#best summer destinations in the world
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flamingotransworldpvtltd · 2 years ago
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Best Summer Holiday Destinations In The World To Visit in 2023
summer is the perfect time no matter where you are in the world when most people are having a break from their work and having a fun time with their family and the first thing that one thinks is of having a vacation and breaking their hectic routine. But selecting a perfect destination for Vacation is a tricky thing but don't worry we have done that Homework for you.     we have Filtered out some best summer holiday destinations in the world that can give you a peaceful vacation.    USA - A perfect paradise for every kind of traveler as it offers everything to its guests right from great scenic attractions, wildlife sanctuaries, and Waterfalls to Great urban centers where you can party hard and enjoy the nightlife there. you can book America group tour packages to enjoy every bit of the USA and have a blast.    Canada - A peaceful destination that can help you escape your hectic routine and explore thrill, nature, and recent History. It is a perfect combination of British and french attractions along with great waterfalls, national parks, and islands. you can visit Canada with help of Canada group tour packages to enjoy every attraction with a bunch of people.    Iceland - An underrated gem of Europe can attract you with a lot of surprises it has held within it. Northern lights are one of the factors that attract most tourists, but what most people don't know about Iceland is that it has majestic streets, surreal natural wonders, great colonial architectural beauty, and much more. one can visit Interesting Iceland with ( Indian chef ) tour packages to explore unexplored Iceland.   Seychelles - A hidden gem in the Indian ocean which is a tiny dot on the world map but consists of 115 islands. A completely isolated place from urban centers which still holds its natural beauty, a Dreamy place that one can absolutely visit in real life with white sand beaches and complete turquoise water. You can customize your Seychelles tour package to have the complete dreamy vacation you craved for.    Mauritius - A perfect vacation destination for nature lovers which can help you escape the urban mess with its lagoons, clean beaches, and surreal experience of diving into the Aqua world. You can check out Mauritius tour packages to explore them peacefully. 
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theeagertraveler · 8 months ago
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Exploring the Beauty of Banff in Summer: A 3.5-Day Itinerary
Nestled in the heart of Alberta's Rocky Mountains, Banff is a dream destination for nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers. The picturesque landscapes of Banff National Park, with its glaciers, dense forests, and alpine beauty, make it an ideal summer getaway. In this comprehensive travel guide, we will delve into the best things to do in Banff during the summer, offering an exciting 3.5-day itinerary for an unforgettable experience.
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wanderlustphotosblog · 8 months ago
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Unveiling the Top Travel Destinations for 2024: A Traveler's Guide
Are you looking for an incredible travel destination for this year? Check out my hand-picked list of the most unique and amazing places in the world to visit in 2024. From exotic locations to cultural hotspots, this list has it all!
When I was young, I had a subscription to National Geographic and I used to dream about visiting the far-flung places I would see on its pages. As I grew older and started to travel more, the travel bug got a hold of me even more. Now, I am starting to check places off my travel bucket list and share my experiences with you. In this article, I am going to share my list of the top travel…
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heechwe · 2 months ago
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so high school | 𝖑𝖍𝖘
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୨୧ pairing: lee heeseung x fem!reader ୨୧ word count: 6.8k ୨୧ genre: fluff, smut ୨୧ tags: basketballplayer!heesung, nerd!reader, tutor!au, high school au, oral (f + m receiving), penetration (all characters are of age!), light choking ୨୧ synopsis: You and your boyfriend are complete opposites on paper—you, the girl hidden inside a book, and Heeseung, the star of the basketball team—but it feels so right every time you’re together.
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Heeseung at the free-throw line, certain he will make the basket and win the championship, turns to look at you in the stands. The sounds of his coach, taunts from the opposing team, encouragement of his teammates, and commotion of the final game of the season all fade into the background. To him, all that matters besides the ball in his hands is you.
You, amongst the others in the crowd with their hearts in their mouths, have no fears for your boyfriend. The star player who’s going to make history has never given you doubts before in his talents. All you can do is smile, incredibly proud and incredulous at the thought that he is all yours and nobody else’s.
It’s almost unimaginable how the two of you found each other, coming from completely different worlds. But like all stories, similar to the ones you’ve read since childhood, the story of you and Heeseung has a clear beginning…
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AUGUST
“Do you ever stop to—I don’t know—not read?” Jungwon asks, jotting down notes in his notebook.
You giggle and flip the page. “It’s the last book on Choi’s summer reading list. Besides,” you retort, looking directly at your best friend, “how else would I be able to read and still remember what you just said to me if I didn’t practice?”
“Fuck off.” You lightly knock his shoulder with yours.
Even though it was still very early in the school year, you still had a lot to concentrate  on with the month coming to an end. Like the first novel Mrs. Choi selected on her extensive reading list. You planned to discuss it with the members of the school’s book club, your notes already tucked in your backpack for today’s Friday meeting.
Now, sitting with Jungwon in the hallway as you eat your lunch, your focus is solely on finishing the last fifty pages of the last book in the list Mrs. Choi created. Jungwon closes his notebook and gets up from his spot next to you. “Alright, I gotta head to Chem.  I’ll see you after school!” With a wink, he runs down the hallway and disappears down the corner.
Who you don’t expect to pop up next to disturb the sudden quiet of the surrounding area is Lee Heeseung, star shooting guard for the school’s basketball team. You never spoke to him before, but his reputation and family’s legacy preceded him. His brother was the shooting guard for the team years ago, breaking numerous records before he graduated. Now, Heeseung’s definitely filling his brother’s shoes and then some.
As a person, however, you know nothing about the boy at all. This year, though, you shared the same English class with Mrs. Choi. She cared little for his extracurriculars or persona around campus; what mattered to her was the effort of her students and the quality of the classwork.
Heeseung passes you by on his way towards his destination, not sparing a glance. You sit attentively as he knocks on Mrs. Choi’s classroom door.
She answers after a moment, a somber smile on her lips. “What can I do for you, Mr. Lee?”
He clears his throat and asks her, “You saw my message and I—“
“I am aware, Mr. Lee. My response still stands. Is there something else you need?” Mrs. Choi sees you out of the corner of her eye, but she doesn’t acknowledge your snooping.
“I will do anything to correct my last assignment. Please,” Heeseung begs.
“Mr. Lee, the cutoff for submissions was last week. I’m sorry, but your grade is final.” She sighs and looks at her watch.
“There’s nothing I can do to bring it up before the first game?” Heeseung asks, his voice growing thin from his frustration. He’s not rude, but clearly disappointed he isn’t getting his way with his big eyes and pleading words.
“How about this? I’ll tell Coach Sung you’re working on a paired project to make up the grade.”
“Perfect.” Heeseung breathes a sigh of relief before he takes in the rest of her sentence. “Wait, who’s my partner?”
Mrs. Choi extends her arm out to point in your direction. Immediately, you want to tuck yourself in your book and hide. You did not intend for your interest in their conversation to put you right in the middle of it, and now you wish you hadn’t feigned curiosity at all.
“She’s one of my best students, so you’re in great hands.” She turns her head so both you and Heeseung can hear her. “I’ll send both of you the information for the project later today.”
You didn’t notice Heeseung had kept his focus on you until you broke your stare-off with Mrs. Choi. Her lips are upturned in a secret smirk when you turn your attention to him.
Heeseung isn’t bad to look at, the definition of his muscles peeking out of his shirt in multiple places and his brown hair falling into his face. Each piece of his physical being represents the epitome of a Greek god’s form. But the fact neither of you had ever interacted up to this point is what scares you more than his intimidatingly good looks.
When Mrs. Choi gently closes the door, Heeseung awkwardly walks over to your position, towering over you. Ironically, his presence physically embodies your feelings towards him, this stranger now being shoved into your life.
“I’m Heeseung.”
You give him a close-lipped smile and extend your hand out to him, your name leaving your lips immediately. Displaying fake confidence, you hope he can’t tell how terrified you are.
His eyes brighten when his hand touches yours. You stand up, hand still in his, and the feeling of his palm against yours causes you to fumble your next words. “S-so I guess I should give you my number. I mean so once we get the assignment—“
Heeseung smirks. “Usually girls flirt a little more before asking for my number.”
You scoff and tuck your book closer. “I was offering to give you mine, actually. For educational purposes.”
The noise of his laughter fills the small corridor. “Right.”
You roll your eyes, suddenly feeling annoyance creeping under your skin. “Well, if it’s that hard to swap information, you can find me after school in the library.” You walk away, but Heeseung follows quickly behind.
“I have practice once the last bell rings.”
You look at him with serious eyes, not bothering to stop your stride towards the stairs. “Tell Coach you can’t make it.”
“Are you nuts?” Heeseung says, eyes wide.
You smirk. “You have to get your grade up to play, right?”
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You watch the clock in the library with scrutiny. Members of the book club have been gone for half an hour, but you chose to stay behind. School let out an hour ago, and yet you’re still holding out hope Heeseung will come. But every minute that goes by proves you have to face facts: you’re now forced to collaborate with a stereotypical jock.
Mr. Kim, the head librarian, puts the disorganized books on the shelves as you tap your pencil on the table. “Waiting for someone? You don’t usually stick around this late,” Mr. Kim says with a smile.
You grin back, the sentiment not reaching your eyes. “You could say that.”
After another ten minutes of silence, you give up. You begin packing up your belongings, shaking your head and mumbling to yourself the entire time. Curse your interest in the guy and his lack of care for his academics. No wonder his grade was in the tank already. What was the point of athletics if he didn’t have other prospects to fall back on?
Just as you’re walking out of the library, Heeseung runs into you. Sweat’s dripping from his forehead and his breaths are labored. Clearly, he chose basketball over your project. You want to punch him for putting you both in this position.
“I swear I was going to blow off practice,” Heeseung says, but he can see your doubt in his words on your face.
“Sure. How about this? Figure out how to do the project on your own.” You press your body into his to push him out of your way. He follows in suit and rubs the spot you shoved, pretending to be wounded.
It only fuels your ire. You’ve only spoken to the jerk twice and you’re already tired of him treating every word you say and feeling you have like a joke. “Is failing that amusing to you?”
Heeseung’s expression immediately goes cold. “I’m not failing.”
“Sure. So Choi’s just doing this to torture you.”
He weighs his response in his mind before answering. “I may not be perfect, but Choi is really hard on grading.”
“That first assignment was just about what your future looks like after high school.” You push your backpack over your arm. “Excuse her for thinking you had plans outside of throwing a ball around a field.”
That laugh of his may just be the end of your life. He chuckles hard and puts a hand out to stop you. “First of all, that’s football.” He tries to make you look at him directly, but you refuse, too angry to give into what he wants. 
He continues anyway. “Second, basketball is my life. Past, present, future, okay? Without it, I don’t even know where I’d be.”
His voice is sincere, more honest than it’s been before. Regardless, your understanding and disappointment is evident. “Don’t you think that that’s the problem?”
“It hasn’t been one before. Suddenly I say it out loud and it’s an issue?” Heeseung’s voice raises a decibel, clearly agitated and back to his cold exterior.
If he wants to fight about this, you’re game.
“No,” you say, matching his vocal level. “The issue is that your focus is solely on basketball when there’s more important things in life than a dumbass court and sweaty guys trying to make touchdowns.” 
“You’re mixing up your sports analogies, angel.” Heeseung steps closer, testing your boundaries. Your chest heaves up and down, your breath labored. You may just slap him if he gets closer.
“You know what I mean.”
“Are you going to help me or not?” A fraction of his expression slips. His eyes challenge you in both irritation and anxiety. The bravado’s merely a mask for the fear that he’ll lose the one thing he wants the most in this world. And did you have it in you to be the reason he couldn’t have it?
You sigh and rub your palm across your forehead. “Tomorrow, meet me at the marketside pier. 8 AM. Take it or leave it.”
He releases a humorless chuckle. “You’re not gonna make this easy are you?”
“Not on your life.”
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Heeseung is there at one of the pier’s wooden picnic tables with his materials sprawled out when you arrive at 7:45. You weren’t expecting for him to be there on time, much less earlier than you. The sun reflects off of his hair, turning the brown curls almost orange. Like the first time you saw him, you can’t help but be reminded that he is painstakingly attractive.
You give him a shy smile and put your backpack down next to you.
“I can tell you’re surprised,” Heeseung says with a small smile.
“A bit, yeah.” You unzip your bag to grab your English textbook. “I thought on the weekends you typically do…’fitness stuff.’” He laughs at your air quotes.
“Well, to be honest, I wake up at 6 AM every morning for drills with my dad.”
Your eyes go wide. “Wow.”
“Yeah. Like you said, my sole focus is on that damn ball,” Heeseung says, opening his own textbook. “But I want to change that.”
“So you can keep playing,” you remind him, teasing the poor guy.
“Half true,” Heeseung says. “But I shouldn’t have left you hanging, yesterday.”
You nod. “I appreciate your apology.” You grab a pencil from your bag, pushing on the eraser until the lead pops up. “And I shouldn’t have been so judgmental. You have to be good at stuff besides basketball, even if it’s not studying.”
“Hey! I’m doing well in all my other classes, thank you very much.” You both share a minute of laughter. “But, to be honest, I do like to sing.”
You roll your eyes. “Okay, Troy Bolton.”
“For real! One day, I’ll take you to karaoke. I won’t make fun of you if you can’t keep up with me.”
“Okay, we’ll see.” You direct his focus back on to the page. “Now, onto Shakespeare.”
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SEPTEMBER
Although Heeseung took his sweet, laborious time to translate and understand Shakespeare’s old English, the project went off without a hitch. Mrs. Choi was even surprised herself, in disbelief you pulled such an expansive and well-thought analysis out of the quintessential jock.
Now, it seemed the best next step to keep Heeseung on the right track was to sit him right next to you. Your initial partnership continued to benefit him in both his success in English and focus on academics, possibly for the first time in his high school career.
Better than that, he may have found a new friend in you that he wouldn’t have had otherwise.
By the end of one Tuesday class, Heeseung asks you to have lunch with him and his friends, a request that makes your previous seating buddy in English, Yujin, freak out.
Both her and Jungwon corner you on your way out when you tell them the news.
“No fucking way,” she whispers excitedly, slapping you on the back with vigor.
“That hurt,” you moan.
“Are you prepared?” Jungwon asks, smirking.
“Prepared for what?”
“The lion’s den, dude! You’re gonna be with not just his douche friends, but also the cheerleaders, other sports players…be prepared for the worst,” Jungwon grumbles.
“Oh shut up, Won!” Yujin threatens to hit him too, but he retracts. “Have fun on your pseudo first date.”
“It’s not a date!”
By the time lunch comes around, you hold yours with shaky hands, searching the lunch courtyard for the jock’s table. You usually sat with Jungwon or Yujin in the hallway of the English department to eat. Now, you’re a small fish in a big pond, waiting to be eaten alive.
Was it, in fact, a date, like your friends hypothesized? Did you have to try and impress Heeseung more than normal? Did you want Heeseung to take you on a date, real or fake, to begin with?
"Hey!"
Heeseung waves you over with a confident but over-exaggerated arm, flapping it wildly so you notice. He didn't need to do that, though; you could pick out his voice in any crowd.
You walk over with a smile and sit down, feeling small next to the strangers you had not met until this moment. The basketball team's not unwelcome, but they are awkward at your sudden presence at their usual lunch table, even if Heeseung made it known beforehand that you would be hanging out with them to eat.
He says your name and introduces you to his friends. "And that's Sunghoon, Jeongsong, and Jaeyun." You recognize the last two, Jay and Jake. Jake, the strikingly blonde one, has Chemistry with you this year. He smiles and tips his soda can at you in acknowledgement.
"Hee was telling us you’ve been saving him this term in English. Choi can be a pain in the ass, am I right?" Sunghoon and Jeongsong share a laugh, but you bristle at the comment.
"Not really," you say. "Choi sponsors my book club, so we have a good relationship. I think that's why she wanted me to whip Heeseung into shape in the first place." You elbow Heeseung in the side, and he grins in response.
"She's probably right."
"Book club kid, huh?" Jake asks. "Haven't been one of those since elementary school."
Jake's comments make the entire team laugh. Your cheeks turn pink and Heeseung takes a sip from his drink, his posture stiffening in the process.
"It's not a bad thing though," Jake interjects amidst their laughter. "Books are fun."
"A bit nerdy, though," Sunghoon comments.
A girl next to Sunghoon smacks him hard in the arm, but he just pokes his tongue at her.
Your anxiety spikes sitting there with all of these people, your gut feelings a reminder that they’re all a part of Heeseung’s world, not yours.
You clear your throat and stand up from the table. “I forgot to say, Hee, I have to do something for Choi anyway.” Heeseung’s face turns down at the corners. The only audible response you receive is from Jay and Sunghoon in the form of snickers.
”Run along, pet,” Sunghoon comments with a smirk.
You hope your eyes give the offense you won’t bother saying out loud. Fuck off, asshole.
When you make it to your usual lunch spot, Yujin and Jungwon are surprised to see you walking down the hallway.
”What happened?” Yujin asks.
”Exactly what Won said was going to happen,” you confess, sitting down in a criss-cross position beside her. “Now give me your chips.”
When the end of the day comes around, Heeseung catches you on your usual trek to the bus. “You’re forgiven, by the way.”
You furrow your eyebrows. “What did I do?”
”You left me alone with my shithead teammates! I needed you there for backup, y’know.” He smirks and grabs your backpack from your shoulder to put around his arm. “I’m sorry about them. Sunghoon, mostly.”
”Can’t believe you’re friends with that guy,” you mumble.
”He’s the only one who I’m not friends with, truthfully. The others are cool. They’re just not used to new people.”
”I never would have guessed.”
Heeseung’s laugh is hearty, with a dazzling smile to match. You can almost forget the heap of embarrassment you felt earlier when you look at him like this, carefree and youthful.
“Anyway, let me give you a ride,” he offers, pointing to the senior parking lot. His car is freshly washed, its coat of paint identical to the school’s colors of blue with silver accents.
”What will your friends say?” you ask with a fake gasp.
”Fuck them. Besides, you’re also one of my friends. Now let’s go.” He takes your hand to walk in the direction of his car, not releasing your palm until you’re at his passenger side door.
As you give him directions, your mind goes back to the labels you had been running through in your mind all day. Were you Heeseung’s friend? Yes. Did you want to be more? Surely he didn’t just ask anyone to have lunch with him and his friends if he didn’t have other intentions, right? So, in that case, did yours match his?
A part of you wants to say yes, but the rational piece keeps you in check. It’s ridiculous to expect more than a friendship. How could you when it was so obvious your worlds were so far from each other, your friendship a simple fluke? You were grateful for his presence in your life, knowing without him it would be a bit darker, but would it last?
Yet here you were. Sitting happily in his car, hair blowing in the wind as his thumb grazes the outside of your hand, you try to enjoy all the time you do have together.
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OCTOBER
”This is ridiculous!”
”Come on, just try it!”
”When did I ever say I was good at sports?” You groan, holding the ball in your hands with nervous fingers. The basketball court at your local park is occupied only by you and Heeseung, but it feels as though there’s a thousand people in the metal stands watching you, waiting for you to mess up.
”You said if I passed the last test you would let me show you how to make a free throw.” Heeseung has his hands in his pockets, his letterman jacket flapping in the autumn wind.
“If I suck at this, you’re never going to talk to me again. Just watch.” You try to dribble the ball across the court, but it falls between your legs before you can travel any further.
Heeseung puts his face behind his hand, clearly chuckling to himself. You scoff at him and the response you saw coming the second he put the ball in your hands. “See? I told you you would think I’m embarrassing!”
He raises his hands in defense. “I’m sorry, okay? It’s just cute, that’s all.”
”’Cute’ is probably the nicest way you could say I’m embarrassing.” You kick the basketball in his direction. He catches it without any effort, his face still shaped in a state of enjoyment.
”I said cute because I meant cute, you dork.” He steps to the free-throw line and motions for you to join him. You do, grumbling and grunting the entire way.
”Now, you have to relax. The only way you have half a shot at making the basket is if you stop tensing up.” He hands you the ball again and steps behind you.
He puts his hands on your hips. his palms soft against your hoodie. You can practically feel the heat of his skin through the material of your clothing, and you hope he can’t tell how much your heartbeat has spiked from him being so close to you.
”Next thing is to bend your knees. They can’t be locked up.” You listen to his words, trying not to focus on how his body is making yours react. You may be imagining it, but even his voice sounds a bit breathless from the small distance between yourself and him.
His lips are ghosting over your ear when he says, ”Now shoot.”
You release the ball from your hands, hoping the angle of your throw and Heeseung’s directions will prove you’re partially competent. 
And sure enough, the basket makes it in a single whoosh. You turn in Heeseung’s grasp, releasing a happy cheer. “That was amazing!”
You feel the rush of the shot in your veins, but suddenly the only thing that makes your body hum in pleasure is the sudden crash of Heeseung’s lips against yours.
Unsure how to react, you stand there frozen in place as his mouth moves on its own accord. But slowly, surely, happily, you fall deeply into his embrace. You wrap your arms around his shoulders and feel the press of his tongue against your mouth, begging for entrance.
You comply, letting the feeling of him and the thrill of this private moment in both of your worlds fill you to the brim with quiet pleasure and happiness.
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[LHS] Can we talk, please?
[LHS] Did I do something wrong??
[LHS] IDC if you don’t respond. I’ll keep texting until you say something…
[LHS] Don’t leave me hanging :(
You sigh and throw your phone to the other side of the bed, tucking your comforter closer to your chest. Deciding to stay home from school was probably not the best way to handle your problems, but just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you’re sensible all the time.
This weekend’s excursion with Heeseung was beautiful, no doubt. But the fears continued to creep in with little regard for how happy he made you that day or all the days that came before it. Would how he felt about you last any longer than his basketball season? Did he entertain this simply for the fact that it was entertainment and nothing more? 
The thoughts had been too much when you said goodbye to him on your doorstep with another hasty, giddy kiss and all the hours following it. Maybe you were self-sabotaging, but it was better to manage expectations now than be crushed in the aftermath.
When Yujin calls you during lunch, you have half a mind to ignore it. You answer anyway to avoid your friends thinking something drastic happened.
”Hello,” you mumble, the effects of your late morning nap hitting you.
”Dude, Heeseung’s on a tear today. He even asked Jungwon where you were, and I didn’t even think he knew the kid existed. What the hell happened on Saturday?”
Before you can respond, you hear the sound of your doorbell. “I gotta go. I’ll tell you later.” You hang up, hastily grabbing your fuzzy robe before running downstairs.
You don’t bother looking through the peephole to see who it is, but you curse yourself for not doing so when you’re confronted with Heeseung. He’s a sweaty and panting mess, but he doesn’t care for his appearance. His face morphs into relief when he sees you staring back at him.
”Thank God,” he says before stepping closer to you. He runs his hand over your forehead, frowning. “You’re not sick.”
You shake your head.
”So, you just ignore me all weekend and then don’t show up to school today?”
You sigh. “I didn’t know what to say when I saw you.”
He gulps, his Adam's apple bobbing. “So you chose not to see me at all? Was kissing me that terrible?
”No!” You run a frustrated hand through your hair, the spot in your hallway suddenly too cramped. You push him back outside and close the door behind you. “I don’t regret it at all. And I’d do it again if I could.”
Heeseung smirks at that, clearly happy with your response. “So, what’s the problem?”
”The problem is that when you get bored of me, things won’t go back to normal for me like they will for you, Hee. You may think this is a game but—“
Heeseung’s sudden laugh is marked with a bitterness. His eyes grow serious, so much so your words stop short because of his stone expression
”Do you think that little of me?”
Your body tenses at his words, unsure how to respond. You have never thought of him as lesser than once, not since getting to know him. But maybe only looking at your feelings regarding your relationship compromised his own in the process.
