#but there's just something about how do-young is leaning against the rail

[drrav3nb]

What is this? A severance pay.

[dcxdpdabbles]

DC x DP: The Real Blood Son

It's a year after Damian came to live with them that he decides it is an excellent time to bombard Bruce with his news.

"I had a blood brother." He says to Tim after the other commented how important blood meant to Bruce-ie, not enough to make him get rid of his other sons. "He was the first from the artificial womb mother made with Father's DNA; however, he was disposed of once his heart condition became known. I highly doubt you will last even twice as long Drake-"

"What"

Bruce didn't know that he could make his voice that cold. That dead. What in the world does he mean disposed.

Damian goes still. The kind of still where he isn't sure if he just earned a punishment and is trying not to react to the fear. "My elder brother. Did mother not inform you?"

"Damian," Bruce struggles to level his tone at Dick's hard stare. "She hadn't even informed me of you. Please, can you explain more about your brother."

The youngest nods. "He had no name, but he was my biological brother. He was forced to grow to age of three before they realized he was defective. Grandfather had him sacrificed to the pit."

Jason growls "what do you mean?"

Damian looks confused- as confused as he can with his league training kicking in. "The Lazarus pit is made from the bodies of young virgins. No older then ten. They are sacrificed in exchange for the Infinite Realms' power to sink into the water. The children are not aware of what is happening to them until the very end. They do not suffer."

Bruce feels sick.

They talk a bit more, on how certain followers throughout history were more then happy to offer the great Ra's their own children to renew the pit. How Damain had watched three children when he was seven be sacrifice- it happened every five years- and how the children were given the best week of their lives.

They purposely given the most joy they could feel before the blades to make the Pit as pure as possible. He talked a lot about watching the youngest- five years- be laughing and splashing in the Lazarus water before his mother cut him down, his screams drowning in the green liquid.

"They say the Pit absorbs the last emotion of the sacrifice. Grandfather hopes the children realize the importance and honor they have to be ended for a glorious cause, but occasionally a few are disloyal. When Todd had taken a dip, the previous Renew, had a brilliant girl who figured out what was happening and attempted to escape. She failed, of course, and her arm was amputated in a mission, but she died angry. That's why Todd had such strong madness compared to-!"

"SHUT UP!" Jason roars suddenly, eyes glowing green, and for a brief moment, Bruce swears he hears an undertone of a young girl in his scream "SHUT UP! YOU DONT KNOW ANYTHING! YOUR OWN BROTHER IS IN THERE"

Damain scowls "it's a honor. My brother's body was defective. But he at least had aidded in a glorious ritual."

Bruce can't help it; he leans over the BatCave Railing and hurls his dinner. Damian finally realizes that something is wrong.

They host a funeral for his three-year-old son, who died without a name, and place his gravestone next to his parents. They explain to Damian why the Renewal ritual is horrific but Bruce feels it take years before his son can see that.

Jason, went out into Crime Alley to let off some steam and had been going on a rampage against the underbelly of Gotham. He can't find it I'm himself to stop him.

Bruce asks Constantine to come over and do a small ritual, to hopefully unbound his child and let his son soul move on. Constantine warns that with the kid's name it may not work and that they could only free souls they share blood to but the English man tries anyway.

They send his son their prayers, and hopes. And they try to put him to rest.

Across the Infinite Releams to three dimensions to the right of the Wayne's soul resting ritual, The Fenton's adoptived son, Danny Fenton jolts in his English Class.

The strange stabbing scar above his heart- which is why he never takes off his shirt- burns then cools as if someone had tried to place the temperature-changing ointment. He rubs his best, confused.

What was that?

He'll have to check with FrostBite. Maybe his heart condition is acting up again. It happens every five years even though no doctors his parents have taken him to could figure out what it was.

Until Frostbite. The yeti claimed it had something to do with dark arts, but he's unsure what type.

Frostbite is still doing more testing.

"I wish you had lived, brother. I wish I knew you name"

The wind whispers, and Danny feels a flash of deep longing and grief before it's gone. Yeah, he needs to talk to Frostbite.

[strawberryblue-blog]

Hey so I looked for request rules and I didn’t find anything maybe I skipped over it or something I don’t know but I wanted to ask if you could write something for Joao? For smut😭 I don’t really mind but I need more fics for him🙁

Call out my name —Joao Felix.

summary: After breaking up with your boyfriend, you have a special night at a club with a complete stranger.

warnings: YES. +18. (smut, public sex, strangers to lovers, p in v, kinda angst, etc)

words count: +2.5k

A gulp of alcohol went down your throat as you tried to forget the memories of the past that were still pounding in your head. It was the first time you had been out in a long time and you were somewhat shaken, not only with the lack of partying you had but with your feelings of sadness that still haunted you.

Your friends had insisted that the first date after the breakup had to be wild and ruthless in order to forget your ex-boyfriend, who had cheated on you many times with his co-worker. So after almost four months in bed, depressed and lonely, you decided that his life had to go on and you were ready for an adventure.

Dancing and getting drunk has never killed anyone and it's what you need most right now. Your friends disappear into the crowd as you drink your last drink and stagger towards the dance floor. The music fuels your body and you begin to move your body to the rhythm of the melody, you meet your friends again who squeal when they see you coming and begin to dance.

You don't know how long it's been since you've been here but you can feel your feet hurting and the air starts to get thin, yet you keep moving your body against your friends. It's been a long time since you've felt like this and you've really missed feeling free. Your friend surrounds your waist and pulls you closer, trying to get your attention, you stop moving a little when her face gets close to your ear.

"You have an admirer up there" she whispers amused moving a little to position yourself. You swallow as your saliva feels dry from your sudden movements.

You turn your head slightly, dissimulating as you continue to move slowly. Your gaze focuses on a young man in the VIP area, he is holding a drink in his hand and leaning on the railing on the upper floor of the club. His gaze makes contact with yours and you feel the world come to a standstill.

Too handsome.

Seeing him in the glare of some light, you realize he is a young guy, with tousled dark hair and a dark gaze, which can be seen even when you are somewhat far away from him. His skin is so tanned that it glows in the flickering lights, his dark hair is shiny and he looks so natural tousled like this. Dressed in a simple white shirt a little unbuttoned on the first few buttons and black pants, simple but formal and handsome. You want to stop looking at him but you can't as a shiver runs down your spine. He is too handsome.

He was standing still, watching you while swaying your body to the music and your gaze can't move from him either. He's so handsome that you just had a crush on him and you're curious to know more about the guy and the atmosphere starts to get suffocating. For some reason, your stomach feels funny and you start dancing taking all the feelings out of your body, you had come for that. You don't care about making a show, you don't care that he is watching you, you just want to enjoy your night.

You close your eyes moving over your body, your hands spread all over your body, you lift your hair, you shout the song with passion, you have fun. Tonight you feel ready to let it all go and start over with your life.

You have a feeling that boy is still looking at you and that makes you want to keep doing it, so you keep dancing like there's no tomorrow. Enjoying the music at full volume, your head free of thought and your mischievous fun. When you open your eyes in his direction again, you notice that he is no longer there, watching you. Something of emptiness surrounds you, he must have left or maybe he was there with someone else. You sigh a little shaking your head and slowing your chest, it was probably an equis person taking a look around like everyone else here. He didn't even look familiar, it was the first time you were in this place and probably the last, so you didn't think anything of it. You sigh looking for some air in your lungs to start dancing again when you feel some hands surrounding your hips softly, leaving you a little surprised. The touch doesn't scare you, in fact, it feels warm and caring.

Your body freezes and you feel someone else's body approach yours from behind. You smell a strong, manly scent, as if it were an expensive perfume, one of those honeyed, sweet ones that attract. His fingers encircle your waist holding you as he turns you on your axis. The first thing you meet when you turn, are dark eyes that make you tremble, you quickly rest your hands on his firm chest and you can feel how his mouth is almost glued to yours, he looks at your lips and back to your eyes, while you watch him stunned.

He is much more handsome than he looked up there, his tanned skin is exotic and perfect, his jaw is set in a straight line, the color of his eyes dark brown. Your belly roars at his beauty. He is so precious that it leaves you speechless. With a simple gentle movement, your hands crawl across his skin and encircle his face, he smiles a little and makes your heart race. His touch on your skin makes you bristle and you can see his pupils dilate at your gaze, he licks his lower lip a little teasing you but you are too lost in the color of his brown eyes.

His hands move down your body and rest on your lower back, helping you move a little. That's when you finally hear the background music again, you had been lost in it. With your hands you caress his hard clothed skin, holding onto his neck as you move to the music.

Through the track light you can see him give you a look and you smile at him too, stroking the beginning of his hair at the nape of his neck. He presses you against his body and you gasp. The atmosphere becomes tense and suffocating. He guides you with his own body, moving you delicately as you don't stop looking deeply at each other.

You seem to be alone on the dance floor as you dance slowly and delicately, your smiles shy and somewhat desperate. You don't feel at all uncomfortable dancing with a stranger, in fact, you like it. The distance between you is cautious, your faces are close but not as close as you would like.

The music is too good and your bodies move freely as you sing, play and look at each other. You felt sexy, free and desired. You knew he wanted you, he had been staring at you for a while and now he had come for you. Suddenly the urge to do something crazy crossed your mind, your body vibrated at the idea and you closed your eyes feeling the music take over you.

With his strong hand he grabs the sides of your hips again and turns you again, pressing your back against his chest. He circles your lower belly and his fingers make contact with your skin, making you bristle. Your hands caress his forearms and you gasp at the feel of his warm body so close to yours. The sensation that takes over you feels different and you feel the tingling start to walk down your legs. His body fits perfectly into yours as you continue to rub against each other, dancing and easing the desire from your bodies. His hands move around your waist and begin to move up as he caresses your hot skin, you lift your hands as he caresses them and wrap them around his neck from behind.

It's the first time you've done something like this and you're honestly wondering why it had taken you so long to do it. Dancing with a stranger was fucking sensual.

Everyone is having fun tonight, why can't you have fun too? You had come to forget your ex, to forget your failed relationship of almost four years, to forget the old Y/n. When you open your eyes again, your surroundings spin and you begin to make room for yourself among the people. You take one last look at the unknown guy who is still staring at you and start to make your way out of the crowd.

Your body is hot and tired, you need some air to think well, the lights dazzle your eyes making your way difficult but you reach a kind of lonely corridor. You sigh taking a breath of air as your vision focuses on the figure of a man walking towards you, softly as you lean against the wall. You bite your lip shyly as the young man stops in front of you, close to you. Your heart started to pound as you feel him start to get closer and closer and you swallowed saliva as ideas shoot from your mind. You don't stop him, in fact, you long for him to come closer.

His eyes haven't left yours for a moment and the atmosphere becomes intense, his hand goes to your waist and rests it gently on you. His fingers feel warm on your skin and you feel the heat run through your body making you sweat. Your back is pressed completely against the wall, so he wraps around you and pulls you to him, making you gasp.

Your whole body feels strange, your soul resonates inside you. You just felt a connection that's hard to explain with an unknown person you've never seen before in your life, in a place where you never thought you'd find anything.

You were normally an old school girl, who liked to meet guys before making any moves. In fact you were kind of against one night stands, I mean there was nothing wrong with it, you just weren't that type.

But tonight all your convictions vanished, like the pain you felt in your heart.

Maybe you were a little drunk or maybe you are tired of so much shit you have lived and you prefer to erase everything from your memory, enjoy your new life, your body, your mind. Enjoy something completely new and crazy with you, that could save you from your misery or sink you but for the first time in your life, you were willing to risk everything to feel the boy's lips on yours. His face is so close you can feel his breath mingle with yours, his eyes look at your lips and back into your eyes, as if asking permission and you just blink flirtatiously.

His lips crash against yours warmly, in a quiet, soft and tender kiss, taking his time until they get used to you and ask for more. His touch feels warm and juicy, his lips mold perfectly to yours and he caresses them innocently. The stranger's hands spread across your body, wrapping his muscular arms around you as you hang from his neck. Then that's when your tongues spring into action and they battle touching, licking and tasting each other.

It feels good. Dancing so close with a stranger, letting them touch you as if you know each other. Kissing a stranger didn't feel like you thought it would, well actually, you never thought about kissing a stranger to tell the truth. But you liked it. Although you're not sure if you liked it with any stranger. But you liked it with this stranger.

Blinded even by the lights and his presence, his hands take yours and direct you somewhere you can guess and you reach the empty bathrooms and quickly go inside. You are thankful no one is there when your lips crash against his in a fleeting, sticky kiss, now completely wild and desperate, making you gasp as you feel his hands on your body again. He bites your lips as your hands grab his hair and tug at his limp locks, pulling you quickly into the cubicles.

You have not a hint of embarrassment as your back whips against the cubicle door and the young man lifts your dress, wrapping it a little around your waist. His lips never leave your neck as you hold your tongue hiding the gasps.

You have to admit this is probably the riskiest thing you've ever done and you're enjoying it. It may be the first time but it may also be the last time and you want to file this memory away at your young age. Your eyes admire the boy's toasty skin as your fingers tangle in his dark locks, tugging on them a little.

"I need you, please" you ask in a pleading whisper.

His crotch slams against yours and you gasp, feeling electric currents run down your back. The touch of his bulge makes you yearn to feel him inside but the stranger just wants to play with you, teasing you a little. His fingers play with the straps of your black dress and his white shirt brushes against your chest, giving a little friction to your erect nipples. He takes your lips again swallowing your gasps as his tongue does crazy things inside your mouth and his hands pull down your dress, your bare breasts come into view. His palms encircle your mounds and you gasp as he squeezes them around your flesh, making your legs tremble.

"Damn, you're perfect" he murmurs against your mouth as he continues to brush his intimate part between your legs.

Your cheeks burn with excitement but also burn with embarrassment. His words sound familiar to you, your boyfriend used to say them all the time but even though whoever says them is a complete stranger to you, they still ring truer than you've ever heard.

"I need you inside" you moan desperately.

The brunet smiles with his perfect white teeth and undoes his pants, just enough to pull his cock out. Your hands take care of undoing the buttons of his shirt and you open it to caress his pecs.

He pulls a condom from his pocket and you smile as you notice he was ready for this. Anyone would think you were a prude but you don't care at all, you need him to fuck you. After placing it over his big aroused cock, you lick your lips at how sensual it looks this way. His hands take your hips again and he lifts you up, helping you support your legs around his waist. When you are properly positioned and ready, the stranger takes his cock and directs it to your cavity.

He doesn't even have to check how wet you are because he can see for miles and you gasp as his cock strokes your clit a little and then slides into your slit, smearing himself with your juices.

You both gasp as he finally positions himself in your hole and slowly his hips jerk forward, thrusting in. Your eyes close as your head slams against the hard bathroom door and you bite down on your own hand to silence your moans, even though no one has entered yet they could enter at any moment and you don't want to be discovered right now.

His cock goes all the way through your cavity and takes the time for you to get used to him. As his hands took your legs around him and his mouth licked one of your nipples. This was glory. He began to move inside you gently, moving in and out carefully as his moans came out in whispers. You felt so full. Damn. Not fucking for so many months had made you tighter, so much so that his movements hurt but it was a pleasurable ache, one you didn't want him to stop. Or maybe he was too big, that definitely played a part too. His cock was perfect, pounding your cavity deeply and vehemently.

"You're too tight and wet, princess" he whispered in your ear as he began to pound harder.

Pleasure dispersed throughout your body as the stranger rammed you rough and continuous. You felt your belly contract with each movement. Your hands were on his head, then his chest, then the back of his neck, shoulders and neck. You needed to grab him from all sides, you wanted to feel his hot skin on your fingers as he kept pounding into your spot.

Your moans went unnoticed with the music in the background but you wanted to scream until your throat was torn, you needed it. You needed to scream his name, to recognize his eyes, his skin, his cock. Damn, you were feeling so good.

"Fuck" you squealed without noticing it came out in a scream.

The young man's hand positioned itself in your mouth and shut you up as you felt the pleasure well up inside you. At that moment, you heard some people enter the bathroom and squeal happily. These were some women who were clearly drunk and were playing with each other, laughing and screaming.

Yet he didn't stop.

His hand squeezed your mouth and with your dry lips you kissed his hand, feeling his strokes slow down so as not to make noise. With his other hand he squeezed one of your breasts and you bit into his hand, squealing in pleasure. Your head rested against the cool wood as he rammed hard again, more erratic and dirty, holding you by the ass with his other hand. You were so close.

His hands let go of your body and go to your cheeks surrounding it to focus your gaze on his. For a moment your eyes get lost in the young man's gaze, in that shiny dark brown. There is something in his gaze. Something different from the other looks, as if his eyes understand yours. As if he were feeling what you are feeling.

As if you were meant to meet.

You don't even know him but you can feel his familiar look. Your hands go around his neck and you pull him closer to you as his thrusts begin to accelerate, hitting your special spot. His face is so close to yours that you tremble under his gaze, you feel yourself melt under his eyes. Your eyes want to close as you begin to experience climax but you refuse to stop watching him, you can't stop watching him.

It feels so intimate. So special. So close.

How is it possible? You don't remember ever feeling this way with your boyfriend, with whom you were head over heels in love. Nor with your other sexual partners. This was so different.

"Joao" he murmured loudly and your face with a mixture of confusion and pleasure watched him. "That's my name, princess"

Joao. You wanna scream while he fucks you hard against the door of this bathroom in the club.

A whisper comes from your lips with his name 'Joao' barely audible. What an exotic name. Just like he was. Beautiful just like his name. Joao. You thought going over it to remember his name.

"Call out my name while you cum" he whispered dirty and hard. Just like he was hitting you in your thirsty hole.

"Fuck, Joao!" you squealed as you felt the orgasm hit you.

His name came out like a shout of glory. You saw him smile with your blurred vision as if he had been the champion of the war. This was too much.

Your whole being ignited, like a flare of fire growing in you, as you trembled whole. His strokes kept sending me waves of pleasure as your soul left your body and you levitated in a pleasurable cloud. His eyes never left you as he gasped into your face, pounding and pounding into your hole.

Orgasm hit you and you both came in unison as you felt your souls unite in pleasure and passion and gasped for air as it stopped inside you, still trembling and enjoying the sensation.

[yurinaa-world]

"𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑒𝓎𝑒𝓈!"

💫𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈: Xiangli Yao, Jiyan, & Aalto x Gender-Neutral reader

💫𝒮𝓎𝓃𝑜𝓅𝓈𝒾𝓈: You can't help but cover his eyes when you go in for a kiss

💫𝒲𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈: Fluff, & Spelling Mistakes

💫𝒳𝒾𝒶𝓃𝑔𝓁𝒾 𝒴𝒶𝑜 "𝐻𝓊𝒶𝓍𝓊 𝒜𝒸𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓂𝓎'𝓈 𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝒾𝓅𝒶𝓁 𝐼𝓃𝓋𝑒𝓈𝓉𝒾𝑔𝒶𝓉𝑜𝓇"

Xiangli was always a gentle person, especially when it came to you, you were his everything; one and only. You adored him as well, yet embarrassingly, it’s weird when you kiss him, the idea of him opening his eyes while you kiss; they’re just open the entire, like what was he thinking! He tells you not to overthink it and he does like kissing you! But that doesn’t help. 

“Your face is red, are you sick? Are you injured?” Concerned about your well-being as always. He felt bad bringing you out to watch some of his experiments he’s been working on if you were any kind of ill.

 Yet that wasn’t the problem, you wanted to congratulate him by kissing him since most of the experiments worked out, like a bad memory that shows up before you go to bed, the random thought appeared in your head and just made the blood rush to your face.

“I’m fine.”

His honest eyes just look back at you with relief you’re alright. ���Well, since we're done let's get something to eat, My treat.” 

“Xiangli.”

“Yes?” Covering his eyes with the palm of his hand, completely ridding his vision of you, just so you can lean in to give him a soft kiss, it felt like he was touching the softest of silks yet it was your lips, once your lips leave his; hand leaving his eyes so he could see you again. 

He was just left in awe, not sure what to do as blood rushed to his ears and cheeks. “You said it's your treat right, then come on.”

💫𝒥𝒾𝓎𝒶𝓃 "𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒢𝑒𝓃𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓁 𝒪𝒻 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝑀𝒾𝒹𝓃𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝑅𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇𝓈"

“Jiyan, you’re back.” 

Sitting on top of the railing like the reckless lover of his you are, looking behind at him, a bright smile plastered on your lips making you look ravishing, hair swaying from the light cold wind, that sparkled in your eyes, as the moon shined on you. 

It was a sight that was more beautiful than the fantasies he had about this moment, nothing could beat the real thing.

“Things have calmed down greatly, and I came back for you.” 

Whenever he’s with you, he feels young, almost as if he wasn’t a general yet boy chasing after his crush, blushing brightly; heart pounding brightly just at the sight of you alone. Closing the distance and standing by your side. Your hand takes his, intertwining them before putting it on your chest, to keep it close to you.

“A pretty night, right?”

“Be careful, you might sip.” You can’t help but laugh a little at his worry for safety—completely avoiding your question, putting an arm around your shoulder; pushing you against your side against his chest. “You worry too much, Jiyan, I’m grateful you're back to me.” 

You’re so grateful that he was brought back to you without any pieces missing, he was strong but how strong can one man be while holding up an entire army with the opponents of unrelenting tact discords attacking every second without mercy? 

Pulling his arm off, letting go of his hand, and motioning him to lean down for you, like a knight to your every command he does so, gently placing your palm over his eyes, kissing him on his gentle lips—to him, it just felt better when you did cover his eyes, the face it was you made it better.

Even when you pulled away, he still wanted more “I may be selfish and greedy, but I to kiss your lips once more.”

💫𝒜𝒶𝓁𝓉𝑜 "𝒞𝑜𝓃𝓈𝓊𝓁𝓉𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝐵𝓁𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝒮𝒽𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓈"

“Come on! One kiss, I'm gonna leave, why don’t you give me some love so I'll do my best today.”

“How desperate can you be, Aalto,” He’s got his hands clasped together, accompanied with his eyes sparkling at you as if he were a dog asking for more treats. “Just do your job!” Your fingers go to pinch the bridge of your nose.

“Please.”

He’s always like this, wanting affection from you, even going as far as using his work as an excuse instead of being a normal person and just asking.

He’s always using his work as an excuse just to make you want to not to even an ounce of romantic gestures that make him yearn so badly for you.

His eyes sparkled so bright as if they were fireworks in the skies, moving in closer to enhance his chances with you. You cover his eyes with the palm of your hand, you kiss his lips, it was like a flash that he couldn’t even process when you took your hand.

“Go to work.”

“You gotta give me one more!”

if you liked this, consider tipping me on ko-fi! it'd mean a lot!

[cheeeeseburger]

It might be worth it for once

Fernando Alonso x Reader

Masterlist

A/N: English is not my first language, apologies for the mistakes! This was inspired by the song Slut!, by miss Taylor Swift! Enjoy!

You had just posted a picture on Instagram of Fernando driving you took when you were in the passenger seat, on your way to date night. You thought your caption was hilarious: “shut up and drive”, quoting the song by Rihanna. An hour later though, as the hate comments poured in, it suddenly wasn’t as funny.

Leaning on the railing of the hotel room you shared with Fernando, you scrolled through endless comments calling you names, criticizing you and your relationship. Of course, the classic “gold digger” was there. Even after four years of being publicly in a relationship with Fernando, people still didn’t get it. Even though you were used to it, it still hurt.

“Mi sol,” Fernando joined you on the balcony, pulling you into a hug from behind. He noticed that you were scrolling through the comments, “Same old, huh?”

“Always. Don’t they get tired of hating me, hating us together? It must be exhausting, after four years.” You replied, sighing.

Fernando took your phone away from you and put it in his pocket. He spun you so you were now facing him, with your back against the railing.

“You cannot let them get to you, mi sol. None of what they said is true. These people don’t know anything about us or our relationship. I love you, and that’s the only thing that matters.”

He tucked a few loose strands of your hair behind your ears, trying to comfort you. He could see that the comments had made more of an impact on you than they usually did.

“I know, baby, and I love you too. It’s just that we’ve been together for a few years now, and I had expected the hate to slow down. So what you’re older? That doesn’t change anything!” You were getting frustrated.

He kissed your cheek, wanting to calm you down.

“You’re right, it doesn’t change anything. We are just a normal couple, doing things the right way. We moved together, we’re gonna get married someday, have our own family, grow old together…” He laughed a little, “Well, I’m gonna get older earlier than you, but who cares?” He shrugged it off, not noticing your eyes were as big as saucers.

“Fernando, did you just say we were going to get married someday?”

He looked confused, and almost hurt.

“What, did you not expect us to get married someday? Or do you not want to?” He asked insecurely.

You were quick to respond: “No, no, I mean, of course, I want to get married to you! I’m just surprised that you would want to marry me!”

“Mi sol, why would I not want to make you my wife? He asked, genuinely surprised.

“Well… It’s just that I expected that you would grow tired of me one day, realize I was too young, not mature enough for you, or something like that…” You replied, looking away.

He forced you to look at him by pulling gently on your chin.

“How can you believe that I will ever get tired of you? Mi sol, I could never have enough of you. I always knew I was going to be proposing to you one day. It has been part of my plan ever since we started dating.”

You were blushing, ashamed of yourself for being so insecure: “Maybe one day you will start to believe the comments on my Instagram posts, and you will leave me because you think that I am a gold digger, or that I’m only using you for fame… Even though none of this will ever be true, of course!”

Fernando took both of your hands in his, then he exclaimed “I could never believe lies like this! Frankly, I am a little disappointed. Do you not have faith in me or our relationship?”

