#choices damien x mc

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page

Chapter 15 

_Bridge of Dreams_ 

Choices, The Royal Romance, The Royal Heir AU 

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son. 

Turning the Page Series Masterlist, My Complete Masterlist 

Main pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who both belong to this series. 

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match. 

Rating: M 🔞 - Warnings – Series will have crude language, weapons, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.

Bridge of Dreams

Chapter 15 

Chapter Summary: Liam and Riley revisit the Pont des Arts, ‘Lovelock Bridge” in Paris, France. Olivia begins a relationship with Damien Nazario. William enjoys his first camping trip with Uncles Drake and Maxwell & Bartie

Music Inspiration: I Won’t Give Up, Jason Mraz 

A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found.  

A/N2: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard. (Series cross-over with ‘Perfect Match’) 

Santorini, Greece 

Rubbing away the fog off the bathroom mirror after his hot shower, Damien Nazario could now see his reflection to shave. After waking from a rejuvenating sleep, his plans included enjoying the white sand beaches that were here in Santorini and maybe some sightseeing on the island. He was afforded a couple of free days of relaxation to enjoy the beaches of Santorini by King Liam before he was to return to his duties of guarding the young crown prince in Cordonia. 

...and he was determined to enjoy this free time. Damien finished shaving and splashed water on his face. He felt refreshed and energized, ready to take on the day. 

He grabbed a towel and dried his face. Then, he headed into the bedroom to get dressed. 

 Damien padded slowly into the bedroom of her hotel suite and grinned. 

He had every intention of enjoying his time with his fiery red-haired companion, whom he shared a bed with after the wedding festivities ended. 

After Olivia invited him to extend the celebration in her hotel room -- which he accepted without hesitation -- they spent the night in each other's arms, exploring their desires. It had been a while since he had been with a woman, and even longer since he had been with a woman like Duchess Olivia. She was confident, intelligent, and beautiful. And she knew how to please a man. 

Ever since the first day they were introduced, he found himself drawn to her and intrigued by her personality. 

Damien had to admit, the redhead was very sexy, and it wasn't just her appearance. It was also the way she carried herself and the way she spoke. Her confidence of knowing exactly what she wanted and was not afraid to go after it. 

The way she spoke so eloquently and with such passion was very arousing. He loved the way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she was interested in; her intellect apparent. 

He was intrigued by her confidence and her ability to be assertive. Most women would shy away from taking charge, but not Olivia. She was bold and unafraid to express her feelings. He found that to be incredibly attractive and erotic. 

Damien smiled, biting his top lip as he thought about the previous night and all the things they did. They had made love until the early hours of the morning leaving them both exhausted but satisfied. 

Olivia was already up and dressed, sitting on the bed. She was wearing a pale coral sundress that complimented her skin tone, and her red hair was pulled back into a loose chignon. 

"Good morning," Damien said as he approached her. 

"Good morning," Olivia replied coyly, a smile playing on her lips. 

Damien leaned down and kissed her, his hand cupping her cheek. He couldn't resist pulling her close, inhaling her sweet scent. 

"I was wondering if you would like to join me on the beach today," Damien suggested, his fingers brushing a stray hair away from her face. 

"Actually, I was planning on returning to Cordonia today." 

"Why so soon?" Damien asked, slightly disappointed. 

"I have important business to attend to." 

"Is everything okay?" 

"Everything's fine," Olivia reassured him, placing her hand on his chest. "I just need to get back to work." 

"Of course," Damien nodded. "But you still have the day free before your flight". 

"True," Olivia agreed. "I suppose we could spend a few more hours together." 

"Excellent," Damien smiled, his brown eyes twinkling. "Would you like to have breakfast first?" 

"Actually, I have a better idea," Olivia said, her voice low and seductive. 

"What do you have in mind?" 

Olivia smirked, her green eyes darkening with desire. "Why don't you come back to bed?" 

"Now that sounds like a perfect plan." 

Damien's mouth curved into a grin as he gently pushed her back and joined her back in bed. 

As she looked out the 18th floor window, Riley could see the Seine River winding its way through the city. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

The Suite Impériale at the Ritz, Paris, France 

This is it. 

Riley knew that she would have to relive the bittersweet memories from the engagement tour. It would be hard, but she knew that it would also be cathartic. She needed this. 

She needed to let go of the past. 

She turned and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She was wearing a flowing, white sundress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was falling softly onto her shoulders, and her makeup was simple and elegant. 

She was ready. 

She slipped on a pair of white sandals and made her way down to the lobby. Liam was meeting her at their spot once he finished his meeting with the French president and he should be there momentarily. 

When Riley stepped outside, the sun was shining, and the sky was a brilliant blue. 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air, trying to calm her jitters. 

As Riley made her way along the Seine, she could not help but think about the last time she was here. 

It was a day she would never forget. 

The day she and Liam placed that small gold lock on the bridge. 

It was the day they declared their love for each other and sealed it with a kiss. 

Riley sighed, remembering how happy she was that day. How hopeful. 

She had been so naïve. 

Tariq was never found and the scandal lived on. Liam would abide by his duty and marry Madeleine, making her his queen. 

As Riley rounded the corner, she could see the bridge coming into view. 

Her heart started to race, and her palms became sweaty. She felt her tears travel down her cheeks. 

She was nervous. 

She didn't know what to expect or why Liam was so insistent on revisiting this exact spot. 

Riley reached the bridge and stopped. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. 

She was ready. 

The memories came flooding back. 

'You spot Liam leaning against a stone railing overlooking the Seine. His expression is clouded, but when he hears you approach, he breaks into a smile. 

"Riley!"' 

"Liam. You are a sight for sore eyes." 

Liam chuckles. "That's my line." 

He pushes himself off the railing and takes a few steps forward, closing the distance. 

'"I wasn't sure you'd come."'

He wraps you in a tight embrace, resting his head against your shoulder. You feel his chest heave with a sigh.  

"After the bachelor party, I found Maxwell and he filled me in on your ... mission earlier." 

To think that Bastien helped set you up ..." 

Liam nods. "It's ... shocking, yes, but ... I think it might have been a blessing in disguise." 

"How so?" 

Liam pulls away and smiles. "If we hadn't been interrupted, I may not have had the opportunity to spend the evening with you. And as much as I love spending time with my friends, being with you was ... a much-needed escape." 

"I wasn't sure if we should risk coming here. If the person behind this is so powerful that Bastien is afraid of them ..., are we really safe? I don't know how deeply this goes or who we can trust. All I know is that I couldn't bear it if something happened to you. The only way to keep you safe might be for us to leave. Permanently." 

Liam smiled sadly, I remember asking you, saying, 

"We could ... we could go anywhere. Anywhere in the world. Where do you want to go?" 

"You're joking, right? We can't leave Cordonia." 

"No, we can. We'll just go somewhere no one will ever find us. We can live in peace and happiness together." 

"We could have a family. We could be happy." 

"Liam ... no. No matter how tempting that sounds ...  

"You can't abandon Cordonia." 

His shoulders slump. "I know that. But if you asked me to, I would. In an instant." 

"I could never ask you that. Your people need an honest King now more than ever. And the Liam I know would never leave them behind. 

Liam tenderly takes your hands in his. 

"We will get through this, Riley. We have to. I refuse to believe otherwise." 

He lifts one of your hands and kisses the back of it, his eyes never leaving yours. 

"We'll find a way. Together." 

Liam pulls you close and kisses you, his arms wrapping around you tightly. 

After a moment, he breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against yours. 

"I promise." 

"I won't give up on you, or us." 

"Nor will I." 

"Thank you, Riley for not letting my fears get the better of me." 

Liam steps back and holds out his arm to you. 

"Now, shall we continue our walk? 

"I'd love that, Liam." 

The two of you start walking down the bridge, hand-in-hand. 

"You know, Riley, there's one good thing about this whole Tariq situation." 

"And what's that?" 

"It's made me realize how lucky I am to have someone like you by my side. You're strong, kind, compassionate, and so much more. I love you, and I'm so grateful that you're a part of my life." 

Liam gives you a small smile. 

"Thank you, Liam." 

"For what?" 

"For always knowing the right thing to say." 

"Well, I try," Liam says with a smirk. 

"I know it's hard. But no matter what happens, at least we'll face it together." 

At this, Riley gets very emotional, thinking that by leaving him when she found out she was pregnant, she betrayed him. 

Riley was lost in thought as she walked, the sun beating down on her shoulders. It had been a long journey, and she was still processing everything that had happened. 

She thought about her decision to leave, and how it had affected Liam. 

She thought about William, and how she faced the challenge of being a single parent. 

The guilt was overwhelming. 

She knew she had made the right decision at the time, but she couldn't help but regret the pain she had caused Liam. 

She had left without a word, without a trace. 

And while she was certain that the time away had been necessary, she couldn't help but feel like she had let him down. 

Joining Liam at the railing they both gaze across the river. The streets around them are practically empty, though many lights still glitter on the water. 

It's so quiet. It feels almost like a dream. Like they're the only ones in the city. 

Liam puts his arm around Riley's shoulders and pulls her close. 

"Love, you look ... you look like you are miles away from here.

Penny tor your thoughts?"

"Liam. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course ... anything, Riley."

Taking a shaky breath, speaking in a very small voice,

"After you married Madeleine, did ... did you ever grow feelings for her? When I left?"

Liam took a deep breath and sighed. He knew Riley wanted him to; needed him to be truthful.

"Madeleine and I, well, we grew fond of one another. As friends; but, nothing more."

A tear slipped down Riley's cheek, but Liam quickly rubbed it away.

"Our arrangement was that we would marry, have children, and rule Cordonia together. However, as time went on, I ... we both realized that we were never going to love each other. We would be nothing more than friends." 

Nodding her head, her eyes were locked onto the floor. She was trying to hold herself together.

