#everyone clap okay this is an achievement

[marsneedstherapy]

I'm rereading LVC rn bc, tbh I've only read it once before, which feels weird considering I've read tvd, ove, and flf too many times to count, and like roma and juliette are so adorable like my heart can't take it

[unconventional-lawnchair]

Hehehehe okay so what if you like wrote a fic about remus lupin x reader. The reader is a teacher (preferably like astronomy) and they're sneaking around together. students are making bets and stuff to see if they'll end up together, some girls just ship them really hard.

They're trying so hard to keep it a secret but they are so bad at it.

Me @ every guy who isn't a fictional wizard from the 70s ^^

An: This fluff attempt goes out to you, rip

Rumors

Remus Lupin x Fem!Reader

cw: A lot of kisses and cursing, stapler mishandling

Masterlist

WC:4181

The halls of Hogwarts were filled with hushed whispers and mindless patter of gossip. The newest topic of the year? 

Professor {L/N}, the newest astronomy hire. An Alchemist who perfected her work through star charting. Lupin had recommended you for the post to assist Sinistra. Mostly, however, you were hired on to assist with the newest project under Dumbledore. With your studies in the North Pole, you were tasked with on and off communications with the centaur herd within the Forbidden Forest. Specifically, their astronomy masters. It was easy, given your track record with magical creatures. Creating a bridge of mutual understanding between the professors and the herd. Dumbledore also saw you valuable to both potions and alchemy class; meaning you met a lot of students very fast.

So almost everyone knew you, you ran a tight ship in class, playful and respectful to the students paired with a charming personality, no one could bring themselves to even hate you.

That's probably how the rumors began, truthfully. Who doesn't want their two favorite teachers to end up together?

Much like Lupin, the students adored you. Hermione especially, after learning of your academic achievements of the past, while being a muggleborn witch. 

Your first reaction to seeing him probably don't help. First few steps into your new place of employment and you hurry over to the only face you cared to recognize, and give him a hug and a thank you for the recommendation. 

It wasn't anything big and it wasn't anything of a spectacle, but Merlin, was Hogwarts boring. The thrill of gossip seemed to have every student in a choke hold. Some said you were both childhood friends turned lovers, some said you were married and it was a scandalous affair, most of the rumors were just students talking about how perfect you both fit together. 

Your caring, funny, and nurturing behavior, to his stern more rugged form of bonding, you were affectionately dubbed ‘mum and dad.’ 

Never to your face however, and mostly by the first and seventh years. Something about growing shame and losing it in your final days of Hogwarts, remarkable.

~~~

“I'm telling you! He looks at her like she is the very stars she teaches us about!” A seventh year sighed dreamily with her friends. She had her chin in her palms and was staring up at the front of class while a few of their classmates took the practical exam. “I wish someone would look at me like that.”

“Really! I haven't seen so much tension between two faculty before! I wouldn't be surprised to find them snogging in the halls!” One of them joked and the other girls laughed.

“Truly, but I saw Professor {L/N} wearing a wedding ring. She took it off and put it in her pocket before class started. I wonder if they are, you know~ Never have I seen Professor Lupin wear one.” She wiggled her eyebrows and the original girl spoke up with a gasp.

“Oh don't you say that! Professor Lupin and Professor {L/N} would never!” She tutted and another voice chimed in, a boy from a seat behind them, making the three turn.

“I heard that they spent Christmas at school together.” Cedric cheeked and the three girls gasped and began to murmur among themselves about it, before Lupin clapped his hands.

He found it a bit amusing, he had let them continue that far. This is what his classes have become, listening to the students muttering about him and you, seeing how close they could possibly get to the truth. Remus, at a fault, was a gossip. He learned to love the thrill of rumors from Sirius and James, but what was better than rumors about you and a colleague? Rumors about you and a colleague that were so close to the truth.

“Right now! Who's next?”

The rest of the class went smoothly, everyone finished their exams and the classroom began to file out. As Lupin got comfortable in his seat, his door peaked open.

“If you are here for tutoring, please note my hours are posted on the door, this first hour has been reserved already.” Lupin called out from his chair, head leaned back. 

“Tutoring, hm?” A song-like voice rang out from the door. He slowly smirked and leaned forward, eyes locking onto yours. You were holding a box of Merlin knows what, walking straight up to his desk with that beautiful smile. 

“Is that so unbelievable?” He teased, voice lower as he stood up and walked around his desk. Looking over your shoulder to peek into the box, seeing several random objects, including a stapler, a retractable ruler, a metal pointing stick, and other random muggle things.

“Oh, totally. I think I remember you almost lost it when Peter asked for your notes.” You teased him and he chuckled, his breath brushing against your neck. He admired the way you seemed to not flinch, but melt into his proximity. 

“Peter was a terrible student.” He mumbled and you laughed, his hand slipping around your waist and leaning down to kiss the side of your neck. You laughed harder and squirmed away. 

“Hands to yourself. Now, show me where I can hide this contraband.” You lifted the box and shook it a bit. “The things they allow in muggle schools! Hmph!” You mused and he laughed, walking you up to his office and to the far back near a storage closet. He opened the door for you and you set the box down, looking around curiously.

The room was small, but big enough for four people to stand in it comfortably. The walls were covered in shelves filled with items from all over the school years, you ran your finger along one of the shelves and let the dust collect.

“What's on your mind, hm?” Lupin mused and you turned to smirk at him.

“Just wondering where they are hiding the really bad stuff. Still in Filtch’s closet?” You hummed as he stepped into the small room with you. His eyes looked you over and you gave him a look.

“Why's that, darling?”

“Just curious, out of all the things in that closet,” You hummed as Remus wrapped his arms around your middle and pulled you against him. Your fingers dancing along his shirt collar. “Wonder how many of them were from you and that little gang of yours.” You hummed and he laughed.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to yours. It was chaste and sweet. He loved moments like this, away from everyone, where he could love you properly. He gave a hum as you got on your toes and wrapped your arms around his shoulders, pulling him down as he pulled you closer.

~~~

“I truly don't  think they have something going on. It's maddening really! The whole school seems to see it but me!” Ron groaned as he walked down the hall with Harry and Hermione, seemingly offended at the idea that the new Astronomy teacher was dating or even had interest in Lupin.

"I wouldn't put too much stock in rumors about someone's love life, Ronald," Hermione retorted, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, sorry Ron, but you're kind of…” Harry rolled his wrists and Ron narrowed his eyes.

“Kind of what?” 

“Kind of..” Harry trailed off.

“Kind of a complete idiot when it comes to love.” Hermione finally snapped, hugging her books to her chest. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet Professor Lupin.” She huffed and stomped off.

Ron was left standing there like an idiot, looking over at Harry. 

“What did I do?”

Harry tried to hide his smile and patted Ron's shoulder to urge him along and out of the halls.

~~~

The kiss had grown a bit heated, Remus pushed you deeper into the closet as he muttered about how badly he needed to have you in his arms. How much he loved you, how he wanted you closer, so impossibly close.

You, of course, returned the sentiment. He was made for your hands it seemed, every moment he wasn't between them made you yearn for just another hour of listless cuddles or moments like this. Sneaking away from responsibilities to show your love and devotion to one another. 

If only it could last longer-

“Professor Lupin?” Hermione's voice called out into his office. Remus cursed and you quickly stumbled back. He cleared his throat, shuffling through the confiscated objects, to find anything he could snag. 

“I'll be out in a moment!” He called back as you fixed his tie and ruffled shirt, he grabbed the first thing he spotted and stole another quick kiss from you before leaving the room.

You leaned against a shelf and watched from the crack of the door in amusement as Lupin hurried to his desk.

“Ms. Granger, I am terribly sorry, is it possible for us to reschedule?” Remus pressed and looked at what he had in his hand.

A stapler.

Why on earth did he grab a stapler?

Quickly he sat at his desk and pulled out a few assignments. Grabbing some he had already graded and began to staple them together. 

Hermione was no fool and he knew that, she stared at him in bewilderment, slowly putting her hands on her books tighter. “Uhm, Professor? Isn't that the stapler Professor {L/N} confiscated from Creevey?” 

Lupin began to staple things a bit quicker, waving her off. 

“Yes, Ms. Granger, I think it would be, but I did borrow it from the confiscated,” He weaned on, collected and poised, a bit too good at putting up a face. Everytime you two have almost been caught, he's shown this side. 

“Why would you possibly need a stapler?” He asked in disbelief.

“To.. staple?” He lifted his eyebrow at her. “I do appreciate your curiosity, but I assure you this is none of your concern.” He spoke idley, having opened the stapler and pressed the top down against the pages and his table. Hermione seemed appalled at the misuse. 

“Now, if you'll please allow me to pick another time-” Before he could finish his statement, he attempted to raise his hand, only for his wrist to be locked in place. He looked down, just to see he had stapled his own sleeve to the desk under a few pages of paper. 

You had to cover your mouth and so did Hermione.

“Uhm, on second thought, sir, I think I'll spend my study hour in the library.” She slowly smirked, turning to briskly walk away.

Remus slowly sunk his face into his hands, the second his classroom door was closed he waved his hand to shut his office door. Only for the room to be filled with your laughter.

You walked out of the room, holding your sides as Lupin lost his front and stared at you with flushed cheeks.

“Not a word-”

“No! No please!” You wheezed out. “Several! Several words must be had!” You doubled over his desk, struggling to get the staple from his sleeves, when you finally managed, you were throwing your head back absolutely lost in boisterous laughter.

Remus wasn't even mad. How could he be? You looked so damn happy. So giddy with joy at the embarrassing show he put on. Quickly, he stood, walking around his desk with a purpose and grabbed your cheeks. You were still struggling to catch your breath as he playfully scoffed at you.

“Not very polite, Professor {L/N}.” He taunted and you grabbed his biceps and clung to him to try and clam down. It didn't help when he leaned down and began to pepper kisses all over your hot face. 

“Mercy!” You wheezed and he shook his head.

“What happened to all those words, Professor?” He teased and you shook your head, giggling as he absolutely mawled you with his lips.

~~~

The Grandhall was lively with the buzz of Sirius Black’s attacks. Managing to get into the Gryffindors’ common room was a feat that bewildered everyone.

However, what everyone was truly talking about was how he broke into the astronomy tower and Professor {L/N}’s office. It had managed to get out that Sirius Black himself left you a note that Dumbledore promptly confiscated. More accurately, the conversation was about how unbothered you were about the news.

That, and how a certain professor reacted to that news. 

He had gone down to the commons with McGonagall to check on Harry and the other students. Only when Flitwick came up in a rush and announced the break in and how you were nowhere to be found, the students watched in horror and shock as Lupin pulled his wand and ran from the towers at a speed they couldn't determine was truly human.

He found you soon after, running down the hall towards the Gryffindor tower, also looking for Harry. He stopped and pulled you into a tight hold no one could see. You were confused at first, but you eventually melted into him. You two were spied on by none other than Colin Creevey, who snapped a photo and was showing it around the lunch table. 

“See! I knew it! What a romantic! Ran straight to her in the face of danger?” One of the seventh years swooned and Ron scoffed.

“I don't get it, it's just two people hugging.” He mumbled and began to poke at his food, the twins giving each other a look before they rushed to tease Ron.

“Two people hugging,” Fred started.

“Hands below the waist!” George chimed in, holding up the photo as if to emphasize his point, gesturing to where Lupin's hands were holding you so tight your heels were slightly off the ground.

“Oh, how scandalous.” Fred concurred and Ron rolled his eyes.

“I hug Hermione, does that make us secretly married?” Ron pushed and Hermione quickly looked down at her book in a slight flush. 

“You wish.” George snickered and Fred clapped his hand on Ron's back, making him cough on his potatoes.

“Really, Ronald dearest, you wouldn't know the difference. You hardly know how to hold a girl now.” He teased and George nodded along.

“You'll get there one day, brother. For now you'll have to trust us.”

“This,” They both pointed this time.

“Is not a normal hug.” Both of them spoke at the same time.

Angelica finally spoke up. “Given the context, that man is whipped. Even if nothing is happening now, he is so in love it's humbling.” She got up and gathered her Quidditch gear.

“Come on boys.”

“Right behind you.” Fred purred and earned himself a look from her over her shoulder, George laughed as the three of them hurried off. Leaving the photo for Ginny to pick up.

“Oh yeah, there is absolutely no platonic explanation for this.” She hummed and tossed it to the center of the table, Neville shrugged, no wanting to contribute. 

“I think that whatever is happening between those two, it's clear they care about each other.” Hermione hummed and Harry finally agreed. Suddenly, he looked at his friends with a look of absolute mischief.

“Do you know how we can find out?” He mused and Hermione gave a groan and Ron shot up in his seat.

“How?”

Harry smirked and pulled out the map the twins had gifted him, showing it off to his friends with a cocky smirk. You had caught him with it days ago, and simply zipped your lips and walked away.