You gasped, realizing you had hurt his feelings: “I’m sorry baby, I did not mean in that way! I know that you love me, and I love you too. I promise, I’ve always imagined us being together for the rest of our lives, I just wasn’t sure if you shared my plan. If you didn’t, baby, I would be crushed to death. In fact, I have so much faith the future of our relationship that I already have a Pinterest board for our wedding as well as a list of potential baby names that suit the last name Alonso!” You admitted desperately, but also sheepishly.

Fernando immediately softened at your words.

“Mi sol, you have a list of names? Which ones are at the top?”

You turned a deep shade of red. “Right now, it’s Santiago for a boy, and Marisol for a girl, because it reminds me of the nickname you have for me.”

“Don't be embarrassed. These are very nice names, all in Spanish too… You’ve really thought about this huh?” He stroked your cheek, then pulled you closer to leave soft kisses on your jawline. He was clearly pleased to learn you had planned ahead.

“Of course. It’s not a simple task, it cannot be rushed.” He could hear your smile in your voice.

“Yeah? I kind of want to put a baby in you right now,” he whispered in you ear. You immediately shivered at his words.

“Me too. God, it would be so hot to walk around the paddock pregnant by a man fifteen years older than me. Everyone would know it was you that knocked me up. Everyone would know how good you treat me.” You were getting turned on by this fantasy and the trail of kisses Fernando left all over your throat. He was getting worked up too, and you could feel it on your thigh.

“I can do all of that, mi sol. Multiple times, even. I would love to see you at the races with a baby or two in your arms, and another one on the way.” He left your throat to give the same treatment to your shoulders, pushing the thin straps of you dress to the side. His hands were working efficiently too, getting access to your thighs by lifting the hem of your dress.

You brought him even closer to you by pulling him by the loops holding his belt in place.

“Baby, go ahead then. We would be the talk of the town. Oh, the scandal it would cause, especially since we’re not married.” The thought was thrilling.

Fernando went back to your neck, one hand lifting your leg and the other one on the side of your boobs.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that part. I want to make you my wife before I get you pregnant. I want you to have my last name before I give it to the baby.”

You were conflicted, but also pleased. On one hand, you really, really wanted to get pregnant as soon as possible. But being his wife before being the mother of his children was also really tempting. You teased him: “Sounds like you are ready. Pretty please, tell me, do you have the ring already?”

Your boyfriend smiled against your neck. “In the first drawer of my dresser, hidden underneath my socks.”

You shrieked: “No way!” Fernando laughed at your excitement.

You hugged him tightly. He really was serious earlier.

He answered simply: “Yes.” You kissed him, and he kissed you back immediately. The kiss was soft and tender and had a thousand words hidden in it. It was full of I love you, no I love you more. It was the kind of kiss that creates buttefly. It was the type of kiss you remember forever. After a few minutes, or maybe a few hours, the driver pulled away.

“Mi sol, I know I haven’t even proposed to you yet, but what if we went inside and practiced for our wedding night?”

You laughed and followed him inside.

A year later, it was his turn to post on his Instagram. This time, it was a picture of your wedding. Multiple songs by Rihanna could have been fitting for the caption: We Found Love, Only Girl, Love On The Brain, and many more. Ultimately, he chose a simpler one: Mi sol.

And when you welcomed your little girl, his caption was similar: Mi sol y mi Marisol. This time, the comments were pretty nice.

[getosbigballsack]

Testing the waters to see if you all would like to see something like this.

Trust fund baby Gojo x Older woman reader!

"I wanna make it up to you, Satoru. I'm sorry." He pouts at you cutely, but he still pulled you from your knees, spun you around and pressed your breast against the bathroom glass.

"Then spread your legs if you wanna make it up to me mommy."

How did you end up like this, getting railed by your client Gojo Satoru. Let's get into it.

...

Trust fund baby Gojo Satoru, who is completely smitten with a woman who is twice his age. Nobody knows about this rich boy’s secret. Hiding beneath the flashing lights, tabloids, and rumors about him, nobody knows about the nights he spends locked up inside his apartment wrapped up in your arms and snuggled between the plush, cushions you call breasts. He’s in heaven when he’s with you.

Sucks to say, though, you weren’t his to hold for no longer than what he paid for. You weren't his. You didn't belong to anyone as a matter of a fact. You're just a quote unquote "whore" who provides escort/prostitutional services to young men who are in need of a woman who is older than them.

A woman who they can proudly relay on and call mommy.

A woman who the trust fund baby Gojo Satoru can proudly call mommy.

No one needs to know about the hidden kink he hides beneath his smile. It's the one thing he keeps private. It's the one thing that truly brought him peace. He's so happy laying here right now with his head in your lap and your fingers threading through his hair. Both in nothing but those matching silk robes and a bowl of fruits at the side of his head. Candles lit in the dark room, the rosy scent filling up the room. It's perfect. He only wishes moments like this would last.

"Satoru baby?" You called out to him, breaking him away from his wild train of thoughts. He slowly opened his eyes to stare at you. The small crinkles appearing at the corner of your eyes as you smiled down at him awaiting for him to answer.

"Yes... mommy?"

You chuckled a bit, fingers gently massaging his scalp before leaning forward to press a kiss on his pointy nose. "Do you plan to keep me here like this all night?"

"Would you rather if we do something else. I'm quite comfortable like this you know," He answered as he slowly closed his eyes.

"Well this not on a schedule for tonight."

"And so! What's the rush. I'm sure we can lay like this for a few moments, can't we?" He asked you.

"I have another client to attend to Satoru," you informed him, still combing through his hair, all while watching as his brows dipped and his cheek bones hardened a bit.

"Another client?" He asked, he eyes slowly reopening to stare up at you. You gave him a light nod. "Oh!" He whispered before lifting his head from your lap and quickly stood up.

A deep, heavy sigh fell from your lips. However, you followed suit and stood up as well, just waiting for what's about to come next. You knew that he would probably say something a bit out of normal terms of agreement, you were prepared to answer or to just comment on anything he had to say about your session with any trust fund baby like himself.

But what he said next, shocked you.

"Cancel it!" Pink lips pouting ever so cutely as he stared down at you with glossy blue eyes just wait for you to answer.

"Wh... what?" You stuttered.

"I dont want you to go. Cancel it!"

"Satoru, you know I can't do that." You reminded him. Of course, he knew that you never cancel an appointment with a client for a selfish trust fund baby like himself. It's in the contract that he signed with you, along with a few other things that he promised not to do, things that he had already done, and you allowed him to.

"Why can't you? Is it because of the money?" He asked. A gasp fell from your lips as you looked up at the pouting boy before you.

"No, Satoru. It's just my policy. I provide you with the service that you're paying for, then move on to the next client. You know this, too."

And he did know, but did he care? No. "I don't care, I said fucking cancel it."

"No!"

"I can pay you for his session Y/N. Just fucking cancel it. I booked you for the whole night."

"No, Satoru, you booked me for a session," you reminded him.

"No, you said it's for the whole night," he argued.

"I never said such thing," you argued back. You were about to say something else when Gojo whipped his phone out from the pockets of his robes. He unlocked it, found whatever he was looking for, and started reading.

You: Hey, baby boy, mommy's not busy tonight. Would you like for us to have a session for the whole night.

Gojo: yes, you promise?

You: I promise. Tonight is gonna be just for us.

"You promised the whole night," he said as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket, bent down to pick up grapes before standing up straight to glance at you. "I don't give a fuck about policy or whatever the fuck it is you just said. It doesn't change the fact that you promised. It's not fucking fair for you to do this to me. Haven't I been a good client enough to deserve this one night?"

You said nothing only stared at him. How could you forget about a promise like that?

"You not gonna answer me?" He said as he turned away from you and headed to the door. "Fucking fine then, you can leave. I don't need you any more. I don't wanna do this anymore. You got another client to go fuck off with."

"I'll transfer the money back to your account."

"Don't! You clearly need it more than I fucking do."

Then he left, leaving you standing there in the middle of the room, where he took so much time preparing for the both of you. Guilt washes over you as you began collecting the pieces of garment that Gojo hurriedly stripped from your body earlier during makeout sessions.

You felt bad for breaking your promise to him. You remember him asking weeks in advance, and today, you sealed the deal. You told him that he'll be able to have you for night. So why did you break your promise.

You sighed as you stripped from the silky robe, and as you were about to get dressed, you heard him turning on the shower and the sound of his adorable little whimpers in the bathroom.

What were you gonna do?

...

Cancel the appointment with the next client, of course. After all, you did promise Gojo that tonight it's just going to be you and him. Thats how you ended up on your knees before him, with his massive cock in your hand, gently pumping your fist up and down on his length. You wasted no time taking his entire length down your throat, gagging as you stared up at him with teary eyes. And despite him fight as the pleasure your mouth provided him with, Gojo was some how that you cancel the appointment with the other client.

But you sucking his cock won't change his mood. So after a few word exchange and Satoru has you standing on both legs that were spread wife enough for his cock to abuse your pussy. He did just so, wasted no time thrusting into you hard and fast. Holding you firmly against the glass. Watching as you giggling ass recoil with each thrust of his hips.

He was gonna keep you like this in shower until he's satisfied after all Trust Fund Baby Gojo, gets what he wants and right now he wants fill your pussy with his cum, even though he was 25 years old and you're nearly forty.

...

[dfortrafalgar]

Special Delivery

(Sanji x Fem!Reader- Offscreen)

Sanji reaches out to Zeff for the first time in years.

I wrote this many, many months ago now, and it was the first fic i posted anonymously on AO3. I got a few requests after it was originally posted to write a second part, which I eventually did!

You can read Part 2 here! Original AO3 link

(I figured I should let my blog breathe a little in between the really heavy and emotional Law fic im writing, and what better way to cool down than some sanji fluff <3)

A sharp squawk awoke Red-Leg Zeff from his daze. With a grumpy expression and a low grunt, he peered towards the direction of the sound.

A messenger coo was seated on the railing of the Baratie's upper deck next to where Zeff stood slouched over with his forearms leaning against the wooden support. It cocked its head to the side as if it was deconstructing Zeff's appearance before reaching into its pouch and procuring a parchment envelope. Zeff found it strange. Messenger coos only usually delivered the newspapers or the latest bounty reports, very rarely were they put in charge of personalized letters. It must have been paid off by whoever wanted this delivered.

The gruff man took the parchment from the beak of the bird and watched as it took back off into the air, leaving a few molted white feathers behind in its wake. He looked at the envelope.

All it said on the front, in very elegant handwriting, was "Captain Zeff." He flipped the paper around, revealing a wax stamp holding the opening down, which he peeled off with a calloused thumb.

Tucked neatly inside the envelope was a white piece of paper, tri-folded over itself. Zeff slipped the paper out, unfolding it to reveal the written contents of the letter. The penmanship was impeccable, and the ink was very sleek. He knew immediately it was from Sanji, not many other pirates had handwriting as good as his. He had completely lost track of how many years it had been since the curly-browed boy left with that ragtag group of pirates to sail to the Grand Line, but Zeff had every single one of his bounty posters. He'd never admit it, but they were tacked up on the wall of his sleeping quarters. Every time Sanji's bounty increased, Zeff felt pride swell in his heart.

"How are you doing, you old geezer. It's been a little too long since we've had any contact, so I thought I'd write to you just to see how you've been. You're no slouch, I'm sure you've been keeping up with the world's events over the past however-many years. Do the Marines even bother to keep sending our bounty posters to the Baratie anymore? Well, regardless, I'm sure you can read right through me. I can't deny it, I miss you, old man. I'm happier than I've ever been in my life, and such a huge part of that is thanks to you and the guys back on that old cruiser. Every recipe I try to make, I imagine you screaming in my ear and telling me that it tastes like shit. Some days I really wish I could be back there, but most of the time I'm joyful. Life has been really, really good. A few years ago, I met someone. Last year, we got married, and soon after our lives changed so drastically. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on, and she's as sweet as an angel. I mean it, too. I know you'd probably think something along the lines of me playing up my affections again just because she's a pretty woman, but I mean it. You'd love her, Zeff. Living as a pirate is the most stressful thing anyone could ever do, but she makes every day worth it. The crew was discussing the possibility of returning to the East Blue a bit ago, and when we do, I'm going to introduce you to her. I've spent the last years talking all about you, how you taught me everything I know about cooking, and I can tell she's just as excited as I am to finally see you. This letter's gone on long enough and I don't want to use up all of Nami's paper.

-- Sanji"

Zeff felt a lump in the back of his throat. Sanji had grown into such a fine young man, eloquent with his words and his feelings. He knew how big of a deal it was for the boy to be so honest and open. But one thing in the letter caught him off guard. What did he mean by, "Soon after our lives changed drastically."?

Zeff peered into the envelope, where another, smaller envelope was tucked inside. He almost didn't see it. Pulling it out, he held the letter and original envelope in between his fingers while he opened the second. Sanji was thorough with his packaging, that's for sure.

Inside, there were three photographs printed on thin, matted paper. The first was of Sanji and you, the wife he wrote about in his letter, taken by someone else holding the camera. Sanji had his arm around you, holding you against him, and you had your face nuzzled into his neck. His other hand held a cigarette away from the two of you, like he was in the middle of telling a story. The two of you were smiling brighter than the sun, Sanji's eyes completely closed with the motion of laughter, and yours creased, your irises looking up towards him.

The second photo made Zeff's eyes water. A photo of you and Sanji on the deck of the Sunny, exchanging rings. Sanji was wearing a sleek navy blue tuxedo, while you were wearing a gorgeous white ballgown. For pirates, you cleaned up phenomenally. He could just make out tears in Sanji's eyes as the photo displayed you sliding a band onto his finger. A skeleton with poofy hair stood between the two of you, which Zeff found a little odd, but he chuckled at the absurdity of it all.

Zeff flipped to the last photo.

The tears that were welling in his eyes from the previous image finally slid down his cheeks in heavy, salty droplets. His lip quivered.

Sanji sat in a chair, beaming down at a bundle of cloth held gently in his arm. He was crying in this photo as well, and was reaching a finger over the top of the bundle, where a smaller hand was reaching outwards to grab onto it. A small glimpse of blonde hair could be made out from under the cloth securing the baby tightly. On the back of the film, Sanji wrote the birth date and the name of the baby.

Zeff used a sleeve to wipe his blubbering eyes. His lips quivered, but he couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face.

Was he allowed to call himself a grandfather now? He figured it was only appropriate.

[toxicanonymity]

Silence can never be bought, only rented

Part 1 of 6, 1.3k | dbf!Joel x f!eader | NSFW 18+

Next: PART 2 / Story Master List

SUMMARY: You come home from campus one weekend and catch your dad’s friend Joel in bed with your stepmother. 

WARNINGS: I8+ Joel PiV w/ someone else (before you're involved at all). Accidental voyeurism, exhibitionism by opportunity. Joel mentally cucks her w/ you.

It’s dark, but you still catch quite an eyeful when you approach the bedroom and the door is wide open.  They’re doing it doggy style on the bed,  facing the window.  In full view of the door.  Joel is buck naked.  He’s always been burly, but you still didn’t quite imagine what was under his flannels all these years.   He scowls and grunts as his massive hands hold onto her hips and his pale asscheeks flex powerfully.  

Your dad is leading a special military training exercise in an undisclosed location.  He always tells you to call Joel if you need anything while he’s away.  He knows how you feel about your stepmom.  She’s only 10 years older than you and got together with your dad when she was your age.  Your dad is no angel, but you’re protective of him, and you’ve had your suspicions about his young bride.   So when you come home that night and Joel’s truck is in the driveway, you deliberately park in front of the neighbor’s yard and enter your house very quietly.  Luckily for you, Joel’s hearing is bad, but you sneak around anyway. You can hear the mattress and the slap of skin down the hall.  Then, your stepmother makes the porniest moan, making you gag. 

When your shadow slowly approaches in the moonlight, he looks toward the bedroom door and does a double take.   You flash your eyebrows but don’t make a peep.   And when he sees you, he doesn’t stop.  He keeps railing her.   He slows down, and she whines.  

Then, he makes eye contact with you, looks you up and down, and starts fucking her harder.  God, what a pervert.   Not to be intimidated, you stand there and watch him finish.  You lean against the doorframe, crossing your arms and ankles, taking in every detail.  At least he’s wearing a rubber.   Before he comes, he pulls almost all the way out and looks down at himself, then back up at you, almost like he wants you to know he’s hung.  He slams her back on his cock with a grunt and she moans as he empties his balls, his eyes still locked on yours.  

-

You slink outside and sit in your car for a minute, thinking.  You park in front of your house as if you’re just arriving.  You leave a note on Joel’s truck, then come in through the front door, noisily.  

Then you call, “Uncle Joel? Are you here?”  You smile to yourself and wait.  You never call him that, but it’s how your dad always used to refer to him.  Then you add, “I thought you were gonna meet me there. . .”

“Just a sec,” he yells. 

You overhear your stepmom ask him, “You were going to what?” 

Joel says something inaudible. 

“Meet her where?”

Oh, this is going to be fun.  You grab a drink from the fridge and sit down at the kitchen table while they both come downstairs.  You greet him with a kiss on the cheek.  

“The toilet upstairs wasn’t working,” your stepmom says, still disheveled and proud of her lie.  

You nod and smile. “Yeah, Dad warned me,” you lie.  She seems to think she lucked out with a coincidence.  She’s that dumb.  

“Are you done?” you ask Joel. 

“Uh,” he pauses in thought. 

“Fixing the toilet,” you say.  

“Yeah, good to go,” he says with a glance toward her. 

“Thanks,” you beam.  “Dad will be happy.”   

You get up and give him a big hug, then hold eye contact as you break away.  

Your stepmom looks back and forth between the two of you.  

“Shall we?” you ask him.  

“Um, yeah,” he shoves his hands in his pockets and looks at her nervously as he grabs his keys from the key hook.  “Let me know if it gives you any more trouble,” he says to her.   She looks so pissed, you have to suppress your smirk.  

You need to think this over.  You aren’t ready to talk to Joel.  On your way out, you text your high school friend about staying at her place for the night since you already drove all the way here.  

-

Joel jogs to your car to catch up with you.  His cheeks are still flushed.  

“Where are we going?” he asks stupidly. 

You laugh. 

“Don’t you wanna talk?” he adds, hovering near your driver’s side door as you unlock it.   He looks somewhere between annoyed and bemused, which pisses you off. He should be afraid for you to tell your dad.  

You close your door, stand against the car, and grab both sides of his unbuttoned flannel shirt, assuming your stepmom is still watching.  You pull him into you, then wrap your arms around his waist until you feel him harden against your jeans and he inhales your hair deeply, sending a warm rush to your core.  

Then, you put your arms around his neck, and his hands loosely graze your waist. 

You say softly in his ear, “Go home, Joel.” 

You get in your car and look up at the house just in time to see your stepmom’s silhouette retreat from the front window. 

Joel runs his hands through his hair and walks to his truck.  

He takes your note off the window and opens it: You’re sick.   

-

You go to your friend’s house and watch horror movies.  She goes to community college and lives in her parents’ basement.  She’s so happy to see you, she wishes you would come home more.  You can stay with her any time.  

Joel calls you and you send it to voicemail.  He texts you, too.  He says he’s done with her, doesn’t care, that he’ll break it off tomorrow.  You don’t answer.  

You have a lot of thoughts and feelings, but you keep coming back to the hardness in his jeans pressing against you.  You don’t want to think about it.  He’s been fucking your stepmother and that’s gross.  You try to put it out of your mind, but the feeling stays between your legs.  You pinch your eyes shut and shake your head, you just see his eyes roving you hungrily as he fucks her.  Sick.  Really sick.  And yet, your panties are so moist.

-

You decide to go back home the next day to see if you can tell whether Joel has really broken it off.  Your stepmother says it’s such a nice surprise to see you.  You skeptically ask why it’s a surprise, since she knows you’re in town.  She shrugs and asks if you want something to eat.  She’s looking at you differently.  She keeps looking at you up and down.  

You return the look and ask, “What?”

She asks if you had a nice time last night. 

“Yeah, we did . . . did you?” 

She smiles and nods,  “Yeah.” 

She mentions the toilet is acting up again and you silently seethe. He not only hasn’t broken it off, but he’s coming over?  There’s almost something smug about the way she says it, too.  You offer to look at the toilet yourself.  She says Joel is already on his way. 

His truck pulls up, then your phone dings.

Joel:  Wanna give us some privacy?

You:  I dunno, what are you gonna do with it? 

Joel: I told you, I’m ending it.  

You: Ever heard of a phone call? 

Your phone keeps dinging and you ignore it.  

“That must be him,” she says.  She calls him and asks him if he’s there.  

He comes in and looks salty.  She takes his jacket.  

“Actually, I’m gonna borrow this,” you say on impulse and grab it from her on your way out.  “I’ll give it back later,” you tell him, looking over your shoulder. 

Why does he wear his jeans so tight, you wonder.  

You text him from your car, “I’m not leaving the neighborhood,” but then you do. You go back to your friend’s house.  

He calls you 15 minutes later and you ignore it.  He texts you, and you ignore it.  You let him squirm.

You decide you'll keep his jacket and take it back to campus with you.

-

PART 2

master list

[whitexwolfxx310]

|| Why Are You Never Real ||

Pairing: Bucky x female reader (Eleanor//Elena)) || Bucky x Loki Summary: In 1943, 24 year old Eleanor gets set up on a blind date with Bucky Barnes. The match is so perfect, it was written in the stars. Yes, they're soulmates. Unfortunately, HYDRA gets in the way- taking the perfect life away from the two. But what if fate was so certain, it gave them another chance to be together?

Warnings: Fluff and angst off the charts (I'm so sorry!). Some cursing- but very little.

Word Count: 5.8k A/Ns: So a few things inspired this fic; First, someone requested something similar to this about a year ago. The idea stuck with me (although it was originally about the love interest being on ice also). I can't find the message of the person who requested, so if you come across this & it was you, please let me know so I can give you credit! Second, I saw a TikTok of Bucky & Loki and I've been obsessed with bringing the two together. Last but not least, I'm one of those that is constantly blasting Sleep Token- so in combination with all of these things, the song: The Apparition was also inspiring. Let me know what you think!

1943

It was Labor Day weekend, and anybody who's anybody knows that's when the carnival came to town. Not only was it the official end to the hot New York summers, but it was an escape from everything having to do with the ongoing War. It was a reprieve for the children, to go out and experience some lighthearted fun. But mostly, the carnival lured the young adult crowd like a gullible captain to a siren in the sea.

Eleanor was twenty-four, still living comfortably at home with her parents and four younger siblings. While she helped take care of her siblings, the passive comments about how she was unmarried and reaching her prime age to start a family never failed to be brought up in daily conversations in their household. It wasn't for a lack of suitors. Plenty of men had asked her on dates, a few even so bold enough to offer marriage without so much as going for a stroll in the park. But for Eleanor, it wasn't just about picking a random man to build a life with. She dreamed of a true romance, just like the ones she would get so lost in while reading her books- and eventually starting a family out of love and not necessity or by society's regards.

While she had already made plans to meet up with her girlfriends on Saturday night at the carnival, her mother had a different idea- A blind date.

Eleanor had intriguingly spent the afternoon with her hair in curlers and ironing her favorite yellow summer dress, the one with white polka dots and matching heels. It would perfectly accent the slight tan she obtained from the few times she snuck to the beach on the outskirts of the city to dig her toes in the sand and lay in the scorching sun. As her typical primping time took a little longer than usual in anticipation for the blind date, Eleanor’s mind kept getting swept up in who the possible mystery man could be. Was it someone she knew? A family friend? What did he look like? Was he short or tall? Does he have a sense of humor? Sure, she of course curious if he was handsome. But that was never her main focus. Eleanor wanted someone who could make her laugh- someone that was playful and knew how to have fun. But a pretty face was definitely a bonus. Opening the front door and stepping out into the Summer’s relentless humidity, she was met with none other than Bucky Barnes- Brooklyn's most notorious flirt and former high school crush. He leaned casually against the railing of the front steps, dressed in an olive-green Class A's uniform wearing a smug smile.

"Ready for our date, Doll?" After initially closing the door in his face in a panic, Eleanor's mother pleaded with her to try and give him a chance. Rumor amongst the women on the block was that he was looking for a wife. She rambled off the typical list of how handsome he was, how he came from a good family, and the cherry on top of the guilt pie: he had just enlisted in the Army and was leaving in just a few short weeks for basic training. Who knows when he will come back home, if at all? Could one date really be so bad?

Eleanor felt nervous walking the few blocks with Bucky, exchanging formal pleasantries about how beautiful the night was and so on. But she was shy- at least, by her standards. She had always worn a big smile and never felt self-conscious about how loud she laughed, regardless of how many times people stated that it was ‘unladylike’. Because of her unapologetic mentality in refusing to conform to make herself small, it labeled her as difficult. Eleanor didn’t have many friends, but she always said: “I’d rather have four quarters than a hundred pennies,” and felt fulfilled. The people in her life that truly knew her, knew of her dreams and ambitions- and that she truly had a heart of gold. Not many others noticed, but Bucky did. He had always noticed how Eleanor could light up a room. She was the sun incarnate. So, when her mother ‘accidentally’ bumped into him on the street that morning and suggested he take her out tonight, he couldn’t refuse the idea. “So aside from enlisting,” Eleanor gestured towards his uniform with her free hand, since her other was interlocked around Bucky’s arm, “what else have you been up to since we graduated, Barnes?” She unconsciously gripped his forearm just a bit tighter, using physical touch to ground her from the unfamiliar nervousness she felt. “Sergeant Barnes,” he corrected with a grin. The pair moved from their sedentary spot in the carnival ticket line, only a few away from the booth. “Okay, Sergeant,” Eleanor reiterates, laughing to herself. “So?” she asks again, tilting her head to the side curiously and looking up at him through her lashes. “Boxed my way through art school. Then with all the boys gettin’ drafted, I just figured I’d sign up before Uncle Sam had the chance to come knockin’ on my door,” he recalled casually, but didn’t seem interested in talking about himself. Bucky’s arm disentangled with Eleanor’s, pressing his palm to the small of her lower back to coax her forward gently as the ticket line moved again. Her breath hitched slightly when he didn’t remove it right away, she eyed him up and down modestly.

