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beat-the-morning · 2 months ago

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🖤Guitar Face || Hozier x Reader🖤

FULL FIC ON TUMBLR AFTER CUT || READ ON AO3

Rating: 18+ - Smut

Tags: Pre-Debut Hozier, vaginal fingering, finger sucking, vaginal sex, teasing, protected sex.

Summary: Andrew teaches you how to play guitar while you both try to ignore the very obvious and overwhelming sexual tension between you.

Word count: 5.4k

A/N: I’m back after a month of not posting (sorry lol) with a long fic to make up for lost time (yay) and to take our minds off of everything, really. When will I post my next fic, you ask? I don’t fucking know man, I’m just vibing. I do have a few ideas that I want to start, including a multichapter fic that will get written someday. Love you all, enjoy this pre-debut hozier fic💙

💙FULL FIC UNDER THE CUT💙

You needed a hobby, urgently. It was your second semester of your first year of university at Trinity College Dublin, and you had yet to find something to occupy your time that wasn’t studying, working, or just doing nothing with the group of friends that, despite your nervous and introverted nature, you had managed to form in your first semester. You were desperate for something new to do, a new skill or pastime to occupy you when all your friends were busy or simply when you felt like doing something other than hanging out with them.

The idea of learning guitar came to you after talking to one of your friends about your newfound need for a hobby, she mentioned that you had a great sense of rhythm and that you already really liked music, so why not pick up an instrument. She didn’t tell you to pick up guitar specifically, but it seemed like a good choice for learning in your spare time, and it’s not like you had the money to buy a keyboard or drums, much less a more classical instrument like a violin, a cello or a harp, and you already knew that you didn’t have the lungs for wind instruments.

You asked around your friend group if anyone had any suggestions for cheap guitars to buy, you got one that was moderately good and within your budget. You started to learn by yourself, the only thing was that you sucked, you barely understood the tutorials you found on youtube and didn’t even know if you were really doing it right, your fingers were sloppy and uncoordinated and you only angered yourself more and more with each note you got wrong. So, after two weeks and a half of frustration, you decided that maybe a guitar teacher wasn’t a bad idea, and that if that didn’t work you’d sell your guitar and pick up photography or something that didn’t require you to use your fingers as much.

It was Friday evening, and some members of Trinity Orchestra were having a small rehearsal/get together, and you knew your friend would be there since she was a pianist in the orchestra, so maybe she could help you learn guitar or at the very least find a teacher. You arrived at the get together when it was almost finished, you didn’t want to interrupt them, even if it wasn’t really a rehearsal, you felt out of place just by being there. Miranda, your friend, spotted you from her bench and beckoned you over to her, she’d been expecting you since you told her earlier that day that you’d go see her at the rehearsal, she was leaning on the closed piano, a half eaten bag of crisps sat on the cover of its keys. “I thought you’d come sooner, you missed the little concert.” She smiled.

“Nah, I’d rather not interrupt.” You smiled back, “anyway, what I wanted to talk about before you ran off today because of your horrible time manage skills-“

“-They’re not that bad, come on.” She pouted playfully, faking indignation.

“Bullshit.” You argued back, trying to hold in a laugh. “Now, do you know how to play guitar?”

“No, just piano, and the organ, kind of. Why?”

“I’ve been trying to learn how to play on my own but I can’t get the hang of it, I need a teacher or something.” You explained, trying to be quiet enough so that no one else would hear.

“Teacher for what?” A masculine voice asked from behind you, making you jump slightly in surprise. You turned around, a lanky guy with dorky glasses and a blonde fringe stood there, looking at you as he tried to guess who you were. “Have we met before?” He finally asked.

“I don’t think so,” you answered, a nervous smile on your face

“I’m Alex,” he smiled back to you, but his smile was more welcoming than anything else. You told him your name, and that you were a friend of Miranda, which prompted her to speak up.

“They’re trying to learn guitar,” she joined in. “Maybe you could help them?”

“Can’t, I’m drowning in coursework already, sorry,” Alex said earnestly, seeming genuinely sorry that he wasn’t able to help you learn how to play.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m sure I’ll find someone to teach me.” You assured him, relaxing a bit more now that you had spoken the slightest bit more to him.

“Andy could help you, though.” A smirk grew on his face, “he’s always looking for an excuse to not do his work.”

“Andrew’s a vocalist though isn’t he?” Miranda chimed in again.

“He does more things apart from singing, you know.” Answered Alex.

“I didn’t know he played guitar though, I’ve never seen him play it.” She argued.

“He does! He’s self taught though, so his has this weird way of playing where he-“

“Sorry, but, who’s Andrew?” You interrupted, needing some clarification as to who they were talking about.

“Right, you don’t know who he is,” Alex chuckled, “he’s that one over there.” He said, pointing over to a group of about five guys all chatting while standing around a table.

“Which one?” You asked, still not knowing who to look at.

“The tall one.” Alex and Miranda said in unison. Your eyes focused on him, a pale, lanky guy with dark, shaggy curls on his head and a 3 day stubble on his face and neck, he was at least half a head taller than the second tallest man in the conversation circle. He was smiling, his cheeks a rosy tone from how much he’d been laughing, his front teeth were slightly crooked from what you could see from a distance, and you noticed a pair of glasses in his left hand as your eyes trailed down his body, you assumed that they were his glasses with how he was holding them so close to his body. He was so cute, you thought to yourself, a bit of a nerd maybe but it’s not like you weren’t into it as well.

“Andy!” Alex’s call broke your train of thought, and maybe that was for the best, who knows where you were going to end up with those. Andrew turned to look at Alex, noticing Miranda sat on her seat, and then you, you could’ve sworn you saw him look you up and down as a small smirk formed on his face. Alex moved his arm to call him over, and he approached without hesitation, quickly walking over to the little group you were in.

Alex introduced you to each other and quickly explained your situation to Andrew, who agreed to teach you. You agreed on payment, how many times a week you’d meet, the whole thing, really, and then you exchanged numbers.

“If you want we can meet up tomorrow and we can start with the basics,” he suggested, putting on his glasses as he put your number in his phone. Fucking hell, he looked adorable with them on, you felt your cheeks heat up as you looked at him.

“Yeah, that’d be good,” you agreed without thinking, “I’ll send you my address and we can meet at my place if you want.”

“Sure,” he looked at you with a small smile. You decided on a time to meet and then went home for the night after saying goodbye to your friend.

You felt a nervous knot in your stomach as you laid down in your bed, the worry of making a fool of yourself in front of a cute guy was catching up on you. You shook those thoughts off, putting on some faint music before finally going to sleep.

You woke up the next day, looking at the clock on your bedside table only to find that it wasn’t actually morning, but past noon, almost 1pm in fact. You got ready for the day and had what could best be described as a big brunch before deciding to clean your apartment before Andrew arrived later in the day, something that you only remembered when you saw a message from him confirming that he had your address right. Why did you agree to this again? You cursed yourself as you cleaned up the small space you lived in, it was an attic converted into a studio apartment that was way too cheap for how big it was, but it’s not like you were going to complain.

Time passed as you finished cleaning your apartment, having just enough time to shower before Andrew arrived. You had just finished dressing up when your phone rang, you picked up to find Andrew on the other side of the line, asking you to open since the doorbell wasn’t working, so, taking your keys in your hand, you ran downstairs to open the front door for him. He was carrying a guitar case and what you assumed was a small amp, he wore a very simple outfit, a shirt and jeans with a brown leather jacket and some old tattered converse, but no glasses. “I like the jacket.” You said while guiding him towards the elevator.

“Thanks,” he smiled shyly, “I brought my electric guitar, I hope you don’t mind, my acoustic one has a broken string and I still need to replace it.”

“It’s fine, mine is electric too.” You smiled back.

You went into your apartment, he commented on the fact that it was a studio, and on the absence of a sofa. “The TV’s over there so I usually just put all my pillows on my bed and use it as a couch.” You explained, pointing out the TV on the wall next to the bed. Andrew laughed to himself, he mumbled something under his breath that you thought sounded like “that’s so fucking cute”. He sat on your bed, taking out his guitar and tuning it without even plugging it in to the amp.

You took out yours, tuning it as well with an app on your phone. You and Andrew talked for a bit, making jokes and breaking the tension before he explained the basics of guitar playing to you. You listened attentively and asked questions about the things you didn’t understand, he was a great teacher so far, and you could honestly listen to him speak for hours, his voice was lovely, no wonder Miranda said he was mainly a vocalist.

The time came to finally plug in the guitars, yours was already plugged to your amp, you just needed to turn it on, which you quickly did while Andrew set up his, he plugged the amp to the wall, grabbing the cable to plug it into his guitar, he wasn’t paying much attention to it though, his mind was somewhere else. While his head was, in fact, pointing down towards the guitar, his eyes were mostly looking up at you through his brows, using his curls as a shield so you wouldn’t notice him staring. His hand faltered, the jack circled the plug it was supposed to go in, making some magnetic noises come from the amplifier, you smiled at his dorkiness, finding it adorable. “Trouble putting it in?” You asked, not fully realising the other possible meaning of the question until it was already out of your mouth, he looked up at you with a quizzical look before you both burst into laughter at the question.

“I’m good, thanks,” he said between laughs, getting the jack into the plug once he finally stopped looking up at you. “‘trouble putting it in,’?” He echoed your words with a lovingly mocking tone, trying not to laugh again.

“I wasn’t thinking!” You tried to defend yourself while suppressing more laughter.

“Clearly,” he giggled.

The real, practical, lesson finally began, you spent the next hour and a half learning to play a couple chords and how to transition between them. It was hell, your hands were oddly shaky and very uncoordinated, so you asked for a break before you threw your guitar out the window. “Tea?” You asked, already thinking about making some for yourself so you could have an excuse to wander your apartment for a bit.

“Sure, I’ll have whatever you have.” Andrew nodded, standing up and stretching a bit and walking over to your bookshelf.

You went over to the kitchenette to put the kettle on, your thoughts wandering to how Andrew looked, he was so pretty, and you were definitely embarrassing yourself with your horrible guitar skills, but he had to have expected that, right? You did tell him that you knew basically nothing about playing guitar after all.

He walked closer to you, leaning on the kitchen island. “You’re not as bad as you told me you’d be yesterday, you know.” He said with a kind look in his eyes.

“I’m not?” You asked as you turned to face him.

“Yeah, I mean, your fingers are a bit uncoordinated and all but that’s just getting the hang of it.” He explained. “You picked up the chords and their positions on the neck of the guitar pretty quickly, though, that’s a good sign.”

“Oh, well that’s good at least,” you chuckled, “I don’t know if I’ll ever get the hang of it, though, I have horrible hand-eye coordination.”

“It can’t be that bad, come on,” he scoffed playfully, walking over to you and almost-sitting on the counter closest to you

“It is.”

“I think your hands are just fine, you just need to practise, and maybe learning guitar will help when you do other things with your hands, it did for me.” He winked, you felt your face heat up.

“What other things?” You tilted your head to the side as you smirked.

“Just… things, you’ll see what I mean.” He chuckled, he pressed his thumb into his palm. His eyes looked you up and down slowly, but you pretended not to notice.

“Oh I’m sure.” You laughed.

The water boiled and you made the tea, you lost the track of time as your conversation went on, it was ever so slightly flirty, just some comments here and there that made you both blush coupled with a few lingering touches. You’d be lying if you said that you didn’t want to do more than just learn guitar with him, but you didn’t want to be too forward, so you waited.

/#/#/#/

You met with Andrew for guitar lessons every other day for the next four weeks, slowly improving on your skill while also getting to know each other more and more, to the point that you’d hang out with him even if you weren’t practising, you’d gone to the pub with him and a few more friends a couple times and would just randomly message each other every so often throughout the day just to check on one another. It was nice, and, even if your crush on him had only gotten stronger as the days passed, you were glad to have a new friend. He was so sweet and just the right amount of dorky nerd that you couldn’t help but love him, you only hoped he felt the same way about you.

It was a Saturday evening, Andrew had been over at your apartment since lunch, you’d started the lesson right after he arrived at 1 and it was now 6:30pm, he’d been teaching you a song, or more so trying to. It wasn’t even a hard one, your hands just were not collaborating today and both you and Andrew were growing increasingly frustrated.

You were standing next to your bed while Andrew sat down on it, the guitar was strapped around you, you were considering making it against the ground in frustration. “You look angry, darling.” He pointed out, his expression unreadable.

“I’m not,” you lied, “just frustrated, I don’t know why I can’t get it right.”

“Maybe your hands are just tired, rest a bit and try again later.” He suggested.

“No.”

“The guitar won’t leave if you stop playing for a second, you know?”

“I just want to get this part right, just to hear how it sounds and then I’ll rest.”

Andrew scoffed, the smallest smirk forming on his face, he rolled his eyes before standing up and walking over to you, his frame towering over yours. “Let’s hear it then.” He ordered.

You swallowed air nervously, slightly intimidated by the combination of his height and the more strict and dominant tone his voice had taken. Your fingers moved on the guitar, clumsily playing the song and restarting it every time you messed up a note. After a few failed attempts, he moved behind you, grabbing the guitar even though it was still on you.

He pushed himself flush against your back, his hands playing the instrument as if you weren’t there. You felt the vibrations of the guitar against your abdomen and his body against your back, and, thanks to your height difference, you could perfectly feel his crotch pressing against your lower back. You felt your face heat up and a few whimpers escaping your mouth as he played, and he was definitely getting a bit into it as well, thrusting his hips into you as the song went on, the worst part was that you weren’t even sure if he was doing it because of the song or to rile you up, but that was the effect it was having anyway.

He stopped playing before he got to the chorus of the song, taking the guitar off you before he finally stepped away. “Heard it. Now, rest.” He instructed, throwing himself back on your makeshift couch.

“What the hell was that?” You asked dumbfounded, a nervous chuckle escaped you.

“Sorry, I just… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that, it was weird.” He mumbled, his eyes focusing on your pillows instead of on you.

“I didn’t think it was weird,” you stretched the truth lightly, you had thought it slightly weird when he did that, but you also couldn’t ignore the burning between your thighs and you needed to know if he was feeling the same way you were right now. “You could’ve just taken the guitar off me, though.”

“It wouldn’t have worked, you would’ve gotten mad at me.” He bit his lip to fight back a smirk. “I wasn’t really thinking, anyway, and you said you wanted to hear how it sounded so… yeah.”

Your eyes wandered to his crotch for a second, he looked like he was at least slightly hard. Quickly focusing back on his face, you giggled and threw yourself on the makeshift couch next to him, you laid on your side, looking at Andrew with a small, loving smile on your face.

“What’s the smile for?” He asked, turning to his side so he could face you as well.

“Nothing,” you continued to smile. “It’s just funny that you’re kind of beating yourself up about it when I actually kinda liked it.”

“Oh?” His eyes widened for a second as he scooted closer to you. “And what about it did you like?”

“I like how the guitar felt against me. The vibrations of it, you know? I play so slow that I don’t usually feel them like… that.” You bit your thumb lightly, trying to appear a bit more innocent so he wouldn’t guess what you were really thinking about.

“Yeah, they’re nice,” he looked at your lips as well, then scooted even closer. “Anything else you liked?”

“Well… I liked how you felt… against me.” You admitted, only to see Andrew’s smile widening. His hand moved to your cheek, silently encouraging you to keep going. “I liked how you were thrusting against me, it felt nice.”

“Just nice?” He teased, caressing your cheek.

“It was kinda hot, too.”

“I thought so too, maybe we could do something about it?” He suggested, his hand moving to your hip.

You nodded weakly, your lips parting ever so slightly. Andrew lunged in to kiss you, his mouth crashing against yours as you kissed him back passionately. Slowly he moved to be on top of you as you kissed, his right leg moved between yours, pressing against your core. Your hips moved against his legs, desperate for any kind of release. His tongue darted into your mouth, exploring as it pleased while your hands tangled in his shaggy curls.

You deepened the kiss, it became sloppier and more desperate as the seconds passed by, Andrew pulled back, a string of saliva still connecting your mouths to each other’s. His breathing mirrored yours, ragged and irregular even as you tried to calm down slightly. His glasses were slipping off his nose, so, as one does, you moved your hand from his hair and adjusted them, making him chuckle softly. “I feel like a fucking teenager.” He laughed, leaning in to plant small kisses on your jaw and neck.

