#can't they just all hold hands and share the final trophy

[missnxthingg]

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 - 𝐹𝑂𝑈𝑅

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 - Lando Norris x Single Mom!Reader (Best friends to lovers) 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 - Lando and Y/N have always been the best of friends, always there for each other through thick and thin. After years of sharing the paddock and building their own silly little family, both of them just can't hold their feelings inside anymore, even though they're are both afraid it would ruin their friendship. So who'll take the first step? 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 - 6.1 K | 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 - A few swearing and self depreciating behaviour, but this is a very very cute chapter as well! 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 - We're almost done with the series 😭 only two more chapters to go. But I got so attached to it, I'm not ready to say goodbye

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“Shh, keep your voice down”, Y/N said to Lando as they were about to open the door to her house. It was late night at London, and she was pretty sure Olivia was already put to bed by her mother, as usually. But she was surprised when they entered the house, finding her daughter almost tripping on her feet and sliding on the wooden floors with her socks, rushing to the front door.

“Uncle Lando!”, she shouted, jumping into his arms. “You won!”, she cheered, making him smile with how excited she was to see him. Lando buried his face in her hair, taking in all the glory of having Olivia so proud of him.

“I won! Did you see that I dedicated my win to you?”

“Yes, I did”, she smiled, resting her tiny hands on each of his cheeks and squishing them. Lando had the biggest and most genuine smile plastered on his face, one that he has reserved only for Ollie.

Y/N’s mother appeared right behind them with a tired smile. Apparently, the little one has been giving her grandmother a hard time since Lando crossed the finish line in Miami. By now, it’s been more than 24 hours since it happened, and Ollie was still all hyped about the win. 

“She has been non-stop since yesterday. It was hard to put her to sleep last night, and today hasn’t been much easier”, her grandmother said, approaching the trio and pressing a kiss on top of her daughter’s head. “But it was cute to see her this excited about something. She really is your biggest fan, Lando”.

“Oh, I know it”, he assured. “She’s my lucky charm too”, he brushed the tip of their noses together, feeling happy to be reunited with his little girl.

“No kisses for mummy?”, Y/N complained, and Lando helped Ollie get closer to her mother. The little girl pressed a kiss to her mum’s cheek, but wasn’t really interest on giving me much attention. Her tiny arms quickly wrapped around Lando’s neck as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Fine, he’s the star of the moment, anyway”.

“I’ll take care of her. Try tiring her down”, he said. “Thank you so much for taking care of her, Mrs L/N”.

“Anytime, grand prix champion”, she smiled at Lando, who also earned a big kiss from her as well, making him blush with the gesture. Getting praise for Y/N’s mother, the woman who raised the love of his life, was better than any trophy. “And congratulations on your win. Hope you partied a lot yesterday”.

“We even missed our flight”, Lando laughed, looking back at Y/N, who tried her best to hide the embarrassment she was feeling at the moment. They only got to London so late because, in the heat of the moment, they forgot to set their alarms, waking up only at 1pm, missing not only their flight, but also the hotel’s breakfast and lunch.

“Sorry”, she scrunched her nose at her mother, who laughed at her reaction, shrugging the excuses off, knowing her daughter needed to live a little from time to time. Lando quickly entered the living room, ready to try tiring Olivia down in order for them to go to bed. Y/N’s mother read her daughter's expression and simply knew something had changed. It was the way they were glowing that gave it away.

“Did you finally confess your feelings for him?”, she whispered, being very direct about her question. Y/N’s eyes widened, and her entire face felt like it was on fire. 

“Mum! Oh my God, shut up”, Y/N said, but her mother smiled maliciously, already knowing what that reaction meant.

“Just so you know, I think Lando’s perfect for you. And if something did happen between you, well... you have my full support”.

Y/N’s mother has known for a long time that her daughter is in love with her best friend. And Lando was such a good man for both of her girls. If there was someone she trusted to take care of them, it was him. So, secretly, she has been praying for them to finally admit their feelings for once.

“I’ll catch you up with everything another time. I still have things to figure out”, Y/N assured. “Thank you so much for taking care of Ollie once again. I love you”.

“Love you too, darling. I’ll see you before you head to Italy next week”.

Once they were left alone, Y/N finally entered her house properly, finding Lando sitting in the darkness of her living room, being only lit up by the television light. Olivia was sitting on his lap, her head peacefully resting over his chest as they whispered and talked with each other. He was running his hand through her hair as she told him every detail of her weekend. Then, Y/N noticed what her daughter was wearing: her butterfly pyjama trousers and her McLaren shirt with a big NORRIS 4 printed on the back. What a sight it was to admire.

She leaned against the frame of the living room’s door, silently observing the scene unfold in front of her, trying to go unnoticed by her daughter. Olivia slowly grew tired under Lando’s touch and closed her eyes, falling into deep sleep in the safeness of his hold. Once she was finally convinced the little girl had fallen asleep, Y/N took a seat next to her best friend and cuddle onto his arm too. He pressed a kiss on the crown of her head and relaxed under her touch, feeling finally complete to be reunited with both of his favourite girls.

“She loves you so much”, Y/N also caressed her daughter's hair and admired her tiny carbon copy sleep so peacefully. “She didn’t even care about me, only her favourite uncle and his win”.

“Jealous?”, he joked, making Y/N giggle.

“A little. But I understand her. It’s hard not to love you”, Y/N flirted, making his smile wider. 

“I love you too”, he pressed a single and quick kiss to her lips, before turning his attention back to Olivia. She shifted on his lap, but snored in her sleep, too deep in dreamland to wake up.

“I don’t want to put her to bed”, Lando confessed. “I want to stay with her all night. I missed her so much”.

“She can sleep with us tonight”, Y/N assured, making him smile with the suggestion. He thought back to their night in Australia, when he got to end the day with both of his girls at the same time, and how happy that made him. Getting to experience this again, specially after last night, just hits different.

“Okay, let’s go then. I know we’re both tired from the flight”.

Ollie peacefully slept in her mother’s bed as Lando and Y/N took a quick shower after the flight, wanting to get to bed freshly after washing the tiredness away. They showered together, without any second intention behind it, just to save some time. And it felt so natural and intimate for them, like they had been doing it for years. It’s crazy how things simply work when they are together.

Quickly, they were back into bed, cuddled together with Ollie in the middle. Lando kept running his hands through his goddaughter’s hair, finding it so cute to see how serene she looks when she’s sleeping.  

“The way you look at her…”, Y/N commented, with the biggest smile on her face.

“She’s everything to me”, Lando assured, his eyes never leaving Olivia. “I remember the first time I ever held her in the arms, and she sighed a little in her sleep, reacting to my touch. I felt so happy to have her there with me, after so many months anticipating her arrival. That moment, I vowed that I would do everything in my power to protect and make her happy until the day that I die”.

“You make her the happiest”, Y/N said. “You’re the closest thing to a dad she has ever had in her life. And I’m glad that you are. Because having someone like you, loving her so much like this and making sure she’s happy, protect, safe… She deserves it all and more”.

“I never thought it was fair that Olivia’s father was never even interested in meeting her, because she's the best little girl in the world. And he doesn’t know what he’s missing. She’s the most funny and intelligent kid to ever be born. The entire joy and brightness in the world. If I were him, I would regret missing out on all of this”.

“I think she’s better off without him as well”.

“I think so too, don't get me wrong”, he justified. “It's just… I wanted her to have a happy, complete family, as I do. I vowed to do anything for her because she deserves a mum and dad that loves her with her whole heart. Such a pure and loving kid doesn’t deserve to feel like something is missing”.

“You never made her feel that way”, Y/N reassured Lando, now with her eyes brimming with tears. “She feels so loved and full because of you”.

“No, baby, it’s all because of you”, he smiled, brushing his thumb on Y/N’s cheek. “You did the best job as a mum. I was just here to help out and give her all the love she can get. But you… well, you were the one to raise Ollie, to turn her into the most amazing little girl in the world. I am so proud of you”.

“You’re going to make me cry”, Y/N confessed, already wiping tears from her eyes.

“It’s okay, I’m crying too”, he giggled, his eyes brimming with tears after the words he said. “I love you both, so much. You save me every day”.

“We love you too, Lando”.

Not long after that, he fell into deep sleep, which Y/N noticed because he started with his signature snoring a few minutes later. But she remained wide awake through the whole night, finally having time to process everything that had happened in the past 24 hours. Now looking at Lando, sleeping with his arms draped around Olivia and touching the skin of her arm, she thought life couldn’t get more perfect than that.

Last night in Miami had been everything she wished for. And she was glad it continued the next morning, when they were properly sober, but Lando was still willingly kissing her and showering her with all the love he could give. But what did that mean for them? Were they a couple from now on? 

Y/N fell asleep without an answer. And she didn’t really have an answer for weeks after that, because they didn’t talk about it ever again. Lando still kissed her behind closed doors, and she was even considering maybe asking McLaren to stop booking her a hotel room, because she basically ended up sleeping with him anyway. He continued saying he loved her every moment he could and was now spending more time in her place than his own after the races.

To be fair, she didn’t blame him for the lack of communication between them. After Miami, McLaren skyrocketed into the championship, getting closer and closer to properly fighting Red Bull for the win; yet, Lando still couldn’t take another win. He almost did in Imola, but in Monaco he didn’t even get to step on the podium. Then he got stuck in P2 in Canada and lost his pole position to Verstappen in Spain. The long strike of ‘almosts’ were consuming Lando, and Y/N didn’t want to put their relationship into discussion to make him more stressed. 

The triple header was especially hard for Lando, because all the tension from the season, combined with all the travels, intense routines and different time zones, were making him sick. Their first night in Barcelona, she spent almost completely awake by his coughing through the night. On Sunday, after he lost his pole position to Max Verstappen on the first corner, he started burning in fever, making her change her flight from London to Monaco, where she could take proper care of him before Austria.

It didn’t help at all that he did not finish the race in the Red Bull Ring after another collision with Max. Lando blamed himself too much when things go wrong, and it was taking a toll on him. And that night, Y/N saw something that only happens on very rare occasions, behind closed doors: him crying.

“Oh, baby, don’t be so hard on yourself”, Y/N held his face between her hands and whipped off the tears that were streaming from his eyes. He sobbed a little, feeling a little better to have her there with him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, I just want you”, he sobbed, pulling her for a hug. Lando buried his face on her belly and cried under her touch, because he felt protected. With Y/N, he could be vulnerable.

“It could be good for you to talk about it”, she tried, running her hands through his curls. “You can just talk, and I won't reply, if you want”.

“Yeah, that would be cool”, he said. “I don't want you trying to come with excuses of why I'm not a loser”.

“Oh, my love”, she lowered herself to his eye level and cleaned his tears with her thumbs. “Don’t say that”.

“Y/N…”, he started, reminding her of the agreement they made a few seconds ago. She nodded in agreement, pressing a kiss on his cheek, encouraging him to talk.

“I fucking suck”, he complained. “I know McLaren is doing great and that I'm not meeting everyone’s expectations right now. I wasted my pole in Spain and today, I didn't finish the fucking race. And I'm so tired, of all the travelling and being away from home. I miss my mum and dad. I miss my siblings. I miss Olivia more than anything in the world. I just want to go home”.

“We'll be home tomorrow”, she assured him. “And Ollie will be waiting for you so we can go golfing, and your parents are coming to London to spend time with us. Your family will always get your back”.

“I know”, he smiled weakly. “I love you so much. And thank you for just listening. I'm sick and tired of people wanting to have a say in my life”.

“You just needed to vent”, she sat next to him and pulled him into a side hug. “And you know that I'm always here to listen, because I love you more”.

“I think that's impossible, beautiful”, he cracked a genuine giggle, pulling her for a kiss, wanting nothing more than to just feel her for a second. 

“Let's go get things ready to go home”, she tugged his shirt, pulling him out of their bed. “Oscar and the team are waiting for us to fly home”.

Lando wished he was absolutely happy to be back home. But he was exhausted, and the entire week he spent in London, he stayed buried inside home, needing this time to recharge his energies and move onto the next race. His entire family came visiting after Y/N asked them to come in hopes to make him feel better.

It did help. Adam came almost every day for lunch and kept Lando distracted most of the time. But Olivia always kept him occupied, being his biggest fan and dragging him around the house to play with her. Cisca often came as well, and even prepared a special dinner to cheer him up, thinking maybe her son would find comfort in her food.

But no one helped him as much as Olivia did. After school in the morning, she’d spend the entire afternoon at home now that she had someone to look after her. So while Y/N was away working at the MTC, Lando would stay at home having fun with her goddaughter. But even the moments with his favourite little girl weren’t doing much to light up the mood.

One night that week, Y/N was cooking them dinner while Ollie was watching a movie in the living room. Lando arrived frustrated after a quick meeting with the team, shedding some shy tears when he came inside the house. When he found the little girl in the living room, he simply curled into Ollie’s hold and didn’t let go off her for the rest of the night.

She most definitely noticed that her uncle wasn’t his happy and bubbly self. So Olivia found her simple way to make him feel a little better by rolling her tiny fingers through his curls. Lando had been resting his head over her lap and relaxed her touch.

“Why are you so sad, uncle Lan?”, Ollie asked, making him look up at her through his lashes. Lando got a hold on one of her hands and held it gently, rubbing circles on its back. “Is it because of the crash?”

“Yeah”, he admitted, not wanting to explain how bigger this whole thing was to him. It was more than the crash, but Ollie wouldn’t understand that. “But I'll be okay. Just need to be with you and mummy for a second”.

“Don't be sad. Mummy and I love you”, she lowered her head to give him a kiss and it made his heart warm, and he cracked the first big and genuine smile the whole weekend. 

“I love you too. Both of you, baby girl”, he assured, having a quick glance at Y/N, that was under his view on the kitchen. Everything would be okay, as long as they had his girls.

Silverstone came quickly after those few days home. Even though he always loved his home race, along with the energy of the fans, it was stamped on his face how much he needed a break. All Lando could think about was summer break and how much he wanted to make this one special.

Even though he was having probably one of the worst weekends of his life, all he could think about was Y/N. The past few months next to her have been more than amazing, beyond his biggest wishes. She was the only constant in his life lately, and Lando wanted for it to be that way until his last breath. It’s been too long since they got together, and he still didn’t make things official.

Lando didn’t want to make their turning point as a couple something as simple and ordinary as a quick talk during the day. He wanted to make it special, and he has been planning on a way to make it happen for a long time. All Y/N had to do is agree.

“What do you think about spending some time in Spain during the break?”, he asked Y/N, as they were getting ready for the press conference in Silverstone. She was taking care of his curls, as usual, in his driver's room, and arched her eyebrows at his suggestion. “You, me and Olivia. A family holiday”.

“It would be nice”, Y/N smiled. “But remember, my break isn't as long as yours. I still have work to do”.

“But you do have a week off, and we can enjoy that”, he suggested. “I feel like we could all use some recharging somewhere nice and hot. I was thinking Mallorca”.

“Carlos used to say it was a nice summer destination”, she said, running her hands through his curls. “Then you'll go back to Monaco?”

“I was thinking about staying here. Not in your house, if you don't want to, but in England”.

“If you don't stay in my house, I'll be offended”, she joked, making him giggle.

“Then I'll stay right here with you”, he bumped her nose with his finger  and smiled. “Mallorca then. I'll book us a hotel”.

“Perfect”.

Lando had a lot of summer breaks around the world, partying in the best clubs in Europe and having the time of his life with his friends and girls. But nothing ever beat how good it felt to have a time off with his family, watching Ollie playing on the sand while getting tanned next to Y/N on a calm beach, away from mayhem and any cameras that would ruin their privacy.

“Can you put sunscreen on my back?”, Y/N pulled Lando out of his thoughts, extending him the tube of sunscreen. He promptly nodded and stood up, ready to help her.

He gently applied the product on her skin, feeling its warmth on his hands, making him smile. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him, making him blush under her glance.

“I love you. Have I told you that today?”

“No, not today”, he said, and she leaned to give him a quick peck. “I love you too”.

“Your face is getting red. Let me put some sunscreen on your face”.

Y/N dabbed a few dots of sunscreen on Lando's face and before she could spread it, Olivia rushed to them and jumped over his lap.

“Come play with me, uncle Lan”.

“Let mommy just put some sunscreen on my face, baby”, he said.

“Do you want to do it, love?”, Y/N asked, and Ollie nodded excitedly, using her little fingers to carefully spread the dots on his face. “Good job, Ollie”.

“My girls, always taking such good care of me”, Lando cheered. “I love you so much”.

“I love you, uncle Lan”, Olivia hugged him and pressed lots of kisses on his cheek. “Come play with me”.

“Let's go, my love”.

Lando held Olivia's tiny hand and they walked together towards the shore, where she was building her sandcastle. Y/N stayed behind and took some pictures of them playing together. He helped his goddaughter put sand inside the beach bucket and then decorate it with more sand. Ollie listened carefully to his tips and followed his steps to work together as they giggled with their job. Y/N joined them shortly after, taking some pictures from up close, just to have that moment registered forever.

“Do you like it, momma?”, Olivia asked, pointing to their creation.

“Very much, baby. You did a good job”, Y/N praised, pressing herself on Lando's side and earning a long kiss on her temple. “Can I join you?”

“Always”, Lando said, giving her a shovel to join their work.

Lando and Y/N tired Olivia down to the point where she fell asleep in the longue chair, covered with a towel, as the sun setted on the ocean. The couple sat a little bit further, with their feet dipped inside the water, as they watched the day ending together. She rested her head on his shoulder and he pressed kisses on top of her head, feeling a peace he hasn't felt in a really long time.

"This is the most perfect summer break ever", he admitted. "I don't know why we had never done it before”.

"No, but we did. Remember when we took Ollie to Brighton with your brother?”

"Yeah, but it wasn't a proper vacation, to a nice beach and a nice hotel”, he said. "I'm just glad to be here with you today. It means the world to me”.

"We're glad to be here too. Ollie is having the best time” she kissed his cheek, making him open the biggest smile. "Don't you miss partying in clubs, golfing with your friends and everything?”