His head tilted to the side, “What about you, Ellie?” his sapphire blue eyes holding her gaze, “What keeps you busy these days?”

Ellie. The nickname he uses makes her stomach drop, and they haven’t even gone on any rides yet. It’s a name he’s used off and on through school and over the years in passing. Her cheeks brighten with a new shade of light pink, breaking their fixed look at one another. Bucky takes notice and smiles fondly to himself.

“Um,” Eleanor forces herself to look back up at him, feeling at a loss for words as she tries not to focus so much on his beautiful smile- On how his slightly parted lips show the smallest hint of his white teeth. She didn’t think she’d be on a date tonight, let alone with someone that she’d been smitten with since grade school.

“I um,” her words were failing her for the first time ever, “I teach at the elementary school.” She hesitates a moment, before taking a breath and says, “to be honest, I’ve been waiting to get pulled into one of the factories.” Her voice now has a hint of sadness. Ellie quickly tries to deflect the subject, “Plus my brothers and sisters keep me pretty busy.” “Ah,” Bucky’s smile grows wider as his head tilts back at the recollection, also taking the hint, “and how are the little scoundrels?” Ellie laughs, thankful to have the relief of talking about herself put off. She shakes her head, “Still terrorizing anyone and everyone.” “Next!” Bucky reluctantly pulls his attention away from Ellie to step up to the ticket booth. “Two please,” he answers politely. As the worker counts his change, Bucky’s eyes couldn’t help but admire Ellie from head to toe. How she pointed one foot inward and fiddled with her fingers as she waited patiently with an imminent smile- admiring the sights and sounds of the fair around her. She was truly breathtaking.

There was no short supply of local attractive women. Bucky had dated plenty of them, and even more had shared his bed. They had always flocked to him, like a moth to a flame. It was a great stroke to his ego, but he was never taken with any of them. And none of them would have slammed a door in his face at the mere sight of him. Ellie though? She was something else entirely. He was always interested in what she had to say. The stories she told always captivated him and made him laugh. Being around her was easy and never forced. Even when they were kids, he found himself stealing glances and daydreaming about her. He had to make tonight mean something.

As Bucky had promised himself, he pulled out all the stops to impress Ellie. It wasn’t long before she eased back into her normal self, although she couldn’t ignore the butterflies constantly flittering along the lining of her belly. The two spent hours walking around the carnival, sharing treats like cotton candy and the biggest, most delicious cannoli they had ever had. Bucky learned fast, and kept suggesting riding the bigger rides, because he selfishly loved it when Ellie clung onto him when she got scared. And Ellie, never being one to back down, always said yes. Ellie eventually convinced Bucky to take a break from riding the tilt-a-whirl back-to-back after threatening him with seeing the pink cotton candy to make an appearance again. He reluctantly conceded, knowing that he would be missing her reaching out and holding onto him. He suggested they play some carnival games until she felt better. And from the way Ellie’s eyes lit up with excitement, Bucky knew it was a promising idea.

In the meantime, they threw darts to pop balloons, a few several types of ball toss, and a horse racing game. Bucky even got to show off his marksmanship at a rifle target booth, winning Ellie a brown teddy bear that she proudly carried around with her for the entirety of the evening. But the best part was the way they cheered each other on with every game. Bucky’s heart swelled each time he won, and Ellie would jump up and down in excitement for him. Even with the playful competitive banter back and forth, neither of them felt a bitter loss. It was starting to get late, and the fair would be shutting down soon. The only ride the two hadn’t ridden yet was the Ferris wheel. Saving the best for last. Standing in a decently extensive line, the pair continued on with the tradition of the night: sharing belly laugh filled stories about dates gone horribly wrong and glances that lingered just a little too long.

Bucky felt something being with Ellie that was completely unfamiliar. In a world that was currently plagued with such darkness, this was the first time in he didn’t know how long he didn’t feel it weigh on him. She rejuvenated his very soul. Bucky silently wished out into the universe that she felt the same about him. “Y’know Ellie, I have to admit,” Bucky tucked his hands into his pockets as he stared down at the dirt his shoe kicked up. “tonight’s been…Ellie?” As he looked up from the ground to meet those golden eyes, there was nothing. She was gone. “Ellie?” Bucky repeated, louder this time as he frantically scanned the large crowd. “Ellie!” He shouted through his funneled hands while standing on his toes. Bucky’s head was starting to spin with worst case scenarios when he suddenly caught a glimpse of her bright yellow dress. Off in a quiet corner next to the circus tent, Ellie was crouched down talking to a young boy. The boy wasn’t looking at her, but instead his head hung low as he stared at the ground, and he seemed… upset.

Although he was too far away to hear, Bucky watched the encounter intently. Ellie nodded gently as she spoke to him, gesturing with her free hand- but the boy still seemed unresponsive. A moment of silence passes between them, and then with a bright smile, Ellie holds up the brown teddy bear that Bucky had won her earlier. She makes the stuffed animal dance, wave its arms, and boop the boy on his nose- finally getting his attention and smile. Then she holds the bear out to him. Without hesitation, he snatches it into his arms and pulls it tight against his chest. The boy is now beaming and looks like he was swapped with a completely different child. He hugs Ellie before running off to another group of children, holding up and showing off the bear while they all exclaimed how lucky he was. Ellie smiled and waved as the boy ran off, remaining crouched down on the ground for a moment even after being alone. Standing up as she brushed off her dress and watched the boy, her expression changed to one with a sorrowful undertone as the boy and his friends ran off. Turning to walk back to the Ferris wheel line, her honey brown eyes locked with Bucky’s. Just the sight of him waiting on her, standing online looking tall, broad, and handsome in that uniform watching her made her cheeks blush and a small smile tug on her lips.

From Bucky’s point of view, time seemed to move in slow motion. The bottom of Ellie’s dress flowed out with each sway of her hips. Her curls gently bounced with each graceful step, despite the uneven fairgrounds. He forgot how to breathe the closer she approached.

“Sorry ‘bout that, Sarge.” Ellie says apologetically, joining Bucky back in the line. “It’s alright,” Bucky’s voice is soft from his throat being dry. The feeling is suddenly overwhelming, his hand has laid dormant for too long. Taking the risk of not being on a ride, he wraps his arm around her shoulders. “Everything okay?” Leaning her body into his, Ellie sighs, “that was one of my students. He got the news earlier this week that his father died in the war. Left behind a wife and three kids… I just-” taking in a deep breath to try and calm herself, she shakes her head, “I know we’ve heard this story a hundred times before, Buck. It just never gets any easier. And I’m so sorry about the bear. I just got caught up in wanting to make him feel better that I just, I-” it was obvious that her heart hurt for the boy as her voice started to crack as she rambled.

She was right, it never got easier to hear these stories. And it always hit that much closer to home when it was someone you knew that was affected. Bucky was unsure if it was the story of the boy, or seeing Ellie’s act of compassion, but there was an undeniable gnawing in his chest as well. “Hey…” he cooed gently, cupping her chin between his thumb and pointer finger, coaxing her to look at him. Ellie tilted her head, though reluctant to look into Bucky’s eyes. But when she did, she found those cerulean irises filled with an unfeigned understanding as he leaned in close, “just means I get to take you out again for a chance to win another one, doll.” Her breath hitched again, at both the close proximity and the idea of another date with Bucky. Her eyes drifted down to his lips briefly before she met his gaze once again. Instinctively, Ellie started to lean in closer- not caring who was around to witness her kiss Bucky Barnes in public.

Bucky mirrored Ellie’s motions, his tongue gently flicking against his lips as he leaned in also when- “Next!” The carnival worker called. The disappointment was evident on Bucky’s face as his lips clenched into a thin line and his eyes closed tightly. Ellie though, was the opposite. She grabbed Bucky’s hand, “C’mon, Sergeant!” she giggled, dragging him onto the ride. Yet again, her smile was contagious, and he immediately gave in. Settling into their car on the Ferris wheel, it quickly jerked and rocked as it started to spin. Ellie threw her arms straight up into the air, squealing in pure excitement. And Bucky watched- Watched as the wonder sparkled in Ellie’s eyes, how the glow of the fair’s lights accentuated her already mesmerizing features, but mainly, he was dying to know if those lips tasted like the most perfect red delicious apple since they were painted exactly like one.

“Anybody ever tell you that you have a staring problem, Sarge?” Bucky had to blink a couple of times to focus. The Ferris wheel car had stopped at the very top, Ellie had her chin propped on her fist, smiling up at him through her lashes. He shook his head, “I was just thinking,” Bucky moved in a little closer, reaching his arm around Ellie’s shoulders, “that you are the most fascinating woman I have ever met.” “He’s lost in a memory…” Ellie’s cheeks blushed, but she rolled her eyes, “oh stop. I bet that’s something you say to all the girls.” Fireworks started firing off into the sky, mirroring the evident spark between the two. “I don’t care what the hell has to be done! Get him out of it! Scramble him again if you have to!” Bucky’s nose scrunches as he smiles, his head tilted up slightly to look down at her, “no, no. My pickup lines are usually waaay cheesier.” He and Ellie both laugh in unison, muffled by the occasional loud pops of the fireworks. But the pair refused to look away from one another.

“But sir-” Leaning in, Bucky breathes in both the mixed carnival aromas and the beautiful floral scent that is Ellie’s perfume. Her eyes flutter close as her lips purse towards his- “I. Don’t. CARE! Do it! NOW!” [2013] Bucky is met with a swift, vigorous slap to the face. Blinking rapidly, his eyes painfully adjust to the fluorescent lights in the room. Once focused, he finds numerous pairs of hard eyes staring down at him. Bucky sheepishly looks down at his bare chest, flexing painfully against the tight restraints of his chair. The realization that it was in fact not 1943 and not his first date with Ellie was quickly confirmed by the surrounding HYDRA agents, all staring at him like he was some wild animal waiting to snap and tear through a village.

Although in retrospect, he may have done that once or twice. And secretly, he never minded having HYDRA blood on his hands. If that wasn’t confirmation enough, the skin on his left shoulder was taut- the built-up scar tissue irritated from the roughened edges of his metal arm. God, how he hated that fucking thing. Sure, getting used to any kind of prosthetic takes time to accept- if at all. But this was used with the sole purpose of turning Bucky into a weapon, and for that reason, he hated it and everything it stood for. At least, when he could remember. Which is why he was always restrained. Which is why he was brainwashed over and over again until he forgot his name. Which is why he was thrown on ice when he wasn’t of use, so they didn’t have to hear his endless screaming as he tore and ripped at the skin, praying it would be tarnished enough that they couldn’t make him a new arm. But they always made him a new arm.

Alexander Pierce stepped out from between a few of the agents, clad in an expensive gray suit that stood out against the sea of all black military grade HYDRA uniforms. “Where’d you go?” he asked nonchalantly, shoving his hands into his pockets. It’s not like he was genuinely curious about anything that didn’t pertain to his own interests. Bucky’s brow furrowed, his eyes glancing briefly in Pierce’s direction before looking down again, “n-nowhere…” he replied apprehensively, always cautious about giving personal details when he remembered them. Pierce huffed sarcastically under his breath. A smirk tugged on his lips as his eyes narrowed on Bucky, “wipe him,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand, “we’ll start fresh again tomorrow.” He wasn’t even fully done speaking before he spun on the heels of his dress shoes and was out the door.

The mechanical whirring from the machines surrounding Bucky’s now reclined chair grew antagonizingly loud. He could feel his lips uncontrollably twitch- and it took everything within his remaining willpower not to snarl as he reluctantly accepted the mouth guard the agent forced onto his teeth. Bucky’s chest already glistened with sweat as it heaved deeply, anxious for what was to come. His eyes widened at the sight of the all too familiar chrome halo that soon clasped securely around his head. He braced himself for the pain of his mind feeling like it was on literal fire by breathing around the mouthpiece and digging his heels. At least today, he remembered Ellie. Bucky just focused on the pure, rare beauty that she was sitting on top of the Ferris wheel that night- smiling at him like he was the only man in the world. Until it all went black. [Present Day]

He wasn’t sure if it was the sounds of his own screams or flailing around in his sleep that woke him from his nightmare. Or rather, memory. Bucky sat upright from the living room floor, tangled up in his blanket. His eyes traced the room, taking in the primarily dark apartment aside from the faint glow of the television. He felt hot, despite only sleeping in his boxers and his skin shining with a thick layer of sweat. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, even though he desperately took in quick, ragged breaths. Bucky felt so lost, even though he had been found. Even with being free of HYDRA and breaking from the control that anyone could have over him after spending time in Wakanda, he didn’t feel as though anyone truly knew him. Hell, he wasn’t even sure who he was after it all was stripped away. The only people who understood Bucky were Steve and Ellie, and they’re both gone. A small ‘meow’ came from Bucky’s side, making her presence known before gently rubbing her head against his thigh. Well, maybe there was one who understood him.

Letting out the pent-up air in his lungs, Bucky picked up the petite white cat and cradled her against his chest, “Sorry, pretty girl,” he actively softened his voice, “did I wake you?” He gently ran his hand over her head and down her neck, immediately pulling purrs from Alpine. He sighed to himself but continued to concentrate on petting her as his accelerated heart rate started to come back down. Alpine’s purrs grew louder as she started making biscuits against his thighs, making herself nice and comfy before drifting to sleep in his lap. At least one of us will be able to sleep tonight.

As expected, he didn’t fall back asleep. Instead, Bucky replayed the distant clashing memories over and over in his head until the sun started peeking through the windows. At the break of dawn, he jumped into the shower in hopes of washing the night away. As Bucky stood in the shower, letting the tiny streams of water encase around him, he realized just how much he missed his old life. That version of him and how often his mind drifted to a time where he used to belong. In that moment, he decided he was going to use today to go to his old stomping grounds, reminisce and allow himself to truly grieve that part of his life.

Throwing on a pair of dark wash jeans, a grey T-shirt and a black leather jacket, Bucky locked the door to his apartment and made his way through The Compound. Leaning against the wall near the entrance was Loki, seemingly keeping to himself. He noticed Bucky though as soon as he stalked into view. His skin looked pale, his blue eyes dull and lifeless above the prominent dark circles underneath. Bucky’s nightmares and lack of sleep were something that the team was all too familiar with. They each collectively had their own demons that haunted dark rooms and spoke through the walls in the lonely hours late at night. “Isn’t it just a tad early,” Loki stood to his full height, “to seem this aloof already, James?” Bucky regarded Loki as he kept walking. “Yeah,” his earnest tone matching his gloomy mood as the door automatically opened.

The bright, warm sun was a stark contrast to the cold, dark night that Bucky just had.

Standing at the edge of a small, curved road in the park that overlooked the Brooklyn Bridge, Bucky took in all the sights and sounds. It was strange to him how much the city had evolved and yet, some things were still the same. People passed, not paying him any mind. Friends gossiped over their morning coffee on a nearby bench, the runners attempted to get that last mile in before the day got too hot, couples walked by holding hands, and families pushed large strollers with smiley babies. It all sounded the same, but nothing was as it used to be. The intrusive thoughts felt heavier today as he continued to watch and take it all in, reminiscing about the times he and Steve used to drink beers at the bottom of that very bridge. Or rather, Bucky would try and convince Steve to drink. But he never did. Bucky and his sister used to play in this very park- though it looks different now. It sometimes was still difficult to differentiate what was a memory or a daydream he had conjured up to disassociate.

"Vader!" If he squinted his eyes just enough, he could see where his family's old town home used to stand in the distance before it was bulldozed down. "No! Don't- You're going to make me-" The sound of a heavy thud made Bucky look over his shoulder. On the ground a few feet behind him was a small cardboard box with the top cut off, lying on its side. Scattered all around and halfway in the box, was an assortment of wildflowers. "Damn it, Vader!" An annoyed voice grumbled before sighing heavily.

Giving the apparent mess a once over, Bucky breathed deeply through his nostrils before turning around and taking a knee- putting the box right side up before starting to subtly pick up the flowers. "Sit!" The sound of nails scratching against the asphalt came to a stop, only to be replaced with heavy panting. Bucky glanced over briefly to see a rather large German Shepherd watching proudly as he picked up the flowers. "God, thank you so much for your help! I'm just having one of those days. No thanks to this one here either." The woman's voice sounded slightly exasperated.

"No problem," Bucky replied, trying to look up but the sun blared straight into his eyes, momentarily blocking the person with whom he was speaking. After picking up the last few flowers, he tossed them into the box as he stood up. His height gave him the advantage of no longer having the sun in his face and he finally was able to see the person he's been interacting with. Bucky stops breathing- eyes widening in disbelief. Eleanor. It was her, and yet it wasn't. Her skin was evenly tanned, her golden hair long with a slight wave to it framing her face, dressed in matching yoga pants and sports tank as she clung tightly to the dog’s leash to keep him in place. "I spent my whole morning picking those," she gestured towards the box, "and this lunatic has been dragging me everywhere in between," she explains, embarrassed. Bucky is still staring, just blinking occasionally, skeptical that this is real.

Clearing her throat softly at what she perceived to be awkwardness, she picks up the box. "Thanks again!" she remarked politely, starting to turn away to leave. "W-what-" Bucky started, causing her to hesitate. He took a small step forward, "are those for?" he pointed to the box. It was the first thing that came to his mind, he had to keep her there for just a little while longer. He needed to know more. Smiling as she turned back to face him, Bucky's stomach twisted. It's the same smile. "I'm a teacher and anytime I'm here I grab some for my students," she shrugged nonchalantly. "I can usually come up with some kind of craft or whatever to make use of them." "You're a teacher?" "Mhm! Elementary." Down to the same damned occupation. "You... come here often? With your dog?" Bucky awkwardly motioned towards the German Shepherd. "Oh, um... Well," She laughed. Oh no. He feared that his question made her uncomfortable. "This is Vader," she runs her hand over the dog's head a few times, "but he's not mine. Just watching him for some friends while they're away."

Bucky looks over Vader, the corner of his lips tugging into a small smile before fixating on the woman again. "I'm sorry, " she starts, her eyes narrowing slightly as her head tilts in inquisition, "but do I know you? You just look so familiar..." He swallowed the large lump in his throat, "Uh, no? Nope, I don't think so." "Huh," she muttered to herself, continually examining his blue eyes. Clearing her throat, she holds out her hand "I'm Elena, but my friends call me Ellie." Taking her petite hand in his gloved one, he carefully shakes her hand. "Ellie," Bucky repeats, incredulously. "James, but my friends call me Bucky." "Bucky." Elena mirrors his tone. Her eyes drift down to his chest momentarily, spotting his dog tags. "And you're military?" A small snort escapes as he grins, "former Sergeant in the 107th." "Interesting," Ellie responded, continuing to search his crystal blue eyes as if it would magically reveal as to why she felt magnetized by this man's presence. Looking down, Bucky realized they were still holding onto one another's hand. His eyebrows raised, an amused smile eclipsing his former expression. The pair chuckled once, letting go. "Well," Ellie said, fidgeting with the dog leash in her hands, "It was nice meeting you. Thanks again," her voice sheepish as she shifted the cardboard box under her arm. "Nice meeting you too, Ellie," Bucky agreed. There was something about the way he said her name, how smoothly it rolled off his tongue that just felt so... intimate. Like he did in fact know her. That there was a secret between them that she was dying to know. Giving him a hopeful smile, she turned to walk away- Vader following at her side, "Hope to see you around, Sergeant!" Ellie called over her shoulder, giving a small wave.

Bucky watched Elena walking away, left utterly astounded by the interaction that had just occurred. Two images from two separate times seemed to overlap- Ellie from today, and Ellie with the tight curls and red lips in the yellow polka dot dress. A form of Deja vu. But one thing was for sure, he made it his mission to see her again.

Later that evening at The Compound, Bucky stood at the counter in the kitchen holding a small drinking glass filled with ice and whiskey. The recent encounter from this morning consumed him and all of his thoughts. Which is why he didn’t notice Loki casually walk into the kitchen as well. Loki found this to be peculiar, since Bucky was the type to at least give an acknowledging scowl. “Penny for your thoughts?” Loki inquired, his voice low. Bucky swirled the ice in the glass before peeking up at him, “I had something… strange happen to me today.” “Oh?” “I uh-” Bucky sighed, putting the glass down a little harder than intended. “I swear I bumped into someone from my past. But it makes no sense. She would have to be, what? Over a hundred years old? It was her but it wasn’t her.” His hands expressed the bafflement he felt through their motions.

“You’re over a hundred, James.” Loki reminded. Bucky’s eyes narrowed, “yeah, I know.” He asserted. “But this was different. I don’t know how to explain it.” “Hmm.” Loki hummed to himself, looking over Bucky. Taking a step forward, extending out his hand out, “show me.” “Show you?” Bucky retorted, disgruntled by the question. “And just how would I do that?” Loki grinned, “I was raised by Witches, boy. There are many things I can see that people don’t understand.” Without waiting for an answer, Loki took Bucky’s flesh hand and pressed it flat between his. “What are you-” “Shh!” Loki planted his feet firmly, looking into Bucky’s eyes- which widened with concern. What would Loki see looking into his mind? His memories? Would he recount the same faces and what he’d done to them that haunt Bucky every single night? He suddenly felt overwhelmed with anxiety. Bucky stared back at Loki- his normal cobalt blue eyes started to glow a bright green. “Ah,” Loki breathed, “found it.” Flashbacks of today as well as the carnival shared between the two as a birds-eye view, like watching Bucky’s memories as if they were a movie. “Tell me, James,” Loki smirked while watching the images, “do you know what reincarnation is?” “What? Like being born again?” Bucky spat, feeling ridiculous. Loki laughed, “I’m afraid it’s much more in depth than people think.” Bucky raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain further. “Rare is it that one is given such an opportunity.” Loki breathed, astounded.

Rolling his eyes, Bucky sighs, “What the fuck are you even trying to say here, Loki?” “I’m saying,” he kept his voice low, trying to maintain patience, “that this universe somehow deemed you worthy of a second chance… with your soulmate.” “Soulmate?!” Bucky’s voice was loud, incredulous. “I haven’t seen this before,” Loki answered, fascinated at the scenes playing before them, “A soul brought back in the same lifetime to make up for time lost. Destiny can be a finicky thing.” “You’re saying that we were meant to be together all those years ago?” Bucky swallowed hard, his stomach twisting inward on itself. “Yes. And decisions made that weren’t your own affected that outcome. You’ve been given the opportunity to actually live out your true fate.” The eerie green glow faded from Bucky’s eyes as Loki pulled his hands away. He saw many things but decided to only show Bucky what pertained to this conversation. The screams already a sound he knew he wouldn’t forget anytime soon. The two always had a mutual understanding of each other. They typically got along, more so than the rest of the team. Their history often left preconceived tension with people, but they never judged one another. Just themselves. “So,” Bucky scratched the back of his head, “what do I do now?” “You, my friend,” Loki gripped Bucky’s shoulder, “go get a happy ending.”

If you enjoyed this, please check out my Masterlist. Requests are open!

@peaches1958 @aquabrie @elsie-bells @pono-pura-vida @redbloodedgurl @almosttoopizza @beware-my-thorns @prettylittlepluviophile @annoyinglythoughtfuldestiny @calwitch @ozwriterchick @roofwitty779 @lessersole @lil-darhk @agoddoesnotplead @saranghaey @erinallene @mrsvxder @elizabeth916 @cjand10 @bucky-barnes-lover @wintrsoldrluvr @skulliecadaver-blog

[storiesfromafan]

Two Worlds - Benny x Reader

A/N: @12joeywheelerfangirl requested that I write a Benny one shot around Day of the Dead. I hope this is alright. I know I didn't go into too much detail about culture and heritage, just because I didn't want to write the wrong thing 😅

I'm from Australia, and my heritage is English/Scottish. So I did my best with keeping it more nuetural. I truly hope I don't upset anyone 😅 But this was fun to write, maybe I might explore more in the future.

If anyone wants to send a request, my box is open 🙂

Summary: what happen's when benny shows up during Day of the Dead, and you're family doesn't know about your boyfriend...

Preparations for Day of the Dead had been priority with your family. Because of this you had been going to work and coming home, forgoing visiting Grand and Division, and hardly seeing your man. You had been making excuses for your absence to Benny. But that was because you were unsure how he would feel about the tradition of your culture.

Anyone outside of your family didn’t know much about your heritage, it was something you kept to yourself. It’s not because you were embarrassed by it, it was more due to how people have taken it in the past. And you weren’t sure how Benny would take your culture and heritage. You couldn’t handle the man who you adore not accepting that side of you, so you keep it separate. If only it could stay that way...

Your parents house was in a flourish with your aunts, uncles, cousins and close family friends. All doing their parts. The men were setting up the alter – or ofrenda – and the big family dinner table. The women were preparing food, there would be so much food. And the young ones were either sorting out flowers or playing. You had been helping with the food, helping with cutting vegetables. All the women were talking, swapping stories and laughing. Which you enjoyed. Happy for the warmth in the house.

