#but that’s a WHOLE lot for almost midnight
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thewertsearch · 16 hours ago
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@necrowyrm asked: happy new year!!! enjoy the last little bit of homestuck before act 6! Anonymous asked: You have NO IDEA how much I was looking forward to your reaction to this flash :D @teddy-bearer-of-bad-news asked: a very late congratulations from me for making it this far! i gotta say, saving CASCADE for new year's is probably the smartest thing i've heard all week. may your experience be nothing short of righteous, comrade Anonymous asked: Cascade … Even years latter knowing it almost by heart, every once in a while I will take a little quarter of an hour to rewatch it, Say what you want about Hussie but there is a good reason Homestuck became so iconic. @adeptarcanist asked: The leadup to Cascade was honestly my favorite sequence in Homestuck, and maybe one of my favorites in any media ever? The way the narrative splits apart into all of the different scenes swirling in towards the critical moment, both advancing main plots and finding time to spend a moment of melancholy with characters who’d been left behind (The Jaspers and Nepeta scene :( )… it’s such a strong narrative device, and the tone it generates is impeccable. @calamitascalliope asked: I literally watched the flash again, and it still gives me chills every single time. Welcome to your post-Cascade life. You won't be able to think about anything the same ever again @iris-in-the-dark-world asked: "she looks so cool… but she’s so tragic… but she looks so cool…" has become a brainworm for me. i too love the handmaid's design btw, cascade time has been i think the most anticipated non-personal event of the entire year for me. i'm so excited @publicuniversalworstie asked: I want you to know that I also opened Cascade and started watching with you right after I saw your "oh my god it has chapters" ask, and I finished just as you posted "I will never be the same" !! And I bet lots of other people did too <3 so it's like we all watched it together!!!! Happy New Year and thank you for liveblogging!!!! It's been a pleasure!(and will continue to be) @krixwell asked: I would like you to know that your "Right, we're good to go!" and "oh my god it has chapters" posts were posted right as I was outside watching midnight fireworks ring in 2025 for the Central European timezone. Happy new year! @captorations asked:
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hey remember when rose just up and fucking said that. anyway congrats on reaching cascade! it absolutely wrecked me back in the day, i think i stared at those flaming curtains for a solid ten minutes as my brain permanently reconfigured. the first few notes of the track alone still give shivers. getting your reaction to cascade was a wonderful birthday present. (speaking of getting older: aradia 🤝 dulcinea also got that "distressingly short lifespan only to die early anyway" story thread going on. the parallels are paralleling.) anyway happy new year and congrats you are… slightly less than halfway done with homestuck. have fun!
Hey, guys. Cascade was so fucking good.
Like, there's really no competition; this is the best Flash page in the comic thus far. Peak music, peak animation, and absolutely a peak narrative. It tied up mountains of plot threads, providing complete answer to questions we're been asking for literally thousands of pages. It completed over a dozen arcs, both big and small. It made me gasp three times in fourteen minutes. It let Jade become a furry.
11/10, and I'm glad people had as much fun here as I did on New Year's Eve. Happy 2025, and happy Act 6!
@morganwick asked: Sally, predicting Cascade: "I have approximate knowledge of many things." @morganwick asked: "You literally have the whole world in the palm of your hands." -Sally to Jadesprite, December 16, 2024 (You might also want to reread post/770701212350857216 in light of recent developments.)
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Hah!
I mean, based on her powerset, it made sense that Jadesprite would do something like this eventually, but it's pretty funny that she did it more or less immediately.
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And in the end, CD really was a tricky little bastard. We'll definitely need to keep a closer eye on him, next time around.
Anonymous asked: Take a moment to consider that if anyone were to use the Homestuck website as it stands now instead of the Collection program, Cascade would have been presented in the YouTube player in Standard Definition, artifacted to hell, with a clear boundary showing the dimensions of the video from the very start. Preservation is so important.
Jeez, you're not kidding. The 1080p is fine, I guess, but it certainly doesn't hit like the Flash version does, especially with its lack of moving panels.
I know something had to change when Flash kicked the bucket, but surely there was a better way to preserve the video's soul.
Anonymous asked: to give you some of an idea of what homestuck fandom looked like during this time period, im cribbing from a very popular homestuck post: “first, this upd8 was something that we had been waiting for for WEEKS. A literally unprecedented wait period at the time. We were used to suckling at the teat of daily updates, a constant stream of conversation and plot twists and buildup, and as EOA5, we were finally going to figure out what all these countdowns and plot threads and disconnected elements were building up for. And when the progress bar reached 100%, and when the page FINALLY loaded on 10/25/11, it was chaos. This was 2011, a primetime peak point and growth period of Homestuck fan density.” (…) “MSPA crashed, as it had started to during the last few big [S] updates. Hussie had already bought new servers in advance, but even when allegedly thousands of dollars were spent it couldn't handle the accidental DDOS attack of Homestuck fans. People were up all night waiting for this upd8, the curiosity was killing me. I know at some point he was receiving at least 1 million unique visitors per day to his site [correction: according to Hussie’s tumblr, upwards of 2 million during this time], and even though Hussie had foreseen such traffic and thusly hosted [S] Cascade on Newgrounds, a dedicated video streaming site, Newgrounds was similarly unprepared for the sheer amount of people frantically mashing the play and refresh buttons, and also crashed. Immediately. MSPA and Newgrounds crashed definitively for at least two nights in a row” (…) “Andrew Hussie has gone on record to say this was one of the few times he thought Homestuck wasn’t worth it, because the sheer unbelievable cost (was it $10,000?) [correction: according to Hussie’s tumblr, it looked like it was going to cost $100,000 to keep [S] Cascade up for several days] of servers and the chaos of no one able to see the upd8 and crashing nearly every site after. He was tweeting during the whole debacle, stating he was reluctant to put it up on Youtube because of all the moving elements of the flash, and style, and how youtube degraded the quality of the file size, and how he tried to scratch out buffer time and pauses by putting periods of silence between each section of the 14 minute upd8, the longest upd8 yet” “So after Newgrounds patooted, he didn’t put it on youtube and instead put up the entire flash file on Megaupload, where it could be downloaded in it’s entirety to be watched. UNFORTUNATELY, Megaupload also crashed very quickly, which Hussie felt much headache over. But before that happened I managed to get the file, since I happened to be up very early that night! Next it was on dropbox, which didn’t crash but had “link unavailable” on and off. ”Spoilers were flying everywhere, people didn’t understand everything that had happened, and by the time the timeline of events in and out of [S] Cascade was all straightened out, people became even MORE hype. Like this whole thing lasted at least four days, and on top of that, the upd8 was good. Fandom exploded.” it is impossible to quantify the experience. The fact hussie was going to have to fork over A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS to host it is crazy. I am never going to be over it.
Cascade's complete obliteration of the Flash-hosting internet says a lot about huge Homestuck truly was - but I think an even bigger indicator of the comic's success is the fact that Hussie dropped literally thousands of dollars on server upgrades to host the thing. That's not an investment you make unless you're expecting some serious returns.
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anistarrose · 3 days ago
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Some interesting locations, phrases, and visuals from the end of today's Drawtectives episode! (moderate visual spoilers for Midnight Alley below!)
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[ID from alt: spread shot of Midnight Alley and its businesses with neon signs. On the left, there's "Bug Bites" graffiti and the "Night Owl Books" store, and on the right, there's "Keeper's Guild," "Papa's Pizza," and the "Night Hotel". End ID.]
First off, there's lot of businesses that were alluded to in other parts of the cinematic — Night Owl Books, the Night Hotel, and Papa's Pizza, the latter of which was also in the trailer. I assume they're probably future locations being previewed here!
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[ID from alt: a hand turning on a lamp, next to a brochure titled "Night Hotel." A "We're open!" sign, in the window of a bookstore decorated with owl posters. A food service booth window opening, with a menu overhead. End ID.]
The other interesting thing to me is the "Bug Bites" graffiti, on the left side of the alley. (It gets cut off once, but the second appearance makes it clear what it says.) That said, I don't know if it's actually graffiti, or just a stylistic choice for advertising another venue of Midnight Alley! It does seem to be leading inside a doorway (the one with the mushrooms), and in another shot, there's a group of people dressed in varying degrees of sexy bug costumes:
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[ID from alt: a person with a fly mask, a shirtless person with a beetle mask and a harness, a wheelchair-using person with a black antennae headband, and a person in a white leotard with a moth antennae headband. End ID.]
Both "Bug Bites" and "Night Owl Books" have a nocturnal animal motif. This compares to the already obvious "snake" and "rat" motifs throughout the city — are they just for fun, or are they competing factions? I assume probably not, since the Alley cares so much about community, but there could always be a few outliers... Rats seem evocative of Midnight Alley as a whole, while "A snake has entered the rats' nest" implies the snake represents the antagonist.
Anyways, there's a lot of recurring posters throughout the city, but this one in particular is inexplicably everywhere and it makes me laugh. It seems almost threatening. He will teach you gittern!
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[ID from alt: a poster titled "Dan Stitch Will Teach You Gittern." There's a man holding a stringed instrument who looks eerily like a stock photo. The poster is seen in multiple places. End ID.]
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frnkiebby · 8 months ago
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https://x.com/fixfaxfvck/status/1793081037553274986?s=46
oh anon i feel like you might be opening yourself up to a lot here with this one~🎃
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bengallemon · 5 months ago
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! SMTVV SPOILERS ! (that and partial nudity)
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- Horned God -
Bored and wanted to draw more of the bino being weird strange and divine. We're now almost done with our first CoV run so we actually know lore now! Please zoom in to look at details especially the horns, eye and ribs. We spent a lot of time on that.
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retrogradedreaming · 4 months ago
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I need to start thinking of ideas for the prompt list I made to get myself to sketch more in October, but instead I'm drawing self-indulgent comics about cats 😭
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cosmogyros · 10 days ago
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#i think getting nearly firecracker-bombed the other evening affected me more than i realized at the time#because this has been by far the worst new year's ever for me#in the past i was never more than mildly annoyed by it and even enjoyed the midnight fireworks climax#but i think i might have actually gotten a bit traumatized by that experience two days ago#and hadn't acknowledged it to myself / processed it. as today/tonight has demonstrated#it's past 3 a.m. now and i'm still crying too hard to sleep#and my whole body has been shaky for the past... 10 hours. or so.#even though the fireworks at midnight weren't really that bad at all#not even close to being as terrifying as the three explosions earlier this evening#which in their turn were easily outdone by the street explosion on saturday night that deafened me#i think i may be having a legit delayed trauma response to that now#re-triggered every time a firework goes off near me#i've never been someone who feels much fear#i feel stress and anger and discomfort and i worry and overthink sometimes#i've done a lot of things in my life while thinking 'well. this might be about to kill me. but we all die someday'#and never till this weekend did i feel terror on this level#(a technically unjustified terror too. bc inside my flat i'm almost 100% safe. so that again suggests a trauma response)#i don't think i've ever cried from sheer fear for my safety before#and every post i see saying 'happy new year' makes me feel sick bc it reminds me of this horrible weekend#it's wild how my lifelong feelings about fireworks could change so completely in the course of just three days#for the first time in my life i feel the need for one of those drugs that blunts your emotions and helps relax you#what is that... xanax or something like that? how do you get it? do you need a prescription?#i feel like a doctor would just scoff if i told them that NYE fireworks traumatized me so bad i need medication now#i've been trembling for hours. i'm so tired. i wish i could sleep#*three days ago
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nightlynymph · 2 years ago
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#i'm back home after one of the worst nights of my life#my cat fell from the kitchen window#i live on the 4th floor#i was locked in my room for like an hour#only then i realised he's gone and this was at midnight#after that i walked the whole neighbourhood twice yelling after him#i looked everywhere in the house and everywhere in the parking lot and behind and around every block and he was nowhere#i came back upstairs and i cried for some good 30-45 minutes harder than i ever cried in my life#i almost gave up for the night when i decided to drag myself out of bed and roam the neighbourhood again at 3am#i was kind of numb at this point and i was in no hurry#which is why i decided the best course of action is to check under every car touroughly#and that's when i found him#just several steps from where he probably fell but he was so so so scared he wouldn't move at all#his face was obviously bleeding a lot but i didn't know much else#i somehow managed in the end to grab him from under the car and i ran to the emergency vet#its 5am now and im back home and i was told he will be ready to be discharged this morning until noon#which is amazing#im so happy that internally he is alright#he cannot walk without dragging himself so his paws need some casts#and his face was a bit dislodged and im afraid it might stay like that but otherwise he is ok and he is safe and i found him#which is all that matters#the guilt i feel right now made me self destructive for the first time in years#i will cat proof every inch of the apartment#i rambled a lot im sorry#had to get it out
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flannel-and-rainbows · 2 years ago
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Take the quiz they said, it'll be fun they said
This sounds like a more ideal version of me? Maybe even me in the future if I'm lucky
Lemme just take a uquiz for fun i said
i was naturally obliterated
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pucksandpower · 10 days ago
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Stroke of Midnight
Max Verstappen x Alonso!Reader
Summary: New Year’s Eve sees you crouched under a table, shoving grapes into your mouth as the seconds tick by in a desperate attempt to find love in 2025 … but it just so happens that love finds you a whole lot sooner than you expect
Note: Happy (almost) New Year! Wishing everyone a sweet and fulfilling 2025 ❤️
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The club is too loud, too crowded, too much. Somewhere near the DJ booth, your father is probably breaking it down to the worst remix of an already bad pop song.
