#he looks like he hasn't missed not one single gym day in his entire life ever jkndfjvnfdv

[xwesley]

↳ wesley lafleur via tiktok

[lestappenforever]

I just saw a TikTok that said “imagine Charles playing basketball, points at you and says this is for you and completely misses 20 times in a row” and now I can’t stop imagining max awkwardly standing there while this happens.

I cackled at this mental image for fifteen minutes, so I couldn't help myself. I'm sorry, anon.

---

Max Verstappen understands that people are different. He also understands that people have different definitions of fun. And it just so happens that Max Verstappen's idea of fun on a Saturday afternoon is not to be in a clammy gym that kind of smells like years and years of old sweat, with the loud, insufferable sound of sneakers squeaking against hardwood floor every few seconds while a group of not-even-a-little talented men run around, trying to get a basketball through the hoops.

It is, however, Charles Leclerc's idea of fun, apparently. And Max has long since learned that dating Charles Leclerc means that he will be spending some of his off-season days doing things he wouldn't usually subject himself to.

Such as watching his idiot boyfriend and his entourage of idiot friends trying to play basketball. Emphasis on trying.

Andrea isn't half-bad, but not being half-bad isn't very helpful when the other seven people on the field are absolutely useless. Max has long since lost track of how many times Joris has failed at his attempt to receive a pass, and Riccardo has been spending more time on the floor of the gym than on his feet. But worst of them all, is Charles.

Beautiful, wonderful Charles, who can navigate an F1 car through the smallets of corners at incredibly high speeds without issue, but who can't seem to get a basketball through a hoop to save his fucking life.

He hasn't managed to score a single point, and they've been playing for close to forty-five minutes already. It's nearing to the point of being painful to keep watching, but Max can't seem to tear his eyes away. It's like watching a car crash, and Max is captivated.

Another ten minutes pass before Joris demands a break, claiming to be on the verge of death, and the group makes their way towards the stands. Andrea holds his fist out for Max to bump once he's within reach, and Max obliges.

"How do you put up with them?" Max asks, watching as Andrea chugs half a bottle of water in one go.

"I ask myself the same question almost daily," Andrea responds with a sigh, which earns him an offended huff from Joris. Andrea rolls his eyes and pointedly doesn't acknowledge it further.

Max huffs a laugh and gets to his feet, making his way down onto the court and turning right, walking in the direction of the bathrooms.

Upon finishing his business and returning to the court, Charles is the only person who has returned to the court, and he's standing at the freethrow line in front the hoop closest to the bathrooms.

"Hey, Max!" the Monégasque shouts as Max passes him, and when Max looks over at him, the other man is grinning widely at him.

"Yeah?" Max calls back.

"This is for you," Charles shouts, pointing at Max and giving him one of his signature attempts at a wink — his worst attempt yet, Max finds himself fondly thinking — before throwing the ball in the direction of the hoop.

It goes flying over the entire thing, and Charles scrambles to retrieve it once it returns to the floor.

"Kidding," Charles tries and fails to sound nonchalant as he returns to the freethrow line. "This is for you!"

This time, Charles throws the ball so hard it slams against the board behind the hoop and immediately returns to the Monégasque's hands.

Max stares, unimpressed. Somewhere behind him, Andrea stifles a laugh — Joris flat-out cackles. From where he's standing, Max can see Charles' cheeks pinking slightly, and as the Monégasque glances at him, Max recognizes that look in his eyes.

Determination. Not unlike the determination he has seen in Charles' eyes so many times before a race.

"Ah, fuck," the Dutchman groans, as Charles makes a third attempt to make the shot. He fails, yet again, and immediately runs to retrieve the ball.

And so it begins: Charles trying and failing to get the ball into the hoop, from several angles and distances, and Max awkwardly standing at the sidelines, watching him the entire time.

He misses a grand total of twenty times before Andrea loses his patience and intercepts the ball before Charles can retrieve it for a twenty-first attempt, and announces that the game will resume, putting Max out of his misery.

Charles argues with Andrea in Italian and Max leaves them to it, returning to his previous seat to keep watching what is arguably the least impressive game of basketball he has ever seen.