He steps closer, your faces an inch apart. “Two months ago, I didn’t realize how much my life was going to change because of you. All I thought about before was basketball. And now, you’re one of the only things outside of that damn game that matters to me. When I haven’t talked to you or seen you for too long it’s like there’s this rock in my gut that I can’t get rid of. I kissed you because I wanted to, not for fun or because it’s this momentary thing.
”So, if you still think I’m going to get bored of you in a few days or weeks or months, then you really aren’t as smart as I thought you were, angel. Because I’m not going anywhere.”
Breathless would be too small of a word to describe how his speech affects you. You feel the same buzz of his kiss from a few days throughout your entire body from his words alone. It makes every worry and fear that has plagued you evaporate, replaced with his promises and all the reasons you should jump in headfirst without another thought.
So you do.
You kiss him hard, crashing into his lips and hoping all of the feelings he harbors reflect in the actions of your mouth. You hold onto him with your hands on his neck and the smoothness of your lips in a beautiful rhythm with each other.
Whatever happens next, you know there’s no turning back now.
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NOVEMBER
“And Sim, our prime point-guard, passes to Lee. Lee has ten seconds to make another three pointer and win the game. Will he do it? Time to find out!” Kim Sunwoo screams into the microphone, broadcasting the highlights of the semi-final game to the many listeners not attending in-person.
Lucky for you, you have the perfect spot in the stands to watch Heeseung make the winning basket and lead the team to victory.
The crowd roars when your boyfriend secures the team’s spot in the championship game. His teammates lift him up above their heads and shoulders, chanting his name and holding him with all of their strength. Heeseung immediately searches the crowd for you, his excitement fueling his newfound focus.
When he does see you, clapping your hands and cheering with the rest of the bystanders, he kisses the inside of his palm and shoots it in your direction like he’s making another basket. Your heart squeezes at the gesture, but you only blush and wink.
Ever since that day on your doorstep, you can’t seem to separate yourself from him or the feelings he stirs up inside of you. The thought and reality of not seeing or hearing from him for too long immediately dampens your spirits, just like Heeseung described to you when he confessed. Jungwon calls you “lovesick fools” every time you both are in his presence, but it’s not that. The love you feel for your boyfriend is one that strengthens every sense, impulse, and desire. Without it and him, that’s when you feel the weakest. And every time Heeseung smiles at you or holds you close, you can tell he feels the same.
Whether your worlds were the exact same or as different as they possibly could be, you both made your own perfectly fit for just the two of you.
The outside world has to creep in every once in a while, though.
At the end of the night, Heeseung’s arm is wrapped perfectly around you as you walk. You discuss your shared plans for the night and subsequent weekend since your parents are away at a work conference. Heeseung stops short when he sees his father waiting at his car with crossed arms.
“Good job, Hee,” He says first and foremost. “Saw you lost a bit of steam in the third quarter, though. We’ll have to do some more conditioning before the final.”
And there it was. The judgment you saw so often in conversations between Heeseung and his father that made you ache for the boy you loved. As his father, he should’ve been proud to see his sons succeeding, one of them off and playing for a world-renowned team and the other on his way there. Instead, all they received was judgment. It wasn’t your place, but you couldn’t wait for the day Heeseung stood up to him.
“At least I made the winning basket, right?” Heeseung shrugs off the criticism with a laugh and holds you closer. “We have to go eat, so—“
“Of course.” His father moves out of your way. “Lovely to see you again, darling,” He says to you with a small smile as he opens the passenger door for you. You return his greeting, suddenly uncomfortable with how close he is.
On your drive to your house, you try to help Heeseung destress with a hand on his thigh. “Don’t let him get to you,” you say sadly.
He smiles and gives you a knowing stare. “I’ve been dealing with him my whole life. He doesn’t have that power anymore.” He takes your hand from his thigh to hold it tightly in his own palm. “Besides, I’m one step closer to the championship and I got my girl next to me. Nothing’s getting in the way of my good night.”
You set your backpacks down at the door when you step inside your house. Heeseung follows you to the kitchen. While you’re finding the flier with the number of your favorite takeout restaurant, Heeseung presses his lips to your neck. The trail of his kisses going from the back of your ear to the start of your collarbone makes you shiver.”
“Hee,” you warn him. “We won’t be able to eat if you keep distracting me.”
“Food is the second priority,” he responds, lips feathering your skin. “Right now, we need to celebrate the championship.”
“The championship is still three weeks away.”
“If we both know I’m going to win, what’s the point of delayed gratification?” He pulls the sleeve of your shirt down to expose the top of your shoulder, kissing that area too to make your body thrum with pleasure.
“Speaking of that…” You turn to face Heesung, pressing your back against the counter. “I guess we can celebrate something tonight besides your impending win.”
Heeseung raises an eyebrow.
“I got early acceptance to Sky.”
Heeseung’s eyes immediately light up at your announcement. He pulls you in by the waist and spins you around the tiny space between your kitchen island and the fridge.
When the topic of college came up, it was as good a time as any for the two of you to discuss your future plans with each other. As fate would have it, Heeseung planned to play for Sky University’s basketball team next year, and you were waiting on your official acceptance letter when you both started dating.
Now, Heeseung would have the two most important things to him in the next chapter of his life. The boy’s over the moon, as any other person would be.
Heeseung lifts you over his shoulder, immediately heading in the direction of the stairs to take you to your bedroom. He laughs off your mock protest.
He knows for certain he’s in love with you. It may not be the perfect time to say it, especially before he’s about to ravish you, but the perfect time will come when it feels right.
He doesn’t say it when he strips you bare for only his eyes as he kisses you senseless, shocked and grateful your body is for him and him alone to see and cherish. He doesn’t say it as you kiss every inch of his bare chest to send him into a rambling mess of praises and curses.
Somehow, stupidly, the words slip out when your mouth is wrapped around his cock, tongue flat against the underside of his tip as he feels the back of your throat against him.
“Fuck, I love you so much.”
The air stills, both your bodies going rigid at the sudden confession that has just left his lips. But, instead of running scared, you take your mouth off of him and stare deeply into his eyes, smiling wide. “What’d you say?”
Heeseung breathes out a sigh of relief, suddenly taking your face in his hands and kissing you deeply. “I love you. I’ve loved you since the second I saw you in that hallway. I just didn’t know it yet.”
You giggle and press another kiss to his lips. He sees a tear leave your eye, and he wipes it away gently with his thumb. “I love you, too, Heeseung.”
You fall back into a steady rhythm of kissing and touching, Heeseung’s hands roaming the skin of your stomach, the swell of your breasts, and the cleft between your thighs, making you moan.
“Let me show you how much I love you,” Heeseung whispers against your lips.
He lays you flat on your back, kissing what areas he hasn’t touched yet with his hands. He needs you to know, in every moment, he chooses you and will never stop choosing to be with you.
If he had to make the choice to either give up the game or you, he would choose the former in a heartbeat. His dad, his friends, and even fate may say it’s young love and you haven’t been in his life as long as basketball has, but they don’t see him the way you do.
Even if he doesn’t say it out loud, he knows he doesn’t have to. 
When Heeseung finally presses his lips to your clit, kissing the nub with adoration, your legs shake at the contact. You instantly run your fingers into his hair. “Fuck,” you curse, the word rarely slipping from your lips save for moments like these.
The first time you had been together, Heeseung didn’t know exactly how to touch you without being terrified it was too much. But now he knows all the ways to turn you into a beautiful mess.
He licks languidly across your center and through your folds, keeping the perfect pace for you to ride your hips against his mouth. He inserts a finger into your entrance after coating the digit in the arousal already pooling at your center. You, typically so put together, are ready to fall apart at the simple press of his mouth against you.
Heeseung knows he can get you off this way, without question. And most nights, he doesn’t mind when you’re the only one who receives pleasure. But tonight, you moan out a request that he can’t say no to.
“Heeseung, please. I want you inside me when I come.” He doesn’t have to be told what to do twice when it’s the best command he’s heard all night.
He takes your mouth in his, holding your jaw in his hand and slightly applying pressure to the side of your neck. A half-empty moan leaves your lips at the sudden contact. To him, the sounds that you make are their own form of poetry, better than anything you’ve read to him all year.
Heeseung quickly grabs a foil packet from your bedside drawer to put on himself, protection being the one thing you can’t forget in the midst of your desire for each other. Lining himself up with your entrance, he thinks you could not look more beautiful with your half-lidded eyes and eager hands grabbing onto his hips to finally push him inside of you.
When he does ease in, he swallows the curse prepared to leave your mouth with his lips. It’s an indescribable feeling, the stretch and pull of your walls taking him in completely. Although you’ve been together many times before this night, it’s still a novelty Heeseung does not take for granted.
He takes his time establishing a rhythm, loving the pants and whimpers you emit because of him and for him. He holds his hand on your throat, his thumb going into your mouth for you to wrap your lips around in a lewd manor.
“Ah, fuck,” you say as he snaps his hips, filling you to the hilt. “Just like that.”
He feels his orgasm in his gut, threading further up his body as he snaps his hips harder and faster, moving in and out at a faster pace than normal. You don’t mind, scratching lines down his back as you cling to him. You’re both reduced to a heap of I love you’s and satisfied sounds, and it could not be more perfect.
“Fuck, Hee, I’m coming,” you say in the form of a promise, one so precious he wants to hear it every day.
The flutter of your walls around him as you fall apart pushes him to his own end, releasing into the condom with a guttural moan. He kisses you deeply before separating from you, running to the bathroom to throw the remnants of your lovemaking into the toilet and clean himself up.
You hold your arms out to him, ready to have him back by your side. He grins and kisses the crown of your forehead.
“Think about all the nights we can do this next year,” Heeseung whispers into the dark.
“I can’t wait,” you respond, pressing a kiss to his sweaty chest. “I love you.”
He grins happily to himself, the words a thousand times more powerful leaving your mouth. “I love you, too, angel.”
With your body curled into his chest, your heartbeats matching in tempo, he thinks no amount of championship wins could compare to the love he’s found in you.
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DECEMBER
The basketball feels light as air in Heeseung’s hands, incomparable to the feeling in his chest looking at you. His teammates can tell he’s staring directly at your position in the stands. They wonder how his mind is still so occupied by you, even amongst the sea of spectators waiting for him to either succeed or screw up
Little do they realize, you’re the exact reason he’s going to win the title.
As he looks in your direction, he takes the shot without second-guessing himself. He hears the faint gasps of some attendees and even his coach, but the following swish of the basket in the hoop tells Heeseung all he needs to hear. And all he needs to see is your beautiful, proud face as the gym explodes into cheers.
You’re the best and truest thing he has in this world. He knows he’s a champion, in both the traditional and figurative sense. With you by his side, he’ll always feel like the winner of every game he’ll ever play.
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jounetyfinder · 1 year ago
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Top 15 Best Family Travel Destinations in 2023 | Travel With Kids
These are 15 family destinations to travel with kids in 2023. Planning your next family travel vacation and don’t know where to start … source
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nikkento-writes · 4 months ago
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Babysitter - Part 2
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Pairing: dad!Toji x babysitter!reader
Rating: Explicit – MINORS DO NOT INTERACT
Word Count: ~3.8k
cw: age gap (reader is 21, Toji is in his 30s), explicit language, cheating, pregnancy, smut – PIV sex (doggy style)
Summary: You deal with the aftermath of your summer babysitting job turned adulterous summer scandal.
Author’s Notes: Thanks for all the kind words and support on Part 1 of this! I hope you enjoy part 2, and who knows, maybe I'll write a part 3 one day lol. Thanks for reading! Divider credit to @/fic-dumpster.
Taglist: @scorpiosugar @diegojeanne @f4irygard3n @cvixmei @soniiyi - more tags in the comments
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“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” You blink away the tears in your eyes, holding the pregnancy test, hoping that somehow, you’ll blink away the second line indicating that you are indeed pregnant.
“No way.” Chiyo waits for you outside the stall, the apprehension in her voice apparent.
“Yes. I’m…” There’s a lump in your throat you have to swallow before you finish your sentence. “Pregnant.”
Your best friend’s silence on the other side only makes you panic more, but you don’t blame her. What can she really say to make any of this better? To stop your world from turning upside down?
She whispers your name quietly, at a complete loss for words. Then, she clears her throat, sounding as if she’s fighting tears herself. “I’m going to buy you a melon pan. Just…wait for me here, okay?” It’s the only consolation she can offer you in this moment, huddled in a public restroom of a convenience store; you appreciate the effort, nonetheless. You wait for her to leave, completely alone now. As soon as she’s gone, you sob into your hands.
It's not that you oppose being a mother. You’ve always imagined handing a positive pregnancy test to the love of your life with the biggest smile on your face, excited to raise a family together. Ideally, this would have happened sometime in the future, once you’ve established yourself as a full-fledged adult. Not like this: twenty-one years-old, less than a year until graduation without the slightest clue what you’re doing with your life. Worst of all, the father isn’t your husband, a boyfriend, even a friend. It’s Toji Fushiguro, the dad of the little boy you babysat over the summer, the husband of the kind woman who hired you. You still haven’t forgiven yourself for your adultery, the guilt eating away at you since the start of that lecherous summer fling. And now, you have this pee-on-a-stick to remind you how incredibly reckless you were to get involved with him in the first place. How undeniably irresponsible you were to have unprotected sex with a married man. Sure, it was the best sex you’ll probably ever have in your life. But was it worth it?
You wrap the pregnancy test in toilet paper, tossing it in the trash bin. Knowing that no good will come out of sulking in the 7-11 bathroom any longer, you finally exit the stall, washing your hands clean at the sink. Your phone vibrates in your back pocket as you stare at your reflection in the mirror, fixated on your belly, wondering what it will look like round and full of life. It buzzes again, snapping you out of your trance. When you check to see who’s messaging, you almost drop your phone out of shock.
Somehow, someway, the universe has it out for you. Because in the most perfectly disastrous timing ever, Mrs. Fushiguro decides to contact you.
~~~
A week later, you’re sitting on the train, heading to the Fushiguro household. Your stomach is in knots, both from anxiety and from the morning sickness. Sweat beads on your forehead, skin sticky against your clothing in this hot weather. The closer you approach your destined stop, the more and more nervous you get, almost convinced to call the whole thing off.
Believe it or not, Mrs. Fushiguro did not contact you to confront you about the dirty deeds you did with her husband. Instead, she messaged you in dire need of a babysitter once again. She spares you the details, asking if you could meet her in person to better explain herself. And for whatever reason, you agree.
You haven’t come up with a solid plan yet on what you want to do about your little predicament. So far, the only people that know are Chiyo and your parents, who, after the initial shock of it all, have been surprisingly supportive. They advised you to take the rest of the term off, which you were able to get arranged quickly through your school. This gives you several weeks to decide what you need to do. With one issue resolved, it leaves you with the next, and the most pressing: whether or not you should tell the father. The last thing you want is to break apart the Fushiguro family. You’re fully prepared to raise this baby as a single mother, which, with the help of your parents and best friend, seems doable. Besides, you’re not even sure if you want Toji to be involved considering his complete lack of interest in his other child, Megumi. Despite that, you believe that as the father, he has the right to know. Can you gather the courage to actually tell him?
Still lost in your train of thought, you hop off to walk to the house. When you arrive, you spot Mrs. Fushiguro already outside, leaning against her car in the driveway with little Megumi in her arms. They both smile upon seeing you, warming your heart. You take a deep breath, bracing yourself for whatever is to come. 
“Hello Mrs. Fushiguro,” you greet her, bowing politely, too shy to meet her gaze. “How are you?”
“Doing really well. Thank you for coming on such short notice.” She lets her son down, who steps towards you until he’s hugging your knee, cooing. “I wanted to talk to you in person about my complicated situation.”
“Is everything alright?” you ask, unable to resist kneeling down to meet Megumi at eye level, making funny faces at him.
She giggles. “Oh, everything is great! The divorce finally went through and I’m living with my new boyfriend now, who’s been the absolute best, especially with Megumi.”
You make a shocked expression, mouth agape, exaggerated for the kid’s entertainment, though you’re pretty much stunned yourself. “Divorce…?”
“Yeah! Toji and I have been separated for a long time now. I’m sorry I didn’t mention that over the summer. You’re still so young after all, no need to rope you into adult things.”
You almost bust out laughing at the irony, but you hold your tongue, continuing to listen to her.
She sighs, flipping her long, beautiful hair behind her shoulders. “That being said, I still care about the guy. I mean, he is the father of my child. Without me or Megumi there on a regular basis, the whole house has gone to shit. It seems like he’s actually taking this divorce pretty hard. So, I want to hire you as a babysitter for my ex-husband. Just for a little while until he can get back up on his feet.”
Another shocked face, which makes Megumi laugh while dread sinks into your chest. “Babysitter…?”
“Babysitter, housekeeper, whatever you want to call it. You did such a wonderful job with him over the summer, even while you were taking care of Megumi! I don’t know what you were feeding him. Whatever it was, he was definitely a little bit nicer when you were around.”
Lewd flashbacks replay in your mind of Toji eating you out sloppily, slurping up all your pussy juices in every room of the house. You focus on the ground, too ashamed to look at her. “Mrs. Fushiguro, I don’t know if I can do this.”
She squats to your level, reaching for your hand, holding it gently in hers. “I know this is a lot of ask. You’re the only one I can rely on for this. Please.”
A sense of déjà vu hits you. There’s desperation in her tone and it tugs at your heartstrings the same way it did when you first met her a few months ago. It doesn’t help that Megumi is now squeezing the index finger of your other hand, eyes full of curious wonder, grip surprisingly strong for such a young child. Would she be pleading with you like this if she knew the truth about you, Toji, and the baby? Even though they were separated during this whole ordeal, it doesn’t make what you did any better; you still decided to do it regardless of their marital status.
Maybe you can use this opportunity as a way to atone.  
You finally look at her, giving the most convincing smile you can muster, trying your best to ignore the wave of nausea washing over you. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
~~~
Mrs. Fushiguro asks you to start at noon the following day, giving her enough time to notify her ex about your temporary employment. When you use the set of keys she gave you to open the front door, you step inside cautiously, not sure what to expect. You’ve been dreading this impromptu reunion all night, wondering if you could even face him.
It’s a mess inside, heaps of dirty laundry scattered all over the furniture, fast food wrappers and empty ramen bowls littered on the kitchen counter. There’s a stench lingering in the stale air in here and you almost think the worse, but Mrs. Fushiguro had warned you about this. Seeing it in person is more heartbreaking than disgusting. Toji really is taking this divorce hard. It wouldn’t be right to burden him with more life-changing news, right?
You begin by gathering all the trash into garbage bags, flattening any cardboard to recycle. By the looks of it, he’s been living off junk food and protein bars for the past month. The refrigerator is near empty, aside from a questionable take-out container in the very back, which you end up dumping along with everything else. You make it your next task to get groceries after you load the washing machine.
When you return from the store, Toji remains absent. Nerves prevent you from leaning against the bedroom door to listen for any signs of him in there. His ex-wife mentioned that he goes out to gamble at the horse races whenever he’s short on cash, so it’s likely he’s there. Still, you’re anticipating his return, mentally preparing yourself for how you’ll behave around him. Given your current circumstances, you are serious about turning over a new leaf. No more funny business with him. Absolutely not.
It’s near dinnertime now and you’ve miraculously accomplished tidying the house and doing his laundry all within a few hours. You even managed to cook soup for dinner, full of hearty beef and fresh vegetables, something to provide nutrients compared to the processed food he’s been consuming lately. You’re stirring the pot when you hear keys jingle from outside the front door. He comes in, clad in a tight-fitting black shirt that accentuates his muscles and grey sweatpants that don't leave much to the imagination. A plastic bag is slung behind his shoulder, clearly from a convenience store. Despite his concerning diet, his physique is still impressive as ever. Just one glance at him has you fluttering below your belly, replaying the erotic memories you share together. You turn to face him, standing up straight, feigning confidence while you fret internally. He looks at you, brow raised slightly, a small smirk forming on his lips.
“Hello sir,” you greet him, bowing politely. Acting as if he’s a total stranger and not the man who rocked your entire world over the summer, now with evidence to prove it.
He sets the bag on the counter, revealing a couple of ramen packets inside. “What’s with the formalities?” he asks, grinning. “If I remember correctly, you were screaming my name nonstop the last time you were here.”
Heat rushes into your cheeks instantly, not surprised by his vulgarity, though still embarrassed. You clear your throat, trying to stay strong. “I’m here to work. Nothing else.”
He walks towards you, his stature casting a daunting shadow as he steps closer and closer, towering over you. His voice is low, borderline threatening to a point that has you trembling. “So you don’t want me to fuck you anymore?”
You swallow hard, composure wavering. “That’s right.”  Even you don’t fully believe it when it comes out of your own mouth, how can you expect him to?
There’s a strange look in his eyes, almost like he’s disappointed by your response. He turns his back to you, mumbling something about taking a shower. You watch him enter his bedroom, hearing him clear as day before he shuts the door with a dull thud. “I guess you don’t want me either.”
~~~
A week into being Toji’s live-in housekeeper, the two of you figure out a routine together that involves minimal interaction. You wake up in the morning to cook breakfast, eating it quickly and leaving the rest for him while you go out. You use this time to go for a walk, meet with Chiyo or your parents, do some grocery shopping, or just sit at the nearby park, enjoying the sun with your baby, who grows little-by-little each day.
Toji is usually gone the whole afternoon, either working out or gambling, so you’re able to do chores back at the house, like cleaning his room. He doesn’t return until dinnertime when tension seems to be at its highest. A big reason for that is because he’s made it a habit to eat right after his shower, shirtless and with his legs crossed on the floor, displaying a perfectly visible outline of his manhood. It’s distracting, to say the least. Chiyo mentioned the other day how you can have an increased libido during the first trimester. That’s definitely proving itself now.
Aside from the half-nakedness, something else surprises you about him. The two of you mostly avoid conversation with each other, eating in silence at the dining table while sneaking furtive glances whenever you get a chance. But he never fails to mutter, “Thank you for the meal,” before washing the dishes at the sink, retreating back into his room when he’s done. It’s the tiniest act of consideration that makes you wonder what’s going on in his head.
Tonight you sit across from each other as usual. You just finished eating the chicken katsu you made for dinner, along with a couple of side dishes you prepped earlier in the week. His abs look especially spectacular today and you find it harder than usual to stop peeking at them.
“You’re gonna burn a hole through me with the way you’re staring,” he says, chewing his last bite.
Shit, caught red-handed. You quickly look down at your empty bowl, mumbling an apology. “Sorry. I just…I can tell your hard work is paying off.”
“Yours too. The house has never been cleaner. And the food has never been better.” He’s looking directly at you, a genuine smile on his face. “Thank you.”
It’s no good. Your hormones are raging, sexual desire courses through you, all from that stupidly handsome grin and a silly little compliment. How did you ever think you could resist him?
You stand up, grabbing everything from the table. “I’ll do the dishes,” you offer, walking them to the sink, trying to calm down.
It’s no use, though. He sees right through you.
He gives you only a minute alone before he follows you, caging you between his big arms, your back to him, his mouth hot on your ear. “Let me help you.”
You let out a frustrated huff, already unraveling from his proximity. The smallest jut of your hips and there it is, his erection pressed to your ass, throbbing and even more massive than you remember it. “Toji, we can’t,” you whine, not making any attempt to separate yourself from him.
He slides his hands around your hips, pulling you in closer, rubbing his rock-hard cock against you. “I know you want it. I know you want me.”
And he’s right. You do. You want him with you, around you, inside of you. In all the ways he’s had you before, in new ways he’s never had but you’ve fantasized about. There’s no denying it anymore. You want him. You want him so fucking bad.
He takes you right there at the kitchen sink, bent over with your grip tight on the edge of the counter, pounding away at your wet, needy cunt. Neither of you bother to remove your clothes completely, Toji’s sweatpants shrugged down his thighs just enough, yours pooled around your ankles, soaked panties at your knees. “Fuck, Toji!” you moan, sticking your ass out to meet his thrusts.