You don’t want to know what’s happening. You don’t even want to be here, except here is Monaco on New Year’s Eve, and it’s supposed to be magical. That’s what the internet said when you Googled it this morning. But so far, the magic feels more like sweat and regret.
And desperation. There’s no use pretending otherwise anymore.
Your legs cramp as you shift under the table, pulling your knees to your chest to avoid the sharp heel of a passing stranger. The white tablecloth is a flimsy barrier between you and the chaos outside — limbs, perfume, champagne flutes tipped at precarious angles.
You check your phone. Eleven fifty-seven.
“God,” you whisper to yourself, clutching the little plastic bag in your hand. “This is rock bottom.”
But is it? The thought stops you short. You could argue there’ve been worse moments.
There was your first boyfriend, for starters. The trust fund baby who somehow thought being wealthy made cheating excusable. “It’s not like I need you,” he had said when you caught him. Yeah, no kidding.
Then came the mechanic. Charming, sweet, and exactly what you thought you needed — until you overheard him laughing with his friends about how he only asked you out on a bet. The details are blurry now, but the humiliation is crystal clear.
And, of course, the summer of horror: introducing your third boyfriend to your dad, only to walk in on him rummaging through your father’s underwear drawer. “I just wanted to see what greatness looks like,” he had explained with a sheepish grin, clutching a pair of Fernando Alonso’s boxer briefs like they were relics from the Vatican.
Three strikes. You’re out.
“Not this year,” you mutter, shaking your head. This year, you’re taking things into your own hands.
You dig into the bag, spilling green grapes into your lap. Twelve of them. One for each second before midnight, each representing a wish for the year ahead. You glance at the clock again — eleven fifty-eight now. Two minutes to go.
Someone shifts the table above you, and you nearly choke on your gasp. The tablecloth lifts slightly, and a pair of curious eyes meet yours.
“What the hell?”
It’s a man — dark-haired, stubble-jawed, vaguely familiar, though everyone in Monaco looks like they could be a movie star. He’s crouched, trying to see past the shadows. You stare back, frozen.
“Are you hiding?” He asks, tilting his head. His accent is clipped and Dutch, which somehow makes this all worse.
“Uh — no,” you stammer, holding up a grape like it’s evidence in court. “I’m … I’m doing something. It’s a tradition.”
“Under a table?”
“Yes.”
There’s a pause. He blinks at you, then ducks his head fully under the tablecloth. “Alright, I’ll bite. What kind of tradition involves grapes and hiding under furniture?”
“It’s Spanish.” You’re not sure why you feel defensive, but you do. “You eat twelve grapes, one for each second before midnight, for good luck in the new year.”
“Good luck.” He glances pointedly at the table legs surrounding you. “How’s that working out?”
You scowl. “It’s not midnight yet.”
He snorts. “Fair enough. Carry on.” He starts to retreat, but something stops him. “Wait. Why under the table?”
“Because …” You hesitate, not wanting to explain that part of the superstition involves being in a confined space to focus your intentions. It sounds ridiculous out loud, even to you. “Because it’s quieter down here.”
“Right.” His tone is skeptical, but mercifully, he leaves it at that. “Good luck, grape girl.” He’s gone before you can respond.
The clock ticks closer to midnight. Eleven fifty-nine. You clutch the grapes tighter, willing yourself to focus.
“Okay,” you whisper, heart pounding. “This is it. Love. Luck. Anything but whatever the hell the last three years were.”
You pop the first grape into your mouth as the countdown begins, the music fading just enough for the crowd to yell, Twelve!
It’s sour, but you swallow it quickly, reaching for the next. Eleven!
The third grape is sweeter. Ten!
Someone bumps the table above you, but you keep going. Nine!
The fifth grape tastes like possibility. Eight!
You’re halfway through the sixth when the tablecloth lifts again.
“Sorry, but I just-” It’s him again, the Dutch guy. He ducks under the table fully this time, looking half-apologetic, half-curious. “I couldn’t help it. What happens if you don’t finish in time?”
You glare at him, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk. “Whuh ah oo doin’?”
“Trying to understand the stakes here,” he says, crouching beside you. “It’s fascinating.”
“Go ‘way!” You manage, scrambling for the eighth grape. Five!
“Is this, like, a universal Spanish thing? Or just your family?”
You shove the ninth grape in your mouth, ignoring him. Four!
“You’re really committed,” he notes, watching you chew furiously. “I respect that.”
You jab a finger toward the edge of the tablecloth, signaling him to leave.
“Alright, alright,” he says, hands up in surrender. “Good luck, truly. I hope it works.”
He disappears just as the countdown hits Three!
The eleventh grape is a struggle, but you manage. Two!
You grab the last one, cramming it in just as the crowd roars, One! Happy New Year!
It’s chaos — cheering, champagne popping, music surging back to full volume. You sit there under the table, sticky with grape juice and feeling utterly ridiculous.
“Happy New Year to me,” you mutter, wiping your hands on your dress.
Above you, the tablecloth shifts again.
“I had a feeling you’d make it,” the Dutch guy says, grinning. He’s holding two glasses of champagne. “Figured you might need this.”
You stare at him, utterly baffled. “Do you always bother strangers under tables?”
“Only the ones who look like they’re about to choke on tradition.”
You take the glass hesitantly, unsure whether to thank him or tell him to leave you alone. He raises his own in a toast.
“To luck,” he says simply, his smile oddly sincere.
You sigh, clinking your glass against his. “To luck.”
And for the first time in years, you think it might actually work.
***
The Dutch guy, whose name you still don’t know, doesn’t leave. You expect him to. After all, who bothers someone under a table, offers them champagne, and then sticks around? But here he is, leaning casually against the table, like this is his New Year’s Eve tradition too.
“So,” he says, studying you over the rim of his glass, “how do you know it worked?”
“What worked?”
“The grapes. Your luck in love.”
“It’s not instant,” you reply dryly. “I don’t think someone’s going to walk up and propose to me tonight.”
“Shame,” he says, smirking. “Would’ve been a great story.”
You roll your eyes, standing up carefully to avoid smacking your head on the table. The club is still throbbing with music, the crowd a drunken sea of sequins and suits. Your father is nowhere to be seen, probably charming half the room with drunken stories from his glory days.
The Dutch guy follows you, holding his champagne like it’s an extension of himself.
“So, do I get a name?” He asks.
“Do I get a name?” You counter.
He laughs, setting his glass on a passing waiter’s tray. “Martin. Martin Garrix.”
It clicks immediately. The Martin Garrix. You’ve seen him on magazine covers, his face plastered on Spotify playlists, his name on Coachella lineups.
“Oh,” you say, a little surprised. “You’re that Martin Garrix.”
“Depends,” he says with a grin. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
He laughs again, an easy sound that somehow cuts through the noise around you.
“And you are?”
You hesitate. The last thing you want is to be recognized as Fernando Alonso’s daughter tonight. “Just … me,” you say, shrugging.
“Alright, Just Me,” he teases. “What’s the plan now? Back to the dance floor?”
“I don’t really have a plan.” You glance toward the bar, but it’s swamped. The thought of pushing through that crowd makes your skin crawl.
Martin tilts his head, considering you. “You know,” he says after a moment, “I’ve got to play a set in a bit. But before that, I could introduce you to someone.”
Your brow furrows. “Introduce me?”
“Yeah. A friend of mine. You’ll like him.”
You cross your arms. “Why do I feel like you’re trying to get rid of me?”
“Not at all,” he says, grinning. “But if you’re looking for luck, he’s got plenty of it.”
Before you can argue, he’s already motioning for you to follow him.
Martin weaves through the crowd effortlessly, stopping just long enough to charm security guards and exchange handshakes with people who look vaguely important. You trail behind, clutching your champagne glass like a lifeline.
“VIP,” he explains over his shoulder, as if that answers anything.
“I was in VIP,” you mutter. “Then I left to crawl under a table.”
“Your loss,” he quips.
The VIP section is smaller than you remember, cordoned off with velvet ropes and guarded by men in black suits. Martin flashes a wristband, and the guard steps aside.
You’re led to a booth tucked in the farthest corner, hidden from most of the chaos. Someone is slouched in the corner seat, a drink dangling from his fingers. His head tilts up when Martin approaches, and your stomach flips.
Max Verstappen.
You stop dead in your tracks, heat rushing to your face. Of all the people — of course it’s him.
Max looks at you, then at Martin, then back at you. His brow furrows in confusion, his normally sharp blue eyes a little unfocused.
“Martin,” he says, voice thick with alcohol, “who’s this?”
Martin grins, gesturing toward you. “Stray kitten I found under a table. Thought you might want company.”
You gape at him. “I am not a stray kitten.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Martin says, completely unbothered.
Max blinks, then sets his drink on the table. “Wait. I know you.”
“Yeah,” you say quickly, “I know you too.”
It’s a terrible response, but you’re too flustered to think straight. Max Verstappen, reigning Formula 1 world champion, is sitting in front of you, looking unfairly handsome even in his clearly drunk state.
Martin claps Max on the shoulder. “I’ll leave you two to it. Don’t scare her off, mate.”
“Wait, what-” You start to protest, but Martin is already disappearing into the crowd.
You’re left standing there awkwardly, clutching your glass like it’s a shield. Max watches you, his expression softening into something unreadable.
“Sit,” he says, gesturing to the empty seat beside him.
You hesitate, then slide into the booth, leaving just enough space between you that it doesn’t feel too intimate.
“So,” he says, leaning back. “What’s this about a table?”
You sigh, rubbing your temple. “It’s a Spanish tradition. You eat twelve grapes at midnight for good luck in the new year. I was under the table to-”
“Focus your intentions,” he finishes, surprising you.
Your eyes widen. “How do you know that?”
“Carlos told me about it once back when we were teammates,” he says with a small smile. “He thought it was funny.”
You relax slightly. “Well, it’s not funny. It’s practical.”
“Under a table, though?” His smile widens.
“It’s quieter!”
He laughs, and it’s the kind of laugh that makes your heart twist in your chest. You’ve always found Max intimidating — cool, calm, untouchable. But right now, with his hair slightly messy and his guard down, he seems … human.
“You’re drunk,” you blurt out.
He nods, unabashed. “A little.”
“A lot,” you correct.
“Fair.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “But what about you? You’re here on New Year’s Night, eating grapes under tables. What’s that about?”
You hesitate, then shrug. “Bad luck. Bad … everything, really. I figured it couldn’t hurt.”
He studies you for a moment, his gaze steady despite the alcohol. “Bad everything?”
“Love life,” you admit, looking away. “It’s been a disaster.”
“Join the club,” he mutters, taking a sip of his drink.
You glance at him, surprised. “What do you mean? You’re-” You stop yourself, realizing how stupid it sounds. He’s Max Verstappen. He could have anyone.
“Exactly,” he says, reading your expression. “And that’s the problem. No one takes me seriously. They just see the driver, the fame, the money.”
You soften. “That sounds lonely.”
“It is.”
There’s a beat of silence, heavy with unspoken words.
“You know,” he says finally, his voice quieter now, “I always wondered what it’d be like to talk to you.”
Your breath catches. “What?”
“In the paddock. You’re always with your dad, or with someone else. I never knew how to …” He trails off, rubbing the back of his neck. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does,” you say quickly, surprising yourself. “I always wondered too.”
He looks at you then, really looks at you, and for a moment, the noise of the club fades into the background.
“Yeah?” He asks softly.
You nod, suddenly shy. “Yeah.”
His lips twitch into a small smile. “Maybe Martin was right.”
“About what?”
“Luck.”
You laugh, the sound light and unexpected. “Maybe.”
He leans back, the tension in his shoulders easing. “So, what now? Are you going to wait for the grapes to work, or are we going to make our own luck?”
You raise an eyebrow. “And how do we do that?”
“Well,” he says, a playful glint in his eye, “we could start by getting out of here.”
“And go where?”
“Anywhere,” he says, standing up and holding out his hand.
You stare at his hand, then take it, letting him pull you to your feet.
“Alright,” you say, your heart pounding. “Let’s see where this luck takes us.”
***
The valet pulls up with the car, and it’s … a Ferrari Monza SP2. Of course it is. Sleek, black, and absurdly expensive, it looks like something out of a Bond movie. The kind of car you don’t just drive; you wear it, command it.
Max grins at you as the valet hands him the keys, his drunken sway almost imperceptible — almost. He heads straight for the driver’s side, but you grab his arm before he can open the door.
“Are you serious?” You ask, wide-eyed.
“What?” His expression is equal parts innocence and mischief.
“You’ve been drinking.”
He glances at the keys in his hand, then back at you, shrugging like it’s no big deal. “I’ve had worse nights.”