"Madeleine did try, at first, to seduce me. She was quite insistent on producing an heir, but I couldn't bring myself to bed her. Cordonia be damned." 

Liam placed his hands on Riley's cheeks, cradling her head as she cried.

"I knew that, as long as you were out there, somewhere, I would always be yours. I couldn't move on." 

"I'm so, so sorry," she said. "I don't know if I'll ever stop feeling guilty for what happened." 

"Don't," he said, shaking his head. "It wasn't your fault. It was my choice. I had a responsibility to Cordonia, and I had a duty to the Crown. I knew what I was getting into when I married Madeleine." 

"You didn't have a choice," she whispered. 

"Neither did you," he replied. 

Riley sighed, her eyes filled with tears, looking up to the sky. 

"The night when William was born ... I was so happy. But you weren't mine. you belonged to someone else. It killed me ... that I ran and took your son away."

"Riley," Liam said softly, taking her hand. 

Riley pursed her lips, and began...

"Riley," he said tenderly, cupping her cheek. 

"Liam, when William was born, I was ecstatic. But then, when I held him for the first time, and he looked up at me ... I couldn't help but think that you should have been there, too. That he should have had his father with him, on the day he was born. And I just couldn't stop thinking about how I had left you behind, and that it was all my fault." 

"Riley," he said again, pulling her into his arms. "You were the one who was abandoned, Riley. Not me. I understand why you did what you did. It wasn't your fault." 

"Liam ..." 

"Riley, I know how difficult it was for you. How painful. But I am so glad that you found the strength to return to me, and with our son. You are a wonderful mother, and I can't imagine my life without you and William in it."

"I love you, Liam,"her lip quivering. 

"And I love you, Riley," he replied. "More Than you will ever know."

"Always," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"Always, my love." 

The two of them stood there, watching the sun set over the water, holding each other close. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"  Liam turned to kiss Riley's forehead.

"Yes. It is." 

Liam looks down and smiled. "I have a surprise for you." 

Leading Riley further along the bridge she sees a wicker basket sitting on the paving stones. Liam pulls a small blanket from the basket and spreads it out. As she settled down on the blanket, Liam pulled a bottle of champagne from the basket, followed by two flutes, a loaf of crisp bread, and several rounds of cheese. 

Riley smiled. "Wow, Liam. This is quite the spread. And very familiar." 

Liam deftly pops the cork and pours two glasses of champagne. He hands one to Riley, and then raises his own. 

"To you, Riley. The most unforgettable woman I've ever met." 

"To you, Liam. Meeting you changed my life. But out of all the places I've been and the things I've done since then, the best part has been getting to know you." 

"That's more of a toast than I deserve, Riley, but, thank you." 

Clinking glasss they each take a sip. There is a faint hint of mint and lemon to the cool, bubbly drink. 

"Liam, how long have you been planning this?"

"A few days." 

Riley sips her champagne. The sweet and bubbly alcohol is warming. 

"How did you manage to sneak a whole picnic out here without anyone seeing you?" 

Liam chuckles. "A king can do many things." 

"Like bribe the French palace staff?" 

Liam laughs. "Perhaps. But no, I was simply able to utilize my authority. And I can assure you, no one will disturb us. This bridge is closed to traffic." 

Riley looked up at him, incredulous. "How did you manage that?" 

"With great difficulty." Liam winks mischievously. 

She raised her eyebrows. 

"I have connections," Liam says with a smirk. 

"So, you pulled some strings, and now we have a private bridge all to ourselves?" 

"Indeed." Liam responds sheepishly.

Riley took another sip of champagne. "I must say, this is quite impressive." 

"I thought it would be nice to have a moment alone together, away from prying eyes and listening ears."

"I'm glad you did."  Riley giggled.

"Good," Liam says, pouring more champagne into her glass. 

"So, what do we have here?" 

"Well, we have champagne, of course," Liam says, motioning to the bottle. "And then we have some delicious cheese, courtesy of France. And a fresh baguette, still warm from the bakery." 

"This is amazing, Liam. Thank you." 

"It's my pleasure, Riley." 

Once the food is gone and the blanket and glasses are put away, Liam takes the basket under one arm and offers you the other.  

"I believe tradition requires that we continue our evening with a stroll, my lady." 

As Liam and Riley walked along the Seine, more and more locks could be seen hooked through the railing.

As she looked down at the locks, Riley couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in her heart. 

They were symbols of love and hope and somewhere in the sea of locks, Riley knew their lock was still locked in place. She bent down to take a closer look.

A reminder her of a time she had tried so hard to forget. 

...Remember When... 

"Thank you, Riley. With so little permanence in this world, there will always be this little lock on this bridge just for the two of us. I want to believe it will be here forever, no matter what else happens to us." 

Riley's eyes filled with tears with this memory from years ago.   

"Riley, my love..." 

Wiping her tears she stood and turned ...and gasped --as she watched Liam drop down onto one knee before her. 

"Liam?" 

"Riley, you are my heart and soul. You're the reason I wake up every morning. You're the reason I smile. I cannot imagine a life without you by my side. You've stood beside me through the hardest moments of my life, and you've never once wavered. You've given me the strength to face my fears, and you've shown me that true love can conquer anything. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you." 

He opened his hand, and she saw a small, black velvet box sitting on his palm. 

"Liam ..." 

With steady hands, he opened the box to reveal a stunning diamond engagement ring. 

"Riley Louise, will you marry me?" 

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Yes! ... A thousand times, yes!" 

"Really?" 

"Of course," she tearfully replied. 

Liam beamed as he slid the ring onto her finger. 

"I love you, Riley." 

"I love you too, Liam." 

Tears ran down her cheeks as she leaned forward, kissing him passionately. 

She was his. 

Forever. 

As they kissed, her heart was bursting with joy. 

This was the happiest moment of her life. 

They stood on the bridge for what felt like hours, locked in each other's arms. 

"So, we're really going to do this, huh?"  Liam looked intentedly at Riley, trying to stop his smile.

"What, get married?"  Riley giggled.

"Yeah," he said. "It seems crazy, but I've never been surer of anything."  Liam started to kiss down the side of her neck, pausing to gently nip her skin.

"Ohhhhh .... me neither."  Riley moaned as he squeezed her ass pulling her flush against him.

"Let's get out of here," he growled, leading Riley back to the hotel.

Fontainebleau cliff (outside Paris)

At Maxwell’s request, William, along with his nephew Bartie was joining Drake for a camping trip outside of the city...on the condition that Bastien would be included...at Liam's insistence.

"This is going to be great," Maxwell said. "I can't wait for a boys' night." 

After a few hours of driving, and a long hike later ... Maxwell, Drake, William, Bartie and Bastien arrive at a cliff overlooking the lake. 

Maxwell sets his backpack down. "All right, guys. Let's make camp." 

"I thought you said we were going camping," Bartie says. 

"This is camping," Maxwell replies. 

"No, this is a cliff. There are no trees or tents or anything." 

"We're in the middle of nature. What more do you need?" 

"Um, a place to sleep?"  Bartie replies dryly.

"I got that covered," Drake says, pulling a bundle of canvas from his backpack. He unfolds the fabric, revealing a large tent. 

"You brought a tent?" Maxwell asks. 

"Of course. What did you think we were going to do, sleep under the stars?" 

"Well, yeah."  Maxwell answered.

Drake shook his head, thinking it was a good idea to teach these nobles a thing of two about camping.

"No way. That's how you get eaten by bears." 

William looked up at Bastien, questioningly. 

"Don't worry, William," Bastien says. "I have an excellent track record for keeping the royal family safe from bears." 

"Okay, everyone. Let's get this tent set up," Drake rolled his eyes knowing he had to take the lead. 

With the tent secured, the group thrn gathered wood to start a fire. 

"Now, we can finally start having fun," Maxwell says. 

"First things, first... who is hungry?" 

William and Bartie look up at Drake.

"We are," they reply in unison. 

"Who wants s'mores?" Drake grins. 

"Yum," William exclaims. 

"I don't know what that is, but I'm in," Bartie adds. 

"S'mores are a camping classic. They're made with marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. I guess your father hasn't taken you camping yet?" Drake shakes his head at Bartie.

"Ha, too funny!" Maxwell laughs. "Drake is an expert on s'mores." 

"What do you mean?" William asks. 

"Well," Maxwell begins. "S'mores are the only food that your uncle Drake can make. So, when we go camping, we have a lot of them." 

"That's not true," Drake scoffs. "I can cook other things, too. Like, hot dogs. And hamburgers." 

"You heat those things up. That doesn't count," Maxwell argues. 

"Okay, fine. But I can make a mean cup of coffee over the fire." 

"That's true," Maxwell admits. "But you still can't cook anything else." 

"Whatever," Drake says, rolling his eyes. 

The group laughs as they begin to roast their marshmallows over the crackling fire. 

Thank you for reading, tags are in the comments. Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from tags.

@choicesficwriterscreations

[hisromanticparadox]

so i took a v loooong break from choices and recently found my way back to it and ofc the first book i chose to re-read was perfect match bc duh and im on the second book now on the chapter where damien and khann are teaching self defense and i thought this was the scene where damien realizes he’s in love with mc but that didn’t happen! someone tell me if im remembering wrong or if i made the wrong previous choices and so i didnt get that scene! im going crazy and im kinda sad lol

[choicesfanaf]

My End and My Beginning

Submission for Day 30 of Choices December Challenge 2022: You & I

A picture of Damien & Aisha taken by Nadia

Tagging: @choicesdecember2022, @burnsoslow, @rookiemartin

[missameliep]

Hii 🥰

Would your MC(s) / OC(s) ever play a game of who knows who better? And if so what would be the questions / answers?

And who would know who better?