“You’re twenty-two, not that far from it.” You teased while quiet moans escaped your lips.

“Shut up.” He laughed, his kisses on your skin turning more demanding. His hands snaked under your shirt, slowly pulling it off you until he could finally throw it on to the floor. He grabbed your breasts, moving his face between them before starting to kiss and lightly bite them, you arched your back into him, more moans escaping you.

“Fuck! Andy… please,” you moaned loudly, he hummed against your chest.

“What is it, baby?” He asked with a wicked smile, looking up at you through the rim of his glasses. You whimpered and rubbed yourself against his leg as a response, making him chuckle once more. “So needy… I’ve been wanting you for a while, let me at least play a little before I ravage you.”

“Play faster, I want you now.” You whined again, pulling him in to kiss him. He happily obliged, kissing you back while his hands made quick work of your jeans.

Your jeans and underwear quickly joined the growing pile of discarded clothing on your floor, leaving you completely bare. Your hands moved from Andrew’s hair as he pulled away from your mouth, instead trailing kisses down your neck and collarbone once more, your touch moved to the hem of his shirt, pulling at the cloth to try and pull it off him already. He quickly caught onto that and pulled his own shirt and undershirt off himself, uncovering his torso. He was still as lanky and thin as he was with clothes on, but he was a bit fuller than you had imagined, the slightest bit of pudge gathering on his abdomen. Your gaze turned him slightly shy, his cheeks reddening as he looked away for a second.

“I know this probably isn’t what you imagined,” he said sheepishly, a nervous tone in his voice, “I’m s-“

“You’re so pretty,” you interrupted him, still staring at his body.

“You really think so?”

“Yeah, I do.” You smiled, your hands grazed his skin. “You’re very hot, too.”

“Flatterer.” He smiled back, leaning in to kiss you again. You felt goosebumps forming on his skin the more you caressed him.

“I would never, I’m only saying what I think.” You kissed him back.

He hummed happily into the kiss, his hand travelling lower and lower on your body until it reached your core. He gently caressed it with two fingers, smiling darkly when he felt just how wet you were. Slowly, he played with your clit, making you whimper and buckle your hips against his hand, silently begging for more. He obliged, moving to push two fingers inside you and making you gasp at the intrusion, he slowly pumped them in and out, his thumb moving to play with your clit.

“Is this something that playing guitar helps with?” You teased while trying to suppress your moans.

Andrew chuckled, his fingers quickening. “Yes, actually.” He kissed along your jaw. “It helps a lot, makes it easier to fuck you.”

You moaned more, holding onto him like a lifeline as he played with you. His lips moved to your neck again, leaving passionate kisses and hickeys as he memorised every inch of your skin. His movements quickened even more, his thumb playing with your clit in a way that made your legs shake slightly, his other hand grabbed your hip, his nails digging into your skin. You felt the all-familiar burning-white desire in your lower abdomen, your whines got more and more high pitched until they were nothing more than needy whimpers.

Andrew chuckled, pulling away from your neck to look at your face as you came undone before him. “That’s it, let go for me,” he whispered softly, his free hand now moving up to brush your hair away from your face. “That’s it, good girl. Let me feel you, baby, please.”

You felt something snap within you at his words, pure pleasure running through you as you came on his fingers, covering them with your essence. He smiled at your blissed out expression, taking it in as he fingered you through your orgasm. Once it subsided he pulled out his fingers and licked them clean as you looked at him, a moan escaping him as he finally tasted you.

“Fuck, you’re delicious, I’m going to fucking devour you next time.” He growled.

“Why not now?” You teased breathlessly, still recovering from your orgasm.

“Because I might explode if I don’t put my dick inside you right now.” He teased back, reaching into his wallet for a condom. “Can I fuck you now, baby? Or do you need to recover a bit more first?”

“Now, please.” You begged without thinking.

Andrew smiled at your eagerness, taking off his pants and underwear to reveal his cock, it was as long as you thought, or hoped, it’d be, somewhere above average that was still enjoyable, but his thickness surprised you, he was wider than you’d imagined. You felt your mouth watering. “You’re staring.” He said firmly, rolling on the condom, “does it scare you?” He asked, his tone a mixture of dominance and genuine concern.

“No.” You smiled, opening your legs more. “I was just a bit surprised.”

“A good surprise, I hope.” He smiled back, grabbing your legs and pulling you closer to him. You chuckled at his words.

“A very good surprise, yeah.”

You reached out to touch him once again, his hands catching yours and pushing them to be above your head. He held them in place with his left hand while his right travelled to your thigh, lifting it ever so slightly as he positioned himself between your legs. His cock brushed lightly against your core, making you both whimper lightly at the feeling, then, slowly, he pushed in. Your gasp matched his moaning, soft and quiet enough that it was almost whispered, he was pushing in slowly, making sure it wasn’t painful for you. He bottomed out after a few more seconds, his movements stopping as he let you get used to his size. He leaned in to kiss you, a slow, loving kiss that had you melting into his touch even more.

You moved your hips after a few kisses, signalling Andrew to move. He happily obliged, slowly thrusting in and out of you. Your moans filled the room, making a symphony with his. “You feel so fucking good, baby, oh my god.” He practically whimpered into your ear, interlocking his fingers with yours. His other hand held tightly onto your thigh, his grip almost bruising as he lost himself in you. You shook your hand free from his, moving it to his hair along with your other hand to pull him in for a kiss, muffling your moans.

“Faster, please.” You begged between kisses, Andrew growled in response, letting go of all his restraint. His pace quickened to a brutal one, pistoning in and out of you without a care in the world. Your hands moved down to his back, your nails leaving scratches as you neared your peak just from the feeling of his cock inside you.

He straightened up, getting a better view of you, completely blissed out and moaning like crazy, sweat making some of your hair stick to your face. His hand caressed your cheek lovingly, his thumb pressing on your mouth to pry it open. “Open up, baby.” He ordered, and you obeyed without hesitation. His thumb moved inside your mouth, pressing on your tongue. “Suck.” He added.

And you did, sucking gently on his thumb as a lopsided smile grew in his face. He whispered soft praises as he fucked you, his thumb thrusting slightly in and out at a gentle pace to contrast the one of his hips.

He moved your leg with his other hand so your ankle would be resting on his shoulder, changing the angle in just the right position so his pubic bone would hit your clit every time he bottomed out. Your moans got louder, or as much as they could since your sucking of his thumb muffled most of the noise. Andrew moaned too, quieter, softer moans that could only be audible between your own, but you loved every single one you could hear. You felt his cock twitch inside you.

You felt yourself getting closer and closer to the edge, your own hand moving to your clit to give you the extra friction you needed. Andrew pulled his thumb out of your mouth and moved it to your clit before you could reach it on your own, flicking it rapidly as he moved your leg off his shoulder so he could lean in to kiss you again. You moaned into his mouth and he moaned into yours, both of you nearing your respective climaxes, his cock twitched more inside you, his thrusting becoming erratic and uncoordinated. You felt the pure, unadulterated ecstasy threatening to explode within you once more, your hands moving once more to Andrew’s hair as he kissed you.

“Come for me, baby, come on, let me hear you again pet.” He moaned, pulling back slightly so he could see your face as you came undone below him. “So fuckin’ pretty, come on, love.”

You came under him not long after, pure pleasure flowing through you as your body shook with your orgasm. But Andrew didn’t stop, chasing his own release as his thrusts became even more irregular than before, and, just as you were starting to feel the overstimulation taking over, he came, releasing his spent into the condom and stopping his movements almost completely, savouring the feeling of your walls around him. He moaned loudly, his head going back slightly as his eyes closed and his jaw slacked, you grinned slightly, recognising his current expression as the same one he did when playing a more upbeat guitar solo.

After a few more seconds, you both calmed down, and Andrew leaned in to kiss you once more, slowly and lovingly this time. You kissed back, your bodies still entangled with each other as you savoured the afterglow of your lovemaking. Carefully, and despite how much neither of you wanted that, he pulled out of you, detaching himself from you so he could take off the condom and throw it out. “I’ll be back in a second, stay put.” He murmured before giving you a quick kiss and walking towards your bathroom.

He came back not long after with a damp washcloth in hand, cleaning you up slightly before helping you sit up on your bed. “I should go to the bathroom,” you pointed out.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “go on, I’ll wait here for you.”

You smiled lovingly, getting up and into the bathroom, coming out of it a few minutes later after refreshing yourself. You found Andrew laying on your bed, having put his boxers back on while you’d been washing up. He smiled at the sight of you, opening his arms for you to cuddle into, and that you did, crawling into your bed and hugging him tight. He played with your hair as you cuddled, talking about random things before you decided to be a bit cheeky. “Did you know you have the exact same face when playing guitar that you do when you cum?”

“Shut up,” he laughed, “…do I really?”

“Yeah.”

“Is it at least a nice face or do I look like an idiot?” His face reddened ever so slightly.

“I think it’s a very pretty face, just like your normal one.” You assured him honestly.

“Thank god.” He laughed again, holding you tighter to him. “Can I stay the night?” He added, a hint of uncertainty and pleading in his tone.

“You better stay.” You smiled, nuzzling your face into his chest.

Andrew smiled back, burying his face in your hair and taking in your scent.

#hozier fanfiction #hozier smut #hozier x reader #hozier #hozier fic #mornfic

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revolutionsingingintherainnn · 11 days ago

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Hii i love love love your desi reader fics!! It would be really nice if you could write an Oscar Piastri x desi!reader fic maybe reader is a fan of Oscar and meets him accidentally? and they kinda hit up immediately? like a strangers to lovers fic <333

crashing and clicks ⋆⭒˚｡⋆

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ op x desi!reader ¸.♡.¸

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ fluff ¸.♡.¸

masterlist ☾☼

travelling to an expensive country like monaco, and watching the monaco grand prix had always been a dream of yours. your sole motivator for years of working had been to earn enough money to spend a proper one week vacation in monaco, including paddock passes for your favourite team, mclaren, and a chance to meet your favourite driver, oscar piastri.

you had a camera around your neck and you clicked pictures as you walked through the streets. people, cars, building, the sheer luxury that screamed from every atom in the city. you were trying to build a portfolio. something good enough that you could quit your 9-5 job and pursue photography full time. you had an instagram account already. you shared your pictures, and you got likes and comments. you had a decent following, though, nowhere near how you much you would need to be a good, reliable photographer.

of course, your parents had questioned that multiple times, with the usual questioning of "what will people say?" "how will you live on such an income?" "just find a rich man to marry first, then do all of this."

you had indulged in their line of questioning the first two times, and then gave up. nothing would stop them from convincing you a steady income was better and photography was a hobby, not a career. you understood that it came from a place of concern, but it still hurt a little bit.

your body clock reminded you that it was time for some chai. apparently, no matter what timezone you were in, at 5 o'clock, your body instantly craved tea. quickly looking for a nearby cafe, you walked in, making sure to protect your camera.

standing in queue, you quickly put your camera inside your bag carefully, and pulled out the amount you would need as you surveyed the menu. a chai tea and an almond biscuit would do.

quickly ordering and briefly chatting with the woman at the counter, you waited at the side for your name to be called. you knew they were going to butcher up your name, so it was easier to just stand close and wait for your order on your own.

when they called out your name, ruining it, of course, you quickly took your hot tea and the plate with the almond biscuit, and turned, looking for a place to sit. finding a corner table near the window, you started making your way over. the cup was filled to the brim, and you were trying to make sure that it wouldn't spill.

just as she reached her table and was about to set her cup down, someone crashed into her from behind, muttering quick sorries as her drink spilled all over the table, and her hands nearly soaked in the hot beverage.

"oh my god, im so sorry. um, are you hurt?" you were ready to fight whoever made you drop your tea. but you knew that voice. you heard it in videos over and over again.

slowly turning around, you came face to face with oscar piastri. the oscar piastri.

if you'd met him in any other circumstance, you would probably have been more excited. for now, your spilled tea was a much bigger concern.

your eyes fell on the spilled cup, and you said in a small, dejected voice, "my chai,"

oscar followed your gaze, instantly realising what you were talking about and why you seemed so sad. "oh my god, i'm so sorry! my friend and i were playing around, and we didn't mean to spill your drink,"

"yeah, really sorry about that," a voice, lando norris' voice said from behind oscar, looking apologetic and mildly amused.

"don't worry, though, oscar's going to buy you another drink." lando stated, clapping a hand on oscar's back.

oscar turned to lando, confused, "i am?" and then immediately turned to you, "i mean, yes! i am! i'll buy you another drink!"

you sighed, "no, it's not necessary,"

"no, no, i insist. i spilled your drink, i should get you a new one," oscar insisted.

you wanted to say no, that it didn't matter. but oscar piastri was offering you a drink. that felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity.

you agreed.

oscar immediately smiled, and you smiled back. you didn't know why, you just wanted to after seeing his soft smile.

"great! well, i've got to run, so enjoy your little date!" lando said, before rushing off.

you had forgotten that lando had been standing there too. his insinuation that this was a date made you blush. this wasn't a date. right? he was oscar piastri. you were you.

regular people don't go out with rich people on dates.

oscar gestured for you towards the counter, and with a shy smile, you did. he followed closely behind, a little air of awkwardness between the two of you.

"what were you drinking?" he asked while the two of you waited in line.

"oh, i had ordered tea. never got to drink it, though," you teased.

oscar smiled softly, "i am sorry about that,"

you nudged him slightly, "it's okay, i was just teasing,"

"so, a chai tea?"

you stared at him incredulously, "how dare you?"

oscar's face filled with panic, "what? what did i do?"

"it's not chai tea! it's either chai or tea!"

"but it's called chai tea!"

"no, oscar! chai means tea! tea in hindi is called chai. so, chai tea is essentially-"

"tea tea,"

"exactly!" the two of you had moved up the line, your hands flying as you spoke animatedly.

once at the counter, you ordered your drink, oscar sneakily paying for it after you insisted on doing so, and this time, oscar held your drink as the two of you walked back to the same table where you had originally spilled your drink.

the two of you sat together. the two of you talked. about anything and everything. it didn't really matter. you had plans for the day. you were sure that oscar had plans for the day. but, well until after sunset, the two of you sat at the table, ordering drinks after drinks, and just kept on talking.

you told him about your country, and your life growing up, and what you were doing in monaco. he told you about his country, and his life growing up, and the differences in the media about his job.

you told him about your career, and your passion, and your freedom. he told you about his career, his team, and his independence.

you told him about your pet, and your favourite moments with your best friends, and your beautiful, beautiful mother.

he told you about his trips around the world, and his favourite moments of having lando as a teammate, and his beautiful, beautiful mother.

there were so many things to talk about. there wasn't enough time. technically, you were going to see him the next three days because you've got the paddock passes. but, you won't be able to spend time with him. and it made you a little sad to think about.

oscar walked you back to your hotel. the walk was a little long. but you didn't mind. you got to spend time with him. that's what you wanted, and that's what you got.

somewhere, sometime along the way, your hand ended up tucked in the inside of his elbow. somewhere, sometime along the way, he leaned in closer to you. somewhere, sometime along the way, you realised that oscar piastri was everything you had been looking for.

you weren't sure if it would work. for one, it would have to be a long distance relationship, with minimal visits from your end because money was always a little tight. for another, oscar had an ever-moving job. there wasn't any stability, at least not that you could see.

what were the chances that it would work?

before he left, he asked for your phone number. of course, he did. you gave it to him happily, albeit a little shyly. you were going to see him the next day. he knew that too. he made you promise to text him once you had reached the paddock, because he wanted to see you.

oscar piastri wanted to see you.

you agreed.

that night, you went to bed with a smile on your face.

the next morning, you checked your phone as soon as you woke up, not sure what you were expecting. but whatever you were expecting had come true, because there was oscar's message right there on the top, telling you about how excited he was to see you.

you danced your way through your routine, you sang your way to the paddock. you had a smile on your face that you couldn't erase, and you just had a good feeling about this.

as soon as you reached the paddock, you texted oscar. though, before you could find him, lando found you first.

"hey, you're the girl from yesterday!" he exclaimed, pointing at you slightly.

you laughed, "yeah, that's me,"

"what are you doing here?"

"i have the paddock passes for the three days, and oscar told me to text him once i reached,"

lando smirked, "oh, he did, did he?"

your cheeks heated up.