“Max,” you say firmly, your voice cutting through the noise of passing cars and drunken revelers spilling out onto the Monaco streets. “You’re not driving.”
He raises an eyebrow, his grin widening. “So, what? You’re offering?”
You blink, caught off guard. “I-I didn’t mean-”
But he’s already opening the driver’s side door and stepping aside, holding it open for you with a dramatic flourish. “Your chariot awaits, madam.”
Your first instinct is to argue, to remind him that this is his car and you’re not exactly in the habit of taking over Ferraris from Formula 1 champions unless they’re your father. But the glint in his eye dares you to say yes.
“Fine,” you mutter, slipping past him and sliding into the driver’s seat.
The leather feels luxurious under your fingers, the steering wheel practically begging to be gripped. You know Ferraris — you grew up around them, after all — but this one feels different. It feels … alive.
Max climbs into the passenger seat with surprising agility for someone who’s had more than a few drinks. He looks entirely too pleased with himself, leaning back like he owns not just the car, but the world.
“Where to?” You ask, trying to sound nonchalant as you adjust the seat and mirrors.
He shrugs, a lazy smile on his face. “Surprise me.”
The car roars to life under your hands, the engine purring with a deep, satisfying growl. You pull out of the valet lane and into the Monaco streets, the city lights sparkling like they’ve been sprinkled with diamonds.
You have no plan, no destination in mind. So, you let the roads guide you. Past the harbor, where yachts bob gently against their moorings, and out onto the open road leading away from Monaco.
Max watches you drive, his gaze heavy but not uncomfortable. “You’re good at this,” he says, his voice cutting through the low hum of the engine.
You glance at him, one hand on the wheel. “I should be. My dad made sure I could handle cars before I could even ride a bike.”
He chuckles. “Sounds about right.”
The road begins to curve as you head toward Nice, the city’s glow fading behind you. The winding asphalt hugs the coastline, offering glimpses of the dark sea shimmering under the moonlight.
Max leans his head back against the seat, his eyes half-closed. “This is nice,” he murmurs, almost to himself.
You smile, focusing on the road. “It is.”
The stretch of beach comes out of nowhere, a small, deserted slice of sand tucked between rocky cliffs. You might have driven past it without a second thought, but Max suddenly sits up, pointing wildly.
“Stop!” He yells.
You react instinctively, slamming on the brakes. The tires screech against the pavement, and the car comes to a jarring halt.
“Jesus, Max!” You exclaim, turning to glare at him. “What is wrong with you?”
He’s already unbuckling his seatbelt, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “We’re going skinny dipping.”
“What?”
“You heard me.” He grins like a kid who just discovered a hidden jar of candy. “Come on. The water’s right there.”
You stare at him, dumbfounded. “You can’t be serious.”
“Why not?” He pushes open the door and climbs out, gesturing for you to follow. “It’s New Year’s. Perfect time to do something stupid.”
“Skinny dipping isn’t just stupid, Max. It’s-” You gesture vaguely, your cheeks heating. “It’s ridiculous.”
He leans down, resting his arms on the open car door. “Exactly. That’s the point. Live a little.”
You hesitate, glancing toward the beach. The moonlight glints off the waves, the sound of the surf mingling with the gentle rustle of wind through the grass. There’s no one else around.
“Max,” you start, your voice uncertain.
He tilts his head, his expression softening. “Hey. It’s just water. I won’t look if you don’t want me to.”
You laugh despite yourself, shaking your head. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re stalling.” He steps back, holding his arms out as if to say, what’s the worst that could happen?
You sigh, unbuckling your seatbelt. “If I freeze to death, I’m haunting you.”
“Deal.”
The sand is cool under your feet as you follow Max toward the water. He’s already pulled off his shirt and pants, tossing them carelessly onto the beach. The moonlight catches on his skin, highlighting the lean muscles of his back.
You hesitate at the water’s edge, the waves lapping at your toes.
“This is crazy,” you mutter, crossing your arms.
“That’s the point,” Max calls over his shoulder, already wading into the surf.
You bite your lip, glancing around one last time to make sure you’re alone. Then, with a deep breath, you pull off your dress, leaving it in a heap beside Max’s clothes.
The water is shockingly cold as you step in, but it’s not unbearable. You wade in deeper, the waves swirling around your waist, then your chest.
Max is already floating on his back a few meters ahead, his arms stretched out like he’s completely at peace.
“See?” He says, his voice carrying over the water. “Not so bad.”
You tread water, glaring at him. “I hate that you’re right.”
He laughs, the sound echoing across the beach. “You’ll get used to it.”
For a while, neither of you says anything. The water is calm, the world around you eerily quiet except for the soft crash of waves.
“This is nice,” you admit finally, your voice barely above a whisper.
“Told you,” he says, tilting his head to look at you. His expression is softer now, less playful. “Thanks for indulging me.”
You shrug, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Thanks for trusting me with your car.”
He grins. “I figured it was in good hands.”
The silence stretches between you again, but it’s not uncomfortable. It feels … easy. Like the two of you have always been here, floating in the moonlit water, sharing something unspoken.
“I’ve always liked you,” Max says suddenly, his voice quiet but firm.
You freeze, your heart skipping a beat. “What?”
He turns onto his side, treading water to face you. “I mean it. For years, I’ve … I don’t know. I never thought you’d feel the same, so I didn’t say anything. But tonight …” He trails off, shaking his head. “I don’t know. It felt like the right time.”
Your throat tightens, your mind racing. You’ve always thought Max was out of your league, untouchable. But here he is, confessing in the most Max way possible — honest, straightforward, no games.
“I’ve always liked you too,” you admit, your voice trembling.
His eyes widen, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He laughs, the sound full of relief and joy. “Well, I guess the grapes worked after all.”
You roll your eyes, but you’re smiling. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“Never,” he says, his voice soft.
It feels like a promise.
***
When you and Max finally stumble out of the water, shivering and laughing, you head straight to the spot where you’d left your clothes. Only, when you get there, the beach doesn’t look quite the same.
Your dress isn’t where you left it.
“Oh no,” you mutter, scanning the dark sand.
“What?” Max asks, standing next to you, his arms crossed against the cold.
“My clothes.” You point at the waterline, which has crept much closer during your impromptu swim. “The waves must’ve gotten to them.”
Max glances down and then back at you with a smirk. “You mean those clothes?”
You follow his gaze to a small, soggy heap half-buried in the sand.
“Oh, for the love of-” You dart toward them, scooping up your dress and underwear, which are completely soaked and dripping.
Max doesn’t even try to suppress his laugh. “Well, this is awkward.”
“Don’t,” you warn, glaring at him.
“I didn’t say anything!” He holds up his hands defensively, still grinning.
You groan, holding up your dress, which now feels about ten pounds heavier with seawater. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t wear this.”
Max tilts his head, considering. “Guess you’ll have to drive back naked.”
“Max!”
“Kidding, kidding!” He steps closer, tugging his own damp shirt over his head and holding it out to you. “Here. Problem solved.”
You hesitate, eyeing the shirt. “What about you?”
“I’ll live,” he says with a shrug, clearly unbothered by the chilly night air. “Take it.”
You sigh, knowing you don’t have much of a choice. “Fine. Turn around.”
Max smirks but obeys, turning his back to you.
You quickly pull the oversized shirt over your head, the fabric still warm from his body. It smells like him, too — a mix of salt, sweat, and something distinctly Max. You tug it down as far as it will go, grateful that it’s long enough to cover everything important.
“Okay,” you say.
Max turns back around, and his grin is immediate and wide. “Wow.”
“What?” You ask, crossing your arms.
“You look good in my clothes,” he says, his voice dropping slightly.
You roll your eyes, but your cheeks burn at the way he’s looking at you, his gaze lingering a little too long. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re beautiful,” he counters, his tone light but earnest.
You open your mouth to respond, but the words catch in your throat. Instead, you shake your head, muttering, “Let’s just go.”
Max doesn’t argue, but his grin lingers as the two of you make your way back to the car.
“Where are we going?” Max asks as you slide back into the driver’s seat, the leather cool against your bare thighs.
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” you say, adjusting the mirrors again.
He shrugs, leaning back in his seat. “We could go back to my place.”
You snort. “Why does that sound like the setup to a bad pickup line?”
“Hey,” he protests, mock-offended. “I’m a gentleman.”
You glance at him, raising an eyebrow. “Are you, though?”
“Sometimes,” he says, grinning. “Depends on the company.”
You laugh, shaking your head. “Well, as much as I’d love to see your undoubtedly bachelor-esque apartment, I have a better idea.”
“Oh?”
“My dad’s place,” you say, pulling onto the road.
Max raises an eyebrow. “Fernando’s?”
“He’s not there,” you assure him quickly. “He’s probably still at the club, or passed out somewhere. And I happen to know he stocked the apartment with some really good champagne.”
Max hums, considering. “Fancy champagne, empty apartment … I like the sound of this.”
You smile, turning onto the highway. “I thought you might.”
The drive back to Monaco feels different this time. The adrenaline from the beach has faded, replaced by a quiet comfort. Max sits beside you, his head tilted back against the seat, humming softly to himself.
You glance at him out of the corner of your eye. “You’re not falling asleep, are you?”
He shakes his head, reaching for the radio. “Nope. Just thinking.”
“Dangerous,” you tease.
He laughs, fiddling with the dial until he lands on a station playing 80s hits. The familiar opening chords of Take On Me by A-ha fill the car, and Max immediately starts singing along.
“Talking away,” he belts out, completely off-key but fully committed.
You can’t help but laugh. “Oh my God, Max.”
“What?” He says, grinning at you. “You don’t like my singing?”
“I’m just saying, maybe stick to driving cars.”
He clutches his chest dramatically. “Ouch. That’s harsh.”
The chorus kicks in, and Max leans closer to you, practically shouting the lyrics. “I’ll be gone, in a day or twoooooo!”
You’re laughing so hard you can barely keep your hands steady on the wheel. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you love it,” he says, winking.
You roll your eyes, but the truth is, you kind of do. There’s something about the way Max is so unapologetically himself, even when he’s being completely ridiculous. It’s endearing in a way you didn’t expect.
The next song comes on — Africa by Toto (not that Toto, the other one) — and Max doesn’t miss a beat, launching into another impromptu performance.
“I bless the rains down in AfricAAAA!”
“Please stop,” you beg, though your cheeks hurt from smiling.
“Never,” he says, grinning at you like this is the most fun he’s had in ages.
And as the lights of Monaco come back into view, you realize you’ve never felt more at ease with someone. Max’s off-tune singing, the salty breeze still clinging to your hair, and the warmth of his shirt against your skin — it all feels like something out of a dream.
“Hey,” Max says suddenly, his voice softer now.
“Yeah?” You glance at him, and for once, he’s not smiling. His expression is thoughtful, almost serious.
“I’m glad it was you tonight,” he says simply.
Your heart skips a beat, but you manage to keep your voice steady. “Me too.”
He turns back to the radio, cranking up the volume as another song starts. And as you drive toward the city, the two of you singing along to the music, it feels like the beginning of something you’re not quite ready to name — but it feels right all the same.
***
The apartment is just as you left it — sleek, minimalist, and undoubtedly your father’s. Clean lines, muted colors, and an expansive view of Monaco’s twinkling lights spilling in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Max whistles low as he steps inside, running a hand through his damp hair. “Your dad has good taste.”
You scoff, kicking off your shoes by the door. “He has a good interior designer. There’s a difference.”
Max chuckles, padding after you as you head straight for the kitchen. “Where’s this fancy champagne you promised?”
You open the fridge, scanning its contents. Sure enough, five bottles of Dom Pérignon are lined up like soldiers, condensation clinging to their dark glass.
“Here,” you say, pulling one out and setting it on the marble countertop. “But don’t complain if it ruins you for whatever it is that Formula 1 uses on podiums these days.”
Max grabs two flutes from the cabinet you pointed to and shrugs. “I think I’ll survive.”
You pop the cork with a satisfying pop, pouring the sparkling liquid into the glasses he offers.
“To questionable life choices,” Max says, raising his glass.
You laugh, clinking yours against his. “To new beginnings.”
The first sip is crisp and effervescent, the kind of taste that makes you close your eyes for a second to savor it. Max seems equally impressed, letting out a low hum of approval.
“You weren’t kidding,” he says, taking another sip. “This is good.”
“Only the best for Fernando Alonso,” you say, rolling your eyes.
The two of you settle on the couch, the city lights casting a soft glow over the room. Conversation flows easily, the champagne loosening whatever walls you might have had left after the events of the night.
By the second bottle, you’re both leaning into each other, laughing at stories you’ve never told anyone else.
“So, wait,” Max says, his voice slightly slurred. “You actually punched him?”
“I didn’t punch him,” you correct, giggling. “I just … shoved him. Hard. With my fist.”
Max snorts. “That’s literally a punch.”
“Semantics.” You wave him off, taking another sip of champagne. “He deserved it.”
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Max says, shaking his head with a grin.
By the time you open the third bottle, everything is a blur of laughter, shared glances, and a warmth that has nothing to do with the alcohol.
You’re halfway through another story when Max interrupts, leaning closer. “You’ve got …” He gestures vaguely at your face.