Another half hour passes before the group decides to call it a day, and start packing up their things to go home. Charles, however, remains on the court even as his friends start departing one by one, barely even acknowledging them with a dismissive wave of his hand as they bid him farewell. Shortly after, Max and Charles are alone in the gym.

With a sigh, Max gets to his feet and walks onto the court, where Charles has once again tried and failed to get the ball into the hoop from the freethrow line.

"Wanna go home?" Max asks him once he comes to a halt a couple of steps from the Monégasque.

"Nope," Charles answers immediately, without looking at Max. His laser focus is trained on the hoop as he shoots — and misses.

"Are we going to stay here until you make that shot?"

"Yep."

Max rubs a hand over his face. "Do I have a say in the matter?"

"Nope."

"Lovely," the Dutchman concedes, and walks back over to the stands to take a seat.

It takes Charles thirty-three new attempts to finally get the ball in the hoop, bringing his total attempts up to fifty-three. Max watches every single one.

But it's all worth it in the end when the ball finally goes in, and Charles erupts into a wild celebration — falling to his knees and pumping his fists in the air as if he has just won his first World Championship. And Max realizes he would gladly sit there until the morning if he had to when he sees the look of pure, unadulterated joy on the Monégasque's face as he beams at Max.

Not that he'd ever tell Charles that, though. Because the man is insane enough to actually make him do it, too, if he knew. So Max applauds Charles' achievement and returns the grin Charles sends him with a matching one of his own, before he gets to his feet.

"Well done, babe," the Dutchman says. "Now can we go home?"

And Charles leaps to his feet and bounds over to Max like an excited puppy, throwing himself into the other man's arms and wrapping his own around the back of Max's neck.

"Now we can go home," Charles confirms, pressing a firm kiss to Max's lips that the Dutchman can't help but smile into.

It's a smile that fades quickly, though, when Charles pulls back with wide, excited eyes.

"I'm just going to try to make a shot from the half court line first," the Monégasque says, as he turns to look for the ball.

Before he can start moving towards it, however, Max grabs the back of his shirt and pulls him back firmly. "Absolutely fucking not," he huffs, using his hold on Charles' shirt to turn the other man around and shove him towards his things.

"But —,"

"Home."

Charles pouts the whole way there. Max pretends not to notice, because now it's Charles' turn to take part in Max's idea of fun: which doesn't involve leaving the apartment. Or the bedroom.

Being in a relationship means making compromises, after all. And, well, Charles kind of likes compromises.

[fallout4-reacts]

How about companions react to Sole "adopting" a baby deathclaw and basically keeping it like a pet?

To be fully honest, I remember viewing a companion react on this subject (or maybe a meme... don't remember... maybe I just dreamed of...?), but fortunately, I no longer recall the details It's so cute I'm going to do it with joy I hope to be original ans you'll like it

Cait (romanced) : Cait is practicing her fighting skills in the Sanctuary gym. She hears protests on the street but no gunshots, so she continues to punch the punching bag without paying attention. The door opens and closes after a few moments.

"Cait!" exclaimed Sole emphatically. "Remember when you said we could get an animal to fill our space?"

Cait lowers her head, pressing her brow against the training bag. Yes, she recalls the conversation, but Sole appears to have a different memory. Cait had stated that she might be willing to tolerate a stray animal if there was one in need. She turns to her love slowly, a hollow growl rising in her throat to communicate her dissatisfaction... and chokes on her own air.

"What?!"

"Isn't he the cutest little baby in existence?"

"IT'S A DEATHCLAW!"

"It's a tiny little Bibi, and it's all too cute, and I called it Ernest, and Ernest is going to be a cute little trooping companion."

"Ernest is going to eat Dogmeat, then is going to eat Mom, and Mom-who-looks-dumb is going to eat Ernest."

"We're keeping it!"

Cait completely rumbles this time. Sole's tone is devoid of retort, and their gaze is firmly fixed on the former arena combatant. Cait shrugs and sighs.

"You go out hunting for his food."

Codsworth : He'd known Sole for a few weeks before the bombs falls. Since the bombs, he's known Sole for a few months. He is aware that occasionally a ceiling tile is missing. But this time, he is confident that they did not return all the change on their coin.

"Madam/Sir, this is a deathclaw."

"He's a BABY deathclaw, and look at how cute he is!"