Then the doorbell to your front door rang, your mother called to you to answer it. Reluctantly you agreed, wiping your hands before leaving the kitchen and heading to the front door. Once more the doorbell rang, and you called out for them to hold on in Spanish. Thinking it was no doubt someone else within the family, maybe a friend of the family. If only it had been someone here for the gathering.

Upon opening the door you continued to greet them in Spanish, only for words to die on your tongue at the sight of the person you had been making excuses to: Benny. He was standing before your front door, hands in his jacket pockets and a look of worry on his face as his baby blues looked to you. You were shocked to see him. And then you began to worry as you could hear the laughter and voices coming from inside. Stepping out onto the porch, you closed the door behind you, resting against it.

“B-Benny, what are ya doing here?” You asked him, voice shaking from the worry of the chances of your two worlds colliding. And one possibly ending at the same time.

Benny’s eyes darted to the door behind you before his gaze came back to you. He sighed. “Is everythin' alright? Ya told me you weren’t feelin' good" he paused as there was more noise coming from inside your house. “But you’re havin' a party or somethin'?”

You wanted to tell him he was right and it was a party, but not in the traditional sense. And it would have been easier to just tell him that, and then send him on his way. But you were conflicted. Taking a deep breath you stepped away from the door, hands running over your swing dress out of nerves. You moved over to the bench on the porch, the one your mother loved to sit on and drink iced tea on warm afternoons. You took a seat and offered the seat next to you for Benny, but he moved to lean against the railing before you. You took that as your sign to go on.

“It’s not a party, not in a traditional sense" you stated, thinking over you next choice of words. “It’s kind of a tradition in my family, well culture, which I don’t think you’d understand-”

“How do ya know I wouldn’t understand is ya don’t tell me?” Benny questioned in defence. His eyes drawing in on you, making you want to shrink back.

“I-its just...in the past people don’t take my culture that well. And I didn’t want to put you off or trouble you with it...” you replied, voice dropping at the end.

Benny huffed. “Ya think I wouldn’t accept your culture and heritage?”

You nodded your head.

He sighed, running his hand threw his golden messy locks before moving to sit next to you. Benny took a hold of your hands. “Baby, I accept you – all of you. You just have to let me in, let me get to know that part of ya".

You looked at Benny with complete surprise and astonishment. Benny had just said he wanted to know all of you. Your heart skipped a beat from his words and the sincere look in his eyes. You squeezed his hands, as a soft smile formed on your lips. Benny smiled, mirroring yours. You moved a hand to cup his cheek, thumb running over the stubble, enjoying the feeling of it against your skin. Then you leant up slightly to place a chaste kiss to Benny’s full lips.

“You don’t know how happy that makes me to hear" you said softly against his lips.

Benny pecked your lips. “I always want to make ya happy" he replied just as softly.

This beautiful, perfect moment between you both of course had to be ruined when your front door swung open. Quickly you pulled back from Benny, as your family didn’t really know about him, just as your mother came out with a worried look upon her face. Her frantic eyes looked out at the front yard before turning to face you and Benny. She sighed, relieved to find you still on the property.

Words of relief left her lips in Spanish, before she realised who was sitting next to you. “I-I'm sorry" your mother said in a fluster under Benny’s gaze. “I did not realise you had a guest mija”.

You blushed, getting to your feet. “It’s fine, Benny was about to leave" you replied in a rush, taking a hold of Benny's arm and guiding him to the porch stairs.

You wouldn’t mind your man meeting your parents. But not like this. Not with your extended family and friends here. You could only imagine what your uncles and male cousins would do or say, being the protective males in your life. Nor could you deal with those females that would fuss over Benny and his gorgeous face. So you knew Benny had to go, before your mother invited him in. And prolonging your unease and suffering.

“Ah mija!” your mother protested. You and Benny stopping to look to her. “Why don’t you bring your boyfriend in?” She asked, a sly smile on her face. Telling you she knew, she knew too much.

“Oh no” you fussed. “Benny probably has other things to do".

Benny – who had been silently watching you and your mother – smile that charming smile at your mother, whom you swear looked to swoon. “I don’t have anythin' else to do. I would love to come in”.

The smile on your mothers face light up, beaming at his words. She moved to him, taking hold of Benny’s arm before practically dragging him inside. All the while you were left there cursing your man. As well as not looking forward to your family’s reaction to him. Reluctantly you entered back into the house after them, closing and locking the front door.

You could hear your mother in the kitchen, introducing Benny to your aunts and older female cousins. Moving to lean against the door frame you were greeted to the sight of the older women fussing over him. The look of uncertainty on Benny’s face made you smile and giggle. He was use to women flirting with him, but older women fussing over him was very different. One aunt was complementing his blue eyes, while another admired his handsome face and saying it to him. And finally another aunt was trying to feed him something she’d been cooking. Oh poor Benny.

He turned to you, silently asking for help. But you decided to mouth I tried to warn you.

But he didn’t let up with the save me eyes. Rolling your eyes you pushed off the door frame and headed over to him. You wrapped your arms around Benny’s and called for their attention, which took a moment. For the women around you both were so taken with your Vandal. One cousin openly questioning how you’d met. Which got all the women to grow quiet. All their eyes on you.

You smiled uneasily. “W-well...we, we met at one of Benny's clubs meetings". That was the safest way to explain it, best to word it that doesn’t use the word bar. Or else your aunts and mother would skin you alive.

They all cooed and fussed some more. You held on to Benny, trying to work out the best way for you both to escape. Thankfully your mother stepped up, shushing  the women before guiding you both toward the door you’d come from.

“Enough ladies" you mother addressed the other women, before smiling to you both. “Why don’t you take Benny out the back. Your father would be happy to meet him".

You groaned. “Must I?”

She chuckled. “Yes mija. He’s been waiting for this moment" and then she winked pushing you on, before returning to the cooking.

Reluctantly you led Benny down the hall and out the back door, were you both could hear the rest of your family. Just as you made it to the door, Benny stopped you and you looked up at him in confusion.

“Let me guess, you want to run away?” You asked understanding if he truly wanted to go.

Not missing a beat Benny lent down till his face was before yours. “Nope, I’m not goin’ anywhere baby" he then places a kiss to your forehead. “I just wanted a moment with ya before possibly gettin' my ear chewed off".

You smiled at how sweet your man was being. And you would have thoroughly enjoyed this moment if you hadn’t heard giggling coming from the other end of the hall. Looking around Benny you were greeted to two of your cousins sticking their head out into the hall. You shooed them away, but they didn’t go right away. It was their names being called by someone in the kitchen that got them to leave.

“Should I know anythin’ before goin' out there?” Benny’s question brought you back to him.

You looked at him confused before remembering where you both were and what was about to come. “Ah well...I’d say be yourself, but maybe a toned down version of you?”

Benny gave you a funny look.

“Just till they get to know you!” You added in a hurry, which had Benny chuckling.

“It’s alright baby" Benny took one of your hands in his larger one, and squeezed. “I’ll be alright, so long as ya with me". He winked.

You giggled, shaking your head. “I’ll do my best to stay at your side". You reach up and kissed Benny’s cheek.

With a deep breath you pushed open the door with your free hand, the other still holding onto Benny’s tightly. Moving out into the backyard you noted that the dinning table was arranged with many chairs, and some of the younger cousins were putting out the cutlery, plates and cups. While in the small shed were your uncles, friends and father, all talking and laughing. You gathered they were sharing a memory of someone in the family.

You led Benny by the table, messing up the hair of a few of the kids in passing. You were headed for the older men and male cousins. Benny could see them gathered but didn’t understand what was going on. He figured there was a family dinner going on, but why were the men so concerned with a set of shelves. Which had lace and flowers on it.

“What’s that about?” Benny asked softly, gesturing to what you see as an alter.

You smiled at him. “They’re getting the ofrenda, or alter ready".

“For...?”

“For us to put photos of our family and friends that we have lost on it. And then we will place offerings, usually food and drink but for those lost when they were young, we offer some toys".

“And you do that because?” Benny was intrigued by now.

“It’s what is known as Day of the Dead. We come together to pay respects and remember those lost, hoping for their souls to visit us” you explained.

“We also have a family feast, telling stories of those we’ve lost to honour their memory. It is also a time to bring family and friends close together" came your father’s voice.

You stiffened, grip on Benny’s hand tightening in worry. Benny caressed your hand with his thumb, hoping it would help ease you a bit. But from the frantic look in your eyes, that stared at your father, Benny could tell it hadn’t.

“Mija, who’s your friend?” Your father asked, though his tone had a knowing tone to it.

You swallowed. “T-this is-" you begun in a stutter.

Unwillingly, Benny let go of your hand before moving over to your father. Holding out his hand, Benny introduced himself. “I am Benny, sir".

Looking from Benny to you, and then back to Benny. Your father took his hand and slowly shook it. “Benny, hmm? And how do you know (Y/N)?” There was that knowing tone again.

You looked to Benny, who continued to look at your father. He held his head up, confident and unwavering. “I’m her boyfriend" Benny finally said.

Well that caused the men around the ofrenda to quiet down and look toward you both. While your father stared at Benny with a blank face. It was like this for a few minutes before a smile crossed your father’s face, and a chuckle to leave his lips. You were shocked. For your father hardly smiled and chuckled at the same time. Slapping Benny’s arm, your father then moved to place a hand on his back and bringing him forward to your uncles, cousins and friends. All the while you stood there dumbfounded.

You watched how your father introduced Benny around. And how your family seemed to warmly accept your man. Yet you were still so confused to what was going on. In the past, when your previous boyfriends were brought home to meet the family, your parents had never been so accepting. So, why was Benny the acceptation?

“Seems everything is going well mija" came your mothers sweet voice.

Turning around you saw that the food was being brought out by the women. Looking to your mother you asked, “why are you both so cool about Benny?”

She smiled brightly at you. “He seems like a good young man” – she handed you a tray with food for the ofrenda – “as well as I have met him before. I had been coming home with some shopping, unfortunately one of my bags broke. Your young man was kind enough to help me...and mentioned you. From that I put two and two together".

Squishing your cheeks together, your mother giggled before walking back into the house. Your cheeks heated up knowing that your parents knew about Benny for a while, when you’d been trying to keep your worlds apart. And then you wondered why Benny never mentioned speaking with your mother.

With tray in hand, you moved to the men and the ofrenda. There was joyous cheers when you arrived with food to offer. And then a few other aunts and cousins brought more food. Once everyone was gathered, food place on a near by table for the moment. Benny stood by you, as your father spoke to all. Recalling what tonight was, why you partake in Day of the Dead and then showed the first photo that would be placed on the ofrenda, followed by who the couple in the photo was, his parents.

Each older family member came forward and placed their photo, and recalling who was in it. Finally it was your turn. You smiled to Benny before stepping forward. You picked up the photo you’d brought for the onfrenda. You looked down at the old photograph of your great aunt Sofia. You hardly knew her before she passed when you were eight. But from what you can remember, and what others had told you, she meant dearly to you.

“I place this photo of great aunt Sofia" you stated, putting down the small frame with the others. “I barely remember her, but I know she loved us all dearly".

After a moment you moved back to Benny, who placed his arm around you. You snuggled into his side, as he took the time to place a quick kiss to your head. Which didn’t go unnoticed by your parents and a few other family members. Once all photos were placed, various family moved to place down food and drinks, along with a few small toys.

With that done, your aunts called all to dinner. The young ones moved the quickest, your uncles, aunts, cousins and friends following. Benny guided you to the long dinner table, your mother gesturing to where you both could sit. With a brief speech from your father, all then dug into the food laid out before you all. There was chatter and laughing, with full plates and drinks. This was the warm family dinners you will always remember. And loved having Benny here, who seemed to be comfortable and liking it.

There was more questions aimed at you and Benny from your aunts and cousins. All wanting to know all the details of your relationship. You were unsure with your replies, while Benny was confident. It made you adore this man so much more. And how well he was handling it all, it made you happy. Your worlds meeting and looking to be getting along.

When everyone was finished, you were helping clear the table and Benny was giving you a hand. Even when a few uncles told him he didn’t have to do that, and join them. But Benny wanted to help with clean up. A stack of plates, a few cups and cutlery, Benny followed you inside to the kitchen. Handing off your stack to a cousin, Benny doing the same, the women in the room thanking you both. Your mother past you both, briefly putting a hand on both your shoulders and smiling.

After that you left the kitchen and was about to head back to the others, but Benny grabbed your hand, halting you. You gave him a quizzical look, he just moved his head in the direction of your front door. Getting the hint you let him lead you out to the porch, he closed the door for you both as you moved to lean against the railing. When he joined you, Benny moved close to you, wrapping his arms around your waist. You brought your hands up to rest on his shoulders.

Benny kissed your temple tenderly. “Why have ya never told me about ya heritage and culture?”

You stiffened, before sighing. “Well...I wasn’t sure if you would understand. In the past, people have never been as accepting as you Benny. I-I was scared you’d, you know, run away...”

One of Benny’s hands moved to lightly hold your chin, his eyes boring into yours. “I ain’t runnin' anywhere...unless ya with me".

Your heart skipped a beat, stomach a live with fluttering butterflies from the look he was giving you, and his words. And you believe him wholeheartedly. “I know Benny, I know that now...thank you”.

He smiled down at you. “What ya thankin' me for?”

You smiled brightly, as hand moving to play with the hair at the back of his neck. “For accepting all of me". And you leant up, placing a tender kiss to his lips.

Benny pulled you close, kissing you back. Of course he’d accept all of you, as you’d accepted all of him. Nothing was ever going to make him not accept you or run away.

Pulling back, Benny rested his forehead against yours. “Your my girl, I ain’t lettin' ya go".

You giggled. “And I’m never letting you go Benny”.

[marvelslut16]

The Yule Ball

Prompt number: 13 "Come with me, hurry."

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Ron Weasley x reader

Rating: E(veryone)

Word count: 2k

Warnings: Teenagers being stupid and clueless. Pining.

A/N: No one's gonna read this, but oh well. I've loved it and been to afraid to put it out for years, so now I'm finally just doing it.

You roll your eyes at Ron and Harry complaining that they don’t have dates for the Yule Ball yet, they should be concentrating on the exam that you’re all supposed to be doing. However, you do giggle quietly as Fred asks Angelina to the ball by throwing a piece of paper at her and miming dancing horribly. 

“Well what about you (Y/N/N)?” Ron looks to his left, you're sitting between him and Harry. “You wanna go with me?” 

Your heart picks up speed for a second, the boy you’ve been hopelessly in love with since you were kids is finally noticing you as more than a friend. But the euphoria you feel is short-lived, realizing that you're just a last resort to him, that you’ll never live up to Fleur. Plus you already have a date, one that’ll be tons of fun. 

“I, um, I actually have a date already,” if Ron could tear his wide eyes off your face he would see the mischievous glint in George’s eyes, accompanied by an all knowing smirk. 

“What? Who?” Ron’s voice echoes through the quiet hall, Snape comes up behind him and smacks his head with a book. 

You ignore the question, quickly glancing at the still smirking George, before finishing off your exam. You rush from your seat to hand in your booklet to Snape, as you grab your bag and books you hear Ron asking Hermione to the ball. Your heart plummets into your gut, Ron doesn’t really want to go with you, he just wants a date on his arm. 

You can feel the quick glances of pity from all of your friends; Harry, Hermione, Fred, and George. All of them know about your big ol’ crush on the youngest Weasley boy. You high tail it out of the Great Hall just as Hermione starts telling him off and admitting she has a date. Her and Viktor are actually quite cute together. 

You forgo heading to the library or any other place you typically meet your friends- Hermione will surely head straight to those spots and try to get you to talk about your feelings. Instead you head up the many flights of stairs to the Astronomy tower. The fresh air cools your flushed face, and you take a deep breath willing yourself to shake it off. You lean against one of the railings and stare at the black lake as it ripples from the wind. You close your eyes and think back to when you got asked to the ball mere days ago. 

McGonagall is teaching you how to dance for the ball, boys on one side and girls on the other. You can practically hear Fred and George snicker as you repeatedly glance at their younger brother as the professor lectures the group on etiquette. Ron makes a joke and McGonagall calls him to dance with her, this time you do hear the twins snicker and you join them. 

Once everyone joins in, Ron partners off  with a random girl and you're left standing there alone. You and Ron always pair up for everything, you have since you were in diapers. George quickly swoops in and starts dramatically waltzing you around the room. 

“Mr. Weasley!” McGonagall calls, grabbing everyone’s attention and placing it on you two. “Miss. (Y/L/N) is a young lady, not a rag doll, treat her as such.”

You hide your face in George’s chest, partly from embarrassment from all of the eyes, and partly to hide your giggles. 

“Of course, Professor,” George stands taller and he gracefully leads you through the steps. “I wouldn’t want to hurt dear (Y/N) here. Who else would help me prank Ron?”

You refuse to meet George’s eyes after the two of you see the girl in Ron’s arms giggling at something that he’s said. Usually you're the only one to giggle and laugh at Ron’s jokes, the only one affected by his ‘charm’. George elegantally spins you out and then back into his arms, trying to get you to cheer up and get your mind off of Ron. 

“Ow!” Ron’s partner cries.

Smirking, George leans in and whispers in your ear, “Ickle Ronniekins can’t keep his eyes off of you. Even stepped on his partner’s foot ‘cause he can’t look away.” 

“He’s not looking at me George,” you push the older boy away so he can watch you roll your eyes at him. 

“He stares at you constantly, (Y/N/N),” George frowns at your obliviousness. “He’s been in love with you since he met you, you two always understood each other on a different level than the rest of us.”

“If Ron liked me he would have asked me to the ball already, and he wouldn’t be drooling at Fleur’s feet,” your answer is short and snappy. “Can we just focus on dancing again?”

“Go with me,” it comes out more as a request than a question. “Freddie wants to take Angelina and I’m not going to get in the way of that. We can have fun and make Ronniekins jealous.”

“I don’t know about Ron getting jealous, but it would be fun,” you grin at the red head. “I’m sorry about the Angelina thing.”

“So you’ll be my date?” he ignores the second half of your statement, not wanting to dwell on his twin taking his crush to the ball. 

“I guess,” you tease, your giant smile giving away your excitement. 

“Wicked!” he cheers.

~~

“Who do you think is taking (Y/N)?” Ron asks George, not bothering to lower his voice, even though Padma is standing beside him. Ron had been openly staring at you since you admitted that you have a date, and he kept asking who, but you never answered because you agreed with George not to tell anyone.

“Ickle Ronniekins, you should have asked her sooner,” George teases with a smirk. Both your date’s and your crush’s jaws drop slightly as you make your way down the stairs. 

Your hair is pulled back in an updo, you and Hermione did each other's hair and makeup this morning. You're in a flowy silver dress, giving you an angelic appearance. Your mother even sent her best jewelry to finish off the look. 

“Whoa, (Y/N/N)?” Ron asks, eyes wide and jaw practically on the floor. Padma rolls her eyes at Ron, clearly regretting being his date already. “You look-whoa.”

“You look quite handsome yourself Ron,” you giggle lightly as you take in his old colorful dress robes. Most people would laugh at how ridiculous they look, but Ron can somehow pull the look off.  

“You look smashing, Miss. (Y/L/N),” you giggle again as George grabs your hand and places a kiss on it. 

“Oh thank you Mr. Weasley, you look,” you let your eyes drag over George in his black dress robes as you come up with a compliment. “Striking.” 

“Shall we love?” George puts his arm out to lead you into the Great Hall that the teachers transformed into a beautiful ballroom for the night. You catch a quick peek at Ron as you slip your hand into the crook of his brother's arm, and the young boy looks livid. His face is almost as red as his hair, his jaw locked, and a glare that could level even George if the older Weasley saw it. 

You can feel eyes watching your every move, but you elect to ignore it, instead focusing on George as he twirls you from song to song. No matter how disappointed you both may be that neither of you got to go with your crush, you don’t let it affect your spirits, instead both of you push those thoughts to the back of your minds and have fun as friends. 

“I could use a drink,” you holler to George after two hours on the dance floor and he leads you to the table Ron and Harry are sitting at.

“Stay here,” he takes his coat off and drapes it on the seat you plop down in. “I’ll go get us some punch.”

“Why aren’t you guys out there dancing?” you turn to Ron and Harry, then glancing at the dance floor where Padma and Parvati are dancing with some boys from Beauxbatons.

“Cho is with Cedric,” Harry grumbles, while Ron just glares behind your back.

“One punch for you my lady,” George does a stupid bow as he hands you your glass.

“Why thank you kind sir,” your giggle is cut off by an irritated scoff coming from Ron.

“Is there something you’d like to say Ickle Ronniekins?” George goads him.

“What's wrong Ron?” you ask at the same time, reaching out to touch his shoulder. 

“Bloody hell, you’re what's wrong,” Ron exclaims, and you're thankful the Twisted Sisters are too loud for anyone further than your table to have heard him. 

“Don’t talk to her like that,” George defends you, but it only seems to make it worse.

“What did I do wrong, Ron?” you fiddle with the bracelet that your mum sent you. 

“Come with me, hurry,” Ron pulls you out of the ballroom, up two flights of stairs, down a hallway, and into an alcove hidden by drapery. 

“What has gotten into you?” you finally ask when you two are hidden from prying eyes and ears. 

“How could you go with George?” he ignores your question, pacing back and forth in front of you.

“Because he asked me? Because he was the only one to ask me,” your voice cracks ever so slightly.

“I asked you,” you level your oldest friend with a glare.

“Out of desperation! You asked me as a last resort, Ron, not because you actually wanted to go with me! George at least asked me to go as friends,” angry tears are fighting to breach the surface. “You were too interested in trying to get Fleur to go with you to even consider asking me until you had no other choice.”

“I didn’t think you’d have a date,” he pitters off, not knowing how to save himself.

“Godrick Ron, can you even hear yourself? Do you think that low of me that no one would ask me?”

“But why George of all people?” he asks again, sounding like a broken record. 

“Is that it? Am I not good enough for your brother in your eyes?” you laugh humorlessly. “All those years of friendship and you truly think so low of me…” 

“He knows you’re off limits!” he says out loud, but by the look on his face he clearly meant to keep that thought on the inside.

“I’m not one of your chess pieces, Ron, I’m a person with feelings. You can’t just stake a claim on me-” he cuts off your rant.

“He knows I love you!” his words have so much conviction behind them that you're momentarily stunned. 

“What?” your moth is gaping open like a fish.

“I love you,” he says again like it isn’t the most heavy and meaningful thing he could possibly say. “I don’t ask you to the Ball sooner because I didn’t want you to reject me.”

“You love me?” you can’t seem to wrap your head around the fact that he feels the same.

“Bloody Hell (Y/N), how many times to I have to say it? I love y-” he’s cut off by your lips desperately colliding with his.

“I love you too,” you sigh, resting your forehead on Ron’s. “George only asked me to make you jealous.”

“I’m going to beat him with his bludger,” Ron steps back ready to go fight his brother.

“You can do that later, how about we go back to the Ball so I can dance with my boyfriend,” you lace your fingers with his and pull him back towards the Great Hall. Ron has a dopey smile on his face the whole way down, you called him your boyfriend. 

[lovezbrownies]

Birthday happenings. (Yandere Assistant x GN!Reader.)

Masterlist

Synopsis: Your mother, the Queen, never cared for your birthday. But someone else does. And they use it to their advantage. Also my belated birthday post :3

Siolis Ludenhart x GN!Reader.

You are the Queen’s only legitimate offspring. The only legitimate heir to the throne. Your mother is the honorable Queen Nia, who wanted nothing to do with you when you were born, neglecting your every need. Never had she attempted to engage in a conversation with you willingly. Queen Nia hated her mortality, and you were the biggest proof of it. She grows old and you just keep growing. The young heir has to replace the old hag of a queen eventually, and Nia hates the very thought. Your mother only ever held you once, during your birth. Nia then shoved you to the nanny she hired to essentially become your new mother.

None of your birthdays was celebrated by your mother, by the servants of the palace sure, but never Nia. She would always plan elaborate big parties in honor of her birthday, they’ve essentially become tradition at this point but you… Well, you got the scraps, you always got a small cake from the palace kitchen, a few tiny gifts from the servants, and a small party without anyone of your age, only your nanny and some of the palace staff. 

Today was terribly dull, everyone’s busy getting the palace ready for some diplomat meeting, who cares really? You were trapped in your room to ‘not get in the way’ as your mother said. You tried everything for entertainment, books, hobbies, and devices, it all was boring. You never really believed in the gods but still begged for a chance to do something fun. Just as you finish pleading to the skies you hear a knock from the door. Probably lunch, that was late. 

Standing up from your bed you let out a groan, opening the door you’re met with the very person you were most excited to see. Siolis. Ever since they’ve started working for your mother they plan something extravagant for you to experience. The first year of this was your 20th, you didn’t know each other well yet but they still did something, they had gotten you a big birthday cake and a jewelry box with the most gorgeous set of jewelry with gems and all. When you asked them how they could afford something like that and why they would do that for someone they barely knew, they said, “Don’t worry your little head about it.”

You smiled widely, “Sio! Oh! what do we have on the schedule today? We have to be quick or else we’ll miss my curfew.” This time Siolis looked more relaxed, they, for once, had a smile on their face. Siolis wore a poofy button-down shirt and high-waisted black pants that hugged their slim waist perfectly, something casual for them. Sio’s smile is beautiful, even if it’s soft and barely there, you can see the softness in their eyes, the care they hold for you is clear in their expression.