“What?” You ask, frowning.
“Hold on.” He reaches out, brushing the corner of your mouth with his thumb. The touch is light, almost hesitant, but it sends a jolt of electricity through you.
“There,” he says softly, his thumb lingering a second too long before he pulls back.
The room feels suddenly smaller, quieter. Your eyes meet his, and for a moment, neither of you says anything.
Then, without thinking, you lean in.
The kiss is messy, fueled by champagne and years of unspoken tension. Max’s lips are soft but insistent, his hands finding your waist and pulling you closer.
You barely register the sound of your glass clattering onto the coffee table as you climb onto his lap, your fingers tangling in his hair.
“Is this okay?” He murmurs against your lips, his breath warm and ragged.
You nod, your hands already tugging at the waistband of his jeans. “More than okay.”
His hands slide under the shirt you’re wearing — his shirt — his palms warm against your skin. The touch makes you shiver, but you can’t tell if it’s from the cold or something else entirely.
“You look so good in this,” he whispers, his lips trailing down your neck.
“Stop talking,” you mutter, pulling him back up for another kiss.
He laughs softly but obeys, his hands roaming freely now, exploring every curve like he’s trying to memorize you.
You lose track of time, of where you end and he begins. The champagne bubbles in your veins, making everything feel hazy and light.
Somehow, you both end up half-naked on the leather sectional, your legs tangled together. Max’s hands stay under the shirt, resting against your waist like he’s anchoring himself to you.
Your hand drifts lower, brushing against the waistband of his briefs. He lets out a low groan, his head falling back against the couch.
“Careful,” he says, his voice thick with a mix of amusement and warning.
You smirk, leaning down to press a kiss to his jaw. “You’re the one who said to live a little.”
He laughs, pulling you back down into another kiss.
Eventually, exhaustion gets the better of both of you. The kisses slow, turning softer, lazier, until you’re both too tired to do anything but collapse against each other.
Max’s arms wrap around you, his body warm and solid beneath you.
“Don’t let me fall asleep like this,” you mumble, your voice muffled against his chest.
“Too late,” he replies, his voice already heavy with sleep.
And as your eyes flutter closed, you can’t help but think that this might be the best questionable life choice you’ve ever made.
***
The first hint of dawn spills into the apartment, a soft, golden hue creeping through the glass walls. The city below comes to life slowly, but up here, in the quiet sanctuary of your father’s apartment, everything feels frozen in time.
You’re vaguely aware of the early morning light as you stir, still half-asleep, tangled in the warmth of Max’s arms. His hands are still under the shirt you’re wearing — his shirt — resting against your bare waist. Your head rests on his chest, his steady heartbeat like a metronome beneath your ear.
You should feel embarrassed, maybe even regretful. Instead, you feel … safe. Content.
The sound of keys jingling outside the door doesn’t register immediately.
Then, the lock turns, and the door creaks open.
“Ah, mierda.”
The low curse comes from the entryway. The unmistakable, groggy voice of your father.
You jolt upright, your blood turning ice-cold as the realization sinks in.
Max stirs beside you, groaning softly. “What’s going on?”
You don’t have time to answer before Fernando appears in the living room doorway, his hair disheveled, his jacket slung over one shoulder, and the beginnings of a hangover etched across his face.
His gaze lands on the two of you — your bare legs, Max’s shirt haphazardly covering you, and the obvious fact that both your pants are nowhere to be seen.
There’s a long, excruciating silence.
“Papá,” you manage to squeak, your voice higher than you intended.
Fernando blinks once, twice. Then his eyes narrow. “What is this?”
Max freezes, his brain clearly struggling to catch up. “Uh …”
You scramble for words, any words, but your mind is a complete blank.
Fernando steps closer, his voice sharp. “You. Verstappen. What are you doing here?”
Max raises a hand, as though he’s trying to surrender. “I can explain-”
“Oh, you better,” Fernando interrupts, his tone dark. “Because from where I’m standing, this looks like …” He gestures vaguely at the two of you, his expression a mix of disbelief and fury. “… a very bad decision.”
You hastily pull a throw pillow over your lap, trying to muster some semblance of dignity. “It’s not what it looks like.”
Fernando arches a brow. “It looks like I came home to find my daughter and Max Verstappen half-naked on my couch.”
“Okay, so maybe it’s a little what it looks like,” you admit, cringing.
Max finally seems to snap out of his stupor. He sits up, running a hand through his already messy hair. “Listen, Fernando, I-”
“You don’t get to call me Fernando,” your father snaps. “Not right now.”
“Okay,” Max backtracks quickly, holding up his hands. “Look, this isn’t her fault. It’s on me.”
You turn to him, frowning. “Max-”
“No, it’s true,” he continues, his voice steady despite the situation. “I shouldn’t have let things get … out of hand.”
Fernando crosses his arms, his eyes narrowing further. “Out of hand?”
“I mean-” Max stumbles over his words, clearly realizing he’s digging himself deeper. “It’s not like we planned for this to happen.”
Fernando’s gaze flicks to you, his expression unreadable. “Is that true?”
You open your mouth, then close it, your cheeks burning. “Well … yes. Kind of.”
“Kind of?”
“It’s complicated!” You blurt out, throwing your hands up in frustration.
Fernando pinches the bridge of his nose, muttering something under his breath that you’re pretty sure isn’t complimentary.
“I don’t even know where to start,” he says after a moment, his voice tight. “You-” He points at Max. “Why are you even here?”
“We were … celebrating,” Max says hesitantly.
“Celebrating,” Fernando repeats flatly. “By taking your pants off on my couch?”
“Okay, that part was-” Max starts, but you cut him off.
“Can we not talk about pants right now?” You plead, your face hot enough to fry an egg.
Fernando gives you a look that could melt steel. “No, we’re absolutely going to talk about it. What were you thinking?”
“Maybe we weren’t thinking,” you admit quietly, avoiding his gaze.
“That much is obvious,” he mutters.
“Papá, please,” you say, your voice softening. “It’s not like we meant to disrespect you or your home.”
Fernando sighs, the anger in his expression giving way to something else — disappointment. It stings more than you care to admit.
Max shifts uncomfortably beside you, breaking the silence. “I know this looks bad-”
“It is bad,” Fernando interrupts. “Do you have any idea what this could do to your reputation? To hers?”
Max frowns, his jaw tightening. “With all due respect, I care more about her than my reputation.”
Your breath catches at his words, but Fernando doesn’t seem impressed.
“Convenient to say that now,” he mutters, crossing his arms again.
Max’s expression hardens. “It’s the truth.”
The tension in the room is suffocating, the silence stretching out until you can’t take it anymore.
“Can we just … take a minute?” You say, looking between them. “Please?”
Fernando stares at you for a long moment, his expression softening just a fraction. “Fine. One minute.”
He turns on his heel, muttering something under his breath yet again as he storms toward the kitchen.
As soon as he’s out of earshot, you let out a shaky breath, turning to Max.
“This is a disaster,” you whisper.
Max reaches for your hand, his touch grounding. “We’ll figure it out.”
“How?” You ask, your voice tinged with panic.
He squeezes your hand gently. “Together.”
Despite everything, his confidence is reassuring. You take another deep breath, trying to steady yourself.
“Okay,” you say quietly. “Together.”
Fernando’s voice cuts through the moment from the kitchen. “You better be decent when I come back.”
Max lets out a low chuckle, and you can’t help but smile despite the situation.
“Let’s just survive the next five minutes,” you murmur, standing to pull on your still-damp jeans.
Max grins up at you, his eyes warm. “I like our odds.”
You glance toward the kitchen, where your father is undoubtedly fuming, and pray he’s right.
***
The tension in the room is suffocating as your father storms back from the kitchen, a cup of coffee in his hand and a sharp glare aimed squarely at Max. You sit on the edge of the couch, trying to make yourself as small as possible. Max, to his credit, doesn’t flinch under the weight of Fernando’s gaze, though his posture is tense, shoulders squared like he’s bracing for impact.
Fernando takes a long sip of his coffee before setting the cup down on the counter with a decisive clink. “Alright,” he says, folding his arms across his chest. “Let’s talk.”
Max leans forward, his elbows on his knees. “I-”
Fernando holds up a hand, cutting him off. “No. I’ll talk first. You’ll listen.”
Max glances at you briefly, then nods. “Okay.”
Your father steps closer, his eyes narrowing. “So. Verstappen. Tell me — were you trying to sleep with my daughter under my own roof?”
The bluntness of the question makes you choke on air. “Papá!”
“Stay out of this,” Fernando says sharply, not even sparing you a glance. His eyes are locked on Max, who blinks in surprise before straightening in his seat.
“No!” Max says quickly, his voice firm. “Of course not.”
Fernando tilts his head, his lips twitching as though he’s fighting back a smirk. “Oh, so she’s not attractive enough for you to want to sleep with?”
“What?” You gasp, standing up. “What is wrong with you?”
“Sit down,” Fernando says over his shoulder, though there’s an unmistakable gleam of amusement in his eyes.
Max looks like he’s been thrown into the deep end of a pool without warning. “That’s not — what? No!”
Fernando raises an eyebrow. “No, she’s not attractive, or no, you weren’t trying to sleep with her?”
Max glares at him, his jaw tightening. “You’re twisting my words.”
“Am I?” Fernando says, taking another slow sip of his coffee.
“Yes!” Max snaps, then seems to catch himself. He exhales, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I wasn’t trying to disrespect you or your home. I swear.”
Fernando steps closer, looming over Max. “You swear, huh?”
“Yes,” Max says firmly.
“And yet,” Fernando says, gesturing at the couch with a dramatic wave of his hand, “I walked in on this. My daughter, half-naked, tangled up with you.”
You groan, burying your face in your hands. “Oh my god, stop.”
Fernando ignores you. “Explain that, Verstappen.”
Max meets his gaze, unflinching. “I care about her. That’s the truth.”
Fernando’s eyebrows lift slightly, but he doesn’t respond immediately. He paces a few steps, tapping his fingers against his coffee cup as though mulling over his next move.
Finally, he stops, turning back to Max. “You care about her,” he repeats, his tone skeptical.
“Yes,” Max says, his voice unwavering.
Fernando tilts his head again, studying Max like he’s a puzzle he’s trying to solve. “Alright. Let’s test that.”
Max frowns. “Test what?”
“Your commitment,” Fernando says simply.
You groan again, standing up. “Papá, this isn’t some kind of-”
“Sit,” Fernando says, pointing at the couch.
“Stop telling me to sit!” You snap, but you drop back down anyway, crossing your arms over your chest.
Fernando turns back to Max, a small, mischievous smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “So. Verstappen. If you care about her, you won’t mind answering a few questions.”
Max hesitates but nods. “Alright.”
Fernando sets his coffee cup down again, cracking his knuckles for dramatic effect. “First question. Do you even know her middle name?”
Max’s eyes flick to you, then back to Fernando. “Of course I do. It’s-” He pauses, frowning. “Wait. Do you have one?”
Fernando lets out a bark of laughter. “Strike one.”
You roll your eyes. “Max, I don’t have a middle name. Don’t listen to him.”
Max glares at Fernando. “That’s not fair.”
“Life isn’t fair,” Fernando says with a shrug. “Next question. What’s her favorite color?”
Max’s frown deepens. “Pink?”
Fernando shakes his head. “Wrong.”
“Wrong?” Max turns to you. “It’s not pink?”
“It’s not pink,” you confirm, biting back a smile.
Fernando smirks. “Strike two.”
Max leans back, exhaling slowly. “Alright. What is it, then?”
Fernando opens his mouth, but you cut him off. “It’s burgundy.”
“Burgundy,” Max repeats, nodding to himself. “Got it.”
“Too late,” Fernando says, waving him off. “You’re already failing.”
“Papá,” you say, your tone a warning.
Fernando raises his hands in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. One last question.”
Max leans forward again, his expression determined. “Go ahead.”
Fernando’s smirk returns. “What are your intentions with my daughter?”
The question hangs in the air like a loaded gun.
Max doesn’t flinch. He meets Fernando’s gaze head-on and says, “I don’t know yet.”
You blink in surprise, as does your father.
Max continues, his voice steady. “But I know I want to figure it out. I care about her, and I want to spend more time with her. That’s all I can say right now.”
Fernando studies him for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
Then, to your astonishment, he nods. “Fair enough.”
“Fair enough?” You echo, staring at him in disbelief.
Fernando shrugs, picking up his coffee cup again. “At least he’s honest.”
Max lets out a breath he probably didn’t realize he was holding, and you shake your head, still trying to process what just happened.
“Just one thing,” Fernando adds, turning back to Max with a pointed look.
“What’s that?” Max asks cautiously.
Fernando leans in slightly, his voice low but firm. “If you hurt her, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Max doesn’t hesitate. “Understood.”
Fernando nods once, then steps back, his demeanor relaxing slightly. “Good. Now, get dressed. Both of you.”
You groan, covering your face with your hands again. “This is the worst day of my life.”
“Could’ve been worse,” Max says, nudging you gently.
You glare at him, but there’s a small smile tugging at your lips despite everything.