"I miss golfing, but not so much partying", he said. "I would rather be here with my family than with people who couldn't care less about me".

Lando took advantage of their alone time, with no kids and no prying eyes, to kiss her. He gently held her chen and pulled her closer, locking their lips together and savouring the softness in her touch in the calmness of the beach. 

"You know, I wow, thinking about the moment we met in the past few days", Lando started, breaking their kiss. “You looked just as lost as me at the MTC, scared to be stepping into unknown waters, just like me. But you cracked a laugh when I made you a joke".

"It made me relax. I was so tense on my first week in McLaren”, she remembered.

"It was so easy for us to become friends. I don't even remember a day I went on without talking to you”, he laughed. "I adored you so much that I never wanted to be away from you. Not for a second at least”.

"Well, the first time I was on track was because you begged Zak to bring me along", she giggled. "Even though I was just the social media kid”.

"I wanted you there for me in Silverstone, because it was pointless to be with my entire family, but not be with my favourite person in the world”. 

“I was your favourite person back then?”

“You've always been”, he smiled brightly. “I think back to all the moments we've shared in the past few years and realize that you have always been the happiest part of them all”.

“Even through rough times?”

“Especially through rough times”, Lando admitted. “You've taken care of me like no one ever did. You taught me how to feel safe, how to be vulnerable. How to feel and show love. You are the most important person in my life, Y/N. You're home, even when I'm far away from home. And you've given me a family that makes me feel so happy”.

“You know I do all of this because I love you”.

“I love you too”, he replied. “And that's why I think we're ready to take the next step, even though we were taking things slow”

Lando promptly got up from his place and went to search for his wallet inside Y/N's purse. He had sneaked a ring inside it earlier, and was now kneeling in front of her, holding the jewellery with a tiny pink rock on top of it.

“A promise ring?”, she chuckled. “I feel like a teenager again”.

“I thought that an engagement ring would be too far gone”, Lando giggled. “But this is a promise that I will love you for eternity. And this is me asking you to be my girlfriend, officially this time. With the cute coupley photos on Instagram, openly holding hands in the paddock and sharing a house, maybe”.

Y/N was speechless with his words, and Lando started to worry when she didn't say anything. He could see the panic on her face.

“You don't want to be my girlfriend?”, he frowned.

“Of course I do, Lando. I want to be your girlfriend more than anything in the world”, she delicately held his face between her hands and sighed. “It's just… I've been thinking a lot about us lately, and I realized that if we're going to give this a try, you have to know that Olivia will always be a part of the equation”.

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means that if you agree to jump into this relationship, I need you to be aware that Ollie will always come as a part of the package”, she said. “I can’t jump into a relationship, make her get attached to a boyfriend of mine, only to have him run away from our lives because he's not ready for the fatherly commitments”.

Lando nodded in understatement, and let her continue talking. “I know you love Olivia, and I have no doubt that you'll always be there for her when she needs it. But you need to understand that she will always come first. And I am not asking you to step into the father position, but I need to know that you're aware of this compromise and that you're okay with it”.

“Of course I'm okay with it. And I am ready for this responsibility”, he said, but Y/N shook her head, opening a sympathetic smile.

“Lan, I want you to think about these words, okay?”, she said. “I want you to reflect how these responsibilities will affect your life if we continue this, alright? And just know that I won't be mad if you decide that this isn't something you can do. I will always love you. But I need to take care of Olivia before anything. I can’t afford to have someone walking out of her life again”.

Lando took a deep breath, trying to assimilate the words she had just said. When it dawned on him, he felt proud of Y/N for putting Olivia before her own happiness. He would've done the same in her position.

“I promise to think about it with my whole heart”, he assured, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Because I love you and I love Ollie, and I want this to work out”.

“I know you will, and I know you do”, she leaned up and pecked his lips, smiling in the process. “You don't need to rush. Let's just continue with the way things are right now”.

And so they did, for the rest of the trip. And then again for the week they spent together in England. While Y/N worked for their return to Formula 1 from summer break, Lando took care of Olivia through her school break. He always planned ways to keep her entertained for the day, took care of her basic needs such as food, and showered her with all the love and attention he could give.

One day, when he had planned a golf day with his friends, Ollie woke up sick and burning in fever. Y/N was ready to call work to take care of her, but Lando cancelled his plans to stay home with his goddaughter.

“I promise to take good care of her while you're away”, he said, pressing a kiss on top of Y/N's head.

“But you were looking forward to this day with Max and the boys”.

“Yeah, but she's more important”, he smiled with the corner of his mouth. “I'll make sure she's okay and call you if it gets worse. Then, if you think it's necessary, we can take her to the hospital at night”.

“Alright”, she sighed. “Thank you so much. I promise to try being as quick as possible at work”.

“Don’t worry about it. She's in good hands”, Lando assured, taking a hold on her hand, making sure she was comforted enough to leave her daughter with him. She opened a small and sad smile, squeezing his hand twice before getting back to dressing up for work.

“I know she is”, she said, entering her bedroom, where Olivia was lying under the covers, concentrated on her favourite cartoon. Lando slipped into the blankets and enveloped her in a comforting hug. Ollie sighed as she rested her head on his belly and closed her fingers on his shirt, locking him closer to her.

Out the corner of her eyes, Y/N watched Lando run her hands through her daughter’s hair, who quickly fell asleep under his touch, as she changed her clothes to work. She quickly did a light makeup to leave the house and gathered everything she needed to drive to the MTC for the day. Then, once she was done, she sat next to Lando in bed, and he softly smiled at her.

“You’re making me want to still call-off work and stay cuddled with you all day”, she giggled. “But unfortunately, your image is a lotta work. So I have a few meetings to discuss your next media duties”

“Be kind to me and don’t get me in any boring media duties”, he asked. “And we’ll be here for when you get back. Now, kiss kiss, mama”.

Lando pouted, making Y/N giggle before kissing him gently on the lips. She finally relaxed under his touch, feeling like things were finally under control this morning. Of course, seeing Olivia ill always made her heart ache, but he would take good care of her.

Just the fact that he decided to sacrifice his entertainment, a day with his friends, made Y/N see him under different eyes. Maybe he really was thinking about what they talked about in Mallorca. And maybe he was already seeing the responsibilities that have talked about and was taking them.

Olivia always comes first.

“I’m taking the McLaren, by the way”, she winked at him as she exited the room, carrying her big Louis Vuitton bag, that had been a gift from her last year’s birthday from him, to which had already become a signature for busy work days. It would look perfect with his McLaren Artura, parked on the garage.

“Suit yourself. Just be careful or Zak will kill us both”, he asked, watching her walk away to get her day started.

Lando made sure to always have an eye on Olivia through the entire day. He kept her hydrated and fed as he checked on her temperature occasionally. Also, he showered her with all the love he could give, because with how little active she has been all day, it broke her heart to see her so bad. And by the time Y/N arrived home, Ollie’s fever was long gone and she was already feeling better.

“Thank you so much for taking care of her. It means a lot to me that you did”, Y/N’s lips curved into a small smile as she ran her fingers through his curls. 

“I’ll always be here for her. You know that”, he assured. “Now that she’s passed out in bed, I bought us dinner. Italian take out, your favourite. And made sure to get you some wine, because it must’ve been a stressful day”.

“Tell me about it”, Y/N laughed. “I actually save your ass from a very boring interview with a magazine. So you have a lot to thank me for”.

“My hero”, he wrapped his arms around her and guided her to the kitchen, where he served her with a good glass of wine. Then he served their food and they got to share their meal together.

“How was your day?”, she asked and he shrugged.

“It was alright. Definitely would much rather have played around the house with Ollie for the entire day. It hurts so much to see her so powerless. But I gave everything in me to make sure she was alright”, he said. 

“I don’t have words to thank you for today”.

“You don’t have to thank me for anything”, he assured. “I was thinking about what we’ve talked in Mallorca, about the commitment and having your entire life change for a kid. And I think I’m ready for this, you know? Today I understood when you said that Ollie comes first, and that she’s a priority”.

“Are you sure, Lan? You don’t actually have to decide now”.

“But I’m decided”, he prompted. “I love her so much, Y/N. And I want to be there for her every day. I know I’ve always been here somehow, but I’m ready to be her father, if you want me to. I don’t want to step too far into your lives, but I want to be in this position. I think I’ve always wanted to, actually”.

Y/N dropped her glass of wine and got up from the table, jumping into his arms and giving him the biggest kiss. Lando smiled between the kiss and deepened it just a few seconds later, pulling her into his lap and living that moment at its fullest.

“I love you so much”, she said, her eyes brimming with tears. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, and everything I ever wished for me and Ollie”.

“I love you too”, he replied. “And our family is the most important thing in my life. I’ll make sure you both always feel loved and protected under any cost”.

Later that night, when both of them went to bed, Y/N knew that things would finally be different for them. They wouldn’t have to hide this relationship from anyone, and they could finally be able to live their love freely. She couldn’t wait to shout to the world that Lando Norris was the love of her life, and that they were bound to be together forever.

⋘ 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 // 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 ⋙

𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 . 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

[troyo-boyo]

Grounded in Chaos (Paige Bueckers x Reader)

Summary:When Paige and her friend KK turn a quiet evening into chaos, you end up grounding Paige to get some peace for studying. But Paige's playful attempts at "responsibility" and her quirky distractions make for a funny and frustrating night, reminding you that even a grounding can't tame her energy.

Wordcount:2.9k

The sun had barely begun to set, casting warm hues of orange and pink across the sky, but inside your shared apartment, chaos reigned supreme. It was supposed to be a quiet evening, a time for you to focus on studying for your upcoming finals. Books, highlighters, and scattered notes covered every inch of the dining table, a testament to the academic war you were waging.

But peace and focus? Those had left the building the moment Paige Bueckers, your girlfriend, and KK Arnold, her partner in crime, decided to turn the living room into their personal playground. The sound of laughter, basketballs bouncing, and sneakers squeaking on hardwood echoed through the apartment, threatening to shred your last nerve.

You had tried to get used to this, tried to embrace it, even. Paige and KK had a dynamic that was infectious, their energy contagious in the worst and best ways. They'd been best friends for years, so their connection was like a magnetic force that never seemed to let up. Paige, with her easy confidence and her larger-than-life persona, was a force of nature in herself. KK, on the other hand, with her quick wit and an attitude that could melt anyone, made it impossible not to get swept up in whatever wild thing she decided to do next. It wasn't always easy to keep up with them, but you loved them—crazy as they were.

Still, tonight, you needed peace. You had an exam the next day and couldn't afford another round of procrastination. The hours you'd already put in should have been enough to make you feel confident, but the pressure to excel in every aspect of your life weighed heavily. That pressure was only made worse by the constant interruptions from the duo in the next room.

"Okay, okay, watch this," KK's voice rang out, filled with excitement.

You glanced up from your notes just in time to see KK toss a basketball in Paige's direction. Paige caught it effortlessly, grinning like the confident star she was, and immediately attempted a trick shot aimed at the laundry basket across the room.

The ball ricocheted off the rim of the basket, bounced off the wall, and narrowly missed your stack of notes. You froze, your pen hovering mid-air, as the ball rolled under the table.

"Oops," Paige said, biting her lip to stifle a laugh.

"Oops?" you repeated, your voice dripping with disbelief. "Paige, KK, I'm trying to study here!"

"Babe, you've been at it all day," Paige said, grabbing the ball and tossing it back to KK. "You need a break."

"Yeah," KK chimed in, dribbling the ball. "Come on, live a little! Finals will still be there tomorrow."

You clenched your jaw, trying to keep your cool. "If I fail because I didn't study, finals won't be the only thing I'm dealing with tomorrow. So please, can you two just... not?"

For a moment, they seemed to take your words seriously. Paige nodded solemnly, and KK mimicked the gesture, both of them wearing exaggerated expressions of mock remorse. You sighed, relieved that they were finally going to leave you in peace.

But, of course, it didn't last.

"Bet you can't bank it off the fridge," KK challenged Paige, holding up the basketball like a trophy.

"Oh, you're on," Paige shot back, her competitive spirit ignited.

"You have got to be kidding me," you muttered, dropping your pen and burying your face in your hands. The sound of the ball bouncing against the fridge and then the floor was the final straw.

"That's it!" you exclaimed, pushing back your chair and standing up. Both Paige and KK froze mid-laugh, the basketball caught awkwardly between them. You rarely got angry, but when you did, the temperature in the room seemed to drop, and both of them instinctively knew they had crossed the line.

"Uh-oh," KK whispered dramatically, her usual bravado noticeably shaken.

"Paige Madison Bueckers," you began, your tone firm and low, a sure sign you meant business. KK and Paige exchanged wide-eyed glances, their expressions a mix of fear and regret.

"I'm grounding you. You're grounded."

Paige blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What?"

"You heard me. You're grounded," you repeated, crossing your arms.

"Wait, can you even ground me?" Paige asked, her lips twitching as she tried to suppress a grin.

"I can, and I just did," you shot back. Your tone left no room for argument, and Paige's grin faltered slightly as she realized you were not messing around.

"What about basketball?" Paige asked, her tone suddenly serious.

You hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Fine. Other than basketball, you're grounded."

Paige exchanged a glance with KK, who looked like she was enjoying every second of this despite the palpable tension.

"Okay, so no TV," you continued.

Paige raised an eyebrow. "The TV's already broken."

You frowned. "Then no computer."

"I need the computer for school," Paige pointed out, her tone oh-so-reasonable.

You glared at her, searching for something—anything—to ban. "Then no, uh... no KK."

KK's eyes widened in mock horror. "What? No KK?"

"NO KK!" you repeated, pointing a finger at her for emphasis.

The room fell silent for a beat before Paige burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching her sides. KK looked between the two of you, her expression a mix of indignation and amusement, but she clearly understood you weren't in the mood for further antics.

"You can't just ban me," KK protested, albeit more cautiously than usual.

"I just did," you replied, your voice steady despite the ridiculousness of the situation. "No KK until I've finished studying."

Paige wiped a tear from her eye, still laughing, but her laughter was tinged with a nervous edge. "Oh my god, babe, you're the best."

"I'm serious," you said, glaring at both of them.

"Alright, alright," Paige said, holding up her hands in surrender. "We'll leave you alone. No more basketball, no more chaos. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," you muttered, sitting back down and picking up your pen.

For the next few minutes, the apartment was blessedly quiet. You managed to get through an entire page of notes without interruption, a feat that felt like a minor miracle. But just as you started to feel hopeful, you heard a faint whisper.

"Psst, KK," Paige whispered loudly.

"What?" KK whispered back, equally loud.

You looked up, narrowing your eyes. "What are you two doing?"

"Nothing!" they chorused, their faces the picture of innocence.

Moments later, a small paper airplane landed on your notes. You unfolded it to find a crude drawing of yourself, complete with steam coming out of your ears. Beneath it, Paige had written, We're sorry... kind of.

You couldn't help it—you laughed. "You two are impossible," you said, shaking your head.

"But you love us," Paige said, her grin wide and unrepentant.

"Unfortunately," you teased, rolling your eyes.

Despite the chaos, you couldn't deny that life with Paige and KK was never boring. Frustrating? Sure. Exhausting? Absolutely. But in the end, their laughter and love made every moment worthwhile even if it meant grounding your girlfriend and her partner in crime from time to time.

Just as you settled back into your study groove, the sound of KK whispering something mischievous to Paige snapped your concentration yet again. You slammed your notebook shut and stood up, your patience officially at zero.

"That's it. KK, out. Now," you declared, pointing toward the door.

"What? Me?" KK said, her voice a mix of shock and amusement. But there was a hint of hesitation, a flicker of genuine concern that showed she wasn't keen on pushing you any further.

"Yes, you," you said firmly. "You're officially evicted for the night. Go home. Do whatever you do when you're not here. Just let me study in peace!"

Paige burst out laughing again, but KK put on her best pout. "This is unfair. I thought we were friends."

"We are. And as your friend, I need you to leave before I lose my mind," you said, walking over to grab her jacket from the hook by the door.

KK reluctantly stood, taking her jacket with exaggerated slowness. "Fine, but just so you know, this is a betrayal I'll never forget."

"Oh, I'll sleep just fine," you said dryly, opening the door.

KK walked out, but not before turning back dramatically. "Paige, remember me. Tell my story."

"Get out!" you said, laughing despite yourself as you shut the door behind her.

The apartment fell into blissful silence. Paige leaned against the couch, still chuckling. "You're kind of scary when you're mad, you know that?"

"You should keep that in mind the next time you decide to turn the apartment into a gym," you replied, sitting back down. "Now, are you going to behave, or should I ground you again?"

Paige held up her hands. "I swear, I'll be good."

"Good," you said, picking up your pen again. "Because if I have to get up one more time, I'm grounding everyone in this building."

Paige laughed, but this time, she kept her promise, letting you study in peace at last.

Minutes later, the sound of soft footsteps caught your attention. You glanced up to see Paige slipping toward the door, clearly attempting to follow after KK.

"Don't even think about it," you warned.

Paige froze, her hand inches from the doorknob. "What? I was just—"

"If you leave out that door," you said, your voice dropping to an ominous calm, "I'll be talking to Coach about giving you extra suicides."

Paige's eyes widened, and she stepped back from the door immediately. "Okay, okay. Point taken. I'm staying."

"Good choice," you replied, turning back to your notes.

Paige flopped onto the couch, letting out a dramatic sigh. "You're terrifying sometimes, you know that?"

"And you're exhausting," you retorted, smirking. "Now sit down, be quiet, and let me study."

"Yes, ma'am," Paige muttered, grabbing a throw pillow and hugging it to her chest. For the first time all evening, silence finally reigned in the apartment.

A few moments passed before Paige broke the silence, her voice soft but filled with mischief. "Hey, babe..."

"Don't," you warned, but your smile betrayed your attempt at sternness. "Don't even think about it."

Paige laughed quietly, but complied, sinking deeper into the couch as she finally let you study in peace.