Siolis stepped forward, pushing you back into your room gently by the shoulders, they closed the door behind them. “Shh, keep quiet for me, okay? We’re not going to come back by the curfew. No one knows I’m here. I took the day off.” You scrunch your eyebrows in confusion, Siolis doesn’t take days off. Probably because no one knows what to do without Siolis there to help them.

Siolis grabbed your arm, leading you to the balcony connected to your room, “What? Why? Are we not doing something today?” You throw questions to Siolis as the wind gusts at the both of you. Siolis smirked slyly as they leaned against the balcony railing. “Do you trust me, dear?” That dear was new! You flushed, with Siolis’ beauty and soft clear voice and that little nickname you almost fainted.

You hugged yourself, the windy current making you shiver. Siolis stared at you as you nodded yes, well of course you’d trust them. Siolis made sure you would, Sio made sure you fell in love with them in general, and by how flustered you looked it worked. “Then come here, hug me.” They announced, their arms wide open waiting for someone to inhibit them. Slight shock aside, you hugged them nonetheless, maybe they’re going through something and need your support!

You were wrong, the moment you stepped into their arms you felt dizzy and nauseous. It felt like your body was moving at unimaginable speeds, it felt like your brain was far behind your physical body, trying to catch up. And then it all stops, all the overwhelming movement ends, you’re still dizzy and your legs feel incredibly weak. A hand rubbed your back affectionately, while the other held you, hand tight around your midsection.

“I’m sorry, my dear, that was so sudden now, wasn’t it? How adorable you are.” The voice that spoke to you was so enchanting, you felt yourself calm down, the panic subsiding and making way for the feeling of serenity. You hadn’t felt so at peace in so long, it was like you were born again. 

Siolis kept you up, as they leaned against the alleyway’s dirty wall, petting you and calling you affectionate names. They can see that probing your mind and making you feel calmer is helping you recover from their magic's travel speed. Siolis always appreciated their magic, but now they thank whatever god who blessed them with said magic as they watch you subsequently drool all over them from the lack of cognitive control.

Eventually, they let go of their grasp on your brain, making sure you feel completely fine before doing so. You blink once, twice, thrice, looking around you were… in an alleyway? And you were leaning on something sturdy. Looking up, you saw a smug Siolis, smirking down at you with their arms around your waist. You pushed away from them, and they let you out of their grasp. For now.

You begin to panic,  “W-Where are we? Ho-how did we get here?” Questions frantically run out of your mouth, it was cute. Your panic and fear. Letting out a breath of contentment Siolis walked closer to you, grabbing your arms they looked at you in the eyes, their purple eyes looked so calm, “We are at a carnival. We got here using my magic. And this is going to be your birthday celebration.” Siolis put on a big smile before letting you go and holding their hand out, ready to guide you to wherever they’re going.

Just then a strange feeling of tranquility washed over you. Why worry? Why panic? Siolis is there to help you through it all after all, they’re your closest friend. You smiled, taking their hand in yours. Their hands were so nice and warm, you shuffled closer to them on instinct. Siolis smiled down at you, before leading you out of the alley and into the busy carnival. “Now let’s get going, today’s going to be a very long day with many activities.”

Siolis loves you. They’ve been in love with the enigma that is you since the first birthday they’ve spent with you. The way your eyes twinkle under the sun, your smile that shines stronger than stars, the very fact you take your royal responsibilities seriously is what had them. Since then, they’ve been planting seeds of doubt. Why stay in the palace if your mother hates you? Why stay when you yearn strongly for the outside world? Why stay when you can be with them.

They subtly mention the idea of moving out every now and then as you two celebrate your 22nd together. Siolis would mention how this day felt so freeing, how nice it was to leave that blasted palace, if you ever move out how this could be your average day-to-day, and you’d space off after those comments, contemplating everything they’ve said. Siolis is sure you’d accept their offer, they know your every thought after all.

Tonight was spectacular. Possibly the best birthday you’ve had ever! You spent most of the day playing the games available at the carnival, ate tons of food that’s probably bad for you, and bought a lot of little cute trinkets and accessories, it really was amazing for you! “Oh let’s go play that one! I want the panda plushie!” You exclaim, pointing at another challenge type of game. Siolis chuckled, their home is probably full of stuffed animals that the two of you won and Siolis immediately teleported back home. “Whoever wins first chooses the next thing we eat.” Sio challenged, “Oh we’ll see, sucka!” You retort.

Meanwhile, the royal palace is in disarray. Everyone panics as they look for the Queen’s only child, who is at the time deemed missing and possibly kidnapped, in fact there wasn’t a single trace of your existence. A bunch of your portraits had gone up in flames one random hour which caused the search for the heir to begin with. The public don’t know what you look like, and the people who do are very few inbetween. It was like you never existed.

 The queen didn’t seem very affected by the news. You were always a nuisance to her,  always searching for her, vying for her attention, blabbing day in and day out whenever she was free. But still, she needed to find you, or else she’d have to get another heir. Though she can;t get this horrible feeling out of her chest. A feeling of remorse and guilt, something she was never familiar with. Nia’s heart felt heavy as she looked out to the carnival going on outside, little did she know.

As the day turned into night, and the carnival started closing down, you and Siolis were perched on a bench outside of the carnival. You were concentrating on eating the ice cream Siolis bought as quickly as possible to get home before anyone noticed your disappearance. Siolis couldn’t help but admire you, so attractive even in the dark of night, but they couldn’t admire you for too long as a pair of uniformed officers approached the two of you.

Ah, Siolis knows these two, they’re always together during shifts and hang around the Queen. Looks like they finally realized you weren’t home all along. They saw you tense upon seeing them, grasping your hand in theirs they gave you a look of reassurance. Siolis bowed their head slightly while they bowed deeply when the two realized it was the Chief Assistant Siolis. “Good evening, Chief Assistant,” Siolis nodded in greeting. “There is a situation in the palace, the he-” And just then a yelp escapes you, followed by many groans of pain.

Just as the officer began speaking a loud booming screech erupted within your eardrums, you dropped your beloved ice cream as you clutched at your head. You couldn’t hear a thing, not the grunts and groans you’ve been letting out, not the officers asking if you were okay, and not Siolis telling them to leave the two of you alone so they can help you. And then, it all stopped. The ringing, the pain. All of it just randomly stopped.

You cracked your eyes open, looking up at the concerned Sio hovering above you, “-ou okay?!” Oh thank god you can still hear, you look around, and the officers are nowhere to be seen, “I- I don’t know? It stopped so suddenly I-I don’t know what that was… I’m sorry, did I make you worry?” Siolis put up a soft smile, “Should get you to a doctor tomorrow, hm?” 

What you didn’t know was that the agonizing pain was Siolis’ doing. They knew that the palace was a mess looking for the missing heir, so when Siolis saw the officers moving towards you two they had slightly changed the way you look to the officer’s eyes. No one knows that the heir they’re looking so desperately for is right under their nose, and it pleases Siolis. They didn’t want you to hear what the officers were saying but it looked like Siolis had done a bit much than what was needed. 

A sigh left the person standing in front of you. Looking up you saw the slightest frown on Siolis’ pretty face, what an unnatural sight. You almost have the urge to start acting like a circus clown just to cheer them up. Even after the sudden pain you just went through you cared for them. How they could just eat you up. “Something wrong, Sio?” You ask, unaware of what they’ll do. Unaware how deeply infatuated Siolis is with you

They looked so upset, it was so unlike Siolis to show any emotion at all so seeing them so upset was surprising. But it was all a ploy, to play with your emotions,To manipulate you… “I just… I don’t want this day to end so fast. I was thinking of how to prolong this day even more and… Well, I thought this foolish idea of inviting you over to my house. Like a sleepover, we can talk to one another, play games, and watch shows until dusk if we so desired. But then I realized how idiotic it would be and that of course you’d…deny me.” Siolis’ eyes full of sorrow, obviously hurt by the very thought.

You were stunned by how forward they were, and most of all, stunned that they never noticed you blushing and almost drooling at the mouth whenever they’d shamelessly flirt with you. Reject them? How ridiculous. “No! That’s a great idea! I would love to Siolis!” Hook, line, and sinker. Siolis got you, “But what about my mother? Won’t she be upset?” Siolis’ frown quickly formed into a sly grin. 

“I’m sure she won’t notice, darling.”

[manicpixiefelix]

seen and not heard

{ One-Shot for head, heart, hand. }

Summary: You are the weirdest person at this fancy event Felix's parents dragged him along to, and the only person his age apart from his sister. Turns out you're intriguing enough that he doesn't protest when his parents suggest you join them for a Summer at Saltburn.

Need to Know: They/Them. Explicitly NB Reader. I know the reader comes out as NB and changes their name to Y/N in high school in the main fic but suspend your disbelief.

A/N: 2211 words. FLASHBACK!! anon asked for a flashback to a core memory for young felix & reader, so here is their first meeting that ends with a core memory for felix. i love them both, id like to write more of them being young together in future. (also i was a little drunk while writing this, please forgive me xx)

TAGLIST IN COMMENTS!! // TAGLIST ALWAYS OPEN ! (just message or comment to be added)

----

Summer slips by from one sticky-hot moment to the next at the Saltburn estate. Felix still isn't quite sure what to make of you, even as he'd so callously agreed to have you in his home after meeting you at one of his parents' various functions. It had been one of the rare ones he'd been invited to attend, alongside Venetia, tasked with being on his best behaviour.

The hosts were friends with his parents - they always were - and he'd found himself on a boat. Early in the afternoon he'd found himself aware of your gaze on him and his sister, the two of them pinching canapes from passing waiters. Venetia had been trying to put as many as she could into her mother's purse without Elspeth noticing, but all Felix could do was eat them as quickly as he could, bored out of his mind from smiling as his parents showed him off.

Our beautiful boy, Felix, they'd said when people politely asked who he was, and our daughter Venetia is around here somewhere.

No-one came near you, by the railing, people watching and occasionally being brough a glass of orange juice in a fancy cup by various members of staff who would give you pitying looks. There weren't many others around his age; he wasn't even sure why he and Venetia were there at all. Eventually, however, he managed to slip away from his mother.

"How boring, right?" He'd laughed softly, but you'd shrunken back, glancing around, as if unsure whether you were even allowed to respond.

"It's for a good cause, isn't it?" It sounds rehearsed. You look more uncomfortable.

"I guess, I don't know," he shrugged, "why are you here? Your parents bring you along?" You're still avoid his eye contact, looking around at the other guests. You shrug kind of helplessly, before finally looking at him.

"You're Elspeth and Sir James' son; I heard them talking about you," then, as quickly as you'd turned to him, you look away, "I don't know if I'm allowed to talk to you."

"Why can't you talk to me?" He's growing more intrigued by the minute, watching you closely, which only seems to agitate you further. A slow smile spreads across his lips, "who are you?"

You shrug.

"That's not an answer," Felix relaxes further into the conversation now, leaning against the railing of the boat, looking over his shoulder at the waves breaking as it moved through the water in the sunset.

"I'm not anyone really, I'm just here," you try to smile, but it's awkward, it's like you don't quite know how. It's not upset or unhappy, it's just the truth you know it seems. Then, after a moment, your attention seems drawn back to the others. He follows your gaze, and sees his parents speaking to the people who'd been pointed out as the hosts at the start of the party. Something in their gaze is intense, but not unkind. His parents smile at him, and he watches the hosts manage a faint, awkward smile at the pair of your by the edge of the boat. They nod.

Beside him, he actually hears you let out a shaky breath.

"You're Felix Catton," you say so very softly, even though he'd never properly introduced himself, "your sister is Venetia and she's been in the kitchens for the past fifteen minutes; not sure how that's going to work out for her." He turns to you very sharply, sees the way you're watching him with a nervous energy, "I'm Y/N."

You're being very weird.

"I know everyone here. Sorry," you admit finally.

"I don't have to know everyone here," Felix frowns; he should probably leave, be too weirded-out to stick around, but something about you intrigues him beyond what he can say. You shrug, but it's easier this time, as is the half smile you give him.

"You're not me."

A strange creature. A marvel. He spent the next hour pointing out patrons while you rattled off not only their name, but any gossip you somehow knew about them, much to Felix's delight. Sometimes he'd catch you watching him, watching the way he'd smile and laugh at the strange details you'd manage to recall that would make you laugh, and he saw a fondness in your eyes that frightened him with how much he appreciated it.

The two of you spend the better part of the night together, which would be strange if he didn't catch his parents watching approvingly every so often. Venetia had been brought out of the kitchen by a waiter and was kept on a metaphorical tight leash by his parents, so they seemed glad he was just keeping out of trouble.

"How would you feel about Y/N spending some time with us over the Summer?" His mother had brought him the idea at the end of the night in the coach ride back to Saltburn. Venetia is asleep in her lap, curled up awkwardly, while his father sat up front with the driver.

So that's how you ended up at Saltburn that Summer.

You showed up, still a strange creature, still a marvel. You knew all the scripts, never slipping up even as Duncan loomed over you. Please and thank you and dressing up for dinner without having to be asked. Venetia giggled and called you a robot and an alien and Farleigh spent the first few days mocking how formal you were at every given interaction. Always asking, always delicate, always seeking permission.

But Felix sees through the nerves. Or, at least he hopes he does.

"I'm desperate for some ice cream," there's a good chance you're asleep, but he tries his luck, whispering through the shut door on the other side of your shared bathroom.

"Uh..." he hears from the other side.

"Do you want some?" It's late enough that everyone else is asleep, but he's rather desperate to see the side of you that had come out by the end of the event he'd met you at. Of course you're nervous when you open the door, but he smiles, and you smile back, sleepy but more genuine than it had been since you'd arrived.

"Are we allowed?"

"Probably not, but it's my house so who cares," and he grabs your hand and pulls you to the kitchen. Something about the way you laugh despite yourself hits him square in the chest.

In the day time, Elspeth gives you both concerned looks and asks if you slept alright. Every time you make a point of straightening your posture and giving her a bright smile and assuring her you're fine. Felix will yawn and give a thumbs up. The change you show in the day is gradual, it almost takes all Summer.

You learn to play with Farleigh and Venetia and Felix without seeming like a robot; you learn their rules and games and jokes. You watch until you can respond in the way they all want to hear, while still being perfect under the watchful eyes of Sir James and Elspeth. Everyone loves the way you shape yourself to fit into their world.

At night, however, you come alive with Felix.

Of course he already knows Saltburn like the back of his hand, but he's surprised by how quickly you learn to move silently, following his footsteps and stifling your giggling. There's something about him that makes you chatter honestly, rather than trying to say exactly what you think he might want to hear.

"Sorry, sorry," you apologise, the two of you having been cackling at an inappropriate joke Felix had been recounting. The two of you are laying in his bed, top and tails on his duvet, looking up at the ornate ceiling.

"What are you apologising for?" Felix's face hurts from how much he's been smiling. It's been happening pretty much every night now, he can't remember having more fun over Summer in his whole life, he has no idea why you're apologising.

But you grow quiet.

"I dunno," you say softly, and shift your knee to press into his elbow. A strange silence settles over you both, and somehow he knows that's not all of it, that there's more on your mind you don't know how to say, "all of it," you finally say, and try and laugh again but can't quite manage it.

"You're so weird," Felix sighs finally, dramatically, bringing levity back to the moment and sticking his foot in your face as you protest loudly.

"You're so gross!" You cry, glad that you two were the only ones on this side of the house, shoving him away, smacking and kicking just as he was too, until the two of you are scraping. Tonight you win, biting at his shins until he calls for a truce, and you grin in triumph.

This more human side of you bleeds into the daytime. You tease Venetia but help her rope Farleigh and Felix in a fashion show, just so she can tease up their hair and put them in makeup and sequins. You scrap and squabble with Farleigh in the lake but end up laying all over each other during movie nights with the rest of the family.

And Felix? Well it takes little time for the rest of the house to see how close you become.

There's always something fond, something almost proud in his parents' eyes when they see the two of you together now. They host little events over the Summer, and they start introducing you and Felix together.

"Our beautiful boy, Felix, and his darling, little friend Y/N; a friend of the family."

Still, you shrink away at events; you hide if you can get away with it. Felix always finds you, and then he finds Farleigh and Venetia and the four of you will often play cards in one of the quieter rooms you were all still allowed to be in for the duration of the party. At first he doesn't ask, but curiosity gets the better of him eventually.

"Don't like being looked at," you muttered, distracted as you frowned at your hand of cards. Venetia scoffs and Farleigh rolls his eyes.

"I'm not meant to be looked at," is the real answer you give when you and Felix sneak out of your rooms to eat leftovers at three in the morning. Sitting on the kitchen counter, you've got a plate of half-finished hors d'oeuvre between you. You're focused on the food, unable to look at him.

"What's that even mean?"

"Dunno," you shrugged, "just not meant to be looked at."

"I'm looking at you now," Felix leans in, opens his eyes as wide as he's able, and is rewarded by you cracking a smile when you finally glance at him, unable to help yourself.

"Not like that," you shove his face away, rolling your eyes even though you can't stop smiling, "like, there's people who matter at these fancy events that our parents go to, and people who don't matter, like they're people so of course they matter, but they don't matter to the people who matter, you know?"

"Kind of?"

"Like you matter because you're a Catton, but you don't matter because you're ten, but your parents matter-matter. Waiters don't matter one way or the other, which is mean but it's true at stuff like that," its starting to make more sense, but Felix can't help but watch how you're picking apart a cracker almost atom-by-atom as you explain, "and I matter because I- I, um," you stumble over your words, "because I just matter, but again, I'm a kid," you clear your throat awkwardly, "but I'm not really meant to even go to those things, and if I do, I have to really seem like I don't matter, like even less than a waiter; the least matter-ing person to not matter."

Then, finally looking up, you meet his gaze and apologise. There's something almost forlorn in your eyes.

Felix still doesn't know what to make of you in this moment. A strange creature. A marvel. Someone who matters, even if you're not meant to; someone he decides matters to him.

"You're being so weird," he grins finally. You burst out laughing, whole face lighting up, tension leaving you in an instant. It sets him off too, filling the kitchen with joy.

Sure, the two of you should probably be quieter in this moment, in the dead of night, but neither of you can bring yourselves to care.

Felix doesn't realise how this moment, this first Summer sticks with him. It takes him a long time to even bother questioning why it is that you start spending every Summer with them, how you convince your parents to let you join him at boarding school for secondary school after spending all Summer before talking about how cool it would be. In due time you will finally make total sense to him, but by then it won't even matter, it won't change anything about how glad he is to have you by his side.

Felix doesn't think about why or when he decided to make sure you knew that you mattered, but there's a little bit of it in everything he does.

[writing-intheundercroft]

You're Gonna Go Far - O. Gaunt

AO3 Link

Word Count: 10,956

Rating: E (The boys are in a fraternity, Smut, Oral Sex (F receiving), Unprotected Sex, NSFW, MDNI)

Summary: It's the night before graduation, and Ominis Gaunt is moving to New York City next week. There isn't much time left to say all the things that have gone unsaid over the past seven years.

A/N: I'm in the loveliest Ominis server on Discord, and this is dedicated to @grandeoatmilklatte, who inspired frat president Ominis. I hope you enjoy!

You walk up the steps of the splintered porch, taking great care to not slip on the beer a freshman has dropped on the stoop.  Graduation ceremonies start in the morning and the spring chill has broken, giving way to a gorgeous May evening.  It’s just warm enough that you’ve got the slightest glisten on your collarbone from your fast pace walk, abandoning the bar scene for your best mates’ last frat party ever.  

“Very nice,” a voice purrs behind you. “You do always look pretty when you polish up.”

You roll your eyes, swatting at a sweaty Lucan Brattleby as he dodges your aim. “Buzz off, Luc.  Have you seen Sebastian and Ominis?”

“Sebastian is somewhere getting his face sucked off by Cressida,” Lucan chuckles, brushing back his curly mop. “And I haven’t seen Ominis all night, except when he yelled at me for trying to get into his room.”

You raise an eyebrow, resting a hand on your hip as you bounce your heel against the porch.  You swallow away the lump in your throat, hoping Ominis isn’t off getting slobbered on by a girl. Whatever liquid courage you’ve consumed this evening is already wearing thin, and the sight of Ominis with a stranger might shatter you.  

“And why were you trying to get into his room?” You ask, trying to pry.

Lucan shrugs. “Well, the president’s room gets passed down to the next president,” he jerks his thumb back to himself proudly. “And I wanted to measure for my furniture next semester.  I think I could fit a wet bar in there.”

You try to stifle your snort, tossing your hair over your shoulder. “I’m going in to find him,” you announce, stepping through the threshold.  With the door open, the music bleeds out onto the porch.  

It’s so loud, you can feel the bass from the music thumping in your stomach.  Garreth is in the kitchen, peddling some of his tonics; Amit and Andrew are in the living room, scolding some younger students for touching the large telescope situated by the windows. You spot Sebastian leaning against the stair railing, a cup of beer in his hand. You have to wade through a sea of bodies just to reach him.

”It’s about time you showed up,” Sebastian teases, swirling his beer. Your freckled friend has his shirt unbuttoned quite low, and you notice several young ladies shooting jealous glances your way. It's laughable that they'd be envious - Sebastian has never been anything more than a pesky brother to you, growing even closer in the years since Anne's passing.

”I thought you would be getting your face sucked off by Cressida,” you mock Lucan’s words, and Sebastian groans.

“I’ve been trying to escape her all night,” he tilts his head, appraising your outfit. Sebastian can be a touch overprotective when you go out on the town, and you wouldn’t put it past him to say something about how cold you must be in your slip dress.  “Bar night with the girls go well?”

”Imelda had to take Poppy home before she puked in another planter. Think she has a few of Garreth’s brews before we even hit the town.” you laugh as you talk about your roommates, crossing your arms over your chest.  “And if you’re going to criticize my clothes—“

“I think you look beautiful,” Sebastian offers. “Ominis is going to think so too.”

You blush. “Ominis doesn’t care for clothes.”

”Ominis cares for you ,” Sebastian points out, lifting the cup to his lips. “Have you seen him yet?”

You shake your head. “I was going to check his room, but didn’t want to stop him if he was…er, busy .” you wave your hands erratically, hoping Sebastian would get the gist of your implication.

Sebastian snorts, grinning over the edge of the plastic cup. “Definitely not.  Tell you what, head up to his room—I’ll send him up when I see him.”

You swat at him, but head up the stairs to the third floor anyways.  Passing by throngs of students enjoying the last weekend of term, you push your way to the door neatly labeled O. Gaunt, President.

The door seems to know you’re one of Ominis’s welcomed guests, so it unlocks itself for you. Ominis has always been nifty at protective spells, his door clearly charmed to only let in select visitors.  And much to your relief, the room is empty.  

You walk around the room, the door left ajar behind you. Ominis is a simple man, not keeping much more in his room other than a bed, desk, and the textbooks stacked neatly on his dresser.  The suit he’s been planning to wear to graduation is draped across the back of his armchair, but that’s not what catches your eye. What calls your attention the most are the two graduation gowns hanging in the closet–from afar they look identical, but you know better than anyone the implication behind both.

“I thought you were out for girls night.” 

“I couldn’t miss your last party ever, could I?”

You hear Ominis’s familiar breezy laugh. “I’d much rather be at a bar myself right now. It’s an absolute madhouse downstairs. I've been trying to keep it civilized.”

You don’t turn around; instead, you remain standing in Ominis’s closet, dragging a finger over the thick robe, trimmed with black and green velvet.  Ominis had originally planned to wear the same plain polyester school-issued robe as Sebastian, but a large box arrived on the front porch of the house earlier in the week. You, Sebastian, and Garreth lingered in the living room as Ominis carefully unwrapped the parchment paper, revealing a box with a gilded Gladrags logo.  Inside was the luxurious robe, accompanied by a satin stole.  It had the Gaunt family crest embroidered on the chest, the family motto dancing around his neck in metallic silver thread. 

Ex auro purissimo sanguinis. The purest of blood.

It was the first he’d heard from his family in almost six months–the note from Marvolo had stated if Ominis was going to represent the family in an official capacity, he needed to dress the part. Ominis immediately set the offending notecard on fire, the fancy box quickly thrown out their window and into the dumpster below. It was only after you’d gotten back to your flat that Sebastian texted; the box was empty in the trash can, but both the fancy robe and stole were hanging in Ominis’s closet.

“Which one will you wear?” You ask, turning your gaze over your shoulder.  

Ominis smiles, pushing a stray strand of blonde hair from his forehead.  Your devastatingly handsome best friend leans against the doorway, a red cup resting in his hand. Ominis has never been one to dress down–his version of a party outfit is a pair of neat, chino pants, an ironed button down layered over a tee shirt emblazoned with his fraternity letters. He fiddles with the handle of his wand in the other, the tip glowing a soft hazy red as he made sense of your placement in the bedroom.

“I think you know,” Ominis muses, swiftly moving from the doorway to his bed. “Wasn’t nearly as difficult of a decision to make as I thought.  The boys are my family now. Have been for a while.”

He sits atop the rickety full-sized bed, the springs of his mattress creaking beneath his weight.  You nearly laugh; Ominis is so tall, he looks comical perched on the misshapen bedframe. He’s never been good at transfiguration, but he’s too stubborn to let anyone else help him with his furniture.  Despite the odd furnishings, the rest of Ominis’s bedroom is neat and tidy.  His striped sheets are pristine, the duvet folded at the edge of the bed. It’s a far cry from Sebastian’s room, which is littered with papers and broken quills, or the room that Andrew and Garreth share at the end of the hall.  The two have nearly come to blows several times in the last semester over who would take the trash out.