“If they are meeting anywhere, it's likely the astronomy tower.”

~~~

Now.. the plan didn't go exactly as planned.

“And I simply can not comprehend how all three of you continue to be the only Gryffindors I've had to reprimand this year!” Lupin’s voice filled the otherwise silent and empty Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom. Unfortunately for the trio, who were out far past curfew, Lupin just so happened to be on his way to the Astronomy tower when he spotted them seemingly just on time for his arrival.

“What about my brothers?” Ron muttered before Hermione shot him a look, elbow jabbing his side.

“Ronald.” She hissed.

The entirety of Hogwarts Valley had been buzzing with the news of Sirius Black’s newest escapade into the castle and Lupin could not comprehend why the three thought it was a good idea to do everything but what they were told. 

“Safety comes first and for me to find you lot outside of your dorms with a murder on the loose? With this bloody-” Lupin began to lift the map before his eyes snapped up at the sound of his door opening. He quickly shut his mouth when he saw you peak into the dark space.

“Remus?” You called out, before you paused and stared at the four infront of you. Your mind firing off a million excuses in quick succession. “Oh, I was unaware you had company.”

Lupin sighed and rubbed his face, seeming to untangle himself from the thralls of his anger. It wasn't uncommon for you two to find eachother late at night like this, but was certainly not the greatest idea of his yet- reprimanding the trio when he knew you'd be coming. As you always did when he didn't meet you at the Astronomy tower as promised. His favorite part of the end of a stressful day was a night full of whispers, stories and playful remarks. Reminiscing on your school years while recreating some memories long forgotten after the war. This time, not in his dorm, but his office or your room. “It's quite alright. I can still review your lesson plans.”

He was a terrifyingly good liar. That should not be attractive.

“Right. I will be in your office, Lupin.” You remarked and began to walk past the group of three who looked at you like you might save them. Sorry kiddos- he was grumpy enough as it was. 

You gave them a grimace, glancing at the map before quickly looking away with wide eyes and hurrying over to the office. Lupin caught the look and held up his hand. “Stop.”

You squeezed your eyes shut and slowly turned to face him. Giving him your adorable nervous look that you knew didn't work on him- well, you tried.

He made a come hither motion and you walked over, ready to be lectured like the kids beside you. He held up the map and you gave a nervous smile. 

“What? However, did you find this, Harry? This is supposed to be in Flinch’s office!” You gave the worst and most unbelievable fake disappointed tone, hands on your hips and frowning down at the three. You struggled not to smile as Harry gave a small one, before laughing a bit. Hermione covered her face in a mix of fluster and secondhand embarrassment. Ron was grinning ear to ear. 

“{L/N}...” Lupin warned and you huffed.

“You got me in trouble with the big boss here, Harry.” You teased and he finally cracked his lips into a brighter smile. You looked back at Remus and slowly interlocked your fingers in front of your lips, as if it did anything to hide your face. “In my defense-”

“You three are dismissed.” He mused quickly and slammed the paper on the table beside him. You tried your best to hide your smile. It was hard to take him seriously when you have seen him panic and staple his sleeve to a desk. The trio hurried to shuffle out, Harry sent you a greatful look and you simply winked at him. Something Remus rolled his eyes at.

“Did you see Harry with the map?” He asked in a stern tone when the kids left. You looked away and tried to look a little regretful. 

“It's very possible.” 

“And you didn't think to take it?” He asked in an incredulous tone.

“I mean, it certainly crossed my mind.” You slowly stopped hiding your smile and looked back to the taller man who was taking a few steps into your space.

“And you didn't?” He pushed.

“Well, in all fairness, Rem. It is technically his.” You snarked back finally and Remus gave a bitter laugh. 

“Professor {L/N}, did you think that maybe if this map fell into the wrong hands it could cause a serious danger to Harry?” He pushed and you clicked your tongue. You knew who he was talking about. A conversation you've had a million times, well, more an argument. It got worse when he heard of the note.

He was so willing to believe Sirius Black to be a killer, while you believed Sirius could bring himself to the point of ending someone's life, James Potter was more than a human to him. Even with his plea of guilty, you couldn't believe it. James, Lily, and Harry? You would stake your life on it. He was innocent.

It was what you were looking for, an explanation, hopefully that was what the note was for. But unlike your communications with the magical creatures of the forest, Dumbledore was not so willing to give up information when he had it. The old prick-

“I hate when we talk about this.” You huffed in honesty and leaned back on one of the desks of the room. He sighed through his nose and pinched the bridge that connected it to his forehead. “Honey-”

“Ah ah ah! Honey is for marriage.” You mused and he did his best to fight the smile growing on his face. Easily letting you steer the conversation from his own negative thoughts, he hated being upset around you. “That so?”

“It's very so. More so than most so’s.” You hummed and he blinked a few times at you before he couldn't help but smirk. 

“Give me my mother's ring back then.” He mused and held out his hand. You have a faux gasp. 

“Excuse you, sir. I seem to remember your mother telling you this belonged to me.” 

“When we were 18!” He challenged, letting himself fall victim to your antics. Like school children. “And last I checked, your reaction was less then pleasant.”

“We had been dating for a year and I was going to the North Pole in my defense, tart boy.” You scoffed and cringed at the memory. How you practically fall out of your chair when Hope made a comment about her ring. 

“Tart boy?”

“Tart boy.”

“I'll show you a tart boy.” He scoffed and took your cheeks. You giggled like a goofball, grabbing his lapels and trying to pull him closer. He smirked at you and kept his distance.

“Remus-” You huffed and glared at him a bit. His smirk only grew as he reached into your pocket, pulling out the modest gem. You rolled your eyes fondly and held out your hand for him, he slipped the ring back in its rightful place.

“Sorry, call me old fashioned. But I'd like to kiss my fiancé, not my coworker.” He teased and you couldn't help but laugh. 

“You absolute sap.”

“Hard not to be.” He mumbled and leaned in, finally kissing you. Both your eyelids lowered but he held eye contact. So much affection bumbling in your chests, it was too much to look away. Eventually, you gave into your shyness, closing your eyes. He slowly pushed your knees apart and slipped between them, making your face grow hot.

He pulled away at this and you huffed, he smirked at you when you looked back up at him. “Hey, sir, your lips on mine again. It's a marital duty and all that jazz.”

“Thought we had to be married for marital privileges, honey?” 

“Oh don't use anything I say around you against me, I can hardly think.”

He bellowed out a laugh at your mischievous look up at him. Slowly biting your lip as you struggled to keep your confident act up.

“Whatever will I do with you, {L/N}?”

“Well, I have a few ideas.” You hummed and began to fiddle with his tie. He curled an eyebrow and you looked forward, looking up at his hazel eyes with a playful pout. “Kiss me again. I promise, you keep my lips occupied, no more bad behavior.”

“Because you won't be able to talk?” 

“Precisely.”

“What in the world!?” You suddenly heard from the far corner of the room. Your face filled with shock and snapped over to see an empty corner, you could of sworn you heard Ronald just a moment ago.

 Remus quickly moved from between your legs and waved his wand, yanking off the invisibility cloak to reveal an appalled Ron, a delighted Harry, and a flustered Hermione.

“Bloody hell!” Remus boomed and you covered your mouth and looked away. Doing your best not to laugh.

“Yes, mum and dad do kiss when the kids are away.” You cheeked and Remus looked at you like you had just made some grand offense to his ears.

Hermione giggled and Harry’s smile grew ten fold.

Ron, however, seemed very displeased.

“I owe the twins so much money.”

[russellsppttemplates]

I'll never give up on you (Franco Colapinto)

You think your age is an obstacle, but Franco is set on proving you otherwise

Note: english is not my first language. It's the big doe eyes, the curly hair and the fact that he's very funny, isn't it? It's a very crappy situation for everyone how they got here, everyone recognises that. This is also the first time I'm writing for him 🤍 I always feel and know I have to put this - for those who are here and have stayed, thank you for being so patient and for staying - I hope this is good enough ✨️

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm not taking requests right now, so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to send them in but know that I don't know when I'll be able to get to them!

my masterlist

Cw: reader is slightly older than Franco (three years), alludes to previous bad relationships, alcohol consumption, relationship insecurity, reader gets accidentally hurt

Tag list: @myloverjk-blog @hiireadstuff @c-losur3 @sltwins

"You look gorgeous, Y/N! I love love love this!", Olivia squealed, clapping her hands when she got to your bedroom.

"It's nothing special", you blushed at her compliments.

"It will catch some eyes, you will catch some eyes!", she smiled, "can you help me with my dress, please?", she turned around so you could zip her up.

You and your bestfriend Olivia shared an apartment in university, and once you entered into the job market, you quickly realised that it would be best to keep the same living situation, knowing you'd save some money in a beginner salary and you both felt comfortable about eachother. Her boyfriend Mark had just got a work promotion and he wanted to celebrate it with his friends, so you had been invited.

"Who else is going to be there?", you mused as you packed the essentials on your small purse.

"Some guys from the new department he's in now, Luke - the one we met a couple of weeks ago at the shops -", she began listing the names she recalled, "Amber, and Franco, I think - he doesn't have a race this week", Olivia said.

"Oh, okay", you smiled.

Franco Colapinto knew Mark from one of the teams he had driven for, and despite his career, he was an incredibly down to earth guy. You had met him in a few other occasions and he was funny, kind, always up for a challenge and not easy to persuade out of things. "Things" including flirting with you. At first, you thought it was just his nature and posture towards new people, but after realising he only acted like that towards you, and the fact that he kept making advances and going as far as talking to Olivia about it, you knew it was something else.

"You still haven't changed your mind about him? He's such a good match for you, Y/N/N", Olivia pouted.

The premise was simple - Franco was younger than you, and as much as he seemed interested, it would never lead to anything good. He was young, aspiring an amazing career you were sure he would achieve, and frankly, you couldn't see you in there. He would like to party all out, not have responsibilities and certainly not have to date someone older than him. And this was just at the top of your head - if you let your insecurities really work you up, there were many other reasons.

"We are not! If we did date, it wouldn't last long and I'm not up for that - I've learned my lesson", you tsked.

"You know he's very into you, I'm not sure you can get him to back down", Olivia advised, "I get that you have your walls, but maybe you could give him a chance?".

"He'll probably find someone else, if he hasn't already - now let's go!", you pulled her with you, not wanting to arrive late.

Once you were inside, you quickly spotted the group, greeting everyone and ordering some drinks.

"You're sure you don't want anything else?", Mark wondered.

"I don't feel like drinking anything strong today, but I'll toast to your promotion - congratulations again!", you hugged him.

"Careful, everyone!", you heard the argentinian accent call out, getting you to make room on the table so the bartender could set the tray with all the drinks, "Hello, Y/N, how are you?".

Turning to face Franco, you were instantly met with his bright smile, shiny eyes and wavy hair perfectly tousled, "Hi, I've been good, and you?".

"Even better now that you're here", he winked, "you look amazing by the way, that colour looks beautiful on you", he complimented.

Hoping the dim lighting hid your blushing cheeks you nodded, taking the coaster to our your drink on before looking at him, "thanks, it's not new or anything", you brushed him off.

The night was on a good roll until you came back from freshening up in the bathroom - just as you were about to sit on the high stool, a guy pushed his friend in a playful manner, only for him to accidentally hit you and making you hit your knee on the piece of furniture.

"Fuck", you mumbled, bracing yourself against the table as the sharp pain climbed up your leg no matter how much your hand tried to soothe it.

Before you could process the whole thing, a large hand was placed low on your back, "are you okay, Y/N? What happened?".

"It was us, I'm so sorry", one of the guys apologised as he carried his friend to their table, "do you want me to get something? Again, I'm so sorry".

"It's fine, I've got her", Franco dismissed them before looking at you again, "are you okay?", he asked worriedly.

"Of course", you attempted to speak firmly even though you were sure your face said it all. Your mother always told you you weren't a great liar.

Franco didn't seem to be convinced either, and ignoring your words, he bent down to check your knee, "you should sit so it doesn't swell up, and ice it too", he stated, tapping his shoulders for you to support your weight in them and help hoist you up on the stool.

"I'll go get some ice", Olivia offered.

As she excused herself, Franco gingerly touched your knee, fearing that he would hurt you even more, "is this fine?".

"It's not terrible, but it's hurting, like, it's a pulsation", you winced as he squeezed.

"I'm sorry, Y/N", Franco apologised, "just needed to check that it's not broken".

"You don't need to stay here, Olivia is coming back already", you added, watching the rest of the guys back on the pool table after you assured you were fine all things considered.

"You're the only one I care about, the rest can wait", Franco spoke.

"Look at that group over there", you pointed with your eyes, "wouldn't you prefer to hang out with them?".

The balloons let you know it was one of the girl's 20th birthday, and judging by the way they were looking in your direction, they noticed you too. Or Franco, you assumed.

"I've told you, I don't care about them, now where is the ice?", he muttered, looking around in hopes of spotting your friend in the darkened room.

"She's coming back", you pointed out.

The ice pack seemed to help relieve the pain and perhaps help with the bruising you were sure was going to take over your knee, "Franco, you can go be with the guys, I'll be fine", you reassured him again, "or be with the girls over there, they're very keen on you", you nudged.

Franco looked up at you, his gaze intense and serious, "those girls don't interest me", he replied, "you're the only one I care about".

There it was again.

"Don't say that", you tried to push it away before it dwelled on, "they're all very pretty, your age I'm sure".

Franco smiled softly as his eyes remained fixated on you, "who I pay attention to is you, you're the one I've always paid attention to", he spoke, not caring about the fact that Olivia was right there as she seemed distracted, "I don't care about their age or what they do. They're not you, and I want to be with you, so I'll stay here with you", he stated.

You heart took a lep, and even though you wished you could say something rational, something that made sense, the way he was looking into your eyes didn't let you. There was honesty and sincerity that never seemed to fail and that you could never ignore.

"Let me help you", Franco spoke softly, "right now, you're the only thing worrying me".

Hesitating, you allowed him to adjust the ice pack and keep talking to you about random stuff to take your mind away from the state of your knee, and for the first time in a while, it felt good to let someone else take care of you.

.

"Do you really think that we won't workout because of our age difference?", Franco spoke.

Mark and Olivia went to get coffee for all of you and left you and Franco on the picnic blanket to save the spot and keep your belongings safe. The plan for the afternoon was to enjoy the sun outside and while you were sure your bestfriend had something to do with this whole arrangement, you decided to let it slip and focus on relaxing for the afternoon.

"What?", you mused.

"You always point out that you're older than me, and whenever I make any advances, which I assume you're not too blind about, you never say yes, but don't say no either", he offered, "is it an obstacle?".

"We're good, aren't we?", you spoke.

"We could be better", Franco spoke and he supported his torso on his hands on his sides, "do you know how much I care about you?".

"We're friends", you replied.

"And you're telling me we couldn't be more?", Franco wondered.

"You have so many things to do still, I can't imagine you'd want to be tied to a 24 year old with a job and mundane responsibilities", you chuckled.

"Is that what it is? Do you really think our age difference is an obstacle?", he spoke softly.

"I can't say with such certainty", you mumbled.

"Can I keep on showing you that it isn't?", Franco spoke.

"I'm very stubborn", you recalled, "and I don't want you to waste your time".

"I'm not going to pressure you, but I'm not going to stop trying to show you how much you mean to me - you're very important in my life, Y/N".

.

"Did you salt the water already?", Franco asked as he grabbed the pasta from the cupboard.

"I did", you told him as you chopped the peppers and onions to add to the sizzling pan.

Franco happened to be around the area for lunch, and after he saw your story about being on your own, playfully claiming that Olivia had abandoned you, he offered to keep you company. Taking Olivia's advice that you should give him a chance and explore what you felt for eachother, you invited him over for lunch.

"Can I ask you something?", Franco asked as he dried his hands on the kitchen towell, throwing it to you so you could do the same.

"Now I'm worried...", you joked, "but sure, go ahead".

The smell of garlic browning in the pan filled the kitchen as you added the rest of the veggies, and you could feel the driver's eyes watching you. Up until now, the atmosphere was light, but there was an unspoken tension at the prospect of the question.

Franco couldn’t take it anymore. He was spending time with you whenever he could, getting closer little by little, but he felt there was a wall. A wall that you held strong, despite your shared glances and conversations that often stretched into the night.

“Why…”, he paused for a second, as if he was choosing his words carefully, “why do you keep pushing me away?”.

You stopped stirring the pan, slowly setting down the spoon aside and turned to face him.

“What are you talking about?”, you asked even though you knew exactly what he meant.

Franco turned fully to face you, his eyes fixed on yours, “You know what I’m talking about,” he said, his voice low, almost a whisper, "I’ve been trying to… get closer to you. You know how I feel about you, but every time I take a step toward you, you back away. There’s something you’re not saying, and I want to understand why, and if it's the age thing...", Franco let it out.

You sighed, fiddling with your hands as you gathered your thoughts.

“It’s not simple", you murmured, looking down at your feet.

"Then explain it to me", Franco's voice was calm, but insistent, "because from my side, it seems very simple. I like you. You like me, or at the very least you don't seem to hate me and…”, he hesitated, leaning a little closer, "whatever is stopping you… I can deal with it, we can talk about it".

Your heart raced as you looked up at him, "the age difference", you began hesitantly, “we’re from different worlds, different lives. You have so many options, people around you who… who are more in your vibe and in the line of life you can have. I’ve been through things you haven’t even begun to experience. What makes you think this… us, would be a good idea?", you mused.

Franco took a deep breath, taking a step closer until he was almost touching you, “What makes me think this would be a good idea? That we may have something to explore here? Have a shot at something good together?”, he repeated, looking directly into your eyes, "because every time I’m with you, I feel like I’m in the right place. Because no matter how much you think age is relevant, for me, what matters is how you make me feel. I’m not interested in anyone else, because you’re the one I want to explore these feelings with".

You fell silent, feeling his words invade her defenses. No one ever stood up for you like this.

“Age?”, he continued, "That doesn’t scare me. What scares me is losing you for a reason that, in the end, has no bearing on how I feel about you. You're so amazing and I don't want to lose that".

You bit your lip, feeling yourself wavering between the logic you had always used as a shield and what Franco was doing to your heart at that moment.

He took another step forward and gently placed his hand over yours, “I just need you to tell me… is it really age, or is it something more? Because if it’s just that… then we have a lot more to gain than we have to lose.”

You looked at his hand on hers and, for the first time, let yourself relax a little, allowing your brain to consider the possibility.

“What if it doesn’t go well?”, you whispered, voice hesitant and full of vulnerability, "I don't want to make a promise I can't keep, and I haven't let myself explore these feelings yet and... I don't want to hurt you, Franco".

"Y/N", he sighed softly with unexpected tenderness, “What if it does?", he smiled, "I'm not going to pressure you, and from the moment you tell me that there's no interest, I'll stop and we can remain friends. What I'm asking you is that you consider it first... take your time, I'll wait".

In a moment of confidence, Franco cupped your cheek and kissed your forehead, and for that moment you allowed your wall to lower a little more.

.

The good thing about the hot temperatures outside was that most people had taken their Saturday plans to the beach or the pool, so there was less traffic on your way home. You parked your car in the building's underground garage and went up the stairs to the floor where the apartment you share with Olivia is. Judging by how late you left work, your best friend must be home given that she has the free afternoon on Saturdays.

Turning the key in the lock and opening the door, you find a completely dark apartment, which is strange considering you left the blinds half open this morning to let in sunlight. As soon as you step inside, closing the front door behind you, you're surprised by lights that suddenly turn on and a chorus of voices singing the Happy Birthday song.

You hadn't felt in the right mood to celebrate your birthday this year, given and the changes from studying and the stress of your new job, so to say you were caught off guard by this surprise was an understatement. You had told Olivia that you could have something special for dinner to celebrate the day, and while she insisted a little more, she ended up dropping the subject. And you thought that meant the had agreed to your simple plans - that morning, she caught you when you were having your breakfast, wished you happy birthday and gave your her gift, a very simple necklace with a medal with your initial in it, and didn't make any more fuss.

You definitely didn't expect her to be preparing a surprise like this for you.

Besides Olivia and Mark, Franco is the first person you see in the living room of your apartment - which makes you feel a little bad about yourself considering you hadn't even told him that today was your birthday. Besides the three of them, Maria and Julia, your two closest friends from school, were also present, as well as Pedro, one of your best friends from high school that moved to another city, and as it turns out, came all the way to your party.

When the chanting ends, Olivia approaches you with the cake so that you can blow out the candles, everyone's attention still on you. You know you should say something, but right now, you were completely surprised, and talking under pressure was never your strongest suit.

"Thank you everyone!", is all you can say at first, earning laughs from your friends.

You rolled up the blinds, as they had been down so the surprise had full effect and opened the windows, allowing the air to circulate as everyone gathered in the living room, picking at the foods and drinking on the table you were sure were Olivia's doing for the small celebration.

She is the first one you turn to, tapping her shoulder softly.

"I know... I know you said you weren't in the mood to celebrate, but I thought that this is actually what you need - being with the people that adore you and care about you", Olivia goes first before you can utter out a word, "so, please, just enjoy this, okay?".

"Thank you, Liv", you smiled as you pulled her into a hug, "I can't believe that you went through all this trouble".

"It wasn't too much trouble, and Franco helped a lot", she answered, "the guy didn't even know what day your birthday was, Y/N... That's cruel!", she jokes, to which you roll your eyes.

"I probably forgot about that detail", you answer with a giggle, "thanks again".

"Stop being annoying and enjoy it", your best friend says, joining her boyfriend Mark's and Pedro's conversation.

You take the opportunity to greet Mark and then Pedro, who you haven't seen in person for a long time, "I can't believe you came all this way for this!", you exclaim.

"Of course I came! Olivia told me all the news and not only could I not miss your birthday, but I couldn't not come at a time like this", Pedro explains, "besides, how long has it been since we've been together in person?".

"Too long", you reply with a smile on your lips.

"Exactly! We need to catch up!", your friend exclaims, earning your agreement, "but go greet the rest of your guests first and we'll talk more later", he squeezed your shoulder.

You approach Maria and Julia, hugging them both tight. Although you finished your master's degree as they finished their undergraduate just over a year ago, you hadn't seen each other very often since then as work kept you all busy.

"I'm so happy you're here!", you smile, feeling genuinely happy at having all your people together in one room.

"We couldn't miss it. Besides, we've been missing you so much - you were truly a mother to us and I miss being coddled by you -, and we've already noticed that there's news you haven't been telling us...", Julia comments, wiggling her eyebrows and sharing a suggestive smile with Maria.

"What are you talking about?", you wondered with a quirked brow.

"You don't know? I'll tell you then! About Franco Colapinto!", she snickered, "you didn't tell us you were that close", Maria says.

You're quick to roll your eyes - a common response at her usual antics over the years -, "I told you we were friends", you recall.

"Yes, but we didn't know you were that close!", Julia insists.

"I see your annoying curiosity hasn't ceased", you joked, rolling your eyes again, "Anyway, thanks for being here, I really appreciate it", you joined your hands over your heart before excusing yourself.

Your eyes are quick to search for Franco, but you can't find him in the room. A few seconds later, you spot him returning from the hallway, assuming he had gone to the bathroom or had to take a phone call.

"I should be mad at you for conveniently forgetting to tell me when it was your birthday...", Franco starts, to which you shrug your houlders, trying to put on your best angelic and innocent face.

"I know, I'm sorry... with everything going on, I barely had time to think what month we were on and I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it to be honest", you explained, "but I must confess I'm happy Olivia arranged this, and I know you helped a lot, so thank you so much, Franco".

"I get, I was just messing with you", he smiles, "and you don't have to thank me for it, you know I'll always do anything to see you happy".

"I know, and that's why I am so grateful", you smiled back.

"Might as well give you the present I got you now", Franco points out, "give me two seconds so I can get it from where Mark told me to put it so it wouldn't be in the way of Olivia's plans and before she started staring at me with her 'I'm going to chop your head off' eyes", he chuckled.

You nodded and waited long enough for Franco to pick up a bag and give it to you, " I racked my brain to decide what I should gift you, because nothing seemed good enough, but I hope you like this".

Undoing the bow keeping the paper bag together, you found a copy of your favourite book with a collectable cover. The intricate detailing of the golden foil complimented the colours beautifully and there was a bookmark inside it, the little tassel falling to the side. Taking it to inspect it closely, you read the delicate lettering Don't lose the sparkle that makes you.. you.

"Wow, Franco", you gasped, completely enamoured by the beauty of it all, "this is spot on, I love it!", you exclaimed, hugging him.

"I'm glad", Franco smiles, jokingly wiping sweat off his forehead and making you laugh.

"Have you met my friends?", you wondered.

"Yes, Olivia did all the introductions", the driver answers.

"Good, let's find out what they're going on about", you suggested, setting the present back in a safe place and pulling Franco with you to join the rest of the group.

You spend the rest of the afternoon and early evening chatting, while you eat and drink the things that Franco and Olivia kindly prepared, and playing some board games. At the end of it, you end up having a really good time, in a way that you haven't in a while, feeling really grateful that Olivia had prepared this surprise. Without knowing it, this was exactly what you needed: your friends and some good moments of relaxation.

"Are you leaving already?", you ask Pedro when the young engineer announces his departure.

"I still have to drive back, Y/N, remember?", he reminds you, earning a nod, "but don't worry your heart too much, I'll keep bothering you with messages and calls and stuff... You won't get rid of me that easily".

"Fine by me!", you smiled at him, "thanks for coming, truly!".

"You have nothing to thank me for. I'll be here any time if you need me - I'm a phone call away", he reminds you, "Are you okay?".

"Of course", you smiled, "let me know when you get home, okay?".

"I will. I had a great time meeting you guys today", Pedro waves at everyone, "until next time!", before leaving the apartment.

At around 10pm, Maria and Julia also announce that they need to leave since they would have an early morning. You bid them goodbye to your friends with the promise of a lunch whenever you could find the time to catch up.

"Don't tell me you're chickening out now and going home too?", a slightly tipsy Olivia teases Franco as he got up from the his spot in the sofa.

"I've already told you that I have the day off tomorrow, my friend", Franco teased her back, getting you and Mark to laugh.

"Let's play another round then", Mark suggested, "since there's only four of us now, we can split into two teams and play Party & Co.".

"This is a recipe for disaster if I have ever seen one", you muttered, "Olivia is a terrible loser and you are a racing driver".

"That's why you should want to have me on your team, I'm used to competing", Franco argued in his favor.

"Strong point, argument accepted. Let's do it!", you declared.

During the game, Olivia ends up making up consequences for those who make mistakes, making everyone drink a few sips of their drinks and even Franco joins in with these punishments, arguing that today is an exceptional day to his usual regime.

By the end of the first game, it's clear that you're all drunk, so you make the responsible and sensible decision not to play anymore. Mark and Olivia end up retiring to the room, leaving you with Franco in the living room.

"I hope they don't make too much noise", you point out as you adjust your position on the sofa so that you're facing Franco, making him burst out laughing at your words, "What?! I'm not telling any lies! Have you imagined how uncomfortable it would be for us to be here and hear them having a baby making practice session?".

"You're right, you're right. I hope they don't make much noise", Franco repeats your words and, this time, you both laugh, "So... did you and Pedro date in high school?".

"Did he tell you that?", you ask, unable to contain your giggles.

"Yes, why? Is it a lie?", Franco asks.

"Half, half", you answered with a gesture.

"How is something half half a lie? It's either the truth or a lie", Franco states.

"I had a crush on Pedro, I tried my luck, but nothing ever happened between us", you admitted, deliberately pausing briefly before continuing, "Because Pedro is gay, Franco, and he was clearly making fun of you", you finally let out a laugh that's been bubbling up since he first asked you.

"Are you serious?", Franco mused.

"Yes. Apparently, he found a weak spot in you and decided to exploit it", you answered amused by the situation that must've enrolled when you weren't home yet.