As you bent over your notes, the silence in the apartment stretched out longer than it ever had before. For a few minutes, you were able to concentrate, the weight of your looming finals feeling just a bit lighter. But then you felt it—the weight of Paige's gaze, pressing on you from across the room.

You glanced up from your textbook and found Paige sitting on the couch, her chin resting on her hand. Her eyes were wide and focused on you, but there was a distinct lack of interest. She was watching you study, not in an admiring way, but more in the way someone might stare at a TV show they don't really like but can't look away from.

"Are you... seriously just watching me study?" you asked, your voice laced with amusement.

Paige didn't respond immediately. Instead, she let out an exaggerated sigh, dramatically falling back onto the couch with her arms spread wide. "I don't know how you do it, babe. How can you just sit there for hours reading and writing and... whatever it is you do? It's like torture."

You couldn't help but laugh at her exaggeration. "I don't have a choice. Finals wait for no one."

"Yeah, I get that," Paige said with a half-hearted wave, "but this is boring. It's just... you're just sitting there, doing the same thing over and over. And I can't even bother you! You said I was grounded!"

You turned your attention back to your notes, fighting the smile tugging at the corner of your lips. "Exactly. You're grounded. You need to learn some discipline."

Paige groaned dramatically and rolled onto her side, her face buried in the couch cushion. "Ugh, this is like prison." She peeked up at you, her eyes twinkling. "Well, if I can't distract you, maybe I can just entertain myself in other ways."

You shot her a sideways glance. "What are you thinking?"

A mischievous grin spread across her face as she sat up. "Well, since I'm grounded, I guess I'll be productive too." She stood up, stretching dramatically. "I'll organize my life!"

You raised an eyebrow, unsure of where this was going. "Organize your life?"

Paige nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! Grounded or not, I've got to get things done." She grabbed a few items off the coffee table—a random assortment of books, clothes, and a couple of things you hadn't even noticed and started stacking them in strange, random piles around the apartment.

"Isn't that your pile of clothes that need to be folded?" you asked, squinting in confusion as she carefully placed it on the couch with a very serious look on her face.

"Exactly! I'm organizing," Paige declared. "And look, this pile of notebooks? This can be a bookshelf now." She stacked your textbooks one on top of the other, like a wobbly tower.

You could feel the corners of your mouth twitching as you watched her carefully make piles of the mess she had just created. It was almost like a game to her, one where she took the grounding seriously, but in a very "Paige" way.

"Well, I can't argue with your dedication," you said dryly, shaking your head.

Paige gave a mock salute. "Thank you, thank you. I do my best." Then she went over to the window, pulling the curtains closed before turning back with a puzzled expression. "Why is it that when you want to study, the world decides to have fun without you? Like, this should be a communal thing! We should all be focused and studying together, but no—here I am, stuck organizing random piles of stuff."

You stifled a laugh. "It's called 'discipline,' babe. Something you could learn a little more about."

"Ugh, I have plenty of discipline!" she replied, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. "I'm grounded. I'm not complaining. You're the one who grounded me! I'm just making the best of a bad situation."

You shook your head, finally giving in to the amusement bubbling inside. "I never thought you'd take grounding so seriously."

"I'm a responsible adult," Paige declared with exaggerated seriousness, though her eyes were full of mischief. "I take my responsibilities seriously."

You chuckled, feeling the tension of your studies easing just a little. As ridiculous as it was, Paige's attempt at being responsible and her newfound "organization skills" was distracting enough to break the monotony. It wasn't quite what you had imagined your study session would look like, but the amusement she brought was a welcome interruption.

Paige, growing bored of her self-imposed "organization," flopped back onto the couch again, but this time she kept a respectful distance. "Okay, okay. I can't do this anymore. Watching you study is like watching paint dry. I don't care how much of a genius you are, this is painful."

"Well, you're the one who's grounded. I'm studying. It's what responsible people do," you teased.

Paige poked her tongue out at you before snatching a cushion and tossing it at your head. "I know, I know. But you're so serious about it! This is your life now? Books, notes, and highlighters?"

"Unfortunately, yeah," you said, only half-kidding. "But once I finish studying, maybe we can actually do something fun."

Paige looked at you thoughtfully. "Yeah, yeah. I guess I can survive a few more hours of silence. As long as we get to go out and do something fun afterward, I'll suffer through this."

You gave her a pointed look. "No more distractions?"

She held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, fine! I'll behave. But only because I love you."

"And because you're grounded," you added with a smile, sitting back down and picking up your pen again.

Paige laughed softly, curling into the couch, still playing the part of the obedient, grounded girlfriend—at least for now. "Yeah, yeah, grounded. I'll be good."

For the next little while, the silence wasn't quite as peaceful as you'd imagined. It was a strange mixture of quiet focus and Paige's playful energy, still radiating in the background. But it worked. You managed to finish a few more pages of notes, and Paige seemed to settle into her self-imposed confinement, her boredom shifting from dramatic antics to occasional mutterings as she tried to occupy herself with her own brand of "responsibility."

As you closed your notebook, finished with your study session, you looked over at her. Paige had somehow turned the "grounding" into her own personal challenge and in a way, she had kept her word. Even if she hadn't exactly been a model citizen in the conventional sense, you couldn't deny that her presence, however unconventional, made the long study session feel a lot less grueling.

"All right, I'm done," you said, stretching. "We can finally take a break."

Paige jumped up from the couch, a wide grin on her face. "Yes! I've earned my freedom!"

"Just remember," you said with a smirk, "If I have to study again tonight, you're back to being grounded."

Paige held her hands up in mock surrender. "I've learned my lesson. I'll behave... mostly."

As you two left the apartment to enjoy the evening, you couldn't help but think that, as exhausting as it was, life with Paige and her colorful brand of "responsibility" was never boring.

[linamromero]

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄.

𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐚 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐚/𝐧: 𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭. 𝐥𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐚 𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 - 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑.

...

it happened again.

the team won the la liga for the season again. It was even better because your girlfriend alexia made her comeback after being out for nearly 10 months from a nasty knee injury.

you and alexia were celebrating on the way back to the changing room, clinging on to the trophy her hand on one handle and yours on the other, "nosotras somos las campeonas!”

"mi amiga!" patri sang the next lyric so she played the queen song on the speaker.

alexia pulled your body close to hers swaying to the music, you buried your face into her neck placing light kisses every once in a while, "amor!”

"sí?" you hummed sending vibrations through her body.

"i don't want to stay out late tonight, we can celebrate at home." alexia whispered stroking your hair.

"how would you like to celebrate at home?" you smirked playing dumb.

"i think you know." she murmured in your ear.

"venga lovebirds, have a beer!” mapi handed you both a bottle of estrella from her cubby.

"valé valé valé!" alexia put her hands up before taking her sweaty match shirt off.

you could help but stare a little too long before taking your own shirt off. the team sang and danced for a while before you decide to go home and get dressed up to go to manuelas.

you both got into alexia’s car and managed to get out of the car park before being swarmed by fans. the both of you took photos and signed items before leaving the premises.

once you got home, alexia went straight upstairs into your shared bedroom changing for a shower, “y/n cariño are you showering with me?”

"sí claro, stupid question bonita but we can't be long i promised patri i would pick her and piña up." you called up stair well.

"valé!”

you rushed into the master bedroom taking your shorts and sports bra off as you were eager to get to alexia. she was in the shower facing the wall you thought she looked good from behind. her ass is incredible.

you opened the glass shower door, she didn't even turn around so you approached her holding her hips, grabbing her bum lightly, "hola bonita." she greeted you.

you hummed in response kissing over her neck and across her left shoulder, you brought her arm up kissing all the way down her arm and down her hand to her index finger. alexia tilted your chin up to look at her in the eyes, bringing you close to her face connecting her lips with yours.

no words were shared, just through actions.

you managed to wash each other without getting too carried away, "can you pass me my towel amor?"

the midfielder wrapped a towel around you and her own around herself walking back into the master bedroom. you decided to dry and straighten your hair, leaving your natural freckles to sprawl themselves across your face only applying a little bit of mascara.

finally you decided to wear some caramel dress trousers and a white vest top paired with your dior high tops, gold rolex, cartier bangle and chunky rings.

your girlfriend decided on a black crop top with extra ties and a matching black ruched skirt. she left her hair looking wet pushed back out of her face, alexia put light eyeshadow on with lashes and a red lip, "what jewellery shall i wear?"

"definitely gold so maybe your hoops and the gold rolex i got you." you suggested, which she agreed putting them on.

"and my shoes?"

"your red jordans 100%." you implied.

"you have such good taste, i know i can count on you." alexia smiled kissing your lips lightly.

"ale!" You groaned.

"que?"

"you got your lipstick on me." she wiped your lips with her finger, "no kissing me all night."

"but y/n, that's gonna be so hard you look so good." alexia smirked.

“you’re just gonna have to behave."

"i will try my hardest ." alexia raised a brow grabbing her bag.

...

after the couple picked up patri and piña they drove to the open air restaurant, their head coach had invited the team out for a celebratory dinner.

of course they were the first of the players to arrive, alexia was always good with her timing, arriving first to everything.

"hola bona nit.” each of the greeted.

"sit, sit." he pointed at the rather long table.

you and alexia sat near the head of the table as the staff sat next to jonatan who was at the end with patri and piña sitting opposite you. once everyone arrived jonatan handed your girlfriend the trophy placing it in between you both.

"mi reina." You mumbled into alexia's ear, a smile appeared upon her lips.

"mi querida." she looked at you with loving eyes.

everyone had eaten and drinks were flowing, you were finishing third estrella whereas your girlfriend was finishing her fourth strawberry daiquiri. mapi danced over to the table with a large jug of sangria, "let's get this party started!"

you all cheered, mapi filling fresh wine glasses to the brim with the beverage. you placed your hand on alexia's bare thigh making her flinch at the coldness of your rings, "lo siento."

she brushed her thumb over your knuckle reassuring you that she was fine.

jonatan told everyone to grab a photo with the trophy in which you all did, "campeonas! campeonas !" cata and mapi started shouting dancing around with her flag that she bought with her.

eventually you all floated off to manuelas which you were looking forward to. As soon as you entered, you were stamped with a 'manuelas' tattoo and lots of stickers.

you got the love was playing a slowish song so you dragged your girlfriend to the dance floor slinging her arms around your neck. slowly dancing and singing the lyrics with your teammates.

she span her body around as antes de morirme started playing guiding your arms around her waist, you pulled her hips colliding them with yours. her skirt began to ride up as she grinded her backside into your crotch, “cariño."

she looked up at you with an innocent look on her face, "si mi amor?"

"i said behave." you bit your lip.

"i am not using my lips though am i?" alexia winked at you knowing that she was teasing you.

"bathroom. ahora." you grunted in her ear.

you got to the bathroom, other women were hooking up by the basins so alexia lead you into a cubical. you pushed her up against the door, exploring her exposed body in the limited space you had.

she returned the favour, flipping your body over onto the door, pulling your straps of your vest top down taking it off with your bra. alexia attached her lips to your neck, kissing and sucking at it moving down to your breasts, "ale."

she just looked at you innocently, "you want this right?"

you nodded in response and she set to work taking your nipple into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it adding a light suction. At this point alexia's lipstick had smeared all over your body but you were too busy to care.

"ale! y/n!" a voice called from outside the cubicle, of course it was ana.

her voice pulled you out of the messy fog, "yes what?"

"if your gonna have sex, go home." she yelled as you quickly put your clothes on and opened the door.

“how did you know?" alexia furrowed her eyebrows.

"look at the state of y/n for a start!” your body was absolutely covered in alexia's lipstick.

"ah well i-."

"save it, just go home i've ordered you an uber and pick your car up in the morning." ana said leaving the bathroom.

"gracias ana!" you pulled a face as you left the club.

"we can continue this at home, mi reina." you smirked getting in the taxi.

[gigglee-pup]

Asking for Help

A/N

I'm alive (somehow) and this time I've got a fic! Requests are still on hold for now and I apologize but I hope you guys enjoy this little snippet lmao. (This is my first tkl fic! please feel free to share advice and critiques!)

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Summary: Fan is in a HUGE lee mood. He asks Paintbrush for help! (albeit, very shyly)

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Fan had a bit of a dilemma.

Well, more of a huge dilemma.

As he sat chewing on his fingernails, the red tint on his face continued to grow darker. Why couldn't he stop thinking about it? Why couldn't he stop thinking about fingers scribbling across his stomach, digging into his ribs and wiggling-

Fan quickly snaps out of his thoughts as he hears the door to his shared room with Paintbrush open. Maybe he could ask them for help...? Fan shakes his head. No, he couldn't do that!

...Could he?

"Oh, hey Fan! Not hanging out in the lab today?" Paintbrush greeted, happy to see their partner after a particularly annoying art class. Though, it was only expected when Trophy was participating. "Oh, I- no- uh, hey there-!" Fan stutters out nervously, face still a bright hue of red. All he could think about was tickles!

Paintbrush, noticing his nervous response and flushed face, decides to question him, much to Fan's embarrassment. "Are you alright?" They question, placing a hand on their partner's shoulder as they sit next to him on the bed.

Fan jumps and squeaks at the contact, quickly covering his mouth as he looks away shyly. The taller, now visibly concerned, decides to ask again. "Fan, what's going on? Are you okay?" He quickly nods his head, assuring his partner that he's okay.

Fan brings his hands away from his face, opening his mouth to attempt to form his question, but nothing comes out. "Would it be easier to type it?" Paintbrush asks gently, smiling as Fan nods his head. They hand their phone to him, watching as he retypes his question trying to get the phrasing right. He hands the phone back before covering his face with his hands and burying his head in his knees.

"Will you tickle me? o///o"

Paintbrush smiles warmly at Fan's written request and drops the phone before dragging him onto their lap. Fan squeaks and quickly uncurls at the sudden movement.

"Let's see here..." Paintbrush mumbles, wiggling their fingers just above his ribs. They watch as their boyfriend begins to squirm and giggle before any contact is even made. "Aww, giggling already? I haven't even touched you yet!"

They wait a few moments before finally reaching the shorter's ribs, scritching lightly. Fan squeals as his giggles go up an octave, his squirming turning to light wriggling. "Wahait-!" He squeaks out, grabbing at Paintbrush's hands as they begin lightly vibrating their fingers into his ribs. Paintbrush closes their eyes as they listen to their boyfriend's honey sweet giggles, beginning to move their hands up and down his ribs.

Fan throws his head back against their partner's chest as his laughter goes up in volume, small squeaks mixed into his giggles. "Faaan~! What's so funny, hm?" The blonde teases, trying to work him up. Fan whines as he shakes his head, face becoming an even brighter hue of red.

Paintbrush begins peppering kisses up and down the red head's neck, watching as he scrunches his shoulders up and hiccups. They open their eyes and can't help but admire Fan's smile and bubbly laughter. Gosh, they were so in love. They're quickly snapped out of their thoughts as the shorter pushes at their hands. "SohomewhERehe ehelse! Plehease!" Fan manages to giggle out, the rib tickles driving him up the wall. They oblige as they move their hands down to squeeze at his stomach.

Loud cackles fill the room as Fan's squirming becomes more frantic. Paintbrush chuckles softly as their boyfriend slowly starts sliding into a laying position, too weakend from the tickles to sit himself back up.

Fan's laughter begins to die down as the tickling all of a sudden stops. In confusion, he turns over to lay on his back looking up at Paintbrush. "Pahaintbrush? What are you-" He squeaks as his shirt is quickly rolled up and his wrists are snatched gently into Paintbrush's hands.

A loud shriek erupts as the blonde blows a raspberry in the center of Fan's stomach. "OKAY! OHOHOKAY!!" Fan loudly cackles out as he frantically pushes at his partner's head, unable to take any more. Paintbrush sits back up, looking down at their boyfriend's in admiration.

"You're cute, you know that?" Fan huffs in response to their words. "Shush!" He says playfully, pulling Paintbrush down to lay with him. The blonde wraps their arms around him, kissing him on the forehead. They lay in silence for a while before the taller speaks up once again.

"That was fun! Thank you for trusting me." They whisper out gently. Fan, in response, buries his head into their chest and lightly flicks them in the head. "Shh, leave me alone!" He playfully shoots out. Paintbrush chuckles and holds them closer.

"I love you, Fan."

"I love you too, Paintbrush."

[earlysunshines]

Zzz

chou tzuyu x fem!reader ; fluff

summary: three nights in a one bedroom hotel with tzuyu, it's different each time but it's heartwarming.

wc: 1.9k

a/n: im soooo tired :-( hope this is alright for you guys :'-)

-

you and tzuyu seem to pause in place when you notice that one bed is missing.

the hotel room was nice, sure. i mean it had a wonderful view of the city 

the thing is: you didn't know if your heart could take sharing a bed with tzuyu.

the two of you were sent to a city a few hours away as representatives for the district, the two of you had made it to the finals for your own respective sports. tzuyu was the renowned archery star, everyone knew of her skills and a good amount of the trophies that were displayed in the lobby of your school were from her. similarly, you were the swim victor— you were also pretty well-known for your achievements, but tzuyu was certainly acknowledged more for her brains and especially her beauty, as well as her sweet, unreserved personality. 

you and tzuyu were pretty friendly, good friends. the two of you had worked on a project before, she had come to your house and whatnot— your grandma had even asked if she was your girlfriend (and it had your cheeks all red, your grandma wanted you finished.)

you were not opposed to the idea of traveling with tzuyu to represent your school and district; in fact, you thought it would be fun to maybe get to know her a little better, i mean, the two of you had already spent a decent amount of time. you wouldn't mind spending time with the prettiest girl in the school.

"was there a mistake...?" you say lowly, trying not to offend her (maybe you're overthinking it, would it be offensive in the first place?)

"we could ask the front desk to change? only if you're uncomfy with, you know..." she starts. "but, um, i'm fine sleeping with... you know with you..." tzuyu trails off, implying that she's okay with sleeping next to you, but her brain scrambles and she can't muster up the courage to say what she's trying to.

you turn your head to look at her and your gazes meet, her cheeks are a little flushed.