"y'all are cute already. come on, i'll take you to him," lando said, and began walking.

you followed him.

you were nervous suddenly. how were you going to greet oscar? what if he didn't want to see you inside wherever lando was taking you? what if he just wanted to have a quick chat with you and move on?

to distract yourself, you took pictures. people, drivers, the paddocks, everyone and everything.

lando noticed your camera, and made you promise to show some later.

finally, you reached oscar. he was in the team kit. his eyes lit up when he saw you and your heart did a little something funny.

"y/n! hi!" he said, as he rushed towards you, stopping right in front of you.

lando giggled, slapping oscar on his back as he walked away.

"hi,"

"you made it!"

"i mean, i did have the paddock passes," you teased.

his cheeks became pink, just slightly, as he rubbed the back of his neck, "that's true, yes,"

"i'm happy to see you, though," you said, taking a brave step forward.

he smiled radiantly, "so am i,"

and then, he led you around the paddock, introducing you to people as if he hadn't just met you yesterday. he showed you all kinds of places, told you all kinds of things. you clicked pictures as much as you could, wanting to add them in your digital diary.

and that's how your three days went by.

oscar showed you every place possible, you captured everything you found beautiful.

now, if most of the phots ended up being oscar's, that's not your fault. he didn't have to be beautiful.

you captured the cars on track, and you captured the fans. you captured the team reactions, and you captured the machinery.

you captured pictures of lando laughing with his team, and you captured pictures of oscar discussing with his race engineer.

just after qualifying was when everything changed.

lando had pole position, with oscar starting p2. it was a papaya front row. both drivers were excited to win for the team. after the interviews were done, oscar had told you that he would change, and then he'd drop you back to your hotel. while you waited in the paddock for him, lando approached you.

"show me the pictures you took," he said.

"you demand a lot,"

he rolled his eyes, smiling, "alright, show me the pictures you took, please,"

you giggled, "that's more like it," and you handed him your camera.

you were suddenly nervous about him looking at the pictures you took. they weren't amazing, but they weren't bad either.

lando went through the pictures, focused, and your anxiety grew.

just then, oscar approached.

"hey guys, what's going on?" he asked.

"osc, you didn't tell me how talented she is,"

"what do you mean?"

you chewed on your lip.

"i mean that these pictures are fucking good. i bet if we show them to zak or andrea or whoever, they'd hire her,"

"lando, come on-" you started.

"i'm serious, y/n. come here, oscar, look at these,"

oscar shifted towards lando, leaning over his shoulder to see.

"guys, i haven't edited them yet, and like, a lot of them are trash-"

"fuck, these are really good," oscar didn't say 'fuck' a lot, and for him to be saying it in the moment seemed like a big deal.

"y/n, what if you edit these pictures tonight, and get them tomorrow to show to the media head?" oscar asked.

you hesitated.

"look, you wanted to pursue your passion, but you were worried about the money, right? this kind of solves all of your problems," he stated.

"what other problems? long distance kinds?" lando teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

"shut up!" oscar said, though his ears were tinged red.

"okay. i can do that. it's worth a shot," you said, staring at your camera, before you looked at oscar, who was already staring at you, "right?"

"right." he nodded.

you took the camera back, and you walked with oscar to his car. the two of you made idle conversation. your mind was buzzing with the million possibilities of what could happen tomorrow, not just with the race, but with your career.

you knew that lando and oscar weren't so cruel that they'd lie to you. but you also knew that you pictures weren't as good as they claimed it to be.

"hey, don't overthink it, okay? go with the designs and the pictures you think are the best," oscar softly encouraged you, as he parked in front of your hotel.

you nodded, taking a deep breath, before you leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek, "thank you,"

and you climbed out of his car.

you were awake almost all night, designing and redesigning your pictures, choosing the best of the best from your trip. you were filled with anxiety, but you also felt alive. you were excited to see where this would lead to.

just before you went to bed, close to 5 am, oscar's name popped up on your phone.

"come an hour earlier, please" he'd said in the text. you had replied immediately, letting him know that you'd be there.

another message came from him, but you were already out cold by then.

you woke up buzzing, excited to see the reactions you would get for your photography. you tried not to get your hopes up too much. there was a big chance that all of it could end up meaning nothing. but, you were still grateful for the opportunity.

as per oscar's request, you arrived at the paddock an hour early, immediately walking to where you knew oscar would be. it was funny how you knew the paddock so well already because of oscar showing you around.

you found oscar quickly, and he didn't waste any time in grabbing your hand and pulling you into an office.

"where are we going?" you asked.

"the media head wants to see you,"

"damn, i don't get a hi hello then?"

oscar stopped suddenly, causing you to crash into him. he turned to look at you. the two were you were standing close, closer than ever before.

"hi, y/n," he said with a smile.

"hi, oscar," you replied, matching his grin.

"ready to go now?"

you nodded, "yes,"

and he began pulling you away again.

once he found the media head, he pushed you towards her.

taken slightly aback, you introduced yourself, and handed her your ipad with the pictures on it.

the media head was nice when she spoke to you, but once she started looking at the pictures, you began to worry again.

you turned and looked at oscar, who gave you a little thumbs up of encouragement.

she nodded, handing the ipad back to you, and you quickly took it from her.

"they're good. they could be better. you could start with an internship position here, and we go forward from there, if you're willing,"

"yes! thank you so much!" you exclaimed.

she discussed the logistics with you, about meeting with the legal team later and meeting zak and andrea, and everything. all you could think about in that moment was that maybe the thing between you and oscar could actually end up being something real.

safe to say, everything went smoothly after that.

as soon as she was out of your sight, you immediately turned around and threw yourself in oscar's arms, unable to stop yourself. oscar hugged you back eagerly, his arms wrapping around your waist tightly.

as you pulled back, you whispered, "thank you,"

oscar smiled, the two of you still wrapped in each other, "this way i get to keep you with me everywhere,"

you laughed and nodded, "who knew a stranger crashing into me could lead to all of this, huh?"

oscar blushed again, "i did apologise for that!"

"what if we go out again and i'll make you try proper tea?"

he smiled, his eyes flicking to your lips once, "i'd like that,"

years later, on your wedding day, you posted pictures of oscar in his sherwani clicked by you, with the caption "from crashing and clicks to forever dreams come true."

•´¨*•.¸¸.•*´¨•.¸¸.•

hi! thank you so much for reading! i'm still trying to figure out how to write oscar. i think i relate more with lando and max personality-wise, so it's easier for me to write rpf about them. anyways! this was my first oscar x reader! i hope you like it. this is my prompt list, so y'all can select a number, give me a driver and i will write it as soon as possible! i also have a google form for a taglist if anyone's interested! you can sent in your requests here :)

#f1 #formula 1 #formula one #oscar piastri #oscar piastri x reader #oscar piastri x you #oscar piastri x yn #oscar x reader #oscar x you #op81 #op81 x reader #op81 x you #op81 x y/n #oscar piastri fluff

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ashwhowrites · 3 months ago

Note

If you still write for Jonathan, can I ask for a "x female reader" one shot for him?

Basically, the reader is a sexy top model who has to do a nude photo shoot, with Jonathan as her photographer.

Jonathan is a little embarrassed, and the reader, noticing that, starts to flirt with him and seduce him.

Jon opposes at first, but the reader continues, she says that it's okay, that he deserves it.

So in the end, Jonathan accepts, and him and the reader fuck passionately.

(Also, there has to be a scene where Jonathan sucks the reader's boobs. It's a little desire of mine.)

I hope this is what you wanted and you enjoy it. Thank you for requesting 🫶🏻

Nude model

Jonathan was slowly turning his hobby of photography into a job. He saw a few flyers around town saying, photographers wanted. It had decent pay and he did need the extra cash, so he went in and got the job.

He was already at the studio, testing his lights when he heard the sound of heels clicking against the floor. He slowly turned around and his breath got stuck in his throat.

A girl was strutting into the studio, a small robe on her body. Her heels made her legs look sexy and long, catching Jonathan's eye.

"You must be Jonathan?" She asked. Jonathan couldn't believe how gorgeous she was, but he guessed she was a model. She was very polite, holding out her hand. He shook her hand back, cringing as he could feel how sweaty his palms were.

"Uh yes ma'am," Jonathan stuttered, she smiled at the nervousness in his voice. She released his hand and walked over to the small couch in the middle of the room.

"This where you want me?" she asked, Jonathan gulped as she crawled onto the couch giving him a clear view of her ass.

"Yeah, um that's good. Can you lay down for me?"

"Of course, sir," she teased, licking her lips as she moved on to her back. She played with the strings of her robe, a playful smirk on her face. "Time to untie this?"

"Yeah, I can turn around to give you so-" He stopped his sentence short when she undid the robe, the material falling on both sides of her body. He gulped and couldn't stop his eyes from looking at her naked body.

"Make me look beautiful, Jonathan," she giggled

"You don't need me for that," he admitted, a shy blush on his cheeks as he prepped his camera against his eye. "Arch your back a little for me?"

She did as he asked, arching her back and pushing her breasts out. Jonathan's finger shook as he snapped the shot, he fought to ignore the tightness in his jeans. He snapped a few more shots before he directed her into another pose.

She could tell he was getting more nervous as the time went by. He kept licking his lips and brushing his palms against his jeans. His voice was a little shaky and he only looked at her face. She found it adorable. He had this look of unsureness in his eyes and it made her stomach burn.

"Can you um-uh-" He stuttered, coughing to clear his throat. He felt hot under her stare and playful smirk

"Tell me what you want, Jonathan," she said. He ignored the way his body shivered without his control. He swore she was speaking seductively but assumed he was wrong.

"Can you stand in front of the mirror for me? Hands covering your breasts and one leg in front of the other," he instructed

"Yes, sir," she said with a wink. She walked over to the mirror, placing her hands over her breasts but didn't pose her legs. She faked confusion as she looked over her shoulder.

"Can you help me move my legs the way you want?"

He nodded and walked over, he began to instruct but she pressed her finger to his lips.

"I said, help me move my legs," she spoke slowly and deeply, hinting that her words had another meaning.

"I'm sorry?" Jonathan squeaked. His face burned from being this close to her. Her smell was intoxicating and her skin seemed to glow.

She didn't speak as she pulled the camera over his neck and set it on the floor. She grasped his hands and placed them on her hips.

"It's okay, don't be nervous," she cooed, "I want you to touch me, do you want to touch me?" she asked

Jonathan nodded, lost for words. She moved his hands up her body, stopping at her breasts. Jonathan gulped as he stared at his hands on her breasts.

"What do you want to do with them?" she asked, he looked up into her eyes for a split second. She could see the nervousness and hesitance in his eyes. "Have you touched a girl before?"

"Just once," Jonathan admitted, "Girls usually don't give me the chance to experience."

"Here is your chance, you deserve it. Be a good boy and go for what you want," she whispered.

It took a second to get the courage, but then he made his move. He pressed his lips against hers, she let out a surprised moan but gladly kissed him back. His warm hands moved to the small of her back as he kissed her harder.

He pulled away before she could take it further. He moved his hands back to her breasts, softly massaging the skin. He felt his cock grow harder with every sound she made.

There was one thing he desperately wanted to do. He looked into her eyes, silently asking for permission. She gave him a smile and a slight nod.

"Can we go to the couch?" he asked

She grabbed his hand and led them to the couch. She took a seat and waited for him to instruct her. He softly pushed her body down, her back against the cushion as he crawled on top of her.

He groaned as his hard cock brushed against her leg. He slowly kept his hips moving against her, loving the feeling of bliss at the friction in his jeans. As he moved his hips, he leaned in and wrapped his mouth around her nipple. He closed his eyes in pleasure as he began to suck her boob.

He loved how she moaned and how her nails worked through his hair. He sucked harshly as he got more turned on. He popped off her breast with a pop and then moved to the other one. Her nipple hardened from the wetness of his spit hitting the cold air. He moved his fingers to play with her breast as he sucked on the other one. He was excellent at giving them both the same amount of attention.

He swapped back and forth, her breasts being his only focus. He practically forgot his hips were rubbing against her leg until he felt pre-cum leaking out of his tip. His breath grew heavier as he sucked harder. His cock twitched in his boxers as he rubbed himself faster against her.

"Keep going, baby. Rub yourself until you cum in your pants. Make a mess, Jonathan," she instructed. He nodded but didn't disconnect himself from her breasts. He picked up his pace and chased the orgasm that he could feel building up.

"Such a good boy," she praised as she scratched his head. He whined around her nipple at the nickname.

She moaned as she could feel his mouth moving faster as his hips shook against her thigh. His body went tense and stiff for a few seconds, then he fell apart. His mouth popped off of her and he let out desperate loud whines. His hips rutted against her with no rhythm as he came inside his boxers.

"Let's get you cleaned up and finish this shoot, hm?" she asked as she sat up with him. She grabbed his hand and helped him off the couch. She smirked as he stumbled on his legs but trailed behind her.

Jonathan was definitely going to ask to work with her again.

#jonathan byers smut #jonathan byers x reader #jonathan byers stranger things #jonathan byers smut x reader #jonathan byers #Jonathan Byers x female reader #Jonathan Byers smut x female reader #jonathan byers request #ashwhowrites

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quixotical-lymbo · 5 months ago

Note

Hello there!😁

If u can of not, I would like to request MK, Wukong, &/or Macaque (U choose may choose who if u don't want to write all😊)x female reader headcanon that does photography(& maybe videography). They enjoyed it as a hobby as a child and continues on with age. Like taking videos or pictures with friends and family so she doesn't forget the good times.

Pairing: Wukong, Macaque, MK x fem!Reader Rating: SFW Warnings/Tags: Fluff, just fl u f f, and Macaque being a lil buttwipe. Word Count: 500+ words

WUKONG

☀️ ️If Wukong had a partner that regularly took photos then be prepared to have your camera roll be 65% full of his beautiful face.

☀️ He thinks your hobby is nice and would indulge in it to make you happy; you need a close up of a funny looking bug in that tree? Well, up you go! Oh, what's that? You couldn't catch up to the bird that keeps flying away? Have no fear, Wukong is here to help!

☀️ When you're not looking, he'll take your camera/and or camcorder and take secret photos/videos for you to find later. They'll either be full of sweet praises or silly jokes and close-up shots of him messing around in your room.

🍜 MK seems to be the type to appreciate every form of artistic expression, including photography. When he learns that you've had it as a hobby since you were a kid, he'll insist on being your muse or suggesting things for you to take photos of–cuz, y'know he's the type to think everything is an important memory to keep record of.

🍜 "Oh, oh, take this one! This one!"

🍜 "What about this one? It has four buttons on it!"

🍜 "Don't forget to take a pic of that corner of Pigsy's shop-!"

🍜 All in all, he's very happy when he looks in your album to find a lot of photos of him and you spending time together—MK's heart swells when he found that you even included a few of his suggestions in the album, but his face exploded when he found the photo of you kissing his cheek while he was distracted by something out of the shot.

MACAQUE

🌙 While he respects your craft, he doesn't understand your insistence on trying to snap pictures of him. Don't get him wrong, he'll allow you to take some photos of him if he accidentally photo bombs the shot, but more…intimate photos are a hard no from him (especially since he knows how much you scrapbook).

🌙 You could say he's embarrassed at the idea of coming across a lovey-dovey section of your collection of photos featuring the two of you. He can already hear the teasing comments from a certain group.

🌙 There have been times when you tried to sneak a few shots of him, but these plans were all thwarted as he disappeared before the shutter went off. He'd reappear behind you, kiss your cheek, then tauntingly say you'll probably get him next time.

🌙 And get him you did.

🌙 It was a random Tuesday when the two of you were chilling in your home/apt and a movie was playing on the TV. One thing led to another and you two began making out on the couch. Macaque was so into it that he didn't even feel you reach underneath the couch for your camera.

🌙 The shutter went off and Macaque just..laid there above you frozen, wide-eyed, with his cheeks flushed and hair all in disarray.

🌙 You had to beg and plea to keep the photo, but he relented after you promised you'll keep it out of the public's eye. No one else deserved to see that photo but you.

🍜 - I do not give permission for anyone to translate, copy, republish, or plagiarize any of my written works. I provide no permission for any of my literary works to be used in artificial intelligence. sparkle banner(s) by @adornedwithlight !!