“You still haven’t packed,” you hum, moving away from the closet and back over to his desk.  He hasn’t returned his books to the library yet, his magical ethics and muggle studies textbooks are still cracked open from finals. 

“I’ll get around to it,” Ominis shrugs.

“Lucan’s been bothering me about you packing,” you perch yourself on his desk chair. “Something about him wanting to get in and measure, so he can plan his furniture layout.  Said he wants to put a bar in the room.”

Ominis rolls his milky blue eyes, lifting the red cup to his lips. “Lucan isn’t president yet,” he reminds you. “I’m not sure when I’ll fully move out of the house. And he cannot build a wet bar in the bedroom, that’s unsanitary.”

You snort, spinning around slowly in the chair. “It’s nearly two o’clock. You’ll have bags under those pretty eyes of yours if you don’t get to bed soon.  Should I kick everyone out?”

Ominis laughs, setting the cup on the floor as he leans back in bed. “Let them have their fun,” he says fondly. “Sebastian needs one last party before he starts his rotations at St. Mungo’s.  Besides, I bet Garreth is making a fortune off his potions tonight.  Might as well clear out his entire stock on graduation parties. ”

You smile faintly as the music from downstairs bleeds up into the bedroom.  As far as fraternity houses go, there are certainly more posh ones on campus.  Ominis had been a legacy of the richest fraternity at school, one mostly of fellow purebloods and former Slytherins.  They’d spent the whole of first term trying to recruit him, baiting him with lavish dinners, free entrance to the clubs, and all the illicit beverages and substances one might desire.  But that wasn’t Ominis–unknowingly, they drove him even further into the opposite direction.  You can still remember bid day, and the shock on everyone’s faces when Ominis turned down their bid to join a humble off campus house with Sebastian. His family had been furious, specifically Marvolo–you can still remember the shouting match the brothers had gotten into, Marvolo slamming the dorm room shut after tearing Ominis to shreds.

Whilst most of the student body had expected Ominis to fade into obscurity after his controversial choice, quite the opposite happened.  Ominis truly flourished without the influence of his family, instead patching together a group of unexpected brothers. He surprised everyone when he became president his second year of uni, bringing some order to the rowdy gang of brothers with his natural born leadership skills.  What felt like a mishmash of random Hogwarts alumni suddenly became a little family, held together with Ominis as the glue.  

All in all, the shy, skinny Slytherin you once knew has really come into his own. 

“Knut for your thoughts?” Ominis asks, breaking you out of your reverie.

“Nothing,” you shrug, fixing the strap of your dress as you spin around once more. “It’s just weird, that’s all.”

“What’s weird?” Ominis asks softly, playing with his wand.  The tip has stopped glowing; he’s comfortable enough around you to not need his guide.

“That tomorrow, you graduate.” you utter. “And then, you’re gone.”

“Ah,” Ominis bites his bottom lip. “ That .”

It’s a subject the two of you have been avoiding for a while.  Ominis had spent the last few summers interning for the Wizengamot, fully expecting to work for them after graduating with his law degree.  Again, to everyone’s shock, Ominis had announced his intentions to apply for a position in the foreign office, working for MACUSA. You can still recall the doubt on Ominis’s face, brows furrowed as you and Sebastian helped him fill out his application before the deadline.  It had taken nearly an entire night, Sebastian snoring in an armchair while you sent the application off with an owl in the dark sky.

“We don’t even know if I’ll get it,” Ominis had said.

“You’re going to get it,” you assured him.  There was never a doubt in your mind.

Ominis received news of his placement with MACUSA at the end of fall term.  He was offered his first choice, a position in the foreign relations office, his first day of work being June 1st.  The celebration had lasted an entire week, until Garreth finally ran out of fizzing whizzbeer. The night was especially memorable, considering Ominis had also broken up with Nerida in the middle of the party.  He was unphased by both her screams and the beer that had flown in his face, Andrew and Garreth having to drag her out of the house. When asked about it the next morning, he’d merely shrugged it off. They hadn’t been dating longer than a month , Ominis pointed out.  Besides, he would be off to America soon enough.  Best to leave without baggage.

That thought sank in your stomach like a hot ball of lead.

“We really should start packing,” you remind him. “Unless you plan on arriving in New York with just a suitcase.”

“Maybe I’m thinking of not going,” Ominis mumbles. He leans back on the bed, unseeing eyes blinking up at the ceiling as he fumbles with his hand. “I know it looks bad on my part to decline a job this late, but–”

“Excuse me,” You gasp. “No buts, Ominis Gaunt.  You’re going to New York.”

“But what if they need me?” Ominis blurts. “Sebastian will be in London on his own, and you know he hates being alone now that Anne is gone.  And Lucan is still a little shit, he may need more experience before he’s ready to be president.  I worry he’ll bring his little dueling betting ring into the house, and I won’t stand to see the boys gambling their lives away.”

“Ominis,” you warn him. “You’re going.”

“And what about you?” Ominis asks softly. “You still have a year left here, I hate the thought of you being here by yourself.”

You pull yourself closer to the bed, the wheels of his desk chair squeaking on the floor.  “I’m going to be okay, Ominis.” You promise him. “You know, if you’re this anxious about it, we should probably get you a better cell phone.  I know how you feel about those muggle devices, but Sebastian and I really do find them useful. Not that owls aren’t efficient, but a transatlantic journey would take them quite a bit–”

Ominis’s hand is on yours, the sensation knocking the wind of your chest.

“You’ll be fine,” he murmurs. “It’s me I’m worried about.”

You stare at him, thankful he can’t see your gaze.  

Ominis has been your best friend for years now.  You can still remember him yelling at you the first time you left the Undercroft, his ire quickly fading away as soon as Sebastian forced the two of you into close proximity.  You’d shared more in common than you thought–a love for pranks, warm naps in the hallways, and an oddly similar affinity for banoffee pie. It wasn’t long before the three of you had become a package deal, hardly ever seen without the others.  It only made sense the three of you would go off to uni together after Hogwarts, you becoming somewhat of a house mother to Ominis, Sebastian, and the rest of the boys.

With that, you’d also spent the last four years of university watching Ominis date other girls.  There had never been anyone too serious, most of them being old acquaintances from Hogwarts, or pretty girls who’d stumbled into their parties.  They usually only lasted for weeks at a time, Ominis claiming he was far too busy taking care of his own brothers to handle a girlfriend as well. Usually in the end, the ladies would come sobbing at your doorstep, all wondering why they couldn’t get Ominis Gaunt to commit. 

At the same time, you’d had your fair share of fun and trouble at university–bad boyfriends, a few failed classes, all distracting you from your independent study on ancient magic. Enough so, you needed an extra two semesters under your belt to catch up on your dissertation.

“Are you scared?” you ask, voice soft. 

“Maybe,” Ominis admits, and it’s the first time in a very long time you’ve heard him express doubts. “The idea of being alone in New York is scary.  I’ve had you and Sebastian by my side for the last seven years, and I won’t know anyone.”

“You’re going to be great, Om.” you remind him. “You’re going to make a name for yourself in New York.  What would make you think otherwise?”

Ominis is chewing on his lower lip, thumb running over the back of your hand. “Marvolo called the this morning,” he admits, pointing to the little brick of a phone you and Sebastian had bullied him into buying. “It wasn’t good.”

“Oh, Om.” You sigh, pulling yourself closer. From this distance, you can smell the cool musk of his cologne, one of the little luxuries he maintains for himself. “What happened?”

Ominis hangs his head low, shaking out his dirty blond hair.  He normally has it gelled back, tidily done, but it seems a bit messy and disheveled. Out of character for your best mate.

“Said I was an embarrassment to the family,” Ominis mumbles. “That I should’ve taken the opportunity to work at Mulciber’s firm, and that Mother and Father are astounded I’d work for the government, let alone the Americans .” he says dramatically. 

“Your brother is an arse as usual,” you say defiantly. “And he has no idea how hard you’ve worked for this. Ominis, you’re the greatest treasure your family has ever lost, and I look forward to watching you prove them wrong.”

Ominis offers a small smile. “See?  What am I going to do without you as a voice of reason?”

Affection is nothing new for you.  The minute Sebastian and Ominis began bringing you around their brothers, it was made blatantly obvious that you were off limits.  Sebastian had threatened everyone, reminding them that you were practically their sister, and anyone who tried to make a pass at you would be dealt with swiftly. The first time one of the older boys had tried to kiss you, Ominis challenged him to a duel on the spot.  Within seconds, Ominis’s opponent was arse down on the floor, your best friend wrapping an arm around your shoulder to see if you were okay.

Nights spent in the library, sitting shoulder to shoulder as you studied.  Movie nights at the house, your legs tangled on the couch while Sebastian complained about sitting on the floor.  The two of you dancing around the kitchen, cooking up dinner while Lucan and Garreth played exploding snap at the table.  You can feel the thick lump forming in your throat as you try to imagine the next year without him.

“Remember what I said,” you swallow away your sadness. “If you want to go far–”

“You’ve got to go far.” Ominis repeats. “I know, you’re the one who told me to apply.”

You place your hand on his cheek, which is still rosy from the beer he’d been drinking. “You’re going to go to New York, Ominis.  And if you want to come home, we’ll be here.  Sebastian and me, we’ll be here.”

Ominis holds your hand to his cheek, blinking up at you through his thick lashes.  Something about the moment is far too intimate–you know you should leave, go back to the party downstairs.  There’s music still playing in the distance, your friends are still dancing, yet you’re here, alone with Ominis in his room.

“Can I ask you a question?” Ominis asks.

“Ask away,” you whisper.

You can see the way he moves his hand, dropping his wand onto the nightstand next to his bed.  His right hand is still on top of yours, keeping it glued to his warm cheek.  The other hand hooks behind your knee, fingers dancing over the soft skin.  He’s taller than you, and his knees slot between yours, legs knocking into each other.

“Have you ever–” he clears his throat, eyes fluttering as he tries to verbalize his thoughts. “Have you ever thought about us?”

“What about us?” You ask dumbly. 

To your despair, Ominis pulls away. He hastily tugs his hands from your body, pushing the desk chair to put distance between the two of you.  It’s faster than you could’ve imagined; your brain is still processing his question while he’s already got his wand in hand, hastily making a way towards the door.

“Ominis, stop!” You demand.

“It’s dumb,” He ignores your words, wand lit red as he stomps across the room. “It was just a thought–”

“Ominis,” you repeat, standing up.  

“We should go back out to the party–”

“I have,” you choke out.  “I have thought about us.”

Ominis has his head pressed against the cheap pine door.  One hand is on the door knob, the other fondling his wand.  You can sense his trepidation as he slowly stows his wand in his back pocket, turning to face you once more.

“You have?” he croaks.

“I have,” you parrot back the words to him. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Ominis demands. 

“Because,” you’re shaking now. “Because if I told you, you wouldn’t have applied.  And we’re best friends, Ominis, who knows what we’d be getting ourselves into.” the words tumble out of your mouth. 

The idea of life with Ominis had never crossed your mind–not until Poppy had proposed it earlier in the school year, pointing out how he doted on you.  The first to offer you a drink, always free to walk you home at the end of the night.  If you were going through a breakup, Ominis would drop everything to be at your doorstep, a bottle of wine and takeaway in hand.  He’s sat on your couch listening you rant about horrible dates at least a hundred times now.

He’s perfect for you, Poppy had said.

But he’s my best friend, you’d argued back.  

It was only after that conversation that you’d began to see Ominis differently.  The way his eyelashes fluttered when you brushed hair out of his face, or the way a warm blush would creep on his cheeks whenever your skin touched his.  On more than one occasion you found yourself biting the inside of your cheek whenever his shirt roved above his waist. Worst of all, you couldn’t help the bile that would rise in your throat whenever you saw him chatting with another girl, the acrid taste coating your tongue.

Ominis is perfect, every inch of him being boyfriend material. There’s no mistaking that. Your fear lies in the fact that Ominis is your closest confidant, one of your best friends.  While painful, it almost seems easier to hang in the balance of not getting to love him rather than losing him.

“What would we do if we realized we were no good for each other?” you blurt. “You’re my best friend, Om.  I wouldn’t be able to bear it.”

“Bear what?” Ominis muses.

Oh, it’s cruel the way he looks so handsome.  His lips are curved in somehow both a smile and a grimace, dancing around the inevitable question.  

“Don’t make me say it,” you feel weak already. 

“Please,” Ominis asks, voice teetering on the edge of politeness and desire. “Say it, please.”

“I wouldn’t be able to bear it if we didn’t work out,” you confess. “Because it’s you, Ominis.  I love you.”

You’ve told each other you love one another plenty.  The first was at the end of fifth year, when the three of you were departing for separate summer holidays.  Again, when you graduated and you cried about how much you were going to miss Hogwarts.  Both of you with Sebastian, at Anne’s funeral the summer after freshman year.  Throughout all of university, through texts, phone calls, kisses on the cheek before you leave the bar at the end of the night.  

Hiya, love you.  Love you, get home safe.  You’re annoying, but love you.

This time, it’s different.  It’s no longer a statement, it’s a confession.

“You love me.” Ominis says slowly.

“Ah, fuck.” you swear, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. “This is so not how I thought tonight would go.”

“If you love me,” Ominis asks, voice shaky. “Why did you tell me to apply for the MACUSA job?”

“Because it’s what you want,” you whisper. “And you’re going to be so, so good at it, Ominis. It’s a fresh start where no one will care who your family is, and that’s what you need.”

“Even if it means I’m going to live far away?” he asks, cheeks reddening. 

Your fingers curl into your palms, nails pricking skin. “You always talked about getting away from your family.  It sounded like the best option for you–you’d get to do something you truly love, something you’re good at.  You’re going to help people, and you’re going to be more than a Gaunt.  It’s the best thing for you, Ominis.”

“But what if I wanted you?” Ominis asks, voice strained. “What if I wanted to stay?”

“I wouldn’t want that.” You admit. “If you’re going to stay, it has to be for more than me. Not that I think you’d stay for me, specifically–I mean, I’m sure Sebastian would love for you to stay home too, and Garreth would miss you–”

Ominis pauses for a moment, his mouth opening and snapping shut as he thinks.  Part of you is curious at what he might say, the other is so embarrassed you’re ready to chuck yourself out the window of his third floor bedroom.  You might land in the rose bushes, which will undoubtedly hurt, but a broken bone will hurt certainly less than rejection from your best friend.

“Say something, for the love of Merlin–”

He doesn’t.

Instead, Ominis launches himself off the door, closing the distance between you in four quick strides.  The desk chair is practically thrown out of the way, tipping onto its side as Ominis slinks a hand around your waist.  You can feel his breath on your cheek, head tipped against yours as he presses your back against his misshapen desk.

“Ominis!” you shriek, watching him swipe everything off his desk and onto the floor.  His heavy books clatter against the hardwood floor, landing with a loud thud.  He wastes no time lifting you onto his desk, tugging your legs closer to the edge as he slots himself between them.

“Tell me,” Ominis pants, his forehead pressed against yours. “Tell me you’ve thought about this before.”

You groan as his mouth descends upon yours. Your hands are tangled in his thick hair, his fingertips pressing into your waist as he kisses you with a bruising force. 

“I have,” you moan into his mouth. 

Ominis moans in return; it’s a sound you’ve been trying to imagine for the last six months, and it sounds so much better in real life.  Your hands slip under the edge of his well worn t-shirt, feeling the warm skin underneath. Ominis has always been long and lithe, and his toned muscle feels just as good as you’ve thought it would. Feeling your nails scratching his skin, Ominis pulls away to mark kisses up and down your throat.

You surge forward, hips trying to close the little distance between your center and Ominis’s body. You can feel his clothed erection throbbing against your thigh, his head tilted back up to kiss your lips. A large palm settles on your breast, tentatively swiping over a clothed nipple.  At your gasp, Ominis pauses; he leans his forehead against yours, breathing heavily as you both register the current state of events.

“That was our first kiss,” Ominis groans. “And I acted like a complete boor.”

You snort. “Took you about two minutes before you had your tongue in my mouth and a hand on my chest.  Not one for subtlety, are you?”

Ominis snorts too, leaning his forehead against your shoulder as he rests his hands on the desk behind you. “To be fair, I’ve been thinking about your breasts for the last six years.  Didn’t want to waste any precious time I have left with them.”

It’s funny and romantic, and also heartbreaking.  If you think about Ominis leaving, you may burst into tears.

“Hey,” Ominis whispers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to kill the mood–”

You press your mouth against his; he’s unprepared, so your teeth gnash together.  Ominis quickly adjusts, letting you dominate the kiss.

“Let’s just focus on right now,” you plead. “We can talk about New York after—but not now.”

Ominis pulls away slightly, a small smile growing on his lips.  He’s blinking rapidly, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

“What?” you demand, running a hand through your hair.

“Just happy that it’s us, finally.” Ominis admits. “You and me.”

His little smile is everything, you think.  And while you love the sweet expression, you want to see the faces Ominis makes under more amorous circumstances.

“Ominis,” you coo gently, taking his hand and placing it on your chest. He’s fully red in the face, mouth agape as you guide him at palming your breast. He gets the message, taking control as your hands rest on his shoulders.

“I’ve never told you, but I love it when you wear these dresses,” Ominis muses, his free hand trailing up your thigh. “They’re soft, just like you.”

Your breath catches as his hand snakes upwards, squeezing your bottom. The edge of your short dress is rucked up to your waist as Ominis feels the lace, hovering dangerously close to your center. It’s so intimate, a lengthy departure from your normally buttoned up, proper friend who hates kisses on the cheek. Your head tilts back, a moan on the tip of your tongue as the hand once squeezing your behind starts tracing the edge of your thong.

“No fair,” you wheeze, tugging on his shirtsleeves. “If I’m arse out, you’ve got to take some clothes off too.”

Ominis lets out a loud laugh as he removes his hands from you, letting the button down fall to the floor.  Your hands pull at his t-shirt, helping him take it off.  The second the letters fall on the floor, your hands fly up to his chest, roving over the pale planes.  

“You’re vulgar, too.” Ominis chuckles. “One of the many things I admire about you.”

“Oh yeah?” You ask, lacing your fingers with his.  Your nose bumps into his chin, helping him make sense of your position.  He tilts his face down, hot breath fanning your cheeks. “Soft and vulgar, two very different words you’re using to describe me.”

“At first it irked me,” Ominis confesses. “When we first met.  But after I got to know you, I realized you’re just loud because you’re having fun. And life didn’t need to be so stuffy.”

“That’s sweet,” you admit. 

“You make everything better,” Ominis says, lips hovering closer towards yours again.  “You always have.”

“I’d say the same about you.” you whisper, lips brushing against his in a chaste kiss. 

Ominis has no more restraint left in him.  He surges forward, hands cradling your cheeks as he kisses you.  You’ve never seen him kiss anyone like this before–Ominis is always polite and tender with his conquests.  This Ominis is pure hunger, making up for lost time. 

You drag your nails up and down his back as he kisses you breathless, only stopping when he pulls away.

“Are you okay with this?” He asks, voice tinged with desperation. “Because there’s no going back.”

There’s no mistaking what this is–you’re crossing the boundary with your best friend, making love while you still have time to do so. If it were any other occasion, you might blame the alcohol going to your head, but no decision has ever felt more sane.

It’s Ominis.

“Yes. I want this,” you utter, and that’s that.

Ominis tugs you away from the desk, fingers slipping under the thin straps of your dress to pull it down.  The slinky fabric pools at your ankles while his hands rove over your body. His fingertips dragging over every curve, while you work the buttons of his pants.  He spins you quickly, pushing you onto his rickety bed as he steps out of his pants.

“I hate your bed,” you groan, bouncing on the springy mattress. “You should’ve let me help you with the spells.”

Ominis lets out a breathy laugh as he hops towards you, kicking away a pant leg. “It’s fine .  I don’t understand why you’re complaining, it’s a bed.”

It’s your turn to snort, chuckling as Ominis feels around the bedspread for you. You tuck your knees up to your chin, darting away from his touch.  You can tell just how frustrated he is, blonde hair falling in his eyes, patting around the bed.

“I want to feel you,” he complains, sinking into the mattress across from you. “I want to take my time with you tonight.”

“Then feel away,” you breathe, letting him catch hold of your ankle. 

Ominis licks his lips, eyes fluttering as he presses a searing hot kiss to your ankle.  The kisses start trailing up your leg, stopping intentionally every few seconds.  His teeth graze the inside of your knee, and the whimper that comes out of your mouth is downright embarrassing.

“Now I want to taste you,” Ominis murmurs, hooking your legs over his shoulder. Before you can respond, his teeth are dragging against the flimsy fabric of your thong. One hand pulls it aside, the other bracing your hip. Without warning, the blond takes a long, deliberate lick. With your taste on his tongue, Ominis loses his self control and tears away the scrap of fabric, tugging it off your body and tossing it.

“Ominis!” You shriek, head tilting back to his pillows.

You can tell he’s smiling from the way his cheeks lift, eyes squeezing shut as he presses a kiss to your clit.  His pace is maddening, lazily lapping as he pins your hips down.  Ominis shakes his head, his tongue finally circling against your clit again once you’ve whined enough.

“You taste so good,” he groans. 

“Just like you’ve imagined?” You utter between the sharp gasps he’s eliciting from you.

Ominis doesn’t respond, instead sucking hard on your clit to express his answer.  He’s clearly turned on by your gasps and the sound of your wet cunt, the auditory stimulation driving him to grind his hips against the squeaking mattress.  At this rate, his fingertips may leave bruises in the crease of your thighs. Never did you ever imagine Ominis Gaunt’s head between your legs, but now you really can’t imagine going the rest of your life without his mouth on you.

“Ominis, please,” you strain, reaching out to grasp his hair.  The sharp tug has him growling against your skin, still relentless in his slow, thoughtful method. His tongue darts into your cunt at an excruciating tempo.

“I told you,” he hums, sinking teeth in your thigh as he gives you a momentary reprieve. “I’m going to take my time with you. And if that means I’m here, all night–then so be it.”

In your daze, you hardly notice the fact that he’s now slipped his fingers inside of you, slowly pumping them as he kisses your clit again. With every stroke you feel the band tightening in your stomach, the overwhelming urge to snap coming any moment.  You paw at his head, anything to express how close you are, but he relents with his pace. When his fingers curl inside of you, you slam your head back against the pillows again, a ragged cry tumbling off your lips as you come.

Ominis pulls away, your slick glistening his chin as he gives you a smug smile.  Your heart is hammering in your chest at the sight of him, cheeks red and panting from giving you the most glorious head you’ve ever received to date.

“Did I do well?” He asks, almost a bit shy.

You try to get up, but your quivering legs fail you. “You’ve rendered me boneless,” you laugh, pressing a hand against your chest.

Ominis pulls himself up over you, pressing a soft kiss to your lips. You can still taste yourself on his mouth, flooding your head with filthy ideas. 

“Your turn,” You murmur, mustering the strength to pull yourself up. You push Ominis over, and he falls against the bed.  Somehow, your bodies know just how to move around each other–there is no awkward fumbling.  When you’ve known someone for years, spent half your school years cuddled up together in naps, you just know how to maneuver around one another. 

Ominis sits against the headboard, the pillows propped behind his back.  When he feels your hands touch the waistband of his boxers, he instinctively lifts his hips, letting you drag them down his legs.  His aching length springs free, slapping against his stomach as you crawl towards his lap.

“How does this feel?” You ask, adjusting your legs to straddle him.  You know he can feel how wet you are, dripping against his cock.  While your hands rest against his shoulders, Ominis’s arms wrap against your waist, all but pulling you down to grind against him. Waiting for his answer, your eyes scan every inch of his face to commit each beauty mark to memory.

Ominis presses a quick kiss to your nose, eyelashes fluttering in the way you love. “You feel so warm.” He groans, his cock twitching against you. The feeling of him against you sparks a familiar ache between your legs.  His jaw hardens when you slip your hand between your bodies, gripping him to guide his blunt head to your center.

“I love you,” Ominis chokes out as you sink onto his length.  His hands fly from your waist, now roving all over your body.  He’s consuming you, touching every single surface he can manage.  You both gasp as you bottom out, his head tipping back against the headboard with a thud.

“So good for me,” Ominis garbles out in broken syllables. “You’re...you feel so...”

You surge forward, lips pressed against his.  His kisses melt against your mouth as he tries to rock upwards into you. 

“We could’ve been doing this for ages,” Ominis complains, his nimble fingers tangling in your hair.

“Instead we’ve been just friends,” you chuckle, rolling your hips. Your hands are gripping the headboard behind him, forehead pressed against his as you grind against each other. 

“Idiots,” Ominis mutters, catching your lower lip with his teeth. “We’re idiots.”

You shift your feet underneath you, bouncing up and down on his length.  Ominis’s breath hitches against your breasts, his hands shifting down to your waist.  The feeling of his thumbs roving over your hip bones is enough to drive you harder, and you realize he’s admiring every single dimple, every curve.  He could go faster, fuck up into you if he really wanted to, but Ominis stays true to his word.  He’s taking his time to savor you, to commit your body to memory while he has you in his arms.

“Enjoying yourself?” You ask breathlessly, as Ominis’s hand trails up and down your spine for the umpteenth time.

He grins, baring his teeth as he surges forward, pushing you off and onto your back on the bed.  You yelp as he slithers over you, hovering just inches from your face as he presses back into your warmth. 

“Immensely,” Ominis whispers, kissing you as he starts rocking into you.  Without thought, you wrap your legs around his waist, locking him in as tightly as you can. When he pulls away, his forehead resting against yours, you flatten your hands against his cheeks. You fit against each other like puzzle pieces; it’s silly to have been so worried, you realize.  Slotted against each other, chasing one another to your mutual climax, you know only Ominis could’ve ever made sense.