"A weak spot? Nah... We were talking and he just dropped it, I have no idea why", Franco said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What were you talking about?", you wondered.

"Considering we were at your birthday party... We were talking about you", the brown-haired man answers.

"Please continue", you encouraged.

"Curiosity killed the cat, Y/N Y/L/N", Franco declared, but your glare was enough for him to keep going, "He asked me how we met and I told him. And then he told me about you. And he clearly told me a lie".

"Does it make you feel relieved that it's a lie?", you spoke before thinking properly about it. The sudden courage is unusual for you, but you're playing with all your cards on the table.

"I don't know what you're getting at, Y/N", the driver changes the subject, which makes you roll your eyes.

"I know you undertand it, stop acting like you don't. It's a yes or no question - are you relieved or not?!", you insist.

"Honestly? It doesn't do much. If it were true, it would be something from your past, not your present. We both have a past", Franco responds in a somewhat evasive manner.

"But it could be my present again, especially since he was here today", you decided to insist, wanting to understand how far you could push him.

You weren't sure about the game you were playing, and you couldn't quite say that you were thinking clearly, but this feeling of dominance and being in control was enjoyable. Understanding that this was making Franco uncomfortable also made you realize that he wasn't so sure about talking about what he felt for you. The part of you that wants to understand what he really feels for you is ignited, and you can't tame it down.

After the conversation you had, Franco didn't make any advances and never showed that he wanted more than a friendship, which, in a way, left you at ease, but also perhaps a little disappointed. Had he realised that you weren't worth it?

"Honestly, I don't know what you're getting at...", Franco pretends not to understand again, which makes you sigh loudly, "What's wrong?".

"What I'm trying to understand is if what he said to you bothered you or not. And if so, why. But clearly you are not ready to admit it", you state.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Y/N... You're trying to cross a very complicated line", he warns.

"Why?", you keep going.

"Because you asked for time and space and I gave it to you. And now you're trying to cross a line that I've been trying not to cross, because I'm trying to respect your wishes", Franco answers, this time sincerely.

"That's true, I asked you for time and space and you gave it to me. And I appreciate it", you begin, "but... I know I'm getting closer to that line, maybe I'm even playing a dangerous game too, but I'm doing it consciously".

"What if you're not ready for my honest answers?", Franco argues.

"Well, that's a me problem, isn't it?", you shrugged your shoulders, "can I ask my questions and get back honest answers?", and Franco's answer comes out in form of an unhappy sigh followed by a nod of agreement, "did what Pedro told you bother you? Did it bother you to think that we had dated and that he was back here?".

"Like I told you, we both have a past", Franco avoids the question. Tries to, anyway.

"Honest answers, Franco!", you exclaimed, pleading in exasperation, "of course we have a past, but I'm not going to give the past a shot and I think you won't do again what you did before! With Pedro, it would be different, because if we had dated and he was here, that would mean we had a good relationship. So, I'm going to repeat the question again, and I want you to give me an honest answer - did it bother you or not?".

"It bothered me!", Franco suddenly exclaim, "do you want honest? Here it goes! Yes, it bothered me exactly because of what you just said. Even if, by some act of the devil, your other boyfriend came back into your life, I know for a fact that he would never have another chance with you. However, if you had dated Pedro and if he was here today, it meant that he had a chance with you. And if he had a chance with you, then he was someone I would have to look at as competition".

"And now that you know that there never was and there never could be anything between me and Pedro?", you ask him.

"It makes me feel a little less worried. It means that I still have time to try to continue to mend the damage that others have caused, it means that I can still work to show you how much you mean to me and how high I hold you in my life", Franco replies in a calm and honest tone, which surprises you.

Faced with his words, this time, you are the one who doesn't know what to say. You did ask for honesty and there it was.

"You wanted honest answers...", Franco argues, as if he could guess what was on your mind. Lately, it seemed like he could do it effortlessly.

"I know, I'm not complaining", you admitted, "Does that mean that what you feel for me goes beyond friendship?", you ask directly. You needed to hear it from his mouth.

"What can my answer change in our relationship?", Franco asks, not answering your question.

"Nothing. I won't walk away from you this time, I promise. I just need to know", you clarified.

"Do you really want me to be one hundred percent honest with you?", Franco asks.

"Yes, please", you ask.

"Yes, what I feel for you goes beyond friendship. I tried not to let it be like that, I tried to pretend that I wasn't falling in love with you, but there's no way to control what we feel", he declares honestly without ever stopping to fix his gaze on yours, "Every time I look at you, I see someone with whom I can imagine a future... And I know how hasty this may seem, and I know your reservations about us, but it's simply how I feel. You asked me to be honest and I'm being as honest as I can... But I don't want to lose you, Y/N. In fact, I can't lose you, because, the moment that happens, I think I'll end up losing myself too", Franco stated.

His words leave you completely disarmed, not knowing what to say. Looking at it, you don't think anyone has ever said something like that to you. The words overwhelm you and there doesn't seem to be a right thing to tell him back.

"Can we just forget I said all this?", Franco says, "I don't want things to get awkward between us".

"But I don't want to forget it", you answer quickly, "It was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me".

Judging it by Franco's expression, he was also caught off guard by your words, probably because he thought this would change your relationship again and brung unwanted distance between you.

Truth was, you weren't going to run away anymore. You didn't want to, and you couldn't do it.

Yes, you were scared, but you knew you need to move on. The comfort zone can be very good, but no boat was made to stay at the dock and you needed to drop the anchor and launch yourself into the unknown. Besides, you know that, in a few years time, you won't like to look back and regret what you didn't do.

"Can I ask you the question back, then?", Franco tries and you nod, "Is what you feel for me just friendship? Or something more?".

"I don't have an answer as assertive and confident as yours, but I know that I look at you and I don't see you just as a friend. You are very special to me, Franco. You are the person I want to talk to about everything, the good and the bad. You are the person who I know will never judge me, who will always try to understand me and help me. After all, you were the first person I was able to trust one hundred percent", you admit, "and I'm still figuring out how I'm supposed to allow myself to believe in love again after everything that happened, but I really wish you were by my side on this journey... That you would make me believe in love again", you offered.

"I don't like to make promises, Y/N/N, but there's one thing I'm absolutely sure of - I'll do everything in my power to make you believe in love again", Franco says, pulling you into his lap and embracing you in a hug that makes you feel safer than ever.

.

When Franco called you and asked if you could join him in the park, you were quick to let him know you were leaving work and heading to meet him. The past two weeks had been crazy with him travelling to races and you visiting your family, so texting had become the way you found to maintain contact.

As soon as you spot him by the trees, you walk a little faster, hugging him as soon as you are able to, "can I say that I've missed you?", you joked.

"I missed you loads, so I think it's only fair you tell me", he smiled, "Hi, how was your day?", he asked as he squeezed you against him.

"I missed you", you spoke, "and it was good, better now that I'm here".

Lately, your walls had lowered progressively - Franco's reassurance and a constant defiance of your thoughts had helped you break down the worries you had. Olivia pointed it out, everyone noticed how much happier you were, and even Franco could sense you were feeling more comfortable.

You end up sitting so close to each other that your knees touch and you rest your arm on Franco's and let your head fall on his shoulder, closing your eyes for a few seconds and just inhaling his scent.

"I...", Franco begins but soon stops before saying anything else.

"What is it?", you ask, raising your head to look at him.

"Nothing, nevermind", he shrugs.

"I don't like it when people say that to me. If you were going to say something, don't tell me to forget about it", you state firmly, "Whatever you were going to say, you can say it. Always. I will never judge anything you tell me. I know you, okay, Franco?".

"Yes, but...", he sighs, "I think I'm missing the courage".

"Please, just say it!", you exclaim, starting to get anxious and worried about his hesitation, "Is it something serious? Is there a problem?".

"No, nothing like that!", he clarified.

"Okay, then...", you encouraged.

"It's about a conversation I had with my mother", he says and, although you don't say a word, your expression lets him know he can continue, "about you".

"About me?", you ask curiously.

"She doesn't know it's you, but... It was about us and about what I feel for you", he offers.

At these words, your heart suddenly accelerates, "she told me that life is supposed to be lived and that..", he gulps.

You remain silent, because you don't know if ot what your supposed to answer. There's nervousness and anxiety as you're not sure exactly where this conversation is going to end up at.

"We can't predict the future, we don't know how much time we have", Franco spoke, "what I mean by this is that I've been thinking that, many times, we waste time on things that, perhaps, don't make that much sense. And I think I've been wasting some time in the sense that I've wanted to do things calmly, I've wanted to respect your time and I think I'm the one who's been afraid of taking the next step. I'm too afraid of losing you, but I'm wasting time and we never know when it is too late".

Part of you knows where Franco is going with this, but the other one doesn't fully understand what he's trying to say.

You're nervous, your heart feels like it's beating out of control and there's a lump in your throat. Despite not crying often, you feel the tears right at the back of your eyes, ready to fall at any moment.

"I'm not particularly good with words, Y/N, but what I'm trying to tell you is that I'm madly in love with you. Damn, I'm trying to tell you that I love you. And I know you're scared and I'm scared, because there have been bad experiences, and because what we have is very special and neither of us wants to ruin it. But I think we're wasting time apart when we could make the most of this time together", Franco continues, "I believe we were very lucky to have found each other when we did. I think we had the perfect timing. And every time I look at you, all I can think about is how lucky I am to have found you. I love you, Y/N, and I want to be with you one hundred percent", the brown-haired man stops his speech as if to catch his breath, and then concludes, "That is if you want to be with me, obviously".

What can you say to someone who declares themselves to you in this way? What do you say to someone who has told you everything? How can you say something that comes even close to what you just heard?

"Did I misunderstand everything and after all you don't like me the same way, is that it?", Franco asks, "it's just, your texts and the way you talk, feels like you do".

The insecurity in his voice is the trigger you need for the words to simply come out of your mouth without having to think much about them, "No, it's nothing like that!", you exclaim, "It's just that it's hard for me to say anything after everything you said. I don't want you to doubt for even a second what I feel for you, Franco. I know I haven't been the best person to express my feelings, because when we say things out loud, they become real. And I was so afraid to admit the truth, so much so that I preferred not to say it. But you're right. Life changes in the blink of an eye and it doesn't make sense to keep leaving things unsaid or undone and wasting time. I'm in love with you, Franco. A part of me has wished, since the moment you made an effort for me, that I could have someone like that by my side, willing to protect me, take care of me and be there for me. I have no doubt that my life has changed for the better because you came into it. And I should have told you all this sooner, because you deserve to hear all this and much more. You are an extraordinary person and you deserve to be happy. And I want to be able to make you happy", you stop for a few seconds, taking a deep breath and gathering all the courage in the world to say the dreaded words out loud, "I love you and there is nothing I want more in this world than to be with you and be your girlfriend".

Despite all the nervousness you felt when expressing your feelings, the relief that follows leaves you feeling like a weight was lifted off your shoulder. Suddenly, you understand that fear paralyzes people and prevents them from moving forward.

The fear of not being enough for Franco, that he couldn't possibly have a girlfriend older than him and the fear that he would suffer from that was what was holding you back, stopping you from being happy. Now that you got that off your chest, that you said what you feel out loud, you realise you're ready to be happy again with someone else.

The smile that appears on Franco's lips makes your day. He wraps his arm around your waist and pulls you towards him, pressing your lips together.

You close your eyes and savour every second of the moment: from the way his hand is resting on your waist, while the other caresses your cheek, to the way his lips slide over your and your tongues touch.

When you break the kiss, needing to breathe, you keep your eyes closed for a fraction of a second, enjoying the sensation his lips left on yours.

"I have something to ask of you", you say, opening your eyes.

Franco's arm continues wrapped around you and you remain very close to him without moving, appreciating the closeness.

"Whatever you want", Franco says.

"Don't give up on me. Whenever I try to push you away, pull me to you. Whenever I yell at you because I'm angry, hug me. If I don't answer your texts or calls, look for me. When I feel too insecure, remind me that I'm the only one and how lucky I am to have you. If I'm giving up on us, kiss me and remind me why I shouldn't give up. And I know this is asking too much, but I know you love me enough to do this, to stay with me. I promise to do the same with you, to never give up", you declare.

"I promise, mi amor. I'll never give up on you, not even if you ask me to", Franco smiles as you cup his cheek, bringing your faces closer once again to kiss him.

[yerimacoustic]

𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 ♡ 𝙨. 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙭 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

summary: you, the head girl of the ravenclaw house, realize you might have bitten off more than you can chew when you take part in a risky challenge with your arch nemesis, seungcheol. 📚🧺🥀

content warnings: academic rivals to implied lovers, hogwarts!au, gryffindor!s.coups and ravenclaw!reader, you’re both head boy and head girl of your houses, banter, banter and more banter (i did my best with it okay), light swearing, kissing, not proofread (sorry besties) 9.8k wc.

note: this took me wayyyy too long but i’m cooking another idea for a fic for a certain seventeen member, so i’m trying to get back into the swing of things <3

“doesn’t it look beautiful?” professor slughorn gazed at the tiny vial resting on his desk, just barely out of reach from the rest of the students. although you had an inkling of what the contents in the bottle really were, you felt just as confused as the rest of your peers.

your best friend, irene was the first to speak up, “professor, what exactly is it?” 

“thank you for asking. what you see before you is a curious little potion known as felix felicis. otherwise known as-“ 

“liquid luck,” you chimed in with a voice behind you just barely beating you to the punch. you knew who it was without turning your head back: choi seungcheol. typical. he was always trying to outshine you. 

ever since the two of you had been selected as prefects for your houses, gryffindor and ravenclaw, he seemed hellbent on making your life miserable. you two seemed to constantly be competing. whether it was for the house cup, who would be the top of the class, even who managed to get their students into bed with all the lights out first. it only got worse when the two of you were selected to be in the slug club, seeing a lot more of each other as a result. 

unfortunately, slughorn seemed to catch onto your rivalry rather quickly and while he never acknowledged it out loud, there were several instances where he seemed to be fanning the fire.

“yes, that is correct, y/n and seungcheol. liquid luck.” professor slughorn lifted the glass from desk, holding it on display for everyone to see more clearly. “desperately tricky to make, disastrous if you get it wrong. however.. one sip and you will find that all of your endeavors will succeed. well.. until the effects wear off.”

you tilted your chin up while trying to hide a mischievous grin from your classmates. you pondered everything you could achieve from one mere sip of the rare potion- you could pass all of your exams with flying colors, you could finish all of your projects in record time.. the possibilities were endless! 

unfortunately, you weren’t the only one chasing good fortunes. seungcheol knew if he led the gryffindor’s team to another consecutive victory, he would be a shoe-in for the holyhead harpies. after all, what was more impressive than leading your time to a winning season four years in a row? he could picture professor dumbledore handing him the house cup clear as day- surely his career in quidditch would only skyrocket from there. 

just as both of you pondered how you would be able to get your hands on such a remarkable potion, slughorn clapped his hands, “now, usually every student in my class gets the opportunity to compete for the potion. this year we are doing things a little differently: the two students with the highest grade point averages are competing against each other!”

oh no. 

you didn’t doubt for a second that you were one of the students in the running; a large folder dedicated to very successful report cards gave you more than enough confidence in your chances. but you didn’t like considering the odds of who your opponent could be: irene, your best friend. jihyo, another member of the quidditch team who had a secret affinity for brewing potions. or.. seungcheol. but what was there to be said about him that hadn’t been said already?

slughorn made a rather dramatic show of reaching into his drawer to grab the grade sheets. you held your breath as you watched the professor reposition his glasses and examine the parchment with furrowed eyebrows. he cleared his throat, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he gazed towards the class, “the two students with the highest scores are…”

now the entire class seemed to be holding their breath. comically, mina and sana leaned in close while waiting for slughorn’s revelation. your gaze shifted unwillingly towards seungcheol, who winked at you. you replied by scowling and looking away with a huff. if merlin was on your side at all, if he really did have a hand in all of your dealings with other witches and wizards, he would let anyone besides choi seungcheol be your contender. 

“seungcheol and y/n, respectively!” slughorn announced cheerfully, setting the parchment on his desk in favor of leading the rest of the class in applause. 

respectively? 

seungcheol scored higher than you? how was that even possible? 

“what?” you scoffed, furrowing your eyebrows. 

“don’t act so surprised, y/n.” seungcheol smirked in your direction, his chest puffing out as he threw his shoulders back. “you’re not the only one in this school working your ass off.”

“but i am the only one who’s finally going to knock you off your high horse,” you retorted.

“i feel the need to remind you both-” slughorn interjected, sending something between a glare and a look of concern in your direction. his tone wasn’t scolding, much to your own surprise. “to keep things civil. if you cannot abide by my classroom’s policies during this.. impromptu competition, then i will have no choice but to eliminate you both and revert back to my old customs.”

you parted your lips but seungcheol was quick to interject and smooth-talk the professor (as he always seemed to have a talent for doing), “you have nothing to worry about, professor. i don’t mind a little competition.” suddenly he looked towards you with a shit eating grin. “especially not when it's so damn cute.” 

and there it was- that furious, fiery sensation in your cheeks. you weren’t sure if it occurred out of genuine flattery, embarrassment or.. pure rage. you wouldn’t have been surprised if steam fell out of your ears in that moment- you were in pure shock and disbelief that he would say something like that in front of everyone. of course, you were also shaming yourself for being so surprised; it was seungcheol, after all. 

the professor ignored the catty whistles and cheers in the classroom with a wave of his hand, “very well. the two of you will brew a draught of the living dead. the first one to create the acceptable potion wins. and there will be no backseat brewing from the rest of the class; you are to take notes on both students’ techniques, is that understood?”

silence passed through the classroom, a few students nodding their heads in response before slowly making their way to the back of the class. “good. seungcheol, y/n, i will give you a few minutes to get your ingredients. good luck to the both of you.”

you, of course, were searching through your textbook for the recipe before slughorn had even extended his best wishes. irene, luckily, had stayed by your side to provide you some much needed moral support. of course, you barely noticed; your nose stuck so far in your textbook you couldn’t see past the faded words. this is what you get for buying it secondhand. 

“you’re gonna do great, y/n,” irene reassured you. “seungcheol doesn’t know the first thing about potions. you’ve got this.”

you chuckled bitterly. “obviously that’s not true. he’s top of the class.”

“she’s got a point there,” seungcheol chimed in, smirking. “don’t worry, y/n, i’m sure there’s plenty of positions in the ministry of magic for people who aren’t proficient in potion brewing. like.. secretaries or scribes; you know, record keepers.”

his words prompted you to slam your book shut, keeping your thumb between the pages so you wouldn’t lose your spot. you looked past your shoulder, keeping your tone hushed so slughorn couldn’t hear the two of you bickering. “need i remind you that i’m the second ranking student in this class for a reason. all it’s going to take for me to rise above the ranks is to beat you at this stupid little competition.

“and by the way, i’m more than proficient at potion brewing.”

“says the one who mixed up dittany and wolfsbane two weeks ago,” seungcheol retorted. 

“it was a simple mistake! anyone could have made it,” you argued.

much to your dismay, seungcheol’s best friend sangyeon felt the need to chime in with a smirk, “why don’t we raise the stakes a little bit?”

“what do you mean?” irene asked, cocking a brow.

“it’s felix felicis we’re competing for. the stakes have never been higher,” you deadpanned.

“i mean- you two obviously have some arguments and disputes you need to resolve. maybe this competition could be a good chance for the two of you to humble each other.”

you tilted your head, part of you in disbelief that you were actually entertaining his words and another part of you believing that he actually made a fair argument. suddenly, a smirk etched at your lips as you began to calculate.. “alright. if i win, which i will, you have to act as my personal assistant for a month.”

seungcheol barked out a laugh, his eyes going wide in amusement, “personal assistant? for a month? what are you getting at?”

“you heard me,” you retorted. “you have to walk me to my class, carry around my books for me, and help me with all of my homeworks, meetings, and schedules.”

“seems a bit outlandish, but alright,” seungcheol snickered. “alright. if i win, which i will…” he paused. “you have to go to the yule ball with me.”

“what?!”

“you heard me,” seungcheol repeated after you, even going so far as to mimic your smirk. “you have to go to the yule ball with me. we have to wear coordinating outfits, we have to dance together, and take plenty of pictures. and you cannot try to sabotage our last ball at hogwarts.”

you scoffed, “there is no way i’m agreeing to that. not even in your wildest dreams.”

“fine, then you can forget all about your precious personal assistant.” 

you huffed. you would love nothing more than the chance to publicly humiliate seungcheol, to get him back for all the times that he had embarrassed you. the devious bastard needed some humbling. but.. what if things took a turn for the worst and he won? he was top of the class for a reason, and the universe seemed to have the cards stacked against you. was it really worth it, adding a bet onto a competition that had high stakes to begin with?

irene sent a knowing smirk in your direction just as you got to your feet, “give me a second to think about it.”

you grabbed irene’s hand, rushing to the supply shelves where the ingredients you had been neglecting were waiting. asphodel, wormwood, valerian root.. as you began to gather everything you needed in one hand, you turned to your best friend with a groan of annoyance, “can you believe that man? he’s incorrigible! insufferable!”

“yes, but who knows? he might end up surprising you and you could have a great time at the dance together,” she peered through the recipe in her own textbook, helping you gather the rest of the roots and broths. 

you snickered, “seungcheol? surprise me? i highly doubt that.”

she shook her head and took a much calmer approach, looking through the shelves and graciously handing you a fair amount of the ingredients that you weren’t able to find. “you deserve a night off, y/n. you’ve been focusing too much on your studies your entire time at hogwarts. you’ve barely had any time for extracurricular activities besides the slug club. just do this one thing and if it goes horribly.. then.. we’ll grab some of those prank snacks from zonko’s and ruin his life until the school year ends.”

you tilted your head in contemplation, “i would like to see his face covered in boils.. fine. but all this bet does is give me more incentive to win this competition. i will not be caught dead dancing with seungcheol.” 

“we’ll see about that,” seungcheol called to you from across the room. 

god, you couldn’t wait to wipe that insufferable smirk off his face. 

once slughorn had reset his rather eccentric hourglass to time the two of you and the rest of the class scooted to the back of the room, everything else seemed to disappear around you. you focused only on the recipe, measuring the broth without letting so much as an extra drop fall into your cauldron. 

then it was time for the sopophorous bean. you tried to cut it in half, as per the instructions, but it actually bounced out of your reach. you tried it again, but it yielded the same results. and then the third time, seungcheol had to duck his head to dodge it once it was sent flying across the room. what in the world? 

you refused to ask for slughorn’s help. you were the second highest ranking student in the class for a reason, after all. you’d gotten this far without asking him or snape any stupid questions. after reading over the instructions again, a particular passage stood out to you: you only needed the juices from the bean. 

exercising great caution and timidity, you attempted to crush the bean with the blade of your knife instead. and much to your pleasant surprise, it worked. the bean didn’t budge. you looked over to seungcheol as you began to pour the juices into your cauldron, immediately furrowing your eyebrows, “how are you already two steps ahead of me??” 

the man looked up and continued to stir the broth clockwise, per the directions. it didn’t stop him from sending an arrogant smirk your way; you had to hand it to him, he was a great multitasker. “a magician never reveals his secrets. especially to the competition.”

you huffed; you didn’t need his help anyways. as you started to crush the thick root into a powder, you could have sworn you heard the clock from across the hallway ticking. uncomfortable silence rang through the air, save a few quiet mutters from fellow students and the boiling from the cauldrons. 

meanwhile, slughorn paced back and forth with his hands intertwined behind his back, studying the two of you carefully. there was a hopeful glint in his eyes, as if he wanted the both of you to succeed. between you and seungcheol, he couldn’t decide who his favorite student was. something told you that the results of this competition would finally give him his answer…

as you tossed the powder into the broth, a thick cloud of black smoke materialized in front of you, covering your face in the powder. the powder had shot straight out of the cauldron, as if rejected by the broth. your hand flew to your mouth as you fell into a fit of loud coughs, which unfortunately were not loud enough to muffle the sounds of your fellow students’ laughs.

just as you regained enough composure to wipe some of the soot out of your eyes, you were greeted by the sight of seungcheol trying to hide a snicker while stirring the broth in the other direction. shit. he was already on the last step. he chortled once he took notice of your scowl, shaking his head, “it’s honestly a shame. i thought you were better at following instructions.”

“i’m doing exactly what the book says! you obviously have some sort of cheat sheet.” 

seungcheol furrowed his eyebrows in mock offense, holding up his textbook with his free hand. “hmm.. that’s curious because it looks like we have the same one. maybe you’ve just lost your touch.” before you could offer a rebuttal, however, seungcheol set the ladle down and waved towards your professor. oh no, oh no.. 

“ah, seungcheol! finished already?” you watched in horror as slughorn strode towards your opponent’s cauldron, fishing a leaf out of his pocket. “well, uh, here we are. moment of truth,” he snickered, holding his breath as his hand hovered over the cauldron. you looked back towards irene, who was watching everything play out in front of her with the smallest frown. 

and just like that, the tightening sensation in your chest loomed, causing you to clutch at the collar of your shirt. you couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of the scene playing out in front of you, and of course, the dreaded feeling that your life was over simply because the tiny leaf dissolved into the broth. his broth. you had lost to seungcheol, your rival, your mortal enemy, once again. 

“merlin’s beard! it’s perfect!” once again, slughorn slowly began to clap his hands and lead the rest of the classroom in a rather loud chorus of applause. the only reason you joined in was because you were in plain view of slughorn and you didn’t want to risk appearing petty in front of him; however, you made no attempts to rid the look of disappointment on your features. 

you were so wrapped up in your dark blanket of self pity that you barely even noticed the older man pick the vial up from his desk and hand it to seungcheol. the look of pride on your professor’s face was too much for you to handle, seeing as how you felt it was entirely misplaced. it should have been you who won. you knew that textbook backwards and forwards, you took extra notes in class every single day, studying was your favorite pastime.. how in the hell did he win? 

“now, as promised, one tiny vial of felix felicis. use it well.” as the classroom erupted into thunderous applause and cheers, you vowed to yourself that you would find out exactly how he cheated.

—-------------------------

you could barely speak to anyone after admitting defeat the day before, including irene, fearing that they would bring up your epic failure. endless hours in the library were not unfamiliar to you; in fact, you considered it like your home away from the ravenclaw dormitory. luckily, your extra time alone did not meddle with your duties as ravenclaw prefect. not that it mattered; when news of your failure traveled amongst the rest of the house, you could have sworn they stopped taking you seriously. 

granted, it had barely been twenty four hours, but still. 

you were brushing up on some light reading, lost in theories of dragon and centaur evolutions when you heard a pile of books slam next to yours on the table. it echoed through the library, causing several nearby bystanders to lift their heads up with matching scowls. when you snapped your head to the left in order to get a better look at the culprit, you instinctively rolled your eyes.

“what? i thought you would be a little happier to see a champion,” seungcheol chuckled in a hushed tone, taking the seat next to you. “oh, and your date to the yule ball.”