#lmk x reader #lmk mk x reader #sun wukong x reader #macaque x reader #lmk sun wukong #lmk six eared macaque #request #thanks for requesting #kinda fluff

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purplephantomwolf · 7 days ago

Text

Love in Motion

Chapter Four

Synopsis: You are a normal college student until you get a wrong number text.

Note: This is not an accurate portrayal of how the real people in this act. I do not know them personally, so I will not be portraying them accurately.

Previous chapter: Chapter Three

Masterlist

I AM REWRITING THIS FROM AN OC STORY. IF I MISS ANYTHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN FIX IT! THIS IS CHAPTER 4 OF 5 OF ALREADY WRITTEN CHAPTERS.

April 22, 2022 7 pm Italy Time

Lando’s POV

I walk back to my drivers room from the media pen. I grab my phone, hoping to see messages from Y/n. I frown when I see no messages from her. “Why are you frowning? You’re starting P3 in the sprint tomorrow!” Jon asks, walking into the room.

“I was expecting a message from someone by the time qualifying ended, but I’ve got no messages,” I sigh.

“He’s expecting a message from a girl,” Daniel says, entering the room. I sigh and roll my eyes at him extending the word girl.

“Yeah,” I sigh, “We’ve been talking every day, so I’m not sure why I haven’t got any messages besides her good morning message. She’s a big F1 fan, so I assumed I’d get messages about qualifying like I did last time.”

Jon puts a hand on my shoulder, “I’m sure she’s just busy.”

“Yeah, she probably is in class or something,” I nod. Daniel and Jon nod along with me.

April 22, 2022 3 pm United States Time

Y/n’s POV

You grab your laptop, sitting down on the couch. You turn on the tv, pulling up qualifying for the Imola grand prix. Your plan is to look for photography jobs while qualifying is happening. You are having to watch a replay of qualifying because you had class all day. You grab your phone so you can text Luke throughout watching it.

You: I finally am free, so now I can watch qualifying. Stupid school getting in the way of my hobby.

You set my phone down, not expecting a message back because it’s 10 in Italy. Your phone vibrates immediately.

Luke: Oh good! I was getting worried after not hearing from you for hours.

You: Sorry, I had exams in two of my three classes today, so I wasn’t on my phone.

Luke: All good! Let me know what you think of qualifying!

You: Don’t worry, you’re going to be getting all my reactions as I watch it.

Luke: Oh good. I loved reading your comments after Australia.

You: Good, cause I’m not going to stop. You’re the only person I know who likes F1.

Luke: That sucks. Well, at least you have someone now.

You: Yeah!

You look up at the screen as Alex’s car catches on fire and a red flag is shown.

You: Holy shit! Alex’s brake is on fire!

Luke: Yeah, that sucks when it happens.

You: I can’t believe you say that so casually. I would be scared as hell.

Luke: Yeah, but these guys can’t be scared of these sorts of things, otherwise they’d never get in the car.

You: True.

As you wait for the red flag to finish, you head to the McLaren job website. You’ve been checking different Formula 1 team’s job sites to see if any of them post anything about needing a photographer. You sigh when y6ou don’t see any new postings. You switch over to the Red Bull site next. You see a new job posting and start to get hopeful. You click on it and the words “Red Bull Photographer” stare back at me. You immediately hit apply and start the application.

You look up at the screen when you hear the commentators say something about a yellow flag and Latifi.

You: Aww, Latifi spun. Williams just isn’t having a good day.

Luke: No, they didn’t.

You turn back to the application, filling everything out. You submit the application with your photo portfolio just as the commentators go “And Sainz in the wall!” Your head flings up to see Carlos’ car against the wall.

You: No!! Carlos hit the wall! Thank goodness he’s okay. I always get so worried about the drivers when they crash.

Luke: That’s so sweet of you. It’s always worrying when drivers crash.

You: Yeah. I hope you’re staying dry this weekend. Looks miserable out there.

Luke: I’m luckily in the hospitality all weekend.

You: That’s good. It’s bright and sunny here.

You: Hopefully it doesn’t rain too much during the races.

Luke: Hopefully, that would be good.

You watch as the cars come out on track for Q3. You groan as Kevin Magnussen crashes and causes another red flag.

You: How many red flags are there going to be?

Luke: You just see Magnussen crash?

You: Yeah, luckily it won’t be too long it looks like.

You: I still have 6 minutes left of Q3 but there’s 25 minutes left in the video. What happens?

You: Ohhh! Valtteri is off! And it’s another red flag.

Luke: Three red flags. It was an interesting qualifying.

You patiently wait for the red flag to lift. 15 minutes later the flag is lifted. You know you can skip until the flag is done, but you like watching everything you can on the sport. You groan when you see another red flag. You gasp and yell, “No!” It’s Lando who’s caused the red flag.

You: No! Lando crashed! Hopefully he’s okay! But hey! He’s starting P3 tomorrow!

Luke: He’s okay, happy to start P3 tomorrow.

You: Oh good! He did great today.

Luke: I should head to bed. It’s midnight here now.

You: Okay! Have a good night!

Luke: Good night, Y/n.

You turn off the tv and head into the kitchen to make some dinner.

April 23, 2022 9 am

You sit down on the couch as the five lights go out for the sprint race. “Oh no, what happened to you, Zhou?” you ask, seeing his car in the wall. “Ooohhh, contact with Pierre,” you hum, seeing Pierre limp around the track.

You: Poor Zhou and Pierre.

You: Zhou should’ve given Pierre more room, but it’s going to go down as a racing incident probably.

You: The fact that Carlos is fighting against Fernando, who is the driver he idolized as a child, is crazy.

You: Noooo, Perez passed Lando.

You: NO! Carlos! How could you do this to your bestie? How could you pass him?

You: Let’s go! Lando finished P5!

You set your phone down, standing up. You start cleaning your apartment, waiting to see if Luke responds any time soon.

You’ve just finished cleaning the bathroom when you hear your phone vibrate. You grab it, expecting to see Luke’s name. You frown when you see that it’s an email from a name you don’t recognise. Curious, you click it. You almost drop your phone in shock when you see the contents. “RED BULL WANTS AN INTERVIEW WITH ME!” You shriek. You’re shocked that they want an interview and the incredibly fast response time. You immediately respond to the email, wanting to set up a time as soon as possible for an interview. As soon as you get that figured out, you start pacing your apartment. “Oh my god, this is it. This could be you fulfilling your dream, Y/n. Don’t freak out,” you mumble to myself. Your phone vibrates, and you dive for it. You grin when you see a message from Luke.

Luke: I’m sure Lando would be grateful for your support if he knew you.

You: Hi, Luke!

Luke: Hi, Y/n. How has your day been?

You: It’s going amazing. I have an interview on Monday for a possible photography job.

Luke: That’s amazing! Congrats!

You: Thanks!

Luke: I’m sure you’ll do great.

You: Thanks! How’s the weather look in Imola tomorrow? More rain?

Luke: Lots of rain.

You: Damn, good luck to the drivers then.

Luke: They’ve driven in all kinds of weather, I’m sure they’ll be okay.

You: I hope so too.

Luke: What’s your plan for the rest of your day?

You: I’m finishing cleaning my apartment, then doing some homework. Can’t slack off for even a day or I’ll fall behind.

Luke: Damn, I really hope you get some free time soon.

You: I should, it’s almost the end of school. Just two more weeks.

Luke: Oh, that’s good!

You: Yep! What’s the plan for your night?

Luke: Well, just resting and preparing for the race and events tomorrow.

You: Okay! Have fun with that!

Luke: I will!

Lando’s POV

I pick up my phone, grinning when I see messages from Y/n. My disappointment from losing positions in the sprint disappears when I see she’s excited that I finished P5. I dive into a conversation with her, lounging on the bed to relax. We talk for a good hour before I feel myself start to fall asleep. I groan, wanting to spend more time talking to Y/n. I fight sleep for a couple minutes before it starts to take over.

Me: As much as I’d love to continue talking, it’s 9:30 here now and I’m fighting sleep.

Y/n: Okay! Good night Luke!

Me: Good night, Y/n!

April 24, 2022 8 am

Y/n’s POV

“And in Imola, we’re racing,” Will Buxton says. You grin, as Lando takes two places right off the bat. “And Sainz has been hit!” You gasp, seeing Carlos and Daniel in the gravel.

You: LET’S GO LANDO! TAKING TWO PLACES OFF THE BAT!

You: Oh no! Not Carlos and Daniel! It must be so hard to see with all that rain.

You: The drivers need little windshield wipers on their helmets.

You: It sucks that Carlos is beached.

You: Oh! Mick had a little trip through the grass too.

You: I could never be a race strategist. So many variables.

You bite your nails as Charles makes an attempt to pass Lando. “Charles, I swear if you take Lando out,” you say. You pout when Charles passes Lando, “Come on, Lando. You can do this.”

You: Aww, Mick spun again.

You: Stroll is worrying me going onto the wet part of the track on slicks.

You: I don’t want anyone to crash!

You: No! Charles! He crashed!

You: BUT THAT MEANS LANDO IS P3! LET’S GOOOO!

You: YESSS LANDO GOT P3!!!

You: Awww, his reaction on the radio is so cute.

You laugh as Lando appears on the screen, his hair sticking straight up. After the podium ceremony, you shut off the tv. You grab your laptop, setting up camp on the couch to work on homework and get ready for your interview tomorrow.

Lando’s POV

I step out of the conference room, still stinking of champaign. “All I want right now is a shower and sleep,” Max says, coming up next to me. I nod, making a noise of agreement. We walk back to our drivers rooms together. “See you later, Lando. Congrats again on your race,” Max says, waving bye.

“Thanks, Max. Congrats on your win,” I say, before heading into the room. I race for my phone, grinning when I see a string of messages from Y/n. I quickly read through them before replying.

Me: Lando is super happy with his final position.

Y/n: As he should be! He did amazing!

I almost send a thank you to her, before catching myself. “She doesn’t know she’s talking to you, idiot. Don’t mess it up now,” I mumble.

Me: He did.

Y/n: Any plans to go out and celebrate?

Me: Not tonight, I’ve got an early flight to catch. Celebrations will be later this week.

Y/n: Sounds like fun!

Me: Yeah! Now it’s time to head back to the hotel and get some sleep.

Y/n: Sounds like a fantastic idea. Sounds like a lot more fun than what I’m doing.

Me: What are you doing?

Y/n: I’m studying for my final in my java class.

Me: That sounds awful.

Y/n: It truly is miserable. But I’m getting through it.

Me: I’ll leave you to it then, I’m headed back to the hotel now and will probably fall asleep as soon as I sit down.

Y/n: Alright! Have a good night and sleep, Luke!

Me: Have a good day and study, Y/n. Good night.

I grab my stuff, heading for the hotel. As soon as I get back, I shower and fall into bed, quickly falling asleep.

Next chapter: Chapter Five

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Permanent tag list:

@sol3chu

@faithshouseofchaos

Story tag list:

@anotherapollokid

@freyathehuntress

@hadids-world

@doofenshmirtzevil-inc

@delululeclerc

#f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #f1 imagines #f1 story #lando norris #lando norris x you #lando norris x y/n #lando norris fanfic #lando norris x reader #lando norris imagine #f1 x y/n #f1 x female reader #f1 x you #f1 x reader

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sosa2imagines · 3 months ago

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You, me and Vegas! Part 16 (Epilogue)

Warnings- None.

After much contemplation, Peach and Bucky had decided to annul their drunk marriage. Both of them had realized that they wanted to start their relationship from a clean slate, without any rushed decisions hanging over their heads.

Bucky had been more than willing to go through with the annulment, as he knew it was the right thing to do. But secretly, as he watched Peach sign the papers, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.

As Peach signed the annulment papers, she couldn't deny the mix of emotions bubbling up within her. On the one hand, she felt a sense of relief, knowing that they were finally doing the right thing. But on the other hand, a pang of regret tugged at her heart as she watched Bucky stand silently beside her.

Both Peach and Bucky were aware that starting their relationship afresh, was the best way forward. They were excited about this new chapter in their lives.

The annulment process had been a necessary step, but it didn't alter the fact that they cared deeply for one another, and this new beginning was an opportunity to explore those feelings further.

After the annulment, Peach decided to continue living with Bucky in his apartment. They had already grown comfortable with each other's company, and besides, moving out seemed like too much effort.

So, they continued living under the same roof, their relationship transitioning from married to something more undefined.

Living together brought them closer, allowing them to learn more about each other's quirks and habits. And deep down, both of them secretly enjoyed the fact that they were still sharing a space.

Several months after the chaotic scene in city hall, Peach and Bucky, were now officially a couple.

Life had settled into a comfortable routine for Bucky and Peach. They had navigated the ups and downs of their relationship, and their love had only grown stronger.

As time passed, Peach's writing career started taking off. Her book gained, popularity and good reviews, and she found herself penning down her thoughts, freely with Bucky being her reviewer.

On the other hand, Bucky discovered a new job that not only paid well but also granted him ample free time. He was able to dedicate time to his hobby of photography, which he had always loved but could never fully pursue due to his previous work commitments and his parents.

Speaking of his parents, as expected, they continued to be a source of frustration for him. They attempted to meddle in his life once again, disapproving of Peach and their living arrangement. But Bucky was unyielding in his determination to live his life on his own terms.

He set clear boundaries with his parents, making it abundantly clear that he wouldn't tolerate any interference in his life, especially when it came to Peach. Bucky firmly asserted that he intended to decide how to live his life, without any outside influence or control from his parents.

His parents, while unhappy with Bucky's defiant stance, eventually had no choice but to respect his boundaries. They begrudgingly accepted that Bucky was an adult and was entitled to make his own choices, even if they didn't approve.

Bucky's unwavering determination to keep his parents at bay, allowed him and Peach to live peacefully and focus on their own lives and budding relationship, free from outside interference. And his parents thinks, they are still married.

Meanwhile Andy, had taken a break from work after the chaos in the city hall. But he made sure to keep a respectful distance from Peach, not wanting a repeat of the incident.

And as for the kid with the cat toy, he had become an unofficial member of their makeshift family, often tagging along on adventures.

Despite the initial chaos caused by their unexpected marriage and the subsequent annulment, Bucky and Peach were developing a strong bond. They continued to live together, enjoying each other’s presence and growing more comfortable around each other.

Bucky's protective nature and Peach's independent spirit clashed at times, causing a few disagreements, but they always managed to find a way to resolve their issues. Their mutual respect for one another's beliefs and values helped them navigate through any bumps in the road, strengthening their connection.

Their love was a slow burn, growing quietly but undeniably with every passing day. They shared moments both big and small, from lazy afternoons spent watching movies to quiet conversations on the roof at night.

They knew each other’s favorite take-out orders, the songs they sang in the shower, and the way they took their coffee. They would catch each other's gaze across a room and know exactly what the other was thinking, without a single word being spoken.

Bucky, who tended to hide his feelings behind a gruff exterior, slowly let his guard down around Peach. He would surprise her with little acts of kindness, like leaving a note on her pillow or making her breakfast in the mornings.

Peach, in turn, made Bucky laugh. She had a sharp wit and a habit of saying exactly what was on her mind. She would tease him for his overprotectiveness and gently nudge him out of his brooding moods.

Their love for each other kept on growing.

Every time Bucky and Peach passed by the chapel where they had gotten married, they would exchange a knowing smile and laugh. They had a running joke about how they had ended up there in the first place, and they never failed to find amusement in the memory.

Bucky, despite the chaos of their beginnings, was enjoying the moment, relishing in their relationship as it continued to grow. Though, in the back of his mind, he harbored a secret, hopeful thought – that one day, they would go back to that chapel sober, with proper vows and rings, to make it official for real.

Bucky would subtly glance Peach's way, watching for any sign that she was thinking the same thing he was. He was eager for the day when they could make good on their secret hope, but he didn't want to pressure her into anything.

Peach, sensing Bucky's hidden desire, occasionally gave him a sly smile. She knew exactly what was on his mind, but she was enjoying this slow burn, savoring the build-up to the future they both secretly longed for.

Bucky and Peach were sitting on a park bench, the setting sun painting the sky in hues of orange and pink.

Bucky's arm was draped over Peach's shoulders, his fingers idly playing with a strand of her hair. Peach was snuggled into his side, a small smile on her face.

As they watched the sun set, Bucky looked down at Peach and gently tucked the strand of hair he was playing with behind her ear.