Hi, sweetie! Thanks for the ask ☺️

They would definitely play this kind of game! Some out of sheer competitiveness, others to prove their partners they know them better lol

I'll answer it for five of the couples I write for: Elizabeth and Hamid, Arwen and Tyril, Malia and Troy, Zoe and Colt, and Olivia and Damien.

1. Elizabeth and Hamid (Desire and Decorum AU!/Second Chances)

If we're considering the beginning of the relationship, I think since it's that stage when you're getting to know your partner that it would be a balanced dispute. They would both nail the questions about each other's favorite food, songs, movies and color, the other's dream vacation and something that makes the other laugh, for instance, but probably would be lost when it comes to questions about favorite childhood memory, first kisses and so on, these are the sort of question they would have trouble answering since they don't know each other very long like some of the other pairings in this list. And from time to time, I believe, depending on the question, Hamid would just reveal something completely out of the top that Liz would never imagine, like if someone asked about an embarrassing moment and he would just casually drop the most absurd tale about trespassing or crashing into an Arab sheik party or befriending someone absurdly famous totally unexpected and in the most absurd way possible; and end the story with "but it went well and we became friends as close as siblings" or "and now he invites me every year to his birthday" and Liz would be like 😯

2. Arwen and Tyril (Blades)

Tyril would only play this game or any other if certain conditions were met, primarily having had a good amount of wine in his system, cozy rainy evenings and Arwen reminding him if he beats her in the game, he could ask anything as prize. Sometimes he wins, sometimes she does. They have had time to learn about each other, and as elves they are really perceptive and catch on the smallest things, and so many of his questions would be about favourite weapons or worst adversary in battle, while hers would lean to embarrassing stuff or deep philosophical questions like if one of them turned into a worm what would the other do.

3. Malia and Troy (Wake the Dead)

These two know each other deeply. Twenty years of friendship and spending a lot of time together does that. Either the question is about favourite passtimes or pet peeves, or deep meaningful questions about hopes and dreams, they would definitely nail it. I think the only things they wouldn't know about each other were about the secret love they kept from each other for so long, and since Malia never told Troy about past relationships he's totally in the dark there. I think the only times Troy would be at disadvantage is if they would be playing with another couple who was really into zombie killing, let's say @jerzwriter 's Zoe and Eli 😉 I can see the questions suddenly being all about favorite weapons or best time to face drones, and Troy would be like "well," *head scratching* "crossbow? You even sleep with one close..." and "best time? never?" and Malia would just explain about the advantages of a machete or something, and "Oh! Blades" she would ramble about swords forged at Ironmount and in the end she gives up saying she can't actually pick one and Eli and Zoe would join that conversation about best weapons to each terrain and somehow one of them would suggest they could try some axe throwing... And Troy would sigh *these people can't have fun* and drink his beer 🙄 though on a second though drunk axe throwing does sound like fun. He could make a wager on who would hit the target while blindfolded.

4. Zoe and Colt (Ride or Die)

They would totally suck at this game. Colt specially, most of his assumptions are absolutely wrong about Zoe. They don't know each other's favorite subject at school or best childhood friend's name, but they say they know each other in what matters. The game usually helps them find out things they didn't know about each other, and even if Colt say it's lame, they enjoy playing it only the two of them.

5. Olivia and Damien (Perfect Match)

They absolutely nail this game. They know each other, they learned about each other profoundly over the years even with Damien being so closed off, plus they are too competitive to lose. If they play with other couples like Nadia and Steve, they are absolutely invested in the game like that one Will and Grace episode and equally obnoxious about being so knowledgeable about the other. They like the games, but they love winning more.

Thanks for the ask! It was really fun ☺️

[alj4890]

Do you have any fics in the works? Tell us about them!

Looking forward to any other writer's upcoming fics? Tell us about them too!

🤦🏻‍♀️ yep. My WIP folder has over seventy ideas/fics/pieces of series/and tons of pic prompts. I've had weeks of writer's block with only an occasional flicker of inspiration 😑

I'm trying to finish up some of those but my brain is not cooperating. The headaches aren't helping either 🤦🏻‍♀️

Fics/series in the works:

Two Thomas Hunt x OC*Amanda series called Worth the Wait and Stepping Forward. Both are angsty so far 🤷🏻‍♀️ but if I can ever get the wording right it will have happy endings 🤣 I'm also attempting to continue my Regency Era RCD AU series, None But You, in the process.

A few Thomas Hunt drabbles also are mixed in that folder 😂

A TRR Olivia series where Liam abdicates to be with Riley thus making our favorite duchess the Queen of Cordonia.

Part two to L-O-V-E

Requests for Liam x Riley and Maxwell Beaumont x OC*Sherry Alcantar that I promise I'm working on. And a couple for my While We're Young AU of characters that were requested months ago. Yes, there will be more glimpses into a couple of princes and their particular ladies and Jackson x Nicky.

An Open Hearts series called Mixed Signals (my first ever 😂) with my F!MC. Chris deals with feelings for Tobias, Ethan, and Bryce. It would start after the attack in Book 2. Though honestly I'm thinking of scrapping all of it to just write the actual storyline I've had in my mind with all the Tobias Carrick x Chris Valentine drabbles I'm working on 🤦🏻‍♀️ Definitely a happier storyline for those two, LOL!

A Perfect Match drabble with Damien and Nadia.

And my first ever Laws of Attraction drabble for my M!MC x Aislinn Tanaka 🤞 Hopefully it will turn out okay. I got inspired when I decided to restart the series and go a Male MC route 😂

And as always, I'm behind on reading fics from everyone I follow. Life keeps getting in the way of me being able to binge and when I do find time to open Tumblr up, I try and focus on that blasted Drafts folder.

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Sunday Six 2/10/23

It became a tradition for the two of them to meet up once a week after their shifts and visit a new place in Boston close to Edenbrook. Bryce would wait outside in the parking lot and she would stride down and pick a random place on their phone before heading off in a rush. But it wasn't this easy to get her to come at first. It took what Bryce felt was an eternity to simply stop studying for five seconds and explore their new surroundings.

"Haven't you ever tried to live, laugh, loving Ramakrishnan?" he asked her. She glared at him, her nose scrunching in the cutest way.