“can you keep your voice down? i don’t want anyone to hear i’m going with you of all people.”

seungcheol dramatically pressed a hand to his chest, “oh. that cuts deep, y/n. but i’m afraid people are going to find out eventually. you know, during the prefects’ dance, for example.”

“what?!” you exclaimed, only to be rudely shushed by several of the library attendees. taking a few precautionary looks over your shoulder, you whispered, “you never said anything about a prefects’ dance.”

“that was because i thought you already knew,” seuncheol replied conceitedly. “unless.. oh.. you weren’t planning on going to the yule ball at all, were you?”   

you tilted your head, “i know exactly what you’re implying..”

“implying? i’m not implying any-”

“and i could easily have gotten another date to the ball if it weren’t for you,” you lied. unless you had some sort of secret admirer, you knew there wasn’t a chance in hell that you would have been asked to the ball. you were planning on using the extra alone time in the ravenclaw common room to your advantage anyways; there was much more space in there for studying. “i just don’t have any time for such trivial pursuits.”

“i wouldn’t call social interaction or international magical cooperation trivial pursuits,” seungcheol retorted.  

you slammed your book shut and tossed it into your book bag. “was there a reason you decided to come in here and bother me? besides attempting to get me kicked out of the library?”

“ohh, right,” seungcheol whispered with a mischievous grin. “i forgot to mention one other thing. as prefects, we’re supposed to help plan the event. decorate the great hall, hire the musicians, the works.”

if you didn’t respect the sacred space of the library, you would have screamed your protests at him. of course he planned this out to the number. he didn’t have a partner to assist him in his party planning tasks and he needed another chance to publicly humiliate you. so in order to kill two birds with one stone, he asked you to be his date. since you were a prefect, now that your attendance was confirmed, you had no other choice but to participate in the planning. 

“you slippery snake,” you hissed.

“oh? look what we have here, the high and mighty y/n l/n, picking and choosing which responsibilities she gets to take seriously.” 

“this is a new low, even for you. i can’t believe you would trick me into doing your stupid party planning for you.”

he chuckled, “oh no, no, no. i’m not making you do all of it for me, you have my word. i’ll be with you every step of the way.” you cringed; for some reason, that sounded worse than leaving you to do his chores for him. “now we better get a move on, darling, or we’ll be late.”

seungcheol led you eagerly to the great hall where yeji and seungkwan were waiting. the two of them were head girl and boy of the slytherin and hufflepuff houses, respectively, and had already begun preparations for the ball. when you took note of how eager seungkwan was to take leadership and oversee all of the preparations, you began to wonder why he wasn’t sorted into the gryffindor house. 

of course, yeji knew that he was simply a placeholder until the real self proclaimed leader would show his face. you witnessed a complete shift in her demeanor in real time, an annoyed frown shifting into an inviting smirk the moment she saw the two of you walk to the hufflepuff table. “ah, there you are, cheol. i was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up.”

“i don’t take my position as head boy lightly, unlike some people,” he tilted his head towards you, earning a dirty look. yeji simply held an amused smirk as her gaze shifted from seungcheol to you, a knowing look in her eyes.

seungkwan, however, looked like he had seen a ghost. or a hologram. to be honest, anything else was more believable than you being willing to have anything to do with the yule ball. “y/n! i thought you weren’t coming.”

“i thought so too,” you sighed. “but-”

“she changed her mind,” seungcheol cut in with the shameless lie, much to your surprise. “we both thought it would be a good idea if a head boy and a head girl went to the ball together. especially since its our last year at hogwarts and we didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity.”

yeji made no attempt to disguise her confusion- seungcheol could easily get any other girl to go to the ball with him. so why would he ask you? and why would you say yes? the two of you had a very public and long lasting rivalry; it seemed odd that the two of you were able to make amends so quickly. “seems like the two of you finally made up,” she cooed, folding her arms across her chest.   

“yeah, for the most part,” seungkwan laughed, pointing out the look of annoyance etched across your features. 

seungcheol barked out a laugh, “we’re both more than capable of keeping things civil. we figured that out for ourselves just the other day, didn’t we, darling?”

it took a great deal of willpower for you to hold back a groan of annoyance. “we’re wasting time. we should probably get started on the decorating now.”

“right,” seungkwan snickered, gesturing to several large boxes cluttering and even surrounding the table. “filch brought everything from the dungeon up here. personally, i think that we should go for a winter wonderland theme. white, grays, light blues..”

“sounds good.” yeji was quick to agree. you would have been surprised, but something told you that she was only agreeing with him so this meeting would go by much quicker. not that you blamed her..

“i agree,” seungcheol chimed in. “yeji and seungkwan, why don’t you work on fixing up the right side of the hall. we’ll focus on the left.”

as the two of them nodded and followed seungcheol’s direction, you could hear seungkwan immediately lecturing yeji on how to carry out his vision with precision and intent. meanwhile, the young man at your side smirked with infuriating amusement as he studied you carefully. as a response you turned towards him with a huff, “let’s just get this over with.”

he chuckled, “i admire your enthusiasm. we’ll need it, considering the ball’s less than a week away.”

great. more good news. 

—--------------------

as preparations for the yule ball were under wing, you actually found yourself horrifically overwhelmed for the first time during your attendance at hogwarts. if you weren’t studying, you were figuring out with the others which bands would play at the ball. if you weren’t monitoring the common room with the other prefects, you were organizing the tables, chairs, and centerpieces. and if you weren’t with irene, the only other person who seemed to bring you a sense of comfort during a time when your anxiety was at its peak, you were with seungcheol, who seemed to gift your anxiety to you.

this stupid ball was taking over your entire life. even with a total of twenty four students carefully planning the evening, it seemed to take an eternity for all of you to come to any semblance of an agreement. day by day you were filled with endless disappointment and dread. worst of all, you couldn’t figure out how you ended up in this situation; there seemed to be no explanation as to how seungcheol went about cheating in your little showdown. you learned that slughorn cast a protection spell against cheating in his classroom, so he couldn’t have muttered anything under his breath. he couldn’t have tampered with your spellbook; the recipe in yours was the same as irene’s. 

through all of the formulas, the lectures on runes and the arguments with seungkwan and yeji about tacky balloons and garlands, the one question that bothered you the most was how in the hell gryffindor’s beloved, corrupt champion managed to cheat. it plagued your mind even as you and seungcheol began to set up one of the three giant, towering christmas trees in the great hall. 

“don’t you love this time of year?” he asked, startling you out of your daze.

you furrowed your eyebrows, finding his attempts at making friendly conversation rather pathetic. you shrugged. “i guess.”

“it’s usually not my favorite, since it can be a pain in the ass to fly a broom around in this type of weather,” he chuckled, gently waving his wand to direct silver ornaments onto the tree. “but i don’t know. something about this year feels special.”

you paused your own enchantments in contemplation, letting a tiny string of garland settle comfortably against the pine tree’s branches. you were using the same spell as seungcheol, hoping to finish the decorations as quickly as possible to put this long day to an end. “maybe this being our last year in the castle has something to do with it?” 

although your statement came out sounding much more sarcastic than you intended, your words came from a place of genuine belief. until that moment, it felt like you had been in denial that you were about to leave the castle forever. go into the real world. 

seungcheol seemed pleasantly surprised that you were making conversation with him, even if your response was somewhat harsh. he chuckled, “i guess so. but.. i don’t know. something’s different. in a good way.” 

“hopefully you figure out what it is before the school year ends,” you chuckled. 

seungcheol only nodded before lifting the last few ornaments onto his side of the tree with a mere wave of his wand and then the two of you stepped back to admire your work. it looked beautiful, the silver and dark blue ornaments glowing in the candlelight. but you knew it would look even better on the night of the ball; seungkwan would be casting an enchantment to make the entire hall look like a real winter wonderland. “i think we’re at a good enough place to call it a day, don’t you?”

you sighed in relief and threw your book bag over your shoulder. “thank god.”

he called to you before you could turn your back on him, “hey, wait a minute-”

you sighed and reluctantly turned around to face him, tilting your head to the side. “what?”

something strange happened to seungcheol. for the tiniest moment, a mere millisecond, if anything, he appeared flustered. at a loss for words, as if he was surprised that you were giving him the time of day. “shouldn’t we go shopping for some dress robes together?”

you made no attempt to disguise your annoyance, clenching your jaw. “what, so you can pick out one of those horrendous, poofy dresses that makes me look like a pastry? i think i’ll go by myself, thanks.”

he laughed, waving his hand dismissively. “no, trust me. i wouldn’t do that to anyone, not even you.”

“even so, i don’t feel like going dress shopping with you.”

“and why’s that?” he raised an eyebrow inquisitively. something about that.. punchable look on his face served as a reminder that you really had no reason to decline his invitation. by some miracle, the two of you had been able to keep it civil for this long. plus, if the two of you had to coordinate outfits (as per seungcheol’s terms and conditions), it would be much easier to do that in person. 

with all of those sentiments in mind, you sighed in defeat. “fine. let me grab my robes.”

the two of you threw your large, black cloaks over your figures before stepping outside in the real winter wonderland. they did nothing to keep the chilling winds from nipping at your noses and causing the tips of your fingers to freeze. pushing past the flurries of snow and following the magically shoveled pathway, the two of you made your way to the nearest costume parlor. 

the moment you stepped inside with your sworn enemy, the reality of the situation hit you. any other girl who was ‘lucky’ enough to be invited to the ball by him would have loved the experience of shopping for coordinating outfits with him. more notably, if you were invited by someone, anyone else, you most likely would have been trying to tone down your excitement. 

and yet here you were, staring at the rows and piles of dresses, tunics, and cloaks in dread. of course, he seemed to notice it, moving a hand to pat your back with a stupid grin. “so.. what’s your favorite color?”

you held yourself back from letting out a huff of annoyance, “green.”

“green..” he cupped his chin with his thumb and index finger, acting as if he was in an state of contemplation. “well, i suppose it's not really in season, but we can make it work. follow me.”

your eyes almost rolled to the back of your head as he grabbed onto your hand, dragging you to a row of dresses. it was oddly satisfying, the way the dresses were arranged in a pattern that made the fabrics seemed to fade from key lime to emerald. and they had a lot of options, the rack suffering from the impact of the hangers. 

you would have expected nothing less from seungcheol if not to display the first dress with the ugliest shade of asparagus green splashed upon the fabrics. “i think this would look gorgeous on you,” he whispered to you in a sentimental tone, his shit eating smirk giving his true intentions away.

“i’m not wearing that, its ghastly.” you snatched the dress from him, putting it back in its assigned place on the rack. “shouldn’t we focus on darker colors, anyways? since those are what’s ‘in season?’” you made sure to add air quotes when using his words, a smug smirk of your own tugging at your lips.

seungcheol’s smile seemed to be one laced with pride, as if he was pleased to see you catching onto his behaviors and mirroring them. “i like where your head’s at. come along...” 

you let him grab your hand again before leading you to a nearby aisle, where dresses with much darker shades of blue and green were stuffed haphazardly onto the racks and shelves surrounding you. “see, this is what i meant when i said i liked green,” you told him as-a-matter-of-factly as you held up a long, modest emerald green dress with gauntlet sleeves that would hook over your middle fingers. 

he stretched out his hand to brush along the skirts of your personal favorite selection, tilting his head as if he was carefully studying the fabric. his gaze shifted from the elegant dress to you, as if he was imagining you in it. “i think i should let you pick the outfits from here on out. you’ve got an eye for color theory.”

you folded the dress over your arm with a dry chuckle, “you should have learned that during our committee meetings together. who was it who organized all of the centerpieces?”

“right. i never got to tell you about how well they match the tablecloths.”

“because someone wishes they had half the natural talent for interior design that i possess.” you imitated his trademarked smirk to the best of your ability, tilting your head to the side once it appeared as if the man in front of you was at a loss for words. “we’re going with this one.”

“don’t let it go to your head just yet. we’ve still got to find something for me to wear.”

“and i have just the thing.” this time it was your turn to grab onto his hand, pulling him towards the men’s section. your eyes scanned through the shelves in front of you until they landed on the ugliest thing you could find in that shop: a large, fluffy collar that was adorned by feathers and a large broach in the middle. “i think it matches your eyes perfectly.”

“you cannot be serious,” he deadpanned.

“hey, you were the one that said i’m picking the outfits from here on out. i think wearing it is the very least you could do, all things considered.” you couldn’t disguise the broadening smirk making its way upon your lips even if you wanted to. the look of disgust upon his features was just too good not to revel in. “what’s the matter, you don’t like it?”

he tilted his head up, pressing his lips to a thin line in a vain attempt to smile, “yeah. sure. it looks very eccentric. i think i’ve got just the cloak to match it.”

your eyes widened in a rather successful attempt to patronize the man in front of you. “do you really? i guess fate really does exist.” you stepped closer to fold the collar around his neck, admiring the look of disdain on his face as he made no effort to pull the hideous thing off of him. “see? i think it suits you so well. you could comb your hair back a little bit..” 

as if you completely forgot who you were talking to, you lifted your hand up to tuck a few strands of his hair behind his ear. seungcheol’s expression of disdain faded at the contact, a puzzled look quickly taking its place instead. your newfound proximity seemed to almost startle him, prompting you to take a step away from him and clear your throat. “let’s get out of here.”

“huh?” 

you shook your head, “we’ve got studying to do. i’m running behind thanks to this stupid ball.”

“you’ll get back on your feet, love,” he countered in a reassuring tone. “you always were an overachiever.” 

his words seemed to echo through your mind even as he walked with you up to the register and graciously paid for your dress without a second thought. you could barely even protest, still feeling rather puzzled. even if it wasn’t customary for a man to pay for his date’s dress, you could let it slide just this once. heaven knew he had the money for it. 

besides, it was the very least he could do, all things considered.     

—---------------

the night of the ball finally arrived. irene graciously allowed you to borrow some extra hairpins she had, tiny snowflakes encrusted with shining diamonds. they shone like tiny stars in the candlelight, only accentuating the emerald fabrics pooled around your figure. 

even so, you felt like a fish out of water among your peers who were dressed to the nines in silvers and deep blues.. you alway thought that beauty seemed to come so naturally to all of them. but not to you. never to you. even now, standing in front of the mirror, caked in makeup, hairspray and a dress you wouldn’t have been caught dead in any other day.. you didn’t feel special. 

irene seemed to sense your distress, just as she always did. it prompted you to wonder if your best friend had some sort of intuition, or if you were just terrible at hiding your emotions. as she stepped by your side and gazed at your reflection in the mirror, draping her arm around your waist, your frown only grew more prominent. she was by far the most beautiful girl in the common room. while you tried not to envy your best friend or place any blame on her, it was difficult putting those sentiments into practice when you got a full look of her light blue dress and gorgeous icy features.

you bowed your head with a sigh. as her eyes followed your gaze in the mirror, she lifted a hand to cup your chin so you would look in the reflective glass again. “chin up. you look beautiful.”

“i don’t feel beautiful.” you sighed, gazing at your reflections with a forlorn sigh. you wondered how she couldn’t see the stark difference between the two of you. 

she moved a hand to brush some hair out of your eyes, offering you a gentle smile. “i promise you- you look absolutely gorgeous. you’ll be the belle of the ball, i’m sure.”

the two of you chuckled as she linked her arms around your waist, smiling at the sight of your reflection. at the sight of a tiny, somewhat reluctant smile slowly starting to surface. “let’s just hope midnight approaches quickly.”

she only chuckled and held on tightly to your hand as she slowly led you out of the dressing room and down the stairs. you could hear the gentle, slow jazz band that yeji and seungkwan had argued about for days beginning to play. their music grew louder and louder with every step down the stairs you took, but the wild heartbeat in your chest seemed to clash terribly with the rhythm of the instruments. it all felt so.. unconventional. and yet, you couldn’t pinpoint an exact reason as to why you were so nervous. 

irene’s date, kai was waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase. you noticed the change in his demeanor in real time, noting how his previously dull eyes widened the moment he saw her making her way towards him. strangely enough, a pang of jealousy surfaced in your chest once she left your side and you immediately missed her warmth. your hand felt empty and cold as she waved goodbye and mouthed a ‘good luck’ to you before joining kai in the great hall.

seungcheol was nowhere to be found near the base of the staircase. before you could assume the worst about him (and mentally kick yourself for ever giving your sworn enemy the benefit of the doubt), you tried to remain neutral as you walked in the great hall alone. 

your eyes widened as you took note of your surroundings- it went without saying that seungkwan had mastered the winter wonderland enchantment. fake snow fell from the star studded ceiling, disappearing before it could fall on any of the students. it fell upon the branches of the large christmas trees and stuck to the walls, icicles hung from the pillars, snowflakes shone in the candlelight and yet there wasn’t even the slightest chill in the air.

there was a large circle around an empty space in the hallway, which you assumed was the dance floor. there was no doubt in your mind that the prefects’ dance would be starting soon, which was why panic began to set in once your eyes scanned through the crowds of students surrounding you. your date was nowhere to be found. of course he had stood you up. you wouldn’t have put it past him to leave you stranded near the dance floor, looking like an idiot. 

just as you turned on your heel, planning to make a quick getaway before anyone could notice you standing there awkwardly, your body went stiff as you bumped into a man standing directly behind you. the first thing you noticed was the familiar broach surrounded by small, white feathers.. “wow, you actually came,” you muttered.

“i could say the same about you.” tonight, there was something almost..endearing about his smirk. maybe it was because he had taken your advice and combed some of his hair back. maybe because his tone lacked that familiar condescending air. or maybe because.. the twinkling lights suspended in the air made his dark eyes shine brighter than usual. “we better get a move on, darling, the others don’t like to be kept waiting.”

just as you nodded, you felt him rest a hand over your arm in favor of leading you through the crowd of students and onto the empty part of the floor. yeji and seungkwan were the first of the twenty two other prefects that you noticed, paired with taeyong and nayeon, respectively. it felt like the rest of them were just waiting for the two of you, watching you and seungcheol walk towards the center of the hall like merlin and guendoloena themselves had graced the student body with their presence. It was horrifying. 

obviously, you’d forgotten to make an efforts to disguise your embarrassment because when seungcheol faced you, he frowned. surprise washed over your features; you thought he would make fun of you or gloat but there seemed to be the smallest hint of sympathy in his eyes. it was almost.. off putting. like he was hiding something. “what’s the matter?” he finally asked.

“nothing.” you were quick to whisper to him. 

“hey-” just as seungcheol curled an arm around your waist to reel you in closer to him, his tone grew hushed. “you don’t have to be nervous. just follow my lead.”

“i’m not-” once you quickly came to the realization that this was neither the time nor the place to argue, you swallowed your pride and timidly draped your arm around his broad shoulders. once his hand was laced with yours, you realized this was the closest you’ve ever been to him, your chests nearly touching, and you weren’t even repulsed by him. in fact, you made eye contact with him for much longer than you ever thought you were capable. “thanks.”

seungcheol nodded in acknowledgement as the band in the corner of the room began to play a beautiful, soothing waltz. he took the lead, starting out with a basic box step waltz and waiting until you got a hang of the pattern before starting to turn counter clockwise like the rest of the couples. he kept a firm but gentle hold on your waist, his hand squeezing yours in reassurance as you found yourself scooting closer to him. “see? as always, you’re learning quickly.”

you hated to admit it, but such an unexpected compliment from seungcheol, of all people, prompted your heart to skip a beat. you pushed the unfamiliar sensation away to the best of your ability. “and you’re a pretty decent teacher. who would’ve thought?” you chuckled.

“well.. maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to jump to conclusions.” he chuckled, affection laced within the quiet laugh. “i will say, though, i expected you to step on my toes at least once or twice.”

“there’s still plenty of time for that,” you mused, a smirk tugging at your lips as your gaze flicked down to your feet. he must have purchased brand new dress shoes for the occasion; the patent leather shone almost like a diamond in the limelight. for some reason, you didn’t want to risk scuffing them.

“i suppose,” he shrugged before looking just past your shoulder in quiet contemplation. he wasn’t fixed on any certain point behind you, but his eyebrows were furrowed as if he was studying the fabric of your sleeves carefully before meeting your eyes again. “but would it be so terrible if we got along? just this once?” 

the shift in his demeanor brought a small sense of uneasiness to your chest until he spoke again. hoping to ease the tension growing in your heart, you snickered, “why? you don’t want me to ruin your brand new shoes?”

he hated how your words brought a tenacious grin to his lips, one that he couldn’t get rid of even if he wanted to. and you hated how you found it so endearing, especially when your eyes fixed on the dimples in his cheeks that you never seemed to notice until now. “something like that.” he muttered.

as if he couldn’t get through the dance without embarrassing you just one time, he pulled back from your embrace to spin you under his arm. after you completed the circle he kept both hands on your back, leading you into a less than graceful dip. you stumbled a tiny bit in his tight and affirming grip and held onto his upper arm for that much needed security. before you could bring yourself to curse him out, you let your eyes find his. instead of that infuriating look he had when he knew he’d successfully gotten under your skin, there was a certain warmth hidden in his irises. 

it was confusing.. almost more infuriating. especially considering the heat that rose upon your cheeks when you’d gazed upon his features long enough. 

and then he carefully pulled you back into a standing position and the fuzzy feeling in your head was gone. for the time being, at least. you had kept your arm draped around his broad shoulders, expecting the music to continue. but the students in the crowd began to clap as the rest of the prefects broke away from their partners and you suddenly felt like you’d been in the embrace for much too long. maybe you were overthinking it, maybe you weren’t. 

you let both arms fall by your sides as you took a single step backwards. your date could only chuckle in amusement, “glad that we finally got that over with?” he waved a hand dismissively just as you parted your lips to defend yourself. “come on. i think we could both use a drink.”

much to your own surprise, you let him take your hand in his and lead you to the refreshment table. seungkwan and nayeon beat you to the punch (both literally and figuratively, as seungkwan was already pouring a glass for the two of them), the lovely couple beaming the moment they saw you from across the table. 

“oh, hey guys!” seungkwan was the first to greet the two of you with a large smile. “you guys looked really good out on the dance floor. for a second, i was worried you were gonna steal all the attention away from me and nayeon.”

nayeon laughed before you could even conjure a witty response, “oh seungkwan. it's their last year here, i think they should enjoy their time in the spotlight while they still can.”

thankfully, seungcheol intervened before you could. “please. there’s plenty of time for us to enjoy our respective places in the spotlight when i’m a world renowned quidditch player and y/n’s the most successful auror in the ministry.” 

seungkwan’s eyes went wide. “wait- you mean the holyhead harpies..accepted you?”

just like magic, that all too familiar smirk materialized upon seungcheol’s lips just before he took a sip from his glass of punch rather than providing the three of you with a direct answer. however, it proved to be more than a satisfactory response. the couple in front of you broke out into applause with wide beams and quiet giggles. you, however, stood speechlessly in place.

for until that moment, you’d forgotten all about the potion.. 

“that’s amazing news!” nayeon almost shrieked. “we should celebrate.”

“maybe some other time. we better let him celebrate with his date first,” seungkwan reasoned while sending a knowing smirk in your direction. before too long, the four of you were exchanging goodbyes and more congratulations until only you and seungcheol stood near the table. of course, you weren’t sure how to approach the subject of felix felicis, so the two of you were forced to revel in the awkward silence for a good minute or two. 

that was, until seungcheol decided he had had enough. he brought a hand to your lower back, tilting his head towards the nearest exit. “come on. let’s go get some fresh air.”

once greeted by the chilly december air, you found yourself tugging your wrap closer to your chest. judging by the fresh layer of snow upon the balcony, it had just barely finished snowing for the time being. although he’d removed his hand from your waist, he stayed in close proximity to you, your shoulders barely brushing as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. the two of you took a deep breath in alarming synchronization, releasing a visible sigh afterwards. 

you watched carefully as the small cloud disappeared in front of you before turning to him. “so.. you made the team.”

seungcheol nodded with confidence, but something told you that he had no intention of rubbing his victories in your face. “that’s right,” he replied quietly.

once again, you weren’t sure how to approach the nagging question in your mind- you had no intention of asking if he used the felix felicis to cheat at tryouts, guaranteeing him a spot on the team. you pondered on the correct delivery for just a moment too long, your eyebrows slowly knitting together as your lips parted. “how..”

seungcheol mocked an expression of offense before quietly replying, “pure talent. nothing else.”

“you mean..”

the man in front of you pressed his pouty lips to a thin line before reaching in his inner pocket. your eyes widened as the small vial he pulled out shone in the moonlight. clearly, seungcheol hadn’t used a single drop of the potion yet. you looked in his eyes, only to see the smallest glint of hurt. “do you really think so little of me?” he asked you timidly.

it would have been a knee jerk reaction to tell him yes, to tell him that he got on your nerves and seemed to be hellbent on embarrassing you at every chance he could get. that you thought he was a pompous asshole and thought too highly of himself. but when you reflected on the time you spent together, you realized.. seungcheol was just like any other student that went to this school. 

he had ambitions. he had goals. he had drive. not only that, but he had interests outside the academic field. for example, he loved christmas. winter was his favorite season. he loved strawberry punch. he had a handful of likes and dislikes. in that sense, he was just like any other student that roamed through the halls of hogwarts, trying to make a name for themselves. in that sense, he was just like you. 

and you felt horrible for ever accusing him of cheating.

with those sentiments in mind, you shook your head slowly. “no. no i guess i don’t.”

before he turned towards the balcony again, you were able to catch the smallest glance at of his smile, faint as it was. it seemed as if he saw no need for keeping up appearances, considering the two of you were finally alone. he brushed the thin layer of snow off the railing before crossing his arms over the concrete. “i can’t believe in just a few more months.. all of this will be over.”

you mirrored his actions, keeping close to him as you peered down the balcony. carriages pulled by invisible steeds were parked near the entrance of the palace, covered in thick sheets of snow. “i know. can’t believe you’ll have to find someone on the harpies to torment everyday.”

he snickered loudly, “but what about you? hopefully you’ll meet another auror who’ll keep that fire in you burning on.”

“i don’t think anyone will keep that fire in me like you do, seungcheol,” you confessed, looking over to him with a smirk of your own. it was all you could do to downplay the severity of the confession. “i’ve never met someone so infuriating yet so.. captivating as you. and i don’t think i will for a long time.”

you could have sworn you noticed seungcheol’s ears turn red once the bold confession hung in the air between the two of you. had you brought it up, however, he would have quickly excused the display of bashfulness by blaming it on the cold weather. “in that case.. i’m glad that we were able to do all of this.. the planning, the dancing.. even if it meant you had to lose to me one last time.”

you laughed and shook your head fondly, “you just had to ruin a decent moment between us, didn’t you?”

although a deep chuckle from the man in front of you soon followed your display of annoyance, nothing could have prepared you for seungcheol’s quiet response: “well, let me make it up to you.”

even if you could find the right words to ask him exactly what that would entail, you couldn’t seem to make a sound. your lips were parted as he turned to face you fully, moving a cold hand to cup your cheek. his touch was much more delicate than you could have ever expected from him, a sense of timidity within his demeanor. as if he was waiting for you to push him away.. but you didn’t. even if you wanted to, your gaze on his pursed lips kept you from paying any mind to your surroundings, the snowflakes beginning to materialize, the muffled music, the flickering of the enchanted lanterns…

the next few seconds that followed were a blur. you leaned in to meet him halfway, your lips finally meeting. the kiss was deep, slow, as if the two of you were savoring a moment you’ve waited for far too long to come. he kissed your lips with such gentle deliberation that you wondered how long he really had been wanting this. of course, you could do nothing but return the kiss with equal eagerness as you moved your hand to his other cheek. there was a soft exhale through his nose, which fanned lightly over your skin before he pulled away.