"tzuyu i," your nervous words form, but you're unable to hold eye contact. "if you don't want to trouble them... i'm fine with you know, i mean, only if you're...?"

"yeah," tzuyu hums awkwardly, "we can do that."

"only if you're comfy with it."

"y/n, it's fine. i'm comfy and if it's you i'm more than fine."

your face burns at her last remark, you nod at her.

there are no words exchanged while you two unpack and situate yourselves in the cozy hotel room—you're especially grateful that the silence isn't uncomfortable, and the atmosphere of the room is seemingly brightened as tzuyu hums softly to a song playing on her phone, it's faint, but it makes your heart do a little flip.

tzuyu showers first and comes out in gray lounge pants, as well a beige t-shirt on, she's effortlessly beautiful.

"did i take too long?" she asks you while running a hand through her slightly damp hair.

"no, it's okay." you respond.

-

after getting out of the shower you change into your pajamas in the bathroom. you have on dark, plaid sweatpants and a comfy sweatshirt. it's simple and cozy. when you gaze into the mirror after moisturizing your face, you get a little self-conscious, i mean, you are spending the night in the same bed with chou tzuyu. half, if not most the school would kill to be in your place.

when you walk out the door and your gaze lands on the bed, tzuyu is already situated. her head is on a pillow and her cheek just barely mushes against the mattress while she looks through her phone. she looks so relaxed under the large, white blanket (and she looks so cute you might lose your cool then and there.)

don't make it weird.

tzuyu notices you rubbing the towel against your hair and smiles sweetly. you smile back and the slight tension seems to die down.

as you get yourself situated, tzuyu continues to pay attention to whatever was on her phone. you decide to go on yours as well to avoid anything awkward.

the moment of being glued to each others phones only lasts a couple minutes before you yawn, making tzuyu giggle quietly.

"tired?"

"a little." you sigh, putting the phone down.

you set your head down on the pillow and tzuyu turns to meet your eyes. it's strangely intimate and you have to shift your gaze away as you pull the blanket over your body—the blanket that you two have to share, and you're careful not to make contact with her legs under the cotton.

"we should probably sleep y'know, since we have our events," you mumble, still facing her with heavy eyelids.

there's a good amount of space in between the two of you, the bed is a queen-sized one after all. a foot of space sits between the two of you (you assume), yet you're still flustered from the shared warmth under the blanket—a small move and boom, you're practically cuddling with chou tzuyu.

"yeah, you should definitely get more sleep though—isn't your sport pretty tiring?" tzuyu questions.

"kinda." (very.)

"you're impressive, y/n." and tzuyu says that under her breath. it makes you smile and laugh softly.

"maybe." you mumble, eyes about to shut.

"goodnight y/n." tzuyu says, smiling.

"goodnight." you respond, and you shift over to turn away from her, just so it isn't too awkward.

tzuyu's a bit disappointed that she can only see your back. she might've wanted to see your sleepy look—but she'd never admit that.

-

even though you had fallen asleep first, tzuyu wakes up before you. 

she shifts a little in her sleep before opening her eyes, and when she can process her surroundings she finds herself noticeably closer to you. tzuyu's face is a couple of inches away from your face, and she grins at the way your cheek smushes against the pillow. 

cute.

you're turned on your side and one of your arms is dangerously close to hers, just barely grazing her own arm and it a warm feeling flashes through her chest.

tzuyu gets up slowly, rubbing her eyes as she looks towards the window of the hotel room. the sun is still rising—how beautiful, she thinks. 

the shorter athlete gets up and stretches, a light groan leaving her lips as she gets up on her feet.

when tzuyu finishes getting ready in teh bathroom, she's met with a sleepy y/n sitting on the bed who's rubbing her face and stretching her arms out. 

there's something about your messy hair, the way it falls down over your face and sticks out at the ends. there's also something about your tired eyes and puffy face in the morning—it's adorable. 

-

night two.

it's almost identical to the night before, though you reach the hotel room with slumped shoulders and sore bodies instead of surprise from seeing a single bed.

tzuyu showers first again, and you shower thereafter—same as last time.

what's different about this night is that tzuyu is sitting up on the bed now instead of lying there cutely, but she's still on her phone scrolling away.

you're the one who lays down as soon as you reach the bed, sighing as the mattress eases your aching muscles. the exhausted sigh that you let out makes tzuyu redirect her attention towards you, and she smiles at the sight of you looking up at the ceiling tiredly.

"how did your events go?" tzuyu asks you, setting her phone down on the nightstand and giving you her undivided attention.

"overwhelming." you sigh. "everyone there was really good, different from our district."

"you made it to the finals though right?"

"barely." 

tzuyu frowns at you and decides that your sulking isn't going to cut it.

"i saw you for a bit, you did well. gosh, swimming must be hard, but you looked incredible out there." tzuyu says, and it makes you smile softly. you move to prop yourself up on your elbows.

"thanks." you say, even though you're still a bit disappointed by your previous performance. "you did good too, i saw the way you hit bullseye."

"i missed one."

"at least you made third." you recall, trying to comfort her in some way. there's a small silence that stretches out after your response—it's interrupted by you collapsing on the bed again and sighing tiredly. "don't beat yourself up too much, you did great." you add, closing your eyes. "let's get some sleep so we can do better tomorrow, yeah?"

tzuyu hums and lets herself lay down next to you so that she's facing you. the evident difference from the night before was that this space between the two of you is just slightly closer.

"thanks y/n," tzuyu murmurs. "goodnight."

"sleep well, tzuyu."

the difference tonight is that you don't turn around completely; instead, you lay down on your back—which lets tzuyu admire your soft features before you close your eyes. tzuyu likes the sight.

-

the difference in the next morning is that tzuyu wakes up with her head close to your shoulder—basically against it—and her hand is rested against your forearm. the warmth radiating off of you is dangerous; it almost tempts tzuyu to press closer.

the faint scent of vanilla fills her nose as she breathes in, and she realizes that this is the closest she's been to you. it's nerve racking, it makes the butterflies down in her stomach start to flutter.

-

night three.

it's the same again: tzuyu showers first, you follow and end up on the bed less than fifteen minutes later.

the two of you lay down next to each other on your backs while facing the ceiling, the room is silent—the only sound heard is the small breaths from the two of you. both of you are a bit drained from your respective sports; especially you since you've had to swim so damn much. 

tzuyu turns to her side, facing the side of your face. 

"you did good, y/n."

"i tried." you mutter in defeat. 

"third place isn't bad."

"you got first." you respond, though you make sure there's no jealousy or anything negative in your tone. you're genuinely proud of her getting first place, you remember smiling so brightly as soon as you saw her on the podium.

"well," tzuyu starts, but you cut her off.

"you don't have to comfort me or anything, i'm just glad i got to experience something as big as this." you begin, pulling the soft blanket over you and turning to face her with a cheek pressed against the matress. "and i liked spending time with you," the last part is muttered under your breath, nearly incoherent. tzuyu picks it up, though.

"yeah." she breaths out.

the two of you seem to stray away from the topic of sports that night, instead, both of you seem to ramble about anything else. it's unexpected, but it's really nice to let loose and forget about the previously demanding events.

what's different about tonight is that you two talk until you fall asleep—facing each other, an inch or two apart.

-

what's different about the morning is that tzuyu wakes up with an arm around her, and she breathes in the familiar scent of vanilla again. what's different is that her leg is tangled with one of yours—it makes her heart pound. 

she looks up to see you sleeping peacefully—you manage to push her closer into you even in your slumber—tzuyu lets herself snuggle closer into you.

what's different about is that tzuyu lets herself sleep in a little, and she plans on waking up when you do. 

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC Lucien’s The Sea No Longer Distant MQ translation (Part 1/3)

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a MQ that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

[Warning]: The content of this MQ is pretty explicit and may not be suitable for individuals under the age of 18 (CN server). It is recommended that those who do not meet this age requirement refrain from proceeding beyond this point.

Translation under the cut!

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Notes from Lux: Special thanks to @ivioivioivi for checking some lines of the translation! Personally, translating this date is a hell of a struggle for me and I wouldn’t able to finish it without her help lol-

Before we start, I’d recommend you all read Fantasy Book Date, Devotion Date, Distant Similarity, and Monochrome Scenery. This MQ specifically references these dates/shares a similar theme so, if you haven’t read it or just want to jog your memory, please check them out first! :>

Currently, I haven't made the subtitled video, so for now here’s the CN video link if anyone wants to follow along his voice acting.]

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

—[Part 1]—

Host: ... And now, we are about to unveil the final award of the evening at the Magnolia Awards - the Best Variety Show.

As thunderous applause erupts, I find myself holding my breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

The "Best Director" award I just received feels heavy in my hands as if it's also waiting for another trophy of equal weight to be embraced.

Host: ...Now, let's take a look at the nominated works for this year's Best Variety Show.

The first nominee, produced by my company, appears on the big screen, a montage of past highlights flashing by.

After the five short films are shown in sequence, the award presenter opens the envelope in her hand.

Presenter: And the winner of the Magnolia Award for Best Variety Show is...

Her final words unleash a thunderous wave of applause, and the dazzling lights make it nearly impossible for me to keep my eyes open, leaving me in a daze.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

The ceaseless traffic flows by like a stream, and it is not until a vaguely familiar building appears in the distance that I slowly come back to my senses.

I blink, and the white building becomes clearer as I focus on it, standing out with a sense of tranquility in the fading twilight.

….Unbeknownst to myself, I find myself subconsciously drawn to the vicinity of the research institute.

I can't help but sign, feeling a pang of annoyance as I become aware of my own emotions.

MC: I really do want to talk with Lucien after all…

Am I hoping for his comfort? Or seeking his advice?

Perhaps I just want to see him at this moment.

MC: He is probably still busy…

At 7 in the evening, the world slows its pace with the fading twilight on the horizon. The rhythmic flashing of the red traffic light at the crosswalk spreads the last remnants of twilight.

And in that small, illuminated scene, I see a familiar figure.

He gazes steadily ahead, his eyes appearing to hold a multitude of things, yet also seeming to contain nothing.

His face bears traces of exhaustion, and he seems distant and unreal as if he were merely a figment of my imagination.

But in a twist of fate, his vacant gaze shifts in the next second and meets mine.

After a moment of stunned silence, I see him smile gently.

The green light stops flashing at the last second, and I see Lucien standing in front of me.

Lucien: [chuckles] Good evening, MC.

MC: [smiles softly] Good evening, Professor Lucien, I didn't expect to meet you here.

I can't help but smile, and naturally take his hand as we walk towards home.

Lucien: I want to leave work early today.

Lucien: Meeting you proves that this was the right choice.

His voice gently accompanies the evening breeze, and I inexplicably feel that Lucien's mood doesn't seem particularly good either.

Considering his recent state of intense overtime, perhaps he's been dealt with some setbacks or failures.

I swallow the words that are about to spill out of my mouth. I purse my lips and start talking to him about amusing things I haven't shared yet, and listen to him talk about the bickering among his assistants.

Such a rare leisurely stroll, sharing everyday life we've missed with each other, everything is so good.

Lucien: By the way, I forgot to congratulate you on winning the awards.

Suddenly, I hear Lucien's voice.

Lucien: I received your message this morning, but I had some unexpected situations this afternoon, so I didn't have time to watch the live awards ceremony.

Lucien: Having won all the major awards for both "Best Director" and "Best Program" in two variety shows, for such an amazing Miss Producer, I should have congratulated you much earlier.

His tone is so brisk and firmly assured* that I'm momentarily stunned, letting it fall heavily to the ground.

Lucien is also stunned.

The air around me turns stiff, and I don't know how to describe my feelings.

The wave that's directly crashing over me now feels far more immense and intangible than the moment the guest announced it, causing both pain and sadness.

I clench my palms and instinctively muster a smile at him.

After all, if I were to cry pitifully now, it would only make me appear weak and humiliated.

MC: Hehe, I'll accept half of Professor Lucien's congratulations first! Winning Best Director is a small victory, right?

MC: I still need to keep working hard!

I can't even bring myself to look into his eyes and just want to keep walking forward.

Just as I'm about to walk away, he holds my hand to stop me, and when I turn around, I see his deep gaze filled with guilt and comfort.

Lucien: [guiltily] Sorry, it was my mistake for not confirming.

Lucien: [in a comforting tone] Don't worry, you've already done a great job. Awards are just one way of judging, and they can't determine everything.

Lucien: If you feel sad, tell me all about your feelings.

The night falls, and the streetlights stretch his shadow long.

Lucien: It's okay, you can always slow down your growth in front of me.

I look at the person in front of me, take a deep breath, and hold his hand back.

MC: I know, I am moving forward at my own pace.

MC: If I didn't do well, I'll just find a solution.

MC: Please don't worry Professor Lucien, I know what I need to do. I will keep working hard.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[T/N: Before we move on to the next part, I want to say that this time I won't write an essay because I think the date itself explains its plot theme pretty well, I'll just use T/N to highlight some important parts and more ;)

MC uses the word 笃定 (dǔ dìng) to describe Lucien's tone (and also gaze, which will be used in part 2). I translated it to 'firm assuredness'. This word often describes how certain and unwavering a person is about something or a specific belief. In this context, Lucien is confident that MC will always be the ‘best’ and can achieve any goal she sets. However, this may also imply a kind of ‘expectation’, which is where the ‘problem’ of this date arises.]

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

—[Exclusive Radio - Resignation Application]—

[door knocking sounds]

Lucien: Come in.

Zeng Shu: Long time no see, sorry to bother you.

Lucien: Is there a problem with the project's progress?

Zeng Shu: No, the project is going very smoothly. The results from the last few trials have been very stable.

Zeng Shu: The reason I came to see you today... is to discuss a personal matter with you.

Lucien: Oh? Please go ahead.

Zeng Shu: I want to withdraw from the project.

Lucien: …

Zeng Shu: Ah, don't worry. I will complete all the handover tasks before I leave.

Zeng Shu: The project is very stable in all aspects now. Although the manpower is not abundant, having one less person won't be a problem.

Zeng Shu: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to join the project. I'm sorry I won't be able to work with everyone to see it through to completion.

Lucien: …

Zeng Shu: …

Lucien: Is there a specific reason for this?

Lucien: Although we're not in a critical period, personnel turnover will inevitably have an impact on the project.

Lucien: I believe most problems can be solved.

Zeng Shu: You've misunderstood. There's no problem.

Zeng Shu: I'm just tired.

Zeng Shu: I want to take some time off.

Lucien: How much time off do you need?

Zeng Shu: I’m not trying to pressure you into approving my leave, Professor.

Zeng Shu: I just... need some time to really think about whether I’m actually suited for research.

Lucien: You’re not a fresh graduate.

Lucien: You’ve worked on your own projects, supervised students, and you’re experienced. You’ve also published numerous high-impact papers.

Lucien: I can't understand the meaning behind your statement.

Zeng Shu: …

Zeng Shu: Professor, I'm aware of everything you mentioned.

Zeng Shu: But not everyone can be like you, maintaining such passion for research no matter what.

Zeng Shu: And not everyone who pursues research is as gifted as you are.

Lucien: ...I always thought you were quite level-headed.

Lucien: I generally don't recommend bringing emotions into work.

Zeng Shu: Your judgment of me is not wrong; I am very calm right now.

Zeng Shu: From the moment I had this thought to... coming to your office, I've carefully considered it for three months.

Zeng Shu: This is the result of my comprehensive consideration. I hope you can approve it.

Lucien: …

Lucien: Do you want to withdraw from the current project, or are you not considering joining any future projects either?

Zeng Shu: I won't join any of them.

Lucien: Even the project you proposed two years ago? I received news last week that it can be officially approved.

Zeng Shu: Yes. I'm not considering it anymore.

Lucien: [sighs heavily] I understand.

Lucien: I will respect your decision.

Lucien: However, I hope you can continue to perform your related duties normally before you leave completely.

Lucien: If the project is affected at this stage, it will be difficult for either of us to handle.

Zeng Shu: I understand, don't worry.

Zeng Shu: I'll start the handover process tomorrow.

Lucien: Alright.

Zeng Shu: Sorry for the trouble, goodbye.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[T/N: This part is interesting because it shows how Lucien's subconscious 'expectation' extends not only to MC but also to the people who work with him. This 'expectation' can make people ‘tired’ and ‘exhausted’ from trying to keep up with him, and it's something that he himself is not really aware of. Additionally, I want to highlight how he doesn't understand the concept of being tired in a non-physical sense, like, at all, which will be important in a later part ;)]

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

—[Part 2]—

Sunlight streams through the windowsill, casting a brilliant and rejuvenating glow over the quiet room.

I walk into the computer room, swiftly turn on the computer, and bring up the rough cut of the video completed yesterday.

In the footage, the guest laughs endlessly in a seaside cottage. The suitable music and adorable text overlays convey the happiness even more directly.

I sit on the seat while hugging my legs, letting the laughter from the headphones linger in my mind, but it can't seem to drown out what happened yesterday.

I don't know when it started, but after putting in so much effort, success has somehow become a kind of arrogant ‘matter of course'.

Perhaps I've gotten used to the taste of success, so when failure arrives, I become even more at a loss.

And compared to this frustration... my mind returns to the firmly assured eyes I saw yesterday.

??: Boss, why are you here so early?

I lift my head and see Willow standing in front of me with a bit of a worried look.

MC: You're one to talk, didn't you come early too?

Willow: I just felt like something was up, so I thought I’d come and check on things.

She says that as she sits down next to me and turns on her computer. The dim glow of the screen reflects on her face, revealing traces of fatigue and frustration.

Yet, she turns her head and smiles at me.

Willow: Boss, do you want to take a break? You've been busy for a long time lately, haven't you?

I think I should say something, but as I gaze into those firm eyes, it seems like all words are inadequate.

In the end, I just shake my head with a smile.

MC: Don't worry, I'm not tired.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Over the next week, the shadow of failure gradually fades away, and everything returns to normal.

Lucien is still busy, and I'm still immersed in the intense preparations for the summer special.