Fernando smirks, heading toward his bedroom. “You’ve got ten minutes before I come back with more questions.”
“Papá!” You call after him, but he’s already gone.
Max chuckles softly, leaning back on the couch. “That went well, all things considered.”
You stare at him, incredulous. “You think that went well?”
He grins, shrugging. “I’m still alive, aren’t I?”
You can’t help but laugh, shaking your head. “You’re unbelievable.”
“And you like me anyway,” he says, his grin widening.
You roll your eyes, but you don’t argue.
***
One Year Later
The club is just as loud and chaotic as it was a year ago, but it feels different this time. Maybe it’s the crowd, maybe it’s the glow of the New Year’s lights, or maybe it’s the fact that Max’s hand hasn’t left yours all night.
You’re back where it all started, tucked into the VIP section of the Monaco club where you had once crouched under a table eating grapes in a last-ditch attempt to find love. That night had been nothing short of chaotic, but looking back, it had been the beginning of something you wouldn’t trade for the world.
“Is it how you remembered it?” Max asks, leaning in close to be heard over the music.
You glance around at the glittering lights and pulsing crowd, then back at him. “It’s definitely less embarrassing this time around.”
Max grins, brushing a thumb over your knuckles. “I don’t know. You were pretty cute in your desperation.”
You groan, nudging him with your shoulder. “Are you ever going to let me live that down?”
“Not a chance,” he says, laughing. “It’s one of my favorite stories to tell.”
“Great. Glad my suffering is so entertaining for you,” you tease, though you can’t help but smile.
Max tugs you closer, his voice softer now. “You know, I’m really glad you ate those grapes.”
You look up at him, your heart fluttering at the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles. “Me too.”
The DJ announces that it’s nearly midnight, and the crowd buzzes with excitement. Max pulls you to your feet, his hands resting lightly on your waist.
“Ready to count down?” He asks, his voice warm and low.
“With you? Always,” you say, grinning.
The countdown begins, and the energy in the room spikes. You can feel the excitement in the air, the anticipation of a new year, a fresh start.
“Ten!” The crowd shouts.
Max’s hands tighten slightly on your waist, and you lean into him, your pulse racing.
“Nine!”
You look up at him, your eyes locking.
“Eight!”
His gaze softens, his smile turning gentle.
“Seven!”
You bite your lip, butterflies fluttering in your stomach.
“Six!”
Max leans down, his forehead brushing against yours.
“Five!”
Your breath catches as the noise of the crowd fades into the background.
“Four!”
“Three!”
“Two!”
You close your eyes, tilting your head up.
“One!”
Midnight strikes, and Max’s lips meet yours, soft and certain. The room erupts in cheers and confetti, but all you can focus on is the way he’s holding you, like you’re the only person in the world.
The kiss deepens, his hands sliding to your back, pulling you closer. You smile against his lips, your heart full and light-
Only to be rudely interrupted by someone literally wedging themselves between you.
“Alright, break it up!”
You stumble back a step, blinking in surprise. Max looks just as stunned, his hands still midair where they’d been resting on your waist.
Fernando stands between you, his arms crossed and a deeply unimpressed look on his face. “Leave room for Jesus.”
You gape at him, your cheeks burning. “Papá! What the hell are you doing?”
“I think the better question,” he says, looking pointedly at Max, “is what you two were doing.”
Max stares at him, then throws his hands up. “We were kissing. It’s New Year’s!”
Fernando raises an eyebrow. “And you couldn’t do that with a little more … decorum?”
“You’re not even religious!” You protest, exasperated.
Fernando smirks, clearly enjoying himself. “And that’s why, by Jesus, I mean me.”
Max blinks. “You mean … you?”
You stare at your father, your frustration warring with the urge to laugh. “Are you serious right now?”
“Completely,” Fernando says, deadpan. “Now, why don’t we all take a nice step back, breathe, and reflect on the fact that I’m allowing this relationship to exist at all.”
“Allowing?” Max echoes, crossing his arms. “With all due respect, I don’t think you get to allow anything anymore.”
Fernando turns to him, one eyebrow raised. “Oh, is that so?”
“Yes,” Max says firmly. “We’re adults. And we’re together. Whether you approve or not.”
Fernando looks at him for a long moment, then lets out a low chuckle. “Well, at least you’ve got guts.”
“More than that,” you interject, stepping between them. “He’s good to me. Better than anyone else ever has been. And I love him.”
Fernando’s smirk fades, replaced by something softer. He looks at you, his expression unreadable, then nods slowly. “I know.”
“You know?” You ask, surprised.
He shrugs. “Of course I know. I’m your father.”
Max exchanges a glance with you, clearly just as confused. “So … what’s with all the drama, then?”
Fernando grins, stepping back. “Because it’s fun.”
You groan, burying your face in your hands again. “I can’t believe this.”
Max laughs, pulling you into his side. “I can.”
Fernando claps Max on the shoulder, his grin widening. “Happy New Year, Verstappen. Don’t screw it up.”
Max meets his gaze, his expression serious. “I won’t.”
Fernando nods, then turns to you. “And you — try to keep him out of trouble, will you?”
You smile, leaning into Max. “I’ll do my best.”
Fernando waves you off, disappearing back into the crowd with a casual, “Don’t make me come back over here.”
Max watches him go, then turns to you, shaking his head. “Your dad’s insane.”
“Welcome to my world,” you say, laughing.
He grins, leaning down to kiss you again. This time, no one interrupts.
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lovebugism · 3 months ago
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for your smut request ☺️ eddie seeing the love marks he left on reader and getting turned on all over again remember how it got there in the first place 🫶🏻
thank u for requesting :D — the one where eddie realizes quitting smoking would be a whole lot easier than quitting you (established relationship, allusions to smut 18+ | 0.9k)
You lie in the center of Eddie’s bed, trying hard to catch your breath, while the boy rolls off the squeaking mattress on tingling limbs. 
You hear him chuck the used condom into the bin by the nightstand as he goes. He tugs plaid boxers up lanky legs, then fishes for the pack of cigs left in his discarded jeans in one fell swoop. His movements are so practiced now they seem almost fluid. Or maybe that’s just the honeyed haze leftover in your heavy eyes.
Eddie opens the window with one hand, then brings the other up to his mouth. He plucks a cigarette from the carton with his lips and leaves the rest on the sill. A midnight breeze billows past his flushed cheeks and wild curls before finding you. It feels like silk against your buzzing, bare skin.
He cups a hand over his mouth to light the stick. The amber flame makes his face glow. Suddenly, everything smells of sex, nicotine, and midnight air.
You writhe under the thin sheets to stretch your aching limbs before mustering a small smile at the boy across the room. “Smoking after sex is so cliche,” you joke in contented slurs.
“Well, it’s your fault,” the boy insists as grey smoke billows from his rosy mouth. He flicks the filter end of the cigarette to dispel the ash in the ceramic tray, then stretches his arms over his head. It leaves his milky white torso on display for you. Your mouth waters with the urge to run your lips over each of his fading tattoos.
“Is it?” you hum.
“Mhmm,” Eddie nods wordlessly. He sticks the cig back in his mouth and mumbles through it. “If you weren’t so needy, I wouldn’t be smokin’ so much.”
A beam tugs at your lips, threatening to fill the lamplit bedroom with sunshine. You cage it between your teeth because both of you know Eddie was the so-called needy one no more than ten minutes ago –– panting in your ear as he fucked sloppily into you, and leaving his pathetic little whimpers there, too.
“Please cum,” he begged against your skin as his thrusts lost rhythm, weighed down by his own need for release. “Please cum for me. I need to feel it. Need to feel it so bad, baby. Please.”
You watch the memory replay itself in Eddie’s faraway gaze. The notion makes your chest go warm. “Well, you have my deepest sympathies, Eddie Spaghetti,” you murmur in response, soft and sarcastic.
Eddie lifts a pale shoulder in a lazy shrug. “It’s okay,” he mumbles back, cigarette bobbing on his bottom lip. “I can just bill you for all the packs I’m goin’ through.”
“Or we can just stop having sex?” you offer with a knowing lilt to your voice, rising to sit further up on the pillows. You clutch the sheets to your bare chest and look at the boy beneath your lashes. “That’s free, at least.”
Eddie nods, eyes squinted in feigned curiosity. “Hm... That’s definitely an interesting proposition,” he hums with his head angled towards the window to blow smoke out of.
“I mean, I have plenty of toys to keep me occupied––”
“And by toy, I assume you’re talking about Steve The Hair Harrington?” Eddie tries to joke, though his poorly concealed jealousy goes unentertained.
“––But I think you’ll get tired of your right hand very quickly.”
“Hey,” Eddie pouts. “You know I’m ambidextrous. I can switch it up.”
“So, it’s settled then?” you shrug. “No more sex.”
Eddie bows his head sheepishly, silently calculating a way to get him out of the hole he dug for himself. He snuffs the cigarette out in the ashtra, and his eyes flit to the opened box of condoms on his dresser, all but calling his name.
“Well… I mean… We still have eleven condoms left, so…”
You meet his brown-eyed look of expectancy with a cynical smirk. “You see eleven condoms, I see eleven minutes of my life I’m never getting back,” you quip.
Eddie stalks towards you on long legs, brows furrowed in a pitiful look. “Stop being mean to me. I’ll fall in love with you––” he whines playfully, leaning over the mattress with the intent to kiss you. His eyes fall to the blossoming bruises on your neck, and he stops short. “Jesus…”
“What?” you murmur in a mousy voice, eyes wide and glittering.
“Nothin’,” Eddie blurts as he raises his hand to run his fingers over your warm skin. He traces the blooming blood vessels over your collarbone, and his face screws with worry. “Do these hurt?” he wonders aloud.
“Do these?” you echo, motioning to the scratches on his shoulders he hasn’t bothered to notice until now. You didn’t even know you were leaving them there, in truth, as you held onto the boy for dear life while he fucked you within an inch of your own.
Eddie tucks his chin to his chest and tries to eye the scrapes from his peripheral vision. He spots four lines of raging red and puffed-up skin. They feel almost like battle scars –– an aching that he’s proud of.
“A little,” he shrugs, then smiles proudly to himself. “They feel good, though.”
“So do these,” you hum.
His heavy eyes fall to your neck again. His mouth waters at the sight of the lovebites littered there. “Want some more?” he offers lowly.
“I thought we had a deal, Eds? No more sex,” you tease as the boy leans further into kiss you. You smell nicotine and sex on his breath, and your head starts to swim.
“We never shook on it,” Eddie insists, right before kissing you hard enough to steal the breath from your lungs.
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landiary · 2 months ago
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privacy ☆ lee heeseung
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pairing stepbro!hee x afab!reader
genre smut.
warning dry humping, masturbating, choking, face fucking (m&f), cowgirl. spanking, overstimulation, squirt, creampie. not proofread.
a/n based in a dream i had, i LITERALLY been writing this during a whole month and finally it’s done hope u like itttt
words 3,5k
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in your house, privacy was not something that your parents considered important, so you always fight demanding your privacy, where you would find shouts from your mother who said "do you have something to hide from us?" or from your father, using the same words as always "dont even think about bringing a guy home."
so you always ended up in your room with the only shoulder you could cry on, heeseung’s, your stepbrother. there were no problems with him, he was the most understanding and the one who always fought with you in some arguments, confronting your parents. although most of the time he was not at home, as he is an adult he work for living and can go a whole week without showing up.
his room? it was a complete mystery. since you couldn't maintain privacy with your parents, you kept it between the two of you. the only thing you knew was that he had a gaming pc, a shelf with some devilish plushies, and more things than any room would have.
it was a midnight friday, you used to call your friends to gossip, but in this case they wanted to play video games. you grabbed your laptop and turned it on, but it didn't take long for it to start working wrong. "this shit doesn't work!" you silently shouted out of respect for your parents who were already sleeping.
"please, y/n i told you to use heeseung's." your friend said via discord call. "im considering it, but if he found out he'd kill me." you laughed despite wanting to cry at the slowness of your laptop. your other friend, decided to speak, "will never find out. hes a man, thinks with his dick, not his head." was what encouraged you to hang out the discord call and go ahead.
this week was one of those where hee was gone for days, and you were ovulating specially to make bad decisions. barefoot, in front of the door of his room with a sign that said in capital letters "DO NOT ENTER", you silently entered. a scent of man's cologne was your first impression upon entering, however when you turned on the light, it left a lot to be desired. it was small, but considering that he was almost gone, it was just the right and necessary size. a small closet, a large bed, as was said before, his computer and the shelves of weird plushies.