the two of you stayed silent for a moment, relishing the beautiful moment in all of its remaining glory. never in a million years did either of you expect something like a bet would result in such a wonderful night. a wonderful night filled with contemplations and observations you previously would never have entertained. 

and yet, even after such a truly mind numbing moment, you couldn’t stop yourself from asking him, “seungcheol.. what are you going to do with felix..?”

this time, it was his turn to shake his head fondly. “you just had to ruin a decent moment between us, didn’t you?” the chuckle that followed his repetition of your own words was much too endearing, causing that heated sensation in your cheeks to materialize yet again. “but to answer your question, i’m.. not sure. i guess i’ll cross that bridge when i get to it.

“or.. i could always give it to you.”

“no,” you immediately refused with a shake of your head. ”as much as it.. pains me to say it: you earned it, fair and square. besides… i learned from someone tonight that real achievements aren’t made with lucky charms. and even if i don’t become an auror.. i’m more than capable of doing something else with my time.” 

seungcheol bowed his head with a grin. “whoever he is.. sounds really wise.”

“he is,” you chuckled, moving your hand to lace your fingers with his once again. there was a warmth in his palm, one that you sought for as you squeezed his hand. “he’s.. insufferable and pompous the majority of the time. but incredibly smart and driven the rest of the time.”

his gaze remained fixed on your intertwined hands for a moment before his eyes met yours again. “you finally see your worth,” he whispered to you, almost incredulously. “believe me, y/n, i’ve known you to be more than capable of accomplishing anything you set your mind to since the day we met.”

feeling unsure of how else to express your gratitude, you placed another gentle kiss upon his lips. savoring the feeling, the taste.. since you knew it was only a matter of time until the two of you would part ways as nothing more than pupils. still, as the two of you spent the rest of the enchanted night dancing, laughing, and talking each others’ ears off, you and seungcheol hoped that this night wouldn’t be the end of your precious time together.

[loonylupinblack3]

Home Race

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader

Summary: Charles finally wins in Monaco and you're there to celebrate alongside him

Warnings: none i think? maybe slight suggestive content but very, very vague

Word Count: 1.2k

A/N: I LITERALLY CAN'T EVEN IM SO HAPPY FOR CHARLES YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND 😭😭 THIS IS LIKE A DREAM

Your heart was bursting. You felt like you couldn’t breathe as you ran through the paddock, ignoring the flash of the cameras. Charles had won. Charles had won in Monaco, his home race, a dream he’d held close to his heart for years but one he’d started losing hope for, year by year as luck went against him.

This year was different. You’d felt it in the air, as you arrived for the weekend. A hope, latching onto your heart, stronger than usual. There was a fevored excitement in the air that hadn’t been there before, as if the people of Monaco too knew this was the year Monaco would finally accept Charles, would let him win and feel that pure ecstasy of earning P1 in your home race.

People moved out of your way as you ran, smiles and congratulations following you. Fifth place was good; you could have done better, but a 5-6 for Red Bull was still an acceptable turnout, and you knew some teams on the grid couldn’t even dream of actually achieving a 5-6, so you were okay with your result.

It didn’t matter to you much though, not with your boyfriend having finally achieved his childhood dream of winning his home race. You could only imagine the emotions he must be feeling, the joy and shock of finally winning. The relief of finally feeling like maybe, maybe you do belong there, maybe you do deserve this. The overwhelming pure happiness of winning in your home, along your streets, full of people you know, your people, watching from balconies and screaming from stands. You couldn’t be happier for your boyfriend if you tried.

You made it to the crowd waiting beneath the podium, pushing yourself to the front. You stood out like a sore thumb with your navy Red Bull uniform against the sea of Ferrari red and yellow but you didn’t care, and no one else did either. Everyone had long ago gotten used to seeing Red Bull livery in the Ferrari garage and vice versa, the two of you always together no matter what team you’re on.

Today was no different, and you were pat on the back and had your shoulders squeezed by Ferrari engineers and employees, an honorary member of the team as they liked to call you. You craned your neck back to look at the podium, waiting with a grin for Charles to appear.

When he did you cheered alongside everyone else until your voice was hoarse, clapping your hands until they were raw. Charles spotted you immediately, like an iris in a sea of roses. His already ear splitting grin widened, eyes locked on you as he took his place in the middle of the podium.

You shared a smile, trying to show all the emotions you couldn’t put into words. Charles understood it; he always did, his gaze softening, smile morphing into something special, just for you. Your heart fluttered, even after all these years together, and your smile turned slightly shy, something Charles noticed if the way his grin turned into a smirk was any indication. 

You watched as he was awarded with his trophy, hugging the Prince of Monaco like an old friend, his hair windswept and eyes alight with an infectious joy. He grinned down at his team, at his fans, and at you. He had everything he wanted in front of him. The day could not get better.

You waited for him to get off the podium, hurrying to meet him at the Ferrari garage. When he finally made it there- being the winner of a grand prix made you a very busy person- his eyes immediately scanned the area for you, the corners of them crinkling from a smile when he found what he was looking for.

You ran up to him and threw your arms around him in a bone crushing hug, feeling so overwhelmingly happy for him. He mirrored your emotions, an iron grip on you as one hand wrapped around your waist and the other rested on your back, nestling his head into your hair.

You pressed kisses to the side of his head, and when you pulled back peppered his face in kisses too, the man laughing but indulging your antics, the both of you over the moon. He cupped your face in his hands when you were done, staring into your eyes, finding the same happiness he was feeling in them. You understood each other, cared for each other and both your achievements. His happiness was yours and vice versa.

He grinned, pulling you close for a kiss. There were cheers and teasing whistles as people watched, causing the two of you to smile against each other's lips. It wasn’t a long kiss- you’d save that for later when you were alone- but it was nice. It meant something, something only the two of you would understand and share.

You pulled back, letting Charles get dragged away and congratulated over and over, but he made sure you were close by, always catching your eye in the crowd, wanting to share this amazing moment with you.

You walked by his side, his arm wrapped securely around your waist as they travelled away from the garage to the docks by the harbour. By now some employees had left, and family friends had joined the group, creating a sea of colour rather than just red and yellow. You reached the docks and you took a safe step back from Charles, knowing what was about to happen.

Just like you expected, Charles took an unsuspecting Fred Vasseur’s shoulder, manoeuvring him to the edge, and with a strong shove pushed the man into the water, a spray of water droplets hitting the now laughing crowd.

Charles readied himself to jump in and you made sure your friends were recording- you hadn’t retrieved your phone after finishing the race- when Charles paused, turning towards you. Too late you realised what was about to happen, and by the time you started shaking your head Charles had you by the hips and jumped into the water, taking you down with him.

You let out a shriek as you hit the water, the cold enveloping you as your face went under. You could feel Charles’ hands leave your waist, so you both didn’t drown, and you swam up eagerly, gasping for breath when you broke through the water’s surface.

Charles came up shortly after, laughing and wiping his face. He saw you and gave you a cheeky grin, one you responded to by splashing him with water, the man exclaiming in surprise, his pleading mixed with laughter.

Before you could continue he had his arms wrapped around your waist and was tugging you to him, creating ripples through the water. You put your hands gently on his shoulders to balance yourself, smiling down at him.

“I love you,” you whispered. “I’m so proud of you.”

Charles pressed his head against your chest, giving your waist a squeeze. “Thank you mon amour. I love you too. So much.” He pulled back to look at you, his eyes full of adoration, and gently peeled a strand of wet hair from your face and tucked it behind your ear. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

[dialovers-lover-xoxo]

Sakamaki Brothers as Dads Headcanons!

This is in the context of their character development in later games, but I'm still going to try to be accurate to their personalities and try not to over-soften or idealize them

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

Shu:

--------

- Shu struggled to find a balance between gentle discipline and guidance and freedom for his kids, he didn't want them suffocated like he was

- While he's there to help and support, he believes they should learn to work things out on their own. He's not neglectful of their problems but he's a little less hands-on in that regard

- Instead of solving things for them he works with them so they can learn to solve things on their own

- He keeps an eye of them without getting too involved physically like while they're playing or in public

- Though he'll love all his kids equally he really wanted a girl after centuries of being the older brother to 5 brothers

- Though he wants them to be able to take care of themselves, Shu is very protective of them

- He's generally very calm, even when angry

- He'll probably adopt a kitten or puppy for them to raise with him

- When they're young he lets them nap on his chest

Reiji:

--------

- Strict, but warm and gentle

- He makes sure to give each of his kids equal attention as to not let history repeat itself

- He also wants to prevent his children from having that same animosity and resentment he felt/feels with Shu

- If he managed to make some sort of peace with Shu he'll be okay with them interacting

- He'll take them into the woods and help them take care of and interact with animals

- He's adamant that they'll be vampires, not half-vampire, half-human, so he will absolutely turn his s/o into a vampire. No discussion

- Teaches them what he knows but also helps indulge them in their interests

- Kisses their forehead or heads

- Will check for monsters under the bed or in the closet, but won't let them sleep in bed with him and his s/o, he'll just reassure them there's no monster and give them a nightlight

- They can still hang out with him and his and his s/o's bed just not sleep there overnight

Ayato:

---------

- He's the fun dad

- But also sometimes the really embarrassing dad

- His son's playing a sport? He's losing his mind in the stands

- His daughter's the lead in a musical? He's clapping obnoxiously and bragging to EVERYONE

- Literally brags about every single one of his children's achievements

- Also the parent with the belief of his children can do no wrong. Like he'll argue with the teacher if one of his kids gets a bad grade

- He was really excited when you got pregnant

- But was secretly really worried

- He kind of idealized it at first, underestimating the difficulties of raising a kid and how much work infants are

- Was legitimately surprised at how long it would take for them to walk or talk

- At first he was entirely against any sort of discipline because he didn't know what discipline was, he didn't know you could be a good loving parent and discipline your child without mistreatment or abuse

- As far as he knew, discipline was abuse

- Very protective and possessive, especially with his daughter/s

- Sometimes fights with his kids over his s/o's attention or the last bite of food

- He'll always give them to last bite of food

Kanato:

----------

- He loves them the way he loves his s/o, it's genuine love but it's also very possessive love. He loves them as possessions

- Kanato can be surprisingly verbally loving in the games so he'll be like that with his kids, giving them compliments and telling them how much they mean to him like he does with Yui

- He'll stroke their hair and have tea parties

- They can't have Teddy but they can touch and talk to him

- He'll make them their own stuffed animal and they'll be allowed to name them Teddy Junior if they want to

- Kanato really likes dressing up his daughter/s like pretty dolls, he'll get disappointed if she doesn't like it but may come to tolerate/accept that's not who she is

- Not very interested in changing diapers, but will be present there, just not doing the actual action, more support and company

- He does hold them and rock them and he will take over so his s/o gets rest

- Extremely possessive. They are his and s/o's only. He's not even happy that they're related to his brothers

- If he has a good enough relationship with his brothers though he may tolerate them interacting

Laito:

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- He was excited to be a dad, but really worried

- Laito was sure to properly teach his children love

- Laito was really wary of who he allowed his kids to be near or alone with. He got it into his head that any adult might try to hurt or abuse them and for a while he was insanely over-protective

- He hated letting them out of his sight and even into their teenage years he had familiars following them

- A really playful dad

- Surprisingly good at discipline. Never in an abusive way of course, but he's surprisingly good at it and willing to teach them to behave

- Hates the idea of his daughter/s getting a boyfriend

- He will allow his children to play dress up with him, paint his nails, etc

- He'll play toys with them

- He's actually a very responsible father and all his brothers were really surprised

Subaru:

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- Subaru started out TERRIFIED

- How could he possibly be a good parent? His parents weren't and he still thinks he's a horrible monster

- Finally agrees to get therapy for his anger issues

- He was at first terrified to touch or hold his first child after they were born because he was scared he'd pollute them

- All his kids after that he was able to hold and interact with because he was able to get over that fear

- He turned out to be quite the natural

- Fiercly protective

- Still a bit of a tsundere, but is very open with his love

- Can barely resist their begging or cute little pleading faces

- Like Laito he often sends his familiars after them and doesn't like them being out of his sight, especially as children

- Loved taking care of them as babies, he found bathing and feeding and rocking them really relaxing

- It reminded him of all the good and love in the world and he never wanted his children to feel unloved by him

- Lets them cling onto his arms and he'll lift his arm to hold them up

- Puts his hand on their heads affectionately

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I hope you like this!

Reblogs and feedback are always appreciated my loves ❤️❤️❤️

Mukami Brothers Version 👇🏻

[silvervioletvalentine]

🖤🏎!she’s the boss!🏎 🖤

Pairing : Toto Wolff x Mercedes f1 driver! Cherrie!

Word count : 7.5k

Summary : in which she’s always get what’s she wants ; and what she wants is him.

Warnings : fluff. Smut. Like rough , throat grabbing , booty shaking smut. Cherries a spoilt bitch, toto gives kinda sugar Daddy vibes . (She does call him daddy cause like , look at him. He’s daddy) also in this their team is dominating and mick is her teammate because I said so. Okay. That’s it. This is all on you guys , you wanted this. Dunno if it’s any good cause like I quickly wrote it at like 3am last night soooo…enjoy I guess? Lemme know what u think xoxo

Cherries steps were confident and lazy as she strolled down to his office as though she had all the time in the world, waving and saying hello to everyone she passed.

Winking at her teammate as she passed him, Mick just shaking his head at her with an amused grin on his face. More than used to seeing her deliberately turn up late just to wind their boss up , doing everything that she could to get underneath his skin.

She was probably the only person around that could get away with deliberately annoying toto like this. From turning up late , to refusing to turn up at all without an expensive initiative. To refusing his orders, calling him a Boring old fart to his face, and just flat out teasing him and winding him up for her own entertainment . She was walking the tightrope and she knew it.

But did she care? Fuck no.

Because she knew that despite his lectures and his 'do as I say or perish' attitude , there was no way in hell that he would ever get rid of her.

It was a nice, smug feeling to know that she could do whatever the hell she wanted and get away with it.

She might as well have been her own boss seeing as Toto just went along with her wildcard ways, instead sending a team to pick up the pieces and scramble to fix whatever hell she had created in her way.

Media control? Absolutely not. pr trained? Absolutely not.

She said and did as she pleased . A spoiled princess they called her. They were right of course but she didn't give a shit for the way they said it with distain and judgment .

Because at the end of the day, she was the current three time world champion at her young age. And she was going to continue to collect her Trophies and her titles for a long time to come.

She drove like a beast and won like one too. She was on such a domanent streak that even she was getting a little bored, hoping that the others teams would hurry up and make their cars even faster so she could have some more drivers to battle with.

She already struggled with getting bored easily , the attention span of a excitable child that only ever achieved greatly when she was getting her own way. Hence why toto just let her get away with it all because she was bringing them the points, bringing them the awards and the trophies . The money and the fame, she was the moment. Had been the moment for a while now.

She was unbeatable , unstoppable and the queen of the game.

She loved it and she loved winding her boss up just as much as she loved bringing home the points for him.

Loved to see him smile and have him clap her on the back, telling her that he never doubted her for a second. Loved the way she could bicker with him on the radio , the way she could tell him that she knew what she was doing and that he just needed to trust her.

He did. But not without a little argument . Getting riled up with the way she flat out told him that she would not be following the original plan halfway through the race. He would snap at her and tell her that she better know what she was doing.

and she did. She won again , and again and again. That shut the big man up real quick and there was nothing more that Cherrie loved than making toto speechless.

She didn't bother knocking , just barged right into his office like it was her own. So used to her behaviour, he didn't even flinch or glance up from his computer screen.

"You're very late." He told her firmly , face blank as he typed away.

Throwing herself down onto the chair in front of his desk, she turned her body sideways and threw her legs over the arm of the chair , swinging them lazily as she got comfortable.

"No I’m not. You're just very early." She responded just as quickly while yawning loudly . Gazing over at him , and admiring his tight white button shirt and black slacks , hating that he looked so damn good.

She knew that it was wrong to crave her boss the way she did. Had read enough Stories and seen enough films to know that getting involved with your boss was a bad idea. But that was because they were a superior and well…

Out of the two of them, Cherrie always had the final say. So...while she respected him and looked up to him, thought that he was really amazing and smart. Someone to admire and want to be like ..

He was also just a giant , handsome man for her to follow around and annoy. He could try and act all tough around her. Try and be strict and all bossy but they both knew who pulled the strings and who had the last word .

Toto just liked to cling onto the image of being in control but where Cherie was concerned...control had always been a struggle because she pushed at his limits. Testing him and daring him to give in. She had been getting on his nerves since day one, had gotten underneath his skin without even trying.

One sly wink and smug little smirk from her and he was wrapped around her little finger , and she knew it. Maybe that was the worst part of it all.

She knew the effect that she had on him. And she used it to her advantage because she wanted him. As clear as day , she never tried to hide it. And he never told her not to either.

Because secretly he liked the way she would run after him and ramble on about everything and everything.

The way she would demand and ask him to do things that others would balk at. Then grin in amazement when he would pull some strings and get her whatever she wanted without hesitation. 

He liked the way she would immediately come to him when something was wrong or she wanted something changing , trusting him with her entire being that he could fix it.

He liked the attention she gave him. He couldn't deny it. A young , insanely talented and insanely beautiful woman bossing him around and testing his self control everyday? He was a sucker for punishment . Because he looked forward to it. Anticipating what she would do next.

She kept him on his toes and made him feel young again. Having him run around after her like she was the boss.

And maybe she was.

"What have I told you about your little attitude?" He finally looked over at her, frowning. Taking a sip of his coffee knowing he would need it to deal with her, she wasn't about to make this meeting easy for him and he knew it..

She didn't even flinch at his hard tone of voice , simply laughed a little as she fiddled with her hair

"That you love it sir?" She teased, looking over at him beneath her lashes.

Blinking innocently at him, fighting back a smug smirk as she saw him tense up at her use of 'sir'. Biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from climbing into his big lap and saying it again .

She was working up to it because getting toto wolff was a challenge and well, she loved challenges. Especially giant , handsome ones that were glaring over at her in annoyance at her cheek.

He inhaled sharply and just shook his head in defeat "never mind. You know why you're here." He said bluntly as he brought up his iPad and clicked on it for a minute.

She did know.

Rolling her eyes a little, she looked up at the ceiling for a moment . Bored already.

“Am I here so you can teach me how to dance?" She sarcastically said. Snoring at herself . Finding herself far too funny .

Toto didn't.

He was already grinding his teeth as he glared over at her , fingers tightening around his iPad as he turned it around to show her the pictures on there.

"You're reputation is terrible right now Cherrie:" he stated unhappily , "and this photo of you leaving a sleezy bar with two men is trending right now. For all the wrong reasons." He tried to push down the green claw of jealousy in his chest . But he was sure his distain showed on his face.

Cherrie just snorted and said "I was just walking them back to their hotel room. I was being a gentleman." Looking down at the photo of her leaning aginst the car with her tongue in one guys mouth and the other guy mouthing at her neck, she frowned a little. Having not noticed the camera on them at all.

Whoopsie.

But oh well. She was allowed to have fun. Everyone else her age went to clubs and had fun, got laid with as many people as they wanted. Just because she drove around in circles for living didn't make her any different.

She liked sex. She got horny so she solved that problem very easily . It just so happened that this time she bagged two pretty guys instead of one. It was fun and she wasn't ashamed to admit that it had been a very good night.

Toto shook his head at her , displeased, as he straightened up in his seat and deleted the photos quickly . Not wanting to see them a second longer.

"I'm serious Cherrie." He snapped at her, wishing she would listen and take him seriously. "I don't want you being booed in the paddock and called names because of this."

Annoyed , she groaned loudly "I don't give a shit what anybody thinks of me." She snapped back just as quick.

Toto gritted his teeth "the sponsors do! Everything you do outside of here affects this team. Which affects me too. Do you understand that?" He told her sternly . Hands intwined as he stared her down .

She squirmed in her seat but for all the wrong reasons.

Grinning a little as she felt her belly grow hot as he glared at her, his hardened voice setting off that feeling Inside of her.

It was hot and she wanted to suck his dick right there and then but

Baby steps. Yeah. She was gonna ease into this one. Didn't want to give the big man a Heart-attack after all.

She had a feeling that he might go into shock if she just got down onto her knees right there and then.

So instead she smirked a little at him as she swung her legs back down to the floor. Catching the way his eyes flickered down to her bare legs in her shorts before darting back up to her face again just as quickly.

"You should sponsor me then. You've got enough money to fund me for life. You don't have to worry about others. Fuck them." She said casually , playing with a pen on his desk. She looked at its gold lid and pocketed it without any shame.

Toto just shaking his head at her in disbelief , running a hand through his hair with a loud sigh.

“why are you like this?" He groaned , giving in like he always did.

There was no point trying to tell her what to do. The more he told her no, the more she would do it just to get on his nerves some more.

She was a menace like that .

He started typing on his computer again , wondering how the hell he was supposed to keep his composure while she was grinning at him like that.

Why she had to be so fucking beautiful and look the way she did , it wasn't good for his heart at all

"What? Amazing?" She said with a grin as she got up from her seat and made her way over to his desk.

Not getting a reply , she sat at the edge of his desk and started nudging his shin with her foot over and over again.

Still , he kept his eyes on the screen. Stubbornly ignoring her. So she kicked him some more, eyes on his face as she watched his nose twitch ,  his eyes narrow as he struggled not to give in.

Giggling like a child , she spoke up after a couple minutes of silence between them. Poking him repeatedly  in his hard bicep this time with her finger , "toto?" No answer.

She sighed, then Flicked his arm this time.

"Totoooo" she sang not giving in. Laughing at the way his nostrils flared as he side eyed her .

"What?" He grunted , typing away a response to their team about what to do about her latest trending incident .

Nothing . He replied. It'll blow over. She'll do something else stupid soon enough , gear up for that instead. He responded in defeat .

She laughed a little as she watched him send that email off , knowing her team were going to need a regular blood pressure check to deal with her.

"If I win this race tomorrow will you buy me a Ferrari?" She asked him with hope written across her pretty face . having been browsing their collection and deciding last night that she wanted one.

She could buy one for herself of course , but where was the fun in that when she had a hot , older boss who would do anything for her ? She had to get her thrills somewhere.

Toto scoffed loudly at her. Turning in his seat to give her his full attention.

He pulled at her slightly lowered  sock and straightened it out so it matched the other one again absentmindedly.  Tapping her ankle as he did so.

"Why not a Mercedes?" He wanted to know. She could have as many as those as she wanted.

But Cherrie just groaned loudly "no. I want a Ferrari. They're sexier to look at and drive." She pulled out her phone to show him a picture of the red and black Ferrari that she wanted "this one." She said.

Toto immediately scowled , tightening his hold on her ankle as she placed her foot in his lap , placing her chin on her knee as she batted her lashes at him prettily .

"I'm going to pretend like you didn't say that. I'm not getting you one. There's already enough rumours about you leaving me. " he accidentally said , quickly trying to cover it up "I mean- leaving us! The team. To go drive for Ferrari. Getting you one wouldn't help that."

She frowned at him , huffing a little like the spoilt brat she was. "Maybe I will since you're such a mean bore." She muttered.

Getting off his desk and walking over to the door. Ready to leave now that she had done her favourite task of getting underneath his skin.

Toto felt the disappointment rush into his chest as the sight of her leaving , wishing he had a good excuse to get her to stay. But he didn't. And he wasn't going to beg her to either. He still had some of his pride left after all.

A tiny amount. But still.

"I could fire you for the way you talk to me." He called out to her, typing in the make of the Ferrari that she liked just evause he was curious. That was all.

She lingered by the doorway, grinning at him smugly over her shoulder as she replied without missing best "but you won't." Before wandering off without another glance behind her.

Leaving toto to sigh in defeat "but I won't." She was irreplaceable after all. One of a kind. And he was never going to just let her go without a fight.

She won. Because of course she did. She knew that she would and so did toto.

And as she made her way the parking lot to drive herself back to the hotel, she found her boss waiting for her with a Nonchalant look on his face. Arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the building wall behind him, casually nodding his head at her in hello.

"I won." She grinned at him excitedly , skipping over to him. Still pumped .

She ran her fingers through her still damp hair , the quick shower she had taken wiping away the stickiness from the champagne. She imagined celebrating her win with toto and him licking the champagne from her skin with his tongue , her sigh came out a little more dreamy than intended.

“Proud of me old man?" She nudged his arm , wanting praise.

He easily gave it to her. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder to hug her into his side , squeezing her tightly with pride.

“Of course. You drove like the champion you are. Congratulations. You did well like always." He told her , smiling . Pleased and so proud of her.

Cherrie felt her cheeks flush with colour and she laughed giddily . Squeezing her arm around his waist and making the most of his embrace while she could.

"Did you get my prize?" She asked him , biting down on Her bottom lip as she peered up at him cheekily.

Toto just rose a brow at her. Flicked her forehead with his finger before sighing loudly , nodding his head over to the parking lot where a brand new Ferrari waited for her.

"I did." He simply said.

Watching with a small grin on his face as she squealed loudly , snatched the car keys from his hand before sprinting over to it as fast as she could.

"Fuck yes! Oh my god" she ran her hand over the front of it with a excited grin , beaming over at him in happiness . "You're the best!"

Toto chuckled, hands in his pockets as he strolled over to her. Eyes on her smile and sparkling eyes.

"I know." He agreed as he took a picture on his phone of her posing with the Ferrari , shaking his head fondly at her . "You like it?" He asked despite already knowing the answer.

She scoffed in disbelief , "like it? I love it toto." She told him seriously as she sighed dreamily

"wanna kiss me in my new Ferrari?" She offered up to him shamelessly.

Making Toto choke on his breath , face flushing as he narrowed his eyes at her wink. Trying to remain stern and reign in his self control.

"No. I'm old enough to be your father Cherrie!" He scolded her , fighting back a grin. Heart racing in his chest as she kicked his shin with her foot lightly.

Smirking slyly at him "or my daddy." She replied without missing a beat. Then she simply shrugged and slid her way around to the drivers seat.

“But fine . suit yourself old man. There's no better mouth than mine."

And toto was fucked. Absolutely fucked. Hands on his hips as he swallowed thickly , gathered himself to speak again.

He could imagine her mouth when he was back at his hotel room , alone and in his bed. Shoving away the thoughts of all the ways he could shut her cheeky mouth up. He would be the boss then.

He inhaled deeply "don't forgot about the photoshoot on Friday Cherrie ." He said instead . Having to physically shake the thoughts from his head.

She groaned loudly and frowned up at him through the lowered window as she buckled herself in.

“Are you coming?" She asked him hopefully.

Toto shook his head "no. I have better things to do than watch you get your photos taken."

She pouted up at him unhappily "I'm not going then." She simply told him. Meaning it.