“You know what I just realized?” he said, a lopsided grin on his face. “I still don't like Andy.”

Peach had a hearty laugh, “Please be civil with him, he only tried to help you.”

“Okay, okay…You know what else I just realized?” he said, again with lopsided grin on his face.

“What?” Peach asked, looking up at him with a curious expression.

Bucky leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before answering. “I can't imagine my life without you,” he said, his voice filled with a rare vulnerability. “You've made my life brighter, more exciting. I don't ever want to let you go.”

Peach's heart fluttered at his words, and she reached up to caress his cheek. “Good, because you're stuck with me,” she said, a hint of humor in her voice. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“I love you Peach.” “I love you Bucky.”

As the last streaks of sunlight faded, Bucky, unable to resist any longer, turned to face Peach. He gently cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin. She smiled up at him, her eyes reflecting the soft light of the setting sun.

Without a word, Bucky leaned in and captured her lips in a tender kiss. The world around them seemed to shrink away, leaving only the sensation of their lips meeting and the sound of their shared breaths.

Part 15 - ✅

Taglist- @imyourbratzdoll @blackhawkfanatic @ordelixx @sapphirebarnes @ilovetaquitosmmmm

@differenttyphoonwerewolf @vicmc624 @thezombieprostitute @nekoannie-chan

@emerald-writes @caplanbuckybarnes

@redbloodedgurl @cjand10 @chemtrails-club @slutforchrisjamalevans @gracescor3

@ghostlythinggoingaround @princezzjasmine @3xclusivemariii @ephemeral-oasis @zuri-767-666

@geeky-politics-46 @dexter99 @calwitch

@caplanreblogsfics @winterslove1917

@pono-pura-vida @renegadesgirl1991 @iwudbutnah @ghalouha @sebastians-love @saranghaey @greatmistakes @baw1066

@bucks-babe @lolzies123r @kandis-mom @purplecolordeer @avioletkurt

@unaxv @pattiemac1 @lovely-geek @hzdhrtss

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan characters #sebastian stan fic #sebastian stan fanfiction #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes x reader angst #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes x reader fluff #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes series

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lilghostiequinni · 7 months ago

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Not the Only One

Main Masterlist Lestappen Masterlist

Pairing: Norris!female oc (Lea) x Max Verstappen x Charles Leclerc

Warnings: Fluffy,

Summary: She comes to Formula One as a photographer. Well, kind of. She's something else but a photographer nonetheless, but for three teams, she takes photos.

Requested: NO / yes (Saturday Poll)

The better part of all 10 teams was gathered in one of the many conferencing rooms in the F1 headquarters; every team had its own little section.

"Alright, well, we have a new member joining, she is a photographer to all teams, partially and three teams full time," Stefano says to the group of teams in the room as he walks in, a woman following behind.

"She is already assigned to one team of her choice. The other two will be determined via her terms," Stefano says, moving to the side for the woman to come forward.

"This is Lea, Lea Norris. She will also be taking team photos and the grid photo for this year's beginning," Stefano says, pointing to the woman as he does.

"Hello, I'm Lea. The team of my choosing was McLaren. I brought it up to Stefano about how to determine the other two teams I will be working for, and that is a charity race for what ever charity you choose. Any questions?" Lea asks the grid, and a few hands go up.

Lea pointed to Alex Albon, "How are you related to Lando? He never mentions you."

"Well, I'm his twin sister, his more successful little twin sister," Lea walks over to Lando and wraps her arms around his neck, and he holds her arms with his hands.

Carlos raises his hand next, "I would like to point out that I knew of you, just not what you do?"

Lea smiles, and Lando shakes his head, "She co-owns Quadrant with me because she can do the behind-the-scenes better than I can. She also owns her own clothing brand, Leona & Odan, also owning the multi-million dollar company Leletics, the company that makes many parts of the liveries and other things. Let's not forget her athletic ability," Lando says; he does an eye roll at the end but still has a smile.

"That is all true. I own the fashion company Leona & Odan, along with the company Leletics, which is also a design company not just for livery parts and 'stuff.' I also co-own Quadrant with my brother, but I am never on camera because I don't want to. I am also athletic. I do ballet and a few other sports myself. I am terrible at golf, though," Lea says, letting go of her brother to walk back to the front of the room.

She stands at the front of the room, watching the drivers.

"Why are you doing this?" Comes from the Mercedes team.

"Because I need a change of pace. I do what I love every day, but there is only so much I can do about my hobbies, such as photography. Also, I may have punched one of the chairmen to Leletics because he was there for a few years and still thought I was an assistant and not the CEO. He tried to do something that shouldn't be done, and I may have punched him a little too hard," Lea says with a fake smile on her face.

"Someone tried to touch you! Was it that asshole Brason?" Lando demands in big brother mode.

"It's fine, Lando, later, please," Lea begs her brother; Lando clenches his jaw but backs down.

For the next hour, she answers all the questions on what she is to do before she gets a question from one Max Verstappen, "So, what are we to do for this race?"

"The race is to determine what other two teams I'll technically work for, and for charity, the two teams to win will get to give 1 million dollars to a charity of their choosing. McLaren will also be competing because they don't want them left out, but they won't get anything if they win; a charity of their choice will still get a million dollars, and the charities of the rest of the teams will still get half a million dollars, each." Lea says before she continues. "Listen, I know it sounds bad because you don't even know what I can do, but I just want to give back, and I... I don't really know how to explain myself to you. I just want to do what got me started, talking pictures of racing."

It was basically a mock race in Silverstone; liveries were provided to each team, so everyone was on the same playing field as the racers; there was a single level of qualifying and a single free practice to get familiar with the car.

In the last laps of the race, it was pretty clear that the two other teams would be Red Bull and Ferrari, but Mercedes was still in the running for the third team, attempting to over take Ferrari.

But in the end, it was Ferrari that just barely beat Mecades as Carlos passed Hamilton.

Later that day, Formula One announced the addition of a three-team photographer, and the day after, McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari announced themselves as the three teams for the newest photographer

Lea proved herself, too, to all the teams, not just the three that had become her job, that she was capable of taking the necessary photographs in the sport of Formula One.

It was no surprise to her brother, though, when she showed up at Woking with a helmet for her brother, one he sort of forgot about. Just barely remembered a helmet design he told her for the 2024 season, so she designed it but did not tell him she designed it, giving it to him before testing as a surprise.

A/N: So, Lestappen won, but I will check later when the poll ends and post a thing about which two get one shot in a week. There will also be a part two posted in Week 3, it will take place in Maimi, Imola, and Monaco of the current season. This didn't have much Lestappen content, but in the next one it will.

Tags: If you want to be added to the lists or a single list, let me know

#formula 1 #f1 #max verstappen #cl16 #mv33 #mv1 #charles leclerc #lestappen #lestappen fic #lestappen x reader #lestappen fanfiction #lestappen x you #formula one #formula 1 imagine #formula one 2024 #f1 2024

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mylahrins · 15 days ago

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01. road trip? road trip!

“are you sure you guys want to come?”

akaashi was in the kitchen with kuroo, packing some snacks for the road last minute.

“you’re asking that now? after everyone’s already packed?” a grin adorns kenma’s face as he scrolls through his phone,

“i just want to make sure!” you smile, as bokuto opens the front door, ready to take more suitcases to the car.

“is it just these last two?” he asks to which akaashi rushes over and hands him one more bag.

“that should be it! but maybe we should double check we packed everything? hyogo is quite the drive”

“you’ve already overpacked a whole lot ‘kaashi” kuroo laughs, slinging an arm over his shoulder to which he rolls his eyes to.

“if we need anything we can just stop to buy it.” you reassure him.

“okay then, that should be it.” he sighs, putting his hands on his hips, feeling accomplished.

“great!” kenma says sarcastically as he rolls off the couch, “that only took 2 hours.”

“to the car everyone!” bokuto cheered, leading the way with his suitcases.

just the night before, kuroo found a photography competition online. life was nice being independently wealthy and all, but it was boring. for weeks you had been trying to new hobbies to entertain yourself, but nothing had helped you out of your slump. until, kuroo sent you the link to the competition. you’re sure that he was joking when he said that you should join, but you saw this as a great, new opportunity.

photography was an old passion of yours, you were part of the yearbook club in high school and spent most of your time with a camera. seeing that your old camera still worked years later, you knew it was a sign. so you decided to text the groupchat, letting your friends know your plans to leave tokyo. ever so supportive, they all offered and asked to tag along, which you agreed to with ease.

so now, you were all getting ready to leave tokyo together for a 7 hour drive to your hometown in hyogo. the theme for the competition was one word: nostalgia and there was no better place with more memories than the smalltown you grew up in. also, it had been years since you visited home and family, so this was the perfect excuse to do so.

“buckle up!” kuroo said, starting the car.

kenma sat in the passenger seat, whilst you sat in the back with bokuto and akaashi. you were thankful when akaashi volunteered to sit in the cramped middle seat.

“are we ready?” kuroo asks despite already steering out of the driveway.

kenma covers himself with a blanket to catch up on much needed sleep, while akaashi pulls out a book and starts reading, sharing earbuds and listening to music with bokuto.

“you ready to go mimi?” bokuto grins as he talks to his dog in his lap, petting her as she falls asleep. bokuto was hesitant to join the road trip since no one could dogsit mimi, but you assured him that mimi could come-with as you’d all be staying with your grandma rather than a hotel. volleyball happened to be off-season so it was all very convenient for him.

you glance outside your window, watching as the familiar sights start to change. you can’t help but wonder what it’d be like back home. it’s been years. were there new buildings? there were definitely going to be new people—but what about the old people? those who helped make high school bearable, could they still be found were your fondest memories reside?

you sigh, laying your head on akaashi’s shoulder. growing up often meant growing apart, not just with others but yourself as well. while you loved to reminisce of old memories, some things, some people were meant to be left in the past. would seeing old buildings and familiar sights bring you to the person you used to be? you figured it didn’t matter what happened in the past, as in this very moment you were surrounded by people you love. so you let those thoughts rest, and shut your eyes.

masterlist |next, 02. to the gas station! | back

author note: ahhh!!! so it starts... like i said i plan on writing more in this fic. there will little hints of a smau at the end of each chapter though (probably...) i know this is a pretty short start but we gotta start slow!! lmk what you think!! also this is like semi-proof read so... bear with me!!!

taglist: @from-mae @littlemiyastars @yenonnoff @jojo23allegra @milesmoralesluvs @vertejay

taglist form (sign up to join!!)

#mylahwrites!!#atsumu fanfic #atsumu #miya atsumu x you #haikyuu atsumu #atsumu miya #atsumu x reader #miya atsumu #hq atsumu #atsumu fluff #haikyuu x you #haikyuu!!#haikyu #haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyu x reader #haikyu fluff #haikyuu smau #haikyuu smau series

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vanillablankcanvas · 9 months ago

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Part 10 Trolls Headcanons/ Theories/ Thoughts/ Ideas

This may be my last headcanons list, my friends. Will still do art and stuff but I am fresh outta ideas.

Part1 Part2 Part3 Part4 Part5 Part6 Part7 Part8 Part9

Enjoy 💕

Sub Tribes - KPop/Reggaeton/Yodelers/Chaz etc. there's not many of them around because they came from overseas.

King Peppy - Didn't tell Poppy about Viva because he was in the early stages of dementia. (Canon?) For a while he thought Poppy WAS Viva. By the time he realised his 'mistake', Poppy was already grown.

Vacay Island - the brothers sometimes help Bruce at his restaurant. They have name tags with funny 'work names'. Flood, Big Fish, Classy, and Big Brunch. Viva and Poppy have done the odd shift as well, as Pinky and Vista. 😝

Brozone - they became world famous, argued and left BEFORE the cage went around the Pop Troll Tree. (Canon?)

Brozone - there was a rumoured 'unfinished' Brozone song that was supposed to be released after that tour. John finally finishes it and the brothers offer to sing it for Poppy's bridal entrance song. Poppy immediately faints. In my head the song is 'Helpless When She Smiles' by The Backstreet Boys

Brozone - whatever the Trolls equivalent of the Superbowl is, I feel like Bruce and JD would be very into it. Jerseys and face paint and everything.

Bruce - cameras make him self-conscious. If he is in a group he can tolerate it but hates being the only one in the photo.

Bruce - has caught his kids trying to do the Brozone dance routines. He tries to stay out of it best he can and let them have their fun but then they ask him to teach them and doesn't he just melt.

Bruce - has a wedding ring but it is Vacationer sized. He keeps it in his hair mostly but will braid it into his hair like an accessory for special occasions.

Bruce - 100% certain Poppy and Branch's first born would be a boy. "We're a family of five brothers! It took Brandy and I thirteen tries to have a daughter. Trust me, I have no doubt your first egg will absolutely be a boy." *They have a girl* Bruce 😑

Floyd - can only sleep comfortably near an open window. Sometimes can only sleep sitting up.

Floyd - will randomly stare off into space or mutter to himself.

Floyd - *clears throat* I ship Floom! 💕🏳️‍🌈

Floyd - can't stick to new hobbies for very long, he hyperfixates for a week or two then gets bored. Macrame, candle making, soap making, jewelry making, photography are some examples.

Clay - his brothers collectively tried to convince him that he was the adopted brother.

Clay - is quite squeamish. The sight of vomit, open wounds and bodily fluids; Clay will absolutely pass out. Snotty babies make him very uncomfortable.

Clay - gets Viva to braid his hair out of his face only when something really serious is happening *cracks neck* "Viva?" "Yah?" "Braid me" "Yes, Sir." Shwoooop

Clay - Found out the Classical Trolls have a library larger the Pop Village. "Viva, they have a whole wing dedicated to tragedies! Tragedies, Viva!"

Clay - okay, so he and Viva have never been a couple, even if he ever considered it, their work came first and he didn't want to jeopardize what they had. Buuuuuuuttt the thought that another Troll could one day be Viva's person, that she would go to them instead of him for comfort or ideas or laughs or safety or hugs... it makes Clay feel... weird.

Clay - at some point is named some kinda Troll magazines most eligible bachelor. Bro was in a boyband, co-runs a society of survivors, runs a business, is close friends with royalty, has been knighted, has a license to practice accounting and was part of the only known Perfect Family Harmony. He's apparently a hot commodity now.

John Dory - takes night classes to finally get his highschool diploma. Is too embarrassed to tell anyone until he graduates.

John Dory - doesn't get sick often. But when he does, he keeps going to the point of exhaustion.

John Dory - has indeed crossed paths with Delta Dawn before. Both of them have very different versions of the story. "I serenaded her." "The fool was whining something from the inside of a jail cell."

John Dory - has been known to sleep with his eyes open. Freaks people out.

John Dory - will drink milk straight from the carton and put it back in the fridge.

John Dory - teaches Bruce's kids all the swear words and does in fact tell them his rendition of where eggs come from.

Viva - tries to hide sadder feelings from Poppy. Worried that Poppy won't want to hang out with her if she isn't fun.

Poppy - sometimes feels guilty, if things had been different, Viva would have been Queen. Viva tries to reassure Poppy that she is "The right Troll for the role." 👍🏻 Also Viva tries to argue that they both technically get be Queens now anyway.

Guy Diamond - Trolls have eggs when they have powerful feelings of love. Guy Diamond was able to have Tiny because he loves himself so much.

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ghostmoonbutterfly · 7 months ago

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Добрый день жителям Tumbler!

Я хочу начать вести свой блог. Сюда буду публиковать свои работы, свое творчество, мысли и моменты из жизни. Блог будет максимально наполненный позитивными во��нами. Я хочу передать людям через свое творчество частичку радости, тепла и света.

Теперь давайте знакомиться. Меня зовут Екатерина (для близких лисёнок). Почему так называют? Потому, что мой родной цвет волос рыжий:) Ну и потому, что мне свойственно любопытство, игривость и некоторые привычки немного вести себя по-детски. Ребенок я в душе) Хотя уже взрослая девушка 22 годика. Я работаю лаборантом и параллельно обучаюсь на 5 курсе университета.

Люблю творчество во всех его проявлениях. Мои хобби это: рисовка эскизов тату, скетчинг и арты. Рисую я всегда своими руками без использования графики.

Регулярно хожу на тренировки в спортзал. Сижу на правильном питании ( но иногда люблю устраивать разгрузочные дни).