"He's cute now, but he'll grow up and become a threat one day."

"Like everything else I raise, what."

Sole's depressing tone causes Codsworth's processor to sink into its truster.

"I will prepare his room," he finally concedes.

Curie (romanced but not for long) : "We're going to call him Ernest!" declares Sole.

"No, Gustave."

"Okay!"

Curie hasn't let go of the adorable roudoudou deathclaw that Sole brought to the clinic. She didn't offer him a single time with her friend under the false pretense of passing examinations to ensure his health. Sole thinks it adorable at first, but after a few hours, they return to the clinic, irritated.

"Can I get my deathclaw back?"

"This is my Deathclaw. And the answer is, of course, no. It turns out that a stable environment is critical at critical stages of a baby's growth, and your life is anything from steady."

"This is MY deathclaw!"

"Not any longer. Gustave belongs to me."

Sole growls impatiently and approaches to retrieve the baby. Curie moves through their path, looking menacing for the first time since being transplanted into the body of a synth (and, to be honest, even before that). Sole is taken aback, but they frown and reach out.

"Okay, enough Curie; it's my baby."

"I said no."

She appears to be determined to die rather than move, with her hands on her hips, and her eyes are as deadly as those of a true deathclaw mother. Sole eventually left, but not before saying, "But I have visitation rights every other weekend!"

"You'll see that with my lawyer!"

Danse : Since their return to the Prydwen, Sole has been odd. They ran straight for the front bridge, their bags bulging to the brim. When they have such of material on them, they usually walk through their dorm and sort out what goes into their personal trunk. Proctor Ingram might have wanted them to visit her, or they might have wanted to sell stuff to Proctor Teagan. When Sole went through the mess with their bag entirely empty, he opted for the second alternative.

"Did you get a good price?"

"It’s not for sale!" Sole instantly defends... They then realize their error. "I mean, sure! Yes, I had a lot of dealings with... um, Teagan."

"Proctor Teagan, Knight. I've told you a thousand times that you're overly comfortable with officials. We have ranks, and you must follow the regulations, even while addressing other Brotherhoods."

"You're correct, Danse. Sorry."

"Paladin Danse."

"Yes, Sir, I'm sorry. I'll be more cautious."

Danse, on the other hand, is suspicious. He thinks Sole is a little too eager to accept criticism, which is not typical of them, and they appear a touch too nervous, even for someone as nervous as they naturally are. And every so often, he observes his subordinate vanish for a bit and return with a scruffy uniform. He chooses to follow them surreptitiously at the end of the seventh absence, even leaving his Power Armor at his quarters so as not to betray himself. He is taken aback by what he discovers. Sole holds a baby deathclaw captive beneath the bridge, concealed behind containers. He cannot overlook this blunder.

"Knight! What are you thinking? Please explain yourself as soon as possible before I report you!"

Sole turns as pale as a sheet, keeping themself in front of the little creature, who appears to be oblivious to what is going on, busy grinding her teeth on a piece of leather armor.

"It's not what you think! Ok, it's exactly what you're thinking, but Danse! I implore you—

"Paladin Danse! Know, soldier, that this kind of...initiative is strictly prohibited in our ranks, and that this thing must be handed over to the authorities immediately in order to put an end to its existence—

"Not Ernest!  Please, no!"

"Ernest?"

The little lizard raises its head and fixes its scaly glare on the paladin, seemingly aware of its presence. He approaches him awkwardly on his hind legs, and before Danse is able to react, he licks his hand and gives him a puppy-like look. The officer attempts to ignore how moved he is by the entire event, and he withdraws his hand vigorously, straightening himself in dignity.

"I… I'll give you two hours to remove this from the ship. Find her another place to live. And please keep in mind that we are not a zoo."

"In some cases," mumbles Sole between his teeth. He immediately recovered after that. "Many thanks, Danse—

"Paladin Danse."

"Thank you so much, Paladin Danse. You will never be sorry for this act of kindness. You will see; you will one day realize how much lack of compassion is exactly where the Brotherhoods were wrong, and perhaps one day you will be grateful that I am not of this kind!"

"Sole," Danse exclaimed ultimately, "get out with your lizard."