Toto knew not to take her threats lightly . He glared down at her sternly "yes you are. It's important Cherrie. You have to go."

She just rolled her eyes and sighed "what do I get if I do?" She asked him, enjoying the way he was scowling down at her in disbelief.

"You get to keep your job!" He exclaimed. Amazed by her cheek. And arrogance. It never ceased to amaze him what a cocky little shit she was.

Cherrie just shrugged "fine. I'll just go to Ferrari with my new Ferrari. They'll have me." She casually taunted . Not missing a best.

And toto caved. Because of course he did.

Because his driver was a beautiful menace who had him wrapped around her finger. And she always got what she wanted. She was the real boss there.

"Fine." The thought of her anywhere near another team with other drivers had him tensing up. She was his. Nobody else's. "What do you want?"

She hummed a little as she thought about it, turning on the engine of the Ferrari as she got ready to leave.

"A heart shaped Vivienne Westwood bag and some new diamond studs please." She said to him , tapping her earlobe gently "these ones just don't do it for me. Charles bought them for me-" she showed him the butterfly earrings .

Toto took one look at them and held out the palm of his hand , face calm as he muttered blandly "give them to me. They're not you."

"Not me?" She laughed in amusement . Enjoying the jealously far too much.

She took them out and handed them to him anyways . Give and take a little. She thought . He had gotten her a Ferrari after all, she could let him have a little bit of control.

Toto pocketed Charles gifted earrings and shrugged casually "yes. You want real diamonds?" He asked.

Cherrie pulled a face "well I don't want fake ones ." She replied in a duh tone.

“See you Friday boss!" She wiggled her fingers at him teasingly as she pulled out of the parking space. Ready to take her new baby for a spin.

Toto watched her go with a exasperated shake of his head. Chuckling In amusement as he headed back to his office to finish off some paperwork , and buy her the best diamond earrings he could find.

Friday came by and toto was waiting for her at the photoshoot building , two Vivienne Westwood bags and shining diamond earrings by his feet .

Cherrie gasped in excitement as she ran over to him, throwing her arms around his waist for a hug. Chin resting on his chest as she beamed up at him, dressed in simple joggers and a tank top, face bare and hair free.

Toto couldn't believe that she was real, that she was this beautiful .

"Thank you toto." She mumbled against his chest.

More affectionate than she usually would be in public but it was early , and she was still sleepy. So she clung onto him a little tighter , yawning into his chest as he held her close.

Rubbing circles into her back with his big hand , his other hand running fingers through her messy hair to detangle the knots she hasn't bothered brushing out.

"You're welcome. Have you eaten?" He asked her quietly in concern as he heard her stomach rumble. Seeing the team motioning for her to hurry up, he waved them off with a stern frown.

Cherrie shook her head and closed her eyes. Still not letting him go.

“No time." She mumbled.

Toto scowled and pulled away enough to glare down at her "very stupid. Breakfast is the most Important meal of the day. You'll be moody without it." He scolded her sternly before turning to the impatient photographer and telling him bluntly "you wait. She eats then you can take the stupid photos."

Ten minutes later and they were in the nearest cafe, a plate of pastries and fruit in front of them.

Toto pouring the chocolate fudge over her pastry for her as she put in her new diamond earrings he had gotten her .

Tucking her hair behind her ears, she wiggled her lobes at him with a grin . Perking up now that she was being fed.

"Look good?" She asked him through a mouthful of food. Chocolate staining her lips.

Toto his his fond grin behind his cup of coffee "sparkling." He simply said . "you like the bags, yes? I got both black and red."

Cherrie just sighed happily "love them." She smiled. Heart feeling so full she felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

"Toto?"

He swallows his bite before answering "yes?"

"I like your face." She told him bluntly.

Toto paused for a moment , cup halfway to his mouth. Then he laughed a little and muttered quietly "I like your face too."

She just giggled. He smiled at her without hiding his affection behind his cup this time.

The next couple of weeks went around the same way, she asked for whatever came to her mind first and Toto found ways to get her them.

It was almost like a challenge to see what strings he could pull and just how far he would go to please her.

She asked him for a golf cart with her logo and name on it. Even though she had never even played golf.

There was one waiting for her when she got home after the race. The steering wheel even had a fluffy cover on it.

At silverstone he had gotten her a tea set made of real gold. And a giant box of haribos after she had asked him to get her all the packets he could find . He did. And he even came out with her as she handed them to all the kids in the crowd too.

In Miami she asked for a metallica record. He got her that and vip tickets to their next show. Then let her drive them in her new Ferrari to the show. He Even let her sit on his shoulders the whole time too while she screamed along to all her favourite songs.

Then She asked for a life size giraffe teddy. He got a life size set of every animal she could name. She now had a room full of them. Her nephew loved them .

No matter what she asked for , or what she threw at him, he kept giving her it all. Always finding new ways to make her happy, to see her smile and gasp in excitement . Loving being the one to make her feel that way.

And  they grew closer as toto finally let down some of his walls and let her convince him to come along with her to different events or just to hang out.

He took her golfing , so she took him to a tiki bar. Then Got so plastered that he had to carry her back in his arms to the five star hotel they were staying at.

He stopped being so cautious and started giving in more and more. Everyone else around them noticing his lighter and much better mood he was in as he whistled his way around the paddock.

Still bickering with Cherrie over the radio during the race but always being the first one to applaud her when she won. Even when she sprayed him with champagne , cackling like the menace that she was as she dragged him into the celebrations . Refusing to do it without him.

And well. She always got what she wanted didn’t she?

She felt like pushing the line a little more than normal . Trailing her way to his hotel room in just an oversized shirt , blanket wrapped around her head. She knocked on his door loudly , yawning as she did so.

Toto opened the door and frowned at her , chest bare im nothing but checkered pj pants low on his waist.

He cleared his throat as he watched her zone out, eyes shamelessly roaming his torso as she reached out a finger to poke at his abs.

Toto slapping her hand away with a amused sigh, fighting back a smile as he watched her grumble. 

"why are you here?" He opened the door for her to come in nonetheless. Tapping the top of her blanket covered head as she pushed her way into his room happily.

"Can I stay here with you?" She asked him casually like it was no big deal. Eyeing the messy bed he had so clearly just rolled out of.

Toto paused , hesitated then muttered a weak "no.you cannot. I'm you're boss."

Cherrie just blinked up at him tiredly, pouting a little to get her way. "Please?"

"No." He muttered. Trying to stick to his weakening resolve .

She huffed and pettily responded "fine. I guess I'll go see if Charles will let me stay with him then-" she couldn't even get a step further before toto was scooping her up into his arms ,  a loud squeal escaping her lips as he roughly threw her down onto the bed.

Quickly throwing himself down next to her, he huffed "little shit." Grabbing her arms and manoeuvring her so that her head was laying on his chest , Cherrie cuddling up to him with a pleased little sigh .

Throwing her leg over his hip, she got comfortable , then laid a kiss gently over his heart.

“You still like my face?" She asked him after another yawn.

Toto just grinned up at the ceiling in the dark , huffing a soft laugh of disbelief that this was even happening. He rubbed between her shoulders gently , lightly scratching at her back just the way he knew that she liked it .

"I still like your face." He mumbled, amused.

She let out a pleased hum, struggling not to fall asleep . "Still like yours too." She let him know.

Toto chuckled "thanks. Very nice of you to say."

There was a few minutes of silence , the two of them just cuddling and letting the warmth of each other sink beneath their skin to warm their hearts. Before Cherrie felt the need to break it

Unable to help herself , she was born to be a little shit after all.

"Toto?" She whispered into the dark.

He sighed knowingly "yes?"

"I want a Rolex like yours." She whispered .

He laughed fondly "of course you do." He muttered in amusement having noticed her eyeing it on his wrist for days now. "Go to sleep."

"Will you get me one?"

"Go to sleep now Cherrie." He firmly told her.

She did as she was told for the first time in her life. Snoring away on his chest while toto ordered her a Rolex to match his.

Because he was very so clearly fucked.

Then her birthday came around and toto was stumped on what he should get her. Having spent the past few months buying whatever her heart desired, he had finally ran out of ideas. And for once, Cherrie hadn't asked him for anything.

So he turned up at her apartment with Empty hands and a worried frown on his face. Entering her place like it was his own. Having spent more time there than at his own recently .

He greeted her cats , gave them kisses before turning to Cherrie and telling her "I haven't bought you anything." Almost horrried with himself .

Cherrie just laughed "oh how scandalous!" She joked as she trailed off into her bedroom , dressed only in a small silk robe. Hair perfect and makeup done, meant to be getting ready for her birthday party at the club with friends.

She bit down on her lip as toto followed her to her room without any hesitation , side eyeing the way his white shirt fitted him tightly . So broad he barely fit through her doorway. She clenched her thighs and took a deep breath , cursing god for making her boss so damn delicious .

Toto was still frowning at her "Cherrie. It's your birthday." He stated like she didn't already know. Taking a seat at the end of her bed as he looked up at her , feeling terrible that he didn't come with a gift.

Little did he know, Cherrie had always pictured him with a big red bow on top. So she wasn't mad at all.

Smiling down at him in amusement , she slowly walked over to him till she was stood between his parted legs, looking down at him through her lashes slyly.

"I know." She said.

Toto swallowed , fingers lifting up to graze at the end of her silk dressing gown. Smelling the coconut oil on her skin that she had lathered herself in.

"What do you want them? Name it and I'll give it to you." He promised her softly , he would give her the whole world if he could.

But Cherrie only wanted one thing "I want you." She whispered honestly to him. Slowly Untying her silk robe Before letting it drop to the floor below them.

She wasn't wearing a single thing underneath . Not even a scrap of lace.

She took ahold of totos hands and slowly dragged them up up her bare waist , his eyes glued to the movement of his hands as she placed one hand over her breast , toto squeezing it gently . Caressing her soft skin.

Then she slid his other hand between her legs , he didn't need anymore guiding. He cupped her wet cunt with the palm of his hand and swallowed thickly.

"Oh." Was all he could let out.

Then he inhaled sharply , lifted his ankle and knocked her knees out from Beneath her .

"Shit!" She gasped out between a startled laugh As he pushed her down onto her bed , hair fanning out onto the white covers as he crawled over her body, twice the size she was. He covered her completely .

"Happy birthday you little shit." He mumbled while smiling down at her , eyes dark as he bowed his head and kissed her like he had been dreaming of doing for a while now.

Cherrie moaning against his mouth as she felt his hand slide back between her legs , breath hitching as she hurriedly placed her hand on his shirt and ripped the buttons clean off.

"Cherrie." He scolded her lightly , pulling briefly away from the kiss to glance down at his ripped shit. Rolling his eyes at her as she giggled and pulled it off him impatiently, laughing lightly Against her heated skin as he kissed all over her pretty face .

So in love it hurt.

"Fuck toto.." she sighed blissfully as she wrapped her legs around his waist, forcing his hand out from between her legs .

She held onto his wrist as she brought it up to her mouth , his lips parting for a hitched breath as she slid his wet fingers, full of her slick , between her lips and sucked them clean, swirling her tongue around his digits until he was yanking his fingers out of her mouth and wrapping them around her throat instead.

"Fucking brat!" He cursed out , free hand quickly reaching down to shove off his pants. Cock hard and heavy as it slapped aginst his stomach , he groaned deeply as he felt her reach up to kiss down his neck, titling his head to give her more access .

He rocked his hips up aginst her thigh as she sucked and mouthed  at his throat , writing her name acrosss his skin with her tonghe, slowly and carefully. He grunted.

"You've been teasing me..all the fucking time." He breathed out breathlessly as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her face away from his neck , her dark eyes gleaming up at him ,needy , as she panted Beneath him.

She just giggled like the minx that she was , laugh catching into a long moan when he suddenly leant down and took her tits between his mouth , sucking at one while his fingers pinched and twisted at the other until she bucking up her hips at him desperately.

"Please toto! Fuck- please!" She cried out, feeling his hard cock rubbing up aginst her hip as he thrust his hips up aginst her roughly . He slapped her breast in response . She moaned. "Fuck!"

"You like that huh? You like it hard? Want me to fuck you until you go dumb around my cock?" He growled into her ear as he hiked her thighs even higher around his waist , slotting himself between her legs as his free hand wrapped around her throat and squeezed gently . "Huh baby?"

Cherrie swallowed , chest heaving as she rapidly nodded her head the best that she could, feeling the wetness dripping between her lips as she squeezed her thighs around him.

Lips trembling as she breathed out a breathless "please toto! I want you so bad! Please fuck me!"

He grinned. Took in the sight of her spread out below him, his cock nudging at her dripping cunt , his large hand around her throat as she begged him to take her . He groaned , squeezed her jaw in his hand as he kissed her hard.

Their Nose knocking together As he bit at her bottom lip till she cried out, his tongue slipping into her mouth , fighting for Dominance.

Toto won this time as he finally thrust up into her hot cunt at the same time he sucked at her tongue , not even giving her chance to breath before he was fucking her into the mattress like she was some cheap whore .

Shrill cries and moans choking out of her lips as she tossed her head back in pleasure , nails scratching down his broad back as he pounded into her, fingers bruising her hips as he cursed against her skin.

"Fuck! Yeah! Oh! Oh!" She cried out, hips bucking up to meet his thrusts. Feeling his thumb flick at her clit , she trembled beneath him.

Sweat dripping down her chest , toto leaning down to lick it right back up as he sucked at her tits, marking his name into her skin with his mouth. Until TOTO was written across her soft skin in purple lovebites.

"Fuck!" He cursed as he felt her cunt squeeze around him, his head thrown back in a moan as he tried to catch his breath .

Hips slapping aginst the back of her thighs as he fucked her harder , messier , feeling her dripping all over his skin. His balls slapping against her ass as he hovered over her, leaning down to kiss her open mouth again.

"I love you." He Moaned aginst her chin, her eyes rolling back to her head as he hit her g spot over and over again. Thumb roughly sliding down to cuticle her clit "fucking love you so much. You little shit." He almost laughed, overwhelmed by her. Always.

The sweat dripping down from his face and onto her skin as she clung onto him, the bed frame slamming against the wall as he pounded into her ruthlessly , making her scream.

“Fuck! Just like that daddy! Harder!" She begged. Clawing at his shoulders with her sharp nails, drawing blood.

Toto gritted his teeth , eyes squeezing closed as he almost collapsed aginst her . Laughing against her mouth as he panted "say that again."

"Daddy! Fuck me daddy!"

He groaned and gripped her hips harder , practically bending her in half as he slammed into her, mouth hanging open as he gazed down at her below him, placing his palm over her stomach and feel how tight she was, he grinned "you gonna cum baby?"

She cried, tears falling from her faces as she sobbed in pleasure. Hips rising off the bed to meet each harsh thrust "yeah. Yeah! Yeah! Please..." she whined, cupping his Neck to pull his face down to her own.

She kissed him messily , open mouthed kisses all over his mouth , his chin and his face. Moaning his name into his jaw as she clenched around him "please!"

Feeling his own stomach tighten , his quickened his pace, trusts growing harder and sloppier as he felt the light approach the both of them.

He leaned his head down and licked a strip from her breasts and up her throat till he reached her mouth , sipping his tongue inside her mouth as she cried out

"Fuck!"

"Yeah! That's it baby! Give it to me! Shit!" He grunted , orgasm hitting him just as quickly as he fucked them both through it.

Moaning against her throat as he buried his face into her neck, feeling her fingers pulling at his hair as she came hard around his cock, milking him as he coated her cunt with his own.  Panting her name as he came.

"Shit.." he breathed out, collapsing down ontop of her .

Cherrie huffing at the sudden weight of him ontop of her, wrapping her legs around his waist , his softening cock still deep inside of her as they caught back thier breaths .

Cherrie grinning up at the ceiling as she hugged him close, kissing his jaw repeatedly .

He sighed softly , then turned his head to kiss over her heart gently . Then he mumbled quietly "say it back."

Cherrie hummed "say what?" Still dazed from the best fuck of her life . She nuzzled her nose aginst his shoulder, but toto pulled her head away by a handful of her hair.

Narrowing his eyes at her, he said firmly "I love you."

Realising what he wanted, she giggled happily "oh yeah. I love you . Best gift ever." She said.

Toto finally relaxed. Rolling his eyes at her with a grin as he rested his head begween her breasts , rubbing his hand soothingly up and down her side as she yawned . Their fucking having tired her out.

It went quite for a while between them . Toto eventually slipping out of her, cleaning her up and making sure that she was comfortable before sliding back into the bed with her.

Her head on his chest as she clung to him like a monkey , arms around his neck and legs around his waist as she kept yawning tiredly, toto barely keeping awake too.

She ignored her buzzing phone, friends no doubt wondering why she wasn't at her own birthday party. But she couldn't care less because she had finally gotten what she wanted.

Toto. In her bed. With her.

Telling her that he loved her over and over again between gentle kisses and back scratches. The rest of the world could get fucked because as far as she cared, it was just him and her now.

But she was still the same old little shit that enjoyed asking him for things and testing just what he would do for her. Especially now that she knew just how much he loved her too.

He enjoyed spoiling her just as much as she loved being spoiled.

So it wasn't a surprise when a little while later , half asleep , she whispered into the dark "toto?"

He laughed underneath his breath , spelling out his name on her spine with his fingertips. Then he wrote out her name too, changing it around. He knew what was coming. Waited for it patiently.

"Yes?"

"I want a diamond ring . Teardrop shape. With little diamonds surrounding it too." She told him casually in a whisper.

He just kissed the top of her head , grinning against her soft hair as he muttered softly "so bossy."

And it was no surprise to her when she woke up the next morning to Toto’s head between her thighs and her new, sparking diamond ring on her finger. Teardrop shaped with little diamonds surrounding it.

She always got what she wanted after all. He was her boss and she was gonna be MRS boss now.

Cherrie Wolff kinda had a ring to it. Don't you think?

[charles-eclair16]

Can't keep my hands to myself: Charles Leclerc

Pairing: charles leclerc x fem!reader

Genre: Fluff🌥️

About: One where he couldn't keep his hands to himself

You were sure that he was doing it on purpose. The slow drag of his hands on your thighs was him purposely teasing you, the high slit of your dress only encouraging his roaming hands. It wasn't out of character for him to keep his hands on your thighs as he always preferred to keep it there. But today his hand just was not resting there but was slowly trailing up and down your thighs dangerously close to your underwear.

"Charles! Stop it!" You warned when his hands squeezed your thighs, your eyes closing on their own accord.

"I can't help it... you're killing me here babe" he whispered in your ears nuzzling your neck and leaving a small kiss on your bare shoulder. You knew he liked the red dress you were wearing to the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony, even had helped you pick it himself. The appreciative look and the kiss he gave you when you first came out of your room did make it clear that he loved the look today.

"Can we leave?" The question snapped you out of your memories as you looked at him shocked. The innocent grin he gave you in reply wasn't helpful...his eyes were dark as he looked you over.

"You haven't received your award yet Cha" you replied holding his hand as it trailed down your legs. A shudder went through your body and he smiled. Fuck he was making it so difficult to concentrate.

"How about after that? You think we could skip the after party?" He mumbled quickly pressing his lips to yours before you could answer.

"But you have to do some interviews after that baby...we can't just leave" you had answered when he pulled back from the kiss, a little smudge of your lipstick visible on his lips.

"wait just let me" you pulled his face towards you and gently wiped his bottom lips with your fingers. He uttered a low curse when your fingers grazed his lips.

"As if I could answer questions in this state...I really need you" he groaned hiding his face in your neck. A chocked moan left your lips as his hands went a little higher on your thighs squeezing and drawing slow circles.

"You guys okay there?" Charles jumped hearing Joris's voice causing the group around the table to laugh.

"They probably need a room!" Pierre chuckled winking at Charles who pulled back from you and threw a balled tissue towards him.

"The Formula 1 World Champion 2024 Charles Leclerc everyone!" You kissed his cheek as he stood up, clapping heard from all around the room. You couldn't be more proud than now watching him thank his team and the people who had helped him achieve his dream. He looked so good in his custom made suit. The black suit perfectly molded around his body and the confidence he executed as he stood there giving his speech. Maybe you could skip the after party. Watching him there achieve his dreams really did something to you. He kissed you as soon as he saw you after stage. A low moan left your mouth as his tongue traced your bottom lip.

"Let's go" he mumbled around your lips his hands digging on your waist as he pressed his body to yours.

"We can't...not another hour at least" he frowned at your answer but understood that he had a few more things he needed to do before you could leave. He nodded and took your hand leading you back to your table.

To say the next hour was pure torture would be an understatement. His hands were everywhere...on your legs drawing circles, squeezing your thighs,on your hands trailing up and down, on your waist as he guided you to meet different people and the small grazes on your bare back as he stood behind you. As you watched the closing of the award ceremony with fireworks, Charles stood beside you his arms wrapped around your waist and he sometimes trailed his fingers on your waist. You had shivered as his hands trailed down your spine and dipped low. A kiss was pressed on your shoulder.

" My god! Charles! I've been trying to not say anything but I just can't bro!" Joris exclaimed as he saw Charles press his body against you. You laughed at the face Joris was pulling...poor man has already seen enough.

"Fuck off" Charles laughed. He really can't help himself, he tried he really did but it was as if his hands were automatically drawn towards your body. It didn't help that you looked so beautiful in the red dress- a Ferrari red. The high slit of the dress, showed your long leg and he had accepted very early that your legs were his soft spot, he loved trailing his fingers on your legs and watching your legs become covered in goosebumps. It was fascinating. So when you had sat down beside him and he could see your leg peeking out he couldn't help himself- it had become an automatic habit to keep his hands on your thighs. But when he felt your bare skin, a tingle went up his arms and he swore it was electric.

It was after an hour when he was finally free from his duties and he couldn't wait to leave. His hands were back at their place on your waist as you said goodbye to your friends and some of the team members of Ferrari.

"Babe come on!" Charles pulled you along the hallway hurrying before anyone could drag you guys to the after-party.

"I'm wearing heels!" You laughed as he shook his head and chuckled.

"Then there's only one solution!" You gasped as he bent down and picked you up in his arms. You were thankful that there was a back exit otherwise you were sure that you would wake up tomorrow with your face plastered on the internet.

He slowly placed you down on your legs as you reached his parked car. He pulled you in for a quick kiss before opening the car door for you.

"Should we go?" He winked at you as you pulled away from the parking lot.

His hands rightfully finding their place back on your thighs.

[writingroom21]

Hi hello! I love your writing and I thought I would send a request idea I had if you’re willing.

Could you do a Rafe x reader where they recently started dating and went to high school together but the reader has always been a big nerd but she “got hot” after leaving high school, however she still hangs out with the same group of “nerds” as high school which consists of a few guys and Rafe just doesn’t like the types of people you hang out with because “he doesn’t think they’re good enough for her” and she’s constantly reminding him thats not fair or true since she is still one of the and has been since they were kids. Rafe’s insecure because his friends say that if he doesn’t chill out on his jealousy she’ll probably dump him for one of her friends if she realises how much of an asshole he really is. -Maybe they resolve it with a Lord of the rings movie night with her friends🩵🪼

Nerd

Warnings: none

Wc: 2.1K

A/N: Hey! Thank you so much! I hope you like this and never be afraid to send requests

Once again here he is sitting off to the side not knowing what the hell you are talking about. You and your friends are going on and on about some fantasy book series he hasn’t even heard of. This seems to be a constant since the two of you got together a few months back. You would mention or quote something he knows nothing about. Normally he wouldn’t care because no girl lasts long but you were different.

Sometimes he still feels bad for the person he was when you were both in highschool. He can remember hearing your name but for the life of him he couldn’t remember actually seeing you anywhere. Which would make sense since you ran in two different social groups. Rafe was the typical rich cool kid that thought he was better than everyone else. You well you were the nerd in the front of the class that knew every answer.

Back then he wouldn’t have even thought twice about you. To be honest he probably walked past you in the halls and never noticed you. But one day a few months back he was out with Topper and saw you. He thought you were hot and wanted to get your number. 

“Yo know who that is?” Topper looks at where Rafe is pointing to and sees you. “Yeah that's the girl from your homeroom. Remember the one that wore the stupid Harry Potter shirt.” Rafe tries to think hard but he doesn’t recall the memory. “Nah don’t remember her.” Topper laughs and claps a hand over his shoulder. “That was because she hung out with the nerdy kids and you were too popular to care.”

He honestly doesn’t even know why you gave him a chance. It seemed like the two of you were completely different people yet here you were. You smiled at him and every girl was just done for him. All of his thoughts were consumed about you. What you were doing that day. What your favorite color was. Even if your family would like him.

Getting your number and not blowing the first date was his best achievement to date. But that all seemed futile when he couldn’t keep you entertained like your friends. It started out small, you saying random quotes when you would hang out. He would always go “Huh?” then you would try to explain what you were saying. Only to say “It’s okay that you don’t get it. It’s not your thing.” Which only made him feel even worse.

It’s not like he hated your hobbies or what you were interested in. If he had one wish it would be used to make himself less moronic. That’s what it really came down to for him. He felt dumb.

You would tell him about the books you were reading or the shows and he would get a thing. Sure some of them were fantasy so he knows that it isn’t real but it didn’t make him feel any less dumb. He could hear how you and your friends talk when you are on the phone and they get it. They understand all of your jokes, quotes and references. For heaven's sake you even seem to laugh more with them than you do him.

It got to the point where everyone in his life was ganging up on him for his feelings. It feels like he can’t even voice his concerns without someone calling him out.

“All they talk about is that dumb show. I tried to watch it once with them and they kept asking me questions about it. “Oh Rafe, what did you think about Donna being their daughter?”, “Can you believe that David Tennet is back for a short time. It’s so cool,” I swear they are doing it to make me look dumb.”

Topper and Kelce share a look with each other. This isn’t the first time Rafe has brought up this topic with them. It usually consists of them just nodding along to what he says, not wanting to get too involved. “It honestly sounds like they are trying to include you.” Kelce says.

Rafe shoots him a look from across the table. “Man you don’t get it. It’s the way they say it, like they know I don’t understand and want me to trip up.” Kelce shifts in his seat. “Maybe they are actually trying to be nice. But you know they are nervous about having a new person in the group so the tone comes off weird. I don’t know man.” Rafe is trying to see how that could be the case but the piece won’t fit. “No, they are just not good enough for her. They can’t accept the fact she changed and is with me. It’s just some ploy to get her to leave me.”

“Well if you keep talking like that then maybe she will leave you. These are her friends she’s had for years. They just are trying to include you because you’re her boyfriend.” Topper stares back at Rafe, daring him to say something. “You don’t get it.” Rafe tries to start back up again but Topper isn’t having it.

“No Rafe you don’t get it. This is who she is, sure she’s gotten better looking. But deep down all that stuff is what she’s interested in. Those are her friends for a reason, that’s because they love her and relate to her. How long do you think you can continue being jealous of that before she realizes she’s better off?”

Rafe doesn’t say anything sitting there as Topper keeps going. “You’re lucky she hasn’t heard you say any of this. Could you imagine how hurt she would be if she knew how you were talking about her friends? I may not know her that well but I sure as hell know that it would make her sad. Plus what you don’t like them for is a part of her. She could take that as you not liking who she really is and wanting to change her.”

Kelce just nods along, agreeing with all of the points made. “He’s right dude. You need to control yourself or you won’t have a girlfriend anymore.” 

That conversation has been playing in his mind for the past two weeks. Everytime he talked or saw you he would look at how you behaved. He knew you liked it but it never fully clicked that you really like it. You like reading fantasy books over anything else. You like talking about movies like Star Wars. Like dressing up as characters with your friends for some convention.

All of the evidence was right in front of him and he never fully noticed. It made him feel even more shitty because how couldn’t he know all of this? He was your boyfriend but was too wrapped up in his version of you to see the real you. But now that he is really looking he can see the real you and it’s better than he thought. You were even funnier when he got past the feeling of being dumb.

You even smile a bit bigger when you fully pay attention and comment on things. It’s not like he didn’t pay attention to you, just that his mind was often clouded with the thoughts of him not being good enough. He doesn’t get how he could be so wrapped up in himself and not focus on you. He’s been trying hard to fix all of that but sitting here not knowing what you are talking about isn’t helping. 