His fingers find your clit, rubbing slippery circles around it. “Say it,” he grunts, increasing the pace.
Drools leaks out from the sides of your lips, too fucked out to process what’s he’s asking you. “What?”
“Say you want me,” he demands, massaging your swollen bud so deep, you feel it all the way down to your fucking toes.
“I want you. I want you, Toji!” you respond breathlessly, squeezing him tight with your orgasm.
“Fuck, I missed you. Missed my good girl.” He continues to fuck you, slowly now, relishing every second of being inside you. “Always so fucking creamy for me, fuck.” He pulls you up to embrace you from behind, fingers still pleasuring you, his other hand at your chin to face you towards him. The two of you kiss passionately, lips smacking, tongues swirling. So sloppy and wanton that it puts you on the verge of another orgasm, completely succumbed to pleasure.
You sleep with him in his bedroom after several more orgasms and a big one of his own, wrapped comfortably in his arms, with his cock and creampie inside you the rest of the night. For the first time in a while, you’re oddly at peace.
~~~
Your reckless decision making has led you into another troublesome scenario. Fortunately, you haven’t had any morning sickness the entire first week of your employment at the Fushiguro household. Unfortunately, it decides to come back today. There’s no way you’ll be able to make it to the bathroom near your room, so you have no choice but to hop out of Toji’s bed and run into his, clutching onto the porcelain bowl until it’s all out. You rinse your mouth off at the sink, hoping Toji didn’t hear any of it. But you know all too well by now that luck is never on your side.
He’s sitting up against the headboard, watching you come out of the bathroom. “Did you just puke in there?” There’s a hint of concern in his normally blunt tone.
You nod, bending down to retrieve your underwear and pants off the floor, avoiding his gaze.
“Are you sick?” he asks, the worry even more obvious now.
Shaking your head, you respond, “No, I just…I’m feeling a little nauseous, that’s all.” You walk towards the door, still not willing to look at him. “There should be leftovers in the fridge, so help yourself to breakfast. I’m going to lay down.”
He calls out your name. “Wait – ”
You ignore him, closing the door shut behind you, letting the tears fall down your cheeks as you retreat into your own bedroom, muffling your sobs into a pillow. After your wild romp last night, this bout of morning sickness has swiftly brought you back to reality. You’re still harboring the secret growing in your womb from the man who gave it to you to begin with.
There’s a firm knock on your door, startling you. “Hey, it’s me.”
In this split-second, you decide to stop with the lies and finally tell the truth. You open the door, Toji standing in front of you fully clothed in his usual attire, a serious expression on his face. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”
Eyes still puffy from crying, you take a deep breath. “I’m pregnant. And you’re the father.”
His mouth parts the slightest bit, no words coming out of it. The silence seems to linger on forever. You fill it by rambling all the thoughts that have been swimming in your head the last couple of weeks. “Before you start freaking out or anything, I’m telling you so that you know. I don’t expect you to be involved. I’m perfectly willing to raise this child on my own. And besides, I won’t be completely alone. I have my family to help me, my friends too. I’ll be totally fine. This baby is going to be well taken care of, I’ll make sure of it. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just didn’t know how. But I feel better already because this has been stressing me out. It’s all going to work out okay? I think. I hope.”
After the long spiel, he stares down at the floor, jaw tight, mouth opening and closing, unsure how to respond. Eventually, he says, “I have to go.”
When he leaves the house, you crawl into your bed, bawling until there are no tears left for you to cry.
~~~
You wake up in the late afternoon to an enticing aroma wafting from the kitchen. It’s been hours since you’ve been in bed, moping about how poorly everything went with Toji. His reaction left you devastated. While you always expected to do this alone, hearing his negative response to it hurts more than you anticipated it to.
Curious, you make your way into the kitchen, shocked to find Toji standing over the stove, stirring a pot, the soothing scent of soup surrounding you. “What’s going on?” you ask, noticing a plethora of fresh vegetables laid out on the counter, along with a big bottle of prenatal vitamins and various snacks.
He turns the heat off, covering the pot with a lid. “I’m cooking,” he answers, facing you with a grin on his face. “Bone broth is a good source of calcium. And you need to keep eating lots of veggies so our baby is strong, like me. No more of this instant ramen shit.”
“I thought you were upset,” you say, stepping closer to him.  
“I know. I’m sorry I left like that. I was shocked at first, I’ll admit it. But I started to get excited." He takes your hands in his. "I have a lot of regrets in my life, but being a father isn’t one of them. Being a bad father is. I want to change. I need to change. For Megumi. For our new little one. For you.”
Strangely enough, you believe in his heartfelt declaration. You smile at him, letting him go to stand in front of the stove, taking a whiff of the comforting aroma of the hot soup he made for you, happy tears welling in your eyes. He hugs you gently from behind, nuzzling his nose to you. “I’m going to do it right this time, okay? I know I can do it with you.”
As Toji caresses your belly, kissing you softly along the neck, you feel the weight that’s been heavy on your shoulders ease up. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
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livlaughloveluke · 9 months ago
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ᡣ𐭩 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱
daughter of poseidon!reader x luke castellan 🫧
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IN WHICH.. in an attempt to keep percy from going insane, y/n is forced to keep her relationship with luke a secret
warning! the fic contains- feminine reader // post tlt but no luke betrayal (percy is there and chris and clarisse are together) // use of y/n
🎧- give you the world by steve lacy
2.4k
Since the dawn of time, you and Luke Castellan have been best friends. Attached at the hip since birth, the two of you have always been close. He was the one who helped you conquer your most intimidating challenges, whether that be the nervousness due to the first day of school or a Minotaur vigorously hunting you down.
And you assisted him, too. On those sleepless nights due to haunting nightmares, you lay beside him, comforting him through every scared shiver. It had always been Luke and Y/N, two peas in a pod, destined to spend eternity together.
Now, you both reside in Camp Half-Blood, eagerly awaiting your next adventure. You loved your time at the summer camp, whether it was tending to the young children or paddle boarding on the smooth and crystal blue lake that glimmered as sunlight passed through. It was thrilling to live such a beautiful life with the people you loved most.
It all started when you waltzed into the infirmary at fourteen, hurt and confused, with Luke and Annabeth by your side. The journey to get here was long and painful, losing one of your best friends, Thalia, in the process. Your head throbbed as Chiron explained the basis of everything, since this whole Greek God situation could be hard to process.
Poseidon, the God of the Sea, claimed you with ease the moment he saw you lingering by the lake all day. With Hermes, it took him a lot longer to accept Luke. However, you cheered him up when no one else could, lighting up his whole world, and no matter how bummed he was about his absent father, your illuminating smile shifted his mood instantly.
You’ve been a year-rounder since then; the world is too dangerous for you to venture off. Every once in a blue moon, however, you wish that just for one year, the monsters would stop prowling and you could explore the cities that tourists swarmed on a regular basis. Other times, you were happy to live in the warm solace you referred to as camp. The companions made inside the safe haven were incomparable to all the mysteries that roamed outside.
Around a year ago, a small blond boy arrived, his cluelessness mirroring yours when you first stumbled in. As you gave him the standard tour, something seemed to be off. The stories he shared of devious monsters attacking reminded you of your childhood, and a feeling of suspicion and concern arose.
Your wariness was only confirmed when the golden trident floated above Percy’s head. Sure, you were excited to have a younger brother, but you knew the dangers the life of a forbidden child contained. So, you made it your honorary job to protect him no matter the circumstance. You taught him how to surf and how to use his powers for the greater good.  And so a magnificent connection was formed, with you and him bonding like full siblings. He loved hearing all of the gossip between the older campers, and you loved when he updated you on how his friends were doing. Not to mention the chaotic board game nights you and he shared with Annabeth and Luke. There were almost no hidden secrets, for you told each other everything. Which is why you felt horrible about the massive personal detail you left out of your weekly yapping session.
You and Luke had been dating for three months. You had liked each other for a while, but eventually the overly flirty comments and long stares got the best of him, and he confessed . One breezy night, he asked you to meet him on the waterfront before bed. You obliged, stepping out into the chilly weather to find hundreds of blooming flowers (courtesy of the Demeter kids) arranged neatly in a heart. It was cheesy, but it was the exact type of movie love you were looking for.
That chilly, moonlit evening, you decided it was best to keep your relationship hidden from Percy and, for that matter, most of the camp. Close friends, such as Clarisse and Chris, knew, but that was only because you went on frequent double dates with the pair. But that doesn’t mean others didn’t bat an eye at your overly friendly relationship. You had almost been caught multiple times, despite Luke being the son of Hermes, who was known for his sly nature. 
The first time it happened was entirely Luke's fault. You and him had just finished archery training and were walking to lunch, where the rest of camp resided. As soon as you approached the bustling picnic tables, you were dragged off by the Aphrodite kids, who wanted your help with some fashion emergencies. That left Luke with Chris and Percy, along with some other campers from Hermes cabin.  -
“How was archery?” Asked an unclaimed kid, who Luke had little interaction with. They had small talk every once in a while, but not enough for him to know any personal details about his life.
“It was fine. You know, my girlfrie-“
Luke was lucky looks couldn’t kill, because with the way Percy and Chris were staring at him, he would have been six feet under already. He tried his best to salvage the situation, continuing on as if nothing had happened.
“My friend hit three bullseyes in a row. It was really impressive.” He finished, staring down as he pushed around his mushy broccoli with a flimsy spork, hoping to avoid the glares of his, let's face it, practically brother-in-law. Lucky for him, Percy shrugged it off, and the topic was quickly changed. 
-
The second time, however, was most certainly your mistake.
-
The dull light from the moon provided little protection from the consuming jet black sky. You and Luke had to sneak out after hours often, which was one of the major downsides to a private relationship.
“No!” You playfully shouted, trying to juke him out as you ran through the rocky sand of the shoreline. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), your boyfriend was the most athletic kid on camp. He easily caught you before throwing you over his shoulder and carrying you to the navy blue lake. 
You gently punched his back through strained laughter, gasping for oxygen. But as he attempted to step into the cold winter waters, you used your powers to manipulate the sea so it avoided his path. And with one quick swoop of your hand, he was drenched with the cooling solution, and you remained dry. 
He set you down, aggressively shaking the water from his head. “I forgot you were like the princess of the sea.” He said. Your harmonious giggles caused him to grin from ear to ear. 
“Yeah, maybe not the best choice on your end. C’mon, Percy probably has a shirt for you.” You replied, interlocking your fingers and skipping back to your cabin. 
You sneakily creaked the door open, hand over your mouth to try and hush the laughs that spilled out. Percy was sound asleep, snoring softly as you made your way to his dresser, rummaging through the array of neon orange shirts.
“Here. Mr. D gave him the wrong size by accident a while ago.” You whispered toward him before dragging him back out with the fabric still in hand. Once outside, he slid his soaking shirt off, carefully placing it next to your clothes that hung on the drying line. After giving him the t-shirt, you kissed him goodnight and headed back to get some much-needed sleep.
The next day, Percy awoke you with violent shakes, causing you to twist and groan with confusion.
“Get up. It’s like eight already. Don’t you have counselor activities to tend to too?” He said.
You shot up in a panic, staring down at the clock that read 8:03 a.m., almost 20 minutes after your morning duties. With an exasperated sigh, you slipped out of bed and rushed to grab a clean t-shirt from outside. 
Still dazed, you grabbed a familiar shirt off the clothing line and rushed back inside, quickly changing in hopes of escaping Chiron’s anger for your unpunctuality. 
While you happened to make it to breakfast on time, you failed to notice how unusually long the shirt was or how the tag on the back had the initials “L.C.” loosely scribbled on them. However, everyone else noticed your strange outfit. 
“Whose shirt is that? Why is it so big?” Percy was immediately questioned as you sat down with your food tray in hand.
“What do you mean?" You asked, glancing back down at your lengthy attire, before realizing your mistake. “Oh! I spilled something on my only clean shirt, so I borrowed that old one from you. Sorry.” You salvaged, and others seem to believe you. 
You made eye contact with Luke from across the table, growing flustered instantly due to the anxiety-inducing incident.
-
The third and final time might have been your fault, too. But by then, the two of you were fed up of keeping it secret.
-
“Awe, look at the little lovebirds!” 
Clarisse voiced as she shakily pointed a digital camera towards Luke and you, who were engaged in your own conversation.
Gorgeous flowers blossomed around the couple, ranging in various colors and sizes. Laughs rang through the air as Chris, Clarisse, Luke, and you all hung out one hazy camp afternoon. 
You looked up at the girl, smiling brightly as you twirled a pink flower in your palm. Grabbing Luke’s jaw with your soft, freshly manicured hands and turning his head to look in their direction, Chris pulled out a Polaroid camera, snapping a photo of the teens. 
As the black picture slid out of the small box, Chris handed it to Clarisse, who shook it with force in order to see the image fully.
“Do you want me to take one of you two?” You asked, snatching the camera from Chris’s hands and pointing it towards them. 
They posed, and the photo turned out super cute. You stared down at your frilly ruffle socks that stuck out of your high-top navy blue Converse. The toes of the shoes had been decorated with the signatures of all of your friends.
“It’s getting late; wanna head back?” Chris suggested the others let out a groan. He was right; they had camp duties to attend to, but being wrapped in their loved one’s embrace was so much more appealing.
You hopped up reluctantly, Luke grabbing your hand as you took the scenic route back to the cabins, the other couple straying a different way.
“I love going out with them.” You declared, breaking the silence and dramatically swinging your intertwined arms.
“Me too. It makes me feel like we’re just regular people.” He responded, smiling at her with such genuineness.
“Maybe in another universe.” You replied, sighing as you let out a light giggle.
“Speaking of which,” you continued. “Do you think we’re soulmates in every universe?”
“Duh. We’re probably Gwen and Spiderman in one.” 
“Totally.” They grinned, enjoying the comfort they brought each other in the chaos that was their life.
After hours of training, you slipped back into Cabin 3, taking the photo out of your back pocket and placing it on your bed. You smiled at the sweet situation before Luke burst in, calling you to the bonfire. Obliviously, the Polaroid was left open on your bed, exposed to the world.
You basked in the warmth of Apollo’s kids songs, zoned out while mindlessly swaying to the beat of the guitar. Luke, who was sitting beside you, noticed you staring off into space and questioned it.
“Whatcha thinking about?”
“I wanna tell Percy about us.” You replied, looking into his eyes to detect his emotions. He seemed surprised at first, but his expression changed to one more supportive a few seconds later. 
“I agree. I mean, he might try to literally drown me, but I hate lying to him.”
“Me too.” You finished, turning back to face the singer. However, you instead met eyes with a furious-looking Percy, holding a small black rectangle in his hands. Your heart stopped, and you leaped up to rush and explain, Luke following behind. The young blond stormed off in the other direction.
“Percy, please listen. We couldn’t tell you because we knew how you’d react. I know you’re protective and all, and I love that about you, but Luke's a good guy, and we both know that.” You started, praying to the gods that this would work out. 
“I barely even know him!“ Percy lied straight through his teeth, trying to come up with a rational reason for his anger. 
“Are you kidding? You’ve known him for a year now.” You sassed back.
“How long have you been dating?” He threw away his last point, knowing he had already lost that argument.
“Three months, I think.” You whispered out, ashamed.
“Three months, and you didn’t think to let me, your little brother, know?” He screamed, speed-walking back to his cabin, irritated. 
You let out a sigh, facing Luke. Sadness coated your glossy eyes before seeping out onto your cheeks. Your boyfriend was quick to wipe the tears with his calloused thumb, comforting you.
“Hey, he’ll come around eventually. Let him sleep it off.” He whispered, embracing you in a tight hug. You buried your head into the crook of his neck, clamping your eyes shut.
As the sun rose the next morning and Percy stepped out of the cabin, you and Luke were waiting outside, prepared with a whole spiel about your relationship. To your astonishment, he greeted you with a smile and spoke up first.
“I’m sorry about last night. While I think this whole concept of you dating Luke is insane, he’s probably the best it’s going to get, so I approve.” You smiled back, a sigh of relief escaping your throat. 
“And I’m sorry we didn’t tell you. It’s just-“ 
“Don’t. It’s fine, really. Just absolutely no PDA in front of me.” Percy stated, a look of disgust appeared as he said the last sentence. Both of you agreed to his simple terms.
“I’ve gotta go to the arena. I’ll see you later.” Luke declared, and you nodded, ruffling your fingers through his curls before he departed. Once he was a solid distance away, Percy leaned in and whispered to you.
“Really? Luke Castellan? That's the best you could do?”
୨୧
MASTERLISTS 𓏲𝄢 REQUEST / TALK TO ME 𓏲𝄢 RULES
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rafedarling · 2 months ago
Text
𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐬
pairing: drew starkey x reader
summary: you and drew have been best friends since childhood, sharing everything-until drew's acting career takes off. as odessa enters drew's life and their on-screen chemistry blurs the lines of their friendship, you feel the deepening void between you and the boy you once knew. invited to a family bbq at the starkey, you hope to reconnect with drew. however, you soon find yourself on the sidelines, watching as odessa captures all of drew's attention. a devastating scene in ‘hellraiser’—a film that stars both drew and odessa-sends you spiraling into the realization that drew may never see you the way you see him. over the course of a painful night and the aftermath, long-buried emotions rise to the surface, culminating in a heart-wrenching confrontation. will drew finally realize what you mean to him, or will you be forced to let him go for good? | words count: 7,3k (sorry!!!)
warning(s): NO HATES TOWARD ODESSA OR ANY ACTORS/ FRIENDS OF DREW! english is not my native language. severe emotional turmoil, themes of unrequited love, detailed internal conflict, intense feelings of isolation, push-and-pull dynamics, emotional abandonment, moments of painful rejection, and slow-burning angst.
au: like, reblog and comment are much appreciated. i actually listen to THIS SONG while writing this, discussion can be send through my ask box, please feel free to send in anything. taglist | tagging: @rafeyslamb @tracymbcm @drewstarkeys-world @maybankslover @akobx @rubixgsworld @enjoymyloves @xoxohoneymoongirl @rafecameroncoke @httpsdrewstarkey @tiaamberxx @wxn-drlst @ratatioulle @zizuras @flvredcas @abrmscline @noobmazter69 @wearemadeofstardust0 @xoxosblogsblog @saviorcomplexrry
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The summers were always the best part of your childhood. You and Drew Starkey had been practically inseparable since you were six years old, running through the wide backyard of the Starkey home, laughing until your stomach hurt and your lungs ached from the chase. Your families were close—so close that your mothers, Jodi and your mom, would joke that you and Drew were "destined for each other."
"Y/N and Joseph," Jodi would say with a smile as she watched the two of you playing in the grass. "They’re going to get married someday. I’ve always known."
Your mother would laugh, glancing over at you, sweaty and carefree as you chased Drew through the sprinklers. "I’d be happy with that, Jodi," she’d reply, "It would be perfect."
You didn’t think much of it then. To you, Drew was just Drew—your best friend, the boy who pulled you out of the creek when you fell in one summer and got scraped knees trying to rescue you. You couldn’t imagine life without him, but back then, you were still young. The idea of growing up and getting married seemed like something distant, almost laughable.
One summer, when you were about six, you had a moment that defined your bond. The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden light over the Starkey backyard. You and Drew were sprawled on the grass after an afternoon of playing tag, breathing hard but smiling at each other.
“Joseph,” you began, turning your head toward him as you lay beside him, “can I call you something else? Like a nickname?”
Drew raised an eyebrow and rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his hand. “Like what?”
“I don’t know... Drew? It sounds cooler.”
He blinked, then laughed, as though the idea of you giving him a special name was the best thing he had heard all day. “Sure,” he said, grinning. “Call me Drew.”
From that day on, the name stuck. Only you called him that, while the rest of the world called him Joseph. It was your little secret, a bond that made you feel like you shared something special. And you did.
Every summer, you counted down the days until you could visit the Starkey family. It was tradition—long, lazy afternoons spent playing outside, followed by evenings watching the stars come out. The best part, though, was the mornings.
Drew knew how much you loved watching the sunrise. Each summer, no matter how early it was, he would wake up with you before dawn, just so the two of you could sit on the hill behind the house and watch the sky change from dark blue to shades of pink, orange, and gold.
“Think we’ll always do this?” you had asked one morning, your knees pulled to your chest as the horizon turned golden.
Drew looked at you, the early morning light reflecting in his eyes. “Yeah,” he had said simply. “We’ll always be friends.”
At that moment, as the sun bathed you both in warmth, you believed him with all your heart.
When you were twelve, your family made the big move to Asheville, North Carolina, to be closer to the Starkeys. At first, it was a dream come true—you’d see Drew year-round now, not just in the summers. But as exciting as the move was, it came with its own challenges. A new school, new classmates, and a feeling of unfamiliarity that settled deep in your bones.
You weren’t exactly the social butterfly Drew was. He thrived in new environments, easily making friends with his magnetic personality. He was taller than most boys his age, athletic, and undeniably charming. He played basketball, acted in the school plays, and it seemed like everyone was drawn to him. You, on the other hand, were quieter, more reserved. Drew was your anchor, the one person who made you feel like you belonged.
Despite being in different classes, Drew always made time for you. He’d wait for you after school, leaning against the fence near the basketball courts, a crooked smile on his face as he waved you over.
“Come on, slowpoke,” he’d tease. “I’ve got snacks for us before practice.”
It became a routine—him waiting for you, you showing up at his basketball practices with snacks or a drink to keep him going. Sometimes, you’d sit on the bleachers, watching him run drills, marveling at how easily he seemed to fit into this new world. You were happy for him, of course, but there was always a small, nagging feeling inside you, something that whispered that you were being left behind.
You brushed it off. After all, Drew was still Drew—your best friend, the boy who stood up for you when some kids at school made fun of your appearance. You’d never forget the day one of Drew’s classmates, a girl from the drama club, sneered at you during lunch.
“How can someone like you even be friends with Joseph Starkey?” she had said, her voice dripping with disdain.
You had felt a hot flush of embarrassment creep up your neck, your fists clenching at your sides. But before you could respond, Drew had appeared out of nowhere, stepping in front of you protectively.
“What did you just say?” Drew’s voice was low, dangerous, his eyes narrowing at the girl.
The girl faltered, shrinking under his glare. “I— I didn’t mean—”
“You don’t get to talk to her like that,” Drew snapped, his voice ice-cold. “If I ever hear you say something like that again, you’ll regret it.”
The girl had stammered an apology before scurrying away, and Drew had turned to you with a reassuring smile, as if nothing had happened.
“Don’t listen to people like her,” he had said softly, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. “You’re worth so much more than their words.”
From that day on, you never doubted that Drew had your back. He was your protector, your confidant, the one person who made you feel safe in a world that often felt overwhelming.
When Drew turned seventeen, he became more serious about his future. You spent countless nights together, talking about his dreams, about how he wanted to pursue acting full-time after high school. It was clear to you that he had the passion, the drive, and the talent to make it big.
The day Drew landed his first acting role was a day you’d never forget. You were sitting in your living room when Drew burst through the front door, grinning from ear to ear.
“Y/N! I got the part!” he shouted, holding up a script in triumph. “I actually got the part!”
Your heart soared with pride as you jumped up from the couch, wrapping him in a tight hug. “Drew, that’s amazing! I knew you’d do it!”
The two of you celebrated that night, just the two of you. Drew asked you to help him practice his lines, and for hours, you sat on the floor of your living room, reading through the script with him. He was nervous, pacing back and forth as he recited his lines, but you were there, steady and patient, helping him work through every scene.
Before his first day on set, Drew had come to you, his usual confidence replaced with anxiety. “What if I mess up?” he had asked, his voice wavering. “What if I’m not good enough?”
You had smiled softly, reaching into your bag and pulling out a small, crocheted keychain—a little dog with floppy ears that you had made yourself. “Here,” you said, handing it to him. “Consider this your good luck charm. Keep it with you, and I promise you’ll be fine.”