"I hated almost every word of that sentence, Dr. Lahela."

~~~

"One of the scenes was..." he started.

Ophelia placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to talk about it, you've been through a lot in a short amount of time Damien."

He shook his head. "It wasn't another Match clone disaster. It was...about my mom."

She raised an eyebrow. "What did you see?"

@choicesficwriterscreations

[reveluving]

masterlist ; choices (stories you play)

— a growing collection of choices fics made by yours truly, especially for those who have been looking for fics written as a reader-insert style!

— written as 'you' (f!mc); no name usage!

↬ fics :

˚ · . CRIMES OF PASSION

i'll show you little by little (m!trystan thorne x f!mc)

There's nothing better than the comfort of your favourite prince in the morning.

take me anywhere but home* (m!trystan thorne x f!mc)

Trystan always wants to take care of you, even if it's 3.12 a.m. in the morning.

you're shining (more than any star) (m!trystan thorne x f!mc)

What the wedding & having a kid with Trystan would be like.

come fly with me (m!trystan thorne x f!mc) [NEW!]

The beauty of your first dance with Trystan!

˚ · . PERFECT MATCH

the prettiest of them all* (damien nazario x f!mc)

To hell with Nadia's plans, Damien has better ideas, and it includes you and a mirror.

˚ · . THE ELEMENTALISTS

the highlight of his day* (beckett harrington x f!mc)

Summer vacation's over, and Beckett wants nothing more than to make up for loss time.

↬ about my ocs :

˚ · . Crimes of Passion: 1

˚ · . back to full m.list , pics found on Pinterest!

[theladyofshalott1989]

Sebastian Sallow Myers-Briggs Type // Like Moths to a Flame Series (Seb x Male MC)

Since my series is told from Sebastian's POV, I thought I would take the Myers-Briggs test from his perspective too. My vision of Sebastian is apparently an ENTJ. The write-up is so scary accurate that it's freaking me out. LMAO. @honeybadgerdontcare394 - Thanks for saying you were interested in reading this (and taking one for your vision of Sebastian too!). @scilla-aster (if you want to try this too!!) I am so curious to see what other writers' versions of Sebastian's personality are. When I read other Hogwarts: Legacy stories, I like to imagine hundreds of different alternative universes where our Bash/Seb/(*insert nickname of choice here*) ends up happy and fulfilled with all our various OCs. (I have a very hard time reading stories that don't end happily for Bash.)

Notes re: his romantic compatibility with Damien (an ENFP), since they are essentially half-opposites (wow!): ENTJs primarily look for intellectual stimulation. As one of the most cerebral personality types, they enjoy debates, and they look for partners who open their minds to new ideas. ENTJs have a treasure chest of knowledge that they love to share with the right person.

^ Sebastian lucked out that Damien is a Ravenclaw and has an extremely curious mind.

ENTJs appreciate partners who can help them get in touch with their feelings because this isn’t something that comes naturally to people of this personality type.

I love this ^ because in my series Sebastian really struggles to understand and express his feelings. Damien is very in tune with his emotions and is not afraid to act on them. ENFPs see ENTJs for who they really are. ENTJs aren’t typically seen as warm people, but they tend to be extremely helpful, generous, and supportive. As one of the personality types who are most interested in people, ENFPs look deeper and notice traits about ENTJs that other people don’t see.

^ Don't mind me; just tearing up here. LMAO. I hope this came across in my series because it's one of the main reasons I wrote it. Sebastian needs someone to see him for who he truly is, and I'd like to think Damien does.

Their communication style chart (Seb - ENTJ, Damien - ENFP):

ENTJs are assertive, competitive, and like a good challenge. At their best, they are bold and confident leaders who are willing to take unpopular action. ENTJs may be overly proud, boisterous, and willing to manipulate others to achieve their goals. At their worst, they can be narcissistic, overly focused on their own needs, and lack empathy for others.

ENFPs often support, openly sympathize, and actively offer help to others At their best, they are gentle sympathizers, who are easily trusted and accepted. ENFPs may be overly revealing and have difficulty being alone. At their worst, they can require too much attention and admiration from others and be excessively involved in the affairs of others.

YUPPPPPPPPPPPPPP. Okay, I'm done now. Here's a silly pic of Sebastian for reading this far :)

[choicesficwriterscreations]

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH MASTERLIST

EVENT INFO Fics and artwork that highlight Latine canon and original Choices characters. We hope to see more about them in the future! 🌺

✒️- Fanfic | 🎨- Fanart | Ⓜ️- Mature | 🏳️‍🌈- LGBTQIA

CRIMES OF PASSION

First Date ✒️| m!Trystan Thorne x f!MC - @jerzwriter 🌺Carolina Rose

A Moment in Time (Series) ✒️| m!Trystan Thorne x F!MC - @jerzwriter 🌺Carolina Rose Part 2: Trystan's POV (2/3)

ENDLESS SUMMER

Estela x Taylor Montoya and Familiy 🎨🏳️‍🌈 by @marmolady 🌺Estela Montoya

IT LIVES WITHIN

Amalia De Leon x F!MC Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈 by @professor-abeloved 🌺

OPEN HEART

Jensen Through the Years 🎨| @mydemonsdrivealimo 🌺 Jensen Valentine

PERFECT MATCH

Peeping Damien ✒️Ⓜ️🔥| Damien Nazario x F!MC - @georgiesgirl1223 🌺 Damien

Event Info Prize Winners

[georgiesgirl1223]

Masterlist

Multi fandom writing

Pixelberry Choices

The Royal Romance

8 Ball, Corner Pocket - Drake x MC

Marry Me - Drake x MC

Blood Bound

Two's Love, Four's a Crowd - Adrian x MC x Jax x Adam

Perfect Match

Driving Dangerously - Damien x MC

Peeping Damien - Damien x MC

Eyes Forward - Damien x MC

Harry Potter

Unearthed Secrets - Professor Lupin x Reader

Tom Hiddleston

Sangria - Tom Hiddleston x Named female reader

[choicesfanaf]

Hi! I'm interested in participating in Choices Secret Pal

Here are my favourite pairings:

Open Heart: Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Arundhati Kulkarni, FC: Bhumi Pednekar)

Perfect Match: Damien Nazario x f!MC (Aisha Park, FC: Radhika Apte)

Rising Tides: f!Asian!Robin Tora x f!MC (Cassandra Williams, FC: Chloë Grace Moretz)

It's here!!! Our 2022 Secret Pal Exchange!

As voted by you, this year's event will take place December 27-28!

What it is:

Simply put, it's secret Santa

Everyone who shows interest in participating will be given a secret pal for whom they should create a small work (drabble, art, edit, moodboard, etc).

How to participate:

Reblog this post stating your interest AND include your top 3 books/characters/pairings to help guide the person who recieves you as their pal on what they should create for you (reblogs that do not include a top 3 will not be considered entries for participation)

or, message me here (@choicesfandomappreciation) or at @lovealexhunt stating your interest and include your top 3 picks

Note: When listing your interests, please include any preferred gender/race characteristics you may have for customizable characters

Please only sign up to participate if you plan to follow through and create for your pal

The deadline to sign up to participate is December 17th

What comes next:

On, or about, December 18th, I will message you with your secret pal and what they listed as their top 3 interests

You create something for them based on their interests and post it for them on December 27 or 28th

It would also be really nice if you could include a brief positive message of encouragement and/or support with your creation for your match

Please tag @choicesfandomappreciation and #ChoicesSecretPal22 well so I can keep track of who posted and who is missing.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. It should be a wonderful event that spreads joy and cheer in our fandom. ❤️❤️❤️

Just a personal plea...

If for any reason at all (no questions asked), you are unable to participate after signing up, please message me as soon as possible! Every secret pal/admirer/exchange event I've hosted always has had 1-3 people not follow through which leaves me scrambling to create for those people's matches at the last minute. I'm happy to do it, but I hate feeling rushed and not having time to think about it properly. Plus, if it can be avoided and matches reassigned I would rather do that. So if you go on hiatus, need a break, or life is just to busy (or whatever the reason) please just keep me updated. I'd so appreciate it!

[choicesfanaf]

Taglist Cleanup

Hi everyone!

Before the year ends, I want to get my taglist updated so that I can post a lot of new content in the new year.

Here are the pairings I currently write/make edits for:

Ethan x F!MC (Arundhati Kulkarni) - Open Heart

Damien x F!MC (Aisha Park) - Perfect Match

f!Asian! Robin Tora x F!MC (Cassandra Williams) -Rising Tides

I also create moodboards for all the books in the Choices Fandom. Usually, they are dependent on my inspiration and prompts from monthly challenges.

So the categories that I will be tagging are for:

Perma (All content that I create for the Choices Fandom)

Edits for Ethan x Arundhati

Fics for Ethan x Arundhati

Edits for Damien x Aisha

Fics for Damien x Aisha

Edits for Robin x Cassandra

Fics for Robin x Cassandra

Only edits (for all the pairings)

Only fics (for all the pairings)

Only moodboards

If you want to be added to the taglist, please let me know by commenting/reblogging this post and mentioning which list you want to be a part of. You can also message me privately to do so.

Kindly inform me by the 18th of January 2023 to be added to the taglist.

If you don't want to be a part of my taglist anymore, that's totally fine. Sometimes our interests change, or we don't get enough time to spend on social media. Please don't interact with my post if you don't want to be tagged by me.

Tagging my current taglist:

@jamespotterthefirst, @rookiemartin, @quixoticdreamer16, @burnsoslow

[darley1101]

Or Else

Title: Or Else

Book: Perfect Match

Characters: Damien and Nadia friendship with mention of Damien x Ava/MC

Rating: PG-13

Warning: Slight sexual innuendos. If you feel there is more please reach out so I can edit this.

Summary: Nadia puts Damien on the spot about his feelings for Ava.

A/N: I haven't written these characters in a while so they may be slightly out of character...or maybe more than slightly. Go easy on me. Thank you to @burnsoslow​ and @ao719​ for the help

Getting an “emergency coffee date” text from Nadia Park at the ungodly hour of 7:00 AM always spelled trouble for Damien Nazario. Her emergencies could run from a microscopic chip in her nail polish to she'd collected another stalker off some dating app. Which meant ignoring or declining wasn't really an option in Damien's book. 'At least she chose a decent coffee place,' he thought, his eyes automatically shifting from the menu board above the baristas to the pastry case. “Large, dark roast with two packets of sugar,” he told the barista, “and...give me a chocolate croissant.” If he was going to deal with a Nadia emergency then he was going to need caffeine, sugar, and a lot of it.

“You know that much sugar in the morning doesn't agree with you,” a familiar voice chided from behind. He turned to find Nadia standing there, a cheerful smile on her elfin face. “Ava told me about what happened the last time...about how you-”