Я человек который ценит внутренний мир. Если внутри человека живёт целая Вселенная, то и внешне он прекрасен. Однако здесь много исключений)

Так же я люблю читать книги. Именно бумажные и часто заказываю на озоне. В основном это классика, фантастика, психология.

Очень люблю слушать музыку. Зарубежный рок и да, классику. Спокойные плейлисты для медитаций и релакса на Ютубе.

Люблю природу. Увлекаюсь фотографированием и хочу передать через камеру всю полноту красок жизни.

Надеюсь я найду здесь единомышленников по интересам. Будет в любом случае интересно.

Ссылка на тг канал: https://t.me/Ghost_butterfly9

Good afternoon Tumbler residents!

I want to start my blog. Here I will publish my work, my creativity, thoughts and moments from life. The blog will be maximally filled with positive waves. I want to pass to people through my creativity a part of joy, warmth and light.

Now let's get acquainted. My name is Catherine. Why do they call me that? Because my native hair color is red:) Well, and because I am inherent curiosity, playfulness and some habits a little bit to behave childishly. I am a child at heart) Although already a grown-up girl 22 years old.

I work as a lab technician and I am studying at the 5th year of university.

I love creativity in all its manifestations. My hobbies are: drawing tattoo sketches, sketching and art. I always draw with my own hands without using graphics. I regularly go to the gym for workouts. I eat a healthy diet (but sometimes I like to take some days off).

I love nature. I am fond of photography and want to convey through the camera the fullness of the colors of life.

I'm a man who values inner peace. If the whole universe lives inside a person, then he or she is beautiful on the outside. But there are many exceptions. I also like to read books. It is paper books and I often order them on ozone. Mostly they are classics, fiction, psychology, and esotericism.

I really like listening to music. Foreign rock and yes, classical. Calm playlists for meditation and relaxation on YouTube.

I hope I will find like-minded people of interest here. It will be interesting anyway 🌠💫✨

#русский tumblr #русский блог #русский текст #анкета #english tumblr #english #questionnaire

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odyssean-flower · 8 months ago

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The Winding Path of Fate Chapter 12 - Summer: Photos

Masterpost

Pairing: Neuvillette x Female Reader Summary: The date has ended successfully, but it also brought about an unexpected turn of events

Warnings: None except for the fact that this story is 50% written based on vibes Note: This chapter isn't beta'd so sorry in advance for any typos or rough edges Note 2: If you want to be on the taglist for this fic, please make a reply to this post, send a message or send a private ask

Have a pic of Neuvillette enjoying some tea

Previous | Next

“My dear Iudex, are my eyes deceiving me, or is that a smile on your face?”

Neuvillette raised his gaze from the documents spread out before him. Furina was standing on the other side of his desk. Of course, he had heard her enter his office before she even spoke, but he was so used to her unannounced intrusions these days that he treated it as a part of his daily routine now. I only hope that she makes this quick. I have a rather heavy agenda today, and I would like to return home before dark.

Furina leaned over his desk, her heterochromatic eyes eagerly scanning the desk for some sort of incriminating evidence to grab onto. Of course, she found none. Neuvillette wasn’t so foolish that he would make such a careless mistake.

“Hmph, I didn’t know that paperwork could inspire such a joyous expression on one’s face. What a contrast you make with the Gestionnaires outside your door! You really must get out more.”

“My dear Iudex, are my eyes deceiving me, or is that a smile on your face?”

“Hmph, I didn’t know that paperwork could inspire such a joyous expression on one’s face. What a contrast you make with the Gestionnaires outside your door! You really must get out more.”

“Indeed, I have, thanks to your urging. I believe you’ve already read the note I left you.”

“Ah, yes, that sorry excuse for a note,” Furina sniffed. “‘Will be away for a day due to personal reasons.’ No mention of where you’re going or who you’ll be with.”

“I see no reason why I should have included either of those things. I followed all the necessary protocol for requesting leave, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

“Oh, I am. I’m overjoyed to hear that you’ve been picking up new hobbies lately. It must be the influence of your new wife. If only you’d allow me to meet this remarkable woman so I can thank her.”

“New hobbies? Whatever do you mean?” Neuvillette ignored that last part.

“Why, your new hobby of photography, of course!” Furina propped her head on her hands, affecting an air of nonchalance, but her eyes gleamed like a cat that had a tantalizing mouse set in its sights. It was a look that Neuvillette was all too familiar with. “I’ve heard whispers that you’ve sent off a large number of photos to be developed, and that you’ve gone on a recent shopping spree for photo albums. Your day-off seems to have been very fulfilling.”

“It was, indeed,” Neuvillette nodded. His face gave nothing away. This was also not a surprise and was in fact well within his expectations. He had felt the gaze of Furina’s spies more frequently as of late, but it was not a difficulty for him to evade them. The one who developed the photos for him was a trusted agent of the Marechausee Phantom, and the envelope which contained the finished products (which he had fortunately received well before Furina’s intrusion into his office) hadn’t been tampered with.

“Oh, I know it was. A boat ride on the sea, huh? How romantic! I didn’t know you had it in you, Neuvillette. All those romance novels I’ve supplied you with seem to have paid off. Oh, if only there had been someone there that day to take a commemorative photo of such an astonishing sight, the Iudex taking a human out on a date!”

Neuvillette went very still. “Get to the point,” he said, his voice cold.

Furina’s grin widened. The cat was getting ready to pounce. “It just so happens that a subordinate of mine was out at sea on the very same day that you were out and saw that astonishing sight for himself,” she took out a photo from her pocket and slapped it onto his desk. It was a clear picture of him helping his wife off the boat after they returned to the docks at the Court of Fontaine.

Neuvillette’s blood ran cold. How could this have happened?

“Not the most fashionable, is she?” Furina peered at the photo. “I don’t recognize her, so she must not come from a very important family, either. But putting that aside, what a charming couple the two of you make! Honestly, Neuvillette, I do wonder how--”

"Leave my office. Now.” Neuvillette’s palms slammed against his desk as he rose to his full height, causing Furina to back up a few steps despite herself. He felt an absurd urge to cover the photo with his hands, to protect the image of you from the scrutinizing gaze of an outsider. “You've seen her face now. Be satisfied with that and resign yourself to the fact that you will never meet her.”

A startled expression appeared on Furina’s face before it was quickly replaced with a smug smile.

“My, my, Neuvillette,” she purred before plopping herself down on the couch next to his desk and crossing her legs. “I would reconsider, if I were you.”

"Have I not told you to leave—”

“Now that I know what your wife looks like, it’ll take very little effort on my part to find out who she is soon enough. My network of informants is extensive, as I know you’re aware. But I’m a magnanimous god, so I shall give you a week to think it over. If you won’t allow me to meet your wife by that time, then I’ll have to take matters into my own hands and find her myself.”

“You wouldn’t dare. I had expected better of you.”

“Oh, don’t give me that!” Furina suddenly stood up and marched over to his desk. “You’re the one who won’t agree to a simple meeting! I’d expect you to be more grateful, considering how I’m the one who pushed you to get married! If it weren’t for me, you would never have even thought of approaching this woman, who you clearly care for a great deal, and you’d probably spend the next five hundred years continuing to mope about on your own, never knowing what you could have had!”

There was a long, tense silence after her rant. “Are you finished here?” Neuvillette said, struggling to suppress the violent tempest of emotions swirling inside his heart.

“I suppose I am,” Furina stood up. “By the way, Neuvillette, you should be thankful that it was a subordinate of mine who took this photo and gave it directly to me, and not someone from those third-rate tabloids you despise so much. I’d love to see you ignore that scandal away.”

Neuvillette said nothing, simply glaring at her. His hands were curled into fists at his sides.

“See you in a week, my dear Iudex. Do pass on my regards to your wife.”

After saying that, Furina spun around and strode towards the door. It was only after the door closed behind her firmly that Neuvillette leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

Torrential rain beat against the large window behind him. He wanted to walk into it, to wade into the sea.

I was too negligent, he cursed himself in his head. I should have been more careful.

Throughout his long career, he had become adept at evading reporters and paparazzi. And yet, somehow, this happened.

Anger and fear gripped his heart. He didn’t care what the papers said about him. But the thought of you becoming fodder for them was intolerable.

The sight of your tear-filled eyes had been like daggers to his heart. He never wanted to see them again.

He took a sip of water (imported from the frozen rivers of Snezhnaya) to cool his head and gazed at the painting hanging near his desk. By a fortunate twist of fate, you hadn’t signed it. However, its usual calming efficacy was diminished today.

Neuvillette had wanted to look at the photos again during his break, but now he was too on edge to even think of opening his desk drawer and taking the envelope out. It felt like just the act of it would be exposing its contents to danger, even though he knew that was irrational.

He could sense the clouds covering the sun outside the window behind him. There would be a downpour on this fine evening, and he silently apologized to the people of Fontaine, and especially to a certain young lady who was doubtless in the garden right about now.

The sooner I finish my work, the sooner I can return home, he thought, in a vain attempt to calm himself. And give the photos to her. I know she has been waiting for them eagerly. I’m sure she’ll be overjoyed…

Unconsciously, his feet began tapping against the floor.

This can still be salvaged, he told himself. Nothing has happened yet. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her peace.

Switching back into work mode, Neuvillette sat up once more—and let out a pained grunt. His hair had gotten caught in the cracks of his chair.

“Where is this rain coming from? It was clear just a few minutes ago,” you grumbled as you stared up at the lead-colored sky. It had been a beautiful day like it had been for weeks, but for some reason, the clouds decided to unleash their water just as you had finished taking the daily sunflower measurements.

I bet Neuvillette is enjoying this, you thought as you went to stand under the eaves. It hasn’t rained in quite a while.

“Madame, it’s raining,” Marie opened the porch door. “You didn’t get wet, did you?”

“Just a little bit, but it’s nothing too bad. Marie, could you fetch me my umbrella?”

“You’re still planning to garden in this weather, Madame?”

“I just want to take one last look. I’ll be done soon.”

After Marie gave you your umbrella, you marched back out to the plot of sunflowers again.

The sunflowers were coming along nicely. They now reached the height of your hip and formed small, tightly closed buds. There were no yellow petals peeking through yet, but you were confident that they would appear in the coming weeks.

You brushed your fingers against the leaves. They were the size of your palm now. You could see little bug bites dotting them. Perhaps you should ask Marie if there were any pesticides on hand.

It was the evening hours now, though the sun had been in the sky until a few moments ago. Neuvillette should be back by now. Maybe he had a lot of work today? You couldn’t help but feel a sting of disappointment. You had been looking forward to showing him the buds.

It had been a week since the date. Neuvillette had sent the photos out to be developed, and you would be getting them today. You were a bit excited to see them. I don’t think I’ve ever taken so many pictures in my life.

After you finished taking the last measurements, you returned to the house and went up to your room. Your eyes automatically went to the plump azure flower tucked into a vase on your desk. It brought a vibrant splash of color to your elegant but sparse room, and you liked looking at it. It gave you a sense of pleasure. You wondered where Neuvillette put his flower.

I wonder if it would deflate like a balloon if I stuck a pin into the middle, you thought as you sniffed the flower’s cool fragrance. That would make it easier to press, wouldn’t it?

Perhaps it was because you talked about pressing flowers on the date, but it had been on your mind lately. Your fingers itched for your old flower press, sitting in your closet back home. The lily would look striking against a white page. If only you picked some of those wildflowers you had seen on Erinnyes and in Merusea Village... they could serve as accompaniment to the lily, which would obviously be the centerpiece, and a strand of blue leaves from the Weeping Willow could be the finishing touch, forming a wreath that framed everything neatly. It would be a beautiful memento of one of the most magical days in your life.

We picnicked together and took pictures of each other; he showed me all sorts of sights…he even held me in his arms…and I cried in front of him… Gah…

You resisted the urge to bury your face in your hands. The memories of what you said and done still mortified you a week later. It had been even worse when you got home and was left alone in your bedroom. How you got to sleep that night, you didn’t know.

You would rather take a dive into the sea than cry in front of people, especially someone like Neuvillette. But on the other hand, if you had to cry, you would rather it be in front of him. Not your parents, not even your sister, but him. You weren’t sure why.

Neuvillette hadn’t said anything comforting or encouraging, and his hug was honestly a bit stiff and awkward, like he wasn’t used to doing such things. And yet, you felt as though the weight on your shoulders had been lightened just a bit. It wasn’t until then that you realized how you were barely holding yourself up by sheer force of will, like a sunflower with shallow roots and a too-heavy head, on the verge of falling over without a support.

Neuvillette never brought up that moment again, for which you were grateful. Although, even now you still couldn’t really look at him without a tingling sensation in your heart. He, on the other hand, seemed unchanged. Well, of course he would be. It would be problematic if he did start treating me differently, you told yourself.

You knew very well that you were not the type of person who people like Neuvillette would think of as a romantic partner, much less a wife. But still, after what you had observed of him and what you heard from the Melusines, you thought that it’d be nice if he did have someone like that. After the divorce, Furina would no doubt start pestering him even harder to find a spouse. It would be smart for him to start finding someone soon. He would probably have to wait a bit before remarrying, though.

Neuvillette should definitely find someone who’s more of a romantic than me, you laughed at yourself.

Unfortunately, you were out of your depth when it came to matters of matchmaking. But still, maybe you could keep an eye out for a potential partner. What was Neuvillette’s type, anyways? That would make for an interesting topic to investigate.

You decided to put this thought aside for now. Neuvillette told you that he wanted to take you to a restaurant next time. You had no idea where he would take you. His taste in food was so peculiar, after all. But you were sure that it would be a high-class, excellent restaurant, wherever it was. You would have to get some suitable clothes for the occasion. I want to make a better effort next time.

Neuvillette had given you a quite frankly exorbitant amount of spending money. Maybe it was finally time to use it.

Perhaps it’s a bit pointless…but I still want to do it.

You sat in your window seat, daydreaming about how your second “date” with Neuvillette would go as you gazed at the setting sun, now peeking out of the clouds after the sudden spell of rain had passed.

Neuvillette finally returned home by the time the sky was dark. You had already eaten dinner without him and was reading in the parlor when you heard the front door open.

“Neuvillette,” you called out to him as you went into the foyer. “You came home so late. Did something happen?”

As you approached him, you noticed how tired and tense he looked. But the fatigue in his face seemed to vanish as he fixed his eyes on you, replaced by something that was almost like relief.

“Madame,” he greeted you. “My apologies for worrying you. I had a rather busy day. I hope you’ve already eaten dinner?”

“I have. But have you eaten? If not, I can warm up the leftovers for you, or I can ask Marie to cook something fresh if that’s what you prefer.”

“I’ve already eaten, but thank you for the consideration. Have you gone out today?”

“No,” you shook your head, and Neuvillette visibly relaxed. You definitely didn’t imagine that.

But before any suspicions could form, he spoke again.

“Madame, I have a surprise for you,” he took a pause there. It took you a moment to realize that he was doing it for dramatic effect. So even he has that side to him...how cute, you thought, trying to hide your smile. “I received the developed photos today.”

He took out an envelope from his coat pocket and handed it to you. “They turned out quite well, I must say,” he added.

The envelope was thick and heavy. You must have taken more than a hundred photos.

You decided to look through them in the parlor. Neuvillette followed you, and the two of you sat side by side on the couch as you spread the photos out on the coffee table. He was right, they did turn out well. You had been a bit worried that they might come out blurry or at odd angles, but overall, they all looked pretty good, considering the fact that you hadn’t used a Kamera in a long time.

“You have a very good eye for photography, Madame,” Neuvillette remarked as he picked up a photo of the Weeping Willow. “Have you considered pursuing a career in that field?”

“Oh, not at all. My old drawing teacher was much better at it than me, enough to make a living out of it, and she taught me a few tricks.”

“‘Was’? Do you mean...” Neuvillette trailed off.

“Yes. It was a few years ago.”

“Ah...I see. I'm sorry to hear that.”

There was a brief, awkward silence. Neuvillette looked as though he wanted to say something more. You would rather not deal with that, so your eyes roamed around the scattered photos on the table until they landed on something silver. “Oh, my pictures of you!” you said, leaning forward to grab them. “See, what did I tell you, Neuvillette. There’s nothing more picturesque than beautiful scenery and a handsome man.”