All of your friends are commenting on different characters and plot lines. Rafe couldn’t even keep up if he wanted to. A hand resting on his thigh snaps him out of his thoughts. He looks down to see your manicured nails and the ring he got you. Enveloping your hand in his, he brings it to his lips to give it a kiss.

You lean closer to him, whispering in his ear. “Are you okay?” He smiles and wraps an arm around your shoulders. Making you scoot closer to rest against his side. “I am now.” You look up and give him a weird look, wanting to ask him what he meant.

“Hey lovebirds, what are you talking about?” One of your friends, he thinks her name is Sam, asks. “Nothing, just how hot he is.” You and your friends all giggle like school girls. “Actually I was asking what you are all talking about.” He took everyone by surprise, even himself. Usually when you have Rafe around your friends he’s super awkward, not really saying anything. This is the first time he actually tried to participate in a conversation.

“Oh it’s this book series I started called His Dark Materials. Technically I’m reading to my niece but it’s a good book so far.” Rafe nods. “What is it about?” He can’t see it but you have the biggest smile on your face proud of him for trying with your friends. Sam goes on to tell Rafe all about the book so far. Telling him that he should give it a read.

“Oh I don’t really read and never got into fantasy stuff like that.” The room went silent, all eyes on him. At first he thought he said something wrong, offended them somehow. It wasn’t until Becky shrieked that he realized that wasn’t the issue. “Does that mean you’ve never read Lord of the Rings?” The guilty look on his face was enough of an answer for them.

They all groan and you have to hide in his neck so they can’t see you laughing. It wasn’t like they didn’t know he didn’t find their interests well interesting. They all knew that but somehow had some false hope that he was a secret nerd like them. Like hello he is literally dating you, the biggest nerd out of all of them. “Dude how can you be dating someone who hasn’t read the book? Tell me you’ve seen the movies.” 

His leg starts bouncing afraid that once he leaves they will tell you to dumb him. “Um no, never watched them.” Their groans get more desperate with his answer. You sit back properly and try to contain your giggles. “Come on guys, not everyone is going to like them.” His hand squeezes your shoulder, soothing you.

“It’s okay. Never had anyone to really show them to me. Maybe all of you can tell me what I’m missing out on.” That peace offering opened up a whole can of worms. You and your friends spent hours telling him all about the series. Even after you both had left it was all you could talk about. Then a couple of days later he was added into a group chat with all of your friends.

Sam: Welcome to our Chamber of Secrets

Sam: That was a Harry Potter reference btw

Rafe: I actually understood that one

Becks: See he’s already learning

You: Guys don’t bombarded him with messages. You all said you’d be on your best behavior.

Sage: Dude this is like big. We are letting him in the group. Feel special we don’t do this for anyone.

Rafe: I definitely feel special. Thank you

Claire: We want you to join campaign

Rafe: Campaign?

Claire: Yeah you know DnD. Dungeons and Dragons

Rafe: Oh that’s really nice of you but I’ve never played

You: She’s joking. We want to watch Lord of The Rings this weekend. That way you can see what we were talking about. But you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

Rafe: Phew I was scared for a second. I’m down

That brings him to Saturday, sitting on a tiny loveseat with you curled up on his side. The first movie was almost done and he doesn’t find himself hating it. He likes hearing all of the commentary you all share. Giving him inside tips about the movie he wouldn’t have picked up on. Telling him parts from the books he wouldn’t wouldn’t have known about. 

“Thank you.” It’s barely a whisper. You were trying to keep your voice down to not disrupt everyone else watching. Rafe looks down at you, smiling before pecking your lips. “For what?” You pull the blanket to cover the both of you better, snuggling him. “Doing this for me. I know this isn’t how you like to spend your weekends. So thank you for sacrificing something for me.”

“It’s not a sacrifice. You deserve to have someone who tries things you like. I want to be that person.” You give his thigh squeeze. “You’ll always be my person.”

[samandcolbyownme]

Summary: Reader goes on the podcast and the question, ‘Are you a talker in bed?’ gets brought up and discussed.

Warnings: SMUT18+, swearing, slightly sexual conversation, mentions of alcohol, flirting, Zach being Zach, kissing, hair pulling, choking, dirty talk, unprotected sex, oral (both), creampie, very vocal sex, filth

Word Count: 3.2k | unedited

╔═══━━━─── • ───━━━═══╗

“Hello hello and welcome back to another episode of..” Zach drums on the seat beside him, “Dropouts.”

“Can I say who we have on, because I’m actually really excited that she’s here.” Alyssa laughs and Zach sighs, “You’re going to do it anyway aren’t you?”

You look at Alyssa and smile and she nods, “Oh yeah. I just thought I’d be nice and ask, but anyway. I’d like to introduce our newest guest, y/n y/l/n!”

Everyone claps and you smile and bat the air, “Thank you. Thank you.” You adjust your headphones, “I’m actually really excited to be here. When my assistant said that you..” you point to Alyssa, “Wanted to call me I was like..” you mimic being excited all over again, “Oh my god, no way. No way.”

“Now if I was the one who said I wanted to call, she would have been like, ew. No.” Zach smirks as you nod, “Yeah, pretty much.”

His jaw drops slightly and you laugh, “No. of course not. Either way, I love your podcast and I crack up at almost every episode.”

Zach turns away and starts typing on his phone.

You furrow your brows and Jared beats you to asking, “Zach, what the hell are you doing?”

“Oh me?” He sets his phone down and turns back to his mic, “I was just adding, making y/n laugh into my list of achievements.”

“What number does that make?” Jared laughs and Zach sighs, “Four.”

“Oh my god.” You lay your hand on your forehead and laugh, “Glad I could add to the list, though.”

Zach smirks, “Speaking of lists..”

“Oh gosh.” You tilt your head, “What are you going to ask me?”

“I have..” Zach pulls out a sheet of paper, “ a list of questions that we all wrote down.”

“That Zach wrote down.” Alyssa laughs and you look at her, “Yeah, I figured.”

“Hey now. This was a group effort. If I could take all the credit, I would.” Zach clears his throat and Jared laughs, “Zach. You can take all the credit.”

“Hush. We’re about to begin.” Zach clears his throat again, “Question number one. Now this might shock you, but, what’s your favorite color?”

You raise your brows and laugh, “That was weak, but it’s blue.”

“Weak?” Zach scoffs and you nod, “I was expecting something like spill your deepest darkest secret.” You laugh and point to Zach as he tilts his head, “Im not answering that.”

You laughs and Jared scoffs, “I think.. she just challenged you, Zach.”

Zach looks at you, “Is that what happened?”

You shrug, “I’ve seen you ask worse than, what’s your favorite color.” You laugh and nod, “Hit me.”

“I’m not going to do that, I don’t want to get cancelled.” Zach rolls his eyes, “But I will ask you something else.”

“Okay, Zach.” You look at Alyssa, “How have you not fired him yet?”

She shrugs, “We’ve all tried. He won’t go away.”

Zach mocks Alyssa and flicks the paper, “Okay. A question I don’t have down, is..” he laughs but tries to keep it together, “Are you a talker in bed?”

“Now..” Jared laughs, “Out of all the damn questions you could have asked, you’re going with that one?”

Zach nods once, “I’m sticking with it. Y/n.”

You lay your hands on your cheeks, “I feel like I need to be a little intoxicated for this interrogation.” You look over and Jared is handing you a bottle of liquor, “I keep it on standby for this exact reason.”

“How long have you been waiting to use that?” Zach raises a brow and Jared nods, laughing, “A while.”

“Thank you. Thank you.” You take the bottle and open it, “Do you care if I just-“ you motion to taking a swig and Jared shakes his head, “Go for it.”

You take a, well, a bit more than a shot and set the bottle down, “Okay.” You look at Zach, “My answer to that question is..” you pause, laughing as you think about what you’re going to say.

“Oh this can’t be good.” Jared laughs, covering his mouth.

Zach stares at you while you compose yourself, “You’ll just have to find that out yourself.”

“Is that a- are you.. proposing that we-“ he clears his throat, “Boooy, is it getting hot in here or..” he pulls the collar of his crew neck out away from his body a few times.

“I think y/n broke him.” Alyssa laughs, “I don’t think he’s ever turned this red before.”

“Did I just ruin the podcast.” You joke and Jared chimes in, “A podcast is never ruined when Zach gets gagged.”

You laugh, looking at Zach, “This is fun.”

“For you maybe.” He shakes his head, “So your favorite color is blue, huh?”

You nod, “Yes.”

“Interesting, because my ba-“

“Zach!” Alyssa stops him from saying anything Forster and he groans, “You guys don’t let me have any fun do you.”

“I’m having fun.” You laugh and Zach mocks you, “I’m having fun.” He sighs, “Someone just end my suffering please.”

“So y/n, you just recent got back from a trip to, where was it? Miami I think.” Jared asks and you nod, “Yeah, it was my little sisters twenty first birthday so I took her out. Showed her a good time.”

“I turn twenty one tomorrow. Think you can show me a good time?” Zach smirks and you tilt your head, “Zach, your birthday is September fourth. It’s August.”

“Aw.” He juts his bottom lip out, “You know my birthday?”

“Only because I knew Miami would get brought up and I know how you are.” You smirk, “When’s mine?”

He squints, “Um, you look like you’re a jan-mar-ember, kind girl.”

“Close enough.” You laugh and look at Alyssa, “I want you to come with on my next trip.”

“Me?” Alyssa smiles, “Oh I would love to.”

“Hawaii end of September, I’ll text ya the details.” You nod and look at Zach, “Whenever you want your podcast back let me know.”

“I didn’t know you took it.” Zach says and you tilt your head, “You don’t know a lot of things do you?”

The rest of the podcast was you and Zach going back and forth, and there’s obvious tension since the talker in bed question arose.

“Hey, y/n.” Jared walks up to you, “We usually go out to dinner and have a few drinks after the shows, and we’d love for you to join us if you’re available. I know you’re a busy woman.”

You smile, “I cleared my whole schedule for this, so we’re good.”

He nods and you turn around, stopping when you see Zach leaning against the wall.

You smirk, “Hello.”

He nods, “Hey.”

You laugh, “What are you doing?”

“Waiting to take you to dinner. Didn’t know we’d have our first date so soon.” He walks over and you raise your brows as you grab your bag, “Is this what this is? Because Jared just asked me to join you so-“

“What the hell.” Zach sighs, “Always has to ruin it for me.”

You bite your lip, leaning in towards him, “Buy me a few drinks and you just might get the answer to your question.”

You walk away and head out to meet Jared and Alyssa. Zach follows and you all get in and head to the restaurant.

As you’re sitting at dinner, you’re chit chatting with everyone there.

A little bit later, after a few drinks from Zach, you lean in, your hand on his knee, “Do you think you could drive me home?” You lean back, “Y’know, since you’re the only one sober enough to drive.”

“You’re drunk?” Zach smirks and you shake your head, “No, just thought that was the best excuse to get you to come home with me.”

He smirks, licking his lips, “Oh baby. You don’t need an excuse when it comes to me.” He grabs his keys, “Come on.”

“What about the other two?” You ask as you follow Zach out side. He glances back at you, “They’ll figure it out.”

He opens the passenger side and motions, “After you.”

“Wow, you can be a true gentleman.” You tease as you walk past him and get in. He smirks and walks around, getting into the drivers seat, “You have no idea, but I’d love for you to find out.”

You purse your lips, “Not really looking for a gentleman tonight. Just one who will listen.”

He looks at you confused and you smirk, “Gotcha stumped again, don’t I?”

I mean, “Are you..” he starts to drive, “Referring to what I asked earlier?”

You shrug, “You know where you’re going?”

He shakes his head, “Not a clue.”

You smirk, “Turn right at this light.” You watch as the light turns green and you sigh, “You know, people say you’re an asshole, but those are probably people you don’t really like.”

He laughs, “I mean, you’re not fully wrong. I just-“ he shrugs, glancing over at you, “I don’t know why I am the way I am.”

“I think a lot of us have that thought.”

“About me, or just in general?” He laughs and you laugh, “Oh gosh, no. I meant in general, but now that you say something.” You look at him and smirk and he shakes his head laughing, “uh huh.”

“Turn here and then go up to that gate. I’ll give you the code.”

He nods and pulls up to the gate.

“It’s seven, six, five, two, then the green button.”

You listen for the beep and then the gate starts opening and Zach looks over at you, “Fancy shmancy.”

You nod, laughing as you point, “It’s the one on the hill, then.”

He pulls into your driveway and parks, looking over at you, “Glad I could have service, getting you home safely.”

You tilt your head, “You’re not coming in?”

“Why would I- ohhh. You were serious?” He smirks, rubbing his chin, “I mean, I didn’t know if-“

“Zach.” You cut him off laughing, “Shut up and kiss me.”

“Yes ma’am.” He leans over, sliding his hand up to lay on the side of your face as he presses his lips to yours.

You lay your hand on his arm and lean back, “Come with me.”

He nods and shuts off the vehicle before quickly getting out. He jogs around to open your door, holding out his hand to help you get out.

You lay your hand in his and step out, pulling him up towards your front door. You unlock it, pushing the door open and you glance back at Zach.

His eyes are on you as you lead him in.

You turn around, dropping your bag to the floor, “Come here.” You pull him in and wrap your arms around his neck. His lips are on yours and his hands slide down your body, gripping you thighs to lift you up.

Your legs wrap around his waist, mumbling against his lips, “I have a question for you.”

“Oh yeah?” He asks in between kisses, “Ask.”

You smirk against his lips, kissing down his neck and back up, “Are you a talker in bed?”

He smirks, “Guess you’ll have to find out.”

You smile, “My room is upstairs.” You lean back in to kiss him, “But I don’t care where we are, as long as I feel you inside of me soon.”

His breath bitches and his grip on your thighs tightens, “Where’s your room?”

“Upstairs to the right.”

He presses his lips to yours and off you go. He takes you upstairs to your room, pushing the door open with his foot.

Your lips roam the sides of his neck, biting down and nipping at the skin which causes him to gasp each time.

He sets you down, his hands going to take off his sweatshirt and t shirt in one pull. You bite your lip, eyes scanning over his body.

“You going to catch up, or..” his hands move to undo his belt, “..Do you want me to do it for you?”

You smirk, moving to take off your shirt to reveal your bare chest. His eyebrows flick up and back down and he takes a deep breath, “You’re so hot.”

He lunges towards you, laying you back on the bed as his lips attack yours. You run your hand through his hair, tugging at the nape of his neck.

He groans lowly, grinding against you and you whimper out, “Take your pants off and do that.”

He chuckles at your words, heaving himself up off of you. You slide your pants down, along with your panties and watch as he strips down.

He keeps his eyes on yours, tilting his head as he walks towards you. You move back on the bed and he places his hands on your knees, pushing your thighs apart, “Hold on, sweetheart.”

“If we’re doing that, I wanna do that too.” You sit up, nodding to the bed, “lay down.”

He gets on the bed, laying on his back and you move up by his head, leaning down to give him a heated kiss before sitting up.

He brings his hands up to lay on your hips as you swing your leg over his head, leaning forward to take the tip of his cock into your mouth.

He groans, pulling your hips down so his tongue can meet your aching cunt. You moan around his cock, bobbing your head and swirling your tongue.

You tilt your head back, “Fuck, yes yes.” You moan louder, “Oh fuck, that feels good.”

Your one hand holds your weight up on his thigh while the other strokes his cock, “Fuck, fuck.”

You roll your hips before leaning back down to take his cock into your mouth again.

You squeeze your eyes shut, moaning out as you feel his tongue push in and out of you, gasping as you feel his lips wrap around your clit.

He bucks his hips up and you push your head down, your nails digging into his thigh as you try to not gag around him.

You lift your head, spinning around to straddle him, “I want to taste myself.”

You lean down, his hands sliding down your back to grip your ass as your lips press to his. Your tongue moves against his and you moan at the taste of yourself on him.

His hands grip tighter on your ass and he pushes your hips down. You moan against his lips as you feel the tip of his cock press against your aching cunt.

“I need you.” You breathe out, “Fuck, I need you so bad.”

He thrusts his hips up, slipping his cock into you and you tilt your head back, moaning at the feel of him stretching you out.

You sit up, eyes on his as you finish lowering down.

Moans repeatedly slipping from your lips as you roll your hips forward and back.

His chest is rising and falling quickly and his hands slide up and down your thighs, “just want to warn you, I may cum prematurely.”

You laugh slightly and lean down, pressing your lips to his, “As long as you get me to cum first, that won’t be an issue.”

You move your hips, bouncing them up and down on him, “Fuck, baby. You make me feel so good.” You moan lowly into his ear, whimpering as he sucks a mark into your neck.

His hand slides up your side and comes up to your neck. He pushes your head up, kissing your lips, “You’re so good, doing so good.”

“Can say the same about you.” You smirk against his lips, moaning into his mouth as you start to reach your peak, “I’m so close.”

You sit up, both of your hands pushing into his chest, “Fuck, I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna c- oh fuck.”

You sit up, continuing to bounce as you moan.

“God you’re gorgeous.” Zach groans, his hands sliding up to grab your boobs and knead. You lay your hands over his, urging him to squeeze harder and you moan out louder.

Your walls grip his cock tighter as you cum, earning a groan, “You feel so good.” He bites his lip, watching your face twist with pleasure.

You look down at him, “Bet I look even ever riding you like this, huh.” You smirk, leaning down to kiss him.

He nods, pushing you over onto your back as he rolls over, “Perfect in every way, sweetheart.” He kisses over your chest, taking one of your nipples into his mouth.

Your back arches off the bed, “Fuck, that feels so good.” You run your hand through his hair, tugging as he bites down gently.

“Fuck, fuck, yes.” You moan, “Zach, please. I need you to fuck me.”

He kisses back up to your chest, moving his hips between your thighs. He reaches down, hooking your knee over his arm, and he slides in.

You gasp, eyes rolling back, “Fuck.” You look at him, laying your hand on his neck and squeezing slightly, “I want you thinking of me, your hands on me.”

He slides his thumb across your cheek, “I don’t think I’ll be able to think about anything else for a while.”

You smirk, moaning out, “When a while comes, we’ll have to fix that again, yeah?”

He smirks, nodding his head before pressing his lips to yours. You wrap your arm around his neck, moaning out as you feel yourself ready to cum, again.

Zach kisses back your jaw to your ear, his voice low, “Gonna cum for me again sweetheart?”

You nod, “Fuck, yes. Yes.”

Zach groans lowly into your neck, “Right there with you.”

You push his head up, “I want your eyes on me.” You kiss him, “Eyes on me as you cum.”

He locks his eyes with yours, nodding as his thrust pick up.

You moan out, brows furrowing with pleasure, “F-fuck.” You cling to him, his forehead resting on yours as you cum, “D-don’t stop.”

He groans, “I-I- shit.” His thrusts grow sloppy and you moan out, kissing up his neck, “Cum in this pussy.”

He groans at your words, sitting up to grip your hips tighter as his continues thrusting.

Your back arches off the bed as he guides you through your high, finishing off with his. His thrusts slow down and he groans, collapsing on the bed next to you, “Well I’ll be damned.”

You roll over to face him, “What?”

He shakes his head, “I didn’t.” He sighs, “I guess I didn’t really think you were.”

“You have a lot to find out about me, Zachary.” You lean up, kissing his lips, “I’m gonna go wash up, you coming with me?”

“As long as you promise to tell me what to do.” He smirks and you nod, “That I can do. Come on.”

——

Thanks for reading! I love you all so much! See you in the next one! 🖤

Likes and reblogs are majorly appreciated!

[mode-lfy]

Minji - Wait for me

Minji walked around in the cold weather, her hands in her pockets, walking for a while before sitting under a street light. She looked at her phone, November 14.

She closed her eyes, giving herself a little rest and waited…

====================================================================

“Next up in the selection, Y/n, Seoul FC.”

“I GOT SELECTED!” Y/n shouted, jumping in joy before hugging his grandmother and mom. They cried, so happy that their boy had achieved his dream.

“ I’M GOING TO THE WORLD CUP.” Y/n knelt in tears, hands covering his face, not believing what he just heard from the television screen.

“Go share the news, with Minji.” His mom said, hugging him, so proud of her son.

“I will! I will be back soon!” He rushed out of the house.

“Do you think he will be back soon?” His grandmother asked.

His mom smiled, “Not so soon, they gonna celebrate for abit first”

====================================================================

“Minji, where are you?” Y/n called,

“I am at my dorm”, Minji answered,

“I’m coming,” Y/n said, entering his car.

“ This late at night?” Minji asked, wondering. Really, she was trying to stay calm and act cool.

“I’ve got news to share with you,” Y/n said, excited, smiling to himself.

“Okay, I will wait for you,” Minji said, standing up and holding herself.

“Bye.” Y/n prepared to hang up and drive.

“Y/n.” Minji said, not wanting to hang up.

“Hm?”

“Congratulations, I love you,” Minji said, happy for Y/n.

“I love you too. Wait for me.” Y/n said.

================================================================

Once Y/n arrived, he saw Minji already waiting outside for him. They both looked at each other and ran at each other. They hugged each other tightly, sharing a moment they could only understand and feel. The feeling of achieving a dream they worked so hard for, a dream that everyone thought was impossible.

Y/n held Minji’s hair, resting his head on hers.

“Thank you for being with me.” He said.

Minji looked up towards him, kissing him. “I should be the one saying that.” She looked at his eyes.

Y/n held her hand, “Let's go have some supper.”

They bought some side dishes and drinks at the convenience store before going to a streetside stall somewhere. There, they were greeted by a familiar face.

“Ah, you two are here again.” The owner, a grandmother, greeted them.

“You two have been here since you guys were in high school; what will you do if I am tired and stop operating this stall.” She joked.

“You shouldn’t retire, you still have a long way to go. Your food is the best!” Minji joked.

“Where would we go for our late-night dates,” Y/n added on, earning a playful punch from Minji.

“What would you like today?” The grandmother mixed the food around.

“Grandmother, I got something to share with you,” Y/n said, holding Minji’s hand.

“What is it?” She asked.

“I got selected by the national team.” He said, shyly.

“He will be going to the World Cup!” Minji added on, proudly.

“Oh my, that’s great!” The grandmother clapped happily.

“I know you can do it. Take whatever you want today, It’s on me!” She said, celebrating Y/n’s achievement.

“Are you sure? We eat a lot.” Y/n joked.

“You better do! You need the energy to train and perform your best!” Minji teased.

“She’s right!” The grandmother said, handing over a bowl to them.

“I will do my best,” Y/n said, looking at Minji, thankful.

================================================================

The young couple finished their supper and took a walk around the neighbourhood.

They were enjoying and cherishing the moment they were sharing.

“Minji” Y/n stopped and looked at Minji.

Minji looked at him, curious about what he had to say.

“Thank you, I wouldn’t have achieved my dream if it weren’t for you.” He pulled her into his embrace.

“I should be the one saying it, you fool.” Minji, tiptoed, hugging him tighter.

Y/n stopped the hug for a moment, “I promise I will stay with you, one day, hopefully, I will be able to marry you.” He held her hand.

Minji blushed, taking her hand and looking away.

“What are you talking about?” Minji said shyly.

“I meant what I said,” Y/n said, turning her to look at him.

“Just as you were there when I played a match, I will be there when you perform.”

“Once our careers are stable and we have made a name for ourselves, I will propose to you.”

“So, please… wait for me,” Y/n said with all his sincerity.

“I will wait for you,” Minji said.

====================================================================

“You know… what I thought when I signed the contract? My first ever contract?”

“What is it?”

“I thought of you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”

“I love you.”

“Sometimes, I look out at the sky at night, sitting alone. I just want tp be with you. Sharing this peaceful moment with you.” Y/n said, holding his phone, lying down.

“I will be having my first performance on Friday. Will you come to watch me?” MInji asked.

“I will be having my first training with the national team,” Y/n answered, sighing.

“So you will not come to watch my first performance?” Minj teased.

“I’m sorry.” Y/n apologised.

“Then… on Friday night, let’s have a date. To celebrate your first training with the national team and my first performance.” Minji suggested.

“You are not upset?” Y/n asked, confused.

“This won’t be the only time we are going to have conflicting schedules, nor is it our first time.”

========================================================================

“Good luck with your performance! You got this!” Y/n cheered Minji.

“You, too, show them what you can do in your first training! First impressions last.” Minji said, sending Y/n a heart.

“Remember, tonight at our usual spot.” Minji reminded him.

“I will. Wait for me,” Y/n said.

“I love you.” Both of them said.

Y/n drove peacefully towards the training venue, playing Minji’s group music. It was a proud day for both of them.

Minji was going to perform with her members for the first time in a concert.

He was going to train with the national team for the first time, and soon enough, he would play his first game with the national team.

He couldn’t wait for them to share their achievement with each other tonight.

=====================================================================

Minji sat alone for a long while… It’s been 30 minutes past the time that they were supposed to meet.

Minji continued sitting for a while before she started texting Hanni.

“What are you doing now?” She asked.

“I’m eating some food and talking to my parents. Aren’t you supposed to be with your boyfriend?” Hanni questioned.

“He hasn’t arrived yet,” Minji asked, kicking her legs as she sat waiting for Y/n.

“Have you called him?” Hanni asked.

“I have, but the call didn’t connect.”

“Maybe, he forgot? He’s too tired or something?”

“Never mind, I’m going to his house.I need to check on him.” Minji said.

Once Minji was near his neighbourhood, she saw a police car parked. As she continued walking, she saw another parked on the road in front of Y/n’s house. The door was unlocked, she could hear some crying and screaming inside the house, and Minji started to be a little afraid. Her senses were starting to be numbed, all the noise were starting to die down in her ears. She couldn’t feel anything, an unknown sense of fear was taking over Minji…

As she entered the house, she saw some policemen inside, one of them was supporting Y/n’s grandmother, who was crying and almost on her knees. His mother was sobbing but managed to take a seat.

After a few seconds, Minji gathered up the courage to speak. “What happened? Is Y/n alright?”

“Y/n’s dead!!! My grandson is dead!” The grandmother shouted, crying in pain.

“Miss, what’s your relation with Mr Y/n?” Another policeman asked.

“I-I a-am his girlfriend,” Minji answered, struggling to compose herself.

“Miss, I’m sorry to inform you that Mr Y/n was involved in a car accident this afternoon. He was on his way when a truck collided with his vehicle head-on. The truck was-” The policeman continued talking, but Minji didn’t finish listening to his words.

“He died on the spot.” The policeman ended.

“We will send the case file to you, 2 days later, November 16, I’m sorry this happened.” The policeman holding Y/n’s grandmother, said, attempting to comfort her.

Minji couldn’t find herself to open her mouth, she was helpless.

==========================================================================

Minji opened her eyes, remembering Y/n the last time she saw him.

“Wait for me. One day, I will score a goal and dedicate it to you.”

“One day, I will marry you, so wait for me.” Y/n smiled, sitting beside her, holding her hand.

“Are you alright?” Hanni asked, walking towards her.

“I’m fine. I just wanted to take a walk outside.” Minji said, looking up at the night sky.

It was 17 March, yet Hanni knew…

For Minji, who couldn’t recover from that day…

Her calendar remained where Y/n’s stopped…

[greg-montgomery]

hiya!! this is my first time doing a request or anything like that buttt i wanted to ask if you could do one where the team is put up in a hotel for the night, everyone is sent to their own separate rooms but hotch called them in to his room bc he had some last minute thoughts about the case, right before they all go to sleep and y/n shows up in a cute sleep set and everyone is like oh but don’t say anything. they talk about the case for a bit and slowly everyone heads off one by one leaving aaron and y/n but plot twist she’s been quiet bc she snoozed off in the seat in the corner. aaron wakes her up and she apologizes, they start talking a little and she realizes how tired he looks and she idk gives him a massage on the shoulders, it can have innuendos in there but i mostly want her to take care of him, maybe they fall asleep together or something fluff it up plss 🫶🏽

hii!! <333 you're so sweet for sending to me your first request!! i'm sorry it took me a thousand years lmfao i really really hope you like it!!

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

With your eyes shut and both of your fists rubbing your eyelids softly as if they could take all the tiredness away, you weren’t able to see the looks your current outfit had earned you.

It wasn’t your usual attire for when discussing an unsub’s profile, but Hotch was the one to blame. You were getting ready for bed when JJ knocked on your door and announced that your boss wanted all of you urgently in his room. If he wasn’t your absolute soft spot, you’d be very pissed off about it.

Aaron seemed to have some new ideas about the case, and since the man apparently never slept, he thought all the rest of you would have the same energy as him. And maybe he wasn’t that far off for the others; but you were extremely tired, running only on three hours of sleep.  So you just chose the comfiest looking spot on the couch of Hotch’s room and snuggled with two of the pillows you found there, simply observing the conversation that was taking place and only jumping in for a comment or two. It was already an achievement for you managing to stay awake for an extra hour.

Or so you thought.

“Y/N…” a gentle voice whispered your name. “Y/N…”

The hand on your shoulder shaking you, just as gently, suggested that said voice was trying to wake you up. But you were so comfortable and so sleepy you chose to ignore it. The whispers were lulling you back to sleep anyway.

Before you managed to drift off completely again, the hand moved to cup your face. A thumb was rubbing your cheek as the voice talked to you again. “You’ll hurt your neck.”

You furrowed your eyebrows and slowly blinked, finding the figure of a man sitting next to you. “Hotch?”

“Hi,” he chuckled. “I thought you’d never wake up.”

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” you rushed to apologize. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep here.”

“That’s alright.” He smiled at you.

Aaron was right about the neck thing, you could already feel the pain growing and you used your hand to massage it as you switched to a more appropriate sitting position on your boss’ couch.

“I tried to warn you,” he said, lifting his brows. “I wake up sore from every single jet nap.”

“Yeah, I noticed you couldn’t even turn your head when talking to us the other day,” you giggled.

“Don’t make fun of the elderly,” he scolded you. “I’m actually suffering from the pain."

“I’m sorry.”

You were still laughing so Hotch didn’t look entirely convinced by your apology. “Yeah, I can see how much.”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” you repeated more seriously this time. There was a short pause before you spoke again. “You know…I have a friend that’s a physiotherapist and she’s taught me how to relieve neck pain. I could give you a massage. Maybe it’ll make you feel better.”