“Just tell the barista what you want,” he interjected with a growl. Nadia shot him another smile before rattling off an order that had him cringing. Espresso and chocolate covered coffee beans were two things that should be stricken from Nadia's diet. “Are you sure that's what you want? Don't you think maybe some almond milk and oatmeal might be better?”

Her nose crinkled up. “What do I look like? Granny Park?” She rolled her eyes before whipping out her bank card and thrusting it towards the barista. “My treat since I dragged out of bed so early.” While they threaded through the crowded cafe, she rattled off some nonsense about split ends, facials, and needing a new cuticle oil. And then, just as they sat down, she hit him with it...the reason for their early morning coffee date. “I met someone.” It was on the tip of Damien's tongue to remind Nadia that she was always meeting someone and most of them turned out to be stalkers or worse. He would have to get the guy's name and run him through the system.  “His name is Steve. And before you ask, no I don't need you to check this one out. Eros did all that before we even met.”

“Eros?” 'Please don't be another dating app,' he silently chanted.

“Yeah.” Nadia leaned forward, her dark eyes bright with excitement. “It's this match matching service that guarantees love.”

Fuck. It was another dating app. “I thought we agreed no more dating apps. Only stalkers, serial killers, and bald guys named Jim who want pictures of your toes use those things.”

Her eyes rolled and she flopped back in her chair. “It's not a dating app...it's an actual service...in an honest to God building. And,” she shot him a wounded look, “I thought we agreed you wouldn't fetish shame Jim anymore.”

Damien pinched the bridge of his nose. “Nadia, I don't give two fucks about Jim's fetishes...I just don't want to see you get hurt.” 'Again.'

“I won't. Not this time. Eros-”

“Will tell you whatever you want to hear in order to get your money.”

“It's not like that,” Nadia argued. “They use advanced technology to find your perfect match.”  He opened his mouth to argue but she cut him off. “They have these quizzes-”

“Let me guess...they're advanced?”

“Mock me all you want Damien Nazario but their system is exact and it works.” Her eyes met his. “It works so well I'm thinking about giving their card to Ava.”

The room stood still. He could hear his blood roaring in his ears. “I would rather you didn't,” he managed to quietly choke out.

Nadia studied him for a minute, her gaze far more calculating than he had ever thought possible. “And why is that Damien?”

He forced himself to relax his face into an expressionless mask. There had been blurry moments of drunken weakness where he blurted out his love for Ava but he'd always managed to convince Nadia it was a friendly sort of love. The kind of love a person felt for their pet rat or...their annoying best friend who called them for emergency coffee dates at 7 am. “Ava doesn't believe in love.” The words tasted bitter on his tongue but he had heard them often enough he had to take them seriously.

“If you believe that then you don't know Ava as well as you think you do,” Nadia snorted. “She wouldn't go on as many dates as she does if she didn't believe in love.”

She had him there. Unlike Nadia, who loved a good dating app, Ava met guys the old fashioned way: she picked them up at bars or agreed to blind dates that inevitably went horribly wrong. “Remember the last...the tax account with 'connections?'”

“Diego. And he does have connections. He's hooked Ava and I up with free froyo plus....” Nadia trailed off, her lips pursing as she shot him a dirty look. “I know what you're trying to do...and it won't work. We're going to talk about Ava.”

“Fine.” He shrugged, his heart pounding a mile a minute in his chest. “Lets talk about Ava and how she doesn't need some match making service setting her up with another loser.”

Nadia sighed, her dark eyes shining with pity. “Damien, I'm going to give Ava their card. She deserves to find love...to find her perfect match. I..I...I used to think that was you but you're so freaking hung up on the past that you won't even try.” Her gaze softened, she reached across the table and patted his hand. “You have this weekend. Man up before Sunday brunch or else I'm giving Ava the card.”

[choicesff]

Introduction

I’m a twenty-something woman who discovered choices during quarantine and quickly became obsessed--with the stories themselves, the hilarious and active fandom, and the beautiful fanfiction that has come out of it. Now that BOLAS is done, I figured it was time to return to #missingdamienhours and write a Perfect Match fanfic of my own. The premise of that fanfic, Hate Fuck, is that Damien can’t get over his jealousy about MC’s relationship with Dames, and after initially taking it out in unproductive ways, turns to a therapist for help. At the same time, MC struggles with guilt from missing the “predictable,” programmed Dames, while finding herself more and more attracted to the rough, tortured Damien that returned home from Eros. It’s... not the healthiest relationship. But they’re working through it, and have a lot of smutty encounters as they do.

Since this is a brand new account, I’ll be tagging the folks whose choices fiction has impressed me over the past month in hopes that this’ll get to the rest of you via reblogs and the like. 

(If not, at least I’ll have fun writing it. Tag: #choices damien hatefck fanfic)

@choiceswreckedme​ @monosodiumglutamateme​ @debramcg1106​  @boneandfur​ @indiacater​ @umccall71​ @confessionsofabrokegirl​ @butindeed​ @bobasheebaby​ @enmchoices​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @debramcg1106​ @mrsnazario1223​ @theroyalweisme​ @crookedslimecreatorpasta​ @kawairinrin​ @drakelover78​ @drakewalkerwhipped​ @trr-fangirl​  @ladynonsense​ @darley1101​ @mfackenthal​  

[reveluving]

the prettiest of them all

summary: What better way to use a closet mirror, conveniently placed beside the bed than to see you writhe in his arms?

pairing: damien nazario x f!mc (written as ‘you’, no name usage)

warnings: mature/smut (minor DNI!)

a/n: couldn’t just leave our man Nazario out after writing for Beckett, so please enjoy this fic with our favourite private investigator! ‘you’ can be yourself or your OC! and don’t forget to leave some sugar! ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ

» fancy reading another choices fic? check out my m.list!

disclaimer! this is a submission for:

‘CFWC Naughty & Nice’ by @choicesficwriterscreations​ with the prompts (Naughty); “I can’t move.” “That’s the idea.”

‘Picktober: Choices October Challenge’ by @choicesmonthlychallenge​ using the prompts (Kinktober); Biting & Mirrors.

» smut includes; dirty mind, biting obv, fingering, soft!Damien.

'The single piece of furniture, plus your scandalous moans playing in his head on a loop continuously taunting him.' ;

It was hard for Damien to believe that it's been six months since the end of the whole Eros incident. Though he has yet to sleep without waking up in a cold sweat every once in a while, he was definitely getting better by the day.

Plus, with you in his arms at every step of the way, he'd say he's doing pretty good!

Time flies when you're with the right person— as cliché as it sounds, the statement had resonated with him the moment he knew he wanted to be more than just your friend. He remembered Nadia offering him to hang out with the three of you as a thank-you for dealing with her stalker problem. He also remembered having second thoughts about it, considering how he's always ever avoided making friends with his clients. Yet, somehow, it was the need to see you again that pushed him to say yes.

No matter how hard he tried to deny his own feelings, he knew he had no chance of winning, and he'd often thank the universe for it.

So, getting the opportunity to enjoy an entire week in Hawaii with you, especially after a slew of misfortunes and just plain stress in the office, was like dying a hero.

Not that he'd call himself a hero.

Then again, he couldn't say that in front of you. Don't ever say that, you'd probably admonish him, but not out of anger.

Oh, you. Wonderful, wonderful you. Just an embodiment of pure love and hope.

He hasn't moved from his spot ever since he reluctantly let you leave the bed, glancing between the window and the bathroom. He was conflicted between watching the picturesque sunset and seeing you walking to and fro in the bathroom sink as you did your makeup.

You and Damien had just woken up, having been forced to follow Nadia and Steve to visit the local attractions at the crack of dawn. Sloane, Khaan and Hayden's presence made the activity bearable, considering it wasn't just you and Damien in that ten hour-torture. But what could he do? Nadia was the one paying for the trip, so Damien knew better than to bitch and whine about her itinerary.

Plus, Nadia knew he didn't hate it, as long as you were around, you knew your ways of distracting him.

He covered his eyes with one arm, the cloud-like pillow and your humming nearly lulled him back to sleep, only to raise his head at your soft 'fuck!'.

Something about the noise you made immediately had eyes landing on the closet mirror next to him. The single piece of furniture, plus your scandalous moans playing in his head on a loop continuously taunting him.

Fuck it.

And just like, he shot out of bed, unwilling to ignore what he had been wanting to do the second he got here.

Seeing you meticulously work on your lashes, he was nice enough to knock on the door, your expression shifting from extreme focus to a wide grin.

“Morning, handsome,” You joked and yet, you continued with perfecting your wing, “We should be getting ready, Nadia's been torturing my phone for like, 30 minutes now.”

As if on cue, the 'ding!' coming from your phone only supported your explanation, the 17th message from none other than Mrs Park herself.

Damien answered you with a hum, leaning against the door frame and watching you with his sharp eyes. He took in your current appearance; Dazzling and downright luscious, dressed to the nines, despite the lack of clothing covering you up. A naughty little vixen. A single taste of you and his self-restraints will immediately snap.

“Damien?” You didn’t look back at him, despite his lack of response, only for you to freeze up when he came up to you ever so slowly. The way he approached you with such a look made you feel like a prey, a thought that you couldn’t help yourself as you rubbed your thighs together.

He must’ve noticed it, chuckling as he stood behind you, his erection barely hiding behind his briefs as he pinned you against the counter.

“What are you doing?” You finally met his eyes in the mirror, giving him a nervous giggle.

“Just… appreciating.”

“Yeah? Well, do you mind if you…” You motioned him to step back with your free hand, “Move back a little?”

“Now, why would I do that?” His voice got deeper as if your question had offended him despite the mischief in his tone. You only thought of putting the brush down when he placed both of his hands on either side of you, trapping you between his hard chest and the counter.

“I… I can’t move.” The prominent bulge was impossible to ignore, especially when he began rolling his hips into your backside. You choked out a gasp, the mascara was long forgotten as it dropped to the floor, hints of ink smearing the marble top when it slipped out of your fingers.

“That’s the idea.”

He didn't give you the time to process and dragged you out to the bedroom, carrying you via bridal style. Your demands to put you down were as effective as a Pomeranian yapping at its owner, with Damien's chest reverberating with laughter against you.