Drew had chuckled, pocketing the keychain with a fond smile. “Thanks, sunshine. I’ll keep it with me, always.”
That first role was just the beginning. After high school, Drew went off to college to study acting, and though the distance was hard, you made sure to keep in touch. Late-night phone calls, long text conversations—Drew made sure you were still part of his life, even from miles away.
And when he landed his breakout role on the Netflix series Outer Banks, you were the first person he called.
“Y/N! Guess what?” Drew’s voice had crackled through the phone, filled with excitement. “I got a role on a Netflix show! Can you believe it?”
Your heart had swelled with pride, even as a small, selfish part of you wondered what this meant for your friendship. “Drew, that’s incredible! I’m so proud of you!”
You meant every word, but as Drew’s career took off, the distance between you began to grow—not just physically, but emotionally. His life was changing, and you weren’t sure if you still had a place in it.
The first time Drew mentioned Odessa A’zion, you hadn’t thought much of it. She was a fellow actor on Outer Banks, and Drew had talked about how they had become fast friends on set. But as time passed, it became clear that Odessa was more than just a friend to Drew—she was someone important to him.
At first, you tried to brush off the feeling of unease that settled in your chest every time Drew talked about her. After all, he was bound to make new friends in the industry. But it became harder to ignore the way he talked about Odessa—the way his eyes lit up when he mentioned her name, the way she seemed to occupy so much of his attention.
The first time you met Odessa was at Drew’s birthday party. He had flown back to North Carolina to celebrate with friends and family, and you were excited to see him in person after months of only talking through texts and phone calls.
When you arrived at the restaurant, your heart raced with anticipation. It had been so long since you’d seen Drew, and part of you hoped that things would feel just like they used to. But as soon as you walked in, you saw him sitting with Odessa.
They were deep in conversation, laughing together as if they were the only two people in the room. You felt a pang of jealousy, something you hadn’t expected. Drew had always been your person, your best friend. But now, watching him with Odessa, it felt like he was slipping away.
When Drew finally noticed you, his face lit up with a smile. “Y/N!” he called out, standing up to wrap you in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re here!”
You hugged him back, but something felt off. The easy familiarity that had always existed between you was strained, and you couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed.
Odessa greeted you with a polite smile, introducing herself, but the way she looked at Drew—like he was the center of her universe—only made the knot in your stomach tighten.
The rest of the night passed in a blur. Drew introduced you to his castmates, and while everyone was friendly, you couldn’t help but feel like an outsider. Drew and Odessa were inseparable, their laughter filling the room as they shared inside jokes you weren’t part of.
Later that night, as the party began to wind down, Drew pulled you aside. “I need to take Odessa home,” he explained, his voice apologetic. “She had a little too much to drink.”
You forced a smile, even as your heart sank. “Yeah, of course. Go ahead.”
As you watched them leave together, something inside you shifted. You couldn’t ignore it anymore—the distance between you and Drew wasn’t just physical. It was emotional. And it hurt more than you were willing to admit.
Months passed, and while you and Drew still kept in touch, things weren’t the same. The texts were shorter, the phone calls less frequent, and every time you tried to bring up something personal, something about you, the conversation somehow always shifted back to Odessa or Drew’s new life in Los Angeles. It wasn’t that you didn’t care about his success—you were proud of him—but it hurt to feel like an afterthought, someone on the periphery of his increasingly glamorous life.
When Drew invited you to his family’s annual BBQ, you hesitated. Part of you wanted to turn down the invitation, not wanting to face him and Odessa again. But the other part of you—the part that still longed for the closeness you once shared—couldn’t say no. This was the Starkey house, the place that had always felt like a second home to you, the place where your friendship with Drew had blossomed.
The afternoon sun was just beginning to set as you arrived at the familiar Starkey home. The front porch was adorned with string lights, and the smell of grilled burgers wafted through the air, mixing with the sound of laughter from the backyard. It should’ve felt like a homecoming, but instead, all you felt was a growing sense of unease.
As you stepped into the backyard, the knot in your stomach tightened. Drew was there, sitting beside Odessa, his arm casually draped along the back of her chair. They were laughing, their heads close together as if they were sharing some private joke. For a moment, it was like watching strangers—people you knew but didn’t recognize anymore.
Before you could retreat, McKayla spotted you. “Y/N!” she called out, running over with a grin. Her hug was warm, and it reminded you of why you had come. The Starkeys were still like family, even if your relationship with Drew had changed.
“I missed you so much!” McKayla said, pulling back to look at you with a beaming smile. “It’s been forever.”
“I missed you too,” you replied, your smile softening as you hugged her again. If anything, McKayla had always made you feel welcome, like you were still an important part of their family.
Just as McKayla let go, Todd walked over, his familiar grin lighting up his face. “There’s my favorite little girl!” he boomed, wrapping you in one of his signature bear hugs. “How’ve you been, Y/N?”
“I’ve been good, Todd,” you said, your voice a little quieter now. “How about you?”
“Oh, you know, keeping busy,” Todd replied, his tone warm. “We’ve missed you around here, you know. This place isn’t the same without you.”
Jodi joined the group, pulling you into a soft hug. “Y/N, it’s so good to see you again,” she said, her smile kind but tinged with something deeper—an understanding, perhaps, of the distance that had grown between you and her son. “How are your parents?”
“They’re good,” you answered. “They’re actually in Rome right now, celebrating their 35th anniversary.”
“Ah, Rome,” Jodi sighed wistfully. “Lucky them. They always did know how to celebrate big.”
You smiled at the familiarity of their banter, grateful for their warmth, but it wasn’t enough to stop the tightening in your chest. Every few minutes, your eyes would drift back to Drew and Odessa. The easy way they sat together, the way Drew’s hand occasionally brushed her arm as he spoke—it was hard to ignore. Even harder to accept.
“Let’s get you something to drink,” McKayla suggested, sensing your unease and pulling you away from the crowd. As you followed her inside, you passed Drew and Odessa. Drew glanced up at you, a smile briefly crossing his face.
“Hey, Y/N! Glad you could make it,” Drew said, his tone casual, but there was a distance in his voice that hadn’t been there before.
“Yeah, wouldn’t miss it,” you replied, trying to keep your tone light, even though your heart ached.
You could feel Odessa’s eyes on you, though her smile was polite. “Nice to see you again,” she added, her tone friendly but not warm. You nodded, but the knot in your chest tightened as the conversation shifted back to something between her and Drew.
As the night progressed, Drew suggested watching Hellraiser—the movie he and Odessa had filmed together. It was the project he had talked about non-stop for months, and while you had been happy for him, you had avoided watching it. The idea of seeing Drew and Odessa on screen together, so intimately connected, made you uneasy.
“I think you’ll like it,” Drew said as the group settled in front of the outdoor screen. “It’s one of my favorite projects.”
You sat between McKayla and Todd, grateful for the distance between you and Drew, but as the opening credits rolled, the familiar knot in your stomach returned.
At first, you tried to focus on the movie, telling yourself it was just another role for Drew—just a job, nothing more. But as the film progressed, your discomfort grew. Drew’s character, Trevor, and Odessa’s character, Riley, had an undeniable chemistry, one that felt far too real. Every glance, every touch between them on screen felt intimate, too personal.
And then the first love scene played out.
You had prepared yourself for it, but nothing could have braced you for how raw it felt to watch Drew and Odessa in such a vulnerable, intimate moment. The room around you seemed to fade, and all you could focus on was the way Drew looked at her on screen, the way their bodies intertwined in a way that felt too real to be acting.
Your breath caught in your throat, and you fought to keep your expression neutral, but the weight in your chest was growing unbearable. You hadn’t realized how much it would hurt to see him like this, to be confronted with the reality of how much you were no longer a part of his life.
A lump formed in your throat as you forced yourself to stay seated, but when the second love scene began, you couldn’t take it anymore. The emotions you had been pushing down for months suddenly overwhelmed you, and without a word, you stood up, muttering a quick excuse to McKayla before making your way to the front porch.
As soon as you were outside, you collapsed onto the porch steps, gasping for air as the tears finally spilled over. You had been trying so hard to keep it together, but seeing Drew and Odessa like that—so close, so connected—had broken something inside you.
“Y/N?”
McKayla’s voice was soft, and you quickly wiped at your eyes as she stepped outside, sitting down beside you. She didn’t say anything for a moment, just sat with you in the quiet, the sound of the movie still playing faintly in the background.
“Are you okay?” she finally asked, her voice filled with concern.
You shook your head, your voice trembling as you spoke. “I don’t think I can do this, McKayla. Watching them together... it’s too much.”
McKayla sighed, her brow furrowing in sympathy. “I get it, Y/N. It’s hard. But you have to talk to him. He doesn’t know how much you’re hurting.”
“I don’t think he even cares,” you whispered, your voice cracking. “He’s so wrapped up in Odessa and his career... I don’t think I matter to him anymore.”
McKayla shook her head firmly, turning to face you fully. “That’s not true, Y/N. I know my brother. He still cares about you—he’s just blind to everything right now. But you need to tell him how you feel. You deserve that.”
You wiped at your eyes, trying to steady your breathing. “I don’t know if I can.”
“You can,” McKayla said softly, her hand resting on your shoulder. “You’ve been there for him through everything, Y/N. He needs to understand how much you’re hurting.”
You nodded, but the thought of confronting Drew still terrified you. You weren’t sure if you were ready to face him, to lay everything out on the table. But one thing was clear—you couldn’t keep pretending everything was okay. You couldn’t keep carrying this hurt on your own.
The next morning, you woke up with the same heavy feeling in your chest. You had tossed and turned all night, replaying the movie over and over in your mind, each scene only deepening the ache in your heart. You needed to leave. As much as you loved the Starkeys, being here—being around Drew and Odessa—was too painful.
You packed your bags quietly, leaving a note for McKayla and Todd, thanking them for their hospitality. Slipping out of the house before anyone else woke up, you drove home, your heart heavy with unresolved emotions.
Back at the Starkey house, McKayla sat at the kitchen table with Todd, sipping her coffee as the morning sunlight streamed through the windows.
“She left early,” McKayla said quietly, setting her mug down with a frown. “She didn’t say goodbye.”
Todd looked up from his newspaper, his brow furrowed. “That doesn’t sound like her. Did something happen?”
McKayla sighed, glancing out the window. “I think things are worse than we thought. Y/N... she’s been really struggling, Dad. Watching Drew and Odessa together... it’s been breaking her heart.”
Todd’s face softened with understanding, his eyes clouded with concern. “She’s been a part of this family for so long. I hate to think she’s feeling left out.”
Before McKayla could respond, Drew wandered into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes groggily. “Morning,” he mumbled, heading straight for the coffee pot. But when he noticed the tension in the room, he paused, frowning.
“What’s going on?” he asked, looking between McKayla and Todd.
McKayla exchanged a glance with her father before turning to Drew. “Y/N left early this morning,” she said, her voice heavy with worry. “She didn’t say goodbye.”
Drew’s frown deepened, confusion flickering in his eyes. “What? Why?”
Todd sighed, folding his newspaper as he looked at his son. “I think you know why, Drew. Y/N’s been feeling like you’ve pushed her aside for a long time now. Last night... watching you and Odessa on screen... it was too much for her.”
Drew paled, guilt washing over his face. “What? I— I didn’t mean to—” He trailed off, his voice cracking with emotion.
McKayla crossed her arms, her tone gentle but firm. “Drew, she’s been there for you through everything. But you’ve been so caught up in your own life that you didn’t realize how much you were hurting her.”
Drew’s face fell, the weight of his sister’s words hitting him like a punch to the gut. He had known something was wrong between you two, but he hadn’t realized how deep the hurt ran.
“I need to fix this,” Drew muttered, setting down his coffee and running a hand through his hair. Without another word, he grabbed his keys and headed out the door, determination written all over his face.
You weren’t expecting Drew to show up at your door. After the overwhelming emotions of the previous night, all you wanted was some distance—some space to breathe, to think. The moment you opened the door and saw Drew standing on your porch, his expression filled with a mix of regret and urgency, your heart raced with a mixture of anticipation and dread.
“Y/N,” Drew began, his voice soft but strained. “Can I come in? We need to talk.”
You hesitated for a moment, gripping the edge of the door, your mind torn between letting him in and closing the door on everything you’d been feeling. Part of you wanted to push him away—to protect yourself from the pain that had been eating away at you for so long. But another part of you—a much deeper part—wanted answers. Needed them.
With a reluctant sigh, you stepped back and motioned for Drew to come in.
He walked into your living room, the air thick with tension. As you closed the door behind him, you couldn’t help but notice the way he looked around, as though searching for something familiar to hold on to. His eyes briefly landed on a photo of the two of you from years ago, sitting on the mantle—a reminder of better times, of the friendship that had once been your anchor.
Drew stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, his hands in his pockets, his eyes downcast. It was clear that he was struggling to find the right words, but the silence between you was too much to bear.
“You left without saying goodbye,” Drew finally said, his voice almost a whisper. There was a vulnerability in his tone, something you hadn’t heard from him in a long time.
You crossed your arms, trying to keep your emotions in check. “Yeah, I did. I couldn’t stay, Drew.”
He glanced up at you, his eyes filled with guilt. “Why? Why didn’t you talk to me?”
You let out a bitter laugh, shaking your head as you looked away. “Talk to you? Drew, when have we really talked lately? Every conversation we’ve had for months has been about Odessa or your career. You barely even notice I’m there anymore.”
Drew flinched at your words, the weight of them hitting him hard. “That’s not true, Y/N. I care about you—I’ve always cared.”
“Really?” you shot back, your voice trembling with anger and hurt. “Because it sure doesn’t feel like it. Do you even realize how long I’ve been feeling like this? How long I’ve been watching you slip away, trying to convince myself that I wasn’t losing you?”
Drew opened his mouth to respond, but you didn’t let him. The dam of emotions you had been holding back for so long finally broke, and the words came tumbling out before you could stop them.
“Do you know how hard it’s been, Drew? To sit on the sidelines, watching you live this new life, while I feel like I’m not even part of it anymore? I’ve stood by you through everything—every audition, every role, every milestone—and when it was my turn, when it was something important to me, you weren’t there.”
Your voice cracked as you continued, the tears you had been holding back finally spilling over. “You missed my graduation, Drew. Do you know how much that hurt? You promised you’d be there, and you didn’t show up. I waited for you. I waited for you because I thought, ‘This is Drew. He’ll come. He’ll be there for me like I’ve always been there for him.’ But you didn’t. And when you said you’d make it up to me, I thought maybe, just maybe, we’d have one night where it would just be the two of us, like old times. But you brought her.”
Drew’s face fell, his expression filled with regret. “Y/N, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize—”
“You didn’t realize because you never asked,” you interrupted, your voice trembling with the weight of all the unspoken pain. “You were so caught up in your own world, in your new life with Odessa, that you didn’t even notice I was falling apart.”
Drew’s eyes were filled with anguish, his voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“But you did,” you said, your voice cracking with the weight of those words. “You hurt me, Drew. Every time I saw you with her, every time you talked about her like she was the only thing that mattered to you, it felt like a knife in my chest. And I tried to be okay with it. I tried to tell myself that you deserved to be happy, that you deserved to have someone who understood your world. But it didn’t stop the pain.”
Drew took a step closer to you, his hands trembling as he reached out, but he stopped short, his voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t see it. I didn’t see how much I was hurting you. I was selfish, Y/N. I got caught up in everything—my career, Odessa—and I didn’t stop to think about how it was affecting you. And I hate myself for that.”
You wiped at your eyes, trying to steady your breathing, but the hurt still sat heavy in your chest. “You forgot me,” you whispered, the words so quiet you weren’t sure if he even heard them. “I was there for you through everything, and when I needed you, you forgot me.”
Drew’s face contorted with guilt and pain, and he stepped closer, his voice pleading. “I didn’t forget you, Y/N. I swear, I didn’t. I just... I got lost. I let everything else consume me, and I pushed you away without even realizing it. But I never stopped caring about you. I never stopped needing you in my life.”
You met his gaze, your heart aching at the raw vulnerability in his eyes. Part of you wanted to believe him—to believe that he hadn’t meant to hurt you, that he was still the same Drew you had always known. But the pain was still too fresh, too raw.
“You didn’t need me, Drew,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “You needed her. Every time I saw you, it was like I was just... there. Like I was some ghost from your past, watching as you built a new life without me.”
Drew shook his head, his voice breaking. “No. No, that’s not true. Odessa was just... she was just a friend. I never saw her as anything more. But you—I’ve always seen you. You’ve always been more than just a friend to me.”
Your breath hitched, the weight of his words hitting you like a tidal wave. “What are you saying, Drew?”
“I’m saying that I love you, Y/N,” Drew said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve loved you for so long, but I was too blind to see it. Too blind to realize how much I was hurting you by pushing you away. But it’s always been you. It’s always been you, and I’m so sorry I didn’t realize it sooner.”
You stared at him, your heart racing, your mind struggling to process what he had just said. “Don’t say that, Drew. Don’t say that unless you mean it.”
“I do mean it,” Drew insisted, stepping closer to you. “I’ve been an idiot, Y/N. I let everything else get in the way, and I lost sight of what really mattered. But you—you’re what matters. You’ve always been the one who’s mattered the most to me.”
Tears filled your eyes once again, your heart warring with your mind. You had waited so long to hear those words, but now that they were finally being spoken, you didn’t know what to do with them.
“How can I believe you?” you whispered, your voice trembling. “How can I believe that you won’t hurt me again? That you won’t forget me the next time something else comes along?”
Drew’s eyes filled with desperation as he reached out and gently cupped your face in his hands. “I won’t forget you. I swear, Y/N, I won’t. I’ve already hurt you once, and I will never make that mistake again. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving to you that you’re the most important person to me. Just... please, give me another chance.”
You closed your eyes, the warmth of his touch sending a shiver down your spine. You wanted to believe him. You wanted to let go of the hurt and let Drew back into your life. But trust wasn’t something that could be rebuilt overnight.
“I need time,” you whispered, your voice thick with emotion. “I need time to heal, to figure out if I can really trust you again.”
Drew nodded, his thumbs brushing away the tears on your cheeks. “I understand. I’ll wait. I’ll wait for as long as it takes, Y/N. Just please... don’t shut me out completely.”
You opened your eyes, meeting his gaze, and for the first time in a long while, you saw the Drew you had always known—the Drew who had stood by your side through everything, who had been your rock when the world felt too heavy.
“I won’t shut you out,” you said softly, your heart aching with the weight of it all. “But this... it’s going to take time.”
Drew nodded again, his relief palpable as he let out a shaky breath. “I’ll be here. No matter how long it takes.”
With that, Drew slowly stepped back, giving you the space you needed. The air between you was still heavy with unresolved emotions, but for the first time in months, there was a glimmer of hope. A possibility that maybe, just maybe, things could be repaired.
As Drew turned to leave, he glanced back at you, his voice soft but filled with quiet determination. “I love you, Y/N. And I’m not going to give up on us.”
You watched him go, your heart conflicted but not as heavy as it had been before. There was still so much to work through, but for the first time, you felt like maybe—just maybe—you and Drew had a chance to find your way back to each other.
The days after the confrontation felt different. Lighter, but still uncertain. The emotional heaviness lingered between you and Drew, but there was something else now—a shared understanding that things needed time, that rushing back into the past wasn’t an option.
Drew kept his word. He didn’t push you, didn’t try to force himself back into your life as if nothing had happened. Instead, he started with small gestures—things that reminded you of the Drew you had known before everything changed.
Each morning, you woke up to a text from Drew. Simple things, like: "I saw the sunrise today and thought of you. Miss those mornings." Or, "Found an old photo of us. Remember this day?" They were small messages, but they carried the weight of years of shared history and memories you had thought were forgotten.
One evening, about a week after the confrontation, Drew showed up at your door with coffee in hand. The sight of him standing there with your favorite caramel macchiato, looking uncertain but hopeful, stirred something inside you.
“I thought you could use this,” Drew said, offering a small smile. “And I... was hoping we could talk. Just for a little while.”
You hesitated, but then nodded, stepping aside to let him in. Drew walked into your living room, his movements tentative, like he wasn’t sure where he stood anymore.
As you sat together on the couch, sipping your coffee, the silence between you was less suffocating than before. There was still a lot to work through, but at least the distance wasn’t unbearable. Drew glanced around the room, his eyes landing on the framed photo of the two of you from years ago, taken on a family trip to the beach. The both of you were grinning wildly, arms around each other, as if nothing in the world could break your bond.
“I remember that day,” Drew said quietly, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “We spent hours building a sandcastle. It collapsed after five minutes, but we didn’t care. We thought it was the best thing ever.”
You chuckled softly, the memory warming something inside you. “Yeah, we were so proud of it.”
Drew shifted in his seat, his expression turning more serious. “I miss those days, Y/N. I miss us. I know I messed up, and I know it’ll take time, but... I want to get back to that.”
You turned to look at him, your heart aching at the sincerity in his voice. For so long, you had felt like you had lost Drew—the Drew who had been your best friend, your confidant, the person who knew you better than anyone. But now, sitting here with him, you realized that maybe he hadn’t been lost forever. Maybe he was still there, waiting for you to let him back in.
“I miss it too,” you admitted, your voice soft but full of emotion. “But... I need time, Drew. This isn’t something that can be fixed overnight.”
“I know,” Drew said, nodding. “And I’m not going to rush you. I’ll take as much time as you need.”
For the first time in what felt like forever, you felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe things could be different this time. Maybe you could rebuild what had been broken.
The weeks that followed were a slow process of healing and reconnection. Drew made an effort—an effort you hadn’t seen from him in months. He started texting you every morning, checking in to see how your day was going. The texts weren’t long or overly sentimental, but they were consistent. They were proof that he was thinking about you, even in the midst of his busy schedule.
Some days, the texts were simple:
"How’s work going? Thought of you when I passed by the old park today."
Other days, they carried a heavier weight:
"I’m sorry again, Y/N. For everything. I just want you to know that I’m still here."
And as time passed, you found yourself replying more. The walls you had built up around your heart began to slowly crumble, brick by brick. Drew wasn’t just making promises—he was showing you that he meant them. He wasn’t rushing you or pushing for more than you were ready to give. He was patient, and that patience made all the difference.
One afternoon, Drew surprised you by inviting you to lunch at the café you both used to frequent when you were younger. It had been years since you’d been there together, but as you sat across from each other, sipping coffee and talking about nothing in particular, it felt like you were slowly returning to a version of yourselves that had been lost.
The conversations were lighter, more comfortable. Drew listened intently when you talked about work, your hobbies, the things that had filled your life in the time you had drifted apart. And for the first time in a long time, you felt like you weren’t competing with Odessa or his career for his attention. Drew was fully present, and that made all the difference.
A few weeks later, Drew showed up at your door with something unexpected—a small gift bag in hand, looking both nervous and hopeful.
“I, uh, thought I’d bring this over,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I know it’s not much, but I saw it and thought of you.”
You raised an eyebrow, curious, and took the bag from him. Inside was a small journal, the cover embossed with the words “For Every Sunrise.” Your breath caught in your throat as you pulled it out, your fingers tracing the delicate lettering.
“I know how much you love watching the sunrise,” Drew explained, his voice soft. “I thought maybe... you could use this to write down your thoughts. Or even just to keep track of the sunrises you’ve seen.”
Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you looked up at him, overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness behind the gift. Drew had always known how much sunrises meant to you—those quiet moments when the world was still, when everything felt possible. And now, here he was, reminding you of those moments in a way that felt so personal, so deeply connected to the history you shared.
“Thank you,” you whispered, your voice thick with emotion. “It’s perfect.”
Drew smiled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “I’m glad you like it.”
For the first time in a long time, you felt like you were being seen. Not just as someone in Drew’s life, but as someone important. Someone who mattered.