It's just that I often feel Lucien's gaze on me. During our interactions, he seems to observe me from time to time, yet he never says a word.

Is he thinking about how to comfort me, or is he worried that I'm just pretending to be strong?

After much thought, I stubbornly chose not to break his silence.

Compared to words, perhaps more proactive actions can show him that I have become more resilient.

It seems like an invisible thread is becoming more tense, but neither of us has the time to care.

I come home late at night and notice Lucien sitting on the sofa, looking at some documents.

A vast expanse of night covers him, and his eyes, as calm as still water, seem unable to be touched by any emotion.

MC: Lucien, are you okay?

He doesn't seem to notice my return. He freezes for a moment before slowly raising his head.

Lucien: I'm fine.

Speaking softly, he naturally draws me into a hug, his chin resting on my head. A long sigh escapes his lips.

The world becomes peaceful in the instant, fully contained within this gentle embrace.

MC: [worriedly] Is the experiment not going well?

Lucien: [inhales deeply before speaking softly] Mm. I've tried a few methods, but none of them can quite solve the problems.

Lucien: So, I'm thinking of throwing this out and starting from scratch.

MC: Is the direction wrong?

Lucien: [chuckles] Probably.

He remains silent for a while before continuing slowly.

Lucien: One of my senior research associates who's been working with me recently quit. No one can fill his shoes right now, so it's making the process a bit more troublesome.

Lucien: Overall, it might be more efficient to just start fresh.

MC: Why did he quit?

Lucien: He said he was too tired.

His calm voice seems full of incomprehension and ambivalence. Although I can't see Lucien's face at the moment, I can imagine his slightly furrowed brow.

Lucien: But theoretically, the work arrangements are sound, and I didn't force him to constantly monitor every result with me.

Lucien: So I don't know either.

Lucien: Since he was determined to leave, I let him go.

His tone reveals a rare cold sternness as if he is unwilling to waste time on unnecessary matters.

Lucien: There will always be a replacement.

I blink in a daze, feeling like I can see that senior professor.

I really want to say something to Lucien, but in the end, I still don't know how to start.

Lucien: MC, let's not talk about that. Actually, I really want to chat with you.

MC: Hmm?

He releases his hug and gently caresses my face.

Lucien: [in a gentle tone] I wonder if you're still feeling a bit sad because you didn't win the award for best work.

The soft moonlight made his face appear so gentle at this moment.

Under his dotingly gentle gaze, I don't want to hide my heart. I know Lucien has been waiting for a long time.

MC: Actually, I thought I had already secured victory, but unexpectedly, I failed.

MC: So when the results were announced, I felt very frustrated.

I look at Lucien honestly and muster up the courage.

MC: I originally thought this feeling of frustration was simply because… I failed.

MC: But when I saw you and when you congratulated me, subconsciously assuming that I should be the "best"...

I feel my voice tremble a little.

MC: It was then that I realized I hadn't fulfilled your expectations.

MC: And at that moment, it was the saddest time for me.

Lucien is rational and effortlessly capable. He believes that if something can be done, it can be done.

So he subconsciously believes that the heights I can reach are ones I will undoubtedly attain, or even surpass.

Otherwise, on this long and arduous journey of pursuit, I would only watch his figure grow further and further away.

In those slightly widened eyes, I see a lot of confusion and incomprehension.

Lucien: I…

“Ring ring-”

A sudden, insistent phone call interrupted him. After hesitating for a moment and seeing the caller ID, I decided to answer.

Man: Boss, urgent news! Looks like a storm is about to hit. The weather department says the coastal weather won't be good for the next two weeks.

Man: All the subsequent filming will be affected. We just went over the script and realized we need to make major changes.

Man: What should we do? Should we cancel it? Or what? The guests' schedules are kind of hard to change.

MC: It's definitely going to be difficult to change the guests' schedules now, and it will also affect the following weekly broadcasts. Let's revise the script.

I quickly run through the ideas in my head and a vague idea comes to me.

MC: Have the production team book me a flight tonight. I'm going straight there.

After hanging up the phone, the previous atmosphere has already dissipated. Lucien sits in front of me, much of his body falling into the shadows.

MC: Lucien, I didn't say those things to make you feel guilty or anything, because those were just my own feelings.

MC: It's me who wants to catch up to you and fulfill your expectations.

I smile and reach out to stroke his face, gently smoothing out the slight frown that forms unconsciously on his brow.

MC: I'll take care of my own feelings, so don't worry.

MC: I'll run even faster next time.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

—[Memory Silhouette - The back of a running figure]—

MC: I'm leaving now. Make sure to drive safely on your way home!

Lucien: Relax, don't worry.

Lucien: You don't need to rush. There's always a solution.

MC: I know. Don't worry~ I'll message you as soon as I land. Don't wait up too late for me.

Lucien: [chuckles] Okay, I'll be sure to follow Miss Producer's instructions. I'll go to sleep as soon as I feel tired.

In the somewhat deserted early morning airport, the girl gives him a quick peck on the cheek before heading towards the security checkpoint.

The security checkpoint is almost empty, but she still instinctively turns her head and waves to him at every turn.

Yet, it seems like she hates to leave him waiting, so she keeps waving back at him non-stop.

Lucien: "Slow down."

He mouths the words, knowing full well the sound won’t reach her, yet somehow he still has this feeling that she can hear them.

As her figure walks into the security checkpoint, she waves to him one last time from dozens of meters away before disappearing from sight.

He doesn't know why, but looking at her figure from behind, he felt as if he was being escaped from.

This feeling makes him very uncomfortable.

He furrows his brows in irritation and turns to walk into the black night.

Where exactly did things start to go wrong?

The girl's slightly bitter smile flashes back into his mind, but it brings more confusion than answers.

Why does his unconscious firm assuredness sadden her more than the failure itself?

Why do I feel assured that she can do it, and why does she think my expectations are so important?

We're clearly not on the same track.

Clearly, she can have her own pace, and I also allow her to fail...

Is it because I am someone special to her?

Does she want to meet my expectations? But my expectation is for her to just be happy and always within my sight*.

Do I have any other expectations for her?

Too many fragmented questions flood his mind, and each one of them feels unfamiliar and chaotic. This feeling of not having a starting point unconsciously makes him a bit infuriated.

There are still more tricky problems and troubles at work waiting for him, which he has to tackle one by one.

Despite thinking this way, her face still appears again and again among the numerous and complicated tasks in his mind.

Compared to those things that can be redone or thrown away, he feels some kind of deep-seated emptiness and unease.

He feels as if she has left him far behind, as if she knows more things that he cannot comprehend.

This feeling makes him even more irritable.

He instinctively turns at a fork in the road and continues until the familiar white building comes into view. Even so, his irritation doesn't seem to have subsided even a bit.

At this moment, his phone vibrates. He looks down and sees that it's a departure message from her.

MC’s message: "I'm boarding~ Just let me know when you get home! Don't forget to go to bed early~”

His fingers, naturally inclined to send a reply in the next second, hesitate just before hitting send. He closes his eyes and temporarily turns off the screen.

In that instant, he suddenly feels very childish.

What does it mean to say that she can handle her own emotions, yet still wants to run away to a faraway place?

He doesn't know the answer and can't think of a way to solve it.

He hurriedly walks into the lab. His sudden appearance caught everyone off guard. After a moment of stunned silence, they quickly come forward to greet him.

Assistant: Professor, why are you here?

Lucien: It's nothing. I'm just here to handle some other work. You can carry on.

Saying this, he walks into his own laboratory.

He doesn't plan to think about it anymore. There are still many things waiting for him, many plans and arrangements to implement—

Lucien: [whispers softly] Why…

The sound of the plane seems to pass overhead in the distance, and the night grows even darker.

Suddenly, he feels very lonely**.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[T/N: *: Just want to expand on what Lucien said here! One of his expectations is ‘for her always within my sight', I think it refers to what he said back in S2 ch 51

MC: Maybe it’s because I know that no matter where I go, you'll always be watching over me. MC: Lucien, I hope you can always keep your eyes on me. Lucien: Of course, I will always watch over you. Until... you go to a place that even I can’t reach...-

-that no matter where the direction she goes he will always watch over her 🤧 I personally like this quote a LOT, like it's more or less what's ‘growing’ in his route feels like. He won't stop you and will support anything you do, no matter what you'll ‘grow’ to be. Even if you walk in a different direction from him, even if what you do is risky, even if the road is full of failures… He'll always give his unconditional attention, support, and safety from afar. He hopes for her to be ‘always within his sight’ so that he can continue to do so 🥺

**: "寂寞" often conveys a more profound and enduring sense of isolation than "loneliness”. It emphasizes the emotional aspect of feeling isolated or abandoned such as the sadness, emptiness and the yearningಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ]

Next Part=> [Click Here]

[imeriayapping]

1 ; 2 ; 3 ; 4

That press conference leaves him raw to his bones and since then it's been feeling like the muscles can't wrap back around them just right, something is constantly off.

Pedro goes through his days trying to focus on racing and what next track will bring but somewhere in the back of his mind the knowledge of his wrongs sits, waiting for him to lower his guard and hit him in the full force again. Instead, Pedro puts the music on max to drown his thoughts and gets ready for the free practice.

.

It doesn't even take that much for the guards to fall and the hit of realisation get to him in full force.

The punch of realisation goes through Pedro after the race. After getting his first MotoGP win. After getting his hair ruffled in parc ferme by the calloused hand that he instinctively knows is Fermin's because that's the motion that has happened a million times before. It's a bit different because the hand is bigger and he has a bit more hair than then but still. Pedro has no need to turn to know who it is congratulating him.

He doesn't even register when he gets on the podium, just finds himself with a trophy in his hand and a victorious scream ripping itself out of his throat. Pedro feels like a fucking superstar, standing on top of the world hearing all of the neverending cheers from the crowd that exists just for him. He finally did it. Sharp teeth finally sank into oh so desired prey, warm blood of the first win making him drunk. Pedro has always thought that he would never want to share this feeling with anyone, hoard it in depth of his heart till the day of his death but somehow he feels a strange pull from inside to hold someone, to shake them, to make them feel the same.

As Spanish anthem start's playing pedro moves his gaze from sea of people under podium, instead choosing to look at his right only to find Fermin beaming at him already.

Just like he always did.

Always because somehow they end up together on the podium each time one has a result so important it will be forever burned into their stories. It's time to open champagne and Pedro needs to fight his initial want to turn away from Fermin. Instead he purposefully sends drink spraying his way.

It feels strange and somewhat unusual like working a muscle that you only engage in specific action and didn't do that exercise in forever. It's tight and makes you aware of its existence by how strange the sensation is but at the same time familiar because of the routine that is worked into your bones with how much you’ve repeated it throughout years.

And Pedro knows, he remembers how it is to narrow his attention to a boy shining like a star whenever Pedro layed his eyes on him and how it is to see full attention flicker to him after the first few drops of celebratory drink hits Fermin skin.

But it still feels a bit unnatural now. Which is confusing and stacked on top of too many other emotions, it makes Pedro feel a headache that builds up in the back of his head, spreading bit by bit and disorienting him further.

Thankfully he doesn't stumble on his way from the podium and even manages to find a quiet spot somewhere in the maze of motorhomes, deserted and quiet, ideal to catch a breath and fight a headache that sticks to Pedro like prosecco that his leathers are still soaked in.

Paddock continues to buzz around his hiding spot but somehow his little bubble of close metal walls doesn't let through nearly as much sounds as he knows there is outside. Small space makes him feel less taxing and Pedro can take a deep breath or two before getting back into the midst of chaos.

His head spins with too much of everything at the same time and it's hard to grasp any of it.

Deep breath in.

Deep breath out.

Bring light floods Pedro's vision when he opens his eyes, not even noticing when they shut. Buzz is still going trumping every bone in his body but the typhoon got quieter, more like white noise. Each muscle feels tight and it takes deliberate effort to make himself relax, even a bit, just enough to be able to fall back on the wall behind him and loosen the grip of his hands.

Cold touch to his back helps to reduce the buzz while a light clink of glass makes Pedro focus on where it came from. He finds that in his hurry to get away he’s taken a bottle of prosecco with him and with how tight his fists were didn't even notice. Thankfully, he was already sitting so it didn't shatter from impact but now that he looks at it all his attention is zoned in just there.

Pedro only now realises that some of that dizziness probably comes from having alcohol on the podium, not that he cares. But what it leads to is him thinking about Fermin. Again.

It's strange, he saw Fermin from afar for all this time, in the corner of his vision going through paddock or a stray post of his when Pedro was scrolling Instagram to numb his brain. Now looking back he still was there at all times, even with all Pedro's effort to block him out he truly never left. This thought makes something warm spill inside him, gratefulness for Fermin staying somewhat close by even when he knew that Pedro won't reciprocate with the same kindness.

Suddenly his shoulder and hand starts tingling, the memory of the celebratory hug he’d received after winning his moto2 title making itself apparent, it was one of many that day but it was stored in a hidden corner of his brain without him even knowing that. Pedro didn't appreciate it at the time but now it's for sure going to be one of the memories he will cherish more.

And with that his mind continues wandering in that day reminding him that podium that day was one of the reasons why he needed to put effort into not turning his back on Fermi today. Small correction: why he needed to put effort into not turning his back on Fermi again.

He wants to smash his head against the wall. This makes Pedro feel so dumb, it makes him realise that he could get so many more shiny smiles sent his way in the last few years if only he hadn't closed off completely. But in the end that's what got him the title isn't it? So looking back he's truly not sure whether he would change anything.

And now all that is left for Pedro is to hope that Fermin didn't give up on seeing the person that he was before. He hopes that Fermin also still has that little boy that Pedro spent countless days with inside himself too.

[storyofmychoices]

A Sweet Surprise

[Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley Masterlist] 

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)

Book: Open Heart

Word Count: ~1,000

Rating: general (all the sweet fluff)

Prompt: @choicesjuly2023challenge trophy spouse (kind of?); @choicesflashfics "I hope you know by now how much you mean to me"

Synopsis: Bryce helps Olivia surprise her pediatric patients with a cool, sweet treat.

"Alright, everyone, I have a special surprise for you today!" Olivia announced, her voice filled with enthusiasm. She led a group of curious children into the therapy room. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she gestured toward the art tables covered with colorful plastic table clothes that bulged, signaling something was hidden beneath.

The children's eyes widened with anticipation as they gathered around the table, unsure of what to expect. As Olivia dramatically pulled away the sheet, revealing the summer treat, a mix of confusion and curiosity spread across their faces.

One of the kids scrunched up his nose in disgust, pointing at the vibrant display, "What is it?"

Another child asked hesitantly, "Is it some kind of fruit salad?"

Olivia couldn't help but chuckle at their reactions. "Nope, it's not a fruit salad," she replied, her smile growing wider. "It's something even more special – Watermelon Pizza!"

Her announcement was met with a chorus of "wows", "huhs", and "what's thats?"

"Eww, it sounds weird!" Matteo was still skeptical and unsure of the treat.

Olivia chuckled warmly, kneeling down to his level. "I know it might sound strange, but I promise it's delicious and fun!"

Amaya, a young patient sitting beside him, had her reservations too. "Is it like a regular pizza with fruit on top?"

"Well, not quite! Instead of dough and cheese, we use watermelon as the base, and the toppings are all your favorite fruits – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, pineapple, and kiwi!"

The kids exchanged curious glances. "I do like blueberries," Matteo decided. 

"I do, too!" Amaya cheered. "And peaches... mmm!"

"Well, that's the cool thing about watermelon pizza—" Olivia's voice was quiet as if she were sharing a special secret with just the two of them. "—you can customize it with any fruit toppings you like!" 

Marissa, a brave nine-year-old picked up a watermelon slice with pineapple, kiwi, and strawberries. Hesitantly, she took her first bite. Her eyes widened in surprise, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Mmm, it's so juicy!"

The other kids followed her lead. Their initial uncertainty turned into excitement as they tried the different types of watermelon pizza combinations that Olivia had prepared. Some couldn't get enough, taking seconds and thirds, while others savored their first slice.

Olivia watched with joy as the therapy room echoed with laughter and chatter. "Trying new things can lead to wonderful surprises!" 

"Thank you, Dr. Olivia! You're the coolest!" Emma smiled, holding another slice of watermelon pizza. "See what I did there? Coolest like the watermelon because it's cool."

"That was very clever, Emma." A soft laugh slipped from her lips. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, but I can't take all the credit." She gestured down to the other end of the table, where Bryce prepared some custom watermelon pizza orders. "Dr. Bryce helped too! We finally found a meal that even Dr. Bryce could make," she teased, saying the next part a little louder, knowing he'd overhear. 

Bryce pretended to look offended, placing a hand over his heart dramatically. "I'm a decent cook!"

"I'm not sure we're at decent yet, but we're working toward it." Olivia laughed, giving him a gentle nudge as she moved beside him. She shook her head playfully at his continued feigns of disappointment. Her voice quieted, "You're amazing at many other things." 

Bryce raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "Any particular things coming to mind?" He teased, his fingers caressing hers between them. 

Her face warmed under his darkening gaze. She took a breath composing herself as she looked at the delighted faces before her. "Cutting things," she decided. "Your surgical precision was exactly what we needed to cut all the toppings for our pizzas today." 

After a moment of consideration, he tucked a lock of her red hair behind her ear. "I'll take it." His voice lowered, "Perhaps later though, I can hear more about the other things I'm supposedly amazing at." 

As she finished her second slice, Amaya hurried over to Dr. Bryce for a third slice. "This time can I have pineapple and blueberries and maybe a strawberry on the side."

"You got it!" He happily took her plate, making her slice just as requested.

"Are you gonna marry Dr. Olivia?" Amaya asked as she waited. 

Bryce chuckled. "Yes, I am!"

"Will you be Mrs. Dr. Bryce then?" She questioned, eyes wide. Before Olivia could reply, the young girl continued. "I think you should be Mr. Dr. Olivia instead," she nodded in agreement with herself as she gave Bryce her attention again. "Dr. Olivia is the best, so if you want to be the best, you should be Mr. Dr. Olivia instead." 