Surprisingly, instead of placing you down on the bed as you expected, he sat on the edge of the bed, which faced the unexplainably long mirror. Damien knew he got you exactly where he wanted the second he heard your breath hitching, and he knew it wasn’t only because he had you on his lap.

It was the first thing you noticed when you checked in, the placement and sheer size of it drove your mind to run wild. It didn’t last long, though, for you were forced to snap out of it when Damien came in seconds later. But you should’ve known better than to think he didn’t notice, too focused on the idea of being ravished in front of it to see the smug on his face. You lied when he asked if you were okay, answering him ever so softly without meeting his gaze before running off to the bathroom ‘to change into your bikini’ despite forgetting to grab your swimwear out of your luggage.

Since then, his imagination, too, became anything but appropriate, though if he wasn’t being honest, he would’ve thought about it regardless. But the real problem was finding the right time for it. Since the very first day, he had you bouncing on his cock in the luxurious bathtub and has gone down on you in the sauna but not once have the two of you used the bed. Whether it was because you were too tired or too comfortable in the sheets, and in Damien’s arms no less, it didn’t matter anymore, because he was going to change that.

To hell with Nadia’s plans tonight, he had other priorities.

The way his warm breath tickled your neck as he perched his chin on your shoulder, his calloused hands running up and down your hips before settling them on your top. He grazed his teeth across your neck, easily finding the sweet spot that sent shivers down your spine. He didn’t spare you a second before biting into the soft skin, huffing out in amusement when you choked out a gasp, writhing in his arms, and he didn’t just do it once.

He didn’t want just one hickey on your pretty neck, after all.

He fondled your breasts, feeling your nipples tighten under the material. He dragged the top down, the material folding under your breasts and accentuating your assets. His mouth was dying to latch onto your nipples, but he was already too entranced by the current view in front of him. That didn’t mean who wouldn’t do it later.

He never said he’d be done with it after one round.

And the second his fingers brushed against your sensitive bud, he knew you were done for.

The way his fingers pumped in and out of your pussy had you squirming in his lap, his lips unconsciously parting with yours as he watched your face contort in pleasure. He didn’t even bother removing your panties, opting to move the offending material aside before easing in his thick, middle finger. The more he curled his fingers into you, the more you soaked both his briefs, down to the bedsheets. Not that he gave a shit anyway. In fact, it was exactly what he wanted to see, the same way he wanted to hear that delicious squelching.

Your head rolled back, resting it against his shoulder as he leaned in and whispered.

“Open your eyes, mi vida,” You whined, both from the nickname and how his voice went so far as to make you tighten around his fingers. He growled at the sensation, but managed to keep it together before continuing, “Look at yourself in the mirror and see how gorgeous you are.”

You tried to, you really did, but with the way rolled his hips against yours, it was almost impossible to even open your eyes, let alone keep your head up.

So, he helped you out.

His other hand moved from your waist, his fingers sliding from the valley of your breasts, tits now hard from when he rolled them just moments ago, before holding you by the jaw. It was nowhere near rough, but enough to help you look up.

If it wasn’t for Damien, you would’ve looked away just as quickly, your body growing hotter than you thought was possible at the sight; your skin glowing from the sheen of sweat and dim light coming from the bathroom, his thick fingers thrusting in and out of your tight hole and those blown out pupils of his as he watched you, right before his eyes met yours, now far less innocent of a situation then your brief conversation in the bathroom earlier.

“Cancel our plans,” You didn’t even know what he was talking about at first, not especially when he turned your head to look at him, hair disheveled and looking feral, “I want you to see how beautiful you cum in the mirror. Over and over again.”

˚ · . f i n . · ˚

» gorgeous rose divider by the amazing @firefly-graphics ♡

[phoenixrising0308]

Picktober Challenge: Falling for you

Picktober theme(s)- 

Flufftober: Sharing Clothes and Holding Hands,

Falltober: Pumpkin and Cider

Fanfiction (Choices The Royal Romance/ The Royal Heir & Perfect Match Fandoms)- Fictober prompt: I’m doing it, shut up.

Books: The Royal Romance 1-3 to Royal Heir and Perfect Match.

Rating: M (18+) Sexual situation and adult themes.

Trigger Warnings in this chapter: NS*W 🍋. Additionally, mention of miscarriage.

Pairing: Liam Rys x Jessica Garcia (MC), former. Damien Nazzaro x Jessica Garcia

Agent Phoenix Forged in Fire Series premise: This is a canon-divergent series set after TRR 3 Tariq is never found. Liam’s duty to his country forces him into marriage. Jessica and Liam enter into a Cordonian arrangement. Both of them wanted to have a life together. However, various obstacles prevent him from a divorce and having the life they both want together. With dreams of a future crushed, Jessica leaves Cordonia. Despite a five-year absence, they are still heartbroken and unable to forget each other and the life they once shared. When Jessica’s career path takes an expected turn, her duty to her country pushes her to Cordonia, back into the society that burned her, and back into Liam’s sights. Will she rise from the ashes or once again go down in flames? Catch up here

Disclaimer

A/N: This is my submission for the Choices Monthly Challenge: Picktober and Fictober.

*This is a oneshot that is a part of the main story, and events will occur in a later chapters and stories in between* in the meantime here is a companion piece to give you some background on the meaning of Koi in Liam and Jessica's life.

Chapter Summary: Jessica and Damien's friends-with-benefits relationship gets complicated.

Song Inspiration: Toothbrush - Dnce

Word count: 4,500 *, please excuse typos and grammatical errors*

Reading time: 10 Minutes

Damien Nazario apartment

Jessica jumped up from the couch and shouted, “Fuck yes! Thank you, Aaron Judge.”

Damien dug his head into the arm of his sofa and said, “Can we turn this off?”

“Why? Because the M-E-T-S are losing?” Jessica jeered.

“I just think I’m disgusted with my team at this point,” Damien mumbled while eyeing the tv remote.

“Damien, you are a sore loser.”

 Damien rolled his eyes. “Please don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Jessica said, knowing full well she was being obnoxious.

“You don’t have to rub it in.” 

“The fuck I do. All day long, you were talking sooooo much shit; look at this score. We have four more innings.”

Damien snapped back, “Tone it down, okay.”

Jessica rolled her eyes. “Such a baby,” 

Damien crossed his arms and huffed, “Just stop.”

 “Are you gonna make me, Sir…” Jessica said with a cheeky smile.

20 minutes later…

“Fuck” Damien murmured in a deep seductive tone; she moaned as Damien smacked her ass. She spread her legs, quickly aligning herself with him. Both of them are so hungry for each other. She was dripping while she slowly sank onto him, gasping as she felt him enter her inch by inch. She gave her body time to adjust to his length and thickness before she moved her hips in a figure-eight motion, arching her back in pleasure.

Damien reacted similarly, groaning her name as she got fully seated in his lap. Jessica began to rock her hips back and forth, moans mixing through the air as they were stimulated.

Damien held her hips, thrusting into her with determination. “Mmmm.” Jessica moaned, her head tilting back as Damien reached up to tangle his fingers into her hair again and tug. She squeezed her eyes shut as Damien’s thrusts up into her became rougher, his free hand reaching down to rub circles onto her clit, making her body taut and her pants of breath faster. Jessica could feel herself get close, her first orgasm of many barrelling toward her. She cried out as it hit her, the sound of her ass hitting his thighs becoming clearer and clearer. She heard him moan her name out in bliss.

Jessica stopped on top for a few seconds as she combed her hair with her hand before she laid her head on Damien’s chest and mumbled, “God, that was so fucken good.” They both gave a slight chuckle. Jessica lifted her wrist to look at her father’s watch and said, “So fucken late or so fucken early.”  

Jessica rolled off Damien’s side, gently brushing the hair away from her face while he whispered, “Preciosa, stay.”

Jessica pursed her lips. “I don’t know if that ruins our friends-with-benefits situation.”

“Worry when you’re leaving a toothbrush. You don’t have to work tomorrow. If it makes you feel better, just get some rest, and you can leave without waking me up.” Jessica responded by cuddling a little closer, allowing herself to relax; their two bodies were tangled in each other’s arms.

 “I’m gonna just close my eyes for a bit.” She murmured. 

Damien twirled Jessica’s hair and watched her eyes get heavy under his touch. When he was sure she had fallen asleep, he kissed her forehead and whispered, ‘Me Estoy Enamorado de ti (I’m falling for you).”

10 am …

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Jessica and Damien both woke up at the sound of loud knocking. Damien wiped his eyes. “What the fuck?”

“What’s happening?” Jessica said, half asleep.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Sssh baby, go back to bed,” Damien said without thinking as he rushed to put his pants on to answer the door.

Jessica looked at Damien, puzzled, and whispered, ‘Shhh baby go back to bed?’ to herself, silently cursing for oversleeping and confusing their arrangement.

Damien closed the bedroom door behind him and answered the persistent knocking at his door. A woman said, “Ángel, ¿Cómo estás hijo? (Angel, how are you doing, son?)

Damien said in shock, “¿Mamá? ¿Qué estás haciendo aquí? (Mom? what are you doing here?) 

“Well, we wanted to surprise you.” Another woman answered with a sassy tone.

“Lucilla.”

“We came to visit Hope and her wife. We are gonna go pumpkin picking. We know you hate that stuff, so we thought we could force you if we showed up unannounced.”

Meanwhile, in Damien’s bedroom…

Jessica covered herself in Damien’s comforter. ‘I want to die. Maybe they’ll leave, and I could just pretend I wasn’t here. Yeah, no sweat. They won’t know I’m here. Crisis averted.’ Jessica silently thought, plotting her escape.

“Dames, since when do you carry around a Marc Jacobs tote?”

“Carina?” 

“Goddamn, is this the fucken Nazrio family reunion?” Jessica hissed as she got off the bed and started frantically looking for her clothes.

“Is she still here?” Another voice whispered.

“Yea, she is still here. Shirts on the floor.”

“Hope, come on.”

“Oh Dios mío. Perdóname hijo. Te estás protegiendo, ¿Verdad? (Oh my God. Sorry son. You’re protecting yourself right?”

¡Mamá!

‘Fuck my life hard.’ Jessica cursed at herself in her head.

“You didn’t tell us you were seeing anyone.”

“Is it serious?”

“¡Lucilla cállate!” Damien snapped. 

“Bring her out; let’s meet her.” 

“She can come with us pumpkin picking.” Lucilla chimed in