Danse no longer had to complain about his subordinate's actions because they were swift and discrete. But after a few days, when they're both on a quest to clear a hole full of synth, Danse can't keep quiet anymore.

"How is Ernest?"

Deacon : "Look at the lovely hat I found for Ern!"

Deacon returns to HQ and immediately goes on to the shooting range area where Sole has set up Ernest. Desdemona throws her spy an angry stare as he walks past without noticing her.

"I maintain that your authority has been abused on this one."

"Shut up, Carrington."

"You've got a problem with Ernest?" Glory inquired, threateningly.

"Not at all," the doctor said quickly, telling himself that at the next routine check-up, the little deathclaw would have an unforeseen response to a common product, resulting in early death.

Dogmeat : Scent the thing who follows Sole about like... him? The monster sniffs him back, and they swirl around for a few moments before the creature rolls on the ground and emits a series of squeaks. Dogmeat flicks out, glad to have a companion. However, the friend grows swiftly. When Dogmeat and Sole return to the Red Rocket where the friend was installed, Dogmeat cannot hide his canine fear upon seeing that the friend has grown to the size of a human. However, when the friend comes around Dogmeat at night, the dog licks his face and presses his nose against his, clearly pleased. After all, Sole's other green companion is much larger than the others, but he still frequently feeds Dogmeat mouth-watering chunks of meat.

Elder Maxson : Shoot on sight. 

"It was one of those horrible monsters who disfigured me, and you dare to bring one under my nose!"

He doesn't even pay attention to Sole's protests and ridiculous accusations.

Maxson gives a final warning when Sole begins to threaten him with tears in their eyes while gripping the monster in their arms. Sole is utterly deaf to whatever their high commander says. They make frightening threats as they leave the Prydwen, carrying the baby's body with them. The Elder initially believes they will return to their senses and is already planning the disciplinary measures that will be administered on them. But Sole does not return. Sole never returns.

Then, one day, like this, the Prydwen explodes.

Hancock (romanced) : "I think he has your eyes."

"Don't be a jerk. And don't let this thing come anywhere near me. I ain't no chew toy."

Sole laughs, tickling the thing's tummy. Hancock is not at all at ease. He has always prided himself on being open-minded and inclusive, but Sole pushes him to his breaking point. When his companion arrived at the Old State House with a deathclaw baby, Hancock needed an hour and a lot of Fahrenheit arguing to realize he wasn't hallucinating. Since then, he has tried to compensate for his nervous breakdown by inhaling Jet on Jet. He doesn't want to be a tyrant over Sole, but a deathclaw? No way under his roof.

"It will get bigger and have you for lunch."

"He will be domesticated and an incredible ally for Goodneighbor."

Hancock's eyes brighten up when something hits him.

"Hold up! I just had a dope idea! If we do this right, it could be something of a homie for Goodneighbor!"

Sole rolls their eyes and smiles indulgently.

"Yes, Hancock, that's a brilliant idea."

Gage : He was aware that the Overboss had been carrying a backpack with them during their voyage through the Gauntlet. He saw them carefully place the bag in the locker room before confronting Colter. He'd seen them rush to collect it as soon as the fight was finished, and he'd seen how they seemed to take a thousand care to keep it safe while Porter made them do the grand tour of the square. When they arrive at the Fizztop Grille and Sole places the bag on the bed, a deathclaw baby emerges. Porter is completely taken aback. He imagined many things, but not that.

"Do you realize you have a deathclaw in your bag?"

"Yes, it’s Ernest. He's really cute, isn't he?"

Porter simply shrugs. As long as the job is done. After all, having a pet deathclaw will give the new Overboss a fucked up reputation. Nisha will not dare to challenge their authority.

MacCready (romanced) : "He's just a baby!"

"The emergence of a horrible monstrosity that will reduce us to sharpies!"

"Come on, stop your antics and get down right now!"

"NEVER! Not with that beast around!"

Sole sighs impatiently, attempting to persuade the mercenary that he has nothing to fear from Ernest. But Mac doesn't falls on this path and doesn't leave his safety, which he found at the top of the tree when his sight crossed that of the deathclaw.

"This thing is my baby, and you'll have to get used to it."

"No, your baby is in the hands of the boogymen, and this... this thing cannot replace it!"

