumed that he'd hobble back to (y/n)'s side to lick his wounds and seek her comfort, but no. In true Ray fashion and despite his silent promise, the hero looked to his left and saw something else, another doohickey that he fancied, and he figured that one more trinket could hurt. Traps could hurt, though, and hearing him in pain was even worse for some.

"Hey, look! A cane! That'll go perfect with my top hat!" he noted as he ate a chip and felt so giddy about the idea of being a pristine gentleman for his sweet girl that he skipped off to go and retrieve it. At this rate, they'd never go home, not until he was immobilised by metal and carrying a bag full of worthless tat.

"Or...he'll never learn." the heroine lamented, burying her face in her hands as Ray went off again...and got trapped again. Did he not know that he was breaking her heart and tearing down every word she said in his defence? She could get him titos if he wanted and she didn't need him to dress up, dressing down was preferable and now, he was a bigger doofus than ever.

"Ow! Puttin' on the Ritz, that hurts!"

"Are you sure you wanna marry him? It's not too late to run for it, y'know..." Charlotte retorted to the woman, who didn't take any offence from her words. She was joking, that was clear, the girl would never ruin the relationship that she helped to forge, but it had to be said yet again. 

They were so different and him so difficult--did she really want to sign herself up for a lifetime of that?

"You don't know my doofus like I do. He's a massive idiot and he drives me insane but he's my massive idiot. I wouldn't have it any other way... I love him."

Hell yeah, she did.

[20thcentwriter]

Get him back [Michael Gavey x OC]

Chapter One- When Edith Met Michael

Word count- 1.2k

Cw- swearing

Vaguely proofread

A/n hello everyone, welcome to chapter one of my series. I don't consider myself a great writer but I hope you enjoy this series I have planned. I kinda have no clue what I'm doing really and any tips and tricks would be very helpful. All I know is that I'm excited to discover the relationship between Edith and Michael.

Also apologies for this chapter being kind of short. I just wanted to establish the breakup between Felix and Edith and have her meet Michael. It will get more interesting

“You’re breaking up with me?!?” Edith can’t believe what she’s hearing

… Well maybe she can a little bit but it doesn’t mean she thought this would really happen.

“Umm…Ed… yeah. You know we’re both going to uni in two weeks.”

“Felix Catton don’t you fucking bullshit me. you and I are both going to Oxford.”

”Okay umm…” Felix brings his hand to rub his chin. “ it’s just that this whole past year I’ve been so great and understanding about your boundaries regarding sex but I thought by now we’d have already done it though. I don't think it’s going to work.”

Through breathy laughter Edith can’t help containing her anger “Wait- So what you’re telling me is that you are done with me because I'm not ready to have sex and you’re horny ?!?!”

“That's pretty much the case, yeah.”

”You know what Felix Catton, I can't believe I thought you would ever be understanding.” Edith starts, heels turning to walk away so he couldn’t see the tears whining to spill. “You fucking suck and fuck you!!!!”

“What a fucking asshole,” Edith mutters under her breath peering out the window of her room. She shakes her head looking at a completely okay looking Felix Catton chatting and laughing with other popular rich kids who some Edith use to call “friends” .

The term “friends” would frankly be a loose term for Edith because they were more of people she hung out with because she was dating Felix, they weren’t true friends. she’s never exactly had a true friend.

Eddie knows he doesn’t deserve anymore of her feelings towards him but it’s hard. All she wants to do is scream and cry, telling Felix that he’s so pathetic.

Edith knows she can’t, all those other girls would come right after her, saying she’s jealous and desperate. how could he just break her heart and be completely okay? He’s most likely even moved on already.

Taking her eyes off from her ex, Edith flops onto her bed with a groan. All she wishes to do for the rest of the day is sit on her bed and read her book, draw in her sketchbook and maybe play her guitar. She’s aware though that she has to go to the dining hall tonight. Edith hasn’t been able to eat all day as she’s been moving in.

The idea of having to potentially sit near a perfectly fine Felix makes her want to gouge her eyes.

It's also her luck though that she’ll be stuck with some maths loser who forces you to answer sums, showing off how smart they are. If she were to compare the two she would take the maths loser but still not ideal.

Completely done with reality, Edith grabs her ipod, headphones and sketchbook off her nightstand and drowns out the world with music and drawing until she has to leave her room.

This is just great. I don't have to sit next to Felix but I also can’t find a seat in the first place. Edith can’t help but comment in her head, walking the dining hall in hopes of a spot to sit.

In a way she did luck out but she doesn’t know where to sit. That thankfully for Edith isn’t long lasting as she finds an open seat next to a boy with dirty blonde hair and glasses. Not thinking to whom she might have to converse with, she quickly walks over and sits down desperate to begin eating.