His smile widened as he gazed in awe at his fiancée. "I think you're right. Dr. Olivia is pretty special. I'd be honored to be Mr. Dr. Olivia."

"Good!" Without another word, Amaya took her pizza and went back to her seat. 

"You're sweet for going along with her," Olivia mused as she helped organize the remaining toppings. "Thanks for helping today." 

"I meant what I said, Liv." He took her hand, his thumb brushing beneath her engagement ring. "You're incredible, and it would be an honor to be your Mr. Dr. Olivia."

"Is that so?" She asked curiously as she laced her fingers with his.

“I hope you know by now how much you mean to me,” Bryce confessed, his eyes never leaving hers. "It'd be my greatest privilege."

"Well then," she began, not even trying to temper the growing smile painting her features. "I'd be honored to have you as my, Mr. Dr. Olivia."

"I love the sound of that." Bryce leaned forward, closing the gap between them, brushing a tender kiss on her cheek. 

He wrapped his arm around her, in awe that someone as amazing as her was his. The pair treasured the moment as they watched the joy on the children's faces as they laughed and chatted, enjoying their sweet surprise. 

This gave me she's Barbie, he's just Ken vibes. Even though our beautiful Bryce is so very much more, but to those sweet kids, Olivia is everything ❤️

Thank you so much for reading. I hoped you enjoyed this little fluffy piece. It kind of originated from this ask.

[sakuraswordly]

Taylor: It feels like we have such a long way to go.

Punch: I know. I knew that very well but look how far you have come.

Joy: I just don't think, I can do it.....

Taylor: So what's a place to call home?

Sonic: Sometimes your mind plays tricks on you, it can tell you you're no good, that's all hopeless just like you see in here and now. Joy.

Punch: But I've discovered this: you're loved and important and bring things that no one else can to this world.

Punch hugs Taylor and tries to open her to the light. In Taylor's mind, Sonic hugs Joy as well.

Punch: So hold on.

Taylor: I finally discovered what I wanted to convey to the world....it was there from the beginning....I've always had a theme, and it's always brought about positive results......I didn't have to change anything.....All I care about is creating. Whatever I want to create, I create with my sense of beauty around me. Whatever I find intriguing, I grasp with my own hands. That's why....

Like Taylor Swift, Our Universe Has Gone Through Many Different Eras

While Taylor's Eras Tour explores decades of music, our universe’s eras set the stage for life to exist today. By unraveling cosmic history, scientists can investigate how it happened, from the universe’s origin and evolution to its possible fate.

TAS Rights Management/Getty Images

When I reached out my hand and touched you a single high note came into my heart we watched the sky getting dark together and the world which continues everywhere was calling

By falling in love and learning pain we become human beyond the night you cried resound the cymbals of time

I surely believe that our karma which is drawn in the sky plays the song of love the tears of the red moon, quiet music as if to share the light with each other

To stay alive— Why does that simple karma bring pain instead of happiness? I’m always dreaming of quiet music to reach the distance where I sleep with you

Source: Red Moon Music: Yuki Kajiura Lyrics: Yuki Kajiura

Taylor: Where are the lights........I can't see anymore......

Punch: Success isn’t the end, and failure isn’t the end either. What matters is the courage to keep going. And you did it very well. So please don't throw yourself to the darkness again.....

Taylor: You really are a white horse.....

For a moment, Ms. Swift was out of the woods she had created for herself as a teenager, floating above the trees. The future was within reach; she would, and will, soon take back the rest of her words, her reputation, her name. Maybe the world would see her, maybe it wouldn’t.

But on that stage, she found herself. "I was there". Through a fuzzy fancam, I saw it.

And somehow, that was everything.

Taylor Swift: This song is about my band, and my producer, and all the people who have helped us build this brick by brick. The fans, the people who I feel that we are all in this together, this song talks about the triumphant moments that we’ve had in the last two years

Swift dedicated "Long Live" to her bandmates and fans. The lyrics celebrate moments of triumph in the narrator's life, featuring royalty (kings and queens) and high school imagery ("You traded your baseball cap for a crown / And they gave us our trophies / And we held them up for our town") to describe the accomplishments in life. The narrator describes herself as a queen who, with a king by her side, fights dragons to protect her kingdom. Swift also acknowledges that her triumph will fade some day, and there are bittersweet and poignant moments ("If you have children someday, when they point to the pictures, please tell them my name"). Towards the end, Swift sings, "Will you take a moment / Promise me this / That you'll stand by me forever," which Billboard interpreted as her message to her fans. Perone commented that the lyrical theme of overcoming odds to achieve victory, coupled with the "near anthem-like structure", resembles David Bowie's 1977 classic "Heroes". Brittany Spanos from Rolling Stone agreed with this interpretation, saying that "Long Live" throws back to "Heroes" by how "it portrays two lovers who have amicably parted ways but not without leaving an unforgettable mark on one another"

Taylor: I don't have to be afraid of darkness in my heart anymore. We’ve had times where we just jump up and down, and dance like we don’t care how we’re dancing, and just scream at the top of our lungs, “How is this happening?”

Warning ⚠ Spoiler

I would like to share this because this scene is very important. Every human being wants true happiness. This is the pride of being happy.

And, I feel very lucky to even have had one of those moments, nonetheless all the ones that I got to have. ‘Long Live’ is about how I feel reflecting on it. This song for me is like looking at a photo album of all the award shows, and all the stadium shows, and all the hands in the air in the crowd. It’s sort of the first love song that I’ve written to my team.

"Does happiness disappear when you become an adult...?"

But it's okay. Any emotion will surely become a treasure...

Punch successfully fully heals Taylor's heart with Sonic coming inside her mind and saving her from anxiety and joy to make Taylor feels Joy again. Punch and Sonic watch Talor from afar wondering how greatest she will create for the world and herself in the future. "Long Live" is just the start of her new beginning of life.

[ibetonlosinghuskies]

patience and pleasure pt 4

summary: after the end of their final game together, paige and azzi attend a party. as the night unfolds, their unspoken feelings surface, leading to a pivotal moment that could change things forever.

warnings: fluff, angst, sexual content (not smut), suggestive language.

disclaimer: everything i write is fictional, any and all similarities to real life is not intensional.

word count: 4.4k +

author's note: this is probably my favorite chapter so far.

~flashback to present day~

paige’s pov:

the final buzzer echoed through the stadium, a somber sigh.

the end of our last game.

waves of cheers erupt from the crowd, a tidal wave of blue and white. confetti rained down, scattering across the court.

i should be estatic, this is all we have worked towards for months. but as i stood there, my eyes searched for her.

i know it wasn't like i wouldn't see azzi anymore but it felt like something changed. i was still worried about what she was thinking about earlier. i didn't want things to be awkward between us, not when everything else was already changing.

it comforted me to know that at least things hadn't changed between us on the court. despite being surrounded by people, it felt like it was just the two of us. getting her looks came naturally to me like she was an extension of myself. in these moments, i felt like i had her, our connection evident to the crowd.

however, the game was close. after being down eight points at halftime, azzi stepped up, dropping fifteen points effortlessly. as for me, though, i was a bit distracted. my gameplay was consistent, but my mind was elsewhere.

usually, i can zone in once i step on the court but my god. the hold this girl has on me.

the pounding of the basketball mimicking her heartbeat. the silk of my jersey, the softness of her hands. the heat of exertion, the warmth of her hand on mine.

the more i look, she's all i see. the trophy, the cheers, the victory—all insignificant in comparision to her smile.

i can take off this jersey, and wash away months of practice, but her touch will always linger on my skin.

that probably explains why she was the first one i ran to after we won. finally spotting her across the court, blue and white confetti decorating her hair. she beamed, glowing like an angel.

azzi was the real prize.

pulling her in by the waist, my head resting on her shoulder. her arms wrap around my neck. i wish we could stay like this forever.

"we did it," she whispers into my shoulder, causing a chill to run through me.

i want to tell her that she did it. that she played amazing, brilliant, unstoppable. but i can't find the words.

instead, i just pull her closer.

i hold her for a beat too long, savoring the feeling of her closeness. i can feel her heartbeat against my chest, a familiar rhythm, my favorite song.

i don't want to let her go, to share her with anyone.

i feel her pull back and i surrender.

getting a good look at her, my hands linger on her hips. her sweat giving her a radiant halo, she looks beautiful.

i should say something to her, but before i can speak my teammates pull me into a group hug.

the next couple of hours are a blur, filled with media interviews and photoshoots. after what feels like an eternity, we eventually get a moment alone, azzi and i change silently in the locker room.

"you're going to the after-party, right?" i ask, sounding much too hopeful. i probably won't even go if she's not there.

"why? you looking for a dd, party p?" she questions, flashing me a look.

"if you're offering, i'll take you up on that," i smile, i'm just happy she's going.

"alright, but only if you promise to save me a dance," she shoots back.

my heart flutters at the thought of dancing with her. slow or fast, getting to be close to her again would make my night.

i'd save every dance for her.

"anything for the princess," i quip, wishing i could add my in front of the nickname.

we finish changing and walk to the parking lot, chatting with ease. the air is cool, a stark contrast to the warmth of the locker room. azzi unlocks her car with a click and i jog to the driver's side.

"there is no way i'm letting you drive my car," she cocks her head to the side.

"chill chill, control freak. i'm just getting your door," i pull at the handle, motioning for her to get in.

"what a gentleman," she rolls her eyes before entering.

"i'm getting aux though," i yell as i run to my side of her car.

i connect my phone to her speaker as she reverses out of the parking lot. scrolling through my apple music for a moment before finally deciding on a song: muse by partynextdoor.

i watch her drive, one hand gripping the wheel, the other in her lap. azzi was the better driver out of the two of us, her focused gaze on the road. her expression turns when she finally registers the lyrics of the song, shooting me a suggestive glance.

"jesus bueckers, am i driving you to a party or are we fucking in my car," she laughs.

i wish it was the latter.

"maybe both, if you're lucky baby girl," i tease, giving her my best fuckboy laugh.

"oh, in your dreams," she banters.

that was a truer statement than she knew.

the rest of the drive is a comfortable quiet, city lights flickering through her windows as she drives. a warm breeze carries through her sunroof.

azzi's pov:

she makes it so hard not to overthink her every move. i didn't realize how much of a claim i felt to her until tonight. i can't say i'm not glad we get to share a moment alone before this party.

i sneak a glance at her while i drive, her long blonde hair flowing with the breeze. the night lights from outside softening her features. her slender fingers tapping against my dashboard to the beat of her music.

god, she looked too good to be going to this party alone.

if i couldn't be her date, i should at least look good too. cars flood the street in front of the house so i find a spot a few houses down to park. as soon as i shut the car off, paige reached for the door handle.

"hold up, i need to fix my makeup," i say, reaching for my bag in the backseat.

"here," she says, pulling something out of her bag. her fingers fumble slightly, betraying her usual confidence.

it's my favorite lipgloss. did she buy one for herself?

"forgot your makeup bag, huh?" i mock her, glad i can finally call her out.

a warm blush spread across her face, and she looks away sheepishly.

"shut up," she says so softly i can barely hear her.

"mhm," i hum, uncapping the gloss. i apply it slowly, hyper-aware of her eyes following the movement of my lips.

"maybe i just wanted you to do my makeup," she admits, still not making eye contact.

if she wants my lipgloss so bad, she should just kiss me.

"classic, always finding excuses for me to do things for you," i tease. examining the tube. "this isn't even your shade, weirdo."

"don't think too much about it, fudd," she rolls her eyes, stepping out of the car.

i wanted to pry some more but i didn't want to seem desperate. she stood aside the car waiting for me, before matching my pace.

as soon as we step through the door, the party swallows us whole. an immense mass of bodies, smoke clouding the air, music thumping.

an anxious knot builds in my chest, overwhelmed by the sea of people. i start to pick at my fingers nervously, trying to ground myself.

this has to be some kind of fire hazard right? there are way too many people, i can't even move without bumping into somebody. i feel like i can't even breathe. maybe we should leave. maybe—

my spiraling thoughts come to a screeching halt when i feel her fingers meet mine. paige interlaces our hands boldly, staring at me with those big blue eyes, soft with concern. something in her gaze, tells me i'll be okay. my heart rate slows, matching the steady shift of her thumb stroking my hand.

"stay close, alright," her voice cutting through the noise. she weaves us through the crowd, still holding my hand. i exhale, trying to calm my nerves, focusing on the warmth of her touch.

she walks with such an assertive confidence, i'd follow her anywhere. i hate to admit i'm disappointed when she drops my hand.

she manages to get us to a table, covered by an array of alcohol. i scan the room and finally catch sight of a group of my teammates gathered to the side.

"paige," i point to our teammates. "let's go say hi."

"i'm gonna pour myself a drink, i'll be right there," she responds, grabbing a cup.

i pause for a moment, feeling like a lost puppy. i almost want to wait for her, to cling to her. it isn't until i turn to walk away that i notice how close we were standing together.

"finally, we get a moment with you without paige attached at your hip," ice says, pulling me in for a hug. i just laugh in response.

as i chat with my teammates, i can't help keep my eyes off paige. my mind wanders from our conversation, my gaze tracking her movements.

who was that talking to her?

a tall man leans up against the counter, chatting with her. as she raises the cup to take a drink, he takes a moment to check her out. his eyes lingering in spots that make my blood boil. she takes a sip, lipgloss lining the cup.

my lipgloss. on her lips. for him to stare at.

he says something that makes her laugh, a strand of her blonde hair falling into her face. i feel my body tense watching their interaction. he leans down to meet her eyes, a hand reaching up to brush her hair out of her face.

oh he's not gonna—

"excuse me for a second, guys," i say to the group, without waiting for a response, i walk towards them, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

the guy's expression turns sour, clearly unhappy with my interruption. paige turns, her face lighting up when she sees me.

"oh hey azzi, this is—, " she starts innocently, but before she can finish i cut her off.

"i think ice was looking for you, we should go over there," my voice coming out much colder than i intended.

paige glances back at the group, who aren't even looking in our direction. i feel the confusion on her face, but i don't meet her eyes.

"nice to meet you, let's go," i speak quickly, my words jumbled nervously. i fight the urge to grab her hand as we walk away.

she's not mine, but she's not his either.

i have no right to my jealousy, i knew it wasn't my place. my heartbeat slows from the rush, i avoid her eyes shamefully.

i pray she doesn't read the envy on my face.

how could i explain myself to her? tell her that i don't want anyone else touching her? that i want it to be my hands in her hair? my words making her laugh?

i feel her eyes wander my face, questioning. when i finally look up at her, she just stares, looking more concerned than mad.

"you good, az?" she questions, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

before i can respond kk is pulling us back to the group, "okay lovebirds, you can stare at each other later. truth or dare time."

paige rolls her eyes at the comment, shoving her playfully and greeting the rest of the group. taking a seat around the table, the group banters.

"oh good somebody found y'all. i swear i turn my back and you disappear," ice laughs, taking a sip from her drink.

"okay y'all, i'll start, " kk interrupts, a bit too excited.

they go a few rounds, exposing secrets and taking enough shots to make me feel sick just looking at them.

paige's pov:

i laugh at the group's ridiculous dares, finally loosening up a bit. i'd taken a few shots, a sweet hum running through my veins, calming my nerves.

that is, until it's my turn again.

"paige," ice says dramatically, "truth or dare?"

"truth," i respond, not wanting to get caught up in a stupid dare.

"who was your first love?" she asks innocently, unaware of the implications of her question.

my eyes instinctually flicker to azzi, my breath becoming shallow. my mind races at the thought of her. the answer was obvious.

"i...uh—" i struggle to find the words, "just give me the damn shot," i surrender.

"coward," ice mutters under her breath, passing over the bottle.

"i got it," azzi nods at ice, taking the bottle from her hands. she's been so quiet all night, her voice startles me. i'm grateful for the excuse to look at her.

she stands confidently, walking over the my seat. my attention fixed on her movements. she towers over me, i tilt my head back slightly to meet her eyes.

my heartbeat pounds so loudly, i'm almost surprised she can't hear it. her long careful fingers unscrew the lid of the bottle. the subtle flex of her forearms, sending chills through my body.

god, the things i'd let her do to me from this angle.

seeing her like this, outside of my daydreams, felt unreal. azzi had always looked like an angel to me but tonight her beauty surpassed anything i've ever seen before.

"open," she demands. her voice still sweet but this time also low and smokey.

does she know what she's doing to me?

she presses the cold bottle to my lips, a shocking contrast to the blood-rushed heat of my admiration. she looks down at me, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. her voice echoes through my head.

i part my lips, hungry for her. instinctually, i lick my lips, watching her eyes follow my tongue.

her cold gaze pierces through me. i feel vulnerable under her stare, knowing she sees the desperation in my eyes.

my mind races. a million thoughts of her flooding my mind. her fingers, her lips, her voice. i imagine myself parting her legs the same way she parted my lips. the chill of the bottle against my lips, imagining her fingers down my throat.

azzi tilts the bottle carefully, her eyes flashing to my lips. i wish we were alone, that i could pull her down to me, taste her instead of this cheap vodka.

i'm sure she's sweeter.

"swallow," she instructs, her free hand coming up to hold my chin.

i melt into her touch, my eyes flutter closed for a moment, overwhelmed by her contact.

i just want to be good for her.

all of this feels so surreal. i force my eyes open, meeting her gaze as i swallow quickly and hard, desperate to please her. the alcohol burns down my throat, but i barely notice. all i can focus on is azzi—the warmth of her hand, the chill of her stare, the sharp breath she takes as she watches.

i stare, vodka spilling down the side of my chin, smiling like an idiot, intoxicated from her touch.

her brown eyes soften, clearly satisfied by my obedience. she reaches a thumb to wipe the alcohol.

she's still so sweet, even in moments like this.

azzi steps back, her hand falling from my face. the loss of her touch stings and i want to beg her for more.

the moment ends, interrupted by a chorus of teasing laughter and shouts from the group.

"she just made you her bitch dude," kk laughs, poking my side.