Perhaps that was a touch too harsh. When Mac notices the tears in Sole's eyes, he quickly regrets his outburst. But not quite so far down.

"Look, I never thought I'd have to say this one day, but it's simple; it's him or me!"

Could he perhaps stop shattering Sole's heart for a moment? He's trying, but this thing is truly stolen out the best in him. When he sees the reptile's hideous teeth along his half-open lips, he can't think straight. He doesn't see a child. He sees a danger—a monster that will slit their throats while they sleep in order to gorge on their entrails.

"So, that's how you take it?"

"Y…yes. Sorry, but there is nothing to talk about. It's either him or me!"

Sole turns regretfully, grabbing their new friend's clawed paw in their hands and leading him on the road with them.

"If you ever remember that I love you, you will come and join me at Sanctuary."

"If you ever remember you love me, you will return that thing to where you took it from!"

But Sole does not pause; they do not surrender. They kept going without looking back. When they are no longer visible on the horizon, MacCready descends from his perch and heads in the direction of Goodneighbor. It will not be said that he will be the one to bow in his relationship, especially on such things as this.

Nick Valentine (romanced) : "Ellie, where's the Garfield file?"

Nick enters the room and settles into his chair, his nose buried in another folder. A cough alerts him to the fact that his partner has returned.

"I'm glad you've showed up, Sole. We have a whole business."

His sight was taken to what Sole was holding in their arms as he turned to address the newcomer. The detective glances up at Sole, whose eyes plead him, then down at the creature they are holding.

"No," he says flatly. The tone is categorical. To Sole, it's immediately obvious that arguing is useless.

Piper : Piper tries again with her old press, but Nat is right: no miracle will revive it this time. Unless she can snag Sturges. Piper believes the Sanctuary mechanic can accomplish anything with a little wire and duct tape. She walks across the market to the Home Plate to see if Sole can help her persuade the mechanic.

"Come in quietly, and don't scream out of fear, or you'll scare him."

Piper becomes perplexed for a little while. That's an unusual approach to greet guests, but it's OK. She shrugs and pulls the door open... before bursting into a horrified shriek... followed by a terrified groan.

Sole rushes into the living room, plainly annoyed, and dives on the little deathclaw, who is flashing teeth and splitting the air with his claws, to calm him down.

"Auntie Piper did not intend to frighten you, Ernest. Be nice and quiet."

Piper halted, fell silent, and looked about, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"It's a... deathclaw?"

"It's a baby deathclaw. Is name is Ernest."

"Hello Ernest," Piper says with a smile. "Would you like to have an interview with Auntie Piper?"

"He can't talk; he's still a baby."

"Then you will answer my questions!"

Preston : He's seen a lot of strange things since Sole came into his life. All colors, especially those he didn't believe could exist. This is why, when Sole returns to Sanctuary with a baby Deathclaw, he sighs heavily, shrugs his shoulders, and opens the gates. Ernest, ironically, rapidly became a mascot in the place. Because Quincy survivors recall how their lives changed the day Sole fought a deathclaw to help them escape from Concord, having a deathclaw baby as a mascot makes sense. As he got older, Ernest uncovered his tremendous intelligence and learned like a dog. It brings delight to the inhabitants, and its reputation spreads fast throughout the Commonwealth, making the settlement safer than ever... Because who would go against settlers who were protected by a deathclaw?

Strong : "Good doggy."

"It's not a dog, it's a deadclaw."

"Good meal."

Sole gently pulls back, Ernest in their arms, and flees the super-mutant with the baby. They don't even want to talk about it. While they argued, Strong might eat Ernest.

X6-88 : He'd never confess to being astonished. His appearance stays unchanged; his eyes are obscured by his sunglasses, and he pinches his lips.

"Do you think Shaun will like it?" Sole inquires innocently.

"Are you genuinely considering bringing this creature to the Institute?"

"I can't leave him alone in this evil, hostile world."

X6-88 prefers not to say anything, but in his opinion, this thing would be better off with a bullet in the skull. However, unless proven otherwise, the young monster does not jeopardize their objective, and as he grows older, if he is obedient, he may be able to contribute to Sole's security. Surprisingly, as time passes, X6 assumes greater responsibility regarding the little creature. Ernest found a small spot in his heart, but he would never confess it.