“I love you,” you blurt as Ominis digs his face into your neck.

“I love you too,” Ominis mumbles into your neck. “I think I always have.”

“You have?” You squeak, thoughts punctuated by a moan as he snaps his hips at just the right angle.

“It’s you,” Ominis admits. “Of course I love you. I– oh shit –I’ve always had feelings for you,” he pants. “God, at least since we were sixteen.”

Ominis’s confessions, punctuated by an elusive curse word, melt your heart.  You shift your hips upwards, meeting him with every thrust.  The wet slapping of his skin against yours, the slamming of the headboard, coupled with Ominis’s babbling and your breathy moans echo off the walls. You hadn’t bothered with a silencing spell, not knowing that this is where the night would take you. It’s likely everyone in the house knows what’s going on between the two of you, and that almost turns you on more. After all these years, Ominis is yours, claimed by your loud coupling.

“I’ve dreamt of touching you here for years,” Ominis confesses between open mouth kisses. “Always thinking about how soft you must feel here,” his lips close around your nipple, tongue flicking against the surface.  It draws a shriek out of you, which has him grinning. “Just as I thought.”

Just the confirmation that Ominis has thought about you naked in bed just like you have stokes the fire within you, threatening to burst.  He feels too good inside of you; while you’d take the sweet torture of being edged all night just to keep him close, your body is teetering close to the edge.

“Come for me,” Ominis murmurs in your ear. “I want to feel you come undone.”

“I can’t,” you utter. “I don’t–I don’t want this to be over,” you choke out, clutching his shoulders.

The sex, this night, this season of your life, together.  You’re not quite sure which one your sex addled brain is referring to.

Ominis snakes up a large hand, cradling your cheek with his palm.  His thumb brushes over your swollen lips as little gasps escape your lips.

“We have tonight, all night.” Ominis whispers, each syllable met with a roll of his hips. “You don’t think it’ll be just once, do you?”

“Ominis,” you garble out, his thumb dipping into your warm mouth.  You’re not sure if you’re scolding his vulgar language, or warning him of the impending release.

“Come with me,” Ominis pleads.  

An urge to finish what you’ve started together, or perhaps a plea to join him across the sea.  Either way, the three words have you coming, Ominis choking out a moan as his hips stutter against yours. He shudders as he comes inside of you, not stopping his thrusts until he’s trembling, falling at your side. 

The two of you are silent for what feels like ages, just the ticking of his bedside clock and the soft hum of music from the party downstairs filling the background. As you stare at the ceiling, you feel his warm hand entangling his fingers with yours, and you’re both quiet for another few minutes as you collect your thoughts.

“I meant what I said,” Ominis breaks the silence.

“Which one?” you ask, tilting your head to look at him.  He’s still flat on his back, his free hand resting on his chest as his head tilts towards the sound of your voice.  His gorgeous blue eyes crease at the corners as he smiles.

“All of it,” Ominis muses. “That I love you, that I’ve always loved you.  That I thought you didn’t love me, because you were encouraging me to go, to take the MACUSA job.  But turns out, it’s just because you know me better than anyone. You know what I need to do.”

“I love you too,” you whisper.

Ominis turns to you, his hands tracing up and down your naked torso. “I never thought we’d get to do this,” he confesses. “And even if it took us until the last night of school, I’m glad we did.”

You press a fervent kiss to his lips, melting against him.  You only pull away when he laughs, blond hair shaking as he falls back against the bed.

“We are actual idiots,” Ominis says sheepishly. “Our very first time should’ve been more romantic.”

“I don’t know,” you shrug. “There’s something incredibly romantic about a last chance confession.”

“I wish I’d told you sooner,” Ominis says, a pained expression painted on his face. “We could’ve had so much more time–”

You press a finger to his lips, silencing him.  He quirks his brow, questioning your actions.

“We have the rest of tonight,” you remind him, rolling onto your stomach.  You trace your hand against his cheek, your fingers dancing against his lips. He opens his mouth, indulgently sucking on your fingers as they dip inside. “Besides, I think I have to reciprocate the mind blowing head.” you joke, your now wet hand trailing back down to his length.

Ominis is hard again in seconds.

The music ended hours ago, and the house is calm. You wouldn’t know if anything was going on outside of Ominis’s door anyways; after your second round, Ominis had the good sense to cast a silencing charm on the room. 

Ominis slips out of you after fucking you on your side, his slow thrusts driving you to the brink of insanity.  Both of you are thoroughly spent; he knows that, reaching for his wand to summon a cloth.  He's attentive and gentle as he cleans you, murmuring praise of how well you've taken him and how incredible you feel. Once the two of you are semi-decent, he gathers a fresh tee shirt for you to slip over your head.  It’s well worn, letters stitched into the chest, and it smells like his cologne. You hold the collar to your nose; it’s very likely this shirt will be coming home with you.

Ominis tucks you into his arms as he pulls the duvet over your bodies, his warm breath tickling your ears as his breathing slows.

“I’m not sure how you’re going to walk across the graduation stage,” you joke, stifling a yawn.

“Will probably need Andrew to throw me across the stage at this point,” Ominis says.  His voice sounds thick with sleep, and you know he yearns to shut his eyes.  You’ve known him for so long, watched him nap in the hallways enough to recognize the tell-tale signs of Ominis Gaunt’s sleeping habits.

“I’m proud of you, you know that?” You whisper, hoping to catch him while he’s still awake. “You’re gonna go far, do amazing things. I’m so proud of you, and I love you.”

“I know,” Ominis lets out a sleepy sigh, heavy eyelids drooping.  “I love you too.”

Before long, Ominis is softly snoring in your ear.  Blinking your bleary eyes, you can see the dark sky turning lighter and lighter through the curtains.  It’s graduation day; in a few hours, Ominis will walk across the stage and move on to the next phase of his life.

Merlin, you hope to be part of the next chapter.

You jolt awake when you hear the door knob to Ominis’s room jiggling. The blond is still fast asleep, a smile on his face as he dreams.

“Ominis, wake up,” you groan. “It’s morning.”

“It was morning when we fell asleep,” he swats away at you, digging his face into the pillows.

“Well, it’s graduation morning.” You warn him. “We have to get ready–I have to go home, I have to change and shower.  You have to shower.”

“Shower here,” Ominis complains, tugging you back against his warm chest. “And you can shower with me.”

“I can’t go to your graduation wearing a bloody mini dress,” you scold him, rolling out of bed.  You tug open his dresser, pulling out a well worn sweater and some sweatpants. “There’s someone at the door too.”

“It’s me,” a muffled voice yells. “Wakey wakey, lovebirds!” 

Ominis flips back over in bed as you tug the sweater over your head, swinging the door open.  You’d recognize the Scottish lilt anywhere–it’s Sebastian, grinning broadly with a garment bag in hand.

“What is that?” You gape.

Sebastian pushes his way into the room, hanging the black bag between Ominis’s graduation robes. “Had a feeling you wouldn’t be going home last night,” he winks, unzipping the bag. “So I asked Imelda to pull together some options for you.  Picked them up this morning; there’s some bagels and coffee downstairs too.”

You’re embarrassed but thankful for your friends–Imelda has packed some tasteful day dresses, all appropriate for the event in mind.

Sebastian drops another bag onto the ground, sinking into the now up-right office chair. “She packed more appropriate heels.  Oh, and a bra and underwear. Thought you might’ve lost yours.”

“Get out,” Ominis groans, tossing a pillow at Sebastian.

The freckled bastard lets out a laugh, his whole body shaking as he dodges Ominis’s throw. “Best get in the shower, Mr. President.  Can’t have you walking across the stage to get your diploma with sex hair.” Sebastian waggles his eyebrows, and even though Ominis can’t see, he knows the expression on Sebastian’s face.

You hear your name from the doorframe, and both you and Sebastian turn to see who it is.  Lucan and Garreth are standing with bagels, idly observing the scene before them.

“Amit owes me ten galleons,” Garreth says, his mouth still full of his poppy seed bagel. “He said you’d never admit how you feel to Ominis–”

“That’s not what I said!” You hear Amit’s voice from down the hallway. “Garreth, don’t twist my words.”

Lucan pushes his way into the room, holding his bagel between his teeth. “Can I get in to measure now?” he asks, pulling his wand from his pocket. “I do think I could fit a nice little bar in the corner here–”

“Everyone out!” Ominis roars, standing up in just his boxer shorts. “Everyone who isn’t my girlfriend can fuck off.”

Instead of scattering, everyone freezes in place. 

“Girlfriend?” You squeak out.

Ominis’s furrowed brow softens, his cheeks heating up as he scratches the back of his neck.

“I assumed,” he said sheepishly. “When we said we loved each other.”

“Alright, nothing to see here folks.  Everyone go back to your knitting.” Sebastian says hastily, pulling Lucan into a headlock to drag him out of the room.  He pushes Garreth in the chest, and you hear several pairs of feet scrambling in the hallway–no doubt Amit, Andrew, and the others have congregated outside of Ominis’s door to eavesdrop.

Sebastian shoots you both a knowing look as he shuts the door behind him, leaving you alone with Ominis once more.

“If you don’t want to, that’s okay.” Ominis croaks.  “I understand.  I’m leaving in a few days, it makes sense.”

You tiptoe over to him, placing a hand on his chest.  You can feel his heart hammering beneath you, one of his hands resting atop yours to keep it in place.

“What would being your girlfriend entail?” You ask slowly, nails dragging across his skin.

Ominis offers you a small smile. “Nothing has to change, not really.  Just that I get to tell you that I love you out loud.”

“And perhaps there will be space for me in New York.” You say slowly, chewing on your lower lip.

Ominis’s face lights up, tugging you in with a firm arm around your waist. “There will most definitely be space for you in New York,” he announces. “It’s only fitting that I make room for you, considering you’re the person who convinced me to go.”

“Your girlfriend,” you enunciate. 

“My girlfriend,” Ominis repeats back to you. It isn’t long before he’s kissing you, his tongue snaking its way into your mouth. You have to pull yourself back, eyeing the clock on Ominis’s desk.

“We have to shower,” you remind him, hands pressed against his chest. “Otherwise, I’ll be late to my boyfriend’s graduation ceremony.”

Ominis grins, pressing a quick kiss against your cheek.  He maneuvers over to his dresser, pulling out two clean towels.  Wand in hand, he slings the towels over his shoulder, his other hand outstretched to grab yours.

You fold your palm into his, following him out the door without a word.

The last week almost seems like a blur to you.  

That Sunday, you watched Ominis graduate university with honors, several stoles draped across his shoulders.  One from the honors college, another for his outstanding leadership.  The third looks a bit hodge-podge, but it’s the most important to him–a stole crafted by Sebastian and the others, crudely decorated in a way only twenty-something boys would do.  

The satin stole with the Gaunt family motto is promptly burned in the celebratory bonfire Lucan sets that night, all of you sitting around the fire pit with beers in hand.

Every day since then has been bliss.  You’ve only gone home once, packing a bag with a week’s worth of clothes while Imelda gives you smug looks. You’ve effectively moved into Ominis’s bedroom for one last week together.  It’s for practical reasons, you tell the others.  By day, you’re helping Ominis pack his belongings and bring whatever items he needs to donate to the university charity shop.  You even help him pack a cardboard box with any Gaunt family memorabilia, slapping a label to ship the useless trinkets back to Marvolo.  Ominis doesn’t need to rely on his family name anymore, at least not where he’s going.

The others come and go, but soon the new graduates start to move.  Amit and Andrew are the first to leave, off to start their ministry jobs.  Garreth follows shortly after, moving to a cottage in Cornwall to start his bulk potions business.  Come Friday, it’s just you, Ominis, and Sebastian left as the rest of the underclassmen have left for their summer holidays.

You enjoy one last night cooking dinner with your two best boys, tears pricking the corners of your eyes if you think too hard about how this might be the last time the three of you are in a room together for a while.  After dessert, Sebastian leaves the house to visit friends; more likely, he’s giving the two of you the house alone for your final night together.

You’d expect last night together to be frenetic, but Ominis’s love making remains slow and deliberate.  Ominis meant it when he said he wanted to remember every bit of you, his hands exploring your body as he makes you come several times in the night. You cry out the last time, exhausted but pawing at him for more.  

More, more, more. More time, most of all. 

Both of you cry a little, murmuring promises to each other before falling asleep.

When you wake, the air is melancholy.  The two of you move in silence, Ominis showering and packing the remnants of his suitcase. You put your dirty clothes from the week in your bag as well, and the two of you say goodbye to his little bedroom for the last time.  Ominis swallows thickly as you both get into the car, Sebastian choosing the passenger seat so the two of you can sit together in the back.

The airport isn’t too busy, which affords you time for a long farewell.  Ominis’s wand is safely concealed in a cane, and Sebastian slips a pair of sunglasses over his eyes so he fits in better with the muggles.  

“You have a new phone now,” Sebastian reminds him. “So don’t give me any excuses for not calling or texting.”

“I will,” Ominis promises. “Thank you, Sebastian.  I–” his voice cracks, and his eyes flutter as he swallows. “I’m glad I met you when I was eleven.” It's a simple sentence, but the words impart just how much Ominis loves Sebastian.

Sebastian whimpers, pulling his best friend, his brother into a hug.  You have to turn away, dabbing at your eyes as the two men say farewell after living together for over a decade.

“Alright, sod off,” Sebastian blurts, wiping at his nose. “Your turn to say goodbye, I can’t do this anymore.”

Ominis lets out a watery laugh as Sebastian meanders away, giving the two of you some time alone.  You don’t want to waste any of the precious seconds you have left with Ominis waffling, so you tug him into a tight embrace, your arms locking around his neck.

“I love you,” Ominis says against your hair. “I love you.”

 You’re kissing him all over his face, leaving tears in your wake. “I love you too,” you murmur. “Remember what I told you.”

“If you want to go far, you’ve got to go far.” Ominis mutters. “I’m doing this for me–for us.”

“Better save a drawer for me,” you whisper. 

“The very best one,” Ominis whispers back. “It’ll be there for you, next year.”

Sebastian nearly has to pry the two of you apart, reminding Ominis that his plane leaves within the hour and he still needs to get through security.  The steps the blond takes towards the line are rigid, his subconscious fighting the physical act of leaving.  But deep down, all of you know it–Ominis is going to do great things, and he’s going to do it without his family breathing down his neck, trying to force him to conform to their ways.

You feel a hand grabbing yours; it’s Sebastian, squeezing you tight as you both watch Ominis move through the line.  Minutes later, he’s waving goodbye, disappearing into the departures terminal.

You and Sebastian stay until Ominis’s blond head is no longer visible over the crowd.  

Finishing your dissertation is eating up all your free time, but you reserve an hour at the end of the day to talk to Ominis over his brand new phone.  The time difference is a bit jarring; sometimes you find yourself staying up well into the twilight hours to listen to Ominis ramble on about his job and the work they’ve done to protect international magical affairs.  He asks you how his brothers are doing, if Lucan has stirred any trouble yet.  You tell him all about how they still invite you to parties every weekend, and Lucan decided against building the wet bar in his room.  You talk about Sebastian’s rotations at St. Mungo’s and how the two of you still try to have dinner at least once a week despite your busy schedules. 

You tell him to save his money, but Ominis isn’t one to skimp out on gifts. He still sends owl post, care packages from his tiny apartment in New York.  After you tell him his fraternity letters are starting to wear thin, he sends you a New York t-shirt that smells like cool musk.  You start wearing it to bed every night; once the smell wears off, Ominis sends a bottle of his cologne as well.

Phone sex isn’t half bad either, you decide.  You come every time Ominis tells you to, gasping when you hear him touch himself on the other end of the line.

One day, Ominis sends you an e-mail about job requisitions at the MACUSA headquarters.  They have their own department of mysteries, Ominis explains. If you’re interested at all.

You apply and wait to hear back. I hope it’s not a conflict of interest that my boyfriend is the newest hot shot solicitor in the office of international affairs.

It isn’t, it turns out.  You’re offered a job interview over the winter holidays if you can make it to New York City in time.  Ominis sends you the ticket in your email, assuring you that he’ll pick you up from the airport.  He does exactly as he’s promised, and you laugh at how much he’s bundled himself up against the New York City snow.  When you leave the airport you laugh a little less, snow already getting into your shoes.  Ominis is a gentleman through and through, and carries you from the car up the stairs to his apartment lobby.

You think your interview at MACUSA has gone well, and you start enjoying all the walking you have to do to get around the city.  Ominis takes you to all his favorite restaurants, and he shows you the drawer he’s been saving for you.  His apartment feels like home, even if you have to squeeze past the dining table to get to the bed.  The two of you Facetime Sebastian from bed, the brunette recounting his shifts at St. Mungo’s in great detail.

“Say, do you have a hospital in the city?” Sebastian asks. “If she’s going, I want to come too.  We’re a package deal.”

Ominis rolls his eyes. “Of course there’s a hospital here, Sebastian. It’s not a primitive land. It’s New York, for Merlin's sake.”

You laugh, trying not to shake the phone as you try to keep Ominis in frame.

The week passes by too fast. Ominis brings you back to the airport, and this goodbye is even harder than the one after graduation. You find it nearly impossible to take your hands off him, his lips pressing kisses to your face.  

“It’s just a little while longer,” Ominis reminds you.

“We don’t even know if I’ll get it,” you shrug.

“You’re going to get it,” Ominis assures you. It feels like deja vu, as if you’ve had this conversation before.

About a week into the second term, you receive your job offer from MACUSA.

May arrives quicker than you thought it would.  You get a few less calls with Ominis during your finals week, and he promises to make it up to you somehow.  Even though you have a job offer, it’s contingent on you passing your final exams.  Ominis quizzes you through the phone while Sebastian brings you dinner between his shifts. It’s a group effort to get you across the finish line.

You pass, and you finally get to breathe a sigh of relief. The week of your graduation is filled with parties and celebrations, Lucan inviting you to come back to the house. It doesn’t feel as right without Sebastian or Ominis inside, so you don’t stay long.  Sebastian promises he'll try to be at your graduation, trading shifts with other healers.  On the other hand, Ominis is stuck in the middle of an important case.  You tell him not to worry, and that you'll see him in a week when you move.

Come graduation day, you’re standing in front of the theater, your diploma in hand. You feel your phone buzz in your pocket, and you pull it out to read your texts. You have one missed message from Sebastian.

Sorry I missed your ceremony.  Got called in to cover someone’s shift this morning.  I promise I’ll be at your dinner later tonight.  Oh, and I hope you enjoy your grad present xx

You furrow your brow, typing back a response.  You don’t remember anything about a present–

“Congratulations, darling.”

You look up, nearly dropping your phone in the process. A tall lithe blond clad in a three piece suit, a MACUSA pin on the lapel.  

Ominis smiles at you, a bouquet of sunflowers in hand.

[camilleroses-blog]

the meet cute

pairing: daniel ricciardo x reader

genre: fluff

formula1wagsss daniel ricciardo spotted with mystery woman in monza!

riccforthewin WHO?????

dannybadger3 GUYS WHAT.

justaninchidentlol are the ricciardo fans okay rn?

     honeybadger33333 i can speak for almost all of us... no.

i met daniel at a friends party about 3 years ago. everyone was talking about the formula 1 driver that had decided to drop in. i wasn’t a huge f1 fan but i was caught up on the basics of the sport.

the party was loud with flashing lights and people everywhere. i started to get a bit overwhelmed with all of it so i headed outside to the balcony. i leaned against the railing and looked up at the stars. i was listening to the loud music blasting through the walls when i heard the door to the balcony open. i looked back and it was a man with dark curly hair and a look in his eyes that just made your heart melt on the spot. he gave me a friendly smile, “hey” he said as he walked over to the railing, about 5 feet away from me. i gave him a smile and looked back up at the stars.

“beautiful night isn’t it?” he asked with an australian accent. “gorgeous” i replied. i looked over at him to take some time to analyze his face. handsome. absolutely charming. “i’m guessing you’re the f1 driver?” i asked. “i like to think of myself as a dancer but yeah driving is one of my many hobbies” he said ever so seriously. i laughed. “what gave it away?” he asked. you weren’t exactly sure what clicked in your mind, it was just something about him and how he carried himself. i shrugged and turned to face him. “i’m daniel” he said as he walked closer and extended his hand. “y/n” i said as i extended my hand to shake his.

we continued to talk until almost all of the party goers were gone. suddenly, a guy came stumbling onto the balcony like he was looking for someone. “DANNY!” he yelled. like i said before i wasn’t super immersed in the f1 world but i knew who max verstappen was…. everyone did… the young rising star. my eyes widened when i realized who it was. daniel saw my reaction and his jaw dropped. “you didn’t know who i was but you know who he is???” he asked in utter shock. he was lowkey jealous lol. “oh cmon. its you know…. its max verstappen!” i replied trying to explain myself. “oh cmon its daniel ricciardo!!!” danny said as he pointed to himself. i shushed him as max approached us.

“hey max. big fan-“ i started, but was interrupted by daniel, “liar.” i elbowed him and continued on. “i know you’re completely wasted right now but do you think you could sign my arm?” i asked. daniel was taken aback, mouth open, eyebrows raised. “of courseee!” he slurred. “great! now i just need to find a pen-” i said just as max whipped one out from his back pocket. “mate-” daniel started. “magic!” max said as he displayed his pen that he apparently took from inside the house in an attempt to possibly steal it?

he signed the outer part of my forearm. i turned to daniel after he was done. “no way. THE daniel ricciardo??? holy shit!” i acted out. he smiled and shook his head. “you’re my favorite f1 driver!” i continued on. “hey!” max said. “shush verstappen” i said and turned back to danny “ah yes i love meeting my fans” he said. “can you sign my arm?!?!” i over exaggerated. “i would absolutely love to” he said as he took the pen and signed the inner part of my forearm along with some smiley faces and also added his number. what a slick guy. i smiled and my face probably turned red when i saw his number being written out. “mr ricciardo do you give out your number to all of your fans?” i asked smugly. “how do you know that’s my real number?” he asked. max examined the number. “yep that’s his number” max said. i don’t know what’s more concerning, the fact that max memorized daniel’s phone # or the fact that max was wearing a blonde wig that was poorly brushed.

since i have never met any real celebrities i took a picture with the two of them and we said our goodbyes. i put daniel’s number into my phone and realized that i couldn’t stop smiling.

i posted the photo the next day and decided to crop daniel out a bit so it only showed half his face while the photo focused on me and max in the wig. some friendly fire. soon after i posted it was liked by and commented on by max and danny.

yourusername: me and the legend

tagged: @ maxverstappen1 @ danielricciardo

danielricciardo this is not okay

danielricciardo i don’t think you got the chance to finish your caption. its supposed to say “me and the legendary daniel ricciardo + this random chick”

danielricciardo i demand an apology aimed to your followers for depriving them of my full beauty

          yourusername i formally apologize to my followers that were wrongfully deprived of the true beauty of daniel ricciardo. i am ashamed of my actions. pls forgive me :(

maxverstappen1 …i do not remember this

          yourusername thank you for signing my arm max!

                    maxverstappen1 you’re welcome!

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 56

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words : 6k

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Friday, February 19; 3:00 PM -Alps

"Mom," I sighed again. "Do I really have to argue with you about this?"

"Why wouldn't you want to come home as well? I really expected you to visit."

"How many times do I have to repeat myself?" I replied with a weary tone. "I have an interview on Tuesday. We would have come after that, but all my friends are staying here."

"Yes, but..."

She started her sentence but quickly stopped to sigh in turn. I had been struggling with her for nearly fifteen minutes about our possible return to Barcelona. I knew it would be difficult to tell her we weren't coming, but I didn't expect it to be this hard. She seemed really upset.

"I would have loved to see you again... Plus, I'm a bit worried about letting Joan travel alone."

"Oh come on, it won't hurt him to manage on his own, don't you think? And it's not like we're never coming back to Barcelona. It's just that the end of this vacation isn't convenient for us."

"Yes, I understand..."

I rolled my eyes as I turned to lean against the railing of our small balcony. I had stepped outside to get some space. I didn't need Lucy hearing our conversation. Who knows how it could have gone. Surprisingly, it was going more calmly than I had imagined. Especially for a disagreement. She had never acted this way with me before. It's the first time she's trying to see me, and maybe that's why I'm not being as harsh for once. From this new angle where I positioned myself, I could see inside our room. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to move. Lucy was gathering our things, offering me a perfect distraction. It's our last day today, and we're leaving in the next hour... Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn. I would have loved to extend this vacation.

"I took a few days off, you know," my mother continued, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty?" I teased. "I can be stronger than you at this game, Mom. For instance, you've never taken a vacation for me before."

An awkward silence followed. I could almost feel her nervousness from here, and yet I hadn't even raised my voice this time. She knew I was right, and she must have been afraid that I would get angry. However, now that I think about it, I can't blame her. Our relationship was so shaky that she avoided taking vacations at the same time as me. It was better for everyone if we didn't want seven to fifteen days of door-slamming arguments.

"Alright, I get it," she sighed. "I give up, but do you think you could come back soon...?"

"I don't know. Probably. We'll make sure to come back over a weekend if you really want to see us. Has Lucy made such an impression on you or what?" I teased lightly.

"I love Lucy, but I'd also like to spend time with you."

I nervously bit my lip. Her words seemed sincere, but for some reason, I felt like there was something more behind them. She really insisted on my girlfriend's presence, which was very unsettling. My daydreaming was quickly interrupted by Lucy waving at me from inside to get my attention. It wasn't hard to understand that she was waiting for my help. I sighed as I ran my hand through my hair.