"shut up," i stumble over my words, failing to regain my composure.

the game starts to wind down after that, the energy shifting to the makeshift dance floor.

"alright, i think that's enough secrets for one night," ice stands from the table, reaching for her phone. "time to dance this alcohol off."

i remain seated for a moment, still dazed from azzi's touch. i can't take my eyes off her as she moves, her body swaying in a way that renders me breathless.

i feel paralyzed by the motion of her body, consumed by my thoughts of her. i lean against the table, sipping my drink slowly, trying to build the confidence to dance with her.

even in the dim lights of the party, she looks captivating.

i watch her dance for a few songs, my fingers swirling the rim of my cup. she's magnetic, with just a simple dance. i take another sip, the taste doing little to soothe the ache of my desire for her. her eyes meet mine for a moment, and i choke on my drink.

kk comes over and nudges my shoulder. "come on, p. please tell me you plan on dancing with her eventually, right?"

"i...um, yes. eventually...yeah," i stammer out a response.

"whatever you say, p boogers," kk shakes her head. "better late than never."

i hate to admit it but she's right. i take a deep breath before finishing my drink. already too intoxicated to taste it, i pour another. swallowing it whole, my eyes never leaving her.

her movements pull me in and i take my first unsteady step, almost tripping over myself. my thoughts grow sluggish, realizing that i've had one too many.

she notices me approaching, her face brightening. she scans me briefly, clocking my drunken sway.

azzi laughs, warmth softening her expression. "took you long enough," she blinks slowly.

her voice is like in lullaby to my nerves, coating my thoughts in a fuzzy haze. "you said—," i stammer, "you owe me a dance," my words coming out much more jumbled and slurred than i expected.

without waiting for her response, i impatiently take her hand and pull her towards me. our bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces, electricity coursing through my veins under her touch.

we start to move, finding a slow rhythm. my drunken confidence causing me to rest my hands on her hips, a bit lower than usual. azzi's arms drape my neck, her fingers coursing through my hair gently.

how am i supposed to survive this?

as the beat picks up, so does the tension between us. azzi turns suddenly, pressing her back against my front. my breath hitches at the contact, my hands instinctually gripping her waist tighter.

her movements are fluid, and sensual, drawing me in with every sway. it takes every ounce of self-control i have not slap her ass. instead, i lean in, gripping her hips tighter, trying to stifle my lust.

"you're killing me, fudd," i whisper, my lips brushing against her ear.

i feel her laugh, the vibration traveling through her body to mine. she turns her head, her lips dangerously close to mine.

just a little closer...

"what's running through that mind of yours, bueckers?" she flirts, biting her lip, leaning in even closer.

how could i even begin?

the softness of her lips, the scent of her hair, the friction of her hips. i wanted her closeness, her smile, her laugh. i take a long blink, imagining the taste of her skin, the sounds she might make if i touched her just right. i say all of this with my eyes, blowing shaky breath onto her cheek.

i wanted her.

but then, as we lock eyes, my thoughts shift. i imagine waking up next to her, sunlight peaking through her curls. i picture holding her during scary movies, her hand gripping my bicep. kissing her in the rain, taking her out to dinner, bringing her flowers. i see myself reading her favorite book, doing anything to make her smile.

i wanted her, not just as something to have, but something to keep.

"trust me, you don't wanna know," i say back, trying to hide my affection.

"maybe i do," she tilts her head to the side, batting her eyelashes.

suddenly, someone bumps into us, halting my thoughts. azzi takes a step back, her eyes wide and filled with emotion i can't quite place.

"i...i need some air," she says, her voice uneasy.

before i can stop her, she's weaving through the crowd to the door. i'm left alone in a sea of people, drowning under the weight of our almost-kiss.

what just happened?

azzi's pov:

what was i thinking?

the cool night air hits me sharply, my eyes glued to the floor. i lean against my car, my heart still racing from what almost happened.

so much for "keeping it casual."

i've spent years building walls, guarding my heart from getting too attached. it wasn't like i didn't trust paige, i was just paralyzed by the fear of losing her forever. i can't risk our friendship, everything we've built together.

what if it doesn't work out? what if it all falls apart?

my throat tightens with emotion, overwhelmed by the thought of not having her in my life.

the sound of the door opening jolts me back to reality. without looking up, i know it's her.

she staggers toward me drunkenly, her voice uncertain and sympathetic. "azzi," she calls out to me.

i turn to face her, fidgeting with my fingers anxiously.

once she sees the tears in my eyes, she takes a step closer. "are you okay? i'm sorry if i... if that was too much in there."

i shake my head, trying to swallow the lump in my throat, "no, it's not your fault...i'm just—”

scared, terrified, of how much i want this. of how easily i could fall for you.

but i don't say that. instead, i blink away the tears. "i just get overwhelmed in crowds, you know?"

paige stares at me, examining my expression. she knows there's something more there but she doesn't pry.

"we never finished our dance," she says, looking genuinely disappointed.

"oh there's always next time—" i start but before i finish paige taps her phone and turns up the volume.

she was playing our song. the same song she played dancing in my kitchen many autumns ago.

the recognizable melody fills the air, and my heart aches. memories of that night flood my mind- paige's laughter, her soft hands holding my face, the way she'd do anything to make me smile.

i guess some things never change. she's still that same girl, trying to make everything better with a dance and a smile.

"paige, you don't have to—" i start, but i quiet when she grabs my hand.

"one dance," she pleads, looking just as sweet and vulnerable as she did that night. "please azzi."

i know i shouldn't, this will only make things more complicated. but i can't resist her—i never could.

there was something special every time we touched. something beautiful, something terrifying.

i step into her arms, and we start to sway. the parking lot becoming a dance floor, the streetlight our spotlight. paige pulls me even closer, her breath tickling my neck.

"i've missed this," she mumbles, "missed you." i can smell the alcohol on her breath, but the sincerity in her voice makes my heart flutter.

i close my eyes, overcome with emotion. "i've always been here, you know that."

paige pulls back, her expression growing serious. "no, you don't understand. i miss you. even when you're right next to me." her eyes scan my face, gauging my reaction.

"paige i—" i start but she cuts me off.

"no, i need to say this. i want everything with you. i don't know who i am without you." her words blend like the lyrics of a song.

i try to stop her again but she continues. "i see you in every beautiful thing. you're so damn pretty azzi." her movements reflect her drunken state, but her eyes convey a deep clarity. she means it.

"you make me feel human," she pulls me in closer, her voice shaky in my ear.

i should say something to her. tell her she's the best part of me. the only part that matters.

"paige, you're drunk," i say reluctantly. the hurt on her face is evident. she shakes her head, her blue eyes welling up in tears.

she grabs my face, insistent on locking our eyes. "please," she pleads, tears rolling softly down her cheeks.

"you're everything to me, azzi," paige stammers, her voice breaking mid-sentence.

god, why does she have to do this now? when she's like this?

"i can smell the vodka on your breath," i say, closing my eyes, her breathe tickling my face.

"i love the way your dimples show when you laugh. the face you make when you're deep in thought," her voice sounds desperate, needy. she's begging for me to hear her, and part of me wants nothing more but to listen.

i love your laugh too. the way i always catch you staring.

"you can barely stand straight," i point out, trying to ignore the way my heart melts at her words.

please paige, don't make me hope. don't make me believe in something that might disappear in the morning.

her tears stream freely now, she closes her eyes. "i love how passionate you are in everything you do." she sniffles, her voice uneven. "i love how much you care for everyone," she continues.

i learned that from you. my sweet girl.

"you won't even remember this tomorrow," i say weakly, fighting back my tears. my restraint weakening with every word she says.

please remember, please tell me you want this too. when you're sober. when i know it's real.

"i'll remember everything. the way you looked at me, holding your face, the scent of your perfume," her words slurred but urgent.

i'll remember too paige, it'll haunt me.

"i think i'm in—"

don't say it. if you say it i won't be able to pretend anymore.

"don't, paige," i finally cut her off sternly.

the rejection in her eyes is more than i can take. but i stand my ground, afraid that if i let myself believe her words, there would be no going back. no matter how much i want to.

i want to believe you. i want to believe you so badly it hurts.

she drops her hands defeated, warm tears running down her cheeks. i take her face in my hands now, leaning in to kiss her forehead softly. i linger for a moment too long, aching to soothe her, to tell her i feel the same.

i'm sorry paige. i'm so sorry.

i let out a trembling breath, "let me take you home."

[brooklynislandgirl]

"Okay, that's something that we have in common, to an extent. I…don't cook. Maybe 'can't' is…ah… is a more appropriate word. But I can order out like no one's business and my microwave sends me Valentine's cards. With the cat's help but still." One truth deserves another and admitting she gets the struggle helps hold off the question that instantly pops up in her mind, which is to ask ~gently~ if perhaps he's got some sensory issues or mental health struggles that prevent him from developing the skills necessary to cook for himself. Even bringing that up is too close to her own reasoning and something she feels might be entirely too personal to share with a stranger. He rescues her from moral quandary with a soft tease, a play on her own imagination but offers a little insight. While he might not do yoga or tai-chi, at least he recognises the elements. And isn't mean about it. That soft smile grows until she feels the need to cover it with her hand. She can actually see it; he's eloquent and has thus far come across as quite knowledgeable. She should have known. "I think it's a noble profession. Growing minds, spreading information, nurturing kids who sometimes have no one else to care about them. I t'ink…think that's beautiful." She catches her own verbal slip and course-corrects but even the misstep doesn't change the way she gazes at him quietly. She sees how his face changes and she can't find it in her to apologise for making things awkward. Instead she notes that his nose does that thing, and that it's quite unaffected, kind of adorable. But then he deflects and it's funny that he intuitively jumps to the same conclusion she does and cuts her off at the pass. She almost quotes the Addams Family to him but then he smiles and she feels a flood of warmth flicker through her. "Well, I won't tell if you don't." She takes no offense at the plant comment, and stops herself from one of her own long winded diatribes about earth conservation and every person's kuleana. "Uhm. Yeah, me too. About the sea. My…my mother taught me to dance and how to surf almost before I could walk. I couldn't imagine living too far away from the water. Do you still swim during the summers or do pick up some other work, like tutoring?" Beth doesn't answer him right away. She does stop maybe a little too close behind him as he goes through the process of dealing with locks. Her face is in shadow, hard to read, though she does narrow her eyes up at his face. Whatever happens inside of her head unfolds in real time, and for a moment she reaches out, squeezes his arm, then backs away. She walks around the front of his car and to the other side. Opens the door and slides in, placing her purse between her feet. Once he gets inside, she finally regards him again. "So…full disclosure, you'll eventually notice that I tend to watch people's mouths, their eyes. Sometimes, if I'm not staring you in the face I might not hear you at all, or hear something wildly different than what you said. I've got…ah…it's called audio-processing disorder. So…please don't think I'm crazy, it's just people speaking sometimes gets a little muddled between my ears and brains. She tucks a lock of dark hair behind her ear. Within it, there's a small hearing-aid. "And as such, I tend to read more than I watch tv or movies, unless I've got the captions on. That being said…You can have Jeopardy and the Law and Order franchise when you rip them from my cold dead hands. But seeing as you are a serial killer, you might could keep them as a trophy." She raises her hands, palms toward him, and wiggles her fingers.

With the hum of traffic backlighting their conversation, Ben grinned, re-adjusting the well-worn, muted gray scarf around his neck -- a graduation present from Samuel, who'd claimed "every grown-ass man needs a nice scarf in his arsenal" -- before he appraised Ellie within the green tint from the overhead stoplight. "If your heart aches over my coffee situation, you should see my tragic lack of non-boxed dinners," he said. "With my present job, I'm not afforded much time to cook. Thankfully, Sara Lee, Marie Callendar, and Betty Crocker are all there to save the day."

Unsurprisingly, she asked what he did for a living. Ben hesitated a moment, offering a soft laugh at her guesses. "A dog-yoga instructor? I can barely find my own chi, let alone a dog's," he quipped. "Still, I'm afraid it's nothing that romantic...I just teach."

He didn't know why he'd lied. It wasn't that CIA was a particularly top secret job, depending upon the assignment, but he much preferred to name the profession he truly yearned for. The state of public schools had discouraged him from entering the scene altogether, but tending to oftentimes spoiled, irate citizens wasn't much better, if he was being honest with himself.

That was when he realized she'd addressed his eyes... Somehow, the compliment embarrassed him, and with a soft laugh, Ben incredulously scrunched his nose. It wasn't that people had never remarked on them before -- they had -- but when Ellie said so, there was a straightforward sincerity that warmed him from the inside-out. "I have my father's eyes," he softly said. "Not literally, of course...unless we're deciding to go with that whole serial killer angle from earlier." Flashing another lopsided smile, he turned and headed with her up the neighboring street, relieved to find there was a brief reprieve from the wind flooding up and down the intersecting path.

Her remark made him smile. "I've never cared much about cars either, but since I can't really commute to work inside a plant, I suppose I'll have to make do," he teased. "And surfboards? You're a surfer then, I take it? I grew up by the sea, but I tend to just swim without any aids."

Fishing his keys out of his pants' pocket, he approached his beat-up not-so-beauty and inserted the key into the lock. Upon hearing her question, Ben was quick to reply, "Books all the way -- there's no contest. In truth, I haven't watched anything worthy of note in years, and I couldn't tell you the first thing about what's on TV nowadays." He shrugged. "Why watch something when you can completely immerse yourself, instead?" Opening the driver's side of his Buick, he unlocked the passenger door and asked, "Are you going to break my heart and say you're an unshakable, unrepentant TV gal? Is this friendship already over?"

[noa-ciharu]

Fuukam and Seisub with #2 of Domestic life, because I think it'd fun to watch whatever happens (from a safe distance)

Ahh the disaster wedding ask. I've written crack fic about seisub wedding before so I'll write script for fuukam here. It starts right after last page of X

Kamui needs to realize his true wish, one he repressed since very early childhood - to be a trophy wife. Since Fuuma has no money to buy a ring, he'd get down on knee and lick Kamui's hand; why put ring on it when you can put tongue on it? Duh. Ofc Yuzuriha, Aoki and Karen saw all of that perversity and put hands over Yuzuriha's eyes to shield her innocnece from horny homoerotic courtship. She pulled their hands away. Poor Aoki the only straight married man had 3 heart attacks when he saw what youth these days are like.

Subaru gave them his blessing so that was more than enough in Kamui's eyes to accept the proposal. Something something, what happens when your therapist need army of therapists on his own. Also Fuuma promised to finally have unprotected homoerotic courtship battle in bed so curiosity and hormones got best of Kamui. Just there won't be any bed since all hotels are destroyed. Oh well...

Apocalypse is officially canceled because antichrist Fuuma is too busy arranging wedding. Unfortunately as whole Tokyo is flooded they have no options but to hold a wedding on top of Tokyo Tower. Everyone is invited but seeing how World almost ended that everyone is just Seals, Angels and dreamgazers. Yes Hinoto has to be present to see how her preordained dreams about final sword battle on Tokyo Tower are taking on a quite metaphorical and perverse form. Both sides of her want to die now. Kanoe is also there to sponsor Kamui's wedding dress. He said he wanted to be a bride after all.

Seals see said wedding dress and forbid Kamui from wearing it. There'd be no horny jail strong enough to keep Fuuma back, they say. Why should he hold back, Kamui responds. At that point seals wonder if it would have been better if World ended instead. So Kamui is put in his school uniform as security measure. Fuuma arrives in school uniform as well since he's high school dropout and unfortunately can't afford anything else. Including honeymoon, which would also take place on top of Tokyo Tower

Sorata, Arashi, Karen and Aoki gift them visit card for divorce lawyer. Yuzuriha gifts Kamui cat ears and a tail. She really has no idea where that tail goes. Fuuma smirks for 20 mins. Yuuto, Kanoe and Satsuki gift them 100 packages of condoms and lube. Fuuma thanks them for month worth of stocks. Kakyou refuses to gift them anything. Understandable. Subaru heard microwave is most standard gift so he hands Kamui a microwave. Kamui plans to use it as stool later on when sharing wedding vows so Fuuma won't crank his neck when he has to kiss him. Little does he know standard ceremony is to lick instead of kiss. And laying instead of standing

Of course noone in their right mind would be a priest on wedding between twink Jesus and an kinky antichrist so Fuuma fetched Seishirou from another dimension to be a fake priest (trc!Seishirou ofc). Anything to see another version of Subaru he says. But when he saw obsessive Subaru that won't get away from him, has his eye and killed another version of him, trc!Seishirou started rethinking his not so genius idea. He took too many shots of vodka to wash uneasiness away.

Kakyou didn't want to attend but since he's in wheelchair question of attendance isn't his to decide on really. So Fuuma brought him over. Kakyou saw his dead crush's brother holding onto arm of Sakurazukamori's clone and begged to be tossed into water below. Instead Fuuma gave him front seat to wedding ceremony. Right beside Yuuto and Kanoe planning how to make wedding as homoerotic as possible. Something something, wedding garter belt has to go as up thigh as possible.

Wedding ceremony started by Fuuma pinning Kamui over altar. Standard procedure, priest says. Drunk fake priest asked if anyone has any complains about couple getting married. Before anyone had a chance to protest Fuuma reminded them kindly that getting married to Kamui means he'd be too busy to kill and destroy so Seals really had no option. Sorata still shouted how he can't keep it in his pants for even a minute. Ofc that's basically an invitation for being kinkshamed which Fuuma couldn't resist. Let's say crowd learned alot about dominatrix. There's no other, all seals have to get waisted to survive the night. Dragons of Earth however, they're having a blast. Yes, including drunk Sakurazukamori!Subaru who is trying to persuade trc!Seishirou into having wedding ceremony of their own. Also there's no food at wedding, just alcohol. Noone wanted to cook for their wedding since fuukam is everyone's NOTP. Maybe except Subaru's but he does know how to cook anyways. Kanoe was too busy preparing kinkiest wedding dress ever.