As the weeks turned into months, you and Drew continued to rebuild your relationship—slowly, carefully. There were still moments of doubt, moments when the hurt resurfaced and threatened to pull you back into the past. But Drew was patient. He never rushed you, never pushed you to move faster than you were ready for. Instead, he met you where you were, showing up for you in the ways that mattered most.
One day, Drew suggested a walk through the old park you used to visit as kids. It had been years since you had walked those paths together, but as you strolled through the park, side by side, it felt like you were reclaiming a piece of the past that had been lost.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about us,” Drew said as you walked, his voice quiet but steady. “About how much we’ve been through together.”
You glanced over at him, your heart tightening at the vulnerability in his voice. “Yeah, me too.”
Drew stopped walking, turning to face you fully. His eyes were filled with a kind of determination you hadn’t seen in a long time. “I don’t want to take you for granted anymore, Y/N. I’ve been thinking about everything, and I know I hurt you. I know it’s going to take time to earn back your trust, but I want to be the person you can count on again. The person you deserve.”
You stared at him, your heart pounding in your chest. The sincerity in his voice, the way he looked at you—it was different now. There was no hesitation, no uncertainty. He meant every word.
“I want that too,” you said softly, your voice barely above a whisper. “But I need to know that this time... this time, it’s real.”
“It is,” Drew promised, his voice thick with emotion. “I swear, Y/N, it’s real.”
And in that moment, as the sun began to set behind the trees, casting a golden glow over the park, you knew that maybe—just maybe—you and Drew were finally on the right path. It wasn’t going to be easy, and there were still wounds that needed time to heal, but for the first time in a long time, you felt like you could trust him again. Trust that he wasn’t going to let you down.
Months passed, and the slow process of rebuilding trust continued. Drew didn’t let up on his efforts—he made time for you, prioritized you, and showed you in small, meaningful ways that he was committed to repairing the damage that had been done.
The two of you began to fall back into an easy rhythm. Movie nights, long conversations over coffee, quiet walks through the park—it was like rediscovering an old friendship, but with the added depth of everything you had been through. The love you had for each other was still there, but now, it was stronger, more resilient.
One evening, Drew invited you to his house for dinner. It was just the two of you, and as you sat together on the back porch, watching the sunset, you felt a sense of peace settle over you—a peace you hadn’t felt in a long time.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about the future,” Drew said softly, breaking the comfortable silence between you.
You turned to look at him, your heart skipping a beat. “Yeah? What about it?”
Drew’s eyes softened as he reached out and took your hand, his fingers gently intertwining with yours. “About us. About what we want.”
You swallowed hard, your pulse quickening at the intensity of his gaze. “And what do you want, Drew?”
“I want you,” he said, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “I want you in my life, in every way. I don’t want to lose you again, Y/N. I love you. I always have.”
Tears welled up in your eyes as his words washed over you. It had taken so long to get to this point, to rebuild what had been broken, but now, sitting here with Drew, you knew that it had all been worth it.
“I love you too,” you whispered, your voice trembling with emotion. “I’ve loved you for so long, and I don’t want to lose you either.”
Drew smiled, his eyes filled with relief and happiness. “Then let’s not waste any more time. Let’s be together.”
And as he leaned in to kiss you, the weight of all the past hurt and pain seemed to fade away, leaving only the promise of a future—together.
THE END!!
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i was thinking about writing a drabbles for this, hehe maybe their future together, if you have any suggestion, ask box are always open!! and i hope you all enjoy this imagine 🖤
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ssprayberrythings · 8 months ago
Text
living in oblivion | LS2
logan sargeant x female!reader, oscar piastri x platonic!reader
warnings: none just two people oblivious to their feelings for one another
note: im obviously not someone who works for a f1 team so i have no idea how reading the data actually works but this is a piece of fiction so just go with it lol
special mention to @whydowesleepeachnight for this idea! sorry it took me so long to get it out to the world, i hope it lives up to the idea you gave to me (:
word count: 4k
masterlist | taglist
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You were currently at the first race of the new season, supporting Oscar. You and Oscar had been best friends since you were 7 and Oscar was 8. The two of you met at summer camp where you spent 6 weeks together, getting to know everything about each other. 
When time came to say goodbye, you had promised each other you’d call and email (through your parents of course). By some miracle, you never lost touch and your friendship only got stronger the older you got. 
When Oscar started his journey towards racing and he shared with you his goal was to be an F1 driver, you showed him nothing but encouragement and support. You celebrated all of his successes and achievements. 
When he met Lily his girlfriend, you were beyond happy, seeing your best friend happy and in love. It also helped that you and Lily got along instantly and she became one of your closest friends. 
You were brought back to reality when Lily called your name 
“Sorry, what was that?” You asked the girl 
She laughed “I just asked if you had seen him yet today. We could go pop in before he has to start getting ready for the race” she said again smiling at you. 
“Oh yeah, let’s go!” You nodded, you enjoyed getting to see him before the race and you knew Lily did too, especially with how busy he usually was after a race.
As you and Lily walked through the paddock towards the McLaren hospitality, you passed Lando. 
“Hey if you’re looking for Oscar, he’s outside of the William’s hospitality talking with Alex” Lando told you two smiling before continuing his walk wherever he was initially going.
You and Lily offered him a thanks and continued walking till you reached your destination and sure enough there was Oscar with Alex but there was another driver with them, Logan Sargeant. You felt your heart skip a beat. 
Being best friends with Oscar, you obviously knew Logan and there had been plenty of times when you would hang out with Oscar that you also hung out with Logan.
As the three of you got older, you grew up and you couldn’t deny the attraction you felt towards Logan. The blue eyes and blonde hair got you. 
As you approached the group, Oscar noticed you and Lily
“Hey! What are you doing here?” He asked bringing his girlfriend in for a side hug and offering you a smile 
“We just wanted to see you before the race started” she told him 
“And wish you luck” you added finding your voice, hoping the nerves weren’t noticeable. 
Oscar just smiled “Thanks” he told you.
“Lily you know Logan and Alex. Y/N this is Alex and you know Logan” Oscar introduced you to the other William’s driver 
“Nice to meet you” you told Alex who smiled at you 
“Hi Logan” you said politely trying to stay as cool and calm as you could 
“Hey Y/N!” Logan said, offering you a smile which you returned, doing your best not to blush.
The five of you spoke a bit longer before the three drivers had to go and get ready.
You and Lily said goodbye to the William’s boys as they walked into their hospitality, then you walked a bit away, to give the couple a moment before the two of you walked back to where you initially were. 
When Lily joined you again, you started walking back 
“So Logan’s pretty cute” Lily said out of the blue 
“Lily! You have a boyfriend” you said looking at her to which she rolled her eyes 
“Not for me you goof” she said “For you” she finished 
If you had been drinking anything, you would’ve probably spit it out at her words 
“What is that supposed to mean? I don’t like Logan” you said quickly which earned a look from your friend 
“Judging by the blush on your face at the mention of him and how defensive you just got I’d say that’s not the total truth” she said matter of factly. 
You bit the inside of your cheek, not sure what to say 
“And now I know from the silence, how right I am” she said smirking which earned a groan from you. She was so observant, it was annoying at times. 
“Okay yes Logan is cute and yes I may or may not be attracted to him” you told her
“But it’s not a big deal and I don’t want to make it a big deal” you told her,
She nodded appearing to be lost in thought.
“Whatever you’re thinking, the answer is no” you told her. You had been friends with the girl long enough now to know when she was planning something 
“You don’t even know what I was gonna say” she said 
“I don’t care, I could tell you were planning something I would’ve disagreed with” you explained as you reached your destination. 
“Lils can we just drop it for now? I want to enjoy our time here and just cheer on Oscar” you asked the girl 
She sighed “Fine but we aren’t done talking about this” she told you before smiling at you.
You sighed, the race had bought you a bit more time from having this conversation with the girl. 
-
Since that moment with Lily, things only got worse and it got harder to hide your attraction towards Logan whenever you were near him. 
Lily had told Oscar which you assumed she would and the two of them were relentless in “accidentally” having you and Logan be near eachother. 
When Lily wasn’t around, Oscar on his own wasn’t any better.
He would playfully pick on you for your crush to the point where you were certain Logan definitely had to have known of your crush by now or atleast suspected something. 
Now it was time for the Miami Grand Prix which was a big deal for Logan as it was his home race. 
You weren’t going to come but Oscar had insisted you had to be there, his exact words were “to see your boy in his element” even though Logan wasn’t yours.
Fortunately you couldn’t argue with him cause deep down you wanted to be there. 
You had gotten in a few hours earlier than you had told Oscar because you wanted to surprise Oscar at the track.
It was media day so you knew he’d be around somewhere and he had already given you your friends & family pass so you had a way in. 
You took an Uber over and walked in no problem. As you walked to McLaren’s hospitality you passed Lando and Max, 
“Hey Y/N! Oscar didn’t say you’d be here today” Lando smiled giving you a quick hug 
“Yeah I thought I’d surprise him” you told him 
“Oh well, have fun doing that” he chuckled before you said your goodbyes and parted ways. 
You walked past William’s hospitality, not noticing Logan and Alex filming some media content.
Logan recognized you immediately but you were too far for him to call your name plus he was in the middle of something 
“Bro did you hear me?” Alex asked as the camera recorded them “You just got distracted” he laughed at his teammate 
“Oh sorry” Logan awkwardly laughed before turning his attention to Alex and the work they were doing. 
The camera that was on them had caught the whole interaction and if someone had to describe the look on Logan’s face when he spotted you, they’d say it was someone who was in complete awe.
That’s the effect you had on him, you just didn’t know it. 
You made it to McLaren just as Oscar was walking out 
“Surprise” you said when your eyes met causing you to laugh, you wanted to do a bit more but the timing didn’t allow for that. 
Oscar smiled widely and gave you a bear hug when he was off the steps “I’m so happy you’re here” he exclaimed, you smiled at him. 
You ended up spending your day around McLaren while Oscar did his media duties. You had brought your iPad so you did some work to pass the time. 
When he was done for the day, he found you in his drivers room, you had dozed off with your head leaning against the wall, your iPad discarded on the couch next to you and you were hugging your legs to your chest. 
He quickly snapped a photo of you like this, remembering to use that when your birthday rolled around, then he walked over to wake you up 
“Sleeping beauty, it’s time to go” he said chuckling slightly shaking you gently, you must not have been in a deep sleep cause you woke up almost right away 
“Shit sorry, I think the travelling just crept up on me” you said stretching your legs and arms, rubbing your eyes to wake you up 
“All good, I was coming to get you so we could head out” he told you walking over to pick up his backpack.
You got up, grabbing your iPad closing the case and putting it back in your tote bag. 
“Sounds good” you said. The two of you made your way out of the building before going to the parking lot. 
“You know Logan asked where you were today” Oscar told you casually “He said he saw you on your way to McLaren earlier but was too busy at the moment to say hello” he finished 
“Oh I feel bad, I should’ve went and said hi” you said biting your lip out of habit.
Even if you liked Logan, you weren’t the type of person to avoid him because of it, at the end of the day you still considered him a friend. 
“I think he’s still around, you could pop in, I'll wait for you in the car” he offered 
“Yeah, okay, I’ll be quick, thanks Osc” you smiled at him before picking up the pace and walking to William’s. 
-
When you got there, Alex was leaving with Lily his girlfriend
“Hey Alex, is Logan in there?” You asked him 
He nodded “Yeah, he is, maybe he’ll listen to you about leaving. He keeps looking at the data from the previous races so he knows what to improve on for this race” Alex told you 
You frowned,
“Oh, okay yeah I’ll see what I can do” you told him before offering him and Lily a small smile, walking around them going inside to Logan’s driver room. 
You knocked on the door
“Come in” you heard Logan’s voice on the other side of the door, you opened the door 
“Hey stranger” you joked offering him a smile 
“Oh hey” Logan said his mood picking up from seeing you
“What are you doing here?” He asked.
You walked in “Oscar told me you were asking about me so I thought I’d come say hi incase I don’t see you before the race” you told him smiling which he returned. 
It was obvious to anyone but the two of you that you had a mutual interest in each other. 
“Oh, that’s nice of you” he replied 
You weren’t sure what else to say but then you remembered what Alex told you, 
“Alex tells me you’re refusing to leave, something about looking at data” you said casually walking over to the couch he was sitting on, sitting next to him.
Sure enough he had an iPad open on his lap with data pulled up. 
“I just want to make sure I do a good job at this race, it’s a big deal, I want to make everyone proud” he shared with you 
You nodded understanding where he was coming from “Logan you’re a good driver and everyone is already proud of you, regardless of how you do” you told him trying to reassure him 
“Plus you can only reread the data so many times, the information is still the same” you continued
“You know what you’re doing and when the time comes to be behind the wheel, your instincts will take over” you finished, trying to make him feel better.  
He looked over at you, he looked tired but he nodded his head acknowledging what you had said 
“C’mon, we’ll give you a ride back to the hotel” you told him nicely, he thanked you and closed the iPad which you took from him. 
“What are you doing?” He asked confused 
“I don’t trust you wont secretly try and steal a couple glances in the car” you said putting the iPad in your bag. He still looked confused and a bit apprehensive
“Don’t worry I won’t go sharing secrets to your opposing teams” you joked, not earning a laugh from Logan you stopped joking, 
“Okay how about you come with me back to my room, we can order some food, you can give your eyes a break from the screen and then together we can look it over some more” you offered. 
You realized what this meant and what it could’ve implied but you just wanted to help out your friend. 
After a moment of silence he agreed and then the two of you made your way out of the building, meeting up with Oscar in the parking lot 
“That was not quick” he told you when you got in the passenger seat and Logan in the back 
“What were you doing?” He asked curisouly
“Don’t worry about it, we just got caught up talking” you told him 
“Now can we leave? I’m hungry” you changed the subject, knowing Oscar would keep pushing.
He sighed and started the car, driving to the hotel. When you got there, you made your way to the elevator, Logan following. 
Oscar stayed in the lobby, seeing some of the other drivers and choosing to chat with them before heading up to his room 
“What’s up with those two?” Lando asked seeing you and Logan together 
“I don’t know, I’m hoping they finally confessed their feelings” Oscar said “Not sure how much more of this oblivion I can take” he said drastically 
“Maybe they’re spending the night together” Lando said wiggling his eyebrows to indicate what he was referring to 
“Oh ew, I don’t want to think of that, she’s like a sister to me” Oscar said groaning, even though in the back of his mind, he knew it could be a possibility. 
-
Meanwhile back in your hotel room, you and Logan had ordered room service and made yourselves comfortable on the couch.
You put something on the TV to fill the silence and pass the time while you waited for your food.
You eventually pulled the iPad back out and opened it, looking at the data while Logan just sat silently next to you.
You had always enjoyed stats and reading data however this was a different kind of data you didn’t fully understand. 
Eventually there was a knock on the door, your food. “I’ll get it” he told you standing up and getting the food, being sure to thank the gentleman that brought it. 
Logan came and sat on the couch putting your food on the coffee table infront of him. You put the iPad down, wanting to eat instead of looking at things you didn’t understand. 
“Do you think there’s anything I can improve on?” he asked after sometime passed
You looked at him, he looked so sincere right in this moment. 
“The only thing I found was a lot of numbers and words that I don’t fully understand however I’m going to assume because they repeat themselves it’s an indicator you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to” you told him 
“You’d think you were a good driver or something” you joked nudging his shoulder, causing a slight chuckle to leave him. 
There was a comfortable silence that fell upon you as you continued to eat your food. 
“Thank you” Logan spoke after some time passed. He had finished his food and was now looking at you 
You turned to meet his eyes “It was nothing but you’re welcome” you smiled. Damn he loved seeing your smile 
“Can I ask you something?” He asked sounding slightly nervous which caused you to swallow a lump in your thought. This could be related to anything. 
“Sure” you said trying to sound as casual as you could 
“Would it be okay if I kissed you” he asked softly looking in your eyes. 
You thought your ears might’ve been deceiving you,
‘did he just ask if he could kiss me’, you thought to yourself. 
Becoming aware of your silence, you slowly nodded “That would definitely be okay” you told him as he moved closer. 
Suddenly you didn’t know what to do, it was as if you had never been kissed before. He slowly leaned in, his one hand on the side of your face. 
You leaned into his embrace and before you knew it his lips were on yours, you instinctively kissed back.
The way your lips fit perfectly together, you would think they were two puzzle pieces placed together. 
Eventually you both had to pull away but Logan didn’t pull away fully, he rested his forehead on yours, his eyes closed
“I’ve been wanting to do that for way too long” he confessed. 
You were taken back, you never thought he felt the same “I could say the same thing” you chuckled. 
He pulled away opening his eyes looking at you “We were so oblivious” he joked which brought a giggle out of you.
After that you cleaned up your food, you let Logan read over the data a bit more, this time he explained what everything meant to you then eventually you put the iPad back in your bag and went to cuddle on your bed. 
“I know I should go but I don’t want to leave you” Logan told you while your head rested on his chest. 
You looked up at him “You could spend the night” you suggested then realized what that may have implied
“Not like that, just so than you don’t have to leave” you added a blush coming to your face as Logan chuckled slightly. 
“Don’t worry I knew what you meant” he reassured you 
“But if you’re offering, I’m fine with staying” he smiled “ill leave in the morning to quickly stop at my room to clean up” you nodded then pushed yourself up to go get and get changed. 
That night you and Logan fell asleep cuddled up next to each other with your head nuzzled between his shoulder and his neck meanwhile his arm was tightly around you keeping you close. 
-
The following morning, you were awoken to knocking on your door, relatively loud knocking. You groaned and cuddled closer to Logan who was still asleep. 
When the knocking didn’t stop, you begrudgingly got out of Logan’s embrace and made your way to the door, opening it and seeing Oscar standing there
“Oscar what do you want so urgently, I was sleeping” you said still half asleep 
Before Oscar could answer, Logan appeared rubbing some sleep out of his eyes 
“Dude you knock really loudly” he said before going into the washroom, leaving a stunned Oscar and a slightly blushing you. 
“You were saying” You reminded Oscar who was still shocked at seeing Logan in your room. 
“No no doesn’t matter now” he said “I believe you have something to tell me” he looked at you
You shrugged deciding to be chill about it, knowing it would drive Oscar mad 
“Nope, nothing to say” you said pretending to think, while Logan exited the washroom seeming more awake this time 
“Logan is there anything to tell Oscar?? He seems to think there is” you informed Logan of the topic of conversation. 
Logan picking up on what you were doing, shook his head,
“No I don’t believe so” he said wrapping his arm around your shoulders as if this was a normal occurrence. 
Oscar was still shook and clearly speechless from his lack of words 
“You’re both going to drive me mental” he finally said “Okay well whatever this is” he said referring to you and Logan 
“I wish you the best and also I was coming to ask if you wanted to join us for breakfast but I’ll think I’ll just leave you be” he finished 
“Thanks Osc” you told him smiling at him, before he said goodbye and Logan shut the door. 
“Back to bed” you said turning to go back to the bed but before you could do so Logan gently grabbed your wrist and turned you, bringing you closer to him 
“First a kiss” he said before leaning down and kissing you.
You smiled in the kiss, kissing him back. 
-
That race in Miami ended up being one of Logan’s best, he finished in P7 which earned the team some points and was an overall great showcase of his driving abilities. 
When the race was over and he found you, he engulfed you in a massive hug 
“Logan that was so good, I know you didn’t get on the podium but I am so proud of you” you told him hugging him back 
“I don’t care, that was one of the best races I’ve had in awhile and I’m so glad you were here to watch it” he explained pulling away smiling proudly
 “You must bring me good luck” he smirked tucking a stand of your hair behind your ear
“Guess that means you can’t miss a race” you chuckled before someone called his name telling you he had to go do his after race duties 
“I’ll see you around” he told you, you nodded your head and decided to lean up and leave a kiss on his cheek
“I’ll be here” you told him as he blushed from your kiss before walking away. 
You were so happy that things had worked out for you when it came to Logan. You couldn’t wait to catch Lily up with all the details even though you were sure Oscar had already done so.
You laughed to yourself thinking about his reaction before deciding to go find your best friend and congratulate him on his podium finish, he had gotten P3. 
When you found him, you gave him a big hug “Osc I’m so proud of you!” You exclaimed genuinely happy for your friend. 
He hugged you back “Thanks Y/N” then pulled away 
“Did you see Logan? P7 is good” he asked smirking at you while you rolled your eyes playfully 
“Yeah I already saw him, gave him a reward for doing so well” you raised your eyebrows at Oscar who groaned 
“Oh ew I didn’t need to know that” he said making you laugh 
“Slow down, I didn’t say what, get your head out of the gutter” you exclaimed pretending to act offended before laughing 
“I just gave him a kiss on the cheek if you must know” you told Oscar 
“So I guess this means you finally told him about your crush?” He asked already knowing the answer 
You nodded smiling at your best friend who mirrored your smile
“I’m happy for you two, seriously” he told you pulling you into a side hug “Now we can go on double dates” he said excitedly which you chuckled at 
“Yeah but are you sure you can handle the both of us picking on you especially when you say things like thongs instead of flip flops” you looked up at him 
He rolled his eyes “I take it back, im not happy anymore” he said even though you knew he was joking “And stop hating on my choice of words, it’s what I know” he groaned which earned a chuckle from you. 
“Whatever you say Osc” you patted his chest before pulling out of his embrace
“Now if you don’t mind I’m gonna go find my favourite American and give him a proper reward for doing well” you told him smirking as he acted grossed out 
“Ahhh please keep those details to yourself, I don’t want to know about them” he said which you laughed at before turning away and going to find Logan so you could celebrate properly. 
-
taglist: @namgification @itsyagirlmeee @asparklysoul @bwormie @meadhbhcavanagh @talksoprettyjjx & @ari-nicole
I've had this written in my notes for so long I just wasn't sure If I was ready to post it but I guess now is better than later!!
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simplyhughes · 7 months ago
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A Hughes Summer: The Arrival
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Synopsis: A Hughes Summer is an ongoing series about a HughesSister!Reader x Connor Bedard! This will follow multiple scenarios of their summer together spent at the infamous Hughes Lake House! If there are any specific scenarios you’d like to see, please let me know! Thanks for reading!
Content Warning: none!
Pairing: Connor Bedard x Hughes!Reader
Part One
wc: 1k
Navigating dating the best rookie in the league while being surrounded by three brothers, all notable players themselves has been extremely chaotic, to say the least. Hockey has permeated all corners of my life, not that I necessarily mind, but being born into a hockey family has definitely altered my taste in men. Connor, my boyfriend, and my trio of brothers have clashed on the ice before, obscured by layers of gear, battling fiercely for the puck. But today marks the moment of formal introduction, and I can't deny the flutter of nerves within me. My brothers are intense; Quinn has this odd maternal instinct toward me, Jack is just downright wild... and with Luke, I'm actually not too concerned, as long as I keep him supplied with a snack to gnaw on.
As the 2024 hockey season drew to a close, Connor and I made the spontaneous decision to embark on a road trip from Chicago to Michigan, where I planned to introduce him to the beloved Hughes summer lake house tradition. Every summer for as long as I can remember, my family has spent the majority of the summer in Michigan, lounging at the lake house. With every mile closer to our destination, my heart quickened its pace, anticipation mingled with nerves as the moment of collision between my two worlds drew near. Yet, amidst my own jitters, I couldn't help but notice the anxiety radiating from the driver's seat beside me, where Connor sat, his nerves seemingly even more pronounced than mine.
It seemed like he was on a timer; every couple of minutes, he dragged his palms against his thighs, wiping his sweat to keep his grip on the wheel. In between that, he’d run his hands through his hair and check his reflection in the rearview mirror. After watching him do this a few times, I couldn't help but chuckle. Connor glanced over at me before turning back to the road and smiled. “What?” he chuckled back at me.
“You are just cute, that's all,” I replied, still with a smile plastered on my face.
“Oh yeah?”