Neuvillette leaned closer towards you to examine the photos for himself. His hair brushed against your shoulder, and you could feel the heat of his body against your arm. A thought suddenly struck you. If you turned your head right now, your lips would brush against his cheek in the same spot where you had kissed it before.

Inexplicably, your face turned warm at the thought. The back of your hand tingled.

Perhaps things didn’t quite remain the same after the date.

It truly had been a spur of the moment move. Your roiling emotions, aided by the instigation of the Melusines, had pushed you to do it.

Later that night, as you laid in bed, your mind replaying that scene over and over to an infuriating degree, you had rifled through all the emotions you had felt at that time. Embarrassment, disbelief, a strange sort of elation…

But the one emotion that had been missing no matter how hard you searched for it, was regret.

Overt acts of affection had never been your forte, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

Well, cheek kisses don’t inherently mean anything significant, you had told yourself. Friends do it with each other all the time. And Neuvillette is my friend. A very dear friend. So it’s perfectly fine. Case closed.

Indeed, Neuvillette didn’t seem to look at you or treat you any differently after the fact, so why should you? No doubt he was used to receiving such acts of intimacy—most likely even more intimate—from people who were far more glamorous than you. A brief brush of lips against his cheek probably meant nothing to him.

As for the hand kiss, well, that was something that gentlemen like him did. It also didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t.

The thought that these kisses were all meaningless did sting a little bit, but considering the circumstances, you had no right to complain.

“I must confess that I do not see what makes these pictures any better than the ones you took of the scenery,” Neuvillette’s voice interrupted your thoughts. His eyes were fixed on the photo, so thankfully he didn’t notice your reddened cheeks. “Or of the Melusines, for that matter.”

“Well, even if you don’t appreciate them, I do. I’ll treat them like a family treasure.”

“A family treasure? That’s a bit excessive, is it not?”

“I don’t think so. These are pretty rare items, aren’t they?”

Since Neuvillette didn’t appear in public much, there were not many pictures of him outside of the rare interview and official events. Hmm, I wonder how much they’ll sell for? Not that I would ever do that, of course. …Well, maybe if I’m in dire financial straits. I’ll ask for Neuvillette’s permission beforehand if it ever comes to that.

You went through the remaining photos. Each one sparked a memory. The Weeping Willow, the sea, Merusea Village underwater—you really had been to all those places. With Neuvillette, no less. The entirety of that day was only known to the two of you.

The days after your date had been so mundane and normal that you were half-convinced that it had all been a strange dream. Thoughts and memories were such mutable things, after all. Someone like you on a date with the Chief Justice? Not even in your wildest delusions would something like that ever happen. But these pictures were proof that it did.

You knew that you would probably think back on that day for the rest of your life, holding it close to your chest like a treasured gemstone and taking it out whenever times got tough. A sparkling memory of your youth that you would smile back fondly upon in your autumn years, a lone glimmering star in the dark that would inspire you move forward…

Wait, why am I getting so sappy and sentimental? Just because of a date? Ugh, come on now.

You glanced at Neuvillette, who was currently enjoying a glass of water (imported from Inazuma). You doubted that he felt the same way as you about the date. It was probably just like a drop of water in a vast ocean to him.

That thought pricked at you, but you chose to ignore it.

You sifted through the pictures until you came across a certain snapshot. Just as you were about to flip it over, a gloved finger pressed down against the photo, stopping you.

“This one is my favorite,” Neuvillette said. Once again, his face was right next to yours, but you couldn’t read his expression.

“Because you were the one who took it?”

“No,” he said, then turned his head towards you. “Because it’s of you.”

“Neuvillette…” you said after a short silence. You fidgeted with your reddened fingertips. “I don’t understand how you can say things like that with such a straight face.”

“Is it truly so strange?” Neuvillette looked perplexed. “I was simply saying my true feelings. And it is not as though you have refrained from such comments either.”

“You do have a point,” you conceded, although that still didn’t mean it didn’t catch you off guard. You turned your attention back to the photo of you. To be honest, it didn’t turn out half bad. Sure, you looked incredibly stiff and awkward and your hair was a mess and you had no idea what you were thinking when you matched that sweater with that skirt, but…it could have turned out worse.

“May I keep this photo?” Neuvillette asked.

“Of course, but what will you do with it? Surely you aren’t going to put it on your office desk or anything, right?”

“No, of course not. I would put it in a drawer, so I may take it out and look at it whenever I like.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Is it so wrong for a husband to want to look at a picture of his wife every once in a while? Many of the Palais staff also keep pictures of their loved ones on their desks. Why shouldn’t I?” Neuvillette paused for a little bit before adding, “And it would be one way for me to see your face more often, considering how I don’t get many chances of that during the day.”

“Hmm…very well, then,” you didn’t quite get why he would want to see more of your face, but if it made him happy, then you supposed there was nothing to complain about. Neuvillette is actually quite good at this kind of thing, you thought to yourself. Just imagine what he would be like when he gets married to someone he loves.

Now you really felt bad about your (hypothetical) future plans about selling Neuvillette’s photos. I’m an insensitive boor compared to him.

You reached the last of the photos. It was the one of you and Neuvillette standing in front of the sunset.

“You made two copies for the both of us,” you said as you looked at them. “How thoughtful.”

As you gazed at the pictures, you couldn’t help but feel a complex mixture of emotions. There was a surrealness to this photo that the others lacked. If this were a novel, this would be the point where you would wake up and return to reality after discovering something out of place in your life. No matter how you looked at it, you and Neuvillette were mismatched. Two people who were only brought together because of a weird quirk of fate.

But on the other hand…it was a beautiful photo. You had been somewhat worried that the two of you wouldn’t be centered in the frame, but it turned out well. The sunset made for a lovely backdrop. Even though both of you were looking very stiff, and neither of you were smiling.

You remembered that moment clearly. In those few minutes, you felt as light as a feather, like there was nothing tying you to the ground.

Would you ever feel that way again?

“I’m also very fond of this one,” Neuvillette said next to you. When you turned your head, you saw that he was not looking at the photos, but at you. It was then that you realized you were smiling. For some reason, you turned your head away.

“I just realized something,” you said, to cover up the awkward moment. “I’ve taken so many pictures, but I’ve got nowhere to put them all.”

“Ah, about that,” there was an excitement, subdued but present, in his voice. He sounded the same as he did when he introduced you to some new exotic variety of water. “I have a surprise for you. Please, come with me to my study.”

A surprise from Neuvillette? You had an inkling as to what it could be, but that didn’t stop you from putting all the photos back in the envelope and following him upstairs to his study, a domain you had yet to step into. It was a smaller version of his office at the Palais Mermonia, with its large desk, soft rugs, and tall bookshelves that lined the walls. There was also a fireplace here and a cozy-looking couch.

As Neuvillette went to take something out of a cabinet, you covertly examined the shelves. They were mainly filled with books on law, human psychology, history (most of which you’ve already read, having borrowed them from the library), and other similarly serious topics. Oddly enough, you even spotted a few romance novels. They were the fluffy, self-indulgent kind that your mother and sister liked to read. Should I pretend I never saw them?

“Madame, here it is,” Neuvillette said, and you walked over to the desk, where there was a large, leather-bound album with metal corners.

“Oh, Neuvillette, you shouldn’t have!” you exclaimed, flipping through the album. There should be just enough space to put all the pictures from your date in it. You looked up to thank him, but was met with the sight of Neuvillette taking out yet another album from the cabinet. This one was wider, with a ribbon tied into a neat bow on the spine. Perhaps Neuvillette bought a second album, just in case the first one wouldn’t fit all your pictures?

But, as though to dash all reasonable explanations, Neuvillette took out another album from the cabinet, then another. It seemed never-ending, this deluge of albums. After a while, it became sort of funny, like a comedy sketch. You watched, open-mouthed, as the desk became covered with albums of all shapes and sizes.

Finally, after the tenth one, the deluge stopped. Neuvillette looked at you expectantly. “Well, Madame, which one do you prefer?”

“Wait a minute, let me get this right,” you said, backing up a step and surveying the desk. “You bought all these albums just for me to choose one?”

“Yes, I did,” Neuvillette said, nodding as though this was a perfectly normal thing to do. Was this how the minds of the wealthy worked? It was beyond your comprehension. “I was unsure which one would be most to your liking, so I decided to buy them all.”

“Oh, Neuvillette, you really shouldn’t have…” you said. “This is too excessive. Why didn’t you ask me to come with you when you went shopping? And you know I’d like anything you picked out for me.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise…” Neuvillette said. He looked a bit deflated, and you felt bad.

“Can you return them?”

“It would be highly inconvenient for the shopkeeper if I did so,” Neuvillette said, then added in an abashed tone, “And I was told that all sales are final.”

“How unfortunate,” you looked down at the desk again. Was it possible for anyone to fill up all these albums in their lifetime? Maybe if they had a lifespan as long as Neuvillette’s. “Maybe they could make an exception for the Iudex?”

“I would rather not use my position in such a manner.”

“Well then, how about we give them away?”

“Give them away…” Neuvillette considered your words. “I-I suppose that could work… it is a reasonable idea. Yes, quite reasonable indeed.”

Neuvillette…if only you could see the look on your face right now. He looked like a kicked puppy. However, you decided to hold your tongue.

“Hmm, on second thought, it would be quite rude of me to give away presents from my generous husband,” you said. “I’ll keep them all. Thank you, Neuvillette.”

You patted his hand. He looked down at your hand on top of his, his eyes unreadable. He lightly brushed his fingers against your own.

“You need not force yourself to accept them if you do not want them,” he said quietly.

“But I do want them. They’re from you, after all. We’ll just have to take plenty more photos to get your money’s worth.”

“‘We?’”

“Yes, ‘we.’ Did you expect me to fill up these albums all on my own?”

“Certainly, it would be more efficient if we worked together,” Neuvillette nodded to himself. “Very well, then, Madame. I will assist you in this endeavour.”

With that settled, you decided to put the date photos in the first brown leather album. It had a vintage look to it that you liked.

“It’s getting late, Madame. You should be going to bed soon,” Neuvillette informed you.

“What about you?” Neuvillette didn’t seem to be making any moves to retire for the night just yet.

“There are a few more matters that I need to take care of, but do not worry, it won’t take very long.”

“Okay then,” you nodded, stepping towards the door. But just as you were about to leave the study, you thought of something. “By the way, Neuvillette, when will we be going on that restaurant date? I know you’re quite busy these days, so I can wait as long it takes. Do you have a restaurant in mind? I’m perfectly happy to go with any one you choose. Oh, and I know I promised to attend a trial, but I’m not fond of the very loud and chaotic ones, so which of the upcoming ones would you recommend?”

“I’m afraid, Madame, that we have to put a hold on both of those arrangements. A few…unexpected matters have come up, so we will not be able to go anywhere together for a while.”

“Oh. I see. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped,” a sharp sense of disappointment pierced your heart. It seemed that you had been looking forward to it more than you expected.

“Madame, are you enjoying your life as it is right now?” Neuvillette asked you out of the blue.

“Huh? What brought this on all of a sudden?”

“Please answer my question.” There was an undercurrent of urgency in his voice.

“I…” you had to think about it for a moment. “I do. Of course I do. I never want for anything, and everyone has treated me with nothing but kindness. I can’t even begin to repay them all, really.”

“I see. Then, is this the sort of life you’d prefer to live?”

“What do you mean?”

“A quiet, peaceful life, where you are never bothered by anyone.”

“I…suppose so? I think most people would want that.”

“I see…” Neuvillette stared at his desk, seemingly deep in thought. Then, he looked up at you. “You should go to bed now. It is getting too late.”

“What…” but he was already ushering you towards the door before you could say anything more.

You observed him as he stood in the doorway. He was an unreadable cipher, but you sensed a resolve emanating from him, like he had made up his mind about something.

“Good night, Madame,” he said quietly.

“Good night, Neuvillette.”

You felt like you had to say something, but you weren’t sure what.

He saved you the effort by gently closing the study door on you. The sense of giddiness had all but completely dissipated. You felt like a deflated balloon.

Your unease wasn’t dispelled the next morning.

At the breakfast table, Neuvillette was reading the newspapers. This wasn’t unusual in itself. It was part of his morning routine. What was unusual was how intensely he was looking through them.

You looked at the headlines of the paper he was reading. There was nothing there that would warrant that deep furrow in his brow. At least, not to your knowledge. Perhaps there was some sort of secret investigation going on?

“Madame, would you like to read the paper?” Neuvillette’s voice broke through your thoughts. It was then that you realized that you had been leaning forward and squinting your eyes to read the newspaper print. “I’m nearly done with it.”

“Oh, no, I was just wondering if something happened, since you seem to be engrossed in them.”

“No,” Neuvillette took a pause before replying. “I was simply looking for something.”

“I see,” you said, then cut a piece of pancake and popped it into your mouth. After swallowing, you continued, “Is it work related?”

“I…would not say so,” Neuvillette said. It was strange for him to be so evasive, but maybe it was one of those things he wasn’t at liberty to tell you.

“By the way, Neuvillette, I’m going to start on the albums today. You’ve given me a great burden to carry, but I’m willing to take it on.”

You were teasing him a bit, but in truth, you were a bit excited. Your teacher had a whole shelf of albums that were filled with photos from her travels throughout Teyvat, and you had pleasant memories of flipping through them and asking her the stories behind each photo. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to replicate her on that scale, but the Court of Fontaine was as good a start as any. You had even thought up a sort of system as to which area you would cover each day and what you would photograph, which you explained to Neuvillette.

“You plan on going out into the city today, Madame?” Neuvillette asked after you finished speaking. He put down the papers and stared at you.

“Er, yes?” you answered hesitantly. He seemed strangely preoccupied with your answer. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“…No, not at all,” Neuvillette said after another pause. His lips were pressed together in a thin line. “Where do you plan to go?”

“Just the plaza…” you said, raising your eyebrows at how grave he sounded. “And maybe the Palais.”

“Do not go to the Palais,” Neuvillette spoke abruptly. His face was all seriousness. “Please, promise me that. If you have any business there, ask me. I will assist you with it.”

You stared at him, wide-eyed. “What do you mean, I can’t go to the Palais? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, of course not,” he said quickly.

“Then why can’t I go there?”

“I cannot tell you, but I assure you that I only have your safety and happiness in mind when I am asking you to not to go anywhere near the Palais. Please, Madame, promise me this.”

You stared into his violet eyes, trying to gauge what he was thinking. There was a note of desperate urgency in his voice you had only heard once before, not to mention the weightiness of his words. “I promise,” you found yourself saying.

“Thank you, Madame,” Neuvillette was visibly relieved. His shoulders relaxed and he closed his eyes for a second before opening them again.

“Neuvillette, what’s going on?” you demanded. “You’re acting strange. Did something happen?”

“Do not worry. I will take care of everything,” he said, not answering your questions at all. He stood up, and you did the same, intending on getting to the bottom of this.

The two of you headed to the door. “You’re hiding something,” you said, glaring up at him. He met your gaze, then looked away. “It has something to do with me, doesn’t it?”

“I’ll take care of it. Please don’t worry,” he repeated, then attempted a smile. “Focus on your photography project. I cannot to wait to see the finished product. And…Madame, if you see any suspicious persons lingering around you, you must tell one of the Melusines right away.”

“Huh?” you gape at him, but he simply bid you goodbye and left the house. You watched him get into the carriage and set off.

For such a stoic man, he’s actually quite terrible at hiding his feelings at times, you thought.

Your outing at the plaza went mostly as planned. You were able to take many pictures of the fountain, the hulking Meka walking around, and the street performers. The patrolling Melusines, once you told them what you were doing, became quite enthusiastic and asked for you to take their pictures as well. It would have been a great day, if it weren’t for the gray skies and the heaviness of your heart.

Neuvillette’s behavior at home did nothing to quell it. Though he did his best to hide it, but he was obviously stressed and worn out. He would eagerly ask you about your day but seemed distracted by his thoughts as you talked, and rebuffed your questions, whether they were innocuous or direct, when you tried to probe him for answers. He came home later than usual and worked into the late nights in his study.

Over the next few days, you continued your urban outings, criss-crossing the city to take more pictures. You ate lunch outside and people-watched as you sat at your table. Often, a Melusine would join you. Being able to spend time in such a carefree, leisurely way would have been an unattainable dream to the past you, but you couldn’t enjoy it fully, not when you were always worried about Neuvillette at the back of your mind. He definitely seems more haggard these days. Is he eating well? I hope he isn’t just drinking water and passing that off as having lunch.