As she's eating, Edith can't help but feel uneasy and like someone to the right is staring into her soul through her ear. She looks up to the right and piercing blue eyes fill her vision. she whispers an awkward hi and smiles at the very strange boy and he in return moves his eyes down to her messenger bag.

Edith’s bag is decorated with little doodles that draws on it when she’s bored. The boy quickly turns his head away from muttering something under his breath that Edith didn’t pick up on but knew couldn’t have been nice.

What an ass.

The feeling of uneasy and bitterness doesn’t die the more she sits next to this guy. It was also not exactly possible to find a new seat either as the only other open seat was across from him and somehow for Edith that would be even worse. She feels bad for whoever would be sitting across from him

Like the universe reading her mind, another boy around her age with dark brown hair and glasses, who after struggling to find a place in the dining, eventually seats himself, somewhat reluctantly. right across from the strange boy.

The two boys stare at each other in silence for a few minutes, the brown-haired boy also clearly uneasy like Edith. it was the other boy who reach his hand out though to the brunet to introduce himself and Edith finally learned this strange boy’s name

”Hi I’m Michael Gavey”

The other boy accepts Michaels outreached hand and Edith learns his name is Oliver Quick. The boy begins to converse with one another. The last thing she got by fully eavesdropping was Michael asking Oliver if he was also a Norman no-mate too.

Not really interested, Edith turns her attention back to her half empty plate. the quicker she finishes the faster she can leave and not have to be in the presence of this Michael Gavey.

Even with half eavesdropping and half ignoring the two. Edith slightly laughs to herself as Michael tells Oliver even though he doesn’t like math, he is some math genius and to ask him a sum. Oliver clearly uncomfortable and telling Michael he’s fine and that he doesn’t need to ask him a sum

Edith though couldn’t expect was was to come out of a now agitated Michael.

“ WELL ASK ME A FUCKING SUM THEN!!!”

Jesus fucking christ Edith curses to herself while the whole dining hall quiets at the sudden intrusion of loudness. Among the same surprise, She is also intrigued and she smirks knowing something that would give her a little happiness asking Michael.

Before Oliver could clear the embarrassment he's feeling at Michael's sudden outburst, Edith interrupts. “What's 34+35?”

The attention of the boys are turned on to Edith as she smiles as Michael answers but then realizing what sum she asked, face turns to annoyance at the question, clearly knowing she is taking the mick out of him.

“Haha, very funny….” Michael’s voice trails waiting for a name

“Edith Pemberton and you said to ask a sum”

“Well Edith Pemberton i don't think I was talking to you Ms.” I'm wasting my money on an vapid arts degree”

“How fuck do you know what I'm learning.”

“Lucky guess based on how you're dressing and your… interestingly designed… bag.”

The gull this guy has to judge after literally yelling at someone to ask him a sum.

“Well Mr “I think math and science is better than the arts” you're wasting your money on a subject you don't really like so guess who's money is really wasted”

“Well at least I'll be making money post grad How about You? Oh wait Probably not.”

“Wow Michael Gavey you deserve a Nobel prize for solving the meaning of life!! Making money!!” sarcasm spilling from Edith’s mouth, not wanting to let this guy win.

Due to the bickering fight Edith and Michael were having, either of them failed to realized Oliver used it as a way to escape the situation

“God you're such a cunt Edith Pemberton.”

“Takes one to know one bitch.” a smirk reappearing on her face as she picks up her now almost empty plate and bag to leave a now bewildered Michael Gavey.

Taglist- @fan-goddess @iamavailablesstuff @callsignwidow

[zkg2318]

Loose Ends explanation

So i’ve had some people expressing wanting a pt 4 to my Loose Ends series, but i just dont have the ambition for that story anymore and there will be no plans to write a part 4, but i can tell you guys how i had planned to finish the stories if you are at all interested: read part 1

synopsis: choosing to enroll in a university on the other side of the world after graduating high school seemed like the perfect way to escape your mother’s alcoholism and relentless abuse. What you didn’t anticipate was meeting a group of persistent boys determined to break through the emotional barriers you had built after years of emotional turmoil back home. Letting them in would prove to be one of the best choices you could make after you come to the realization that you had never truly left your mother’s torment behind- and other buried secrets that start to unravel after your move

So the story is about a girl named Aeris who moves to sk to pursue a college education away from her mom who is very abusive and struggles with alcoholism. Some backstory that i deem important is the passing of aeris’s father when she was just a little girl, the readers would find out he left her and her mom about a week before the fire that destroyed their apartment and then passed away in the fire. Aeris ended up getting a few burn scars that she was very self conscious about.