“For Sure”
The car fell into silence for a minute. It was a comfortable silence, but you couldn't help but feel bad that he was nervous. “Connie, they are gonna love you. I promise.”
“I really hope so, y/n.”
“I know they don't know you yet, but I do know they already admire your skill and drive. But they are gonna love you, promise.”
Connor looked at me, his eyes softened and gave me his signature lopsided smile. I stretched my arm out to the car's console and turned up the radio's volume.
The car rumbled along the graveled, mud-plastered driveway, flanked by towering trees that resembled skyscrapers, the only resemblance to the city we had just departed. Finally, the vehicle came to a halt. Connor shifted the gear to park and wiped his palms once more. He unbuckled his seatbelt, popped the trunk, and went to retrieve some of our luggage from the back. Before handling our belongings, Connor opened my door and offered me a hand. I grasped his hand, stepping out of the car.
“Thank you, Con. Chivalry isn't dead, I suppose. But you gotta do something about the sweat, baby,” I teased.
His eyes rolled, and he bumped me jokingly with his hip. Together, we made our way to the trunk. As I started to gather my things, Connor swiftly snatched the bags from me.
“Hey!” I yelped.
“Chivalry,” he smirked.
Connor, busy with all the bags, let out a huff as he unloaded his arms on the front porch. I rammed my finger into the doorbell multiple times, rapid-fire style, just to annoy my brothers.
“HOLY SHIT MAKE IT STOP!” I heard one of my brothers yell, muffled by the walls. The door swung open revealing the shortest of the three brothers. “QUINNIFER!” I shouted, jumping into his arms. “Hey, Peanut!” he shouted back. We shuffled back into the house where I was then greeted by the other two. After almost being squeezed to death, the attention shifted to the awkward blonde standing alongside the bags. I cleared my throat, “Guys, this is Connor!”
“Hey man, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Quinn said, giving him a handshake. Luke followed suit while Jack just stayed back. The middle brother narrowed his eyes, watching his other brothers greet the new guy. “Jack quit being a dickhead and say hello.
“I’m just busting his chops y/n, don't worry,” Jack smirked. “What's up?” He finally spoke, shaking Connor's hand.
“Quinny, can you please handle our bags while I give Connor the grand tour?”
“Whatever, anything for my favorite sibling,” he replied, immediately getting hassled by the other two.
I managed to grab Connor's hand and sneak him around the brawl leading him into the living room. His eyes trailed along the pictures that decorated the mantle; pictures that told the Hughes’ past summers, the quilt that was draped against the couch; the quilt that was ripped and resewn back together, it held too many memories to throw out. He soaked in the room, observing all the details laid before him. I plopped down onto the couch, also soaking everything in. “What do ya think?” I questioned.
“I think that you were adorable,” Connor gushed while picking up a framed picture from almost 14 years ago. He looked it over for another minute, then put it back down in its spot. I smiled watching Connor, seeing him in this house that meant so much to me. He fit in so perfectly, it’s like he's been here all this time. My smile only grew thinking about the events this summer longs to unfold, how this will be his first summer in Michigan with many more to follow.
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hoe4sports · 4 months ago
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Antarctica
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Leah Williamson x reader
A/N: Mentions of throwing up and nausea.
Your eyes flutter when you feel your body start to wake up. The season changing from summer to fall makes you feel relieved. You consider it a clean sheet, a desperately needed fresh start for instance. When the season changes, it marks how the world still moves forwards. It’s a blunt reminder that, everything still has to go on. It’s not summer anymore, but the light outside is the kind of light that blinds you in the fall. It takes you some adjusting to get used to the light pouring in from outside. The light peeks through the slit of your curtains revealing your apartment’s desperate need for a clean with dust particles roaming through the air.
The fall has made its appearance. Colouring the landscape into a golden shade of brown and yellow blended into a perfect combination. Before you wrap yourself in the big comforter again, you run your eyes across the window. You live fairly high up, the kind of high that makes the building sway with the wind’s despair. The pillow calls for you and you happily oblige, putting your head on the soft square.
“07:33” you parrot to yourself before obliging to your body’s call for sleep. Sleep is weighing heavily on your eyelids before you feel a startle. Moments before you feel yourself soar into to your most holy happiest place: Your body does a startle that frightens you beyond your own knowledge leaving your back feeling cold.
“07:33?? Shit, shit, shit, shit!” You yell out in frustration in the shell of an apartment that once was filled with love. The instant panic causes you to go diving off the bed and become familiar with the carpet, naturally face first. That’s when the inner chaos erupts . Your keys are nowhere to be found, but ultimately you find them on the shoe rack. Then realisation hits you; all your training bra’s are dirty. As a compromise you end up with the next best thing; A bright pink Nike swim top.
As you flee out the door, you instantly have to run back in for your phone and when you eventually get to the car feeling lightheaded from the running; you are wearing two different shoes.
The feeling of letting someone down is so painful that you’d rather be let down yourself. You hurry back into the apartment at the speed of a lightning practically jumping on one leg out into the hallway with one sneaker on your right food and the other in your hand desperately trying to get it on. You do a spin as soon as your shoes are physically on to your feet before you run out of the hallway, fly down all 16 floor and jumps into the car. By grace, you end up making it somewhat safely to your destination. The wheels of the car stops turning at 07.44, just 1 minute shy of the obligatory first breakfast with your te
Your frame moves in a rapid speed outside making a beeline for the player’s entrance across the parking lot. A few swears escapes your lips in frustration as you pass car after car. Before it happened, you were always early. The chaos of oversleeping leads to your hair being everywhere. ThTs also knew. Everyone knows that you don’t oversleep, ever. When you enter the cafeteria with your hands busy tying your hair up, Jonas gives you an apologetic look. He dosent look mad or disappointed in you, his eyes are giving you grace. The whole team is giving you grace because they all know. Even though you tried to camouflage it, hide it in the deepest of closets and put on the bravest face you could; they still all knew.
“Welcome back, girls. We are delighted to have you all back and I trust that you have all had immensely with rest. This fall, there are some changes moving into action..” The team’s coordinator announces as you attempt finding your spot. The attempt is rather unsuccessful, and it makes you sound like an elephant in a porcelain store.
You slide down next to Guro and Jessie. Sitting between the two girls makes you feel safe and seen. Guro is a natural leader. Her leadership will push you to your physical limits, but she will be the first to notice any kind of change in behaviour. She was a good choice as the Norwegian captain.
The girls share a look before Jessie pats your back which sends you into a pre spiral. Whenever people showed you kindness, your radars immediately went off, making it feel like something was wrong. You try to shake the thought, but the attempt remains unsuccessful.
“It’s okay, I’m so happy you showed up, Y/N. I’m here for you.” Guro whispered to you. The act was meant as a good deed, but it left you feeling even further confused. Guro was there when it happened, she was the first and only person you told. Your eyes move to Jessie who sends you yet another apologetic look. The look is enough to send shivers down your spine.
“..and with that, our newest signing will be coming in for practice in a few hours. Let’s all enjoy the fantastic breakfast that our amazing workers has prepared for us. Here is to a good season of growth and training!” the coordinator ends her speech. The speech stretched out for what seemed like forever, leaving you with a very obnoxious yawn. You thought that the group would be annoyed on the seemingly disrespectful motion, but instead the apologetic looks flooded like flowers at a funeral. All of the words from the coordinator had gone above and beyond your head. The anxiety was building up like a boiling kettle in your gut. It felt like your body had set off an alarm to active your entire nervoussystem. You rub your hands together for comfort, not getting any kind of relief.
The anixety gathers up in your gut, throat and eventually your headspace. Guro is the first to notice. It was obvious when everyone at your table had stood up to explore the breakfast buffet, but you got left behind. Guro looks at you with empathy in her eyes.
"Y/N? Lets get something to eat before you decide to panic"
"Huh?"
Your visibly confused gaze shifts towards Guro.
"I just can't shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen..
" You say as you get up and Guro grabs your hand. The walk to the desk is so silent that you swear people could hear your thougts. The dishes are lined up. The first breakfast after breaks are always a big deal in the Chealsea household. Your stomach is growling for food, but all you feel is nausea. The feeling stings in you when your eyes meet the older lady. Her smile is so big and she looks so proud of her pancakes. You offer her a small smile. Reluctantly, you grab pancakes, some berries and a smoothie before you head back to the table.
At the table, the conversation is going like a whirlwind. Lucy is going on about how much she hates the cold while Sam is blabbering about the latest ring she got her partner. You stand out from the crowd, just quietly munching on the strawberries that you grabbed. The only thing you want to, is to go home and curl up in a small ball and die.
Jessie suddenly looks at Guro with a slight fright in her eyes. You look at both the girls moving your head from one side to the other. Jessie gulps. Guro gives Jessie an annoyed look. The annoyance and frustration is rapidly bulding up. You drop your fork down on your plate when your spot a familiar pair of eyes moving towards your table. Your heartrate skyrockets and you feel an instant need to throw up. Your hands go cold and you face goes red.
"Hey, im Leah and im excited to be your new teammate" she says with a stupid excited smirk on her face while reaching out her hand at you. You stare at her hand. If eyes could cut, she would be without hands.
Everyone goes silent. The whole room goes silent. Everyone saw what happend to your earlier. All of them saw the damage that was done. Everyones eyes are at you. You panic. Its a fight, freeze, flee moment. You want to yell at the top of your lungs. Cuss her out. Scream and cry and yell.
You stand up with your heart going crazy. You look Leah in her eyes. The rage is building up further. Jessie taps your hand. Your gaze meets hers. Then you look up at Leah again. You give her a stern look before you turn around and walk away. If she could walk away, why couldnt you?
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theeagertraveler · 1 year ago
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The Eager Traveler - Preethi Chandrasekhar
The Eager Traveler by Preethi Chandrasekhar, I’ve lived in California for 30 years but I only discovered fall colors in California last year! Let’s face it,
Hi! I’m Preethi! I created The Eager Traveler blog to share my boutique travel adventures & tips for unique destinations. I have designed a career in Marketing where I can work remotely from anywhere in the world, thus allowing me the flexibility to travel whenever I want to. My mission is to inspire you to push past boundaries and explore the great outdoors, no matter your age, skill, or fitness level.
I love photography and my IG page features a lot of my travel photographs. So if you like travel photography drop by my Instagram and say hi! If you want to work with me, please email me at [email protected] for collaborations.
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souliebird · 11 months ago
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[[and then I met you || ch. 12||
Series: Daredevil || Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader || Rating: Explicit
Summary:
A one-night stand years ago gave you a daughter and you are now able to put a name to her father – Matthew Murdock. Everything is about to change again as you navigate trying to integrate your life with that of the handsome and charming blind lawyer’s and Matt realizes he needs to not only protect his new family from Hell's Kitchen, but from the world.
pt: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
Words: 5k
banner thanks to the wonderful @theradioactivespidergwen
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Even in the middle of the night, the heat of summer in Hell's Kitchen is oppressive. It doesn't help that there is a storm rolling in and it is so humid Matt feels like he's breathing in water. Sweat is pouring off of him and he's glad he opted out of wearing his red armor - he has the feeling he would have overheated within an hour.
The only good thing about it pushing eighty degrees at two am is that only people that have to be out are out. Even though it is Saturday night/ Sunday morning, the streets are empty and Matt has only encountered people on their way back home. He hasn't even needed to scare off any muggers or stop any break ins. In fact, all he has really done all night is track people to make sure they got to their destinations safely.
There was a small surge of people around midnight coming off the trains and they had been rowdy, but hadn't caused any problems. Matt quickly worked out they were part of the protesters who have been crowding outside the courthouse for the past few days and deemed they were not a threat to his beloved city.
He's spoken to a few of them while at the courthouse and he fully supports their cause and their right to protest. Admittedly, Matt is not one to stay on top of current events, but he thinks it is suspicious that the government will not reveal what caused the massive explosion in Connecticut. It's been weeks but instead of answers, it feels like everything about the incident is being shoved under the rug and Matt knows if it was closer to home, Karen would be chomping at the bit to investigate.
Over six hundred people lost their lives and no one is being brought to justice for it. They are saying it was an attack, but no one is claiming ownership or being blamed for the destruction. It makes him angry, and though this isn't his fight, he'll do his part protecting the voices in his community who demand the truth.
Tonight, it seems like his community is safe and Matt will be able to get more than two hours of sleep before he needs to go to Mass. He needs to do a final pass around the neighborhood before he turns in for the night, so he pushes himself up from where he has been crouching like a gargoyle and stretches his limbs. His knees pop and his back screams at him and he decides that despite the heat, he will take a scorching shower to soothe his muscles. He may not have gotten into any big fights the past few nights, but that doesn't matter to his body - it's always aching and throbbing in one way or another.
He pulls his mask down over his face, hating how it instantly makes his forehead sticky and wet, and starts his loop.
He starts at the top of 10th and weaves across and down until he passes Foggy and Marci’s apartment. He pauses across the street and crouches down as he tunes his ears to their bedroom. They are both in a deep sleep and there is no threat he can detect, but still he stays for a minute just to be sure. Daredevil may have complicated his best friend's life, but Foggy has never had trouble making his own enemies. He may not be a vigilante, but his sense of justice is just as strong as Matt's and that has caused people to come at him violently. Someone breaking in is not out of the question.
Marci has her own enemies but if anyone ever tries to come after her, well, Matt will pray for their soul because not even he is that self-destructive. She once made a joke about becoming a crime lord and he still has the occasional nightmare over it.
Matt scans the surrounding buildings for any problems once more before he starts off towards Karen's place. She was still awake when he last passed her building and the odds of her still being up are pretty even. He wouldn't be surprised to find her typing away at some article - stirring up the pot as always. He loves her for that personality trait, even if it mentally puts him through the ringer with worry over her - he supposes it is nothing compared to what he does to her.
But luckily, for the collective sanity of Nelson, Murdock, and Page, more people care about Karen's well-being than care about Matt's.
He knows she has Jessica's number on speed dial - letting them meet is one of his greatest regrets in life. He is well aware of the cameras set up by Frank's computer friend and while the Marine is out of town, he's left her with another layer of protection - his dog Max.
Not that Karen can't take care of herself.
If she and Marci teamed up to take over Manhattan, Matt doesn't know if he could stop them.
Maybe he'll tell her that for her birthday - it will make a better gift than anything he'd be able to think of.
Matt lands on the roof of Karen's building, relieved to find she has gone to sleep since he last checked on her. She must have let the dog get in bed with her, because it's snoring is making it hard for him to tune into her without concentration. She's safe and seemingly happy, so he lingers only a moment before resuming the last dredges of his patrol.
He heads down to the docks next. There are people there, but they are meant to be - prepping for the fish markets and early morning cargo ships. These are good, hard working men who don't dabble in things that would make the Devil hunt them. In fact, he's got a good contact in one of the fish mongers, who will let him know if there's been anything suspicious in the wee hours of the morning. He doesn't need to check in now, as there have been no whispers as of late, and he disappears back into the shadows of the city to head towards Clinton Church.
Matt's stomach turns as he gets closer to where he grew up. His feelings about the location and the people there have been a ridiculous rollercoaster since he found out he was a father.
He deeply misses Father Lantom. Despite what everyone has told him, he firmly blames himself for the man's death and does not understand why God made that choice. It hurts that he isn't here and Matt can barely bring himself to go into the church - he's only started to re-attend Mass since learning about Minnie to seek guidance from God about this new path. He'd give anything to be able to speak to the man who mentored him in life - to hear what he would say about Matt having a daughter.
It isn't that Matt dislikes the new priest - he just doesn't like him. He's resistant to change and it should be Father Lantom giving Communion and taking his Confession.
It should be Father Lantom who Baptizes Minnie, not this man Matt has never even spoken with.
Maggie is trying to get Matt to interact with the man, but his relationship with her is going through a rocky patch and he hasn't actually spoken with her in about two weeks. She hasn't done anything wrong - he is just having an internal crisis over how learning he is a parent changed him and his abandonment issues. He's spent a lot of time in reflection and understands why she left him and his father, but he now has a renewed anger at her for not telling him the truth sooner.
Did she not love him like he loves Minnie? Was it something he did wrong?
Will she love Minnie like she loved Matt? He trusts her to care for his daughter, but will she love her granddaughter the way she deserves to be loved?
Everything is made more complicated over how guilty he is over having these feelings and so, instead of talking to his mother, he's been avoiding her. He knows he needs to eventually address it, but for the moment Maggie is none the wiser about his mini-me.
He'll tell her after he tells you about her.
It is something he needs to do still - it just hasn't come up yet. Most of your conversations center around Minnie and you are still getting to know each other. You've shared few stories about your childhood - mostly about school - and Matt isn't so sure how your anxiety will handle Maggie. His mother is a good person, but she is a lot and he knows you have your own parent issues.
Like at the docks, there are people active at the Church. A few homeless patrons are seeking shelter before the rain and there is a nun tending to their needs. The kids are safely tucked into bed, and while it sounds like a few are having nightmares, there is nothing he can do for them at the moment.
If they wake and cry out, he prays their calls are answered.
Matt practically flees the sacred grounds and his anxiety only settles once he crosses into Chelsea.
As he runs, he hones his senses to the apartment building you live in. It is easy for him to lock onto - he's already spent countless hours perched on the boundaries of the two neighborhoods listening to you and Minnie sleep. He knows it is creepy, but he cannot help himself.
Minnie’s laugh is his new favorite sound, and not far behind it is your heartbeat. Much like his daughter, he's found himself focusing on it when things get too much and it is the perfect way to end patrols - winding down while you and Mouse dream.
You mumble in your sleep and it is the most endearing thing he's ever encountered. He likes to respond to your strange statements, imagining he's right there in bed with you. There has been a recurring theme of parrots and he is thinking that the bird exhibit will be off limits during Minnie’s birthday trip to the zoo, based on what he's heard.
But it isn't you mumbling in your apartment tonight - it's Minnie.
His daughter is awake and has moved from the bedroom to the living room. The television is on - playing what he thinks is Sesame Street - and she seems to be fussing with a toy. Context clues tell him she's playing with a doll or stuffed animal - dress up is one of her favorite games and he knows it is one of her Quiet Games.
“Nexts,” she says sweetly to her toy, “we gotta do your make ups.”
Matt decides to wait until he's landed on the roof before he makes her aware of his presence. He kneels and takes a moment to center himself, taking a deep breath to do so. He focuses on calming the Devil in his chest - this is the first time he's caught Minnie awake in the middle of the night and he needs to address it as Matt and not Daredevil.
He doesn't want to scare her, after all. She'll probably be very confused as to why he's there and being scared won't help anything.
“Minnie, sweetheart, can you hear me?” He asks, keeping his voice soft as possible as he does.
To her credit, she doesn't start at all. It takes her a moment to process, but then she questions, “Daddy?”
The name makes his heart soar - everytime she says it, he breaks into the biggest smile. It is the sweetest sound and the fact she switched to calling him that all on her own means the world to him.
She wants him to be her Daddy.
“Yeah, sweetheart, it's me. What are you doing awake?” he questions, smiling as he hears her get up and start to walk around. He wonders if she is looking for him and his guess is confirmed when he hears her start lifting things up to look under them.
“I'm watching Cookie Monsters,” she replies and Matt chuckles. He thinks it is so adorable she is also so direct with her answers. She always answers exactly what is asked.
“I don't think it is time for Cookie Monster, Mouse. I think it's sleep time. Mommy is sleeping.”
You are in a deep sleep, your breathing slow and even. He can tell you've been exhausted lately and probably need the sleep. More than once he's found you awake during his patrols. If Minnie tried to wake you up, you probably weren't responsive and she had left you to sleep.
She peters her way back to in front of the television and plops back down after checking under the dining table. Matt waits for her to respond, knowing sometimes it takes her time to form what she wants to say.
“I can't sleep,” she mumbles, upset clear in her voice, “there's a monster.”
The Devil flares up inside of him and he instantly scans the area for a threat. There are few people awake in the area and he focuses in on them - none of them appear to be any sort of danger to his daughter. At the moment.
But they could have been earlier. They could have woken her up by doing something horrible. A mugging. Domestic violence. Something worse.
He curls his lip into a snarl.
He'll find whoever upset his daughter and drive them from his city. The state.
It's a miracle he manages to keep his voice calm and gentle, “A monster?”
“A monster,” she confirms sadly. Her breathing becomes muffled and Matt figures she has shoved her hand into her mouth to self-comfort.
“Can you tell Daddy about the monster?”
She sucks on her fingers and with her free hand, pulls her toy into her lap. He wants to push her to tell him, but he knows he can't. She's not a witness or a suspect - she's his daughter trying her best. He can tell she wants to answer, he just needs to be patient.
“He ran really fast,” Minnie starts to say, barely taking her hand out of her mouth to do so, “and went eek-eek-eek and smelled like poopy-butt.”
The words baffle him and Matt knits his brows - this monster was close enough for Minnie to smell him? The monster in his chest snarls and he has to fight to keep his composure. He knows Minnie is locked onto him and if he lets his rage show, she will know and she will get scared.
He needs to protect his daughter. He needs to believe God will not test him in this.
“Minnie, sweetie, can you tell Daddy where the monster is?”
Her little head turns up to face exactly where he is standing, asking in a small voice, “are you gonna fight him?”
The Devil roars ‘yes’, but the Father in him says, “Do you want me to?”
“Mommy scares him away,” she advises hesitantly. He can practically feel the nerves radiating off of her and it makes him clench his fist.
Matt doesn't understand. This has happened before?
Then it beams him in the head like a baseball and Matt feels like a complete idiot.
Minnie is a toddler. Her monsters are shadows, creaky pipes, and the four legged creatures in the city. Those are things that no longer register on Matt's radar but she hasn't learned to tune them out yet. Of course she would be scared of those things - Matt was scared of those things when he first got his senses and he was much older than Minnie at the time.
He remembers his first phone call with you and how it ended - something about Monster Repellent.
“I can go scare off the monster - would you like that?” he asks, the Devil in him settling down now that he knows no one is trying to hurt his little girl.
He doesn't know if it's Minnie sensing his shift in mood or if she didn't want him to fight the monster and scaring it away is what she wants, but she untenses her shoulders and her hand comes out of her mouth.
“You'll scare him away?” She asks after hugging her toy right to her chest.
“I'll scare him away,” he quickly promises.
“He smells like poopy-butt,” she repeats and Matt wonders if she is making a stinky face. That is something you tell him he and Minnie share - a certain curl of their lips when they find something unappealing.
“That's okay, sweetie, I'll make him go smell bad somewhere else. He won't bother you,” he says. “Can you tell me where he went and I'll go chase him away.”
Finally, she points down towards the alleyway between her building and the neighboring one and adds, “He can climb walls. Like Spidey-Man.”
Matt resists the urge to huff over the mention of the other vigilante. He has met the kid twice before and his biggest take, besides it was a kid under the mask and that had been its own thing, was that he needed to learn how to throw a proper punch. It confirmed for him all that Avengers training and showboating really meant nothing and they really were better off fighting aliens and wizards than helping out real people.
“Don't worry, Mouse, I can climb the walls, too.” He's definitely letting his Pride show through, but if he can't show off for his daughter, who can he show off for?
He makes a quick map in his head, then goes to the edge of the roof. Minnie’s head is still angled up towards him and she ‘watches’ as he parkours down to street level. If he adds a few unnecessary flips, well, that is no one's business but his own.
Once he is on the pavement, he opens his senses to the things he normally blocks out. The city becomes far more lively around him - cats, raccoons, birds, dogs, all sorts of bugs and things he doesn't like to think about. There's yowling and chirps and suddenly so much more movement, most of it under his feet.
Mouse’s monster is easy to find. It is a disgustingly large rat that has built a nest of trash and grime under a dumpster. The thing has a respiratory infection, which has it wheezing and rattling and he very much understands why Minnie was scared of it. It is not a pleasant sound and the infection is not at all helping how the creature smells. Animals smell at the best of times, but this rat clearly enjoys the sewers and ‘poopy-butt’ doesn't begin to cover how rancid it is.