“Are you not hungry, Madame?” a sleepy-sounding voice broke through your reverie. It belonged to Menthe, who was sitting across from you. “You’re not eating your fish and chips.”

You looked down. The savory dish, deep-fried to a golden brown, was one of your favorite treats, but not something you ate often, and yet you found yourself with zero appetite.

“I suppose I’m not,” you sighed. “You can have it if you like.”

“Oh, really, Madame? Thank you!”

You watched as Menthe happily dug in. She had accompanied you to this café after you decided to take a lunch break.

I wonder if the Melusines are in on this too, you thought. It wasn’t unusual for Melusines to come up to you when you were walking around town, but you couldn’t help but notice that there seemed to be an awful lot of them at the places you went to. The places where you told Neuvillette you would be.

They were as cheerful and talkative as ever, but you also noticed how intently their bright gazes flitted around, even when they chatted with you, almost as though they were on the lookout for something.

You considered several possibilities and narrowed it down to two: One, there was a serial killer on the loose, or some other crazed criminal, who was after you. Two, your relationship had somehow been exposed to the paparazzi.

It was doubtful that Neuvillette would let you leave the house if there was a killer after you. And why would someone want to kill you, anyway? For marrying Neuvillette? What a lame reason for murder. Then again, some of his more extreme fans were known for their passion…

The second option seemed more likely. However, you had scoured all the tabloids for any articles on the matter, and while you did find some claiming that Neuvillette was involved with some woman or another, none of them were you (although you didn’t feel as relieved as you ought to have, for some reason). If you knew anything about these kinds of publications, it was that if they caught wind of something juicy, like the Chief Justice being in a secret relationship, they would waste no time in making that their headline, no matter how flimsy the evidence was.

Thinking back on it now, you and Neuvillette definitely hadn’t been as discreet as you could have been. The two of you had been in public together enough times that someone could get suspicious.

It would be easy to deny it though, you mused. In most of those cases, we were just talking or walking together. Just because a man and woman are together, it doesn’t mean they’re a married couple.

Whatever the case was, you wished Neuvillette would talk to you about it.

If it has something to do with me, then just tell me, you thought. You were now back home and staring up at the ceiling of your room. Why all the secrecy? It’s clearly stressing him out.

Sure, there was probably very little you could do to help, but…but…

Why are you acting so presumptuous? A small voice whispered in your mind. Didn’t Neuvillette say he would take care of everything? When will anyone ever offer to do that for you again?

Yeah, but… you argued back. I shouldn’t just sit back and do nothing! It’s unfair to him.

What does fairness mean in a relationship like this? What can you, a baron’s daughter, do for the Chief Justice of Fontaine that he can’t do for himself? If he doesn’t want you to know about something, it’s for your own good, just like last time. He clearly doesn’t expect you to do anything. What you can do to put him at ease is living your own life carefreely and supporting him at home.

But… you struggled to come up with an argument. Or maybe, you were unwilling to.

Your bed was nice and comfy, and your room was cozy. The sunlight streamed through the lace curtains of the window. If you wanted to, you could run a bath and soak in it for an hour, or read at your window seat, or ask Marie to make a snack for you. You could do anything you wanted.

You continued to lie on your bed until dinner time.

Neuvillette didn’t come home until very late at night. By that time, you were already in bed.

The next day was grayer than usual. It rained all day. As you were in no mood to undertake the challenge of photographing in the rain, you decided to stay home and brush up on your science. You had neglected your studies for far too long.

As you rifled through a notebook, you suddenly came upon a nearly blank page. It was titled “List of Neuvillette’s associates.”

You remembered writing those words all those months ago. It seemed like an eternity had passed since then. You resisted the urge to bury your face in your hands again at the memories of your embarrassing behavior. It was a wonder that Neuvillette hadn’t changed his mind and married someone more well-adjusted after all that.

You glanced at the Lakelight Lily on your desk. It looked a little less plumper than before, but its refreshing scent was still there. You recalled Neuvillette’s words as he put in your hair.

He was always so considerate and thoughtful. What’s more, you could tell he genuinely meant it. He never failed to ask after your comfort and health. He even inquired about your family on a regular basis when he didn’t need to. He even accepted your awkward offer of friendship when he could have just ignored you.

You still had no idea what possessed him to ask you to marry him. He probably would have had an easier time if he had picked anyone else. No, not just anyone. Whoever he married should be just as kind and caring as him. Someone accomplished and beautiful. Someone who he could proudly show off in public as his spouse. Someone who could teach him the “joys of matrimony.”

But until he finds that mythical someone, he’s stuck with me.

Resolve formed in your heart.

Neuvillette came home late again that night, but this time, you stayed up. You listened to his footsteps as he went down the hallway to his study. After you heard the door close, you sat up in bed.

Okay, let’s do this, you cheered yourself on, then put on your robe and slipped out of your room.

You padded down the carpeted floor towards the study. You found yourself walking on your tiptoes for some reason.

The mahogany door seemed to you like an imposing barrier. It wasn’t too late to turn around and crawl back into bed. You were sorely tempted to.

But I’m here on a mission and I’m going to see it through no matter what, you told yourself firmly.

You raised your hand and knocked on the door. “Neuvillette,” you called out. “May I come in? I would like to speak with you.”

A scraping sound came from inside. “Madame?” Neuvillette said as he opened the door. “What are you doing up so late?”

You opened your mouth to answer, but your jaw remained hanging open as you took in the sight before you.

Forearms. The words popped into your mind out of nowhere. Neck.

Neuvillette’s usual long blue robes were nowhere to be found. For that reason, he was only wearing a white dress shirt, and his hair was unbound. That wasn’t what made you speechless. You had seen him in that state plenty of times before. No, what stunned you was the fact that his sleeves were rolled up and that the first two buttons of his shirt were undone. Without his clothing obscuring them, you were able to feast your eyes on the sight of his sinewy arms and the smooth, unblemished skin at the juncture between his neck and collarbones.

He was usually so covered-up, even at home, that seeing so much of his skin exposed felt akin to seeing him naked. Oh no, don’t think about that, don’t think about that…

“Madame? Madame, is something the matter?” Neuvillette’s voice broke through your thoughts, which were heading in a rather dangerous direction. To your extreme embarrassment, you realized that your mouth was hanging open slightly. No wonder he looked so concerned. I feel like a giant pervert. No, I am one!

“Um, er…it’s nothing!” your voice came out in a higher octave. You took a step backwards. This is just wonderful.

“Are you sure? Your face looks a bit red,” Neuvillette stood up. “You shouldn’t be staying up so late, especially if you might be sick.”

“Oh, no, no, I assure you, I am definitely not sick, not at all,” you babbled, even as the words “forearms” and “neck” danced through your head. “I really just wanted to talk to you. It’s urgent.”

“If it’s urgent, then please come in,” Neuvillette gestured for you to enter his study. His shirt shifted slightly with the movement, exposing a sliver more of his chest. You wanted to cover your eyes.

You entered the study. Neuvillette sat back down in his chair and looked at you. You looked at him. Or rather, you looked at the air above him.

“Madame, what is this urgent matter you wish to discuss with me?” he asked. He looked terribly concerned, and you didn’t blame him. The way you were acting right now was definitely a cause for worry.

“I…um…want to…uh…you know…” you gestured with your hands. “I want to…brush your hair! Yes, brush your hair. I’ve noticed how…dishevelled it gets when you come home, so I would like to fix that. Yes, that’s it.”

“You…wish to brush my hair?” Neuvillette repeated, sounding confused.

You nodded vigorously. “And talk,” you added.

“I see,” he still looked confused, but he stood up and went to the door. “I shall go get my hairbrush, then.”

“Please do so,” you said, and watched him go to his room. Once he was gone, you buried your face in one of the pillows on the couch and screamed.

What was going on with you? Why were you getting so worked up over skin? It wasn’t as though you were some sheltered maiden who never saw shirtless men before. And Neuvillette wasn’t even shirtless! And just what would he look like without his shirt on, anyways?

“Stop it,” you told yourself. “Stop it right now. Think about something else.”

“Pardon me, Madame?” Neuvillette’s voice made you jolt upright. “Did you say something? And why are you lying on the couch?”

“It’s nothing,” you quickly got up and clasped your hands together, making yourself the picture of composure and self-possession, ignoring the voice in your head that told you it wasn’t too late to excuse yourself and run back to your room. “Please forget what you just saw. I am perfectly fine.”

You held out your hand for the hairbrush, and Neuvillette gave it to you after some hesitation. The hairbrush was silver, its back carved with a swirling design. It was heavy and cool in your hand. You tried to picture Neuvillette brushing his hair with it every morning, like a princess in a fairytale, and had to suppress a (most likely crazed-looking) smile.

He sat down in his chair, and you stood behind him. You slowly ran the brush through his silver locks, careful not to touch his horns. You did this in silence for a few moments. It had a strangely calming effect on you—you felt your heartbeat settling down, your mind becoming clearer. The fact that you couldn’t see his face was also helpful.

“Neuvillette,” you began. “I know that you’ve been hiding something from me. I would like you to reveal it to me.”

You heard him let out a sigh. He tried to turn his head, but you prevented him from doing so. “Madame, I have already explained to you that it is nothing for you to worry about. Please allow me to take care of it. It was caused by my own oversight in the first place.”

“I am allowing you to take care of it. But I would still like to know what it is.”

“It will only distress you, and I do not wish to do that.”

“I will be the judge of what distresses me. And besides, seeing you obviously so troubled by this matter already makes me feel wretched, so there is really nothing to lose here.”

“My apologies. I will work harder to mask my feelings as to not affect your mood.”

“Neuvillette, that’s not the point I’m making,” you groaned as you worked to loosen a particularly tough tangle in his hair. “Right now, not knowing what’s troubling you is causing me more distress than whatever this mysterious ‘something’ is.”

“I do not believe you would think the same way once you learned what it is.”

“How do you know that?” you asked. Realizing that you had raised your voice, you quickly softened it. “Let me put this another way. This is how I’m repaying you.”

“Repaying me?”

“Yes. For listening to me, for allowing me to cry into your arms on our date. Do you know, Neuvillette, that it’s been a long time since I was able to vent my feelings to someone like that? I’ve forgotten how nice it feels. It…really saved me. And I want to do the same thing for you. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do anything, but it’s easier to come up with a solution when you’re discussing things with someone else, isn’t it?”

Neuvillette didn’t say anything. He didn’t move. But you could tell that he was wavering. You picked up the ends of his long hair and brushed them. You needed to give him one last push.

“If you don’t inform me about matters that are related to me, then I see no reason why I should tell you anything more about myself.”

“Madame, what are you implying?” there was a note of what almost sounded like panic in Neuvillette’s voice.

“That’s right. If you do not tell me your secret, I shall not speak to you ever again for the remainder of our marriage. You will lose the privilege of conversing with me.”

You had expected him to let out a chuckle or something. You hadn’t meant it seriously. Well, maybe a little. You were feeling a bit frustrated.

What you didn’t expect was that he would wrench himself out of your grip and turn around to face you. His lips were pressed together tightly, but his eyes were wide. His gaze burned through you.

“I will tell you,” he said, voice almost too calm. “So please reconsider. It will pain me greatly if you go through with it.”

“I won’t,” you said, caught off guard.

He turned back around. After taking a pause, he told you about the photo Furina obtained, and the ultimatum she gave him. You listened to him intently as he talked, brushing the bottom half of his hair and occasionally untangling snarls.

After he finished speaking, you took a few minutes to digest what you’ve just heard.

“So, no one else except Lady Furina has that photo?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t believe that she would lie or go back on her promise?”

“In this matter, I do not believe she would.”

“I see,” you put down the brush, then moved yourself to meet Neuvillette’s eyes. “Then, I agree to the meeting. I think that’s the most reasonable thing to do here. In hindsight, we should have done it a long time ago. It would have saved us all this trouble.”

“You agree to it?” Neuvillette repeated, sounding stunned.

“Well, it was either this or let Lady Furina dig up my sordid past and do whatever she wants with that information, right? Besides, what’s so scary about a meeting? Plenty of people from all walks of life have made appointments with her, including my own great-grandparents. If they could do it, so can I. And I’ll have you there with me, so there’s really nothing to worry about.”

“But once she meets you face-to-face, you will become known to her. You will not be able to live the peaceful life that you desire.”

Oh, so that’s why he asked that question, you thought.

“Well, we don’t know that, do we? For all we know, once she meets with us, she would judge that we are a perfectly uninteresting couple and leave us alone for the rest of the year.”

“That is unlikely to happen,” Neuvillette murmured. “And what if she discovers our arrangement?”

“She won’t if we don’t do anything that would reveal it to her. You know the saying, ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.’ As long as we don’t do anything that would make her want to go through the records in the license office, we should be fine.” A thought suddenly struck you. “She can’t…prevent us from divorcing, can she? Or force us to remarry?”

“There are no laws that grant her the powers to do those things. But, I expect that she could make life difficult for you, should she choose to do so.”

“Hmm…” you thought. “Well, I’ll just think about what to do when that time comes.”

“Madame,” Neuvillette rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Please don’t be so irresponsible about your own future. This is why I did not wish to tell you. I did not want you to push yourself needlessly for my sake.”

“Push myself needlessly? I see things differently. There’s no guarantee that things will go smoothly, but that’s just life, isn’t it? All I know is that if we don’t do anything, it will most likely turn out badly for us. So I would rather choose the other option.”

You sounded braver than you felt. In this cozy, quiet study with Neuvillette, where you were the only people who would ever know the words exchanged in this room, it was easy to feel self-assured and optimistic about the unknown. Perhaps this was also its own sort of danger.

But when you looked at Neuvillette’s worried face, you found it easier to feel brave.

“Neuvillette, do you remember the promise I made to you on that first night? I promised to make sure that your life is as inconvenienced as possible. This is how I’m trying to fulfill it. Will you allow me to do that?”

“You need not go that far. You have never inconvenienced me, not even now. In fact, you have been a reassurance. It was due to my folly that we got into this situation in the first place.”

“If it was your folly, then it was mine as well. I should have also been paying attention,” you let out a sigh. “Look, Neuvillette, we can go around in circles about this all night, but when you get down to it, it is for situations like these that you married me. You didn’t marry me because you liked me in that way. Oh, don’t look at me like that. You know it’s true. If I don’t do my part, then I’m just a freeloader living in your house, right?”

“I have never thought of you as a ‘freeloader’… I have always considered you as my wife,” Neuvillette said curtly, but then he smiled at you gently. “You’ve made some very good points. You are correct. It was irresponsible of me to hide it from you. I still have much to learn when it comes to how a husband ought to behave, it seems.”

A warm, tingling feeling spread through your body when you heard his words. He thought of you as his wife. Well, of course he did, since you were officially married and all. But hearing him call you “my wife” was an entirely different thing.

“That’s my job, as your wife. To discuss problems and come up with solutions with you. And from now on, please tell me whenever you’re feeling troubled over something. I’m inadequate in many things, but I’ve been told that I’m a good listener,” you said, fiddling with your fingers. You felt your mouth stretching into a wide smile for no reason and looked down to hide it.

“I will. My apologies for all the distress I’ve caused you. I will tell Furina tomorrow about our decision.”

You and Neuvillette held each other’s gazes for longer than was necessary. In the dim light of the study, his eyes looked darker, obscuring his slitted pupils. You felt weak-kneed all of a sudden. You realized that you had been running on adrenaline until now, but you didn’t feel sleepy. In fact, you were wide awake.

“Will you go to bed now?” he asked. His voice was lower, huskier than usual.

You shook your head. “Will you?”

“I still have some work to do.”

“Then I’ll stay up with you. Since I’m your wife and all.”

Neuvillette looked like he was about to argue, but you went over to one of the bookshelves and took out a history book, then went to curl up on the couch. “Feel free to disregard me,” you said, opening the book.

After a few seconds, you heard an exhale, then the resuming of a pen scratching against paper.

You didn’t know when you fell asleep, but when you woke up, you were in your bed with the comforter neatly pulled up to your chin. You were quite sure you had a dream, but didn’t recall its contents except for the instinctive knowledge that it was a good one.

You also had the vague memory of feeling something warm brushing against your forehead, but it was so brief and fleeting that it might have been part of the dream as well.

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