He looked surprised by your offer and you worried you overstepped.

“It’ll be my official apology,” you added.

You saw him letting out a heavy sigh and got yourself prepared for rejection, but instead Aaron nodded, “Sure, why not?”

“Nice!” you clapped twice, hoping you didn’t seem overly excited at the thought of touching him that intimately.

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t fixated on his large body and broad shoulders. So placing your palms on his toned muscles had your heart racing to the point you were scared he could hear your heartbeat.

Aaron’s heavy breaths when you started massaging his neck sent sparks all over your body. You wondered if he sounded like that during other moments in his life and you had to shake your head to send all the inappropriate thoughts away. Still it was next to impossible not to drool over him; touching him and watching him so up-close.

“Is that nice?” you asked.

“Mhm…”

“You have to be careful of how your posture is when you’re sleeping though. You warned me about it, but won’t do the same for yourself.”

“Maybe we can remind each other,” he suggested.

“Well that sounds like a good idea, but sadly we’re not always together when we’re sleeping.”

“Sadly, huh?”

Your hands froze on his shoulders and you could feel them shaking as Hotch started laughing.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” you said, covering your face embarrassed.

“I know,” he reassured you with a small laugh. He reached out behind him for your hands as his head fell slightly back to make eye contact with you. You were still covering your face, so he grabbed your wrists gently and moved them down. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“No, I’m embarrassed.”

He used his grip on your hands to drag you next to him so he could look at you properly. It didn’t need much effort on his side to make you take a seat by his side. “Why are you embarrassed?”

“Because you’re Hotch.”

“And?”

“And it’s self-explanatory. You either get it or you don’t.”

“I see.”

You sat next to each other in silence for a bit. Embarrassed or not, you didn’t want to go. This side of Hotch was very rare to be seen, and you felt grateful you got to witness him like this for once. You weren’t ready for it to end.

“Should I go?” you asked hesitantly.

“Do you wanna go?”

It took you a few seconds to reply, trying to make up your answer. You chose to be honest. “Not really.”

“Then stay.”

“I might fall asleep on your couch again,” you warned him.

“Hmm…there are worse things that could happen to me I think,” he said holding back a grin, and wrapped his arm around you, pulling you against his chest.

You couldn’t agree more.

[inuyashaluver]

Loving your fics could we get a laia aleixandri one

love notes - laia aleixandri

laia aleixandri x reader

description: in which you’re out for the season due to an acl injury, your girlfriend leaving notes for you to find during your time at home while she’s out

warnings: mentions of injury - i guess it’s considered a bit angsty?, spanish in bold italics!!

a/n: helllooooo, hope you enjoy this one, thank you for your love and support!! xx

⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆

you and your girlfriend, laia, grew up together in spain, progressing from childhood friends into lovers. you both followed each other everywhere, going to the same clubs at the same time to ensure you would never have to be separated.

laia and you loved to play together, many people found it surprising how the both of you weren’t sick of each other after knowing each other for so long, but when they see you interact with one another, they realise the mutual affection and how much you both mean to each other.

you were a winger for man city while your girlfriend was a defender. frequently working together to achieve a win for your team. each time the both of you do something well, the other will always be the one first to celebrate. when one of you got injured or badly tackled, the other was the first to you, checking if the other is okay before going to defend your lover.

laia swore that you made her a better player, always wanting to impress you, you feeling exactly the same, both of you wanted the praise of your significant other. she frequently told you that she wouldn’t be able to play without you, you promising her that you would always be there. and you were��until a manchester derby has laia’s world crumbling down.

you had the ball, ready to pass it over to lauren hemp so she could strike, just as the ball left your foot, your marker moved at the same time, your body twisting to avoid them and immediately feeling your knee pop. you let out a heartbreaking scream, clutching your knee and falling to the ground.

laia, behind you the whole time saw the entire scene in front of her. her eyes tearing up hearing your blood curdling scream as you roll on the ground in tears. she sprints over to you, kneeling down and placing your head on her thigh.

“cariño (dear)“ she breathes out, both of you having tears rolling down your cheeks. you were hyperventilating at this point, not even registering that your girlfriend was the one consoling you right now, the pain in your knee unbearable. laia signals for the medics to come, looking down at you worriedly.

“bebé (baby), deep breaths okay?” she moves to sit behind you, your back resting against her front while your legs remained stationary to the floor. you do as she says, matching her breathing patterns and eventually calming down, while the medics determined your injury, all you focused on was your girlfriend whispering words of praise in your ear: “i’m so proud of you”, “you’ve done so well”, “i’ll take care of you no matter what, mi amor (my love).”

the medics look at each other with saddened expressions, “(y/n), we’re so sorry” laia’s grip on you tightened, holding you impossibly closer to her chest. you smile, absolutely defeated and shake your head at them, you already knew what it was coming. “it’s your acl, we need to get you on the stretcher and take you off.” a singular tear rolls down your cheek, laia quick to kiss it away, giving you multiple kisses on your cheek as a form of comfort, doing wonders for you honestly.

all she kept thinking about how hard you had been working, not only at man city but the spanish national team also, another tear runs down her cheek at the thought of you degrading yourself.

you were hauled on a stretcher, laia holding your hand and getting you and her subbed off. but not before giving a murderous glare and a shove to the player that was marking you, she wasn’t blaming it on her, she just needed to take out her anger. everyone clapped as you were taken off, your teammates sending you comforting but pained smiles your way.

about two days after, you had managed to get an early surgery, laia taking a week off training to be with you, acting as your own personal nurse.

she couldn’t stop touching you, scared you would disappear if she stopped. like always, she knew you like the back of her hand, knowing that physical intimacy eased your worries. for the rest of the week, laia showered you with love and affection during the beginning recovery stages. carrying you everywhere, making your favourite foods, watching your favourite movies, whatever you wanted, you got it.

laia was completely heartbroken when her week was up, meaning you were left at home by yourself. she knew you would be feeling down that she wasn’t there for the beginning parts of the day due training, you kept reassuring her you would be fine but she just couldn’t believe you, she could see right through you.

—

her first day back, she woke you up and carried you over to the couch. she had woken up early, creating a comfortable space for you, the couch decorated with soft pillows and blankets, pulling the coffee table close and setting it up with your breakfast, a big bottle of water, your favourite snacks and setting up your favourite show for you to binge watch.

you were in her arms as she showed you her creation, you were so touched at her display of affection and care for you. you place your arms around her neck, pulling her into a tight hug, hiding your face into her neck, hot tears making contact with her skin. she quickly rushes to the couch, sitting down on the couch with you sitting in her lap. she coos and cradles your head to her chest.

“bebé (baby) don’t cry” she slots a hand through your hair, lightly scratching your scalp with her nails to calm you down. you look up at her with a pout, putting one of your hands out to cup her cheek. “mi corazón (my heart), i love you” when she hears the nickname and words you’ve said to her thousands of times, she still reacts the same way, grinning brightly with flushed cheeks. “i love you more, mi amor (my love)”

she reluctantly gives you a loving kiss goodbye, a sweet melody of moving lips, full of love and passion even though she would be back just before lunch. you kept pushing her away with a giggle as she leaned in again after each kiss, shaking her head and saying “one more” each time. “bebé! go!” you exclaim, “promise you’ll call me if you need anything?” she pleads with a slight frown evident in her face. “pinky, bebé!” she smiles at you once more, peering at you behind the door before she closed it to make sure you were really okay.

you were enjoying your set up that your sweet girlfriend had carefully and thoughtfully constructed, indulging in it all. the only thing missing from this however, was the bathroom, and due to your girlfriend keeping you nice and hydrated, you needed to go. you hobble with your crutches, a short distance from your desired location.

once you finally arrive to the bathroom, your heart stops. your bathroom mirror was littered with pink sticky notes, all containing a small love letter to you. “i love you”, “you’re beautiful”, “i miss you”, “you’re my favourite” throwing in some cheesy pick up lines too just to make you giggle. you couldn’t believe it, laia was such a softie for you and everyone knew it, but this was just on a whole other level of love.

—

once you hear the familiar jangle of keys in the door, you perk up from your spot, peering over the couch to look at the front door. as soon as laia walks in, she gives you a bright smile, giving you a little wave when you smile back at her.

“laia aleixandri, come here right now please” you say with a mischievous smile, holding your arms out, she quirks her eyebrow at you but rushes over, rushing into your outstretched arms.

“hi bebé (baby)” she grins as you rest your weight on her comfortably. before she could let in another word, you pull her down into a searing kiss, gasping when you slip your tongue into her mouth. she grins into the kiss, your needy (her favourite) side showing. you run your hands up and down her arms, giving her biceps a gentle squeeze, you returning her grin when she lets out a small whine of satisfaction. ‘curse her knee’ she says to herself.

you pull away, pupils completely blown out as you look at each other with lovesick grins. you grab her hand and intertwine your own with it, giving her hand a kiss. “thank you for your notes, mi corazón (my heart)” she looks down at your hands, sheepishly, feeling silly but it all washing away when you pull her into another quick but passionate kiss.

you grab the back of her neck, pulling her ear to your mouth, “i loved them”, placing a gentle kiss on the shell of her ear, giggling as she places numerous pecks on your face and neck in response. and so, everyday, laia left you love notes on the mirror, you collected each one in a box and storing them.

you and laia are just in love. there’s nothing else to say but that. you’re in love, and you both couldn’t be happier.

⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆

just pretend it’s you - MWAHHH

liked by esme.morgan and 44,232 others

laiaaleixandri: i get through the day knowing it’s one step closer to you and i playing together again, i love you, my girl @/yourname

view all comments

yourname: i get through the day because of you in general

↳ yourname: mainly because you make me breakfast every morning

↳ laiaaleixandri: wow okay 😞

↳ yourname: I LOVE YOU

↳ laiaaleixandri: i love you too, i guess

↳ yourname: wow okay 😞

[betweenlands]

[[Psst! Hey you! If you are here without context, go vote for the Well in the MCYT Prisons Contest!]] (and also for the Ghost's Vault, too)

“You tubed which Lying!?” Avid’s patron sputters.

Avid winces at the loud feedback screech accompanying their outburst, resisting the urge to clap his hands over his ears – instead, he looks directly over towards the most recently occupied tube, giving its new resident a quick once-over for identifying features. Fox ears, kind of runny mascara (the tube isn’t doing it any favors), raven wings, big floppy hat with a wide brim and a pointy tip.

He snaps his fingers. “Witch Lying! Yeah, that’s the one.”

“You,” the Nameless King says, and then mutters something completely unintelligible. “Avid. You have priorities. You are supposed to stop people from falling into the Void. This sort of diversion is–”

“I thought of that, actually!” Avid says brightly, leaning back against the stasis chamber. “Actually, they were like, a pretty high priority target once I realized I had access to other worlds through this whole… prison bracket… thingy.”

“I’m still not sure how that works, to be honest,” the Nameless King sighs.

“It’s really not that complicated! See, the other Avid is busy being possessed by some weird dark entity called the Old One or whatever, who I assume is like a rival of yours so I’m not going to linger on that because I certainly wouldn’t want to be asked about my exes, but anyway – he’s busy, I’m not –”

“–You have a job–”

“– and so I figured, what the heck, might as well just kinda sneak in there and see if there’s anyone that’s being particularly unsafe! And hoo boy, buddy, you are gonna be glad I did that.”

A pause, then more discontented grumbling from the other side of the line. “You had better have a good reason for taking your eyes off our biggest issues. Marmalade’s still at large, and that Fool could be–”

Avid snickers, rapping his knuckles against the tube despite the sign he’d put up next to it clearly reading DO NOT TAP ON GLASS. “Okay, so here’s the deal. It turns out this sucker right here, the Witch, they’re like – immortal immortal.”

“Most people are somewhat immortal. Respawn exists.”

“Yeah, I don’t think they’ve taken a respawn in a couple centuries,” Avid says, stretching and moving over to the readout of the tubed figure’s genetics chart. “From an old modded generation – they’ve got some sort of immortality machine somewhere. Couldn’t figure out how to disable that but I did my research and, oh boy, you are gonna be glad to hear about this one.”

“Again. This had better be good.”

“Man, you are tetchy today.” Avid sighs. “I’ll make it quick. Immortality machine runs on death protection poppets. Death protection poppets block void damage. Void deals void damage. People go into Limbo if the Void can’t kill ‘em. You want people not in Limbo. Ergo, pickled Witch in the Woods.”

A long silence.

“Did I oversimplify?”

“No.” They sigh deeply. “Frankly, I’m stunned that you managed to create and follow a totally logical train of thought to completion. If what you’re saying is true, you actually have saved us both a great deal of hassle.”

“Aw. That’s sweet of you.” Avid leans back against the tube again, grinning.

“Don’t get used to it. But… well done.”

Avid grins widely, almost to the point where he has to cover his own face to hide how much he’s smiling. He’s done a good job! He did it! He’s getting a good grade in tubing people, something both normal to want and possible to achieve!

“I asked you a question, Avid,” the Nameless King says. Oops.

“Yep! Definitely heard you the first time, but, could you maybe just… rephrase that in full for a reason that is totally unrelated to me not hearing you?”

A long-suffering sigh. “I asked how you got them in the first place. Didn’t you lose the last round?”

“Eheh.” Avid’s grin turns almost uncharacteristically nasty. “See, that’s the thing. I did. I’ve been picking off the losers for the most part, so everyone’s been worrying about little ol’ me. I mean, who would even bother going after the immortal that won this round? If anything, they’re a suspect.” He waves one hand. “It’ll take people a little while to realize anything’s up – in fact, I can probably pick off a few more people in the quarterfinals before anyone figures out that the Witch is missing.”

“Make your pitch,” Avid’s patron says. “Quickly.”

“You got it.” Avid rummages in his inventory and pulls out a hand-drawn map of the upcoming tournament and a ballpoint pen that was probably Trog’s before they got tubed. He clicks it a few times, tapping it against his chin. “So, this round the Well looks like it might get bodied. Last round got something like a thousand votes – really close call, this place called the Desert versus these things called ‘where is’ blogs.”

“Please tell me you didn’t take out Ross,” the Nameless King says. “I don’t have the time or resources to deal with the Red Sun, and neither do you.”

“I may be dumb,” Avid says, “but I’m not stupid. I didn’t mess with that round. It was too high-profile, and keeping the Desert guys at large means they’re another prime suspect for the disappearances. Which brings me to the winners of that round.”

“Which was…?”

“The where is blogs. Apparently they put people in situations and it’s very popular. But, if they win, I’m thinking I could call in a little request for their next location.”

“Hm.” Avid gets the distinct sensation that the Nameless King is tapping their fingers against something. “Yes, that could work. If they let their guard down after winning like the Witch did, you could sweep in and get a lot of people at the same time – define where they are, as it were.”

Avid twirls the pen around his fingers a couple times before scribbling something down in the margins of his notes. “See, this is why we make such a good team! That is exactly what I was thinking we could do.”

“Excellent. Then make sure they win the next round – and don’t let me down.”

Avid nods, and then realizes that his patron can’t see him doing that, and then decides that he doesn’t really have anything to add. Awkward silence fills the air for several seconds.

“One more thing,” the Nameless King finally says. “You said you were picking off the losers, didn’t you?” Their voice is dryly annoyed again – so much for being happy with Avid’s job performance. “I would love to hear who else you’ve wasted our time on.”

“Not a waste of time!” Avid says brightly, hopping over the top floor railing and down to a lower floor. “So, there’s this really cute version of Viking that I would, just, love to talk with over drinks sometime, seems like a really fun dude, has this beautiful vault –”

“Avid. Focus.”

“Uh. Right. Probably won’t be able to talk to him face-to-face unless he gets into the finals, so I’m gonna have to work really hard to see if I can–”

“Avid.”

“Sorry, sorry!” Avid waves a hand as he checks over the occupant of the next tube. “Anyway, the guy he beat was really distracted and kind of stormed off muttering about how people should’ve had new perspectives or something? He was alone, so I bopped him over the head and tossed him in a stasis chamber.”

Avid looks over the catboy in the tube appraisingly. He’s wearing all-black with green and yellow highlights – he kind of looks like an emo version of Viking, if Viking actually wore hoodies. And had brown hair. And didn’t really look like Viking other than the heterochromia. “I don’t know his name, but apparently he’s Canadian? Whatever that means, I don’t think Canada canonically exists in–”

“You’re not serious.”

“I am! We cannot confirm Canada to be like, a canonically existing thing, that’ll break suspension of disbelief! Or at least that’s probably what Anathra would say.”

“I don’t care about the relative canonicity of Canada. You’re telling me you captured Kenadian? The person known for breaking into and out of places faster than anyone else? The prison escapist?”

“Ohhh,” Avid says. “He’s not Canadian, his name’s Kenadian. You know what, that makes so much more sense.”

[jamneuromain]

Hello,

Congrates again Sweetie, you really deserves it ❤️

I don't know how many asks we can send and I had so many ideas of combinations

I am sending two of them depending on what's inspiring you. If both of them inspire you, it's even better. 🤭

🥳😶❤️ Steve Rogers

👇🕯😈 Jake Jensen

Good luck 😘

Okay this is definitely a brain teaser

but still, I'm going to go with 🥳😶❤️ Steve Rogers, because this reminded me of an idea I once had...

Disguise

Captain America!Steve Rogers x You

Warning: A little cursing but that's all.

Summary: It's your first mission, and Captain America has told you to disguise yourself. You've followed that order to a "T".

A/N: Hiya! Sorry it took so long to get it out :( I have to say, originally I wanted to write a short drabble where Steve was teaching her a lesson, but then I wondered, why is she on this mission in the first place? and I can't control this drabble which turned into a ~2k one-shot....

"... and the last item on our agenda," Maria took a brief stop from her briefing and looked around the room like a hawk, scanning everyone with her sharp eyes until they landed on the selected few, "congratulations on our fellow analysts who have applied for the field agent assistant position and passed the final test."

With a few claps from the fellow analysts, she paused again, waiting until the claps died down before quickly gathering her thoughts and assigned a few missions to three other analyst/field agent assistant, "And Y/N, I will brief you for your next mission, please stay for a few more minutes after this meeting. The rest of you, keep up the good work. You are dismissed."

It had been an eventful six months with all of your trainings - basically starting up from the ground up, no previous experience being an agent whatsoever - but you made it till the end, even though barely passing all the bars that are required for a field agent assistant. You felt very lucky as field agent assistant only requires 60% of what full-time agents can achieve, and watching your once muscle-lacking arms and legs, now turned out to be somewhat of an amateur wrestler, half of a professional boxer, and a sprinkle of assassin (thanks to Clint for his dart training).

You felt good about yourself. Truly, good.

Maria handed you a slim brown folder with a few pages in it. Opening it with sheer curiosity, you hear Maria picking out a few important points to brief: "There is rumored to be a highly dangerous neurotoxin in the black-market with more than a dozen buyers interested. This mission would be an undercover job in Venice, where the said toxin would be sold to the highest bidder."

The first page had a few sentences of what the said toxin could do. It evaporates soon but kills just as quickly. Victim's skin turned purple in contact with this chemical, looking as if they had suffocated to death. Word on the street? It was responsible for the terrorist attack in Paris last month.

"You would be posing as Mrs. Anna Dashevsky, wife of Mr. Vlad Dashevsky, the notorious couple of wreaking havoc: the train accident in Germany, the bombing in L.A., and a few other dozen of suspected murders and attacks. We have apprehended them both from their Belarus safe house twenty-four hours ago, safe to say that your cover would not be blown since the auction is fully anonymous." Maria had her skeptical look on you, her cold voice brought chills to your spine, "Unless of course, you got made."

"No, I won't, Ma'am." You replied on instinct, knowing fully well that the danger of arms dealers and terrorists gathering in such an auction could possibly be the end of your career - and your life as well, which was why you took a glance at the page of Mr. and Mrs. Dashevsky, making a mental note of the couple's information.

"Good. I shall hope not." Maria gestured you to turn the file to the next page, "You would be working with an Avenger for this mission. Your task is to provide tactical analytic support on the ground. Locate the position of the toxin, get it out, our team would be picking you up two miles south of the venue -" She pointed to a red cross marked on the map, "which is this bridge. If you missed the rendezvous, retreat to the safehouse." Her fingers tapped the red circle on the corner of the map, "Proceed as Protocol 4-12 Agent in Distress."

You scanned over the map to remember the extraction routes, noticing that these are the only pages in the thin folder, "There's no teammate information - am I going in there as Anna alone, or ...?"

Maria shook her head lightly, "You would be greeted by your teammate once you land in Venice, and your teammate would be posing as Vlad, your husband - I noticed you've got a B+ in Russian?" Seeing that you've nodded in confidence, Maria continued, "Good. Practice your Russian, might be handy. Your flight takes off at Runway Charlie in thirty minutes, I'd suggest you head off to the equipment room right now for the gadgets."

"Yes, Ma'am." You dared not linger a second more and headed straight to the equipment room.

First mission on the ground. You could not be more excited.

Turned out, you could. When the famous Captain America greeted you once your plane had landed on a small airstrip in the outskirt of Padova. Where he was leaning by a smooth silver sedan with a fake nose and a fake moustache.

You almost did not recognise him until he spoke.

"Steve." He introduced himself briefly, extending his hand for you to shake. Didn't take much to know the only one named "Steve" existing in the Avengers team was Steve Frigging Rogers, Captain America himself, the golden boy of the States, and the man with the plan.

"Hi! I'm Anna." You put down your briefcase of trinkery, took his hand and shook with a firmer grip than you had imagined. "Well, my name isn't Anna," You smiled apologetically, "It's ..."

"I know, Y/N." He chuckled, opening the car door for you, gesturing for you to sit, "I've got the files Maria sent. We'll talk on the way."

Yeesh, such gentleman. You bit back the grin and sat in the passenger's seat, while he put the case into the backseat.

The drive from Padova to Venice took about forty minutes, during which he briefed you the latter half of the information required. You switched to one of those little boats - which Italian name you still couldn't pronounce - on entering Venice, by that time you were picking up something casual to talk about, just in case the toxin seller had eyes and ears around the potential buyers.

"First time leaving the office, huh?" He teased you lightly, rubbing small circles around your shoulder blade, pretending to be intimate as he spoke softly.

"Yeah." You murmured, clasping and un-clasping your hand due to obvious nervousness, "It's the first time, well ... ever."

"It's okay." Steve smiled warming, practically glowing kindness when he offered to soothe your nerves, "I'd say you would forget about it ..." He shrugged, "But then I would be lying. Truth is, it's always frightening for the first time, but you will be fine." Steve beamed at you, scratching his fake nose, which you thought must be some kind of silicone that created authentic skin-like appearance, "Just give it time."

Your destination was the safehouse marked on the map. After Steve tipped the boat guy generously, he made sure no one was lurking before tugging a key out of his pocket and opened the door.

Maybe it was your expression that betrayed you, because Steve read something from your looks and grinned, "You want to ask me something? Go ahead."

You're that obvious? But you decided it was best to follow orders.

"This safe house doesn't look so ... safe." You commented, "How are we supposed to defend ourselves, if it comes to ... you know," you chuckled drily, "shooting and stuff?"

Steve seemed stunned for a moment, before really taking a good look at the plain wooden floor and the almost ancient decor in the kitchen, the rusty oven, the missing cabinet door, the whole lot suggesting this place hadn't been set foot in years.

"What, this?" His brows furrowed into a knot, as if seeing completely different things.

You nervously waited for his reply.

"Oh..." Realization hit him as he slapped himself on the forehead, pressing a button below the kitchen table, "You mean ... this."

The noise of machine operating out of nowhere startled you, almost immediately sent you into a defensive position. But as the old crappy oven flipped to the other side and showed an array of guns, bullets, knives, and tasers, the dusty kitchen table pulled the planks to its side and revealed a huge tactical screen, and the fireplace tugged a secret passageway open for an escape route, your jaw fell on the floor.

"I might have told Tony about the whole disguise idea for the safe houses and uh," Steve chuckled, "He and Bruce took it way too seriously. Probably got a bit carried away too."

"One little problem, though," You raised your index finger and swiped a line along the greasy stove, making a face, "I don't think there's anything we can find here to eat ...?"

"Don't worry about that." Steve waved his hand dismissively, "We won't be here more than an hour before heading to the auction place. There's a full wardrobe and weaponry upstairs, first door on the right - but I'm sure you have already got plenty in your case - But by all means, take half an hour to adjust, rest, grab what you need, and I want us out of here by an hour. That sounds good?"

"Good. Okay. Thumbs up." You confirmed and headed upstairs with your suitcase, only to close the bedroom door and squeal into your palms.

O.M.FUCKING.GEE!

Captain America. In the living flesh!

On your first-ever mission!

Three soft knocks came through the thin wooden door.

"You alright in there?"

"I'm okay Cap - I mean, Vlad!" You called out, realizing as soon as you spoke that your voice was hoarse than usual.

"Careful there. The wardrobe door is on the left-hand side. Give me a shout if you need anything."

After that, small trotting noises, probably from the footsteps of Steve Rogers going downstairs.

Left-hand side? You eyed the dusty place curiously, poking and prodding the moldy wallpaper. You didn't see any wardrobe, other than -

Your nail bore contact with a piece of metal, from which a grey-ish camera leapt out of the wall, and nearly hit your hand.

It scanned your face, before emitting that rumbling Transformer noise again, revealing a wall full of weapons, money, and of course, clothes and wigs for disguises.

You gasped at the brand-new Magnums on the wall. You took your word back. This was the safest house in the fucking galaxy.

"Ta-da-" You walked down the stairs, "What do you think, Ca - Vlad?"

Steve had his gaze pinned on you for a moment. His expression was close to blank, which was giving you a hard time figuring out what he was thinking.

"Am I overdoing it?" You clenched the collar of your coat nervously, "Anna - I mean, I came from a Slavic root, so this is ... alright? No?"

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting the corner of his lips from the uncontrollable grin. "I would say, that this outfit is ... " He tried hard not to laugh, "It's good, great. Could use a few ... improvements, though."

You were wearing a thick fur coat and a fur hat, sunglasses too, dressing up like a polar bear rolled over in red and brown paint.

"Just because the Dashevsky's are from Slavic roots doesn't mean we have to dress up as good-ole fashioned Russian villains." Steve helped you take off the thick fur coat, smiling to himself, "We still have some time. Care to go through Disguise 101 with me?"

Find Jammy's 500 Follower's Celebration here 👈

Questions? Comments? Requests? 👉Send them to my inbox 👂

[sopreciouslife]

𝐻𝑜𝓌 𝓉𝑜 𝑔𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝒻𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 - 𝒢𝓁𝑜𝓌 𝒰𝓅

𝟏. Affirm yourself: Wake up every morning and tell yourself you’re that girl. It might feel silly, but seriously, hype yourself up. Think of yourself like the main character, because you are! 

𝟐. Wear what makes you feel powerful: Whether it’s a bold red lip, your favorite oversized hoodie, or killer heels, rock whatever makes you feel like you can take on the world. When you look good, you feel good! 

𝟑. Stop the comparison game: No more scrolling through IG and feeling bad about yourself. Everyone’s path is different, and you’re glowing in your own lane. Focus on your journey, not someone else’s highlight reel. 

𝟒. Embrace the awkward moments: Confidence doesn’t mean being perfect, it’s owning those embarrassing moments with a laugh. Slip up? Laugh it off, because honestly, we all do it. Confidence is being okay with being human. 

𝟓. Surround yourself with hype queens: Cut off toxic vibes and keep people around who build you up. When you have a squad that believes in you, it becomes way easier to believe in yourself.

𝟔. Fake it ‘til you make it: If you don’t feel confident, *pretend* you do. Walk into that room like you belong there. Eventually, you’ll start believing it too. And trust me, no one can tell the difference!

𝟕. Set small, achievable goals: Confidence grows when you see yourself succeed. Start with tiny wins—maybe it’s speaking up in a meeting or nailing that new workout routine. Each win is a confidence booster. 

𝟖. Practice good posture: Sounds simple, but standing tall changes your whole energy. Shoulders back, head up, and walk like you’re strutting down a runway. Instant confidence boost. 

𝟗. Learn to say no: Confident girls have boundaries. Stop people-pleasing and start saying no when you need to. Your time, energy, and peace are precious, guard them fiercely. 

𝟏𝟎. Celebrate yourself, always: Don’t wait for others to clap for you. Clap for yourself when you achieve something, big or small. You’re doing amazing things every day, and you deserve to recognize it.  Confidence isn’t a destination, it’s a journey, enjoy every step!

Note: If you want any special/specific request of tips or just to ask any questions, dm me or put it in my inbox!