“Okay… Okay… can I just talk to her? I’m sure she hears all your loud mouths.”

Damien walked into the bedroom, and a pillow was thrown in his face as soon as he entered. He could see the panic and worry on her face.

“Your whole family is in the living room; they want me to go pumpkin picking with them,” Jessica said in a harsh, whispered tone.

“Preciosa, I’m sorry I obviously didn’t know.”

“Cool it with the pet names! Where are my panties?”

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Ohhh, nice bra.” Isabela teased from behind the door. Damien opened the door jar and collected Jessica’s bra.

“Just shoot me. Put me out of my misery.”

“Come on; it’s not that bad.” Damien mused as he held out Jessica’s bra. Jessica snatched it and put it on.

“Yeah, this is bad,” Damien smirked. 

“Gee, thanks,” Jessica said as she rolled her eyes.

Damien went into his closet and handed Jessica a shirt. Jessica looked at the shirt and looked at Damien with an annoyed expression. “Really? A Mets jersey.”

“You want me to go back out there and get your shirt off the floor or what?”

“I want to throw up.”

Damien gave a cringe as Jessica put on the Mets Jersey and said, “So I will just tell her we are dating like a couple saying we are just seeing each other will lead to other questions. The usual ones about settling down.” 

Jessica roughly adjusted the jersey in disgust and hissed, “You can’t be serious. We’re not an item, Damien!” 

He shhed her with his hand while speaking low and said, “I know that, but they don’t. Please, Preciosa. I will never hear the end of it.” 

“That’s not my problem.” 

Damien looked ready to get on his knees and beg as he gave a pleading stare and said, “Please, Jessica! Just one day of playing the part and pretending. I’m not asking you to go to trader joes or some shit couples do on a Saturday morning; I just want a day of pumpkin picking and you pretending we’re together.” 

Jessica stared for a long moment before they heard one of his sisters through the door, “Are you coming out or not? Come on and bring her out!”

Damien gave Jessica a pleading look and sighed heavily while pinching her nose bridge. “Fuck…Okay, one day. One day of pretending, and that’s it.” 

Damien released a relieved sigh and smiled before Jessica adjusted herself, and Damien opened the door to greet them. Jessica came face to face with an older woman and four younger women with curious stares her way.

Damien put his arm around Jessica while introducing her as Jessica plastered a fake smile on her face. "Mamá, Hope, Isabela, Carina, Lucilla; this is Jessica Garcia." He gestured to Jessica before gesturing to each sister and his Mother. “Jessica, this is my Mamá, My older sister Hope and my younger sisters Isabela, Carina, and Lucilla.” 

Jessica was bombarded by both Spanish and English as everyone seemed to talk simultaneously to introduce themselves and ask questions about her. Damien held up a hand and said, “Guys, I’m sure we can talk plenty on the car ride.” 

The one sister Isabela gestured to Damien’s Jersey Jessica wore, “Oh, you’re a Mets fan!” 

Jessica forced a smile even though she thought, ‘Fucking Hell.’ 

Twin farms Orchards, Freehold, New Jersey 

Jessica inwardly cringed when Damien held her hand while walking through the grass to the rows of Pumpkins lining the field. She gave him a sideways glare as he leaned down and whispered, “Preciosa, couples hold hands.” 

Jessica hissed, “Yeah, but we’re not a couple.” 

“One day, Jessica. Please. “ 

Jessica rolled her eyes as Damien’s sisters ran ahead of them. As she whispered to him, “I’m doing it, shut up.” 

Damien gave her a smile with a nod and whispered, “Just…Try to enjoy the day pretending we’re together. After today, we can return to our strictly friends-with-benefits arrangement. I promise…Please, Jessica?” His dark eyes held an intense gaze she had seen so many times in her past with eyes as blue as the Mediterranean Sea.

She stared at Damien a moment and thought to herself, ‘Stop it. That life is behind you now, and it’s not like you’re betraying anything or anyone here. This is just a casual little outing with his family. You’re just doing a friend a favor.’ She reminded herself as she huffed and looked away while Damien squeezed her hand lightly.

Jessica couldn’t help inwardly smiling as she felt his hand in hers, but this time it wasn’t a momentary touch; it lingered, and she enjoyed the feeling. A slight warmth bloomed in her chest as his fingers interlaced her own. She almost felt guilty for enjoying it, even if her brain told her she shouldn’t.

The feeling was cut short by Hope saying, “Hurry up, lovebirds! We need Damien for the heavy lifting.” 

Damien smiled and retorted, “So that’s why you called me out of bed to go with you all, and here I thought you missed me.” 

Damien looked at Jessica right when his sisters and Mother looked over, and Jessica forced a smile even though all she could think of was, ‘Great. I’m spending my Autumn Sunday in a fucken Mets Jersey with a guy that is strictly friends with benefits, and his family thinks we’re a fucken couple madly in love or some shit…Perfect.’ 

Jessica sighed to herself when Damien pulled them both towards the pumpkin patch. 

Isabela said, “What? Hope, that pumpkin is downright sad. It’s tiny!… Now, that one, on the other hand.” 

Damien’s face sagged when he saw the large misshapen pumpkin Isabela pointed at, and Jessica couldn’t help but lightly chuckle as Damien gawked.

“You can’t seriously expect me to carry that thing the whole time, right?” He argued.

Lucilla walked over to their brother with her own pumpkin in hand, “Isabela, it’s not even round. It’s so ugly.” 

“So? It’s getting carved anyway.” 

Carina gestured towards a row of medium-sized pumpkins and exclaimed, “Uh, who cares about the size and roundness when those aren’t even that orange, and they have bad spots on them.” 

Jessica and Damien watched the sisters talking over each other in minor disagreements as Damien gave Jessica a sideways look and mumbled, “On second thought, if you wanted to bail, I’m sure I can come up with an excuse.” 

Their Mom chimed in, lecturing them in Spanish as Hope replied, “Sorry, Mamá, we’ll just pick one each. So it doesn’t matter who picks what.” Hope gave while shooting a mild glare to her three younger sisters, who all collectively nodded or shrugged and went off looking for their perfect pumpkins.

"Preciosa, which one?" He asked while scanning the pumpkin patch. 

Jessica shrugged, “Doesn’t matter to me.”

Damien sighed, “Come on, Jessica. Try to act like this isn’t killing you to be here, for my sake.” 

Jessica blinked at that and said, “I never said it was. I guess I’m just rusty.” 

Damien ran a hand over his temple with a cringe. “I know, I know. I didn’t plan this exactly, but I want to make a decent impression, so I’m not hounded with questions.” 

“You mean more than what was already asked? Carina asked me how our first date was, and Isabela asked if I planned on coming to Thanksgiving, and Hope and Lucilla wanted to know every detail imaginable.” 

Damien gave an apologetic look, “Sorry for dragging you into this mess.” 

Jessica eyed him for a moment. The way he looked at her and had her insides twist a bit. She released an annoyed breath through her nose before glancing at the pumpkins. 

She thought, ‘The least I can do is try. It’s one day. ‘ 

“Okay.” She mumbled before walking over to a pumpkin. She bent down to pick it up and examine it. Her hand ran over the smooth surface before nodding. “This one.” 

Damien looked slightly surprised, “You sure?” 

Jessica nodded at the modestly sized pumpkin and said, “Positive.” Before she handed it to Damien, who smiled relieved and took it. 

“Thanks for not picking the biggest pumpkin in this field for me to carry all day.” 

Jessica gave a cheeky smirk. She looked around with a hum and said, “Hmm…Actually, maybe that one way over there?” She pointed to a much bigger pumpkin on the other side of the field.

Damien rolled his head back with a groan even if Jessica could clearly see a smirk; he tried to hide, “Oh God, please don’t start acting like my sisters. You already see what I have to fucken deal with.” 

Jessica let out a huff-like chuckle, “Save it. I grew up with two overprotective older brothers. I don’t want to hear shit.” 

They both walked together, giving the same witty banter and snide remarks they always did with each other, and Jessica couldn’t help thinking, ‘This really isn’t so bad. Damien’s a nice guy, his family is nice, and so far, his sisters and Mom haven’t been bad to me, and it’s a good pumpkin patch… It’s really kind of…Easy to pretend.’ She thought with a slight frown at her mixed emotions as she and Damien walked side by side. 

Jessica paused when she saw the Apple Orchard a ways away on the other side of the field. Red apples hung from the faraway trees as a few people with buckets picked them. She stopped in her tracks to stare as a slow sinking feeling dropped in her stomach at all the memories an apple orchard could bring back.

A particular memory of her and the Crowned Prince sneaking off into the Applewood Manors Apple orchard for one of their ‘in-between’ moments. Laughing as he chased her before he caught her, kissing her deeply in secret while Jessica swore she would spend the rest of her life with him.

Damien instantly noticed her expression and stopped alongside her. “Jessica, is something wrong?” 

Jessica shook herself and said, “No, just watching….” 

Damien eyed her as she forced herself to look away. Analyzing her as she had on her poker face. 

Suddenly, they were interrupted when Lucilla walked over to them and said, “Dames, Mamá, and Carina need help with their pumpkins… Jessica, if you want, we can go to the shop together and snag some cider and donuts for everyone. “ 

Jessica didn’t get to answer as Lucilla grabbed her hand, all while Jessica gave Damien a sideways glance as she was practically dragged away. 

Damien nodded, “Sure thing. That’s my job here, apparently, Pumpkin carrier…Try not to keep Jes- my Girl, too long.” He gave Jessica a slight cringing smile as he left.

"No promises, Dames." 

Jessica gave Lucilla a look as she let go of her hand, “... You’re gonna interrogate me, aren’t you?” 

Lucilla shrugged, “It’s not an interrogation, just…Just Girl talk. About things about my brother.” 

Jessica released an exasperated sigh as all she thought in her head, ‘Fuck my life.’ 

A short while later, Jessica and Lucilla had cider in their hands as they sat on a bench. Lucilla wasted no time asking, “So, how long have you known my brother?” 

“Long enough. A year.” 

“And we never heard about you because?” 

Jessica shrugged, “We were friends first. I actually never expected…This, but here we are.” Jessica laughed slightly, trying to come off as genuine as possible.

“And uh, how did…This happen? Like, was it endless crushing on one of your parts, or did you both just randomly decide?...” She asked while trailing off. 

Jessica shrugged, “I think it just kind of happened. A snarky remark here, a dig there, and before you know it, we hit it off.” Jessica gave a small smile. “I guess it was our way of flirting.” 

Lucilla watched Jessica intently as Jessica sipped her cider and asked her, “So, do you know everything about Damien?” 

“Um, yeah. I’m pretty sure I do.” 

“Do you? Because my brother plays this cynical tough guy act to protect himself. “ 