"did it." you said to both girls. you felt weird. so comfortable in a gaming chair, clearly hearing every sound with those headphones, with such a large screen in front, dim led lights in the background.
you felt guilty, but you couldn't help but do it, so it happened about three more times.
the first day, it was to play with your friends. second day, you did the same thing, however you were so tired that you didn't make it to your room, so you ended up sleeping in heeseung's bed.
the third day was sunday. your friends were responsible women, so they weren't going to play video games on a sunday night, but you decided to play the sims 4 all night. you lost track of time, but you got bored quickly and deleted your game so as not to leave a trace that you were there.
the headache was present the moment you left the computer, and under the dim lights you began to explore heeseung's room as if it were an escape room. at this point, you didn't give a shit about privacy.
his closet had the most delicious smell in the world: man. all his closet were messy and the drawers even more so. the desk was something you had been looking at for a while from sitting in front of the pc, but you never realized the mess of pens and meaningless sketches that were lying around. you wanted to give him a helping hand and clean him up but the idea was that he would never realize you were there.
finally, the plushies shelf. how is it that a man can collect this shit? you may ask. he was a special guy, because his plushies were disgustingly horrible that they were even scary. you grabbed one, and you were surprised at how soft the fur was. "now i understand why he likes them." you said to yourself.
you don't know if it was that you felt high by his cologne, but a not very holy idea came to your mind after touching the plushie. still with that weird ass bear in your hands, you walked to his bed, threw yourself face down and began to look at it. it was a bear with sharp teeth and red eyes. you already knew what you had to do.
you leaned the stuffed animal's face against the bed, not intending to see it, and knelt on it. you gasped from the pressure, but you quickly got used to it. you had nowhere to hold onto, so you went to the edge of the bed and grabbed onto the bed frame platform.
the swaying of your hips against the soft texture of that stuffed bear made you stop panting and start moaning moderately. for more excitement, you lifted your shirt leaving your bare breasts to crash against the cold atmosphere of that room. one hand holding your trembling body and the other massaging one of your tits, which had a sensitive nipple.
your legs started to get tired and your body started to ask for more. bored of continuing to rub yourself with the plushie, you pushed it aside and lay down while putting your hands inside your panties. you were clearly soaking wet. "so fuckin sorry, hee." followed by a moan, ready not to move until you cum undone on his bed.
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since heeseung had returned home, you didn't go back to his room. that day you preferred not to remember. you almost took the risk of him finding you, because it was the same day he came home, but you woke up to the sounds of cats fighting on the ceiling and you were able to get back to your room sooner.
he never said anything to you, he didn't complain about anything, but it was weird for you to see how he was inside your room without even knocking on the door. "come with me” he said straight and firm. "hee, did something happen?"
"don't make me repeat myself." as he came out of your room, you ran after him.
in just seconds you regretted everything you did because knowing how he is, for some reason you thought he could have noticed. and yes, you take responsibility because you knew he was very angry.
when you reach the door of his room, he opens it leaving you the pass free, two steps were enough to make him also inside and close the door very tightly behind him.
"why don't you act surprised?" he asks, sitting in front of the pc without even looking at you. "why should I be?" you answer with another question. nerves get on you, and you had flashbacks of THAT night because of how your legs were shaking right now. you couldn't do anything because of the shame and guilt.
heeseung leaned back on the gaming chair, which by the way, is reclining. "first, i realized that some things weren't in place. i thought it was simply cuz i get home high as fuck, but i decided to trust my instinct." he paused before continuing. "do you like dim lights? cuz i think you weren't smart enough to notice a very important detail with the lights off." when you looked up your eyes were terrified to see a red light flickering from a small camera.
"heeseung, i-" he interrupted you. "i watched everything, y/n." you didn't want to maintain eye contact but you couldn’t take your eyes off him, you knew perfectly well that on his screen was that fucking image of sunday night. he got up from his chair and slowly approached you. "can't believe my stepsister turned out into a slutty whore."
with a pre-assembled cigarette, he took a puff and blew the smoke in your face. "instead of doing it in your room, you needed to do it in someone else's bed?" purposely set the ironic tone in the question. he put the cigarette in his mouth and he threw you on your back to the bed, without any kind of softness. "you know what's the best thing about all of this?" your legs separated by heeseung’s knee, which wasn't that far from brushing against your crotch. "that fucking bear still has your scent." imagining him smelling the bear made you feel like a patch of moisture was making on your panties. "think i'll have to teach you manners, don't i?"
your parents weren't at home, it was just you and him, so the silence became noisy when your thoughts prevented you from answering him. heeseung’s hands gently lifted your chin, worthlessly forcing you to look him in the eye. "i know how you feel, i wouldn't be able to look you in the eye either if i had done what you did," his thumb moved from your chin to your jugular. "but i didn't cuz i do respect your privacy."
"stop talking about privacy." your demanding tone surprised him a bit, which made him laugh wryly. "god, y/n... you do it on purpose, don't you?" considering that his hand was on your neck, he pressed down. "you're a big girl... big girls take responsibility for what they do, right?" your throat wouldn't let you speak so you just nodded your head.
the image of what came next did not displease you at all. you took responsibility for your mistakes even though you enjoyed it more than in your own bed. he was furious, all he saw was red, you could tell by the way he spoke, the way he was grabbing you, and how his lips moved desperately over yours. following the kiss didn't help to diminish his strength over you, but it did help a bulge in his pants to grow.
his knee subconsciously touched your crotch. heeseung noticing this, he lowered his knee from the bed and stopped kissing you, but both were still connected by your saliva. "can't let you have the same pleasure again, princess, you were very disrespectful." he kept his hand on your neck at all time, but then decided to wipe away the saliva dripping from your mouth with his thumb. "how about you focus on me?"
roles had changed. he was sitting on the bed in his unzipped jeans, while you kept your sanity to endure the knee pain. heeseung never let you go. after a "can you do that for me, pretty?" and accessing, the two of you continued to connect to each other through touch.
his hand grabbed yours to make you touch his marked bulge. was it necessary? no, you knew how to pull and suck it very well. but this isn't about what you know or don't know, it's about your mistake and making him feel good. no matter how much your hand was guided, the sensation of its length made your mouth water. he was big as fuck, you knew it very well.
heeseung was panting from movements he made himself, until he finally let you do it by yourself. besides the fact that it was thick, you could feel how hard it was under the thin fabric, so it didn't take long for you to release it. it bounced and slammed into hee's abdomen, making him shudder. his pink tip had precum, which you decided to make disappear with your tongue. the tip fits, the rest didn't.
the only help he gave you was to grab your hair so it wouldn't bother you while you were doing yhe blowjob.
you kept making circles on his tip, but since it also needed more attention at the base, you used your hand. "just like that." you smiled a little when you heard that, seeing it in a way you never imagined seeing. all horny and needy, panting for a little touch.
you looked up to see him and you took a sublime scene. eyes shut, lips swollen from blocking moans, jaw clenched, heavy panting. the fact that you both must surely have been recorded by the cameras installed, turned you on even more. the lower part of your hips were humping the floor with need, need which heeseung felt. his eyes didn't open completely, yet his eyes penetrated your aura.
it did not help at all to maintain his position. his dick squirmed in your mouth and without warning painted your mouthwalls white, forcing you to swallow. "fuck..." he groaned before collapsing on his bed. you tried to do something to provoke him again, the first thing that came to your mind was to climb on his lap, but in one quick movement he got you on all fours.
your shorts weren't a hindrance for him, because the thin fabric was easy to handle. "i can tell you don't need any prep, don't you?" you seemed to be very wet from what he saw through your panties, but after knowing the size of his member you thought that it was impossible to get in there. "i have no choice but to fuck the shit out of you if you stay that quiet."
"no..." you said quickly, desperately. "no, hee, please." you weren't sure if you were going to convince him just by begging him. "i'll be a good girl from now on, but please..." an unconscious moan came out of your mouth, and the fabric was starting to bother you. "eat me out."
"and do you think you deserve it?" you could feel his powerful gaze against your ass. "no, i don't deserve it at all, but if my mouth couldn't handle that massive cock, i doubt my cunt will." heeseung's index finger went to your waistband and pulled it down. within seconds he took your place, kneeling on the floor to appreciate your drooling pussy.
"taste me." you dared to say. "keep your mouth shut." he said with the same tongue with which he began to gave you a head. unfortunately, you couldn't listen to him and keep quiet. at least not when he was doing his job so well.
the wet sound of you being devoured by the mouth of that hungry man made you even more horny. your moans threatened to come out and you scratched the sheets. you wondered if he did it with such eagerness because he had really wanted to do it for a long time or just because he felt like it. you didn't know, you didn't care, all you wanted to do was untie the knot he had created in your abdomen and release it all in his mouth.
"heeseung..." he had asked you to be quiet a while ago, but the way you said his name had his cock twitching. he kept the same speed, he was being so gentle that it was starting to get boring. you tried to rub your hips on him but it was impossible, his hands caught you to keep you still the moment you tried to give yourself more pleasure than he was giving you. without saying a word, he told you everything.
"can you go faster?" you asked in a low tone. Your face turned red as Heeseung stopped licking you and stared at you. "you see?..." you were quiet making eye contact with him. "it's not that hard to say what you want, pervert." as quickly as he could finish his sentence, he kept eating you like a fucking god, this time being much rougher and faster than last time.
it was already impossible to keep your arms steady with your body trembling from your growing orgasm. your moans hit the mattress drowning them, and the warmth he gave you began to create sweat drops falling down your forehead. "hee... fu-" you were confused. his tongue stopped being in it’s place at the moment you needed it most, you were about to cum. "what the-" heeseung lay next to you on the bed, his cock was again hard and exposed, he had nothing on his bottom part. "you wanna cum? show me how it's done."
in order not to look desperate, as much as you needed it, you decided to approach slowly. you lay on it, not lying down completely, and with your bare hands you lined up its cock in your pussy, brushing the tip. you couldn't help but let out a gasp, which had a quick response from heeseung. "don't tease stepsis." "you were literally teasing me all afternoon, i can do it too, can't i?" heeseung let out a nasal laugh wanting to cover up moans. "know your place princess. now, bounce on me."
you moved its tip a little more and then stuck it in your driveway. if his fat dickhead made you feel that tight, you didn't want to imagine what was going to happen to the rest of his cock. you threw your head back and filled yourself with courage to put the rest in. your throat built a sublime moan for the man's ears.
you had to deal with your own weight for a while, jumping on him slowly so you wouldn't get tired too quickly. you opened your asschecks so you could had more access. if heeseung hadn't eaten you out, you're sure you wouldn't be able to move that easily.
heeseung didn't take his eyes off your clothed breasts. he had both hands free until he finally decided to touch you. his right hand went to hold one of your hips, the other went to lift your baby tee, underneath that you didn't have a bra, so it was easy for your stepbrother to let your breasts free.
"if i had known you were going to be so good to me, i would have fucked you before." his two hands on your hips were a help to make a more fluid moves, also his words made you so wetter. you lied down "need you so much." you murmured over his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.
the pace was frenetic, both skins colliding and moans mingling in the air. a spanking echoed throughout the room, your sensitive skin soon turned red drawing heeseung's big hand.
he felt like you were stroking him, your pussy clenched by a lot of stimulation. you sat on him again, this time increasing speed and rubbing your clitoris. "you're getting tight..." he said. you kept bouncing over him even though you were already trembling over him. he could tell you were about to cum.
"can i cum?" stared you in the eye. "please, please, can i cum? i need to." he felt your legs squeeze his hips. the hand with which you rubbed your was replaced with his, that’s was his answer. those fingers were nimble and fast, you gushed around him, dripping all over his abdomen and a little from his bed.
you lay on heeseung, resting your head on his shoulder, but the two of you were still connected. heeseung continued on his own when he saw that you were already done, following the same rhythm, but causing his tip to hit your g-spot.
"are you on the pill?" you nodded impatiently. heeseung used his strength to keep your hips still, his pelvis was constantly crashing very hard and fast against your skin, pounding into you. and you who were already sensitive because of your squirt, couldn't stop complaining with incoherent sounds coming out of your weak mouth. "hee... 's too.. much!" you cried out.
finally, he split his seed inside you, and his cock came out of you.
both of you collapsed and remained silent for a few minutes. it took you a while to realize the situation you were in. hugging your stepbrother on his bed, after the best fuck of your life.
you opened your eyes for a moment to see him, he was breathing heavily with his eyes shut. to interrupt the silence and discomfort, you decided to speak. "what am i supposed to do now?" you whispered, but it was quite audible. "don't come back in here if you don't want this to happen again." he said in a tired, raw voice. he sounded fine as fuck.
"and what if i want to repeat this moment?" you get away a little from him to have a better view of his face. he barely opened his eyes and let out a chuckle.
"take note.." he started. "next time it will be in your room."
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cuz-reasons · 1 year ago
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I'm almost done 6 day work week from hell oh my god its just today and tmr and it's the easiest and shortest shifts wish me luck
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ohmygraves · 11 months ago
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you and simon were fighting.
it was such a dumb argument too, something that you've forgotten already, but of course he didn't. he got irritated at you and yelled, pointing fingers at you calling you stupid and bringing up all the times you've wronged him. he brought up the time when you got the two of you late for a reservation and costed him both time and money, or the time that you almost burned down the house after you fell asleep cooking something.
you were undoubtedly upset, telling him about how he didn't make you feel happy, how you were alone while he was going away for so long on deployments and you're at home with no means to talk to your husband hoping that he's still alive. or that he didn't even appreciate that you'd drag your ass out of bed when he wants some midnight snack because he's a lousy cook and he only likes your food.
the two of you went back and forth for a while, calling eachother out before simon put his foot down, yelling at you.