I also mentioned that there was a trust fund made my her paternal gradparents (dad’s side) but it was spent on whatever it was her mom used it on.

So, later in the story after aeris runs away, aeris gets a call and essentially it’s her mom saying she found her and that she would take Aeris back and ruin her life. Not knowing how to cope, aeris goes and gets drunk at a club and is rescued by her roommates and its then revealed to the boys how her mom abused her and her dad is dead.

Blah blah blah, aeris visits office hours for one of her professors, professor lim, and learns that hes around 40 years old and hates children, said he would go crazy if he had a child.

Aeris mentions her mom being similar in that sentiment and professor lim momentarily freezes. Plot twist, professor lim is aeris’s dad and he knows about aeris being his daughter because it is a very unique name and when she tells him what her name means, he knows its her because he was the one who named her.

Upon leaving his office, she spots burn scars on his arm but doesnt get a chance to ask about it. Then right after, an email is sent out to her class that professor lim has a personal emergency to handle and that he would be gone for a while.

I left it off here, planning for there to be a reveal about everything in the next chapter.

In part 4, readers were supposed to learn that the fire at aeris’s apartment was orchestrated by professor lim. It was supposed to be a way to leave his past behind and make a name for himself in another country.

Professor lim never wanted kids, but he had one with some girl when he was very young, and was forced to marry her as he was the face of a popular financial firm. His parents told him to marry the woman so the public wouldnt freak out about him having a child out of wedlock. They set up an education fund for aeris and for two years, professor lim worked with a close friend of his to make a new identity and plan the fire.

It was in his original plans that his wife and aeris would die in the fire, but he fled before he could find out if they actually passed. Fast forward two decades later and he meets his daughter, and then learns her mom is still alive.

So he travels to the us and confirms what really happened, learns that they escaped the fire in time.

Meanwhile, i was just gonna have aeris’s mom get arrested for breaking into their townhome in sk, and then lim would come back and kidnap aeris to reveal everything. His surname is actually kang, like kang aeris and tells her he never wanted her. That she was supposed to die and let him live his life in peace. The boys would save her somehow and aeris would go to court and lim would go to jail.

Also, it was a poly type of fic so i was gonna develop the relationship with her and the hyung line.

Idk what else i was gonna do cuz i didnt really know how to go from there and it was the first thing i had written in SEVERAL years so the plot wasnt very developed. But overall, thats what happens. Im sorry if this explanation sucks, i wrote it out on my phone and all of part 4 was just a wishful idea of what i wanted to happen with no thought out plan to execute it. Thats why this explanation may feel very bare and missing in some parts.

[ereardon]

At Sea [Bob Floyd x Reader]

Chapter 3

Overview: I’ll be home in five weeks. That’s what naval aviator Y/N told her fiance before leaving for deployment in the Atlantic. But time ceased to stop when she met Bob Floyd, the ship surgeon. Shy and honest, Bob quietly slipped into Y/N’s life, creating a complicated dynamic on an already intense mission. Falling for Bob was not in Y/N’s plan, and as she continues to weave a web of lies, she must make a choice: return to the life she left on land, or forge ahead into the unknown with Bob. But before Y/N can decide, disaster strikes, leaving Bob to make the decision that will alter their lives forever. 

Chapter summary: Y/N and Bob have a close encounter that leads Y/N to ponder cheating on her finace

Pairing: Navy Doctor Bob Floyd x Female Aviator Reader

Warnings: Implied emotional cheating, lots of Naval inaccuracies

WC: 1.2K

Masterlist here; previous chapter here

You could see Bob the moment you stepped out onto the deck. He had his back toward you, his face gazing out at the dark sea. 

You crept up behind him, one hand on his arm. “Hey.” 

He jostled beneath your touch, kind brown eyes looking down behind wire frames. “Hey there.” 

“So what’s the plan?” 

Bob held out one hand. It was steady, nails trimmed neatly, silver watch fastened slightly loosely at the wrist. “Come and see.” 

You let your fingertips rest in his. There was a moment of hesitation before he started to lead me away from the edge of the deck. You saw the flicker of a question cross his eyes in that moment of hesitation. Wondering if he should kiss you or not. 

You found myself disappointed he didn’t. 

He led you across the ship deck, toward the stern. You passed a few people, their eyes darting between you and Bob, down to your hands. 

At the stern of the boat, you were sheltered behind the funnel. Almost immediately, the wind died down. Your flyaway hairs, which has been whipping at your temples, settled. 

“Why weren’t we meeting here the whole time?” you asked. 

“Good question.” 

“So what’s the game plan?” 

Bob smiled. “Do you always need a plan?” 