Matt starts to work out what he needs to do to make sure this sick rodent stays far away from his family. If it has a nest, it will come back, so he needs to destroy that - without damaging the animal. He doesn't have the heart to actually hurt the thing.
He pulls out his billy clubs and snaps them together to make a bo staff, then moves to crouch in front of the dumpster. “Okay, sir, I'm here to evict you,” he says, more for Minnie’s benefit than anything. “You gotta go.”
He jabs at the nest of wet cardboard and almost immediately, the rat scurries out and hisses at him. It snaps its jaws at him a few times instead of running away and Matt huffs at the display, turning his staff towards the creature and swatting at it. “Get out of here.” To its credit, it tries to fight him, biting at his billy clubs and screeching at him, but after a few good thwacks to its side, it realizes it has no chance against him and dashes toward a nearby grate.
He listens to it go down into some pipes and once it's out of range, he tilts his head up towards Minnie, a smile starting to form in his lips, “The monster has been vanquished, my princess.”
His words make her giggle and he can't help but chuckle as well. He hears her push up into standing and she toddles towards the window. There's a table in front of it, so he knows she can't see out of it, but he knows she's trying to find him.
“He's not gonna come back?” She questions and in response he starts to break up the nest. He spreads the trash around, knocking things down and away. It's not a big very big rat den, relying heavily on the dumpster.
“He's not, he's gonna go find a new home,” he promises as he works, and once he's satisfied with his destruction, he collapses his billy clubs and holsters them. He pushes up into standing and steps away from the trash can.
“Far away?” Minnie asks and his heart breaks for her. The stupid animal must have terrified her.
“Very, very far away.”
He locates the fire escape and starts to scale it back up to your apartment floor. As he does, he starts closing off his senses again. Things begin to fade into the background - the things he will need to start teaching Minnie. She's got a good handle on it already, having learned to function with it instead of needing to adapt.
He's so proud. So unbelievably proud.
She's such a good and pure child. She always wants to help and asks about other people. She may be shy, but she's empathetic.
You've taught her well.
Matt understands how Minnie is a mini-him in her abilities and mannerisms due to those abilities, but her sweet nature is from you.
He knows he's gone for you.
Foggy has pointed it out. Karen has pointed it out. God has smacked him in the face with signs.
His realization moment was hearing a man purchasing an engagement ring for a woman who shared your name. He had gotten so furiously jealous he had to go take it out on the punching bag.
Foggy laughed so hard at him.
He doesn't think you noticed at all. It is nothing against you, he completely understands. You are like him - you don't think you deserve love. You had been painfully shy your first night together, as well, and he had been charmed by it.
He's angry at himself for letting you be a one night stand.
He should have been there when you needed him most.
He's not going to fuck that up again.
He pulls off his mask before making a show off popping up in front of your window and Minnie dissolves into giggles.
“Hi, Daddy!” She waves at him and he can tell she is absolutely beaming. He eagerly waves back and he knows he's matching her smile.
“Hi, Mouse.”
“Why are you outside?”
He's planned for this. He has discussed this with Foggy and Karen at length. He did the unthinkable - he asked Frank - who apparently knew who Minnie was before either Foggy or Karen did. They had attacked the question from all sides. As the firm. As friends. As parents.
They couldn't lie to Minnie. Matt can see the signs she's picking up on what different heart beats mean. She's going to know and there's nothing they can do to hide it. She can hear all of Hell’s Kitchen just as well as he can. It may not happen until she's older, but she'll figure it out.
So, he's not going to lie to her. He thinks you would approve. You don't like lying to her - you soften the truth into something she can comprehend. He's going to follow your lead.
“I'm working,” Matt answers, crouching on the rails and resting his wrists on his knees. He's suddenly very glad he had a very boring night. “What are you doing inside?”
Mouse accepts the answer and hugs her toy to her chest, swaying side to side “I'm talking to you.”
He laughs at her utter sweetness. She giggles along with him.
He gives a fond shake of his lead, then leans forward so she can see him a bit better, “What should you be doing, sweetheart?”
She scrunches up her face as she thinks, then she falls into a pout, “Sleeping.”
“Yeah, you should be sleeping. You're going to be tired tomorrow. It's not going to be fun,” he gently warns. He knows it isn't her fault, but he knows it will eventually help her learn to push those noises to the background.
“Okay, I'll go bed. I gotta clean up first. Mommy says …Mommy says don't leave it until morning. You'll make morning you sad. Be nice to morning you,” she recites, patting her hands against her stuffed animal - it's not Scooby or Pig. (He doesn't know this one. His best guess is it's a Raggedy-Anne type princess doll. His little girl loves princesses - no specific one, just the concept and aesthetic.)
He loves the values you are instilling in her. He's going to steal this mantra and tell it to Foggy and Karen.
“Okay. I'll keep watch for any monsters,” he tells her. This is one of the reasons he wants her to know the truth. He wants her to know her Daddy will protect her from all of the monsters.
“Okay. Thank you. Love you!” She chants, then turns away.
“I love you, too, Mouse. So much.”
And he will tell her every chance he gets.
She carefully walks back to where she had been sitting and turns off the television, then goes to put her toys away. Like always, she's very methodical about what she does. He could spend hours watching her play. She fascinates him. She picks up one toy at a time and tells it good night as she puts it back into her toy chest.
She doesn't have much to clean up and when she finishes, she turns to face him.
“Will you tuck me in? Please? Thank you?” Minnie asks like he can say no.
“Of course, my love. Are you all ready for bed?” He questions as he hops down onto the fire escape - one of the screws holding it together shakes and he decides he'll come back another night with a wrench to tighten everything up.
“All ready!” she confirms and he can tell she's watching him with great curiosity.
He begins to run his fingers over the edges of the window, searching for a way in. You certainly don't make it easy - you invested in apartment security and it takes him a moment to disable it. He's careful as he slides the window up and pops out the screen. He slips into the apartment, then quickly closes the window behind him, leaving the screen on the floor.
Minnie has the decency to wait until that moment to run to him with open arms. Matt scoops her up, swinging her a little before putting her on his hip and once she is settled, he leans down to press his forehead to hers.
“We have to be quiet, okay? We can't wake up, Mommy,” he tells her and she quickly nods in understanding.
He doesn't know what he'll do if you wake up and find him in your home - but luckily you are still in a deep sleep. As long as Minnie keeps calm, you should stay lost in Dreamland.
He kisses her forehead then starts towards the bedroom. She returns the affection, planting a big kiss on his cheek before she gently smacks him in the face with her doll with a quiet, “mwah!” Then, she flops against his shoulder, using him as a pillow.
He has to fight back a pleased huff - his little angel is so sweet. He'll never get sick of getting kisses from her toys - it's so loving and innocent and he is greedy for any and all affection.
Your bedroom is a good twenty degrees cooler than the rest of the apartment - there's a fan going and accompanying it is a little window unit blowing in cold air. It feels like Heaven in the blistering heat that is the rest of the city. The chill seems to suck the consciousness from Mouse - she gives a big dramatic yawn, smacking her lips against his neck. Her body slumps into him and he rubs her back encouragingly.
He crosses the room carefully, hyper aware of any toys that may have found their way to the floor post-bedtime. It absolutely breaks his heart to have to pull her away from him and she does try to stay clinging to him - not fighting him just resistant - but she ends up in her bed and under her covers. He doesn't know if he would have had the strength to force her to let go if she really did want to stay in his arms.
He helps her adjust her sleeping headband so it is around her eyes and ears, then kisses her cheek one final time, “ready for sleep?”
The response is a barely there nod and Matt can't help but feel so much love for his daughter. Being able to conk right out as soon as she's comfortable shows how much she trusts him. His little girl is always so wary and subtly alert.
He's going to cherish this moment forever.
“Love you, Mouse.” He whispers.
“Luvo, Daffy,” is what it sounds like she says as she rolls to bury her face into her pillow. A moment later she is snoring.
Matt allows a few tears to fall before wiping them away and turning his attention to you. You have nested yourself under your blankets, breath hitching every so often. He's learned over time from various people this usually means bad dreams - not nightmares but things that can leave you shaken.
He doesn't dare move closer to try to soothe you with touch - that would certainly wake you up.
Instead, he promises, “I'll chase all your monsters away, too.”
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pichirobi · 9 months ago
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fire, air, water, earth.
prince xie lian is one of the most promising up-and-coming avatars the world has yet to see. that is, until disaster strikes his home earth kingdom of xianle. when his people die out at the hands of a plague spirit, bai wuxiang, the nations blame the avatar. with his reputation destroyed, xie lian joins the air nomads for 20 years and travels the world as a scrap-collector. although he has lost the respect of the people he is destined to protect, the spirit world is thrown into chaos without his guidance. xie lian works thanklessly to maintain global balance all on his own. but unbeknownst to him, there's one person, upon the throne of the fire nation, who still believes in the avatar.
welcome to my tgcf x atla au!
click here to follow this tag for updates. read more below for my story notes.
STORY
xie lian is born to the king and queen of an earth kingdom city-state, xianle, and is quickly discovered to be the avatar. a wildly talented one, at that. he learns firebending second, and waterbending third. still young and pampered, xie lian struggles with the humility associated with airbending principles.
at just the age of 17 he begins to travel the world to master the four elements and [katara narrator voice] to restore peace and balance in the world. he acquires a servant (firebender mu qing) and a bodyguard (earthbender & childhood best friend feng xin). it's during this time that he tours the fire nation, meeting with political figures and impoverished citizens alike, gaining a positive reputation for his determination and skills. to celebrate the summer solstice, xie lian is the face of a festival in which he proves his elegance, combative strength, and firebending prowess. during the ceremony, he controversially interrupts it to save the life of a 10-year-old urchin boy.
the lines between the spirit and mortal worlds bleed together during solstices. it's xie lian's festival which attracts a particularly violent spirit to emerge into the mortal world: bai wuxiang. the white-clothed calamity.
xie lian's life is filled with promise until he turns 22. he catches word of a disaster taking place in his home kingdom. he puts a pause on his tour of the nations to return to xianle. there, he finds that a strange and highly contagious disease has begun plaguing his people. its symptoms are unnatural; the work of an angry spirit. xie lian works himself to the bone trying to save his common people. he fails.
when xianle falls to plague, to chaos, to fear, its people blame the avatar. he is dubbed the avatar of misfortune. a failure. xie lian's reputation crumbles to dust and he is helpless to restore his people's faith in him. when the rest of the world learns of how xianle came to ruin, the avatar becomes not a figure of peace to be revered, but a bad omen.
having lost his two companions, his parents, his kingdom, and the global adoration he's come to rely on for his self-worth, xie lian runs away. he disowns his past identity and seeks to start a new life. he finds himself in the northern air temples, where the air nomads pay him no mind, although xie lian is a bit of an oddball. (xie lian might look rougher and jaded but they certainly recognize the avatar. they pretend to not know him—the nomads keep to themselves and as long as xie lian doesn't cause trouble, he is welcome.) he eventually befriends a monk named shi qingxuan.
xie lian seeks enlightenment. he incorporates himself into the monks' way of life, releasing all ties to material possessions and worldly indulgences. he abstains from sex, alcohol, anger, and, hardest of all, grief. he goes on to live 20 years as a scrap collector, practicing what he was taught by his teacher and guide, monk wu yong. xie lian knows it's time to leave the temples when he finally masters airbending.
humbled, xie lian rekindles his fighting spirit. the common people loathe the avatar, but he forgives them. he will save them.
as xie lian wanders the nations, he learns that during his darkest years, literature, art, and scholarly works of the avatar have been destroyed. most people don't even remember what he looks like and much less have the means to learn anything about him. (hua cheng carving xl's face into the side of a mountain: HOLD MY BEER)
meanwhile, there is a fire nation urchin boy who has grown into someone powerful enough to be feared. through his unmatched wit and charisma, he has worked his way up the capital's political hierarchy. a city governor who calls himself hua cheng, is the first aristocrat to challenge the firelord to an agni kai. he is also the first to win. he delegitimizes the royal bloodline and single-handedly reshapes a generation's idea of a competent ruler. bonus points for the previous firelord being xie lian's indecent cousin, qi rong.
now 35 years old, the new firelord, terrifying yet respected by all, leads his people to prosperity and vanquishes every enemy. peculiarly, he seems somewhat uninterested in his position of power. instead, he enjoys turning his attention towards erecting a shrine, a palace, in honor of avatar xie lian.
HUALIAN'S BACKSTORY
the avatar preceding xie lian, jun wu, oversaw great conflicts between the four nations. it is during one of these wars that a seemingly insignificant teenager dies. his soul drifts aimlessly in the spirit world, vulnerable, alone. he encounters the trickster spirit koh who steals his face. time is hard to account for in this realm, and the once-a-teenager forgets his past life, his own identity, simply choosing to refer to himself as wu ming: nameless. many years later, the avatar cycle begins anew with the birth of xie lian.
at 7 years old, prince xie lian and his best friend feng xin are outdoors playing with swords. feng xin takes a break, as he is called inside by the king of xianle, leaving xie lian outside and unsupervised. (feng xin will shortly be told that xie lian is not only his friend, but now his responsibility.) meanwhile, xie lian is left without a sparring partner. until a ghostly silver butterfly flits in front of him. it playfully weaves around the flourishes of the blade. xie lian chases it, away from the palace grounds, across the fields and into the brush, where he falls head-first through a burrow. when he stands up, his sword has disappeared, but not the butterfly. it pulls his attention upward, where he takes in his surroundings: the spirit world.
xie lian continues to play and greet spirits, who are all pleased to meet the new avatar, eventually finding a sad, dissipating ghost fire. the ghost introduces itself as wu ming. xie lian works very hard to cheer it up, promising they'll be friends in this lifetime and the next. wu ming brightens and confesses that koh has stolen its face. xie lian fails to tolerate this news: if he's to be the avatar, he must protect the innocent and slay monsters. with wu ming's warnings, he marches to koh's den to demand his friend's face back.
xie lian succeeds. wu ming doesn't remember much these days, but he's sure that no one has ever showed him such incredible kindness. when wu ming expresses his desire to disappear, xie lian gives him a mantra: "live for me."
xie lian has to leave, to return to a very worried feng xin (who is scared he's already failed his new bodyguard job on day one), but wu ming is invigorated with life like never before. his soul persists, stubbornly, for the avatar. he is reborn back into the mortal world as a fire nation boy. although, the encounter with koh would leave a mark on his body: the sclera of his right eye would be an unsettling blood red. the people of his village would know him as hong hong-er.
elsewhere in the spirit world, the ghost of avatar jun wu senses young xie lian's presence. he also senses the persistence of the ghost fire—a soul reborn. could he, too, return to the mortal world? jun wu entertains a simple but horrifying thought: by swapping places with xie lian, could he achieve immortality as the world's last avatar? thus, jun wu hatches a plan. he strikes a deal with bai wuxiang, the white-clothed calamity, a malevolent plague spirit. bai wuxiang would possess the body of jun wu to eliminate the new avatar. to kill xie lian, and to be reborn.
the plan doesn't go—well, according to plan. the people of xianle are wiped out before he can get his hands on xie lian, and the destruction of a people leaves behind a universal distrust of the avatar. jun wu realizes he would be unable to seize power in such an environment. his new strategy must involve controlling young xie lian, manipulating him into a puppet. it takes a while to pin him down, but jun wu eventually finds him settled in the northern air temple, at his most emotionally vulnerable. jun wu will impersonate a monk teacher, changing his name to wu yong. he will bide his time and play his cards until the world is ready for his return.
EXTRAS
hualian are middle-aged men in this au because it makes sense timeline-wise, but also because sexy silver fox xie lian is what i see every time i close my eyes.
narratively, i'm torn between hua cheng loving the avatar, or hua cheng loving xie lian. thinking about this timeless lovestory, "you, not the state of you," i can see it both ways. hua cheng might love the avatar, xie lian and all of his reincarnations regardless of their body. or, he might love xie lian, regardless of the "avatar" title. ("avatar" may also be this world's equivalent to hua cheng respectfully calling xie lian "dianxia".)
firelord hua cheng presents himself at what he believes is his ugliest, most intimidating form: exposing his burned right eye. as san lang, however, he is at first ashamed to reveal such a vulnerable part of him in front of his love; he covers it with an eyepatch. (the people of the fire nation are like: "a platypus?" [san lang takes off his eyepatch] "PERRY THE PLATYPUS?!?!")
hua cheng teaches xie lian how to bend lightning. they easily trade bolts back and forth to each other in a cute and intimate way. feng xin and mu qing are horrified when they first see this in action.
hualian's first kiss happens when they're battling a sea monster underwater and xie lian loses his concentration enough to accidentally pop hua cheng's air bubble. a little mouth-to-mouth resuscitation will do the trick until they can float back up to the surface.
ruoye = xl's spiritual serpent guide (kind of like roku's dragon)
e'ming = hc's super clingy fire ferret
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hynzsn · 4 months ago
Text
★ CHAPTER ONE: BERRY BEST BEGINNING ★
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chapter one of ₊˚ ꒰ 𖦹﹕STRAWBERRY KISSES ꒱ ˚₊
☆ choi soobin x male reader
-> sunshine baker!soobin x grumpy (secretly soft) farmer!reader
꩜ .ᐟ fluff
contents: loosely inspired by strawberry shortcake (tv show), opposites attract, m/m, strawberries, romance, slice of life, slight enemies to lovers (at least grumpy x sunshine potential), humor, bakery, farm, forced proximity, small town setting, mutual pining (brewing already!), summer, summer vibes, lighthearted & sweet, slow burn, feel good, height difference, summer berry festival, awkward encounters, did someone say strawberries?
wc: 2.3k
summary: meet soobin, the sunshine baker known for his award-winning pastries and infectious laugh. his bakery, "crumbs & co.," is the heart of shortcake springs, especially during the annual summer berry festival. but disaster strikes – he's out of strawberries, his star ingredient! enter you, the gruff but handsome owner of "sun-kissed berries," known for your organic, mouthwatering produce. soobin, desperate and flustered, begs you for help. you, initially hesitant due to the last-minute request and your own demanding schedule, is charmed by soobin’s passion and agrees to help, setting the stage for a week of unexpected collaboration.
♡︎♡︎♡︎ likes, comments and reblogs are highly appreciated ♡︎♡︎♡︎
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welcome to shortcake springs, a place where life was as sweet and satisfying as a perfectly crafted strawberry shortcake. nestled amidst rolling hills and fields bursting with color, the town was a patchwork of charm and rustic elegance. the air, always tinted with the sweetness of ripening berries, carried the laughter of children playing in the town square, a space as inviting and comforting as a fluffy biscuit base. quaint brick buildings, their faces adorned with overflowing flower boxes, lined main street, each shop a treasure trove of local delights, much like the hidden pockets of juicy strawberries within a well-made shortcake.
and just like the crowning dollop of whipped cream, the annual summer berry festival was the pinnacle of the town's year, a celebration of all things fruity and joyful. it was a time for neighbors to come together, for traditions to be shared, and for the air to be filled with the irresistible aroma of freshly baked dreams.
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the aroma of baking bread and simmering fruit usually heralded the dawn in this quaint corner of the world. but today, a different kind of energy crackled through the air - a blend of rising panic and the sweet, sharp scent of desperation. it clung to choi soobin like a fine dusting of flour as he frantically rummaged through his walk-in refrigerator.
"no, no, no!" the word escaped him, a low groan that echoed off the stainless steel shelves, starkly contrasting with his usually disposition. his bakery, "crumbs & co," was a symphony of warmth and light, the kind of place where worries melted away with the first bite of a blueberry muffin. but right now, the only thing melting was soobin's composure.
he was out of strawberries. completely, utterly, devastatingly out. and not just any strawberries - these were the plump, ruby-red jewels destined for his legendary strawberry shortcake, the crown jewel of the annual summer berry festival, just a week away.
"okay, soobin, think," he muttered, pushing a hand through his already-tousled hair. he looked like a classic storybook baker, flour-dusted apron slightly askew, a smudge of strawberry jam on his cheek, and eyes wide with a mixture of distress and determination. "who has the best damn strawberries within a fifty-mile radius?"
the answer, as clear and bright as the summer sky outside, slammed into him like a runaway pie cart. it was a name whispered with reverence by townsfolk and pastry enthusiasts alike: y/n, the enigmatic owner of "sun-kissed berries."
y/n. even your name sounded like something out of a folk song, rough around the edges yet undeniably alluring. soobin had only caught glimpses of you at the local farmer's market, and there was always one thing that stood out to him the most - your eyes. your eyes which could probably melt glaciers with a single glance. you had a reputation for being a bit gruff, a man of few words and even fewer smiles. but damn, could you grow some strawberries.
soobin glanced at the calendar on the wall, each day marked with a reminder of the rapidly approaching festival. it was a long shot, a desperate plea. but desperation, as they say, was the mother of all questionable life choices. and right now, soobin was ready to adopt that questionable life choice and call it his own.
"alright y/n," soobin muttered, grabbing his keys and mentally preparing himself for potential rejection. "time to see if those rumours about your heart being as soft as your strawberries are actually true."
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the drive to "sun-kissed berries," was a blur of verdant fields and soobin's increasingly frantic internal monologue. he'd rehearsed his plea at least a dozen times, each iteration more desperate than the last. he just had to convince you to part with your precious strawberries. his reputation, his sanity, and possibly the entire happiness index of the town depended on it.
he pulled up to the farm, a charmingly rustic spread with a weathered wooden sign that read "sun-kissed berries - taste the difference." soobin's heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic rhythm that rivaled the beat of a hummingbird's wings. he took a deep breath, the air thick with the scent of freshly turned earth, and, yes, the unmistakable sweetness of ripe strawberries. it was like walking into a goddamn fruit-themed fairytale.
he spotted you immediately. you were bent over a row of strawberry plants, a straw hat shading your eyes as you inspected the fruit with a focus that bordered on reverence. even from a distance, soobin could see the way the sun glinted off your hair, the way your shoulders moved with an easy strength that made his stomach do a weird little flip.
"okay, soobin," he whispered to himself, "play it cool. be charming. channel your inner pastry god."
he strode towards you, each step a symphony of squeaking sneakers and mounting anxiety. as he got closer, he could hear you humming a low tune, a melody as warm and comforting as a summer breeze. you still hadn't noticed him, too engrossed in the world of your berries.
"um, hello?" soobin called out, his voice a little higher-pitched than intended.
you straightened up, turning to face him with a slow deliberateness that sent a shiver down soobin's spine. your eyes, sharp and startingly intense, met his, and for a moment, soobin forgot how to breathe.
"can i help you?" you asked, your voice a low rumble that resonated deep within soobin's chest. it was the kind of voice that could narrate audiobooks and make grocery lists sound like poetry.
"i, uh..." soobin stammered, his carefully rehearsed speech dissolving like sugar in rainwater. he felt like an idiot, standing there with his mouth flapping like a landed fish.
you raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement dancing in your eyes. "cat got your tongue?"
"more like strawberry stole my vocabulary," soobin blurted out, mentally kicking himself for the lame joke.
to his surprise, a low chuckle rumbled from your chest. "that's a new one." you leaned back against a weathered fence post, crossing your arms over your chest. "so, what brings the town baker to my humble berry patch?"
soobin took a deep breath, willing his heart rate to slow down to something resembling a normal rhythm. "right, well, you see, y/n," he began, trying to inject his voice with a confidence he definitely didn't feel, "i'm in a bit of a predicament."
"predicament?" you echoed, tilting your head slightly. the sunlight caught the side of your face, highlighting the sharp line of your jaw and the faintest hint of stubble. soobin briefly wandered what it would be like to trace those lines with his fingertips, then mentally scolded himself for having inappropriate thoughts about a guy who could probably bench-press a tractor.
"yes, a predicament of epic, pastry-related proportions," soobin said, wincing internally at his own rambling. "you see, the summer berry festival is in a week..."