"i can't bloody stand you, i shouldn't have married you!"
that got you to shut up.
you looked at him in shock, eyes wide as tears slowly fell from your eyes. your lips quivered as you tried to process what he just said, wondering if he was being serious or not. wondering if he knows how much his words basically stabbed you on the chest.
simon, realizing what he just said, snapped out of his anger. knowing that he had fucked up. he tried to say something, but you quickly retreated back to your shared bedroom, locking it. your tears wouldn't stop and you started bawling, your choked sobs can be heard as he approached the door.
you thought that your marriage was over, seeing that he basically regretted his decision in making you his. he yelled at you without hesitation, making you cry and basically was quiet the whole time. you should probably go back to your parents, start separation, and—
your phone pinged, a message from simon. hesitating to open the text, your fingers trembled as you read it, eyes blurry from tears as you try to quiet your sobs.
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you cried more, unlocking the door as you fling it open, jumping into simon's arms. he whispered lots of apologies, promising to make it up to you, and to never treat you this way again. you cried in his arms, feeling his tender touches on your hair and your back, hands still trembling. you're sure he's bad at this, that he feels awful for what he did (you could tell he was scared because he saw thay he slowly turned to be like his father and it scares him too).
he promised that he didn't mean what he said earlier, and he didn't regret marrying you. he'll do anything to convince you, he hated hearing your sobs and cries.
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solarhysm · 2 months ago
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DUST OF US - 01
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> synopsis: 7 years ago Y/N broke Jungkook’s heart when she decided to end their relationship without an explanation. When they meet again at a friend's wedding, after almost a decade, Jungkook needs answers to move on.
> pairing: Jungkook x reader
> genre: romance, ex to lovers au
> warnings: explicit languages, violence, smut, cheating, nsfw, angst, +18 minors dni !!
> word count: 2.6k
*french writer, i apologize in advance for my awful english!
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AGE: 27 years old
“Where are you going?” Baekhyun asks, stretching as you get out of bed and grab all of your clothes. It was late but you hate sleeping in another bed than yours.
“I should go home.” You simply say, pulling on your panties and jeans as the younger man whines, flipping on his back.
“Oh, come on, Y/N, stay the night.” He suggests as you shake your head with an apologetic smile while putting your bra on.
“Hyesun is getting married, tomorrow. I need to get up early,” You explain, but it was an excuse. You don’t want to be more than intimate enough with anyone.
Once fully clothed, you grab your keys and turn to look at the man still laying completely naked in bed. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
“Aight, boss,” He teases making you roll your eyes. “One last kiss?”
“Bye,” You smile closing the door of his room, hearing him laugh before making your way out of his apartment.
Once in your car, you sigh, leaning on your seat as you stare at the ceiling. Eleven pm already, and tomorrow’s list kept growing in your mind.
Your way home was silent, you didn’t even put music on, mentally listing all the tasks to do tomorrow morning. Drive Hyesun to the hairstylist, make sure that the flowers are delivered, get her dress, and a lot more.
The house should already be decorated by now. Hyesun was getting married at her in-law’s house. They have a big yard and suggested to make the reception in there. Since you couldn’t be here to help today, you ended up with the stressful tasks tomorrow. Her friends aren’t yours.
Yes, you still have a small circle of friends in common, but Hyesun was a sunshine and most of all: an extrovert. She met her husband by boldly asking his number at a coffee shop where he was working, five years ago. Something you could never. That’s probably why you’re still single and she’s getting married.
Kicking your shoes off at your front door, you’re greeted by your cat. He was a little terror. Or a demon like Namjoon loves to call him. And you can’t blame your friend. Not only was Trash a black cat with only one ear, the other got cut off. You don’t know how.
He was already like that when you adopted him. He was skinny and really ugly when you first got him. Well... he’s still ugly, but now he’s well-fed, maybe too much, you chuckle as you kneel to scratch the top of his head. But he was also a tiny demon who attacked everyone who dared to visit you.
“Did you miss me?” You coo as the black cat let out a meow husky enough to let you think that he smokes too many cigarettes. He’s not a loud cat, he occasionally meows when he’s hungry or when you come home after a long day.
As you make your way to the kitchen, the fat cat follows you. Opening the fridge, you take out a bottle of water and gives him a treat. Your eyes fall on the dress you’ll wear tomorrow, hanged at the bedroom door.
The wedding theme was midnight sky. So, obviously, your dress is navy blue and long enough to end at your ankles with a slit on the right side. You didn’t choose it, Hyesun did.
Palming your face, you take a sip of your water and walk to your bedroom. You need a shower. You could still smell Baekhyun’s cheap cologne on your skin. And you hate it. Too used to your own scent. Not of any men anymore.
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The wedding was beautiful, but you didn’t expect less from your best friend. And she was gorgeous in her wedding dress. She smiles a lot, but you never see her smile that way. And all you could think was that her jaw muscles probably hurt after four hours.
“No, what I want, is a whole butterfly starting from my shoulders to my ribs,” Your friend, Hwan explains to you as she flips to show her bare back. You can’t help but scoff, taking a sip of your wine.
“Why? You want to become a fairy or something?” You ask arching a brow as she turns to face you, frowning.
“Don’t make fun of me,” Hwan pouts, folding her arms under her chest, “I saw it on Pinterest, I totally fell in love with it.”
“A tattoo is for life, you know?” You sigh, finishing your glass before tilting your head to brush your fingers on her back, right where her ribs are. “And this part is sensitive. It’ll hurt like hell.”
Hwan shivers at your touch, and you chuckle. You know her. She wants a tattoo today, a piercing tomorrow and in two weeks she’ll regret both. The red head -a dye she did without a second thought- rolls her eyes.
“And you think I can’t handle the pain?” She asks with an attitude, a tone that makes you pinch her forearm as she squirms and step back. “Are you crazy?”
“You can’t handle the pain, Hwan.” You conclude while she rubs the part that start to turn red.
“You’re the worst tattoo artist I know. I’ll give you a bad review on Google.” She groans as you smirk and stick your tongue’s out at her, making her smile amused by you.
Your eyes scan the room full of guests you don’t know before a huge smile spread on your lips as you notice the man all alone. He was sipping his glass of whisky as he looks at his phone, feigning to be interested but he’s probably scrolling emptily. You know him. He hates when people try to connect with him.
Excusing yourself from Hwan and the other girls, you make your way to your friend, too busy on his phone to see you coming.
“Yoongs,” You call him once you’re a few steps closer to him, he lifts his cat eyes from his screen before offering you a slight smirk and opening his arms as you nestle against his chest. You’re not really touchy, but with Yoongi, it was different.
“Nice dress.” He simply says, his nose in your hair before you pull back to look at him. He looks nice too. His hair is longer, but it suits him.
“You didn’t cut your hair?” You ask as he sighs, rolling a strand between his finger as you keep an arm around his waist.
“Didn’t have the time for it.”, He mumbles taking another sip of his whisky. “I didn’t know you would be here. Since you own a tattoo shop, we don’t see you often anymore.”
“It’s my best friend’s wedding, I couldn’t miss it. She would have dragged my ass back here.” you chuckle making him smile and nod.
“That sounds like Hyesun,” He jokes as you smile.
Yoongi wasn’t that tall, but he was still everyone’s type. Calm, mysterious, and good looking. If only dating was on his plans. That guy will probably stay single his whole life, too focused on his work.
“I was looking for you everywhere!” Hyesun groans grabbing your arm.
“I was here,” You simply reply, raising your shoulders, making Yoongi looks at you both amused. You probably get along because you’re both sarcastic. At least you know that’s something he likes about you.
“Thanks Sherlock, Mystery solved!” She rolls her eyes, before pulling you away from your friend, “Come on, follow me, I want to take pictures with you.”
She quickly waves at Yoongi, blowing a kiss at him as he didn’t move before pushing you away.
“He’s like a good old wine. Every time I see him, he’s getting hotter.” She smirks as you make your way to the photographer.
“Aren’t you married?” You joke making her roll her eyes.
“Married, not blind. As long as I touch with my eyes,” She adds as you shake your head, laughing, joining the girls.
Yoongi leaves his empty glass on the table next to him, an amused smirk on his face. If you stayed longer, he would have been part of an interesting reunion.
“Shit, I almost peed myself. There is a whole queue at the male bathroom,” The younger man groans, coming back next to Yoongi as he takes back his beer. “Hyung?”
The older man turns to his friend and arches a brow to show that he’s listening.
“Hyesun told me that there was a private bathroom upstairs for the closest friends” Yoongi simply mumbles, making Jungkook groans as he ties his hair into a bun.
“And you tell me only now?” the tattooed man sighs as he pulls up his sleeves, the temperature of the room getting hotter. Or maybe it’s him from running here and there.
“You left without a word,” Yoongi shrugs like it was obvious, his eyes still on the group of girls making funny faces at the camera. Jungkook lets out a chuckle.
“Which one?” He asks his friend who simply arches a brow. “I’m sure it’s the red head. You always had a think for girls with weird hair colors.”
Yoongi didn’t say anything. He’s used to the teasing. It’s a loss of energy, Jungkook was competitive and if you say that the sky was blue, he would tell otherwise until you tell him he's right.
Jungkook smiles proudly, turning his attention to the bunch of girls. Hyesun had pretty friends, but he’s not surprised. Until he recognized a face. A face he knows too well, a face he loved deeply once upon a time.
You didn’t change. Well… Your hair is shorter. You never liked your hair short, not after your mother spent your childhood cutting it into a bob.
The bangs too. You hated them. But today, you wore it gracefully. His doe eyes trail the length of it, how it brushes your shoulders when you laugh, how you have to push your bang asides.
He never hated you. Even after you broke his heart. Even after coming home to an empty apartment because you disappeared, or when you blocked his number and changed yours. He never hated you.
“You said she wasn’t here.” He frowns, turning to Yoongi who simply arches a brow.
“She wasn’t supposed to.” Yoongi replies, taking a sip of his new glass.
“I shouldn’t have come.” Jungkook sighs, his brows still in a frown creating a slight wrinkle between them.
“Kookie,” Yoongi turns his gaze to his friend who’s clearly uncomfortable. “You’re back in town. You both have the same friends group. What did you expect? You’ll have to confront her one day or another.”
“Y/N,” Hwan calls you as you were taking another glass of wine, facing her with a small hm? “The guy you talked earlier,”
“Yoongi?”
“Yeah, something like that. Do you know his friend?” She asks as you follow her gaze to the large man next to Yoongi, his back facing you. You liked the tattoos, and the muscular frame. The long hair was clearly a bonus.
“No,” You reply, your eyes trailing on Yoongi’s friend. You’ll definitely ask Yoongi who that is later.
“He’s hot,” Hwan comments as you nod, taking a sip of your wine before spitting everything out. You cough when the mysterious man turns around, laughing with your friend.
And almost immediately, you hide behind the table that separates you. Was this a joke?
“What’s wrong? One of your one-night stands?” Hwan chuckles clearly amused to see you, on your knees, trying to hide under the table. If only you could be sucked up by the floor. It was stupid. It was an old story. It’s been seven years since you dumped him like an old, forgotten sock.
“It’s my ex,” You almost whisper, making Hwan wide her eyes and hide with you like she even met him before.
You never thought that you’ll see him again. He disappeared for Japan right after your breakup for his studies. And you didn’t think about him since then. Well, it’s a lie.
You thought about him the three first years after your split. But, he was just some old memories from the shoebox under your bed. 
Some love letters written by a teenage boy, an empty bottle of perfume and a shirt of his that you didn’t have the heart to throw. But that’s all he was. A shoebox of memories.
“Oh damn,” Hwan murmurs, “How did you get that hot piece of man?” She asks as you roll your eyes.
He wasn’t that hot when you started dating him. He had a chestnut haircut, was too skinny even if he was the sporty type, and huge doe eyes. Now he’s…. a man.
“I think… I need to get out”, You swallow, get up and finish your glass. Walking to the backyard, you catch a bottle on your way.
Thankfully, Hwan didn’t follow you. A few persons were outside, some of them making out, the others too drunk, and probably getting some fresh air like you.
Did Hyesun invite him? Why did he come? He knows that she’s your friend. That you’d be here. Palming your face, you lean back against the wall, taking a sip of your bottle of champagne. Fuck… This is childish. You’re twenty-seven, for God’s sake. Act like an adult.
“Hiding?” You heard on your right, making you almost jump.
And here he was, a few meters away, a bottle of beer in hand. His eyes changed. He grew up.
“Good evening, Jungkook,” You breathe as he offers you a slight smile, his lips mostly forming a line.
“Good evening, Y/N,” He replies, making a few steps closer, “Long time no see.”
“Yeah...”
A silence falls between you before he takes a breath like he wants to calm his nerves too. Were you two nervous around each other?
“How… have you been?” He asks with a soft voice.
“Good. You?”
“Good.”
“Nice.”
You wanted to punch yourself. That conversation was stupid. Back then, you two could debate about everything for hours. Now, you can’t even have a basic conversation.
“I… Didn’t know you were back.” You say, looking at the grass at your feet.