“You don’t know me very well, but I’m super impatient, and always in a rush. I’m chronically type A. I hate gum because I think hearing people chew is disgusting. And I'll make you stop every hour on a road trip to pee.” 

He leaned closer. “Nothing you’ve just said has turned me off.” 

“Oh, I know, I was trying to turn you on.” 

Bob laughed, and it was contagious. There wasn’t much laughter on a mission like this. He was a breath of fresh air. 

Below deck, Bob led you through a labyrinth of doors through personal quarters before landing at a door at the end of the hall. He turned the handle. 

Inside, white string Christmas lights had been looped around the ceiling. Pressed against a wall was a bed, but massive, like two standard issues had been shoved together. 

You turned to Bob with eyebrows raised. 

“I thought you might be getting sick of listening to me talk. And you’d rather watch a movie instead.” He walked over to the computer monitor facing the bed, plugging in a jack and forcing the screen to light up. “Our options are limited,” he added. “The Lion King. Hercules, or Shrek.” 

You laughed and took a seat on the edge of the bed. It was monumentally more comfortable than your cot out in the barracks. “Love your taste in films.” 

“You’re a little older than my usual movie-watching companions,” he replied. 

“They’re all classics, don’t get me wrong. But I feel like you can’t go wrong with The Lion King.” 

Bob nodded, inserting the DVD as you slid off your shoes, climbing further onto the bed toward the corner. On the desk, you spotted a bottle of pinot noir, and two coffee mugs.

“Where did you get wine?” 

“I have my ways. Is red OK?” 

“It’s perfect.” 

“Good.” He grabbed the remote and then bent down to untie his shoes. When he stood, he flushed, and you patted the space on the bed next to you. An invitation. 

When Mufasa reached up his paw, and Scar let him fall into the valley, you felt Bob’s breath do a sharp intake. You looked up at him, his eyes rapt on the screen, but a small tear had made its way into the corner of his eye. You looked at him for a beat too long, and then worried that he would catch you staring, you turned your head back downwards. This time, you laid your head down on his abdomen, slinging an arm across him. There was a moment of hesitation before his hand came down on your shoulder, gently resting across your upper arm. 

You stayed like that, cuddled together, until the movie was done. As the credits rolled, it was clear neither of you were ready to untangle yourselves. Thirty seconds passed before you pushed yourself up into a seated position facing Bob. “A classic.” 

He nodded. There was something he wasn’t saying. It was clear from his eyes. 

You scooted closer, until your knees were touching his. “What are you thinking?” 

“That no matter how many times I watch this movie, it never ceases to impress me.” 

“Strong feelings for a Disney movie, but I get it.” 

“I had a patient once,” Bob said. “He was six. His father had just died, and he was dying, too. One day he asked me to watch a movie with him. It was the end of a call shift, so I stayed, and we watched The Lion King. I’ll never forget the way he broke down when Scar let Mufasa fall. And all I could do was hold his hand and tell him it was just a movie. But it wasn’t just a movie. That was his real life. He wasn’t going to wake up the next day and see his dad. He might not even wake up the next day. What do you say to someone like that?” 

You shook your head. “I don’t know.” 

“Nobody does. And that’s what makes it so hard. All you want to do is tell them it’ll get better. But sometimes that just isn’t true.” 

“You do the best you can. That’s all anyone can ask for.” 

Bob was quiet. You reached up, placing both hands on either side of his head, slowly stroking his blond hair. As you started to pull back, his hands shot out and gripped your wrists. “I want to kiss you,” he whispered. “But I won’t.” 

“Why?” You were breathless. 

“Because you deserve a really amazing first kiss. And I don’t want our first kiss to be because you feel bad for me.” 

“That’s not it.” 

He pressed his eyes closed for a second. “Even if it isn’t, you still deserve more.” 

You laid back on the bed. Bob mimicked your movements so you were facing each other. “It’s nice how highly you think of me,” you murmured. “But don’t.” 

“I can’t help it.” Bob trailed his fingers over your hip. “Can I ask you something? And feel free to say no, no matter how pathetic I look.” 

“Anything.” 

He was timid. You could see it in every line across his face. The way his voice shook as he spoke. “Will you stay here tonight? You don’t have to. I promise I won’t try anything. I just really want you here.” 

“Yes.” You said it without hesitation. His smile – soft, quiet, harrowing – was enough to get you to commit murder. Another girl would say no, go back to her bunk, contemplate what she had done to get herself into that position. Another girl, a better girl, would feel guilty.

But guilt felt like a far off whisper. Instead, you were overcome by excitement. It bubbled in your chest. 

Being with Bob made you feel weightless. And that terrified you. 

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