Lucilla continued, “He’s had a lot of heartbreak. He won’t tell us, but this one woman he claimed was only a ‘colleague’ on the force messed him up pretty badly. The minute she ‘left’ work and was gone from his life or whatever, he became bitter and depressed. We couldn’t even say Alana’s name without him getting the biggest frown on his face and looking like a kicked puppy. There was Kai Parks; she had led him on for months. Now she is getting married. Dames has never really found his ‘Perfect Match.’ He’s become such a pessimist about relationships. 

Jessica opened her mouth slightly to form the words. “I…I didn’t know.” 

“Yeah, well, that’s Dames. He hides everything because he doesn’t want to burden people.” She sighed and swirled her cider in her cup. “I just want to ensure he’s not dealing with another heartbreak.” 

“No, I would never do that to your brother Lucilla.” 

She gave Jessica a skeptical stare. “Yeah? Then can you actually see a future with my brother? He doesn’t need a fling; he needs a woman who will love him as much as he loves her. Long term.” 

Jessica sighed and sat her cider down to turn to Lucilla on the bench. “Listen, Lucilla. I get it. I have two brothers of my own and my own issues with the women they’ve dated. I don’t know where this is going with Damien and me, but we’re just testing the waters now. But I can tell you I have no intentions of hurting him.” 

“Then what do you love about him?” 

“What?” 

She sat back to stare at Jessica and replied, “I want some proof. Do you really give a shit about him, or are you just stringing him along?” 

Jessica groaned internally and thought, ‘God, I’m getting grilled by a teenage.’

Jessica cleared her throat and muttered, “Well, he’s… He’s actually the most annoying jerk but in an endearing way. He’s competitive, and we clash, but we also get along just as much…Um, He’s family oriented; I can tell that already … He’s kind and passionate…Responsible… He’s protective and puts others before himself… He’d be a great Dad if he wanted that.” The more she spoke, the more her voice trailed off as her mind wandered. 

Lucilla had a smile slowly stretched across her face as she said, “...I believe you.” She patted Jessica’s knee, “And I think he’s in love with you too. It’s why I grilled you so much just now, just to be sure he’s not going to get burned.” 

“Uh...You think so?” Jessica cautiously asked, taken aback and blinking at Lucilla.

Lucilla exclaimed, “Of course! Have you seen the way he looks at you? Every time we looked at you two, you were both laughing at something, and he had this dumb, goofy smile every time he looked at you. Trust me; a sister knows when her brother’s in love…Right?” Lucilla nudged her a bit.

Jessica felt a strange mix of emotions she couldn’t quite place as she slowly nodded. She cleared her throat and changed the subject, “So if the interrogation is over, I think we should get these donuts for everyone before we eat them all.” 

 “Or we could tell them they ran out and talk some more….” 

“I think the cinnamon sugar dust is a dead giveaway,” Jessica muttered as she wiped some dust off Damien’s Mets Jersey. “Besides, I told you everything so far. You want my social security number, too, in case?” Jessica chuckled.

Lucilla laughed and said, “Fine. Besides, I think that Damien’s like a prized possession you’re wearing. He’d instantly know you got something on it, and then the secret donuts would be a giveaway, and I know Isabela she’ll complain till we go back and get her some, and then Dames would cry all day that his prized shirt is ruined or some shit like that. “Lucilla gave an eye roll. “I mean, you’re a Mets fan too, obviously.” 

Jessica had to hide the grimace as she forced it out. “Uh yeah. I totally love that team…Just love them.” She lied as Lucilla got up with the bag of donuts, and they walked back.

Lucilla smiled at her and said, “Well, he must love you to let you wear his prized Jersey.” 

‘More like he thought it would be hilarious.’ Jessica thought. 

Lucilla continued, “I like you so far.” 

Jessica raised a brow, “Well, I like you too. So did I pass the test?” 

Lucilla laughed, “Yeah, I think Dames finally got someone.” She gave Jessica a smile, and Jessica gave a smile back.

‘You made it. You’ve been questioned; you did the cute couple thing like holding hands; you picked the stupid pumpkin together and lied through your teeth that you liked that shitty team…After this, you can just stop and go back to the arrangement you both have. No feelings, no romance, no future together. ‘Jessica reasoned with herself as she walked behind Lucilla.

They made it back to everyone as Lucilla handed out donuts and cider. Damien came up to Jessica with a donut in hand, and she couldn’t help noticing how he looked at her, whether it was just realizing it or paranoia from Lucilla.

He asked, “So, did you get to state your case to the judge, or were you thrown the book?” 

“I got my ass handed to me by a teenager.”

“Good. But hold that thought because the jury is still deciding the verdict.” He mumbled as both their gazes landed on Lucilla, whispering something to her sister Hope as they both not so subtly glanced at Jessica.

Jessica softly groaned. “Fucken great.” 

“No, I actually think they like you. I mean, they haven’t said one insult to you all day. For my sisters, that’s saying something.” 

Jessica gave a slight smirk as Damien bit into a donut and had sugar on the side of his mouth. Jessica pointed. “You have some on your cheek.” 

Damien raised his brows and swiped his hand over but missed it twice. She finally sighed and said, “Oh jeezus, here. “As she wiped his cheek with her thumb. 

Even after she got it, her touch unintentionally lingered. Both of them stared at each other as Jessica pulled away, and Carina said, “No, no! Hold that pose!” 

Jessica froze as she saw Carina trying to take a picture. Damien quickly wrapped his arm around the small of her back as Jessica smiled while turning towards Damien.

Carina scoffed, “Come on, be more romantic than that!” 

Jessica glanced at Damien before leaning up and hissing in his ear, “You owe me. Big.” 

Damien cringed and said, “I know, fuck, I know.” Before he leaned down to hold Jessica close and plant a kiss on her cheek while Jessica gave a big smile for the camera. Years earlier, gaining experience from posing for royal media paid off as she effortlessly made it look natural.

“Perfect! God, you’re so photogenic, Jessica. Where did you learn to pose like you’re on a red carpet?” 

Damien released her as Jessica shrugged, “Just practice, I guess.” 

Jessica started walking with everyone who all talked amongst each other, including her in the conversation here and there, before a body of water caught her eye. Some benches and a stone Koi pond were among the red and orange trees.

She felt her heart tightening at the sight of the koi fish swimming around and a couple with their little boy watching the fish.

Damien noticed first as he asked, “Hey, Preciosa?” 

She walked towards the pond away from the group as Damien looked concerned and asked again, “Jessica?” 

“I’ll just be a moment.” Jessica softly gave as she watched the koi fish. 

Damien stopped to watch her from afar as his sisters walked over to the koi pond. The only one behind was Damien’s Mom, who stood beside him watching the beautiful Koi pond, and Jessica.

Damien watched Jessica as she looked curiously at the Koi pond. He was falling for her hard, and there was just a softness about her when she fed the fish. His sisters were quite taken with her, with remarks here and there to Damien throughout the day about how she seemed to fit into their idea of who Damien should be with.  

“Ángel, I want to talk to you about this girl.” 

“Si Mamá dime (Yes, mom, talk to me).” Damien scrunched up his nose and listened to his Mother.

“I’m not a fool; this girl isn’t your girlfriend.”

Damien blinked at that as he looked down at his Mother and asked, “How do you know?”

“You look at her like you want her to be yours.”

“That obvious?” Damien gave a sigh.

“Si Hijo. What makes her special to you?”

“Mamá, when I’m with her, the nightmares go away. She makes me smile and laugh, and I can tell her anything, and she won’t judge me. I’m falling in love with her. I don’t know when it happened, but it’s happening.” 

Damien looked over at Jessica, laughing with Lucilla about something as Lucilla pointed at the water. “I want more with her; I’m just afraid to ask.”

“I like her. I like her for you a lot. She is hilarious, and you can tell she is very bright. Hope likes her a lot too, and she is hard to win over.”

“Wow, Hope doesn’t like anyone.” Damien chuckled.

“This girl, is she a family girl?”

“Yea, she has two brothers she is very close to. They are cops; one is Captain, the other a Lieutenant. I actually know the older brother.”

“What about her parents?” 

“They passed away. Her father was a detective, and her Mother was a Social Worker.  

“I see she knows what it’s like for you and your work.”

“She is a cop too. Don’t worry; she is nothing like Alana.” 

“Oh, that I can tell. Alana cared about herself. If she were like Alana, she wouldn’t be here.”

“Mamá, what do I do?”

“Sometimes you have to be willing to lose.”

Damien gazed at Jessica as she turned to give him a soft smile from the koi pond. His Mother’s words rang out in his head as they both stared at one another. Jessica’s smile slowly faded as she stared back, some unspoken conversation going on as they both struggled with what they wanted and what they allowed past the walls they built up.

Damien calmly walked over to her as she returned to looking at the koi fish with his sisters. Damien looked down at the fish as he stood beside her.

“They’re pretty, aren’t they?” Jessica finally said as Damien hummed in agreement.

They watched a bit longer before Jessica released a long sigh. Thinking to herself about her unspoken past. Of the child she lost, they nicknamed Koi, of the life she could have had with Liam.

Jessica frowned slightly as she thought, ‘Look at you, Jessica. You have a great guy standing next to you with a family that already accepts you. You have the opportunity for something here that you didn’t have in Cordonia if you just let it go and move on.’ 

Jessica sucked in a breath with a tight-lipped smile and thought, ‘I already said my goodbyes to Liam but not to you, Koi. I’ll never stop loving you or who you could have been, but I think I need to start learning to try and find some happiness in all of this.’ She almost felt tears in her eyes, but she closed them and held onto the sad smile on her face before walking away from the pond.

Damien watched her intently, a frown in place as he studied her. He followed her as his sisters and Mother started walking, pumpkins in hand, to pay and call it a day.

“...are you alright?” Damien asked.

Jessica nodded and replied, “Yeah, I think so.” 

She and Damien hung back as he spoke in low tones, “Thanks again for this.”

“No, it was…It was fun. I actually enjoyed today with your family.” 

Damien released a hearty chuckle, “Oh, don’t deny it. You secretly love my team.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I did…But you owe me for wearing a stupid Mets Jersey in public, and now Carina has it on camera.” 

“Is that why your team ate shit last night?” 

Damien lowered his head to whisper as he slung an arm around her as they walked, “Remember what else happened last night?” 

Jessica smirked, “Remind me again later…You do owe, after all…SIR” 

“All night if you need.” He promised as they walked side by side, Jessica leaning into him for the first time openly in public as Damien smiled to himself and held her close. 

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