“Yeah… I- I missed Korea.” He raises his shoulders slightly before taking a sip of his beer.
“Oh…Okay.” You scrunch your nose and take a sip of your bottle to not look too much stupid but his lips crease in an amused smile at the bottle in your hand. Neither of you says anything. And it’s weird. “That’s… some cool tattoos,” You add, trying to make the conversation as you point his entire inked sleeve with your chin.
“Yeah?” He chuckles awkwardly. “I always wanted tattoos.”
“I know.” You reply, almost immediately, making him lift his gaze to you as your eyes widen. “You- hm- You thought that Yakuza were cool.” you continue as he nods, his eyes still on you while you look away.
“You remembered.”
You clench your jaw slightly and take another sip of champagne. You hate champagne, but you didn’t read what was written on the bottle when you took it.
“Your father must be proud of you. I heard you had your own tattoo shop.” He says as your gaze soften. Jungkook and your dad were always close, he even called him ‘son’. Your father was in fact, proud of you.
“He is”, was all you could reply, and he nods silently before taking a deep breath.
“Can I… ask you a question? I need to understand something” He frowns a little, turning his head to look at the backyard before finally glancing back at you. He is waiting for you to answer and you simply stare at him. “Why did you leave me, Y/N?”
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DUST OF US MASTERLIST.
WATTPAD.
buy me a coffee<3 (every chapters/drabbles are posted as soon as i'm done writing them.)
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astralnymphh · 1 month ago
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Um so wolves go into heat around winter an it got me thinking. Werewolf!ellie in heat absolutely RAILING reader
Im talking absolutely DESTROYING reader
She turn up at the door like "scissor tongitj?? Scissor tonight queen??? ✂️✂️"
♱|. . a/n: i'm supposed to be writing vampire smut.. but here we are! just need to get something out even if it's shitty (i'm also just sick and dgaf about perfectly writing a blurb).. i've also been listening to juno a lot so all i can think about is BREEDING. mdni.
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werewolf!ellie panting at the corner of your cracked door—dark, ripped jeans, a crucible of sweat that clumps hairs to her forehead, shine to her skin—and she rushes a near nothing from her lips before the desperation could crawl out and eat you whole. if she quietened her own heart, she could catch yours pounding. “hey babe, fuckin' missed you. c'mere.” each syllable is accompanied by gusts of her gutsy—and almost visible to the cold—breath. its scent and heat bled through quickly. it poured over, into, and under her swooping fingertips, which had the back of your head snared and pulled into her mouth, eating your response with a whine she never intended to release.
the nature of your girlfriend isn't occultic to you; she drags you into her midnight realm and makes you feel like the worshipped moon. at this point, your brain tends to forget that she's even a werewolf to begin with, and eases in the penchant way she has with you: chasing you, loving hard, owning handfuls of your flesh that she lets spill and manipulate her senses. but, in the epicenter of this brutal winter—your first one together—you least expect a shirt to be shredded from your torso in one, hungry rip, tossed like ribbons on the floor and abandoned as you licked the nectary words dripping off her tongue. “wanna have a fuckin' baby with you.. ahah—shit, can i give you one?” she stumbled in giggles, so sweetly, and fumbled so pitifully with the rest of your clothes, you had to assist before something else was torn.
yeah, she can wear you out giving you 'one' any fuckin' day.
“miss me?” ellie clings, with nails that long to be sharp, into the small of your back. deep enough to bleed. it stung with a soft whimper inside your chest, “mhh—yes, ellie.” teeth collecting the sighed words from your lower lip.
she would rub her pussy against yours until it was throbbing raw, and her hips gave out. it did most times; from the wanton, the sheer letch to let loose, to give you something special—but if you whispered into a safekeeping, it would be about how she lets her hormones get the best of her. more so when your touch is involved. when your tired fingers trace the bushed mess that leads up her stomach in a thin, waning tornado-line, wrap your hand around and soothe her pelvis with pressure—she loses it.
“can't handle it at all, huh?” you pant, smiling at the fucked-out, glistening and red look on her face. her scarred brows tighten when your sticky thighs come into contact with an audible slap. it's her juices that coat you. “poor thing.”
ellie cups her own tit and rolls deeper into her straddle, you're not even sure she heard you; too lost in that midnight realm. but, if you're being honest, you're the one that can't handle it. human endurance has you beat for miles—she has to place your limp leg on her shoulder. “f-fuck..” she trembles. soon enough, the hairs covering her cunt are shining wet with her cum, and she can only hope that it takes. “thats it.. oh my god..” she leans into her nape, voice vibrating deep and hoarse in her chest. she looked like golden heaven, with her head hanging like that. though, her stamina will be the death of you: she lifts her head and starts hovering over you for more, hot breaths that felt cold in your used state fanning over your cheek. “gonna be a goddamn mama, babe. got more in me—if ya' wanna go again, hm?”
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eu-nicola · 25 days ago
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everything but casual
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summary: a "casual" love between you and rafe
warnings: angst (?)
word counter: 1194
author's note: english is not my first language, i was inspired by a tiktok post
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The first time he kissed you, it was almost by accident. You were at one of those beach parties that stretched on until the early hours, surrounded by bodies moving to the rhythm of the music and the scent of the fire mixed with cheap alcohol. Rafe was with his usual group, the same ones who always strutted around as if the whole world was their playground. There was no apparent reason for him to pay you any attention that night. You weren’t part of his circle, not even close. You were just another girl, a friend of a friend who had ended up at the party by pure chance.
But then, when his blue eyes found you in the crowd, something shifted.
You were standing by the fire, hugging yourself to fend off the cool night air. You saw him approach with that lopsided grin he always wore, as if he knew something you didn’t. You didn’t greet him; you had no reason to. But he stopped right in front of you, a beer in hand, leaning in just enough for his words to stay between the two of you.
“And you? Always this quiet, or just when I’m around?”
Your laughter was immediate, more out of surprise than the comment itself. You didn’t even know he knew your name, much less that he had noticed your silence in the few times you’d crossed paths.
“I didn’t know you needed my attention, Cameron,” you replied, raising an eyebrow.
That seemed to please him. Or maybe it was the alcohol starting to take effect, but the next thing you knew, his face was dangerously close to yours. And then, he kissed you. There was no warning, no preamble, just the heat of his lips on yours, the taste of beer and something else you couldn’t quite place but left you wanting more.
Nothing else happened that night. You didn’t even talk much after the kiss. But something lingered in the air, a palpable tension that didn’t fade. And when you saw him again a few days later, he acted as if nothing had happened.
That’s how it all began. No promises, no declarations, just stolen moments at parties, glances that lingered too long, and the feeling that whenever you were near him, the world got a little smaller and a lot more intense.
At first, you kept it simple. You thought that’s all it would be: a casual fling, something to pass the time. He didn’t seem like the kind of person who wanted anything serious, and you didn’t want to complicate your life either. But then things started happening that didn’t align with the idea of something casual.
Like the night he took you to his favorite spot on the beach, far from everyone else, and talked to you about his father. It wasn’t something he did with just anyone, you knew that. There was a weight in his words, a vulnerability he hadn’t planned to show you so soon.
“My dad used to bring me here when I was a kid,” he said, staring at the horizon. His voice was low, as if he was speaking to you from a deeply buried part of himself.
You didn’t know what to say. You just looked at him, letting him continue.
“It’s complicated. It was always complicated with him.” He paused, then turned to you, his eyes shining with something you couldn’t identify. Sadness, maybe. Or something deeper.
He spoke about how his relationship with Ward had always been a push and pull, how he admired and hated him at the same time. And then, without warning, he took your hand. It was a simple gesture, but it meant something. You felt it in the way he lightly squeezed your fingers, as if he needed to make sure you were there, that you weren’t going to leave.
That was the first moment you started questioning everything.
If it was a casual relationship, why did he seek you out for moments like this? Why did he call you when he couldn’t sleep or text you at midnight just to say he wanted to see you?
Of course, he kept insisting it wasn’t serious. He told his friends, anyone who asked. ‘It’s a casual thing, no strings attached,’ he’d say, with that grin he always used as a shield. And every time you heard it, something inside you broke a little more.
But then there was everything else.
There was the way he looked at you when he thought you weren’t paying attention, as if you were the only person in the world. There was the way he whispered, ‘I love you,’ in the most unexpected moments, tangled up with you in bed, the words caught between his lips and your skin.
“I love you, you know?” His voice was soft, almost inaudible, but enough for you to hear it. Then he kissed you with an intensity that almost made you forget everything else.
There was the way he called you ‘my love’ in the mornings, his voice raspy from sleep, holding you like he didn’t want to let you go.
So, what were you to him?
That question haunted you more than you wanted to admit. And even though you tried not to dwell on it, you knew you couldn’t ignore it forever. Because, even though Rafe seemed determined to keep up the facade of something casual, his actions told a different story. And you didn’t know how much longer you could keep pretending it didn’t matter to you.
The moment that hurt you the most, however, was when he took you to his father’s house before he died. You had only been seeing each other for two weeks, if it could even be called dating. But that day, he insisted you go with him.
“I want you to meet someone,” he said, offering no further explanation.
When you arrived, Ward Cameron was there, imposing and evaluating you with his gaze. The conversation was brief, but the gesture meant more than Rafe seemed willing to admit.
Weeks later, when Ward died, Rafe took you with him to scatter the ashes. It was just the two of you, and though he didn’t say much, his hands shook as he held the urn.
“I don’t know why I brought you here,” he murmured after a long silence.
But you knew. He brought you because, even though he’d never admit it, he needed you by his side.
And that was the most confusing part of all.
And despite everything, you stayed. Because even though it broke your heart, you couldn’t help but hope that one day, he’d be able to admit what you truly were to each other.
A few days later, after another cycle of confusion, you fall into bed with him again. He collapses beside you, immediately wrapping his strong arms around your sweaty body, pulling you close to his warm, bare chest. The room is silent, except for the echoes of your heavy breathing, which gradually slow as the sweat on your skin cools in the night air drifting through the windows.
At first, there are no words between you, because none are needed. His fingers begin to slowly trail over your bare skin, tracing every curve, every hollow, as if he’s trying to memorize you. It’s such a soft, reverent touch that it almost hurts.
You curl closer to him, burying your face in the crook of his neck. From there, you can hear the steady beat of his heart: constant, firm, almost comforting. That sound always calms you, as if for a moment, nothing else exists in the world but this space, this bed, and his arms around you.
Once again, you’d ended up in his room after a dinner that should have been normal. That was always the excuse. Eating together, laughing a bit, acting as if there was nothing unusual about how you both gravitated toward each other. But it always ended here, tangled in messy sheets, with passion sparking like a flame you couldn’t resist. There was something inevitable about the two of you, as if everything else in the world blurred, and only these stolen moments existed.
What confused you the most was how each time felt less casual. At first, it was easy to convince yourself it was just chemistry, an undeniable physical attraction. But then came moments like this. Moments where the weight of his arms around you felt more like a promise than a mere gesture.
"I love you."
His voice is so calm, so low, that for a moment you think you imagined it. It was so soft, so natural, as if the words had simply escaped without him planning them. You freeze slightly, and he notices.
You lift your head to look at him, searching his face for any sign of doubt, any indication that he didn’t mean it. But his eyes meet yours with an intensity you’ve never seen before, as if he’s waiting for your reaction, as if he’s finally dropped the mask.
"What did you say?" you ask in a whisper, even though you already know the answer.
"I love you," he repeats, this time more firmly, as if he wants to make sure there’s no doubt. And he says it so honestly, with a sincerity that breaks you a little inside because suddenly, everything makes sense. Every glance, every gesture, every night spent in this bed or in his arms. It was always this.
Your heart pounds, and emotion wells up in your throat in a way you can’t control. Your eyes sting, but you’re not sure if it’s happiness or fear overwhelming you. Maybe both.
"I love you too, Rafey," you finally reply, and the words come easier than you expected because it’s the truest thing you’ve felt in a long time.
For a moment, the world seems to stop. His eyes shine with something you can’t quite decipher, and before you can say anything else, he pulls you closer. His lips press a soft, lingering kiss to the top of your head as he wraps you even tighter, as if he wants to shield you from the rest of the world.
You feel complete. For the first time in what feels like forever, everything fits. His body, his arms, the warmth of his skin against yours… everything feels like a home you didn’t even know you were looking for. And as you hold onto him, you can’t help but believe this is where you belong, where you were always meant to be.
He doesn’t say anything else, but his hands continue to trace soft patterns on your back, as if he can’t stop, as if he needs to reassure himself you’re really there. You know he’s not the kind of person to say those words lightly. Saying “I love you” for him is like removing his armor: dangerous, risky, and yet, he did it. And that makes it all the more meaningful.
You close your eyes, letting yourself get lost in the moment because, deep down, you know those words don’t change the complications that have always existed between you. But for now, it doesn’t matter. For now, you’re here, in his arms, and that’s all you need.
And he feels the same. You sense it in the way he holds you, as if he never wants to let you go. As if this is the only place where you can both truly be yourselves, without masks or pretenses. As if, for once, you’re perfect. Forever.
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