It's not the "you may kiss the bride" but "you may lick the bride". Which Fuuma does. Everywhere. Aoki reminds him how there are kids present but Satsuki tells him to shut up and don't spoil her show. Seals had to bring tranquilizers and tasers to pull Fuuma away from Kamui before all clothes were taken off. Fuuma read everyone's wishes - they all wished to die. But he was too busy planning his to molest Kamui. Not that Kamui minded, he was secretly sulking Seals pulled him to his side. It was his wedding and he couldn't even get homoerotically pinned to the wall and licked! So he took a chance to sneak out to Kanoe and asks her where she put that kinky dress. Yes, he puts even garter belt on. Satsuki says he put it wrong and it has to go higher.

10 mins later Kamui emerged in wedding dress that had same amount of material as your mini sized towel. Fuuma loses it. Immediately he proclaims no wedding can happen without garter belt tradition.

Wedding ended immediately because Honeymoon started early.

[gaybarbiegirl]

My Top 5 Gay Barbie ships

As an avid Barbie fan and a lesbian, I feel like it was only a matter of time until I made this. I think we can all agree that the Barbie movies blessed us with some of the best lesbian relationships gal pals of our childhoods, and I guess this is just my way of paying homage to my favorites. A little disclaimer, this is all just my opinion, so I'm sorry if your favorite ship isn't here.

5. Kristyn and Hailey - Barbie and the Pink Shoes

Starting out with a painfully underrated ship from a painfully underrated movie, we've got Kristyn and Hailey. In my opinion, Barbie and the Pink Shoes is the funniest Barbie movie, and these two are a big part of the reason why. They bounce off of each other really well, they have a great and believable daydreamer/down to earth dynamic, and their relationship is really sweet. I mean, it's hard to watch two people navigating an unknwon world together with no one to count on but each other and not end up shipping them. Plus, the scene where Hailey gets captured by the snow queen and Kristyn runs crying through the frozen road always breaks my heart.

4. Mariposa and Catania - Barbie Mariposa and the fairy princess

I'm gonna be honest, the way the pairings went in the Mariposa franchise actually makes me kinda bitter. And that's because they had these two characters who I think are perfect for each other, but they totally disregard their relationship for the sake of pairing Mariposa with Prince Carlos (who is honestly just a male version of her).

I mean, seriously - Mariposa and Catania have this Romeo and Juliet type of story, being from rival fairy kingdoms and all, and it would definetely have ended in romance if this was a het ship. Catania is the only one who's kind to Mariposa from the start, she bothers to learn about her culture and to make her feel welcome in her kingdom, and she trusts her blindly even when everyone around her tells her she shouldn't. In return, Mariposa listens to Catania about her struggles, and does everything in her power to help her overcome them. They have a lot in common and a lot to teach each other, their relationship development feels very natural, and their bond is what saves the day in the end. But nooo, Barbie has to end up with the prince. Smh.

3. Barbie and Sal-Lee - Barbie Starlight Adventure

These two probably have the most down to earth relationship in this list, ironically. They have no big dramatic bonding moment, no speech about believing in each other, and their love isn't what saves the universe. It's all very simple and low key, and that's kind of what I like about it.

I love how nervous Barbie is to meet Sal-Lee in the beggining, how it takes a little while for them to get used to each other, and how even in the end there's still a bit of healthy competition between them. You can tell both of them weren't what the other one was expecting, but once they get to know each other, they realize they're something even better, and I think that's really great. I also love how Sal-Lee gets all protective of Barbie, always looking out for her in the end. Overall, their relationship is just very wholesome and comforting. 10/10.

2. Merliah and Kylie - Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2

Rivals to lovers, anyone? Truly one of the best relationship tropes out there, and it was executed beautifully in this movie.

Merliah's and Kylie's flirty rivalry in the beggining is everything, and I like how it's not one sided. Like, Merliah isn't the nice "let's all be friends" girl who's being cornered by mean girl Kylie, they're both mutually competitive, which is pretty unique for a Barbie movie. And, of course, as their relationship develops, all of their scenes are just the cutest and the gayest.

Kylie saying "since when does the queen of the waves give up?" when she's pulling Merliah out of that whirpool? Amazing.

The two of them holding hands while swimming together? Beautiful.

Merliah swooning over everything Kylie says, from her plans to her bad jokes? Lovely.

And the whole ending sequence to that movie lives in my head rent free. Merliah is all upset over being a mermaid forever because, in her own words, this means she can't surf with Kylie anymore. Then she turns human again and gets to compete with her one more time, but with love instead of animosity. And finally, the two of them thank each other for everything they got to learn together and agree to share the 1st place trophy. Incredible. Lesbian excellency. Love it with my whole heart.

1. Liana and Alexa - Barbie and the Diamond Castle

Surprising no one, Alexa and Liana get the 1st place, and for a good reason. To this day, they're the biggest wlw icons from any Barbie movie ever. Everyone has seen the posts talking about how the colours of their dresses are the colours of the lesbian flag and the bi flag, or about how they're the og cottagecore lesbians, or about how there's a scene in the movie where the two of them literally float away from their "love interests" on a rainbow, and they're all 100% right.

But while the sheer amount of gayness these two have is great, I still think this isn't the best part of their relationship. The best part, I think, is just how devoted they are to each other.

Like, we know they regularly write songs about how happy they are together, and both of them consider their relationship to be the best part of their lives. They take care of each other in a way that is so casual but still so meaningful, and you can tell it comes from a place of real love. When they get the chance to make a wish, they don't even have to think before wishing to be together forever. And throughout the movie, we see them risk their lives and rethink their values for the sake of keeping the other one happy and safe.

They're not just my favorite barbie ship, they're one of my favorite ships of all time, and they totally deserve all of the praise they get.

[oh--youprettythings]

wrote this fix it fic at 3am because i couldn't find a good eli x demetri one. not that this is any good tho, i just wanted to share my big girl thoughts. anyhow. pls enjoy!!! pouring one out for the cobra kai writers for ruining my little guys last season.

://////

The kids kept training even after losing the tournament. Daniel gave a long and weird speech about how they couldn't let Cobra Kai take over the town, now more than ever. At the end of the day, he let his students decide what was the best thing to do. Although, in retrospect, letting frightened traumatized teenagers make that choice probably wasn't the fairest idea.

Anyway, at Miyagi-Do, after a class ended earlier because of a broken nose - "it was an accident, guys!!" Sam tried-, Eli asked sensei Daniel if he could stay longer to do some training on his own. He felt oddly behind, even after winning the trophy. Moon's words kept echoing in his head - "I liked you for your energy" what the hell does that even mean?

Even after weeks of going out with her, he still felt like something was wrong with him, and he couldn't find out - as dumb as this sounds - "who" he was. The quiet guy with a funny lip who used to get bullied at school? The psycho with a mohawk who went around breaking peoples' arms? His best friend's arm...

He loses his balance. Hitting the cold water of the pond makes him come back to his senses. He shakes his head, getting back on the balance wheel.

"Hey, dumbass" shouts Demetri coming out of the front of the dojo, with a smirk on his lips. "You're supposed to do that with two people."

"Oh, so that's why sensei Lawrence kept falling that time he tried to use it." replies Eli, making both of them smile.

"What are you still doing here?"

"Just thought I needed some more training."

"Oh yeah. Obviously you do, mister Champion of the All Valley boys' final." Demetri makes sure he says all of these words as clearly and loudly as possible, 50% for the theatrics and 50% to make Eli see some sense.

"Ha ha." Eli rolls his eyes. "So, why are you here?" He tries to change the subject.

Demetri shrugs his shoulders. "My mom is running late, can't pick me up right now. You're stuck with me, dude."

"Alright. Wanna help me with this then?" Eli says, pointing to the balance wheel.

Demetri nods, playfully.

----------

They get it right after a couple of tries, which involved falling and splashing water at each other for 5 minutes. They are circling the balance wheel in perfect synchrony when Demetri says "Hey, look! We make a pretty good team". Eli suddenty stops, causing them to fall again.

Demetri laughs, getting wet hair off his face. "What happened?" He asks.

Eli doesn't talk, he sits by the side of the pond, thinking of how to say what he has been trying to say for months.

Demetri doesn't say anything either, but joins him.

"You know" Eli breaks the silence, a tired and painful look on his face "I never properly apologized for... everything." He pauses, still fighting for the words. "Breaking your arm was probably the worst thing I have ever done." Why does he have such an aching pain in his chest?

"That's actually good because that wasn't even that bad, so it means you haven't done a lot of awful things." Demetri says, in his usual cheeky way, but he means every word.

Eli scoffs, exasperated. "Demetri, I'm serious! I am so sorry."

"Yeah, I'm serious too!" He says. "Look. I forgave you, Eli. Yes, it hurt like hell and I was really, really sad about it for, like, a whole week, ask my mom. But I know you since we were in kindergarten! I know you're good."

"That's the thing. I don't know if I am good. I don't know if I know how to be good" his voice starts cracking.

Demetri reaches out to his right hand laying on the grass and holds it, the only thing that feels right.

"You already are, dude. Come on." He says, a soft last attempt.

Eli glances at their hands together. He sniffles.

"What's that?" he asks, raising their hands.

"I don't know! You were being weird, threw me off my game."

"Oh, I'm being weird? I'm not the one holding my hand, am I?"

"Want me to let it go then? I will."

"Wait, no!" Eli pulls their hands closer, tighter.

"Okay, okay, big guy."

Eli chuckles.

"Nerd."

It's okay for now. They smile.

[avenging-fandoms]

traitor / spencer reid

*sort of requested by anonymous *in which y/n and spencer dated for a little while, and then broke up. weeks later, spencer found someone new. *warning: angst, fem!reader *PLEASE send me requests!!!!! i can do whoever :)

MASTERLIST

Brown guilty eyes and little white lies Yeah, I played dumb but I always knew That you talk to her, maybe did even worse I kept quiet so I could keep you

you smiled as spencer cracked a joke about work, your heart jumping as his laugh made you happy. his phone started to ring and he pulled it out of his pocket as you took a sip of your wine.

you watched as spencer's expression grew nervous, and you knew who was calling. you put your glass down and licked your lips, crossing your arms across your chest and you leaned forward.

"you got a case?" you ask and spencer clicked his phone off, putting it back into his jacket pocket and he shook his head quickly and you stomach sank as he gave you a smile. it's her. it's her. it's her.

"no, just jj. she asked if i could, uh, babysit. i told her i would do it another time" spencer lied straight through his teeth and you nodded along like you believed him. but you knew. you knew who called. but you couldn't lose a guy like spencer, so you just kept quiet, sipping your wine like you weren't dying inside.

And ain't it funny How you ran to her The second that we called it quits?

And ain't it funny How you said you were friends? Now it sure as hell don't look like it

you felt empty after spencer left, the two of you had been in a weird spot the past couple of weeks, and after he left the room to take the phone cal and spoke quietly, you had enough. you had barged into the room, crying to him how you needed him to be there more, but he couldn't do that.

you felt like hell, you couldn't look at anything spencer even touched without feeling sick. you knew spencer wasn't on social media, so you thought you were safe there without seeing him.

there he was, he popped up on a suggested profile, saying he was in a relationship with her. the woman you were worried about. you felt sick about what you saw.

it wasn't even a week and he was all over her. kissing, hugging, everything. 'friends' 'i just met her in a library' 'we're just friends with the same interests. bullshit.

Now you bring her around Just to shut me down Show her off like she's a new trophy

And I'll know if you were true There's no damn way that you Could fall in love with somebody that quickly

"i just don't understand, penelope. i.. i thought he loved me" you sipped your very strong drink, the 3 girls looking at you with a soft expressions.

"oh, he did love you, sugarplum. he just.." penelope struggled to find the words, but there were no words. the way he moved on, he really didn't love you. or he did, but not as much as you did him. "oh dear"

you followed everyone's eyes to the door where spencer walked in with her, with maeve. your mind started to spin and you soon felt sick watching him hold her the way he held you, like she was his shiny new trophy. "yn? yn, breathe, sweetheart" emily spoke softly and you shook your head, jumping off the chair and bolting to the bathroom.

you held the edges of the sink, looking at yourself in the mirror. the door opened and penelope walked into the bathroom. "oh my sweet girl" you sobbed as you fell into her arms, sobbing.

"he doesn't love me, p. he-he never did"

Ain't it funny All the twisted games All the questions you used to avoid?

Ain't it funny? Remember I brought her up And you told me I was paranoid

"hey spencer?" you called and tried to keep your voice calm and not scratchy. he walked into the room with a little smile, and you held out his phone. "who's maeve?"

"what?" for someone as smart as spencer, he loved to play dumb when it came to her. "why are you on my phone?"

"it started to ring and i went to bring it to you just in case you needed to go into work but it wasn't a name or number i recognized. is she.. did you find someone new?" your voice was scratchy and spencer chuckled, shaking his head and taking his phone.

"you're just being paranoid, she's nothing but a friend. i met her at the library while we were both in the same section and we got to talking. she just calls for more information, nothing is going on"

you nodded and spencer kissed your head, tucking his phone in his pocket and heading back into the kitchen. that conversation didn't help anything, and you still felt uneasy about the whole thing.

God, I wish that you had thought this through Before I went and fell in love with you When she's sleeping in the bed we'd made Don't you dare forget about the way

you sat on your couch with your knees to your chest, a half empty wine bottle in your hands as you let your tears fall down your legs. it hurt more than you thought it would because you thought you didn't love him as much as you did.

once he was gone, you knew you loved him more than the world. spencer let you fall in love with him while he still talked to this other woman, and he knew you loved him. and he told you he loved you, but it made you think.. did he really mean it?

spencer laid in bed with maeve cuddled by his side, his fingers rubbing up and down her bare arm. the room was silent, and spencer could still smell you on the sheets, on your sheets.

"are you okay, spencer?" she asked softly and he hummed, blinking a couple times and looking down at maeve. "spencer?"

You betrayed me And I know that you'll never feel sorry For the way I hurt, yeah You talk to her When we were together Loved you at your worst But that didn't matter

It took you two weeks To go off and date her Guess you didn't cheat But you're still a traitor

it had been a month since you last saw spencer and maeve at the bar. you had gotten better, gotten over spencer and it was easier to talk to him. see him? that was a different story.

as you walked to your car in the garage, you heard footsteps behind you and you quickly turned around. "hey!" you put your stuff in your passenger seat and close the door, crossing your arms over your chest as you gave spencer a soft smile. "i feel like i haven't seen you in forever. how have.. how have you been?"

"uhm.. i'm.. working on it. some days are harder than others" you sighed before you asked the question you didn't want to because you knew the answer. "how are you?"

"i'm okay. we're.. i'm good" you nod and you both fell silent. "i miss you" he said softly and you looked at him with daggers in your eyes, a scoff coming out of your mouth.

"you.. you miss me? i guess you should've thought of that before you went and talked with maeve" spencer opened his mouth and you held up your hand. "it's my turn to speak, spencer. you betrayed me, spence. and i don't.. i don't think you'll ever feel sorry for the way you hurt me. because if you did, you wouldn't have went off and dated the girl i was always worried about"

"yn i'm sor-"

"the funny thing is.." you sniffle and chuckle, shifting your weight to your other foot. "i stuck by you when you went to jail, spencer. i loved you when you were at your worst. i waited months for you, damn it!" your voice got louder and it made spencer jump.

"i didn't cheat on you, yn"

"i know you didn't spencer. but you're still a traitor. you betrayed me and my love for you. and i can't ever look at you the same" your throat felt tight and you hopped in your car. "goodbye spencer" you peeled out of the garage, glancing at spencer in your rear view mirror as you left, stepping on the brakes at the stop sign and closing your eyes, letting out a sob as you finally said goodbye to spencer and what love you both shared.

[egopocalypse]

12 for gone away <3

GONE AWAY MY BELOVED.

Void, thank you for allowing me to indulge in brainrot. You know I love talking about this fic's history. <33

12) How did you come up with this fic? Where were you/what were you doing when you thought of it?

Okay, so I came up with the idea for both AWS and Gone Away around the same time. The Disc War Finale was announced, we all thought c!Tommy was getting shoved in the prison, and everything else I explained a couple asks ago.

But for Gone Away, I originally wanted to try to predict what would happen during the Disc War Finale. Because I was still relatively new to DSMP (I started watching right after Nov. 16th, but I hadn't yet gone back to watch any pre-L'Manberg vods), I thought they were going to call back to the Bow Duel, where c!Tubbo would take c!Wilbur's place and call the steps before c!Tommy lost and died again. Tubbo would then rush back to the SMP with the news, only to find out later that Tommy had respawned in the prison.

To my relief, I was wrong. I was so, so wrong.

So after the Disc War Finale aired, I revamped my idea and reworked everything from the ground up. I became fascinated with the Trophy Hall/Hall of Attachments and how close c!clingy came to losing everything. As a Tubbling, I also became fixated on c!Tubbo as a catalyst, especially with c!Dream's whole "Every hero needs an origin story" line. To c!Dream, c!Tubbo is nothing more than the hero's (c!Tommy's) reason to keep fighting against the villain. He's the hero's connection to his past, and his death will serve as both trauma and an excuse for c!Tommy to never leave c!Dream's game--because if he isn't fighting against c!Dream, if he isn't keeping c!Dream occupied, then who's to say c!Dream won't just keep killing? Who's to say that c!Dream will just stop when he doesn't get what he wants, or that he won't hold c!Tommy responsible for all those deaths and frame him (because c!Tommy didn't try to stop him) and throw him in the prison so he can force c!Tommy to keep playing anyway? It's absolutely horrific to consider, but to c!Dream, c!Tubbo doesn't have any worth as a person--only how he can be used. And I wanted to build a story based on that concept, and then flip it on it's head.

I don't want to say too much more, but ultimately, Gone Away is a story about c!Tubbo finding his self-worth when it's been demolished, and in turn, he finds that agency and takes his life into his own hands. It's such a fun story about someone who has been beaten down into a passive protagonist healing and finding themselves again, and I can't wait to share the rest with you. The next few chapters are about to kick things off, and we'll have an absolute blast on the ride. :]

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