"i'm aware," you interrupted, a hint of amusement in your voice. "it's kind of hard to miss all the posters plastered around town with that giant strawberry mascot on them."
soobin blushed, realizing he was stating the obvious. "right, of course," he mumbled. "well, the thing is, my strawberry shortcakes are, like, a huge thing at the festival. people line up for hours. there are even rumours of a black market for the last few boxes."
you chuckled, a deep throaty sound that sent a pleasant shiver down soobin's spine. "sounds serious."
"it is!" soobin exclaimed, his desperation finally breaking through. "and the thing is, i, uh, i may have...miscalculated...the amount of strawberries i needed."
"miscalculated?' you repeated, raising an eyebrow.
soobin cringed. "okay, fine, i completely forgot to order more and now i'm completely out and the festival is in a week and..." he trailed off, realizing that he was starting to hyperventilate.
you studied him for a moment, your gaze intense and unnervingly perceptive. soobin felt like you could see right through his flour-dusted apron, into the depths of his slightly panicked soul.
"so," you said slowly, "you're asking me..."
"for your strawberries?" soobin blurted out, his voice cracking slightly. "please. y/n, you're my only hope! your strawberries are legendary! they're like little drops of sunshine kissed by angels!"
okay maybe he went a tad overboard with the description, but he was desperate!
you didn't reply right away. you just stood there, arms crossed, a thoughtful expression on your face as you surveyed soobin with those intense eyes. soobin resisted the urge to fidget, reminding himself that he was a pastry god, a master of dough and sugar, and he could handle a little bit of awkward silence.
"you know," you finally said, your voice deceptively casual, "most people place orders in advance."
soobin winced. "yes, i’m aware of how business transactions usually work," he said, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "but this is... a unique situation. a perfect storm of baking enthusiasm and forgetfulness."
you let out a low chuckle, the sound unexpectedly pleasant. "let me guess, you were up all night perfecting a new glaze, lost track of time, and by the time you remembered the strawberries, it was too late?"
soobin stared at you, his mouth slightly agape. "how...how did you know that?"
you shrugged, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of your lips. "lucky guess. plus, you've got a bit of flour in your hair."
soobin's hand flew to his head, self-consciously brushing away the stray but of baking evidence. he was mortified. he prided himself on his usually impeccable appearance, but clearly, his strawberry-induced meltdown had taken it's toll.
"look," you said, your voice softening slightly, "i appreciate the...enthusiasm. and your shortcakes do sound legendary."
"they are!" soobin interjected. clutching at the compliment like a lifeline.
you held up a hand, silencing him. "but," you continued, "my strawberries are spoken for. i've got contracts with half the restaurants in town, not to mention the farmer's market this weekend."
soobin's heart plummeted. he knew it was a long shot, but hearing you confirm it felt like a punch to the gut. his festival dreams, his reputation, his very existence as a baker flashed before his eyes.
"but..." you added, and soobin dared to hope again.
you pushed away from the fence post, tilting your head back slightly to meet soobin's eyes. even with the height difference, your gaze held steady, those same intense eyes studying him with an unnerving perceptiveness. soobin was really fighting the urge to fidget under your scrutiny, but he also couldn't help but feel a little thrill at the way you had to look up at him.
"i might," you said slowly, your voice low and a touch of conspiratorial, "have a small surplus."
soobin's head tilted in response, hope surging through him like a shot of espresso. "you do?"
"maybe," you said, a playful glint in your eyes, "but it'll cost you."
soobin would have empties his bakery fund, his savings account, and possibly sold his prized collection of vintage rolling pins at that moment. "anything," he blurted out. "name your price."
you let out a deep an rich chuckle, taking a step closer, closing the distance between you. "relax, baker boy. i'm not going to bankrupt you. at least, not today." you paused, tapping a finger against your chin thoughtfully. "tell you what. you help me around the farm this week, leading up to the festival - i’m harvesting the last of the season's - and those surplus berries are all yours."
soobin blinked, momentarily distracted by how close you were now. he could practically smell the fresh earth and sunshine clinging to your clothes. "help you...on the farm?"he echoed, trying to focus on the conversation ad not the way your presence seemed to fill his senses. he couldn't help but picture himself, covered in dirt and probably a few insects, fumbling his way through a field of strawberries. it wasn't exactly the image he usually projected.
you seemed to find his hesitation amusing. "don't worry, i won't put you to work on any heavy machinery," you said, a hint of a smile playing on your lips. "unless you're secretly a tractor enthusiast in disguise."
soobin laughed, a wave of relief washing over him. "i think i'll stick to my ovens for now," he said. "but a deal's a deal. you've got yourself a farmhand, y/n."
you extended your hand, your grip firm and surprisingly warm against soobin's. "welcome aboard, soobin," you said, a genuine smile finally spreading across your face. it transformed younfrom gruff owner to someone....well, someone soobin could definitely see himself spending a lot lf time with, both in the strawberry fields and maybe, just maybe, somewhere a little more...private. he quickly shoved that thought aside. focus, soobin. strawberries. festival. right.
"so," you continued, your voice snapping soobin out of his daydreams, "be here bright and early tomorrow, and wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty. and soobin?"
"yeah?"
"leave the fancy pastries at home. we'll have our work cut out for us, and i prefer my sugar rush in the form of freshly picked strawberries."
soobin grinned, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days. "deal." he gave you a little wave, unable to contain his happy energy. "i should probably let you get back to it. i’ll be here bright and early tomorrow, ready to work...and maybe sample a few strawberries." he added the last part with a playful wink, earning himself another chuckle from you.
turning to leave, soobin felt a lightness in his step that hadn't bee there before. as he walked back to his vespa, the setting sun casting long shadows across the farm, he couldn't shake the feeling that this unexpected turn of events might just be the sweetest thing. he'd stumbled upon all year.
he slid onto his vespa, the scent of strawberries clinging to his clothes, his apron, and pulled away from "sun-kissed berries," his heart full of anticipation for the week ahead. he had a feeling that it was going to be a berry good one.
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itsmrshamilton · 5 months ago
Note
If you can take a request for a Lewis Hamilton falling in love at first site for a fan he just met at a GP and eventually saw her again during the summer break she was taking a Europe solo trip & they kik it off #fluff
First Sight | LH44
a/n: Never been on holiday so my imagination worked overtime to get this right.
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Lewis Hamilton had not slept a wink. It was 4:59 a.m., and his alarm was about to go off, and he had not slept all night. This wasn't like him. Yes, he had nights when he felt too anxious to sleep well, but never had he laid in bed and still been awake more than 6 hours later. His eyes were burning, and his limbs felt very heavy each time he turned over to get into a new position. The bed was too hot but his room was too cold. The discomfort was slowly driving him insane.
The phone alarm rang loudly but failed to do its job of waking its owner up because he was already wide awake. Sighing in great annoyance, Lewis grabbed the device off the nightstand and silenced the blaring noise. Upon unlocking his screen he saw messages from his assistant updating him on his schedule for the day. He swiped the blocks then hesitated as he stared at his wallpaper - a recent picture of Roscoe lying on Lewis' chest as they rested on his bed. Roscoe's sweet face rolls were squashed upwards by the force of his big grin exposing his silly tongue. Lewis smiled softly as he looked at his best friend and made a mental note to video call home later and check in on Roscoe.
Peeking at the time, he sat up and began the process of getting ready for the day. He hadn't been looking forward to this race for a long time. His last qualifying race for the season in his second year with Ferarri. Things weren't going as well as he had hoped. Fred, his engineers and the car were all great but Lewis still hadn't won his 8th world champion title despite pushing weekly and winning more than a handful of the races. Despite his performance improvement from Mercedes, Lewis still had Max Verstappen breathing down his neck, chasing him down at every corner. The races were exhilirating for Lewis because this was what he loved, but the stress was creeping up on him. The Ferarri car was great, the strategies were another story.
When he was done preparing and packing, Lewis left for the car outside. Slipping on his sunglasses to try hide his dark eyebags, he prayed to his God that the day would go in his favour.
The screams and noise could surely be heard from the next town over. Yet they somehow increased in volume when Lewis stepped out of his vehicle at the track parking lot. He was exhausted and slightly grumpy but he knew that many fans had travelled from far to meet the drivers so he trudged over to the metal barriers to sign and pose for photos. Papers, magazines, helmets, caps and phones were shoved at his face by arms waving frantically. He smiled, complimented and signed. Colourful beaded bracelets were slipped onto his wrists, artists handed over their creations and photographers snapped away at his every movement. Overwhelming was an understatement but Lewis was incredibly grateful to have a fan base as supportive as his. The move from Ferarri was not easy but it had enjoyable moments created by those who wore the number 44 with pride every weekend. For these people, he would smile til his cheeks hurt and his teeth fell out.
"Thank you all for being here. I appreciate you all!" He shouted as he waved and retreated to the paddock entrance. Cameramen tripped over themselves as they made to move with him. Lewis Hamilton Fashion Week was still going on. Their flashes illuminated his soft sleeveless yellow cardigan, his sheer yellow tracksuit pants and his white sneakers. The irony only he could laugh at was the meaning of the colours against his current feelings.
Having had enough of the cameras, he turned right into a passage and began weaving his way between buildings to get to his destination. The photographers took the hint and disappeared but Lewis kept using the passages and gaps. Getting closer to the Ferarri building, he took a sharp left round a corner and walked right into someone who was looking down at their phone, completely unaware of their surroundings.
"Oof, excuse me. Apologies!" She exclaimed as both their phones went tumbling onto the paved ground. Lewis winced at the sound of his phone screen hitting the floor. He bent down to pick it up at the same time as she bent to get hers.
Lewis noticed that they had the same covers but as he straightened up to mention this, their heads knocked together. This time she winced at the sound it made.
"Oh, jeez. Ouch. Are you okay?" Lewis asked her when she yelped. He rubbed the side of his head tenderly. He took the time to look at her.
"Ow! Im sorry! Omg, this can't get worse. I'm okay. Are you-" She stopped when she looked at his face. She had the most beautiful eyes Lewis had ever seen on anyone. Her lashes framed them perfectly, making him want to stand there all day and study them intently til he could draw them from memory. Not that he needed all day, just these 10 seconds were enough to ensure that he would never forget her face.
Her braids were falling out of the high ponytail she had them in, and her necklace sat askew at the base of her long neck on her exposed bronze collarbones. He felt a little light headed at the sight of them. Her small mouth was downturned in a pout which made him slighlty upset that he was the cause of it. He took the time to eye the rest of her. She was all limbs. Tall, bronzed goddess in a yellow and red Ferarri top, jean shorts and sneakers. He couldn't remember where he was or what he was supposed to do today.
"Oh wow, you're Lewis Hamilton." She muttered to herself.
He snapped out of it and managed to send her small smile. He was still trying to remember how to use his mouth to produce coherent words. At his damn age he was standing there like a fool.
"I'm sorry about that. I didn't know where to go and felt a little embarrassed, so I stepped here to gather myself and contact Sheila, but my phone's acting up - my phone!" At that, she dropped down to pick up her phone but hesitated when she realised that both devices looked the same. Picking up both, she turned them over and grimaced at the sight of the cracked screens. She turned them on to differentiate by wallpapers. The one in her left hand had a picture of a cute dog.
"Uh, that's Roscoe. My dog." Lewis stated as he finally figured out how to work his tongue. He reached out to receive it from her.
"He's very cute." She smiled at him. He stared back. She raised her dark brows at him in slight amusement. "I'm sorry about your screen."
"Oh, uh, don't worry about that. Its always cracked. I'm sorry about yours."
"It's okay, mine is always cracked too." She laughed softly and looked down at it. Lewis noticed that the wallpaper was of her and another woman around the same age taking a selfie.
"Uh, you, uh, you mentioned being lost?" He cleared his throat. He didn't know why he was still standing here talking when he had somewhere to be for something very important. But to be honest, nothing felt more important than being here now, with her, whoever she was. It felt right.
"Yeah," she frowned. "I came here today with my friend Sheila but we got separated in a crowd and I stepped into this passage to call her but my phone is freezing up. I dont know where to go." She sighed in frustration.
Lewis hated seeing her upset. He questioned why he felt like he could move the moon and stars just to make her smile again again. His stomach was tingling in an uncomfortable way. He had spoken to many women in his lifetime so why was he finding it hard to function normally around her?
"You can use my phone." He offered it to her. "Or I can take you to the garage, and we could send out a broadcast for her to find you there? Might be easier that way." He smiled sheepishly and hoped she would take the invitation. He really wanted to spend just a bit more time with her.
Her gorgeous eyes lit up and put him in a trance once more. "The Ferarri garage?! With you! Oh my gosh, I would love that." She handed back his phone and his fingers brushed hers. His knees nearly buckled. He leaned on the wall next to them to seem cool and poised but really he was trying to regain stability after a bolt of electricity shot through him. He noticed that she jumped back slightly as well after contact.
"Cool, so we'll head there then? I'm sorry, I never got your name..." He said softly.
"Y/n L/n. Pleasure to meet you." She stuck her right hand out to shake. If he had looked away from her eyes for a second, he would have noticed that it was trembling softly. His big calloused hand grasped her small one and he shook it but held on afterwards, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand.
"The pleasure is all mine." He murmured as his eyelids lowered sexily. His eyes darkened as another jolt of energy ran through him. The air around them in that narrow passage way crackled with electricity and the noise of the paddock vanished. In that moment it was just the two of them. Her eyes held his gaze but her smirking full lips put up a great fight to draw his attention away. He was mesmerised, enchanchted, gobsmacked. Utterly and completely in love with this Y/n L/n.
"Y/n? Y/n! Is that you? Hun, I've been looking all over! Where have been hidi- oh my lord." Another woman entered the thin area they were in and interrupted the moment. Lewis painfully dragged his eyes off of Y/n to look at her and recognised her as the lady in the wallpaper. Who he now assumed was Sheila, her friend.
"Y/n. Jesus, what are you doing...omg. Is this Lewis Hamilton??! What are you doing with Lewis Hamilton!?" She whisper-shouted at Y/n who had now released herself from Lewis' grasp and turned around. Sheila's eyes were huge with shock.
Y/n took her hands and shushed her quickly. "Sheila, this is Lewis. Lewis, this is Sheila." She pointed from the one to the other. "Lewis was going to help me find you but now that you're here, we can go. Can't waste these paddock passes anymore than I accidentally have." She laughed from embarrassment.
Lewis wanted to reassure her and promise to buy all the paddock passes to every race she wanted to attend. Instead he smiled at her and tried to think of something cool to say. "Hello Sheila." He greeted and received a squeak in reply. He opened his mouth once more but was interrupted.
"Thank you for the offer. I really do appreciate it. I'll see you up on the podium, yeah? Bye!" Y/n gathered her shocked Sheila and they walked quickly out of the narrow space and into a crowd. She looked back once to wave at him before they disappeared. Lewis stood there dazed.
There was a slight ache in his chest now that she was gone. And he rubbed his forehead when he realised that he didnt get any of her contact details. He would have to find her somehow, she had to be on at least one social media platform. He nearly jumped out of his skin when his phone rang loudly. Answering it, he was greeted by his assistant's voice questioning where he was. Lewis answered that he'd be there in a minute then began to make his way. He kept his head high so he could look for Y/n's hair. Unfortunately he didnt see her for the rest of the weekend despite asking around as well.
His grievances with Ferarri from that morning were forgotten. He ended up on the podium that Sunday, 1st place and did his best to squint into the crowd in hopes of recognising her face. Nothing.
It was with a very heavy heart that he accepted that he would never see her again.
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The humidity in the air was going to kill you. It felt like it was forcing its way into your windpipe and filling it to the brim so you couldn't breathe in any useful oxygen. You were being extremely dramatic but you couldn't help it. It was difficult to be in a good and optimistic mood when your hair had shrunk to tiny curls on your head. All that effort to blowdry an afro, gone.
"Sheila, I don't know where to go. It's so hot every where!" You whined into your phone.
Your best friend clicked her tongue at you in annoyance. You had been complaining since the first flight got delayed and had been 6 hours since.
"Y/n if you whine about one more thing, I promise you I will block your number. You are on vacation! Enjoy it!"
You sighed in mock annoyance. "I'm alone, though. Travelling isn't that fun without you."
"Uh uh. We are not doing this. You've been planning this solo trip for weeks, okay. You said it yourself that you need to experience solo living to better yourself. It's easier to grow without the influence of others. Remember, I tried to tag along, but you insisted!" Her reminder was gentle, but you felt like reaching into the phone and pinching her.
"I hate that you're right. I'm a big girl, I can do this." You said mainly to yourself.
"Atta girl! Now go find some hunky european natives and enjoy 3 weeks of bliss! I love you!" She squealed. You laughed at her nonsense and repeated the phrase back before ending the call.
She was right. You had gotten a job straight out of university and worked your ass off daily. The excitement of doing what you loved for a living was overwhelming, and it carried you through the first 6 years of work. But the excitement ran out, and you found yourself struggling to get out of bed due to burnout. Considering a change of career and lifestyle, you planned a solo trip to cleanse yourself of the stress. And now, here you were. Ready for 4 day stays in 5 gorgeous countries.
You arrived at your first destination about 2 hours ago, checked into your first hotel and unpacked already. The afternoon sun was blistering, which was surprising to you because, well, it was europe, but you guessed that the temperatures might be due to a heatwave. Of course, it was your luck to plan a 3 week stay during a heatwave.
Your stomach gurgled loudly. "That's a sign to get out of here and go eat." You mumbled to yourself.
After packing a beach bag and attempting to resuscitate your afro, you made your way downstairs to get directions to any nearby restaurants. The receptionists were very helpful, so you found yourself seated at a table under a large umbrella with a gorgeous view of the blue waves. Your beef with the stifling humidity was forgotten as you took it all in while having big bites of your meal. Life was good, and you didn't believe it could get any better than this. You ordered a drink to go and then made your way to the beach, which was slowly starting to empty out as the day went on.
Glass of sweet juice in one hand and your shoes in the other, you took your time walking the length of the beach to find a spot. The sea smelt divine, the sand between your toes was soothing, and the cool breeze that was picking up dried the moisture off your dark skin as well as your hair. Once you found your spot in a clear area, you began to unpack your colourful bag. Bending over to unroll your beach towel, you heard shouting before someone bumped into you, and you went tumbling face first into the sand.
"Oi! What is-" You were wiping sand off your face.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry about. I didn't see yo..." The familiar voice trailed off. "You! It's you!"
You cleared your your vision and opened your eyes to a shirtless Lewis Hamilton crouching before you. His hair was tied up, allowing you to stare straight into his honey brown eyes. His beautiful face was one of surprise, and his big smile was so contagious that you found yourself beginning to smile despite your previous frustration.
"I can't believe it! I searched everywhere for you after the grand prix. It's Y/n, right?" He offered you his tattooed hand as he stood up. You hesitated for a moment, trying to remember how your limbs worked before taking it and letting him pull you. It's like you weighed nothing to him.
"Yeah, it's Y/n." You confirmed breathlessly. His tattoos up close were delicious.
"That's great because I thought I was typing the wrong name into every social media app I know about." He laughed in embarrassment, and you couldn't help but keep glancing at his pearly whites, which were decorated with gold jewelry.
"Oh, I don't have social media anymore. It became too much at one point, so I deleted it. I rely on my friend to update me." You tried not to talk too much. His brows met for a second.
"Sheila, right? Yeah, I found hers, but you weren't even featured on her feed. Im sorry, by the way, for bumping into you -"
"Again." You inputed. Making him grin and chuckle softly.
"Yeah, again. We really should stop meeting like this."
"I don't mind it." You hadn't really thought of him much since meeting at the grand prix because you thought you'd never see him again. Sheila had nearly picked you up and thrown you into a trash can when she found out you didn't exchange details with him. If you closed your eyes, you could still perfectly see her flabbergasted expression.
The air crackled between the two of you, and the humidity that you thought you had gotten away from was suddenly back again. Sweat dripped slowly down your neck and into your cropped top. You could feel dampness on your palms. One of which was still firmly in his grasp.
There was a shout in the air.
He turned around briefly to investigate, and that's when you took notice of the american football in his other hand as well as a group of people waiting on the beach.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry. I didn't realise I was keeping you away from the game. I'll move my stuff, and you can get back to it." You didn't really mean that, but you thought that if you moved to a better spot, you could watch him play without being caught ogling him.
"No, don't do that. Come join us." His thumb began that thing of rubbing circles against the back of your hand. You felt your knees buckle a bit.
"I don't understand the rules of the game. But I can sit and watch?" You offered. His brows met in the middle once more before he shook his head and turned around.
"Yo, Miles!" He threw Miles the ball. "Carry on with the game, I'm out." Miles smirked as he caught the ball and nodded.
"We have a fire going nearby. It's going to get cold soon." He suggested. You tried your best to fight your smile and play hard to get. Which was unserious of you because Lewis was the man of your dreams currently.
"Is that how you ask a girl out, Lewis?" You raised an eyebrow and dropped his hand.
"Uh, no, I- um. I was trying to be casual with it? I wasn't sure if you wanted to have dinner with me. Ahem, I- I'm usually so much better at this." He scratched his neck, and you giggled at his flustered state. The Lewis Hamilton was stumbling over his words while trying to ask you out. He took a deep breath.
"Y/n, would you like to go to dinner with me later?" He looked nervous.
"I'd love that. Let me get my stuff, and we can leave." You smiled.
He crouched and picked up your bag as you rolled your towel and grabbed your shoes. He gently took the towel and shoes out of your hands and led the way to the fire his group had set up. You felt giddy with excitement and fought the urge to skip behind him.
Sitting side-by-side at the fire, you felt his eyes on you. The sun had set, the stars were bright, and the air was becoming colder around you. His friends had settled around the fire as well. There was soft chatter and laughter in the air. Lewis had arranged a blanket for the two of you so you sat wrapped up in it. You had chatted for a while about work, family, and friends, then fell into a comfortable silence. He was easy to talk to, and you found yourself laughing louder than you should have. You laughed even harder when he laughed at your laugh because his laugh was so contagious. Never in a thousand years did you think you'd be at a beach, cozied up with one of the greatest motorsport athletes of your time. You weren't a big F1 fan, but you sometimes watched races and read articles about it, so you knew enough to pick a team to support and drivers to cheer on. Lewis was one of those drivers, so the urge to fangirl violently when you first met was there, but now, after a mere hour or two, it felt like you'd known him all your life. There was a strange buzz in the air just like the one in that narrow passageway. You felt drawn to him. And safe.
"Earlier, you mentioned that you were looking for me?" You asked softly, turning to meet his gaze.
"You're really beautiful. I couldn't get you out of my mind that weekend. I had been struggling with the sport for a while, but after meeting you, things suddenly started to go right. I won every race after that, I'm on track for another championship. It's like my life turned completely around. Like you were the catalyst. Like you're meant to be in my life, like I was meant to meet you." He laughed humourlessly. "I may sound crazy but I feel alive around you. There's something here between us."
You were cuddled up so close that you could feel his heart pounding in his chest. "I feel it too." You whispered.
"I'd really like to figure out what it is. Find out what life with you could be like." He slotted his hand into yours. You couldn't hold back your grin anymore.
"I'd like that too." You leaned in and pressed your lips against his. He reciprocated immediately and pulled you closer. You felt fireworks go off inside your head. Your whole body was tingling.
He pulled back slowly but pecked your lips again. "Are you ready for dinner?" You grinned in response.
Sheila was going to be so proud that you had bagged THE ultimate european hunk.
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Whew! This one took a while. Can you tell I've never been to the beach, lol. Take note that Y/n did not swim in this fic! Cause I hate the thought of swimming in an ocean, lol. I struggled to write the last part👎but its done now so be nice. Dont forget to suggest a song!!
Thanks for reading! Please interact before you leave. Don't alter, translate, or repost onto another platform.
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