"Listen, Mom, we'll come back, for sure, but it won't be next week. Just get a ticket for Joan. The best would be for Wednesday," I said, repeating what Lucy and I had agreed on.

"Alright... I'll let you know the times. You fly this route often, do you know someone who could take care of himS?"

"Yeah," I said without even thinking. "Ask Shay to take care of her. She's young, probably Lucy's age, very nice. I don't know if she'll be on that flight, but you can try."

"Okay, I'll see. Did you have a good vacation otherwise?"

"Really great. I'd love to keep chatting with you, Mom, but I need to gather my things, you see. Lucy will come looking for me outside if this goes on," I chuckled softly.

"Oh," she replied, embarrassed. "Sorry for keeping you..."

"No, don't worry. I'll call you when we get back to tell you all about it, okay?"

This conversation was getting stranger by the minute. I don't know where these words were coming from, but I felt compelled to say them given how she was behaving. One thing is certain, it does nothing to ease our awkwardness.

"Alright," she responded uncertainly. "Be careful on your way back."

"Promise. See you soon."

"Safe travels."

"Thanks. Bye, Mom."

The words slipped out again. I had never said "bye" to her at the end of a phone call before. I quickly hung up to avoid prolonging this strange and unusual conversation. I took a deep breath before heading back into the room. The first thing I did was take off my jacket. Lucy was no longer visible, but I understood she was in the bathroom from the noise coming from there.

"Did everything go well?" she asked me.

"Mm-hmm," I replied nonchalantly. "I don't want to leave," I added to change the subject.

"Oh, come on. Don't act like a child."

I relaxed, relieved that she was playing along by responding to the second part of my sentence instead of asking questions about what I had been doing outside. So I quickly continued in that direction.

"It was way too short."

"Are you done? Help me finish packing our things instead of complaining."

"Blah, blah, blah," I mumbled with amusement.

I smiled as her head peeked out from the doorway to give me a threatening look.

"I'm not kidding. Your clothes are still in the closet, so make sure to pack your suitcase."

"Yeah, yeah."

I rolled my eyes before turning my back on her. Looking her in the face right now could be regrettable for me. At the same time, it really was a perfect stay. It's the first time I've had such a hard time leaving. Yet, I tend to be the kind of person who loves returning home to find my routine after a trip. But today, I have to admit it's the opposite. Lucy was right again. I'm going to be the one making us late if I keep delaying our departure. With these thoughts, I started packing my suitcase as Lucy had asked. Everything was folded, so packing was easy. Then I tackled the nightstand, dumping what was left on it into my bag. I sighed at the same time, which made Lucy laugh in the next room.

"Aren't you done yet? Are you going to mope too?"

"Yes! Completely."

"Well, I guess I'll leave you here then."

"Hey!" I protested. "You wouldn't do that."

"Why not? You just confirmed that you'd be depressed if you left here, so you could stay here, right? That would solve your problem."

"But no," I complained. "You don't get it. I'll be even more depressed if you leave me here alone."

"Really?" she murmured in my ear, making me jump.

She placed her hand on my hip. I didn't expect her to be behind me when just a few seconds ago, she was talking to me from the bathroom. I glanced over my shoulder to see her little charming smile. When I tried to turn around, she held me back to pull me closer to her.

"So, I'm more important than a place, huh?"

"You know very well you are," I whispered. "You understood perfectly when I said I wanted to stay here. It meant with you."

"I didn't understand it that way, though," she teased lightly.

I closed my eyes as she placed her lips on my neck. My God, how I loved her kisses. Anywhere, as long as she gave them to me. She's the only one who can drive me crazy to the point of letting her touch me like this. I still can't figure out how she managed to fit so easily into my life, but she did. And damn, do I love it.

"You should..." I finally whispered.

"And why is that?" she murmured against my neck.

- Because. I don't want to go anywhere without you anymore...

I pause for a moment after saying this. I don’t even recognize myself anymore. I was never someone clingy, and I definitely feel clingy saying this.

- I can't believe I just said that, I mutter out loud, making Lucy chuckle.

- But you did. It’s cute.

I take advantage of this moment to turn around and face her. She gives me a quick peck on the lips without adding any more comments that could make me uncomfortable.

- Alright, now that your little bout of depression is over, can we finish packing our things? I promise we’ll end our vacation just as well as we started it.

- I know, but it’ll be different. Not as... magical. We had our own little world here, you know?

- I can't argue with that... It’s true it will be different, but we have to return to the real world sooner or later.

I nod in agreement. It’s true, we’re really going back to reality. This last week of vacation will bring more work and responsibilities. It will start with the interview Lucy arranged for me, and then with my brother's arrival. I’m quite happy I won the battle against my mom. There was no way I was going to impose another long trip on us. Plus, after talking with the girls, I found out that Ale is staying in Manchester with Jenni, and Mapi already bought her ticket back for next weekend. Going back under those circumstances was out of the question. Having spent several weekends in Manchester before, this is the first time it’s happening. I can understand why my mom is worried about sending Joan, but he’ll only be traveling alone for one trip as we’ll make sure he returns with Mapi.

- Well, Lucy says, closing the suitcase. It’s time to head down. Are you done on your end?

- Yep.

I throw in the last of my things that I had in my hands before doing one last check. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s repacking when leaving. I always feel like I’m missing something. Fortunately, everything seems to be in order. I close my suitcase and join Lucy, who has already moved towards the door. I glance back one last time with a slight pang in my heart. I’m really going to miss this place. It was truly our little haven.

- Let’s go, Lucy murmurs.

I give her a sad smile and grab her hand. She shuts the door behind us, and we head downstairs. I’m surprised to see that we’re among the last to finish. I expected the others to take more time, considering this is the first time it’s happened. Usually, we’re among the first.

- I’ll go return the keys, Lucy tells me.

She steals a kiss before heading to the reception. I take the opportunity to join Alexia and Mapi, who seem to be having an animated conversation from where I’m standing. It looks like it’s the case, given how they greet me.

- There you are at last! Mapi calls out. We had an idea, Ale and I.

- Oh really?

- Yeah, she says proudly. Do you think Lucy will let you go for a night? We were thinking of having a girls’ night when we get back. Just the three of us, no girlfriends, nothing. Just us.

- Do you really think I would spoil the night by not wanting my presence, Mapi?

Once again, Lucy catches me off guard with her sudden appearance. The girls didn’t expect it either, judging by the looks on their faces. Since I told her what Mapi thought, this is the first time she’s made a remark that could suggest a reproach. Yet, I know they’ve talked. Neither of them wants to tell me what was said, but all I know is that things are better. They’ve settled their differences and know what they think of each other. I had pestered Lucy to be kind, and it seems she was. The most important thing is that their relationship has improved. It would be great if they didn’t take three steps back again. The comment had its effect on Mapi, as she gives me a disapproving look. She knows I told Lucy. At the same time, she should have known that was the case. A little cold sweat breaks out when she looks back at Lucy again. She almost seems embarrassed.

- It’s not that, it’s... Well-...

Her distress is evident in her eyes. Fortunately for her, Alexia comes to her rescue.

- We just wanted to have a night with friends, you see, Alexia interrupts. We’ve never had the chance to do one since we’re never together.

I bite my lip as I see Lucy raising her eyebrow seriously at Alexia’s intervention. Knowing her better now, I immediately relax. I was afraid she might react negatively, but I quickly realize she’s just teasing them. She often plays on her influence, and it’s very amusing to watch. I’ll never know how she manages to stay so serious every time. It’s something I could never do. Her serious expression slowly turns into a smile, making me burst out laughing.

- It’s fine, relax, Lucy finally laughs with me. Do you really think I’d stop her from going out? I’m not her mother, I’m her girlfriend, remember?

The girls’ faces are priceless. It’s funny that they always ask for Lucy’s permission. They still see her as my school chaperone. They haven’t yet understood that Lucy clearly distinguishes between the two relationships, and it will never be the case.

- But the night needs to be decided so we can plan, okay? Lucy adds while running her hand through my hair.

- Yes, Commander, I tease.

She rolls her eyes with a little smile.

- I’m going to Jenni’s, she finally says.

She kisses my cheek before heading off in her direction. I linger on her before turning back to the girls, who seem really uncomfortable.

- Forgive us, it’s just that we always feel like she’s the one calling the shots, Alexia apologizes first.

- I assure you, she lets me live my life fully, I giggle. If that wasn’t the case, I’d let her know.

- Okay, so when would be a good time for the girls’ night?

- Probably in the next few days. Joan is coming, so I’d rather avoid having him with us or leaving him with Lucy, I say with a shrug.

- Really? Joan is actually coming? You managed to call your mom?

- Just about. It was hard to convince her because she wanted us to come instead, but she finally agreed.

- That’s awesome! Alexia exclaims. So, you’re staying?

- Well, yeah, I laugh. We weren’t going to leave when you’re all here. Joan will probably come on Wednesday, but it would be best for us to have this girls' night over the weekend.

- We could do it tomorrow night. It’s Saturday. Saturday night is fun, right?

- Yeah, Alexia agrees. Jen told me she hasn’t done anything with Lucy in a while, so it’ll be a good opportunity for everyone to go out.

- We’ll check with them then, I say.

- Hey girls, are you coming? Beth calls out to us. It’s time to leave.

- It’s funny that it’s the latecomer calling us, Mapi jokes.

She nudges her playfully before they head off together, joining the others in laughter. It’s amazing how this trip has brought everyone closer. As for me, I’ve spent a lot of time with the four girls and Jenni. That girl is great, and I’ve learned some stories she shared about Lucy. It seems she was very protective of her and still will be if necessary. It’s good to know she’s surrounded like this, though I often wonder why. From what I know of Lucy, it’s hard to believe she needs it. Other than her, I’ve also talked a lot with Beth since she loves art, but also with Aitana during the evenings we spent together. Lucy was never far when one of her friends approached me, and I’m grateful for that. She has a good understanding of my anxiety, so I’m glad. Speaking of Aitana, she’s the last latecomer before we finally head out. We were very lucky with our cars. Since we barely used them these past few days, they were all covered in snow. Fortunately, the staff noticed and offered last night to clear them before our departure. Now that we’re in front of them, the result is really there. They’ve cleared everything, both on top and around. We decide to keep the same seating arrangements as on the way, which suits me perfectly.

- I’m still sad, I confess to Lucy while Jenni loads the car.

- We’ll come back, I promise, she chuckles.

- Hmm... But we might have to wait. Our next trip will be somewhere sunny.

- Are you going on vacation this summer? Alexia joins our conversation.

No. With the work at the gym, we won’t have time, Lucy replies. We’ll probably go to my parents' place during the next school holidays.

Lucy brought up this idea to me this week. I wasn’t particularly thrilled, but I couldn’t really say no. She had already met my mother, and she herself agreed to come back with me when I asked her. She admitted to visiting them twice a year: once during the end-of-year holidays and the second time during the summer vacation. Unfortunately, this year the second visit won’t be possible. Since she’s leaving her job to open her gym with Jenni, it goes without saying that they will have a lot of work on their plate this summer. When she told me about it, I expected her to say she wasn’t going. However, she promised them that she would come during the April holidays, so she can’t back out now. At first, I thought she just wanted to warn me about her departure, but in reality, I quickly realized that she wanted me to accompany her to introduce myself. I clearly panicked. It was sudden, and Lucy is older than me. Her parents must expect things different from mine. I don’t even know myself how we’re going to move forward after school, and I’m not in a hurry to find out, to be honest. All I want is to take my time. I was almost ready to say no to her, but she then explained that her parents have been worried since Keira’s death. Understanding Lucy’s desperate state, they had asked her to come back to Portugal, but Lucy categorically refused. She explained to me that she didn’t want to do that, that it would have been like taking ten steps back in her life. According to her, she had gained her independence by coming to Manchester and she had learned to love this city. It was because of this event that their project with Jenni truly came to life. If all this hadn’t happened, they would have waited before starting their own business. However, it was apparently the only thing that convinced Lucy’s parents to let her continue living in UK. Lucy managed to hide from them that she felt lonely and destroyed, and instead, she was determined to continue her new life. I felt bad hearing these revelations. I didn’t like knowing she was feeling so badly. Her solution to cope was Camp Wiegman. She confessed to me that it was her best way to heal. With this job, not only was she able to make money, but also, she managed to forgive herself for not being able to save Keira by helping other people in distress. It’s crazy that we could have met this way, but I’m so happy that her presence has been woven into my life.

- Yes, that’s exactly what I thought, that’s why I was asking, Ale continues with a smile. It’s cool if you can leave before! And where are you coming from then?

- From Portugal.

- You too? she wonders, knowing that I am too. Wow. Two Portuguese together, then, she giggles.

- Oh yes, Lucy laughs.

- It’s true that it’s a good idea to come back, Jenni says, closing the trunk. It’s been a long time since we did that with everything that’s happened.

- It was you who didn’t come back with me in December, Lucy replies. But if you want, you can come with us, Lucy offers. We will definitely leave the first week of the April holidays, but that remains to be confirmed.

- That would be cool! I agree. I would feel less alone, I joke.

- So yes. Know that Ona is really scared of meeting my parents, Lucy teases, making me blush.

I was panicking too. After what she told me, she never introduced someone after Keira. I can imagine that I would be the center of all their attention to ensure that I wouldn’t harm their daughter. In itself, I can’t blame them. I would have been the same and that’s what terrifies me.

- Well, at the same time, there’s a lot going on with Diane, Jenni laughs. Does she at least know that you have someone new in your life? It’s been a long time since you introduced someone to them.

- Since Keira, she murmurs. They don’t know about Ona yet, but I was planning to tell them over the phone in the next few days.

- I feel like you’re going to get a good scolding, she mocks. How long has it been since you called them? Knowing you, you’re still avoiding them like the plague, right ?

- Oh stop it. I avoid them much less than you avoid yours. I call them every weekend since... Well, every weekend except last weekend. She might have noticed that I’m hiding something from her, and I didn’t want to tell her about Ona right away. Anyway, did you know that your parents asked about you? she smiles amusingly at this news.

- Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me, she grimaces. But with all the organization and everything, I was pretty busy. That’s why I’m saying that maybe I should go back there, she giggles.

- You’d better call them more often, she scolds.

- You’re not in a position to preach to me. Start by telling her about Ona. You should know that the sooner the better. They’re just waiting for you to come back with someone.

- Hum, hum, she rolls her eyes.

- Hey guys, Aitana calls out to us, interrupting. Are we good to go?

Yeah, we’re good, Jenni confirms. Let’s get going before we get yelled at again, she tells us with a little laugh.

- That would be the height of irony since we were always the first this week.

We laugh as we get into the car. As on the way, we take off our jackets to be more comfortable, and Jenni hurries to turn on the heater. After Jenni checks the other cars, she opens the road as it’s still us who have the GPS. I look back with a slight pang, but I forget it very quickly the moment Lucy rests her hand on my thigh.

- Anyway, in all this, Ona, I confirm that you have reason to worry, she jokes. Diane will be relentless with you, believe me.

- Hey, Lucy replies upon seeing my face. She’s already quite panicked like that. Don’t make it worse. I would have preferred if you reassured her.

- Do you want to know the truth? she asks me.

- Because that wasn’t the truth?

- Yes, she laughs. But what you really need to know is that Lucy’s parents are adorable deep down. They’re just worried about her, so they’ll simply make sure that you deserve her. To do this, you’ll certainly have to go through a very thorough questionnaire, and they’ll definitely check your background—

- Jenni! Are you out of your mind?

- What? We both know they’d be capable of that, she snorts. No, seriously Ona, knowing you, they’ll adore you once they get to know you, believe me.

Lucy sighs before resting her hand again on my thigh. Looking at her now, I almost feel like she’s more stressed than me about this meeting. Maybe if she wants to take me right away, it’s to do it as quickly as possible like Jenni said earlier? I won’t hesitate to ask her. Anyway, I would follow her to the other side of the world if necessary. She has already done so much for me, so I wouldn’t hesitate to return the favor. However, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m totally panicked and if it were up to me, I would have gone back to Barcelona to spend my days studying for my exam.

- Everything will be fine, OK? she finally tells me. It will be the rest of the world against the two of us, in any circumstance.

This sentence may be cliché—and I hate it so much—but coming from Lucy, it's just adorable. I link my hand with hers and bring it to my lips to kiss the back of it.

- I know, I murmur before taking a deep breath. Anyway, you’re going to come with us too, right? So maybe they’ll have other distractions since it seems like Jenni hasn’t come back in a long time.

My subject change ended up easing the atmosphere. We laugh under the groans of the driver of the car.

- The worst is that she’s probably right.

I smile, staring outside. After all, it’s not really a bad idea this vacation. I’m going to have to face her parents sooner or later, and I’m happy to return to Portugal. It’s been a while since I last set foot there, me too. I miss my country. Maybe I’ll ask her to stop in my city as well...

Friday, February 19; 9:30 PM - Manchester.

I can’t take it anymore. I’m literally exhausted. In a good way, of course. Since it was mealtime upon our return, we all stopped at a pizzeria again to grab a bite. It’s been about an hour since we ate, and we’re now chatting. Most of our conversations are about our stay. Unlike in the Alps, there’s no more snow here, but it has been transformed by rain. Lucy told me she got used to this city, but I still wonder how. Maybe the weather will warm up now. I blink several times to stay awake. I try to follow what’s being said while being completely slumped over Lucy. A little more and I’m lying on her.

- Do you want to go home? she whispers to me.

- Hum, hum.

I shake my head, sinking into her neck. I don’t want to ruin the evening because of me. Everyone still seems to have their heads in the living room. We've done so many things that there's a lot to talk about. Lucy kisses the top of my head, holding me close.

- We’re going to go home.

No, I mumble.

- "Yes, let's go home," she giggles. "I don't exactly want to carry you all the way to my apartment."

- "I'm fine," I mumble. "I'm not that tired..."

I try to sit up, but she firmly keeps me against her.

- "You're allowed to be tired, babe. We've had a long week."

I smile at the thought. We definitely had a long week. Between parties, hikes, and activities, I don't know where my head's at anymore. Lucy had promised we'd go sledding, and that's what we did yesterday on our last day. Afterward, we stopped by a chalet for hot chocolate and ended the evening in the pool. It was the perfect way to unwind one last time. I didn’t expect to be this exhausted, though. There were nights when we didn’t get much sleep, but I should be used to short nights by now.

- "Alright, everyone," Lucy says to the others. "Any volunteers to drive us home?" she asks.

- "We’ll take you," Jenni teases. "We’re falling asleep too."

Eventually, everyone agrees to head back. I was surprised to find out it was already nearing ten o'clock. Suddenly, I didn’t mind going home. I thought it was much earlier. I struggle to get up, barely managing to stay on my feet, which seems to amuse Lucy.

- "It’s not funny," I mumble with a small smile.

- "Do you want me to carry you?" she teases.

- "No, and stop mocking me," I complain.

- "Oh, by the way, we didn’t get a chance to talk about the girls' night," Mapi says, approaching us.

- "You can talk about it tomorrow. She won't remember anything tonight," Lucy laughs.

I groan again, giving her a gentle push. Bad idea. Not only does she barely move, but I also stumble. Without another word, Lucy lifts me into her arms, making me let out a small cry of surprise. It was the last thing I expected her to do after joking about it. I smile as I relax against her, no longer finding the strength to protest. It takes just a few minutes for sleep to take me.

Saturday, February 20; 3:00 PM - Manchester Supermarket.

I sigh for what feels like the hundredth time as I push the cart. Whose idea was it to do the shopping the day after a vacation? Especially on a Saturday. It’s packed with people. This isn’t exactly how I imagined getting back to normal life. At least I got a good ten hours of sleep last night... I could’ve easily slept ten more.

- "I’m sore all over."

- "Are you done complaining? You've been doing that since you woke up," Lucy teases.

- "I’m sleep-deprived. I don’t really understand why you volunteered us to do the shopping. The others volunteered too. We could’ve spent the day on the couch!"

I’m starting to think it was a mistake to agree to this evening so soon. I should have known that with Mapi, everything would need to be meticulously organized, and that’s exactly what happened. This morning, during breakfast, she called me bright and early. Before her call, Lucy had confessed that she wanted to bring it up last night, but I fell asleep before she could. Mapi didn’t hesitate to remind me, teasing me about it. I laughed it off, so I can't really be mad at her. It’s something that’s never happened to me before. Then again, we didn’t get much rest during the vacation. We scheduled the girls’ night for tonight. I would have preferred to move it to tomorrow, but Lucy and her friends will be heading to The United while I’m out.

- "I’m starting to think I should have let you sleep in that restaurant last night instead of carrying you. And to think I said I wouldn’t do it."

I gasp, lightly hitting her arm.

- "It’s not my fault I was completely exhausted. You would’ve dared?"

- "Hmm... I would have if you were acting like you are now. You wanted this girls' night tonight, so own it."

- "Listening to you, it sounds like you're not too thrilled about it."

- "Don’t put words in my mouth," she sighs.

- "Then what? Are you going to say it’s my fault again? I consulted you, and we didn’t really have a choice since you’re also going out to your bar."

- "That’s not what’s bothering me right now."

- "Then what? Are you going to blame me for agreeing to a girls’ night? Did you not want me to?"

I ask, feeling a bit panicked. What if that’s it? I barely consulted her, but she said it was fine yesterday. At least, it seemed like tonight worked for everyone since she’ll be out with Jenni and Ingrid while I’m with the girls.

- "Of course not. It’s not about the night out. It’s you making a fuss about these groceries that’s irritating me. That’s all."

- "Well, the others could’ve handled it. Mapi and even Ale offered to help."

- "We needed some groceries anyway. Besides, Jenni’s going to start working solo on our room, so I owe her since she’s already doing a lot. And as for the other two, I don’t trust them with the shopping list. You know what I mean?"

I swallow the words I was about to throw at her. I’m such an idiot sometimes. I should know by now that most of her decisions are well thought out.

- "Sorry," I mumble. "I get it now, but I was just expecting we’d spend the day on the couch, so I’m frustrated."

- "It’s fine, I know. We’ll have time for that too. I promise, babe."

- "Yeah, well, I’m afraid we won’t have much time left, you know? Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a chance to relax?"

- "Are you going to tell me you regret last week?" she challenges, raising an eyebrow.

- "Of course not... Alright, have you finished contradicting me just to change my mind?"

Lucy laughs as she continues filling the cart that I’m pushing. Some of it’s for us, and the rest is for tonight, as she mentioned earlier. We’re staying at Jenni’s apartment, so we needed to buy stuff since she’s low on supplies too. We decided to make pizza, so we bought what we needed, as well as some drinks. In the end, I’m glad we’re taking care of it. At least I know what we’re buying, and if it helps the others out, then all the better.

- "Nope. It’s actually pretty funny," she teases with a small smile. "Anyway, how about we grab some things for a movie night tomorrow, hmm?"

I was about to pout, but Lucy knows just how to talk to me to avoid that, it seems. I nod enthusiastically.

- "That sounds tempting, for sure."

- "We can finally finish the Harry Potter series after all this time."

- "You’re the best."

- "Alright, let’s finish these groceries then. We’re almost done."

Now that I look into the cart, I realize that Lucy had already started picking up stuff for tomorrow. I smile, amazed at how she always manages to distract me. It’s incredible.

- "Hey, you’re not really mad at Mapi, right?"

- "Why do you ask? I thought everything was settled."

- "I thought so too. It was just a question based on your remark yesterday. She blamed me for talking to you," she giggles.

- "Oh. I was just joking. I thought you guys understood that."

- "I did. I just wanted to make sure now that we’re alone."

- "Mapi is your friend, Ona. Like I said before, we’ve settled our differences. As long as she stays honest with you, I’ll appreciate her."

- "Even if she makes me drink tonight?"

- "Well, I’d rather not talk about that."

I laugh, knowing exactly what she’s thinking. She really doesn’t like it when I drink. Keira must have really left a mark on her in that regard.

- "I’m kidding. I promise it won’t be a wild night. Alexia didn’t seem to want that, and with what you picked out, I doubt we’ll get drunk."

I say, glancing into the cart. There are mostly beers, two bottles of low-alcohol liquor, and some soft drinks. I don’t think we’re at risk of getting drunk with this.

"And what do you plan to do tonight? Do you have any plans yet? »

My smile widens. She just can’t help but be curious. Even though she told me this morning, and just repeated, that she didn’t want to know anything about tonight.

- "I have no idea. We’ll probably talk a lot. Anyway, you’ll be looking for me tonight, so there’s no risk of anything happening to me, right?"

- "Don’t be so sure. If I find you drunk, I’ll make you run beside the car on the way home to burn off the alcohol."

I burst out laughing. The craziest part is that she really would do it.

- "Well, we’ll try to avoid that, huh?"

- "It’s up to you to avoid it, sweetheart," she replies with a wink. "Come on, let’s check out. When we get home, we can prepare the room for your brother, get the snacks ready, and finally relax. I’m starting to get tired too."

- "It’s about time," I giggle.

- "What can I say? I guess I have more stamina than you," she teases.

- "Yeah, well, not all of us are as athletic as you," I retort with amusement.

- "True," she smiles. "But even the best can get tired."

- "What nonsense! I never said you were the best."

- "I don’t need you to say it. I know it myself, and that’s enough," she boasts.

I laugh, giving her shoulder a gentle push. Her smile widens, making mine grow too. She’s joking when she says that, but she probably doesn’t realize how true her words are. She’s such an amazing woman, and I feel like she doesn’t even see it. I can’t wait to get home and hibernate on the couch with her.